is the True Mâ—aning of The Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets c. Answ. This doth not prove that we have not the Spirit of God but that we have it For did not we shew these Scriptures and read them to thee and the people doth not the people that was there know this And R. W. is a searching the Scripture's meaning of The Spirits of the Prophets being Subject to the Prophets R. W. giveth no Scripture for this to Search for And what Scripture had the Prophets before Scripture was written for to Search by which they might know their Subjection and therefore he is a false Spirit according to his own Judgement For were not the Spirits of the Prophets Subject to the Prophets before Scripture was written though we own all the Scriptures given forth by the Spirit of the Lord. And if Searching the Scriptures be the Meaning The Spirits of the Prophets are Subject to the Prophets Then Anti-Christ Jews and such as have a Form of Godliness and deny the Power may Search the Scriptures without the Spirit of God And then that is R. W.'s True Meaning The Spirits of the Prophets are Subject to the Prophets when they are in the Spirit like the Whore and Jezabel like New-England that DRINKETH THE PROPHETS BLOOD And R. W. saith Hence it pleaseth God to give Rules for the Trial and Discerning between the True Spirit and the False 1 Joh. 3. and 4. Answ. R. W. If thou look into the former Chapter thou may'st there see what the Apostle directed the Saints to upon the Occasion of them that would seduce them which he saith is the ANOINTING which was within them by which they were to Know all things And so if they were to Know all things by it they were to Try Spirits by it Thou Cavilâ—st at G. F.'s words and say'st The Quakers if they knew all things were Almighty Prove by Scriptures that the Almighty God is THINGS who is the Creator of ALL THINGS therefore Incomprehensible Yet we know To know God and Jesus Christ that he hath sent is Eternal Life and there is a Difference betwen Being God and Knowing all things that he hath made And the Apostle saith We are of God and he that knoweth God heareth us and Hereby know we the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Error and Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit 1 Joh. 4. R. W. Thou say'st We dare not come to the Light and Search and comparest us to a Thief Gall'd Horse Debâ—ers Jugglers c. Spirits escaping in a Miâ—t and by the help of dark Lanthorns and so goest on a-railing Answ. Now we can leave this to the Judgement of the people in Rode-Island how often we have called for Scripture and called for Scripture from thee to prove thy false Assâ—rtions So that we were so far from Shunning to be Tried by the Light and Scriptures as thou hast conâ—est several times in thy Book though now thou givest thy self the Lie So the Gall'd Horse-back was thy self that could not endure the Robbing by the Scripture nor Christs Light neither And as for Juggling and Thief and dark Lanthorn thou migh'st have applied at home for it s thou that wilt not come to the Light of Christ that callest it an Idol And R. W. Thou sayst Thou hast been often visited by the Quakers crying Repent Repent Hearken to the Light c. and callest it a Cuckow 's Note c. Answ. What would R. W. have said to Christ and his Apostles that preach'd Repentance and did they harden themselves against it like R. W and the Apostles turning people from darkness to Light were they not to Hearken to it or else what were they to turn them to and this thou scoffingly callest Cuckow 's Note and this is no Proof That we have not the Spirit of God And thou bringest Muggleton's and Reeve's Cursings But let R. W. and the Reader and the New-England-Priests read in R. W.'s Book and Appendix p. 119. and see if he be not found in Muggleton's Spirit in his Cursings and worse Blasphemies and false Judgment R. W. And thou bringest W. Edmundson who said The Spirit of God was above the Scriptures and so not the Trier Answ. And what must we infer from this Therefore the Quakers have not the Spirit of God no Proof But R. W. What! is the Spirit of God under the Scriptures is not that above it that gave them forth and leadeth into all Truth of them And R. W. Thou sayst That W. Edm. said Men will not come to the Light left they should be reproved because their Deeds are evil and thou said'st This is the true Cause of your quarreling against Scriptures and of exalting the Spirit above them Answ. This is false For we do not quarrel against the Scriptures nor W. Edmundson who useth Christ's words And therefore ye are a Dark People ye New-England Professors that cannot use Christ's Words but it must be counted the True Cause of quarreling against Scriptures And this is a false Ballance in thee that thou callest True that say'st We set up our own Spirit yea the Spirit of Satan to be God and Christ and Spirit and all But R. W. this is thy own Spirit and the New-England priests that will not hear nor come to the Light of Chrâ—st lest it should reprove you for if thou did'st thou would'st tremble to speak these words For we have known the Reproofs of the Light which giveth the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus And we do not set up our own Spirits above the Scriptures R. W. Thy Fourth false Charge is That the people called Quakers do not own the Holy Scriptures And then thou tell'st a great Story of a Two-fold Owning the Scriptures c. and say'st The Jews and Papists did not more disown the Scriptures upon the Account of the Pope's Traditions and Interpretations than the Quakers did upon the Account of their Light and Spirit and Interpretations also And thou say'st 'T is true the Quakers in the Dispute professed to be tried by the Scriptures which the First Quakers among us wholly denied but only by the Spirit within Answ. As for all his Stories of the Jews and Papists they may answer for themselves But what are the Quakers Interpretations of their Light and of the Scriptures why hast thou not set them down dost thou find Fault with us because we take them Literally as in pag. 88.89 hast thou so soon forgot thy self and tell'st us of Interpretations And we own the Scriptures Truly and Really in our hearts with the Spirit of God that gave them forth but we will prove that R. W. and the New-England Professors do not Really own the Scriptures and that they are not in the Spirit of God that gave them forth thy Vnsavoury Words and calling Christ's Light a
say'st R. W. That we are Saved by Hope Faith c. Answ. But doth not Paul tell thee That this Hope is Christ and Faith he is the Author of And thou say'st R. W. Saved by Baptism Answ. And what without FAITH And R. W. Women are Saved by Child-bearing Answ. But what without Faith by Christ And what are all Women Saved by Child-bearing all that are in the World with their Bastards for thou dost not say Some Women and thou dost not put in FAITH But can they grow up in Christ the Saviour without Faith And then thou say'st R. W. All these Subtilly and Wickedly G. F. setteth at Variance with the Meritorious Salvation by Jesus Christ. Answ. G. F. Setteth them not at Variance but he saith again There is no Salvation in any other Name under Heaven but in the Name of Jesus Christ And thou that say'st There is givest the Apostle the Lie and dost not own the True Lord Jesus R. W. Thou tellest of a Man saving his Brother by a Rope and a Mid-wife saving a Woman in Child-bed Answ. What is this this is Outward from a Natural Death but it is Christ Jesus that Saveth his People from Eternal Death through Faith in him which is more than from Outward Death And R. W. Thou say'st To talk of this Immediate Christ and Spirit without Scriptures without Preaching and other Holy Means is as Silly as Impious as Blockish as Blasphemous and as Bedlam and Frantick as Wicked and Anti-christian Answ. R. W. hath not described what his Means are But Reader is not the Means the Faith in Christ Jesus and is not that Revealed and is not the Means the Holy-Ghost that Proceedeth from the Father and his Son that leadeth all True Believers into all Truth And they are not the True Preachers that are not in the same Holy Ghost that gave forth the Scriptures and all their Means are good for nothing seeing the Apostle saith That no Man knoweth the Things of God but by the Spirit And so as for thy Ungracious Words Silly Impious Blockish Blasphemy Frantick Wicked Anti-christian and Bedlam thou may'st keep to thy self and so all thy Means that hast No Motion of Heavenly Things And all they that be in the Faith of Christ and the Holy Ghost that leadeth into all Truth which the Ministers of the Spirit they have their Means from Christ in whose Name is Salvation and Preach Christ and not themselves and such we are One withal and such cannot but own the Scriptures So the Holy Means are in the Holy Spirit but what is this to the Means of all your Priests and Thee who ownest not the Light of Christ but callest it an Idol And thou talkest of an Immediate Christ without the Scripture Will R. W. say That Christ and the Spirit is in the Scripture is not Christ in Heaven and the Spirit of God was in them that gave forth Scripture And Christ saith Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Life but ye will not come to me that ye might have Life But we tell R. W. We and whosoever else owneth the Lord Jesus Christ own the Scriptures and cannot deny them nor none of his True Preachers which carry their Message from Christ for the Good of People and such the World receiveth not that come in the Name of the Lord but such as come in their own they will Receive R. W. And again thou bringest a Comparison of the King's Pardon sealed with his Broad Seal to a Condemned Rebel which thou often bring'st over and over Answ. What dost thou think to prove by this That the Scripture is the Pardon or is the Evidence if it were then the Papists that thou Comparest us so often to and many Wicked Men might have Pardon and Remission But is it not the Spirit that Sealeth according to Ephes. 1 23.4 30 and is it not Christ that Bringeth the Glad Tidings of Life unto the Soul and by his Holy Spirit beareth Witness according to Rom. 8. and is not the Assurance thus known R. W. bringeth Hosannah c. G. F.'s Fol. pag. 221. saying The Sure Word of Prophecy the Apostle speaketh of is the Prophecy of Scripture G. F. Answ. Doth the Scripture shine in a Dark Place until the Day Dawn and are they them that must be Taken heed unto as to a Light Can any see the Scripture or know the Scripture but by the Light within cannot a Cain a Balaam a Korah bring Scripture that is gone from the Spirit of Prophecy within and then put the Letter for it R. W. Replieth and beginneth with Blasphemy and Railing and saith I know that Fox maketh their Idol Within called Light to be the More Sure Word of Prophecy and his Vsual Proof is The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy c. And why must all the Prophets or Messengers of God who from the Beginning of the World were God's Mouth and Pens concerning the Birth Life and Death of Christ c. here be â—ast out from the Word of Prophecy Answ. What! cannot R. W. endure to hear talk of the Scriptures are not John's Words in Revelation The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy and thou deniest it both Scripture and Spirit who say'st I Vsually bring this Proof And Peter's Saying We have a more Sure Word of Prophecy which ye do well to take heed unto as unto a Light that shintth in a Dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-star arise in your Hearts This the Apostle lets them see the Sufficiency of that Light till they came to the Day-Dawning and the Day-star-Arising And what is this Day-dawning and Day-star-arising in the Heart if it be the Outward Scriptures of the Prophets prove it by Scriptures And is this Day-Star-Arising in the Heart and Day-Dawning and Idol as thou callest the Light within an Idol a More Sure Word of Prophecy than the Voice which was Heard in the Mount And this is not to Cast away the Prophets and Peter who directed the Saints to this Sure Word of Prophecy the Light that shineth in a Dark Place did not Cast out the Prophets that Prophesied of Christ's Birth Death c. as thou Dotingly speakest no more do we but own them all And Luk. 1. and Rom. 16. and the Apostles that had this Light shining this More Sure Word of Prophecy they saw the Fulfilling of the Scriptures in Christ Jesus which none doth without the Light of Christ by which he is seen And R. W. Thou say'st The Written Word or Prophecy of the Prophets is a more Sure Word and Evidence to us c. than the Voice from Heaven of which Peter here speaketh c. Answ. Now what must we Observe from R. W.'s Words here That the Written Word or Prophecy of the Prophets shineth in a dark place Now R. W. saith that the Scripture is the Rule and Touch stone We do Charge him and the New-England-Priests to make
and to him that Justifieth freely by his Grace and without Holiness none shall see the Lord. And doth not the Scripture say plainly that God saith I will be your God and ye shall be my People and that he would dwell in them and walk in them 2 Cor. 6 and doth not the Apostle say that None can call Jesus Christ Lord but by the Spirit and is not that within R. W. And thou say'st They can now Thou the King and they need no Scriptures nor Teachers Answ. May be thou art offended because we say Thee and Thou to thee for I never heard the King was And such Teachers as thee we have No Need of we can praise the Lord and the Scriptures we have the Comfort of them and can praise God for them R. W. And thou say'st Thus as in a Dream their great Debts of Thousands and Millions are paid and dis-charged Answ. Yes by the Blood of Christ Jesus who dyed for our Sins and is risen again for our Justification And we can praise God that we are come out of your Cage that thou speakest of and can say The Turtle-Dove is heard in our Land and Christ doth Deliver us from the Devil of Hell and Death and giveth us the Victory And what if some have been Rapt up into Paradise as Paul was and speak and see Unutterable Joys which thou Scoffingly speakest of the People of God and what is this to them that Followed Absolom And thou speakest of Jewels fallen into the Dirt truly this is thy own Work that art flinging thy Dirt at God's People R. W. And then thou say'st As I hope in the Parishes of the Protestants and Papists also who being only Ignorant as the Disciples were of main points of Christianity yet aim uprightly at God truly love him and labour to increase in the Knowledge and Grace of Christ. Answ. How now R. W. What! art thou now flattering the Papists and the Parish-Protestants and before The Papists would burn the Bible And do'st not thou say Old and New-England may flourish when the Pope and Rome are in Ashes and such as have True Love to God and labour to increase in the Knowledge and Grace of Christ and yet The Papists will burn the Bible And as for all the sober Protestants they will be ashamed of thy foul words and if they read thy Book they will see how thou hast abused us with foul words the Lord knows R. W. And thou bring'st Jer. Ives's saying There may be a Light to Convince of Sin and not yet within man G. F. Answ. There is no people Convinced of Sin but they are Convinced within themselves and with the Light within them It is the Light which maketh manifest to a Man when he is Convinc'd it answereth to something and reacheth to something in their particulars though the words be spoken without them from the Light R. W. Replyeth against G. F.'s words which are very good Truth and cryeth It is doleful Business to read and hear how Satan in his Chains of Darkness yet hath Liberty to appear abroad as an Angel of Light from Heaven thus Vaporing and Swaggering under the Cloak and Colours of Light Answ. R. W. cannot endure to hear talk of the Light of Christ but like the Jews who said That Christ by the Prince of Devils cast out Devils And how doth R. W. prove that it is the Devil that is as an Angel of Light from Heaven in his Transforming and not the Light of Christ in us for Christ saith he is Out of Truth but we know that this Light and Spirit leadeth Into all Truth And we do believe according to the Scriptures of Truth that the Light which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world is the Life in the Word by which all things were made and Christ who said I am the Light of the world was Glorified with the Father before the world bâ—gan And they that believe in the Light of Christ do become Children of the Light and no man can Come to God but by Christ the Light and to Salvation but by the Light of Christ which giveth them the knowledge of it And this Light of Christ R. W. calleth a Devil in Samuels Mantle and a Dragon and a Devil of Darkness the God of this world Vapourings Crackings and Cheatings and He laboureth to keep all in Blindness or to beat out the Eyes of those whom God hath truly enlightned this is thy own Condition R. W. And thou say'st That God was Light c. then why do'st thou rail against the People of God called Quakers for professing That God and Christ is Light R. W. And thou Scoffingly say'st That the Quakers confess That the Natural Man perceiveth not the things of God only they say that beside Natural Light and Reason there is the Holy Seed God and Christ within every Son and to this Spirit and Seed in Prison they preach And Fox in our Discourses alledgeth and affirmeth God in every man to be a Cart loaden with Sheaves prest under and as it were in Prison c. Blasphemous wretches c. Answ. Reader see if there be any such words in G. F.'s Answer to Jer. Ives as R. W. bringeth here And whereas he saith Fox in our Discourses alledgeth c G. F. had never no Discourse with R. W. And whereas he saith That God and Christ is the Seed within in all men Those are not our words for we say that Christ is the good Seeds man that Soweth the good Seed on all sorts of ground And to say That the Eternal God is in Prison these are his own Blasphemies and The Natural man perceiveth not the things of God that is true and is his own Condition And as for the Lord 's saying He was prest under the Transgressing Jews as a Cart with Sheaves and therefore R. W. saith that the Quakers say God was in Prison which is false And we say That which may be known of God is manifest in Every Man which God hath shewed unto them which we tell all people of as the Apostle did and turn them to the Light and Grace that cometh from Jesus that they may turn to God and Christ from whence it cometh And thy Vngodly Railing words touch us not R. W. And thou confessest All Light or Truth Natural Civil or Divine it cometh from without and is received by an Internal Faculty according to the Capacity c. of it from thence it is conveyed to the Court c. to be Examined Answ. What! is not this Court or Guard or Captain within the Light of Christ within to know Truth from Falshood And then thou say'st That G. F. urgeth There must be a Receiver and something that Answereth and thou say'st That Natural Truth or Moral c. are soon received by Moral Vnderstandings G. F. doth not speak of Morals here but the Light of Christ which Convinceth which is Super-natural that bringeth the Christians that love
without Distinction have the Spirit of God to profit withal 63 69. R. W. pag. 182 183 Swearing Paul Swore after Christ and the Angel Swore c. So the Quakers Light that denies Swearing is of Satan and not the Light of Christ. Giles Fermin pag. 119 120 Why may not Paul call God to Record 122. R. W. pag. 121 Sword The Sword of the Spirit the Word of God 161 155-157 159. pag. 158 Saints see Christ. Savor of the Spirit 183. Scriptures the Gospel 174. A Written Pardon ib. Separation see Gospel Jews Serpents 106. Sight 74 79 90. Sight of Sin 145 146. Sinai 197. Sinful see Spirit Sorceries 168. The Spirit the Leader 182. The Reprover 182 183. Supper within 33 94 118 pag. 126 128 T. TEacher They need no Scriptures no Teacher 154. R.W. pag. 69 Teaching We must not look for an Immediate Extra-ordinary Miraculous Teaching from the Lord. 202. R. Sherlock pag. 153 G. F. affirms That the Teachings of the Lord are not Mediate but Immediate and This great Wrester of Holy Scriptures saith They shall be all Taught of God 63 100 R. W. pag. 153 154 Teeth There is a Generation whose Teeth are as Swords pag. Id. 163 THEE and THOV They can Thee and Thou and Disrespect all Superiors c. 43 44 69. pag. Id. 36 Tindal W. Without the Spirit it is impossible to Vnderstand the Scriptures pag. 95 Tongues The Scriptures may be Vnderstood by the Help of Tongues Fol. p. 84. 96 97. Helps 149. M Bine pag. 93 If no Knowledge of Tongues then no Preaching Translating Reading c. which the Devil aims at with all his Might 98 99. R. W. pag. 94 95 Turk Their going to the Turk and Pope as they pretend pag. Id. 99 Sol. Temple 53. Titles 113. Rabbi 115. Father 116. Tongues Helps 149. Trembling 197. See Kingdom Trial pag. 130 160 V. VOice I dare these Self-Confidents to particularize any Scripture where the Spirit of God directs any poor Soul to Listen and Hearken to a Light and Voice within him affirming that this is the Hearing by which Faith is wrought 68 85-88 107 108 184 198 206. R. W. pag. 86 87 W. WEapons They prate against Carnal Weapons 45 137 139. New-England Weapons 31 32. R.W. pag. 34 Wolf When he turns the Wolf into a Lamb then we are Meek c. 111 152 189. pag. Id. 75 Woman The Woman is the Weaker Vessel and not so fitted for Manly Actions c. 57. pag. Id. 58 Women to pretend to be Preachers in Publick Assemblies 154. pag. Id. 59 Women to have no Commission by Christ to Preach c. are forbidden c. Vnnatural Boldness pag. Id. Ib. Womens Vailing to make much more for their Silence in Praying and Preaching pag. Id. 60 They to Instruct other Women as Occasion calls them from Home pag. Id. 61 Word There is more Words than one 30 88 94 147 150. Ellis Bradshaw pag. 149 God is no more a Word than he is a Man or a Spirit 84 94 156. R. W. pag. Ib. Whether the Written Word of the Prophets of which Peter speaketh be not a more Sure Word of Command and Comfort to us 74 155. pag. Id. 54 55 God calls his Mind his Word his Writings his Word c. pag. Id. Ib. Words Surely there shall be no other Words in their Mouths than what were the First Messengers c. 40 41 73. pag. Id. 47 World I find not that ever any Man or Men by all their Natural Light or Wit or Christ within could find out how the World or himself Man or Woman were Created 126. pag. Id. 62 63 Plato grants a Creation c. Aristotle asserts the World to have no Beginning nor Ending pag. Id. 51 52 The World in Men 's Hearts 67. Worldly Advantages pag. 152 153 Worship Worshipping God in Spirit and Truth they say no Body in the World doth but they 31 33 36 37 93 111 112 130 166. pag. Id. 68 They Worship a Dumb Devil in their Dumb Meetings c. and Listen pag. Id. 132 Writing What Fancy is it to Hearken ta a Pardon to a Writing within c. 19. pag. Id. 56 57 His End is To destroy the Coming of God 's Holy Records and Writings to poor lost Men to their Salvation 22. see Scriptures pag. Id. 94 Woods 143 189. Works 198 200 see Duty False Worships 63 64 121 122 130 147 148. Wrath 78 pag. 100 101 Y. YEA Yea Yea Nay Nay pag. 120 Z. ZION The CHVRCH of CHRIST is come to Mount ZION the City of the Living GOD c. pag. 13 14 A New-England Fire-brand Quenched OR An Answer to a Lying Slanderous Book Printed at Boston in the Year 1676. by one Roger Williams of Providence in New-England which he Dedicateth to the KING with Desires That if the most-High please Old and New-England may flourish when the Pope and Mahomet Rome and Constantinople are in their Ashes c. R. W. ANd in his Title-Page he begins thus George Fox digged out of his Burrowes Or an Offer of a Skirmish upon R. W 's 14 Proposals made this last Summer 1672. unto G. F. present on Rode-Island and that G. F. slily departing the Disputation went on as aforesaid And in his Narration of the Conference or Dispute he again asserts that he challenged G. F. by writing and all his Friends then met at Rode-Island and that then G. F. withdrew And farther in his second Page says he sent his Paper of Proposals unto G. F. at Newport And in the 4 and 5 pages he says he sent his Paper to Capt. Cranston Deputy Governour of Rode Island And further scornfully says The old Fox thought it best to run for it and leave the work to his Journey-men and Chaplains c. And in the 22 and 23 Pages he further says Within some few days after the Deputy Governour had delivered his Paper to them the strange Quakers as was agreed with G. Fox c. Answ. How dare R. W. to Dedicate such palpable Lies to the King For this R. W. never spoke to G. F. nor did G. F. receive any Letter from this R. W. and yet he impudently says p. 23 As was agreed with G. F. Nor did G. F. receive any of these 14 Proposals from him though he says These 14 Proposals were made last Summer unto G. F. and that he digged him out of his Burroughs Which Proposals G. F. not only never received but never saw nor so much as knew of them though R. W. scornfully and falsly says G. F. slily departed and that G. F. hath pluckt in his Horns as J. T. did c. But in this doth R. W.'s wickedness farther appear in that J. T. might have received Letters from him but G. F. never received any from him nor knew R. W. farther says He sent his Proposals to G. F. to Newport and yet pag. 4 says He sent them to the Deputy Governour Cranston But G. F. never so much as received or saw
God for his Presence c. and thou say'st a little before in the same page when thou hast made a speech of Nicholas Davis being drowned c. Some of these Blessed Ends it hath pleased God to propagate by this Occasion all this Colony over and all of us round about have put forth our selves in Disquisitions and Searchings after the true Grounds of Christian Religion and Worship Answ. If this was the Cause of your Searching after the true Grounds of Christian Religion and Worship what hast thou been doing all this while Roger how could'st thou go to Dispute of such things and hadst them to Search for which we do believe thee thou hadst them Then and hast them Yet to seek and canst not find them with this Dark Envious Spirit and thy Thoughts which thou Thought to Begin with Exercise of Prayer c. but thou knew'st very well that the people of God called Quakers could not receive thy Prayers from thy Many Thoughts they were not like from a Lying Slandering Spirit R. W. Thou say'st Thou hast Cause to Judge that the Word QVAKER was given to us from that strange Possessing of our Bodies of Quaking and Shaking Answ. Gervase Bennet Justice of Darby gave us that Name because I and we bid him and his Company Tremble at the Word of God in 1650 when he cast G. F. and others in prison R. W. Further he saith It is true that they are to wit the Quakers the Off-spring of the Grindletonians in Lancashire Answ. This is also false the Grindletonians and the people in Lancashire know it R. W. And R. W. saith The Ranters are but the Quakers Daughter And pag. 29. thou say'st That some Parliament-Men told thee that they themselves went to one of the Quakers Meetings about Charing Cross but they were so frighted with the Shaking of their Bodies of the Chairs and Stools c. and callest it Satan's Counterfeit Motions Answ. These are Two Horrid Lies for all the Ranters and people up and down England know this Charge of thine is false and is like the rest of the Lies of thy Book For many of the Ranters are come to be Sober in the Fear of God and are turn'd to the people called Quakers but not the Ranters come from the Quakers neither Are they their Daughter this hath been the spirit of the Devil that moved thee and not the Most-High And thy Book that is so sâ—uft up with Lies it will do little hurt where we are known here in England The 2d Lie And the Quakers never had any Meeting about Charing-Cross this is another Forgery that thou hast published the people that liveth about Charing-Cross will testifie against thee R. W. And thou bringest John Toldervy and Theora John and thou say'st The horrible Shaking of the Quakers We are tossed and tumbled up and down c. pag. 29. Answ. As for Th. John all people that knew him know he was no Quaker and John Toldervy the priest did give forth a Book in his Name wherein they much abused him as thou dost now but J. Told hath cleared himself in his own Book which is an Answer to the Priest that abused him called The Foot out of the Snare And doth R. W. think to feed the Sober Christians in England with such Lying Stories as these Nay they may serve his New-England persecuting Priests And R. W. Thou often mentionest the Father of Spirits and the Most-high who stir'd thee up to this Work but thy foul Mouth is not worthy to mention the Name of the Lord. R. W. The People called Quakers are not True Quakers according to Scripture Answ. The Lord God of Heaven and Earth knoweth that thou speakest falsly of us here And thou hast made a great Noise but provest nothing but hast brought several Lies to prove thy own as thou may'st see pag. 27.29 For the same Word of God and Power by which all things were made have we known the Operation in our hearts of it and Tremble at it which thou hast not konwn for if thou hadst thou would'st not have brought this false Charge out against us R. W. Thou say'st The Tumultuous Spirit of the Quakers 〈◊〉 Disputing and the Reason is That Three of the Speakers consulted openly and whispered and uttered themselves one immediately speaking after the other and sometimes all together as one man against me pag. 26. Answ. The Auditory knoweth whether thou speakest Truth in this and what must not Whisper one to another before R. W R. W. Thou say'st Thou wast first commanded this Work from Heaven pag. 25. Answ. We desire all that read thy Book to mind thy Many False Charges and thy Vnsavoury Expressions and then they may Judge whether Thy Command came from Heaven or from Hell for No Lie is of the Truth nor cometh not from the God of Truth but from the Father of Lies The First Part of thy Work thou undertook was To prove us No True Quakers according to the holy Scriptures Which thou did'st not then in the Dispute as I am satisfied the Generality of the Hearers can bear Witness neither hast thou yet done it in all thy Writing by the Scripture nor yet by any Sound Argument but goest on to Charge and Accuse us as if One of thy Accusation must prove Another unless this way can prove it so No Proof R. W. And with this thou beginnest in pag. 28. and say'st Thou wast the more confirmed when thou sawest our foul spirit to transport us not only in Lying Doctrines but also in Lying Quakings and Tremblings and Lying Preachings through the Streets Repent Repent c. Answ. Now let all Observe what he calleth Our Lying Preachings as if to preach Repentance by the Command and Power of God now were a Lying Preaching which is one of the things that Christ sent His forth to preach and let the Wise consider whether our Days and Generations do not need this Preaching Yea of Nay And this is still a false Charge to say He saw our soul spirit to transport us into Lying Doctrines But hath not yet made out these Doctrines and again With Lying Quakings and Tremblings but hath not proved it so it 's but still his False Charge And further as thou did'st then in the Dispute so now thou makest a great a do with our Men and Women going Naked We told thee then we own'd no such Practice in any unless they were called unto it by the Lord as a Sign of the Nakedness of the Professors of Our Age who want the Covering of the Spirit And though thou would'st exclude Signs Christ being come was not Agabus a Sign to Paul when he took his Girdle and bound himself with it R. W. And thou further Chargest us That Rantism is our Ugly Child and Daughter and rose from our Bowels and with the Practice of the Ranters in the Streets and in their Religious Meetings Answ. Now let all consider whether this be a proper Way
to prove us No true Quakers to charge that upon us to be Our Child and to proceed from us which was before any bore the Name of Quakers in England as many people know and therefore not like to proceed from us R. W. Thou grantest That David Moses Daniel Habakkuk and Paul Trembled and the Corinthians received Titus with Trembling and Working out Salvation with Fear and Trembling and so grantest Trembling upon the Bodies of God's people as thou say'st in some Extra-ordinary Occasion especially in bringing Great or Old Sinners unto God pag. 30. but R. W. thou say'st The Quaking and Shaking Motions of the Quakers thou wilt prove proceeded not from these holy Affections proper to God's Children Answ. In the First place we would have all observe this whether the People of God called Quakers had not this Occasion which he speaketh of when God did visit them being found Sinners and some Great and Old Sinners therefore the Occasion he granteth Trembling and Quaking proper upon the people called Quakers might well meet with in their Conversion and Turning to God as also afterwards in their Going forth to preach the Gospel as it was with Paul when he came among the Corinthians who was among them in Weakness and Fear and much Trembling 1 Cor. 2 3. R. W. In the Next place let all who read his Book observe how he proveth his Charge He saith They proceeded not from those holy Affections proper to God's Children but why They were Horrid and Monstrous Motions and Gestures Answ. What would he have said of David's Roaring and Crying and Trembling and Habakkuk's Shaking and of the Holy Men who rent their Cloths and many such things Here we have his own Judgement but how doth he prove it he saith By Abundance of Notorious Instances and so bringeth the Motions Shakings Extasies the Workings of Satan upon his Servants as Baal's Priests and the people Possessed mentioned in Scripture and other Histories and the Barbarians to prove it Now let all consider what Proof this is to prove us to be No True Quakers what have we to do with what the Devil doth upon his Servants unless he can prove us to be of them What is that to us what Baal's priests did or what the Barbarians do must we answer for their Wickedness or doth this make us Guilty the same he may alledge against the Holy Men of God R. W. He further telleth us The Devil will be God's Ape and suborneth and instituteth a Bastard-Quaking and Trembling in the Body in Imitation of David and Moses c. Answ. Here he still granteth There is a True Trembling but this doth not prove ours False though the Devil may beget a false Imitation and be an Ape as he saith R. W. Another Argument he bringeth to prove us No True Christian-Quakers Because we did not Tremble at the Word of God in the Holy Writings or Scripture and blameth G. F. for Not Calling them the Word of God but for Accounting Christ the Word according to Revel 20. But he confesseth that G. F. granteth the Scripture is True and Inspired from the holy Spirit of God and to be God's Words Answ. Observe He speaketh of Trembling at the Word in the Writings or Scriptures what Scripture hath he for this We know that the Scripture saith The Word is nigh in the Heart and Mouth that Word which the Apostle preach'd Rom. 10 8 but we do not read of the Word of God in the Writings R. W. Pag. 32.33 he goeth on still Accusing us and the Papists and putteth us together for Slighting the Scriptures And telleth us of a Papist in Ireland in the time of the Massacree who found a Bible and with Indignation the same he saith he believeth is in most Papists and Quakers â—ung it into the Kennel stamp'd upon 〈◊〉 and said A plague of God take this Book this hath caused all the Quarrels amongst us Answ. Now Observe how he goeth on to prove his Charge against us by Charging us from his own Groundless Belief with This Indignation that he saith was in this Irish Papist against the Bible and so goeth about the condemn us for the Actions of others that we never knew And yet in the same page and in many other places he confesseth That we owned the Scripture and saith The Sum of all was in the Dispute that we Owned the Scripture but yet the Spirit that gave it forth was above it Let wise men that know us Judge whether this way of His Dealing with us to prove his Charge be Christian-like or no for him To Charge upon us the Actions of others not of us And whereas he Endeavoureth to prove the Scriptures to be the Word of God though he granteth they are not in so many Terms and Words mentioned That we forbear to speak to now being fully Answered in the Answer to his Appendix where the Single-hearted Reader may be satisfied R. W He giveth an Account how he came to give his Book such a Title which came from a Guess of his own and a Conceit and Thought that Sprung from this Guess as he saith And then when he hath done taketh Boldness to Father it upon the Finger of God and his Over-ruling Hand and then in that Conceit to Judge G. F. and Ed. Burrough to Conspire against Christ with dark subtle Hellish Conjurings and Imaginations Answ. Still let all observe upon what Ground we are Charged and Judged and so he goeth on in his Boasting R. W. He quoteth G. F. Answering J. Stallum G. F.'s fol. 155. who said To say The Light in every Man gave forth Scripture and will open Scripture to us is palpable Darkness and contradicteth Scripture G. F. Ans. All be in Vtter Darkness and know not the Scripture until they come to the Light that Every man was in that gave forth the Scriptures for the Light letteth them see to what it was spoken and Christ the End of them R. W. Answereth and saith The English of the Answer is that Every man that is All Mankind Men and Women if they will can give forth Scripture or write Holy Scripture Answ. Now let all that are Wise judge whether this be not a Gross Perversion of G. F's words to say That all Men and Women can give forth or write holy Scriptures if they will but G. F. doth not say The Scripture was given forth by the Will of Man And so all may see how he still goeth on Perverting and Accusing falsly as if G. F. had said Holy Scripture had or might be given forth by the Will of Man which he saith is not known till Man come to the Light And as to his Vnlearned Question whether the Light cometh into Man-kind at the Conception or at the Birth or when else we leave him to what is written Joh. 1 9. Christ is the True Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World So it 's Evident ALL ARE LIGHTED that
in them and he to be formed in them and he to Sup with them and they with him which is all according to the Scripture as you may read Rev. 3 20. Gal. 4 19. Ephes. 5 30. Read John 6. Rom. 12 5. Col. 1 18.24 27. Ephes. 1 22 23. 1 Joh. 5 12. 1 Cor. 12 27. Col. 3 3 4. 1 Cor. 6 19. Hebr. 3 6. Now who readeth these Scriptures may see that the Apostles and Primitive Christians did witness Christ within and the Light within even that Light which gave the Knowledge of the Glory of God as may be read 2 Cor. 4 6. And now this Appearance of Christ R. W. fighteth against Reprobate-like as if those that own him Now in this his Spiritual Appearing and are Witnesses thereof must needs own him in Opposition to his Appearing in that Body wherein he suffered And so doth Labour to make us Deniers of Christ that suffer'd at Jerusalem and was born at Bethlehem though he often confesseth We own him in our words and our True Christianity hath manifested it self against that Antichristian Spirit that you are in in New-England But he R. W. though he saith He hath not the same Spirit that Abraham had and the Holy men of God by which things were revealed to them yet he hath taken upon him to Judge our Hearts and Intents contrary to our Words and there-upon doth condemn us through his Book and this way he goeth To prove his Charges and hath Confidence to say He hath produced such Grounds as shall never be shaken as pag 41. R. W. Now let all observe how R. W. appeareth against Christ's Appearance according to the Experience of the people of God in the Scripture viz. Christ within which he calleth Our Christ he saith is but half a Christ a Light an Image a Picture or a Fancy of a Christ made up to the God-head and their Flesh Christ within an Imagination an Image a Christ in the Mystical Notion but in reality Nothing Answ. He may as well say The Christ the Apostle witnessed was Made up of the God-head and their Flesh for they are the Apostle's Words he thus quarreleth against Ephes. 5 30 for we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones R. W. In the same page he Confesseth That we say Christ was Born at Bethlehem and died at Jerusalem but he saith We intend in Truth and Reality no other Birth nor Life nor Death c. but what may be extant and wrought in the Heart of man Answ. Behold how this man Judgeth of our Intents contrary to our Words and we say contrary to our Intents for we never intended so But we always believed that he was SO born and did SO suffer as the Scripture doth declare and by his Life or Spirit within us we are confirmed in this Belief and so it is not in Opposition to his Appearance at that Day in that Body So we are not in a Bog and Swamp as he saith between Christ within and Christ without our Understanding is clear it 's his own State R. W. He also chargeth us To preach the Lord Jesus to be Our selves and saith Though we speak of Christ without that died at Jerusalem agreeing with Christ within Our Meaning is Mystical and he saith also Ask them What 's become of the Person that Suffered at Jerusalem and we are forc'd to say He is within and saith We answered so at Newport in Rode-Island Answ. That we deny that we ever said That Person that Suffered at Jerusalem was within us and appeal to the Sober people that was there whether he hath not wronged us in this Charge And That we preach the Lord Jesus to be Our selves We deny and lay it upon him as a false Charge let him prove it if he can R. W. He querieth Do we not hold the Light within Every man to Be all to Suffer all within that Christ without is or did or suffer'd without Answ. I say No it cometh FROM HIM and witnesseth TO HIM R. W. And pag 43 thy Second Position is That their Christ was not the True Lord Jesus Christ. To which we Answer This thou hast not proved though thou hast Uttered many False Words against us but this Position will be Thy own Condition and the N. Engl. Priests For doth the True Lord Jesus Christ give thee Command to Desire Magistrates to Punish the people of God and doth the True Lord Jesus Christ lead you New-England-Priests to CVT OFF their EARS WHIP HANG SPOIL Goods and BANISH of his people O No for Thou and You that do Evil hate his Light and will not come unto it because it Reproveth you And so you love the Darkness and do the Works of Darkness and the Works of the Prince of the Air that ruleth in you and not the Works of Christ. And again how can you own the True Lord Jesus and own not him the Light of the World which Lighteth every man that cometh into the World and canst thou and you believe in the True Lord Jesus who saith Believe in the Light that you may become Children of the Light and thou callest that Light 〈◊〉 Frantick Light and an Idol And therefore thy Position is come upon thy self Not to own the True Lord Jesus in his Light which giveth the knowledge of him who died without the Gates of Jerusalem and like the Jews in Words professed God so dost thou Christ and deniest the Light that giveth the knowledge of him 2 Cor. 4. R. W. Thou say'st pag. 35. I had observed and prepared many Quotations out of G. F. 's Book but they desired not to bear them read as in the following Day 's Conference they were read by my Continual Importunate Urgings And pag. 47. thou say'st That they were willing I should Produce out of G. F.'s Book c. And pag. 48. Thou say'st The Truth is they were Gravelled with those Considerations and they were Willing that G. F.'s Book and his Answers should answer for them And when I began to open and compare the Assertions of the Opposite and G. F.'s his Answer they would cry out like a Gall'd Horse winching Why dost thou make Observations upon G. F.'s Words G. F.'s Words need not thy Expositions Let G. F.'s Words alone they are able to speak for themselves Answ. R. W. How darest thou affirm That we desired not the Quotations read of G. F.'s Book when all the people knoweth that we Called for them so often And pag. 35. thou makest it Thy Importunate Vrgings the Occasion of the Reading of them but pag. 48 thou makest Our Being Gravelled the Occasion of our Desiring to have them read of our selves which is altogether false and to say That we were Gravell'd or Unwilling to have them read But our Calling for them was to Clear that which thou said'st was in them which was not and therein thou hast Gravell'd thy self which spake that which G.F. had not spoken with Charging
thou bring Hosanna's words which thou call'st Heavenly Author who saith G. F.'s fol. 221. The Evil done can never appear to be Evil by the Light now is not this Contradictory to the Apostle who saith Whatsoever is made manifest is by the Light c. And further thy Heavenly Author saith It is not in the Power of the Light to call any thing that is done Good or Evil Is not this to Contradict the Apostle who saith Whatsoever Reproveth and maketh Manifest is Light R. W. leaves out his Heavenly Author's saying in this for this was not for his Purpose nor none of the rest if he had Considered it in the Fear of God he would not have left it out but have judged it R. W. He bringeth from pag 217. Fol. the Saying of an Adversary of the People of God viz To say Christ within is never to mention Christ without G. F. Answ. There is none knoweth Christ within but he knoweth him without the same yesterday and to day and for ever And there is none that knoweth him but they know him within revealed of the Father which is beyond Flesh and Blood And R. W. Replieth and falleth a railing and saith This foolish Fox for all his hiding Craft is here found out he professes against his will a Christ that died at Jerusalem and therefore is he forced to name a Christ without c. and then falleth a railing Answ. As for his Vngracious Vnsavoury words they are not worth mentioning let the Reader see if G. F. ever denied Christ that died at Jerusalem in any of these pages that he hath brought or in any of the Quakers Writings And thou hast confest that we own Christ that died at Jerusalem and now thou say'st He is forced to name a Christ without He suffered without but doth G. F. say as thou say'st That he was born yesterday and to day and He died yesterday and he dies to day and he dies for ever are any of these words in G. F.'s Answer but did the Apostle say Christ died to day and yesterday c. when he said Christ the same to day yesterday and for ever R. W. But R. W. thou say'st Such a Christ as Really and Bodily died at Jerusalem they scorn and hate and fly from as the Devils did crying out c. Answ. Roger thou addst Lie unto Lie For that Christ that died at Jerusalem Bodily we own and it is thou that scornest it hatest that Light and fliest from it as the Devils did who hatest the Light of Christ which his Children believe in and become Children of Light And we do tell thee that Our Christ Suffered upon a Material Cross in the Flesh according to the Scripture without the Gates at Jerusalem Really and is risen and manifest in us by his Spirit And a great deal of scornful Expressions thou hast in this page which are not worth mentioning R. W. And thou bringst Fol. p. 211. John Burton's saying That that Man that was Crucified his Body is now in the Presence of the Father and Absent from his people as touching his Bodily Presence G. F. Answ. Doth not the Apostle say He is the Head of the Church and doth not the Apostle say They are of his Flesh and Bone and sit in heavenly places in Christ and Christ saith they must Eat his Flesh and HE IS IN THEM R.W. Thou Repliest and say'st G F. doth plainly deny Jesus Christ to have such a Body as could be born of a Woman wrapped in swadling-cloths c. as could be hungry weary sleep c. buffeted whipped nail'd to the Gallows die be buried arise and ascend up visibly into these Visible Heavens now in the Presence of his Father and Absent from his people on Earth touching his Bodily Presence Answ. Let the Reader see if G. F. speaketh any such words who owneth Christ Jesus and he and the people called Quakers deny his false Charge And how canst thou own that Christ thou speakest of that was wrapped and in the Manger and buffeted and nailed to the Cross and is risen and at the Right Hand of God and not own his Light by which he enlightneth all men c for we do abhor thy words in the Light and Power and Spirit of Christ Jesus who was wrapt in swadling-Cloths and in the Manger and was an hungry c. buffeted whipt and nailed to the Cross died risen and is Ascended far above all the Heavens and now in the Presence of his Father yet manifest in his Saints by his Spirit who Eat of his Flesh and drink of his Blood by which they have Life in him and sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus But did ever the Quakers say That Christ's Bodily or Humane Presence as thou call'st it is here now upon the Earth as an Outward Man R. W. From p. 210. fol. He bringeth J. Borton's our Old Adversary's saying Christ went away into Heaven from his Disciples and so not within them G. F. Answ. Did not he say that he would Come again to them and did he not say that he was in them to wit I in you and you in me read John for Christ said it in his Prayer And did not the Apostle say Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates and The Hope of Glory And was not he revealed in the Apostle and so in him and did not the Apostle preach Christ within as well as without and you will have us preach him without and not within so is not this to keep people Reprobates And again R. W. bringeth from Fol. the same page Those Believers that are in the Body at this day are Absent from the Lord. G. F. Answ. Doth not the Apostle say Christ is in them except they be Reprobates and he is in them the Hope of Glory And the Saints had fellowship with God the Father John 1 and God will dwell in them and walk in them And he that believeth believeth in him to wit God and Christ and so not Absent who are grafted into him and abide in the Vine So all the Priests Work hath been to preach Christ Absent and out of his people that the Devil may rule in the Hearts not Christ. And he bringeth the same page fol. 210. They say He is absent from them as touching his Flesh. G. F. Answ. Doth not the Apostle say They are of his Flesh and of his Bone and they that Eat not his Flesh have not Life in them and they Sit in Heavenly Places in him and he that Eateth his Flesh hath it in him Again in the same page Fol. R. W. bringeth the Priest's saying There is not any Heaven within into which the Man Christ is Ascended or can any man contain a Man four foot long G. F. Answ. Christ is a Mystery and is not he to be Revealed within who is a Mystery He who did Ascend to be Reveal'd and made Manifest in his Saints in Flesh and Spirit that did
our Bodies which are his Temple have him alwayes Absent Then how should he Dwell in us how should he be Our Life how should we Fâ—ed upon him and how should our Hearts be Sanctified by him and how should we be His seeing the Apostle saith He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his And If Christ be in you the Body is dead because of Sin and If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you he shall also quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Rom. 8 10 11. and as G. F. Answereth That the Life of Christ is manifest in our mortal Flesh and manifest in our Body according to the Apostle's words 2 Corinth 4 10 11. Now R. W. wouldst thou have us Deny G. F. in this and not to Plead for him why dost thou not speak out and say Thou wonderest that we will not deny the Apostles but plead for them for did not they preach this Doctrine and did not they preach Christ within after his Resurrection and said he was their Life and they that had him not had not Life And did not the Apostles say they were Of his Flesh and Bone c why should'st thou wonder that we own G. F. in holding according to the Scriptures And dost not thou often in thy Book say G. F. owneth that Christ that died at Jerusalem as pag. 50. thou say'st he Owneth Christ without and that died at Jerusalem and page 52. thou say'st He confesseth him to have been a Real Man dying at Jerusalem now whether we may with more safety take his own words to be his mind or take thy sayings He Intends so contrary to his words for this is thy way of proving him and us all to deny Christ by thy Meanings that thou bring'st Contrary to our Words all may see that read thy Book See pag. 45. where thou say'st That Quakers say Christ was born at Bethlehem and died at Jerusalem but intend in truth and reality no other Birth Life nor Death but what may be Extant and wrought in the Heart of Man Here as in many other places of thy Book all may see how Contrary to our Words thou Judgest our Intents and from this Ground which we say in the presence of God is false and nothing but thy own Inventions thou thus Judgest and Condemnest us as Deniers of Christ's Coming and Suffering in the Flesh for Sin but here we find thee in the Bog and Swamp lost between Christ within and Christ without which the Apostles preached their Gospel being hid from thee thy Eye being darkned And R. W. thou say'st Thou wondrest we should be so blinded and hardned as to plead for G. F. in all particulars And in the same page thou say'st Thou dost not Remember that any of thy Three Opposites answered to any of thy Observations on Fox's Principles Answers and Evasions Is not hâ—re a Palpable Contradiction first to say We did so much plead for and excuse G. F and then to say Thou dost not remember We gave any Positive Answer if so what did we plead Thou say'st All our work was to keep our selves within our burrows R. W. He bringeth Francis Higginson's Saying Christ's Humane Nature c G. F.'s Fol. 71. G. F. Answ. Where doth the Scripture speak of Humane the word HVMANE where is it written that we may search for it Though we do not deny that Christ according to the Flesh was of Abraham but not the word HVMANE and Christs Nature is not Humane which is Earthly for that is the First Adam R. W. replieth and saith This Ignorant simple Cavil as I have before proved it to be from 1 Corinth 10. is often brought by G. F. in his Book in a horrible Equivocation to overthrow and destroy that Humane Nature that Flesh and Body of the Lord Jesus who yet had such a Body they say that died at Jerusalem Answ. Dost not thou here Contradict thy self in saying We say That he had such a Body that died at Jerusalem they are not G. F.'s words the Humane Body of Christ it 's the Priests for we own the Flesh and Body of Jesus Christ and as for Equivocation thou may'st keep it at home And Christ saith his Flesh and Blood is Meat indeed and he is the Bread of Life that came from Heaven and is it Humane Flesh R. W. that the Saints eat and is it Humane Blood the Saints drink but thou should'st have proved this by Scripture in plain words And doth not Christ say That he is from above and ye from beneath I am from Heaven and ye are from the Earth and as is the Earthly such are the Earthly and as is the Heavenly such are they also that are Heavenly The First Man is of the Earth Earthly the Second Man Mark Man is the LORD FROM HEAVEN 1 Cor. 15 47 48. and Christ is of the Seed of Abraham according to the Flesh This is according to Scripture But R. W. saith This is a Mental Reservation according to their Flesh God in their Flesh and Christ in their Flesh sâ—ffering at Mystical Jerusalem within them Answ. R. W. read in any of the Quakers Books or let the Reader see whether there be any such word in G. F.'s Answer as Christs suffering in Our Flesh at Mystical Jerusalem these are R. W.'s words which he hath forged as the Reader may see he often forgeth many words which were never spoken by us and then he crieth out Traiterous and Blasphemy Mental Reservation which indeed is his own Condition For we declare that God was manifest in the Flesh of Christ and Christ Suffered in the Flesh without the Gates of Outward Jerusalem and is Risen and is at the Right Hand of God and nevertheless Christ is manifest in our mortal Bodies and God dwelleth in us and walketh in us and we are his Temple And now we cannot deny this which is the Apostle's Doctrine though R. W. opposeth the Apostle's words and saith That we deny Christ without and God manifest in the Flesh his Sufferings at Outward Jerusalem Death and Resurrection which we own But this is his Wickedness and Wilfulness and he putteth us in his Bear 's Skin to set his Dogs at Us to make people believe That We do not believe Christ died at Jerusalem because we say that he is manifest within Us 2 Cor. 4 10 11. And we are of the Seed of Abraham and Isaac and are in Christ Jesus the Light in whom all Nations are Blest and thou that art not in him and He in thee art in the Serpent's Nature and Reprobate as thou speakest of R. W. And thou bring'st Act. 13. At Antioch Barnabas and Paul in a Synagogue of the Jews made the Humane Nature of the Lord Jesus as also in other places the great Subject of their Discourse and Preaching c. Answ. And had Christ no Body till Paul and Barnabas made it
Fancy and an Idol and would'st have the Magistrates to punish us and the Magistrates and Priests in New-England their Persecutions instead of Loving Enemies doing unto all Men as they would have them to do unto them have declared it So 't is plainly proved that ye are neither in the Royal Law nor in the Gospel nor do not Really own the Scriptures that do not practise them Love thy Neighbour as thy sâ—lf Love one another Love Enemies Are the Commands of Christ but thou callest the Lord Christ Jesus his Light a Fancy and an Idol and therefore thou art not nor canst not be in his Spirit that callest his Light an Idol and so None of his but a Ravening Woolf. And we always did own the Scriptures and have said We and the Priests would be tried by the Scriptures and to see which was in the Practice of Christ and his Apostles by the Fruits And so we are Faithful Witnesses for Christ and his Light as John was for we are Come for Witnesses and do bear a True Witness for Christ and his Light which enlighteth every Man that cometh in the World which is the Light of the World And the Occasion that we must speak this over and over is because thou bring'st it so often R. W. And thou tell'st us of an Irish Papist that flung the Bible in the Kennel and kickt it saying The Plague take this Book And what 's this to us is it not a shame to print such Fruits of a Wicked Spirit over and over which we abhor And thou say'st That John Burnyeat took a Bible and râ—ad publickly Luke 1. How the Scripture was a Declaration and yet thou say'st and Contradictest thy self that we would not endure the searching of the Scripture as pag. 78. See his Margent And thou goest on to no Purpose and say'st Still they sied to this Borrow The Spirit that gave forth Scripture is greater than the Scripture Answ. Why R. W. and the New-England-Priests is not the Spirit above the Scripture Cannot the Devil get Scripture and the Wolves and Anti-Christ but can they get the Spirit of God would ye have the Spirit less than the Scriptures which was before they were written and gave them forth R. W. thou say'st Thou maintainest the Inward Breathing of the Holy Spirit more than we Answ. But where is it R. W dost not thou say pag. 83. There is no Voice or Motion within Man that is to be hearken'd unto turn'd to or lissen'd to in Heavenly and Supernatural Light And R. W. Thou say'st We ought in all our Preaching Hearing and Reading c. beg the Help of the Spirit c. Answ. But R. W. Are ye to Preach and Pray of Heavenly Things without the Spirit of God or a Motion in you and can a Man Hear or Read the Scriptures with understanding without the Spirit of God which we affirm They cannot truly And if the Spirit of God then must be a Motion within hearken'd to and so R. W. overthroweth his own Assertion and proveth himself a Doter Then R. W. Telleth a Story of Babilonian Assyrian and Popish Tyrants Devils c. Answ. What are all these he might have kept them at home to prove The Quakers do not own Scriptures R. W. And thou say'st This Record is the Outward and External Light Lanthorn Judge and Guide and Rule c. Answ. Now but can an External Rule and Judge and Guide guide the Eternal Spirit of God doth not the Spirit of God Lead into all Truth of it But R. W. that seemest to own the Scriptures and ye New England-Priests where is it written that the Scriptures are called an External Judge and Guide let us see Chapter and Verse for it do not tell us of a Gall'd-back-Horse but give us Chapter and Verse and abide the Search But are not ye New-England-Priests and Professors gone beside this External Judge Rule and Guide so that ye neither walk according to the Light of the External Guide as thou callest it the Scriptures nor according to the Light of Christ for the Light of Christ thou call'st a Fancy and an Idol And thou art made to confess That God and Christ were before Scripture and then why wouldst thou set the Scriptures above his Spirit And then thou tell'st us in a Way of Preaching of John Baptist what he said of Christ All this we own and the Scriptures that speak of him but how can'st thou own the Scriptures and not John's Tâ—stimony who came for a Witness to bear Witness of the true Light And we also can say God sent us amongst you R. W. And thou tell'st us of Prating of the Light and say'st If they slight the Outward Standing Record and Witnesses of God in them there is no Light in them Answ. That is thy own Condition thou slightest both Scriptures and Light which John bore Witness to as the Scriptures testify R. W. saith telling us of subscribing to the Papists or else he saith ye must study the Scriptures and search the Originals c. Answ. R. W. may subscribe to the Papists How can he search the Scriptures and study the Originals without the Light of Christ no more than They can see without the Light of Christ than a Blind-Man can see to read the Writings And so without the Heavenly Light of Christ thou can'st not Judge of pretending Christs Prophets Doctrines Churches and Spirits nor see what is in thy self R. W. Thou say'st That the Quakers do affirm that the Scripture is within them and What is the English of that but that the Light which they and every Man in the World hath within them the Christ the Spirit which every one hath is the Scripture Answ. Who did ever hear any of the Quakers say or in G. F.'s Book here That Christ the Light and Spirit in Man was Scripture to wit Writings or Paper and Ink Though this we must needs tell R. W. That is Scripture within when God writeth his Law in the Heart that is Heavenly Scripture that is the Table in the Heart that every true Christian readeth that is Law there And every one that hath the King's Declaration he hath not the King in his House so every one that hath the Scripture hath not Christ but he that hath the Word hath Christ the Scripture declareth of so that he hath both the Declaration and the Word it self to wit Christ in his Heart then he hath the Comfort of Scriptures And we own the Scriptures to be Love-Letters and can bless the Lord God for them and have the Comfort of them though thou may'st say what thou wilt R. W. And then thou say'st The Light Christ which enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World and the Spirit the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Truth which leadeth into all Truth which proceedeth from the Father and from the Son which we have received from the Lord Jesus Christ this Light this Spirit thou say'st thou hast proved
Heart and Bowels of Christ be run through with a Sword who can but tremble to hear those Words We do charge R. W. and the New-England-Priests that say The Scripture is their Rule to give us Chapter and Verse for these Words that we may see where they be written that we may Search for them Is the Incomprehensible God and Christ his Son whom he hath given all Power in Heaven and Earth unto and at the Rigâ—t Hand of God so light unto you and of so low a Value doth R. W. own any God or Christ but whose Bowels and Heart may be run through with a Sword and is not that a false God and Christ We tell him the true Christ and the living God is far above his Reach and Sword and his unholy Hands And is not this Blasphemy to say The Living God and his Son Christ Jesus who is at the Right Hand of God can be run through with a Sword we tell him He dieth no more but such as thou art Crucify him to themselves a fresh Imprison and Persecute him in his people as Christ saith in Matth. And we own the Scriptures and the Saints and the true Christianity and not for this wicked End as thou wickedly speakest And as for thy Ladders and Scaffolds and a many such Ill favour'd Comparisons that thou hast in thy Book might'â—t have kept them for thy self with all the rest of thy Vngracious Expressions R. W. The Merchants desire to see Effects c. the Jews Pharisees the Papists and the Quakers do not own the Perfection Answ. But R. W. where are thy Effects of thy Religion and the rest of the Priests where are the Effects of true Christianity where are the Effects of the Fruits of a Good Spirit for this is not the Language of the Spirit of God but of the Evil Spirit is but of the Effects of the Pharisees and Papists thou speakest of which are Envy Bloodshed and Murther And ye persecuting his Servants with Tongue and Hand and HANGING his people these are not the Effects of the Good Spirit but of the Evil One as the Apostle hath described it in the Scriptures And as for the Effects in the Practice of Religion in any Duty that may appear for with whom dost thou Meet and Pray and Preach or whether or no thou art not found in the Manner of them whom the Apostle condemneth and exhorteth the Saints not to have Fellowship withal Heb. 10 25. we think thou may'st forbear to upbraid any thy self bringing forth so little Effects but Effects of an Evil Heart and Vnbelief according to the Apostle's words And is not the Authority of the Scripture the Holy Ghost that moved the Holy Men of God that spoke them forth which lead the Disciples in all Truth of them which we witness For dost not thou say They are of no Value without the Spirit of God set them home to the Heart as in Append. p. 94. And so if they be of No Value then that which maketh them Valuable is the Power and Spirit of God and then that must be the Authority of them R. W. But thou say'st The Quakers and Papists call the Scriptures a Dead Letter and say'st They are of no Value c. as before Answ. And as for the Papists thou had'st better join'd them to thy self they are nearer thee then we are And where did we ever Throw Dirt at the Holy Scripture and said It was a Nose of Wax and a Leaden Rule let the Reader see if there be any such words in G. F' s Answer or any other Books And truly if any make a Nose of Wax of them twisting them up and down it is thy own Condition thou giving Meanings of them this Way and that Way and findest fault with us because we take them Literally And 2 Cor. 3. that is nothing to the purpose If the King giveth a Pardon for Death in Writing this cometh to a Man and preventeth his Execution But what must we infer from R. W.'s Words here That every Man that hath the Writings of the Scripture hath the Pardon of Eternal Death and why doth he cry against Papists then and all others for they have the Scriptures therefore they have the Pardon So in this R. W. stoppeth his own Mouth and shutteth out Revelation of the Son of God which Scripture speaketh of and Revelation of Faith Revelation of Grace Revelation of the Gospel Revelation of the Spirit which is the Seal of all Believers of the Pardon from Eternal Death by the Blood of Jesus Christ and the Witness with themselves by which they can set to their Seal that God is True in all his Promises and Figures and Shaddows of his Son Christ Jesus Blessed forever R. W. Bringeth G. F. Fol. p. 47. Joshuah Miller saying It is an Error if not Damnable to say Christ is the Means and that there is no other Means of Salvation G. F. Answ. And Christ saith No man can come to the Father but by me and he is Able to save to the uttermost and He shall be my Salvation to the Ends of the Earth saith the Lord. And saith the Apostle God is in Christ reconciling the World to himself And He that hath the Son hath Life the Father and Son are one and there is no Salvation in any other And R. W. replieth and saith His Adversaries would not Suffer him to meddle with the Sense of G. F.'s words But G. F.'s words are Plain enough and what doth he give a Sense of that where is your Nose of Wax now Yet he thinketh not that a man of Wisdom would call it an Error to say That Christ is the Means to Salvation Then he falleth a-railing and saith For this Wretched Juggler to wit G. F. subtily confounds the Instrumental Causes of Salvation with the Efficient in God the Father the Meritorious in God the Son Christ Jesus Answ. How can this be when G. F. saith God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself and God saith He shall be my Salvation to the Ends of the Earth And the Apostle saith Eph. 1 17. In whom we have Redemption through his Blood Forgiveness of Sin according to the Riches of his Grace And R. W. saith I know this Juggler meaneth not a Christ nor his Blood nor his Death as we mean but an Imaginary Christ c. Answ. This Knowledge of thine and this Meanes of thine is false the Lord knoweth it and the Imaginary is in thyself But R. W. saith Christ's Messengers are said to Save Answ. And what then is not this through Christ R. W. Secondly Thou say'st The Scriptures are said to make Wise to Salvation Answ. But why will not R. W. put in THROVGH FAITH as though the Scriptures can Make Wise to Salvation without Faith Thou say'st R. W. A Man may be God's Means to Save his Wife and she her Husband Answ. And is not this Means FAITH which Christ is the Author of And thou
thy Railing Language for thou who hast him so often in thy Mouth its like thou art more acquainted with him than with Christ and his Light And R. W. must not be called a Railer not He but it 's We must be the Railers but see if he findeth any such words here in G. F.'s Reply to Enoch Howet And R. W. bringeth Francis Duke Fol. pag. 189. saying Wheâ— Christ told the Devil that Man should not live by Bread alone buâ— by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God That waâ— Beâ—ieving the Scripture and this Word of God in the Scripture was the Ground of Christ's Faith and so to all that are his G. F. Answ. Many may have the Scripture and never hear the Voice oâ— God as the Jews Joh. 5. and they said they believed the Scriptures though they were out of the true Belief But receiving the Word from God is as they that gave forth the Scriptures which Man liveth by and not by Bread alone and so knoweth him who was before Scripture was given forth And for saying That the Scripture was the Ground of Christ's Faith he was afore the Scripture was writ and so fulfilleth their Words and is the Author and Finisher of the Saints Faith which was before the Scripture was given forth he by whom the World was made is the Author of the Saints Faith that bruiseth the Serpent under his Feet c. And R. W. Replieth and falleth a-railing and saith How Notorious for Tautologies are these Brutish Clamors shall we believe their Notorious Lies c. and so goeth on railing and crieth Childish c. Antient Doting Women c. so full of Idle Repetitions and crieth How brutish and impious viz That a Man may have the Scriptures and yet not be in the Belief therefore the Word of God was not the Ground of Christ's Belief and again The Devil and the Wicked Men may have the Scriptures and not Believe in them and therefore Christ Jesus and the Saints Believe them not neither Answ. This is a False Inference of thine as to say Christ and the Saints did not believe the Scriptures the Reader may see there is no such thing in G. F.'s Answer and dost not thou confess That many they may have the Scriptures and not overcome the Devil p. 101. But did those Jews that Persecuted Christ and his Apostles and Prophets Truly Believe in Christ Now as for Tautologies and the Doting Woman with Idle Repetitions thou may'st apply to thy self for how often in thy Book dost thou call over and over the Light of Christ an Idol a Frantick Light And read pag. 109. in Append and there thou may'st see thy Tautologies Quakers Papists Papists and Quakers Papists c. where he mentioneth the Quakers and Papists a matter of Twelve times over as though R. W. would fill up his Book with it and let the Reader see most of the Pages throughout his Book whether he hath not done the same And R. W. may note how often David and the Holy Men of God go over the same thing and the Apostles mention often the Name of Jesus and if R. W. and his New-England-Priests do say That these are Notorious Lies that which G. F. saith as the Reader may see in his Answer viz. Many may have the Scriptures and hear not the Voice of God This is a Notorious Lie by R. W. as in Joh. 5. And the Jews would say They Believed Scriptures though they were out of the True Belief and Receiving Christ the Word of God and Christ in plain Words told them They were of their Father the Devil This is another Lie of R. W. and the New-England-Priests But Receiving the Word from God is as they that gave forth the Scriptures that received his Word which Man liveth by and not by Bread only And these R.W. calleth Notorious Lies and so knoweth him that was before Scripture was given forth to wit Christ and these R. W. saith are Notorious Lies And they say that Christ was before the Scripture was writ and fullfilleth the words to wit the Scripture This is a Notorious Lie shall we believe those Notorious Lies saith R. W. and is the Author and Finisher to wit Christ of the Saints Faith Shall we believe these Notorious Lies c. And R. W. thou say'st Shall we believe their Notorious Lies that the Light within gave forth the Scripture and that they speak and write as they are moved by the Spirit when their Writings are so weak c. Answ. Let the Reader see if there be any such thing in G. F.'s Answer That the Light within us gave forth Scripture but it was the Holy Ghost in the Prophets and Apostles that gave forth Scriptures and with the Light of Christ we see them and are led into all Truth by the Holy Ghost And again as for Tautologies R. W. may read his pag. 84. of his Book and see where he 11 or 12 times goeth over Juggler and Cheater Juggler and Cheater c. in one and the same page R. W. beginneth with Railing Let Heaven and Earth hear and abhor the Sophistry of these Deceivers they would fain have no such Christ as Man a Christ without an Out-side Christ c. And then thou contradictest thy self and say'st That We confess that there was such a Man or Person who came according to Gal. 4. Answ. Which we really believe and we do not Cloak nor Cross our Principle in saying That Christ was afore the Scripture but thou wrongst G. F.'s words again For his words are not That Christ bruis'd the Serpent's Head before the Scripture was but Christ was before the Scripture was who bruiseth the Serpent's head for all things were made by Christ as the Reader may see pag. 102. And doth not Christ say Before Abraham was I am And as for Sophistry and Deceiving and speaking of an Out-side Christ those are thy own Railing Words not ours and doth not become an Old Man nor Christian. R. W. Let any of these Jugglers answer if they speak honestly If there was really such a Man called Jesus at Jerusalem c. Answ. R. W. beginneth with Railing here but seeing he querieth of us we shall answer him and all the World We do believe there was Such a Man who was born in Bethlehem Christ Jesus suffered without the Gates of Jerusalem after the Scripture was written who was tempted of the Devil and the Devil brought Scripture to him and Christ Reproved him with Scripture and Overcame him by his POWER And Christ died and rose and fulfill'd the Prophets and at the Right Hand of God who is the same that Descended the same that Ascended But where doth R. W. prove by the Scriptures and the New-England-Priests That the Scriptures were the Ground of Christ's Faith this we must have Scripture for before we can receive it from R. W. and his New-England priests to wit That the Scripture is the Ground of Christ's Faith and
Magistrate of Christ the Help-Government for him he is in the Light and Power of Christ and he is to subject all under the Power of Christ into his Light else he is not a Faithful Magistrate to wit the Higher Power And his Laws are Agreeable and Answerable according to that of God in every Man When men act contrary to it they do Evil. So he is a Terror to the Evil-doers and discerneth the Pretious and the Just from the Vile and this is a Praise to them that do well I Query of R. W. Whether the Fundamental Laws are not according to the Spirit of God and Scripture whether it is not said The Laws of England hang upon these two Hinges and then Whether Magistrates must not be according to the Laws And the Higher Power never did the Prophets cry against but the Corruption in Magistrates neither doth G. F. as here was testified in OLIVER's Dayes when these Priests-Opposers said That we denyed Magistrates But R. W. Must not the Christian Magistrates be in the Light of Christ and must they not punish Evil-doers to wit Adultery Fornication Theft Murder c. and are not these Actions Contrary to Christ And then if they punish these things do not they subject unto the Light of Christ For our Principle is To bring all people from those and other Evils Or must not these Evils be punisht and the Magistrate of the Laws keep down such Evils with his Higher Power c. But what is this to matter of Religion seeing R. W. saith That they are a Praise of them that Do Well Such as Do Well walk in the Light and walk in the Spirit that mortifieth Sin and worship God in Spirit and Truth Such the Magistrate is a Praise unto and doth not Punish except they turn their Sword backward as the New-England-Priests and let Evil-doers at Liberty But more of this hereafter But let the Reader see if there be any such thing in G. F.'s Answer to John Stallam That G. F. intendeth there that Magistrates in Christ must fight for their Christ against all Opposers Answ. This is R. W.'s false Surmising Charge but these are the New-England-Men that Fight for their Religion and false Christ. But G. F. saith The Magistrates in the Light are for the punishing of the Evil doers as the Apostle saith And will not R. W. have the Christian Magistrates enlightned by Christ and to have the Higher Power that they may punish Drunkards Perjurous persons Whoremongers and Thieves c. for such is G. F. speaking of he doth not speak of Religion and the worship of God as the unprejudic'd Reader may see his Words R. W. Bringeth Fol. G. F. p. 221 Hosannah c. saying They know not Absolute Perfection that are admitting of Measures and Degrees or come to the Day of the Bright Morning-Star and the Bright Morning-Star is not Risen G. F. answereth Did not the Apostle speak that they were Children of the Day and the Night was over and knew the whole Body and yet said he would not go beyond his Measure and doth he not speak of the Stature and Measure and Fulness of Christ were they not come to Perfection and spoke Wisdom among them that were Perfect And R. W. Replieth and falleth a-Railing his Wonted Course Monstrous Pride c. and then thou askest whether Paul speaketh of his Measure in Holiness or no Answ. What should it be in else But R. W. is this thy Way to prove thy false Assertions by asking of Questions But let R. W. show these Words Omnipotent Omnipresent Omniscient in G. F.'s Book or any other of our Books where we say That we are in Power Omnipotent Omnipresent and Omniscient as he chargeth us And G. F. speaketh of the Perfection that God and Christ and the Apostles exhort unto And thou makest a great Story about Perfection but to no purpose And Paul saith he spoke Wisdom among them that were Perfect but not that Wisdom of this World which denieth Perfection And as for all thy Railing Expression and Vnsavory Language they are all return'd home again to thee thou hadst better to have kept them within And where doth G. F. say That a Child though Perfect is equal to a Man or a Cup is equal to a Tun or Pipe all this thou might'st have kept at home this is no Proof against our Principle and Profession As for Blâ—ckish Blasphemous Fallacy and Contradictions R. W. thou might'st have kept at home thy Railing Expressions it doth not become thy Gray Hairs but that the whole Body may be known which serve to Compleat the Saints into an Entire Stature see Ephes. 3 18 19. Col. 2 10. and 4 12. and yet here may be a Growth still Ephes. 4.13 14. R. W. bringeth Hosannah c. G.F. Fol. p. 222. saying Christ is without his Saints in Respect of his Bodily Presence G. F. Answ. How are they Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone How can they Eat of his Flesh and Drink his Blood And how have they his Mind and Spirit and he in them and they in him and sitting in Heavenly Places And he is the Head of his Church and how then is he Absent ye poor Apostates from him that feel not Christ But he is with the Saints and they feel him And R. W. replieth and asketh Is this Eating of the Flesh of Christ and Drinking his Blood Corporal or Visible or Spiritual Answ. Why Dost not thou know R. W. Christ saith His Words are Spirit and Life And is this thy Proving when to prove thy Charges thou art asking Questions We tell thee None can eat the Flesh of Christ without Faith And thou further Beggest Questions concerning a sitting in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus We tell thee the Apostle speaketh We sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus Ephes. 2. and He that Sanctifieth and they that are Sanctified are all of One the Hebr. telleth thee And we hold that Christ is the Head of the Church as the Apostle did and we do not direct you to the Pope But we bid you Repent and turn you from Darkness to Light and so to Christ whom ye must come to know Christ the Head And did not the Heavens open so that Steven saw Christ by the Holy Ghost at the Right Hand of God And what Body was that that some did Eat as the Apostle saith as ate and drank Vnworthily nor discerning the Lord's Body and then must not the Lord's Body be discerned by True Believers and was not this after Christ was Ascended And the Ground of R. W. and the persecuting Priests is They would neither have Christ nor his Light to be within them nor to feed upon his Heavenly Bread which cometh from Heaven which he calleth his Flesh nor drink his Blood which is the Saints Food upon which they Live And the Jews said of Christ How can we eat his Flesh and so persecuted the Apostles which were of his
by Instances out of G. F.'s Book all along that he confounded and made all one both Faith and Justification c. and made Believing in Christ but a meer Babel and fallest a railing because that G. F. saith He that hath Faith hath Repentance hath Justification Sanctification c. Answ. But dost not thou Confound thy self for thou sayst That Repentance is a Turning of the whole Soul from all Sin as Sin to all of God as God as this is R. W.'s Form of Words and yet R. W. have not they then that have Repentance Faith Justification and Sanctification And G. F.'s words are He that hath Faith hath Repentance Can any have Faith without Repentance or any Justification without Repentance and Faith or any have Sanctification without Repentance Faith thou wouldst have Justification Sanctification without Faith and Repentance Thou mayst keep thy Babel to thy self And Christ Jesus that preach'd Repentance saith Believe in the Light that you may become Children of Light and this Light thou callest an Idol and a Fancy and so hast plainly manifest thou art no true Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ nor true Christian and who wouldst have Faith Justification and Sanctification without Repentance hast neither true Faith Justification Sanctification And so as for Babel Non-sense Confusion Monstrous thou mayst keep at home R. W. And thou sayst Thou told'st us that we and the Papists talk of Faith and G. F. talk'd much of Faith Answ. As for the Papists Faith thou and the New-England-Priests might have applied at home But for the Saints Faith it is the True which Jesus Christ is the Author of and we have received it from him and not from Men. And thou in disproving our Faith thou hast prov'd thy self out of the True Faith in Christ which thou opposest R. W. And so thou sayst They have put out the True and Living Faith and have put in a painted or Glass-eye in the Room of it Answ. This is thy own condition who deniest the Faith in Christ Jesus that he is the Author and Finisher of Which in all this Work thou goest about to overthrow but thou canst not R. W. And thou sayst True Faith is Receiving of Christ Jesus as only King Priest and Prophet it is believing on and receiving of Christ distinct from God Joh. 14. And This true Lord Jesus Christ the Quakers turn into a meer Fiction Dream or Imaginary Christ in the Mind of Man c. And thou fall'st a-railing and tellest us We are like the Papists and sayst The Quakers Transubstantiation is worse then the Fantastick Transubstantiation of the Papists Answ. How can R. W. receive Christ Jesus as a Priest King and Prophet and believe in him who call'st the True Light of Christ an Idol which John bore Witness unto Or be a Believer as Christ Commanded and said Be a Believer in the Light and he calleth this Light a Fancy So no Believer in the True Christ nor no Receiver of Christ King Priest and Prophet Neither is R. W. in the True Faith which Christ Jesus is the Author and Finisher of who maintaineth The Scripture is the Ground of Christ's Faith and the Saints yet he saith Christ is afore Scripture And he confesseth that Abel Enoch Noah Abraham c had Faith afore Scriptures and again he saith That true Faith is Receiving of Christ. But let R. W. and his New-England-Priests prove by Scripture That God the Creator of all things and the true Lord Jesus Christ his Son whom we believe in according to Scripture as the Prophets and Apostles did can be turn'd into a Fiction and Dream let him make this Blasphemy good by Scripture if he can And R. W. who calleth himself Orator did the Apostles turn Christ into an Imaginary Christ Dream and Fiction when they preach'd Christ in you except ye be Reprobates and is this Worse than the Papists Transubstantiation prove this by Scripture And thou art degenerated and the New-England-Priests if this be their Doctrine and Preaching of Christ and the Apostles in the Primitive Times R. W. And then thou sayst that we say All Spirit and no Body and so not consisting of Flesh and Spirit and yet thou contradictest thy self and say'st We are of his flesh c And then thou fall'st a-railing and thou sayst That we say All must die and rot and never rise again and sayst So you have blown up and Juggled away the Flesh of Christ Jesus both his and your own altogether And further thou sayst We can give no Account of the Flesh of the Man Christ Jesus and thou fallest a-railing Answ. Dost not thou see how thou Contradictest thy self but instead of proving thy false Charge thou hast utter'd forth many more false Charges Where did ever we say in any of our Books That we shall not rise again or That Christ is not risen The same that Descended is the same that is Ascended and at the Right Hand of God did not we confess this before thee at Newport and yet thou Wickedly sayst That we can give no Account of when we gave Account according to Scripture as the Apostle saith And did not we say that we believe the Resurrection as the Apostle did and as we have born the Image of the Earthly so we shall bear the Image of the Heavenly 1 Cor. 15. R. W. And thou sayst The Quakers which grant Christ Jesus to have been born lived and died as we c. and here thou overthrowest thy Babel of false Charges And then thou Contradictest thy self and sayst And yet now Transubstantiated into a Spirit and the Quakers Flesh so that in the upshot the Christ in whom they believe is vanished by an Hellish Chymistry into themselves c. Answ. R. W. How far art thou degenerated from the Apostles Doctrine did the Apostles say so when they preach'd Christ within and said They were Flesh of his Flesh and Bone of his Bone And Christ saith Except ye eat my Flesh and drink my Blood ye have no Life in you c. and wouldst thou keep us from our Heavenly Food by which we have Life And art not thou worse then the Jews that loaded the Manna from Heaven who addest Lie unto Lie to prove thy false Charge but the Father of Lies hath set thee at Work and the Day will come when Christ will reward thee who Blasphemest him R. W. And thou sayst They do believe on themselves and that lying Spirit within them Answ. R. W. Thou canst not speak Truth thou art not like indeed this is another false Charge For we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as he hath taught and the Apostles and deny Our selves and thy Lying Spirit within thee And we know thy condition where thou art and the New-England-Priests better than thy self and if you had been good we would not have forsaken you And R. W. Confessed That J. B. had delivered many Holy Truths of God and yet thou sayst At
Blood And so our Doctrine of true Repentance and Faith Love Hope Joy and Peace is according to Scripture and the Primitive Church and not R. W.'s nor his New-England-Priests And we have Examin'd Our selves and prov'd ourselves by the Light of Christ Jesus found him within us and he is come and we are no Reprobates and hath given us an Understanding and we are in him Glory to God for ever And as for Counterfeit Christ painted Faith and Hope and dolefully Counterfeited perishing Salvation c. R. W. might have kept at home for it will fail him in the End which he speaketh of And this is thy own Condition that thou speakest of the others such as believe Lies for Heavenly Truths R. W. And thou sayst Thou hadst purpos'd to have shewed how the Quakers have followed the Cerdonians the Priscillians and Valentinians the Old Gnosticks and Manicheans Answ. R. W. might have kept these for himself who calleth the Light of Christ Jesus a Fancy and an Idol but where did any of those call it so for we follow Christ Jesus and neither him nor them And R. W. thou sayst Thou confinedst thy self to the Terms of thy Position and declaredst the Quakers to be Down-right Papists in many points Answ. Well we shall see what Points they are and see whether he and his New-England-Priests are not nearer to the Papists then the Quakers are R. W. Bringeth from G. F.'s Fol. p. 214. the Elders and Messengers of the Churches saying We are conceived in Sin and brought forth in Iniquity And G. F. Answ. David doth not say YE who are conceived in sin but I and R. W. saith John was sanctified from the Womb and the Scripture speaketh of such as were Sanctified from the Womb and Children that were Clean c. and this is fully answered in Answ. to App. pag. 134 135 And R. W. saith That the Protestants say that their natural Births and Conceptions are all defiled with Sin Answ. And so say the Papists But what doth R. W. and his New-England-Priests say to Paul For the Believing Husband is sanctified by the believing Wife and the unbelieving Wife is Sanctified by the believing Husband For else were their Children Vnclean but now are they Holy I ask R. W. and his New-England-Priests Whether or no there be any such Believers in New-England or Whether they believe this Doctrine of the Apostle or preach this if not then are they degenerated And this doth not deny the New Creating of the Soul and Spirit in Everlasting Vnchangeable Holiness and Righteousness after the Image of him that Createth him after him c. But R. W. if the Papists confess They are born in sin and Paul saith The Believers Children are Holy How do the Quakers and the Believers and the Apostle here Jump into one thing with the Papists R. W. thou sayst The Quakers are in one step with the Papists as to the power of Nature in spirituals and that every Man c. in the World hath a Sufficient Light within him to see God and Christ c. Contrary to the Protestants who from the Holy Scripture maintain Natural Blindness and Darkness and Man's Natural Deadness and that our Wisdom cannot discern any Spiritual thing c. and that our Wisdom is Enmity to God Answ. Did ever the Quakers say to the Contrary but that ye and the New England-Professors were in this Condition and ye might have taken the Papists with you and not to have join'd them with the Quakers And in this Condition and Birth ye are still though ye may make a Profession of God and Christ the Fruits of that Birth show it self forth And indeed how can ye be any other ways who call the Light of Christ Jesus a Fancy and an Idol which John bear witness to and Christ said Believe in the Light that ye may become Children of the Light So here it 's clear that your Birth is not Changed but as thou sayst your Wisdom is Enmity and ye are in Natural Blindness and Deadness as to Spiritual things But we never heard that the Papists did own the Heavenly Light of Christ Jesus that lighteth every one that cometh into the World the Life in the Word for they persecuted us for preaching of it as the New-England-Professors have done And whatever Christ hath profer'd you still how can ye see it except ye believe in the Light And thou comparing us with the Papists thou hast but manifest thy own Folly for thou say'st R. W. The Papists speak more like Men and yield that Men and Women have left them since Adam fell power to listen to c. and sayst The Quakers talk like Brutes of no Means but Immediate Revelation of the Spirit and the Protestants affirm that we have not a good Thought but from God c. Answ. Let the Reader Judge who speaketh like Brutes for if the Papists listen to that which is left them in Adam as thou sayst and ye say ye have not a good Thought but what ye have from God how have ye any thing that is Good from God but by that which Revealeth it from God which thou grantest is the Quakers Means For the Apostle saith No man knoweth the things of God but by the Spirit of God 2 Cor. 3. Phil. 2. Rom. 10. 1 Cor. 4. And so now thou that deniest the Immediate Revelation of the Spirit of God to be the Means and the New-England Professors ye are as dark as the Papists and so thou hast prov'd thy self a Nearer kin to them then the Quakers And thou confessest That God open'd Lydia's Heart Act. 16. Was not this by his Immediate Spirit and Revelation by which she received the Gospel And this is the Quakers Means but not R. W.'s it seemeth who saith There is no Voice to Motion within to be lissen'd to as often hath been quoted And dost thou and the New-England-Priests believe There was no Motion nor Voice in Lydia's Heart when the Lord open'd it by which she gave Attention to the Gospel and received it from Paul R. W. Thou sayst The Papists and Quakers maintain a Falling away from Grace Answ. And yet thou sayst The Truth is none of them seemeth to know it experimentally Then how canst thou maintain They fall away from that they do not know Experimentally But as for the Papists let them Answer for themselves R. W. And thou sayst of the Protestants Though they grant great Fallings and Desertions of the Children of God yet they hold the holy Seed of God the Holy Spirit and Word of God that Incorruptible and Eternal Seed of which they are begotten never finally and totally to be Eclipsed Answ. Where did ever Quakers say that the Holy Spirit of God or his Eternal Seed ever fell away of which his people are begotten or that they fell away that came to that State for I tell thee If the Righteous fall they shall rise again But neither the Papists nor thou
And R. W. brings in Alexander Ross G. F. fol. 273. saying It is horrible Blasphemy to say The Scriptures are not tâ—e Word of GOD and to say The Soul is a Part of God G. F's Answ. The Scriptures are the Words of God Exod. 20. and in the Book of the Revelations and Christ is the Word in whom the Scriptures end and he fulfilleth them And it is not Horrible Blasphemy to say The Soul is a Part of God to wit of his Breath for it came out from him and that which came out from him is of him and rejoiceth in him And these four Books of the Revelations was a Mistake in the Printer though that which was the four Books of Moses was Revealed to him R. W. Replies G. F. imagins such a God and Godhead as maybe dâ—vided into parts and pieces c. And this is Answered in the Appendix p. 108.109.110 but nevertheless something we shall say to it Answ. And doth the Apostle divide God into parts and pieces when he saith There is One God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Ephes. 4. And dost not thou confess The Soul is immortal and sayst It 's true in a secondary way â Posteriori as they say The Spirits of Men and Angels are as a Lamp lighted up by the Most-High and Infinite Majesty never to go out pag. 49. And John Stubs read the Words of G. F. and said The Reason was to be weighed which G. F. used which was For it came out of him to wit out of his Breath and that which came out of him is of him and rejoiceth in him And to this End he desired the words in Gen. 2. might be viewed which he turned to and read viz God breathed into Man the Breath of Life and he became a Living Soul And then Samuel Garton said If it be affirmed that God can be divided and that Man was a part of God the Godhead was destroied and the Soul of Man But we say no such thing neither doth G. F. say any such Words But doth R. W. and Garton say That it cannot be a part of his Breath by which Man became a Living Soul and is not the Soul called the Breath of Life and doth not Robeson say That the Soul properly is the Breath of Life which God did breath into him at his First Creation that is his Immortal Soul which is his Principle of all Breath Motion and Life in him p. 150. And there is no such word in G. F.'s Answer of the Divine Essence as the Reader may see And all the Scriptures that speak of the Soul we own and Christ's saying They may kill the Body but not the Soul yet God is able to cast both Soul and Body into Hell Who is to be feared And we own God who is over all and in us all as well without us as within us God who is a pure holy Spirit and Christ at the Right Hand of God who hath all power in Heaven and Earth given unto him we own him without and within and his Kingdom as well without as within who is God over all who is blessed for ever And we own the Angels who behold the Face of God and where and in what Book did ever R. W. read that we said The Angels were within us for if they be Ministring Spirits they must Minister to our Souls within us For are they not Ministring Spirits sent forth to Minister to them who shall be Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1. And Resurrection and Judgment and Heaven and Hell we hold without us as well as within us according to the Scriptures And we must tell thee all these Lies thou hast of the Father of Lies as well without thee as within thee R. W. And thou tell'st us a Story of One desirous to give Thanks at Dinner asked roundly To whom should I give Thanks c. And thou sayst Calvin relates that one Quintinius a Leader this Way being demanded how he did c. answered resolutely How can Christ do but well and yet at that time he was Sick Answ. Now Mark Instead of proving R. W.'s Charges he is telling of Stories which may be as false upon them as his Charge is upon us But R. W. saith In his time a Leader this Way to wit the Quakers c. But the Lord knows and his own Conscience whether he doth not wrong us and Wm. Edmond might well reprove him And then thou sayst Thou wouldst not trouble us with Proofs but out of our own Writings and yet thou canst not keep out of these Old Stories Then R. W. Bringeth Magnus Bine G. F. Fol. 88.89 and this is Answered in the Answer to the Appendix where he bringeth it there in his page 47. And well might Wm. Edmond say to R. W. Let G. F.'s Words and thy Meaning alone and keep to his Words And R. W. saith The Fulness of God is one thing and another thing our and all his Works and Creatures Partaking of that Fulness c. Answ. Who saith to the Contrary But must not the Saints grow up to a Perfect Man therefore and unto the Measure and Stature and the Fulness of Christ R. W. And thou say'st To partake some Drops of the Ocean of his Wisdom Power Goodness c. is not to become the Ocean of the Power c. it self Answ. But they may come into the Power But let the Reader see how he perverts G. F.'s words all along and his Meanings And we do believe thou wrongest Sam. Fisher as well as thou hast us R. W. And when G. F. speaketh of the Fulness of the Godhead dwelling in Christ thou say'st He means the Body of the Quakers c. Answ. Let the Reader see if there be any such words in G. F.'s Answer And that 1 Tim. 3. God is manifested in the Flesh we own as the Apostle speaketh it and S. Fisher's Book neither thou nor J. Owen could ever answer it though some of you pervert some of his words R. W. And thou bringest Magnus Bine c. which is also Answered in the Answer to the Appendix p. 108. And thou sayst In these few Lines let him that hath his Senses make Common Sense and English of some of them Answ. But let the Reader see in R. W.'s if he be finding Fault with others how he spells Bishop with Bist in his page but I can look over such words and never heed it R. W. Thou goest on in thy Railing and sayst The old Serpent has taught them in so much that these bewitched Souls say and print that this World is God and the Godhead c. Answ. The Reader may see there is no such word in G. F.'s Answer neither did we say any such word at the Dispute at Providence the people knows it And then thou call'st us Horrible and Blockish thou might'st have applied this to thy self and to that which thou assertest upon us
Changed from Glory to Glory till they came into the Image of God And the Apostle saw c. And so ye may read at large in G. F.'s Fol which is to large to be set down here but R. W. hath taken about three lines of it and left out the rest And R. W. replieth As the Swinish Epicures and Dives's of this World what-ever they formally and loosly profess have no solid Hope of Peace and Joy to come after this Life and therefore like Brute Beasts practically confess it saying in their Hearts and Lives Let us eat and drink for to morrow we must die c. Answ. What is this to the purpose for G. F.'s Answer R. W. might have put himself amongst his Company and Judged himself as well as others for it 's his own Condition R. W. thou sayst Thou knowest that same of the Quakers will not believe that G. F. and others of them deny the Resurrection c. Answ. And why should they believe a Lie as thou dost and why should not we stand by G. F.'s words when he speaketh Scripture and thou that dost not deniest Scripture and the Light of Christ and call'st it a Fancy And the Resurrection we own according to Scripture R. W. And here thou bringest the Ninth false Charge viz All that the Quakers Religion requireth externally and internally to make Converts or Prâ—selytes amounts to no more then what a Reprobate easily may attain to and perform Answ. This is false for Reprobates do not believe in the Light and become not Children of Light and recâ—ive not Christ in them from whence the Light cometh R. W. And thou hopest many of us will come to Abraham's Bosom But then why dost thou rail at us And how can we come to Abraham's Bosom and Attain to no further then to what a Reprobate may And then thou sayst Thousands may have gotten all their Religion requires or performs yea all that their Principles call for outwardly or Inwardly and yet not be accepted but rejected from the holy presence of God Answ. How now Roger and yet come to Abraham's Bosom O Roger thy Darkness cannot comprehend the Light that seest not our Condition no more then thou seest the Saints in the Apotles Days thou would'st have said the same of them had'st thou been in their Day We know our Assurance of God and our Acceptation through Jesus Christ his Beloved Son through whom we have peace with God and we do know the Son by Revelation and God that sent him which is Eternal Life Blessed be his Name for Ever And are grafted into him and built upon him the Rock and Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and thy words are but Chaff R. W. And then thou tell'st a story of Perkins and appliest that to us which he spoke of the Papists But thou hadst better to have applied this to thy self And thou fall'st a Judging the Common Protestants and Quakers and tell'st of their Great Reformations and Joys c. their enduring great persecution and burning of their bodies c. and yet be far from the true Protestant Religion either in the true Dâ—ctrine and Principles or in the true Life and Practice of it Answ. How can Roger Williams tell why doth he Judge such that they were not in the true Religion Who was this Protestant not in New-England nor R. W he never felt the Flame nor was BRANDED with an HOT IRON his Religion will not lead him to undergo such suffering for why did he not stand but go in the Woods when he was tried in Boston-Colony But R. W. would make people believe he was a High Protestant beyond all these but plainly he is nothing but a Railer as his Book doth make manifeâ—t But let the Reader see how he hath lost himself and gone from G. F.'s Answer And R. W. Tearmes our Faith to Rotten Nature c and our Prayyers and Fastings and Sufferings to Womens filâ—hy Clouts and dung of Men and Beasts put into the Ballance of God's Infinite Justice instead of the Infinite Righteousness and Satisfaction of the Son of God c. Answ. As for the Papists they may Answer for themselves but our FAITH Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of we had it not from Men nor Rotten Nature And we Pray as we are moved by the Spirit of God and â—ast as we are ordered by his Divine Wisdom And our Sufferings amongst the New-England-Professors have been for the Truth and the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ's sake in whom our Poor Souls have had Satisfaction And we know Christ's words to be true Blessed are they that Suffer for Righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5. And for all thy Vngratious Words the Lord will rebuke thee in one Day and in that Day of thy Torment remember thou hast wronged us R. W. And thou scoffingly sayst That if a Notorious Drunkard be convinced and come to hearken to a Spirit within to say Thee and Thou and thinks himself Equal and above all his former Superiors c. he is Justified Sanctified c. and so holy that he cannot sin in Thoughts and Words c. Thus they pretend Repentance Faith and a Change of Heart because they have changed their Talk and Garments Answ. The Spirit of God within leadeth to no such Sudden Thing neither is the Work so easily done as R. W. here would foist into the minds of the World to make them load the Truth neither shall he find it so easy himself if ever he should see a Day of Repentance And the Spirit of the Lord leadeth to Humility and that is a good Spirit that Leadeth to Modesty in Apparel and to True Words and from Evil Thoughts and from Drunkenness For after a Man is restrained from Actual Sins without him then he cometh to know the putting off the Body of it within and crieth as Paul did to Christ for no Man can help him then but He that did help Paul who Thanks God in Victory in the end But why should R. W. be so against the Spirit within in saying THEE and THOV and putting off our needless Apparel seeing it was the Practice of the holy Men of God in the Scripture hath not he proved himself that he is degenerated from the Spirit Life and Practice of the Primitive Church R. W. And thou say'st John Bradford said unto God Lord thou art Heaven and I am Hell Answ. And was not this Hell within him think'st thou and if so why dost thou find Fault with the Quakers R. W. Then thou fallest on a preaching but to no purpose to thy Position nor G. F.'s answer And dost thou not say The Blood of God doth Cleanse and Redeem thee Answ. And yet dost thou not find Fault with the Quakers for mentioning the Blood of God And the 2 Cor 7. doth not evidence thy True Repentance from a Pharisee's And R. W. Thou say'st That no Papist nor Quaker by
Pope and neither King nor Governour are offended at it So R. W. hath proved the New-England-priests and himself like the Pope and not the Quakers with his Hat and Knee R. W. Thou say'st That the Pope sits in the Temple of God as over the Churches and Consciences c. Answ. So doth R. W. and his New-England-priests BRANâ— HANG WHIP and SPOIL the GOODS of such as will not Bow to the Image of their Religion c. R. W. And thou say'st That We do not regard as the Apâ—stle and the Bereâ—ns the Holy Scripture Answ. This is false for we trying you by the Scriptures maketh you so to Rage whose words and practice is Contrary to them and therefore you cry so often for Meanings And it is the Spirit of Truth that proceeds from the Father and Son that leadeth into all Truth and leadeth us into the Truth of the Scriptures AND why should not we send Word to our Friends of Coming into the Country c. this doth Torment thee Yea and the Lord will Torment you more who is gathering his people and drawing them to his Son and bringing them from your Barren Mountains and he has set his Shepheard over them Christ Jesus Read Ezek 34. how ye have Marr'd Pastures and Foul'd Springs and Thrust the Sheep with your Shoulder And R. W. is offended because our Meetings are Established in New-England And thou tell'st of Laws Papers and Decrees but thou hast not produced them And it was always our Practice as thou scoffingly say'st There was not Liberty for all to speak as the Spirit gave them Vtterance till G. F. came into New-England That is false And our Vnity stands in the Holy Spirit of God which is the Bond of peace if any go from it they are reproved And why did'st not thou produce the Decrees thou say'st G. F. gave forth of loosing from that brutish and dogged Behaviour c. and commanding them to be more Sociable and Man-like Answ. This is Untruth for G. F. gave them no such Command this is a base Reflection upon thy Neighbours for they were Sociable and Manlike afore And as for brutish and dogged Roger may keep at home for he had not so much Civility as to speak to G. F. when he was at Providence but snarling behind his back Base and Vn-manlike And did not we Bow and Vncover our Heads in Prayer c. before G. F. came to New-England R. W. But thou say'st of G. F. uncovering his Head and Bowing to the people and passing through the midst of them with his Hat in his Hand with much Respect and Civility and he blames others that did not so c. Therefore thou Concludest that either the Former Spirit or the Latter is not of God Answ. According to thy forged Lies or false Reports Neither did G. F. Vncover his Head nor Bow to the people when he past through them it is not his Practice though he might take his Hat in his hand when he was Hot and walked through the people And G. F.'s putting off his Hat was in Reverence to the Lord the God of Heaven and not to Man R. W. Thou say'st The Pope lifts up himself as God over the Scriptures and He is Sole Judge c and dispenseth of Oaths and Marriages c. Answ Might not R. W. have kept this at home with his New-England-Priests that They must be the Interpreters of the Scriptures and so Over the Scriptures For doth not R. W. cry out against us for Want of Meanings and saith We take it Literally and we are Fools and Silly and will not own your Meanings And therefore do not thou claim the power of the Expounding as the Pope doth AND are not the New-England-Priests and Professors both the Dispensers of Oaths and Marriages Pope like But we neither Swear nor Marry none but are Witnesses to them R. W. For dost not thou say We admit of no Interpreter but Our selves Answ. Nay R. W. It is not Self that Interprets Scripture we tell thee they were given forth from the Holy Ghost and it is the Holy Ghost that leadeth into all Truth of them which the Papists and ye cannot endure to hear of and so are of one Birth that persecutes him that is born after the Spirit R. W. And thou say'st That we said We would be tried by the Scriptures and yet thou say'st We admit of no Interpreter c. Answ. Then the Scripture it self is not the Trier but the Meaning which the Interpreter giveth must be the Judge according to thy sense How is the Scripture the Judge then as thou say'st And so the Meaning is set up and not the Spirit and this makes the Confusion in the whole World and is not this One with the Pope And we say The Spirit of God is the Interpreter of its own words that gave them â—orth R. W. And thou say'st over and over That the Papists and Quakers said that there would be no Loss if the Scriptures were gone out of the World Answ. These are but thy own words to prove thy false Charges that thou say'st We most horribly and hypocritically trample the Scriptures under our proud Feet R. W. And whereas thou say'st Thaâ— the Quakers and Papists most Insultingly lift up themselves against the Servants and Children of God all the World over that bow not to their Images Answ. R. Williams hath mistaken himself it 's he and the New-England-Professors and the Papists for never did the Quakers force any to their Religion by WHIPS c So they are Brethren in Iniquity And so the tender Babes have been TORN and received MARKS in their Backs with your WHIPS and the BRAND with your Hot Iron and your CVTTING OFF EARS and your Immodest STRIPPING of Women and Maidens at your Whipping-posts NOW we do Charge R. W. and all his New-England-Priests where ever Christ or the Apostles or the Church in the Primitive Times did Strip Men and Women Young and Old as ye have done O! ye have been a Shame to Christianity among the very Indians R. W. saith And say not the Quakers as the Pope c. All that believe not in their pretended Light their Repentance Holiness Zeal Preaching c. is nothing Answ. The Papists do not own the Light for Papists do not believe in the Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World no more than thou and you of New-England And so in this thou canst not compare us with the Papists but thee that callest the Light of Christ which Christ bids us Believe in that we may become Children of the Light an Idoâ— and a Fancy But thou and they that do so are in a blind Zeal and cannot see Repentance And what is your Holiness and Preaching good for without the Light of Christ that shineth in the Heart that should give the Knowledge of him AND we do profess and preach Christ that Died without the gates of Jerusalem without us and yet is
Just men made perfect and to the General Assembly of the First-born against Free and Righteous Government which is the End of all Just Government and the Perfection of all Just Government Nay they do and leave undone the things commanded or forbidden in all Righteous Laws by the Divine Nature which they are Partakers of And Roger we must tell thee that all those that obey the Spirit of God and keep to Christ their Law-giver and Teacher are in that Love that fulfills the Law because they are in that Image which was before Transgression was for which the Law was added And art not thou a Wicked Man yea and God will recompense it upon thy Head if thou repentest not to make our Fulfilling all Just Laws a Subverting of Just Laws and a Destroying of Just Government as if we were for a Boundless Lawless Wicked Life and not that we were Come to him by whom Princes Reign and Kings decree Justice R. W. But upon W. E.'s Saying What dost thou R. W. fill peoples Ears with strange Notions as if the People of God called Quakers were a Lawless people We are for Righteous Government and Righteous Laws we are not for any to rule by Force Thou repliest That W. E. mistook Thee thou did'st not intend a Government by Force but by Will or Pleasure as Arbitrium signified Answ. To which we say That where there is no Force there is no Fear of Slavery and such an Arbitrary Government no body was ever afraid of But it was an Arbitrary Government with Force Roger that used WHIPS and an HOT IRON and HALTERS and GALLOVSES in New-England O thou Wicked Man look at home and do not thou bespatter the Innocent who hast Joined with Persecutors and taken part with the Blood-thirsty Generation The Lord give thee Repentance if it be not hid from thine Eyes for Ever But Roger dost thou not accuse the people called Quakers for holding That they are Acted by the Spirit of God and not by their own Spirit If so it is the Arbitrium or Will and Pleasure of their God and not by their own Wills and Spirits that they are Acted by And what Harm is this to Just Government or how doth this set up Man's Will and Power O thy Blindness thy Darkness and thy Confusion R. W. Now to the Third Branch of thy Fourteenth Position viz That the Quakers Spirit tendeth to the sudden Cutting-off of people yea Kings and Princes that oppose them Answ. But what Proof hast thou for this Answer us Thou tellest us Thou cravest our patience that thou must profess thy Fears And what have we to do with thy Fears What Proof is this that we are Guilty If we should say R. W. is a Thief or a Drunkard And when we are called to prove it we tell him We fear he is a Thief or a Drunkard We ought rather to fear he would Take the Law of us for a Scandal against him But R. W. Thou clearest us presently after in these words viz I told them I thought they had no such thing in their Thoughts or Eye at present but if Power of the Sword come into their hand it was easie to imagine that whom their Spirit infallible decreed to Death Peasant or Prince if it were possible he must be Executed Answ. Now all people behold where is the Charity the Justice the Reason of this Man He Chargeth our Spirit with Death of Prince and Peasant Which taketh in all Mankind from the Throne to the Dunghil when he cometh to prove it He Feareth so and It is easie to Imagine so But it is beyond a Fear or Imagination either that R. W. would if he could expose us to the Club of the Peasant and to the Sword of the Prince and render us unfit to live in the World as hath been already hinted But Roger do the Magistrates called Quakers where thou livest give thee any Proof for this Charge or any Ground for this Vgly Fear and Bloody Imagination No such matter However thou hast no Ground for So Fearing and So Imagining in these words viz R. W. For why might they not say that Abraham with an Impulse was killing Isaac Moses the Egyptian Ehud Eglon Samuel Agag and Paul Ananias and Sapphira c. Also the wonderful Actings of Tho. Munster J. Becold Pseiffer and Knipperdolling in Germany Answ. When did ever any of the people called Quakers do any of these things or follow any of these Examples which thou might'st have better applied to thy own Spirit and the New-England Professors Must thy Fear and thy Imaginations serve thy Turn Is it a good Argument Because Evil Men have pretended God for Evil Actions therefore All that act in the Name of the Lord must needs be Guilty of the same Designs and their Spirit tend to the same Evil Consequences THEY that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his This is according to Scripture Now how knowest thou that we have not the Spirit of Christ Thou canst not tell by the Visible Fruits for thou say'st I Charge the Quakers with no Matter of Fact Nay thou further say'st Thou did'st not Think We had any such thing in our Thoughts or Eye at present The Spirit of God never Revealed it to thee for thou deniest Revelation The Scripture tell 's thee no such thing and thou confessest that no such Fact or Fruits appear What wicked Presumption is this to Judge an Innocent people with thy envious Imaginations of thy own Heart But Roger how comest thou to jumble Abraham and Munster Moses and Knipperdolling together Did they proceed upon the same Authority Hast not thou served Abraham and Moses as thou dost Vs in Joining Abraham with the Wicked with thy false Cain's Fears who thus enviest thy Brother and hast proved thy self a Man-sâ—ayer 1 John 3. Is this good Equal Measuring Weighing and Joining Abraham in that Case gave one of the greatest Instances and of Self-Denial and Obedience to God was that Munster's and Knipperdolling's Case Again Art not thou an Unreasonable Man that under the pretence of Confuting Mens Principles makest Principles that thou may'st Confute them which are not theirs Dost thou not know that it is one of our Principles That he that killeth with the Sword shall perish by the Sword That Men ought to Love their Enemies Yea that it is a standing and Foundation-Principle of the Gospel to SVFFER and not to Revenge And that it is not the Way of the Spirit of God in these Gospel-Days to Exercise the Children of God in such things as either were connived at or suffered or commanded before Christ Came the Heir and Lord of all things that brought Life and Immortality to Light Who is greater than Abraham or Moses or Samuel yea all the Prophets and all the Apostles too But Roger we never read yet That Paul killed Ananias and Sapphira nor yet that they died by a Visible Force but by that Power and Spirit which
birth and Esau was the first birth hated and let R W. look into himself and see if there be not the Nature of Esau and Pharaoh in him that is hardned And how must God be all in all and invite them to his Supper if he doth not enlighten All R W. And then thou tell'st of God walking in the midst of his Creation with his two feet of Mercy and Justice and how he wrote the Covenant of Justice in Tables of Stone c. and how he writes with the fingers of his Mercy and Grace his Mind and Will in the Tables of flesh and hearts of his Chosen And Many offers of Bargains and Marriages are made which never are embraced c. but in the New Covenant God gives a new heart to his Chosen and gives not and is not the Covenant to any but his Chosen all the world over even to the ends of the Earth Answ. If God walketh in the mid'st of his Creation where is it if it be not in the mid'st of the hearts of people in his Light doing Justice upon the Unrighteous and if he writes his will in the Tables of the fleshly hearts then therein they do know his will and then that Scripture or writing must be in them according to thy Assertion which I question whether thou wilt own thy own words again or no. And thou say'st Many Offers of Bargains and Marriages are made but never embraced With what are they made with the Spirit of God and never Embraced Thou say'st A Marriage may be between a man and a woman when they are absent each from other But can a Marriage be made with Christ without his Spirit and belief in him and he that believeth is grafted into Christ and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and then how is he Marryed And we know that God hath given a New Heart to his Children in the New Covenant of Light but they that hate the Light hate the Covenant R W. And thou say'st It is a monstrous dream of the Quakers to say That God and Christ Spirit and Covenant is in All Mankind Answ. And yet thou say'st that God is All in All. And thou say'st God walks in the mid'st of his Creation with his two feet of Mercy and Justice and therefore I query where it is that God walks whether it be not in the hearts of the Creation to wit his people and if so who is the Monstrous Dreamer is it not R W And we must tell him and them That hate the Light of Christ hate Christ though he stands at their doors and knocks And thou abusest the Doctrine of the Prophets and the Apostles who say'st Christ is not the New Covenant of Light given to none but the Chosen who enlighteneth every Man that cometh into the world to the Condemnation of them that hate it and the Salvation of them that believe in it R W. Thou say'st It 's true if G F. mean that the knowledge of God in a sense is offered to each mans Conscience in the world though more expresly and gloriously where he sends his Messengers Wisdoms Virgins c. Answ. G.F. means as he saith according to the Scripture as he brings But if it be profered to each mans Conscience in the world by his Messengers is not there then the Light of Christ in the Conscience for them to understand Wisdoms Virgins or his Messengers that be full of the power and Spirit of God or else how will God judge the world in Righteousness according to the Gospel the power of God And dost not thou contradict thy self here again that say'st He giveth none the New Covenant but to the Chosen R W. And then thou say'st But to say the Covenant or Bargain and the Mediator of a New Bargain and the Applyer of it the holy Spirit is in every of Man-kind and if they will turn to it c. and yet persons know no such thing nor never heard of it and none never had it so as to be saved by it but these Foxians c. Answ. How now R W. had none never the New Covenant but we whom thou scornfully calls Foxians as to be saved by it I cannot believe thee but that Christ sent his Disciples into all Nations to Preach the Gospel and the New Covenant and yet thou say'st That none never had it so as to be saved by it but we And again thou say'st Yet persons know no such thing nor never heard of it and before thou say'st That the knowledge of God in a sence is offered to each mans Conscience in the world and what never heard of it R W But is not the Mediator of the New Covenant Christ which thou call'st New Bargain were not the Disciples to Preach him to all Nations and to every Creature who dyed for their Sins and was risen again for their Justification who enlightens every man that cometh into the world that they might see him their Mediator R W. And then thou tell'st a story of a man having fits of the Gout and a woman having the pangs of Child-bearing yet neither of them knowing any such matter or how she had any such Marriage Covenant or Husband c. Answ. And truly thou might very well applyed this at home And why should not every man that cometh into the world be enlightned with Christ the New Covenant or Bridegroom according to John 1 And the Lord saith speaking of Christ I have called thee in Righteousness and I will hold thine hand and will keep thee and will give thee for a Covenant of the people for a Light of the Gentiles c. and they that love the Light of Christ that shines in their hearts it will give them the knowledge of Christ their Husband and become Children of Light and do know how they are Marryed to him in truth and righteousness But they that hate this Light which lighteth every man c. they are not like to come into the New Covenant nor to the Marriage of Christ. R W. And thou say'st G F. cares not for the Jews nor Gentiles no more than the Fox careth for the Lambs and Chickens but to make a prey of them though he pretends Love to all Mankind and tells them they have Christ and the New Covenant and the Spirit within them c. and he means not the Covenant of works but of grace c. he means that Christ that dyed at Jerusalem c. but when it comes too they mean no other Christ but a Spirit this Spirit will be found to be an Evil Spirit c. as one saith upon them Answ. Here thou hast published more of thy Lyes and Slanders against us to the world the Lord God knowes For our Love to Jews and our Love to Gentiles hath been manifest and our labour in the Lord has been much for them and to them and to all Mankind and not pretence as thou scoffingly say'st but in real
declare against the vain Formalities either in Prayer or Preaching yet they own the true Preachers which are able Ministers in the Spirit and true Prayâ—ng in the Spirit and the One Baptisme Ephes. 4. And as the Apostle saith to the Corinthians They were Baptized by one Spirit into one body 1 Cor. 12 13. R. W. And thou say'st This is Treason and Rebellion in any Atheists or whomsoever but more abominable Hypocritical in these Pharisaical Quakers who cry out against the Apish Imitatours and yet themselves practise Preaching Praying Congregations Singings Conventings and Addings to Castings out c. full well as the Lord Jesus speaks abrogating the word and appointments of God that they may set up and establish their own Traditions c. Answ. Thou hast not told the Reader what our Traditions are which Christ told the Jews But here of all thy Abusive Expressions we are clear of thy Treason and Rebellion and abominâ—ble Hypocritical and Pharisaical which words suit thy own Spirit and thou may'st apply them at home And our Religion and Way and Preaching and Praying and Singing is according to Scripture and we are gathered in the Name of Jesus Christ where we find him in the mid'st of us a Prophet a Priest and a Bishop and a King to rule in our hearts who exerciseth his Offices in his Church And if any professes the Truth and doth not walk in it such we deny and the Believers are Added to Christs Church daily praised be the Lord. And why dost thou and you Priests of New-England separate your selves from the Papists and call her the bloody Whore of Rome when you are found in her Spirit and not in the Spirit of the First Primitive Christians R. W. And whereas thou say'st G. F. crys out against all Scriptures and common Sense and against all Forms Answ. These are more of thy Vntruths For he owns all Holy Scripture and doth not cry against all Forms but such as have the Form of Godliness and deny the power turn away from such And he and the Quakers own God's ways and manners of Gods worship in Spirit and Truth R. W. And thou say'st G. F. cryes up a Christ within a Scripture within and a Church within and Ministers within and Baptism and Supper within yet practises the most of these so many as their Idol requires will serve his turn as outwardly visibly as any in the world Answ. Is not Baptism of the Spirit within that burneth up the Chaff within how dark art thou and have not the Ministers of the Spirit the Spirit within And doth not the Apostle Preach Christ within the Saints and doth not Christ say I stand at the door knock and if any man will hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will Sup with him and he with me Revel 3 But where did ever the Quakers say in any of their books that the Church or Congregation was within them and these are thy own forged words not ours and is not the Spirit and the Truth within in which God is worshipped R. W. After thou hast commended R. Baxtâ—r our old Persecutor thou say'st It hath been his Observation viz. that the Churches of the Independents and Baptists have been the source and spring whence have flown the Generation of the Quakers And then thou contradicts him and say'st For my self I have observed the contrary in these parts Answ. Nay the Quakers spring is from that Fountain of Life which the Primitive Church was in Glory to the Lord God for ever who are built upon the Rock and Foundation Christ Jesus And R. W. do'st thou say That the Quakers sprung from the Ranters and Grindletonians what Babel is this R. W. And whereas thou say'st Although some rotten Professors or weak souls though true have been bewitched by these Soul-Witches yet generally where they have any Liberty the National Church fills up their numbers Answ Here thou judgest others as well as the Quakers but it is best to pply it to thy own Spirit and to see thy self first and your own Rotten profession at home And where they have any Liberty thou say'st but we know thy Spirit and the New-England Priests and Professors that call Light Darkness and persecute the Truth that is it you would not have to Have Liberty and call it the Soul-witches and therefore the Soul-witches thou may apply at home R. W. And thou say'st W. Edmonson boasted of their Numbers viz. their Religion is so Easiâ— never coming near the Roots of Rotten Nature but so wonderfully agreing with it and changing one Devil for another Answ. If the Quakers have Changed one Devil for another as thou say'st they are changed from your Religion of New-England and them that upheld it and from thee then thou do'st acknowledge that thou and the New-England Profession was a Devil and the Independents and the Baptists according to Baxter but thy Fore fathers the Jews said That Christ Jesus our Lord and Master whom we are Changed to that he had a Devil and by the Prince of Devils cast out Devils And as for the Roots of Rotten Nature that thou and you may apply to your selves which your Religion is made up of which thou would'st accuse the People of God withall which are in the pure Religion James 1 26 27. but thou hast manifested thy Religion with thy Unbridled Tongue And W. Edm. did not boast of our Numbers for that is the Abuses of thy Tongue but we can praise the Lord through Jesus Christ who adds to his Church daily R. W. And then thou say'st Thou adorest the Infinite power c. that they were not ten thousand-fold more c. then they are and then thou say'st I can demonstrate that if G. F. for all their Hypocritical prating against Carnal Weapons get a Sword as Mahomet did most of the Popish and Protestant and Pagan world will easily be brought to dance after him Answ. This is from thy Evil Thoughts and Cains Fear G. F. and the Quakers abhor thy words But this is your Condition in New-England and because the People of God will not dance after them therefore they have Hanged them and Banished them and Spoiled their goods For the Lord and his Son knoweth that Our Weapons are Spiritual that he hath armed us withall and if ever thou had'st set foot in the pure Religion which the Primitive Church and the Quakers walked and walk in thou would'st not say It is so easie But thou speakest Evil of that which thou knowest not and utterest forth the malice and envy of thy heart And we do pray to the Father to send forth Labourers into his Vineyard and that is his Work and not Mens and can praise the Lord at the Conversion of Sinners And as for Hypocritical prating that is thy own R. W. And thou say'st to M. B. Was there ever a Child of God in this world but he was a Nazarite separate from worldly
forth who called them the Holy Scriptures of Truth And thou needest not tell us What the Pope and the Jews and the Turk have and the Jews had the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets but would not receive Christ the Word R. W. And thou tellest of a written Pardon sealed with a broad Seal of a King or State and say'st What a fancy is it for a Condemned wretch first to hearken to a Pardon within to a King within a Writing within a Seal within and to slight the true Pardon in the King's way to be Conveyed from without to the Mind and Spirit within and to lose his pardon and deliverance as thousands of poor cheated souls must do Answ. The King 's written Pardon to Condemned men setteth them free but the Written in Scripture doth noâ— set men free nor Pardoneth mens Sins and Trespasses but it is Christ that dyed for their sins and shed his Blood for them and this the Scriptures testifie of that he hath purchased them with his Blood and he is the Offering for Sin And if the written Scripture be the Pardon of Sin of the Condemned World as the King 's written Pardon is for Condemned persons then all that have the Scripture have their Pardon by thy meaning but pag. 64. thou say'st The Scriptures avail nothing without the Spirit of God set it home upon us so here thou contradicts thy self And Christ saith Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me and in them you think to have Eternal Life but you will not come to me that you might have Life So the Life is in Christ and he that hath Christ hath Life and they that have not him have not Life and they that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his though they may have the Scriptures And they who had their Garments made white it was by the Blood of the Lamb and not by written Pardons and they that are the true Believers in Christ the Light and are in the New Covenant as Heb. 8. he blotteth out their Sins and Trespasses in whom God writeth his Law in their hearts And 1 Cor. 15 3. Christ dyed for our Sins according to the Scripture so it is not a written Pardon though the Scriptures declare this And Christ dyed for the Vngodly Rom. 5 6. Christ dyed for us 1 Thes. 5 10 So he it is that Pardoneth And the Apostle said This is a faithful saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief 1 Tim. 1 15. so it is God and Christ that doth Pardon and Forgive Sin Col. 2 13 and Luk. 5 20 and they that witness this their Sins are forgiven them For the true Believers are Sealed with the Spirit of God and the Spirit of God is within and hear the Voyce of Christ their Shepherd Thy sins are forgiven thee and so have their Testimony of pardon within and so come to be built upon Christ the Rock and Foundation So it is one thing to have the Writings and another thing to have the Seal of the Spirit of Christ as they had that gave forth the Scriptures and they that are Sealed with it have the comfort of God and Christ and the comfort of the Scriptures c. R. W. And thou bring'st R. H. which saith It is against the Light of Nature for Women to preach c. And G. F. Answers R. H. and saith Contrary to the Apostle's Doctrine the mind of God and the Prophets who said God would pour out of his Spirit upon All Flesh and his Sons and Daughters should prophesie So that he is a Limiter of the Holy One a Quencher of the Spirit in Darkness and this is above the Light of Nature And R. W. Replyeth and saith What is the Light of Nature but that Light in which every man cometh into the world with as the Quakers speak which differeth from the Light of Beasts c. Answ. What is this to G. F's Answer for G. F. and the People of God in Scorn called Quakers which thou in Scorn callest Foxians do not say That the true Light which is the Life in the Word which enlightneth every man that cometh into the world which is a Light to be revealed to the Gentiles as Simeon speaketh is a Natural Light or Light of Nature For this is the Super-Natural and Light from Heaven which John speaketh of in the Scripture and as God said I will give him for a Covenant and a Light to the Gentiles and he shall be my Salvation to the ends of the Earth and where doth John or the Apostles call the true Light which is Life in the Word which Lighteth every man that cometh into the world a Natural Light or Light of Nature And then thou goest on and tellest a great Tale of the Natural Light in man which is nothing to the purpose to G. F's Answer R. W. And then thou say'st It 's true that in Religious and Christian matters there is no respect of persons with God as of man before the woman otherwise then to Order Natural and Civil And thou say'st It 's true the Wisdom of God preferreth some Women before thousands of men c. as Lady Jane and Q. Elizabeth c. And thou say'st Christ appearing to Mary Magdalen and other Women and sending them to carry the first Tydings of his Resurrection to his Apostles c. and Mirjam and Huldah c. Prophecying before Christ's coming and at his coming according to Joels Prophecy his Spirit on his Daughters as well as his Sons c. yet this favour of God towards Women destroyeth not the Order which the God of Order or Nature hath set in those Bounds Limits and Distinctions between Male and Female c. Though the Holy Scripture were silent yet Reason and Experience tells us that the Woman is the weaker Vessel that she is more fitted to keep and order her House c. And the Lord hath given a Covering of longer hair to Womâ—n as a sign of covering Modesty and Bastfulness Silence and Retiredness and therefore not so fitted for Manly Actions and Employments Answ. Here doth not R. W. contradict himself Though the Apostle doth say That the Woman is the weaker Vessel and it is so known yet is not Christ and his Spirit as strong in the Female as he is in the Male For thou say'st There is no respect of persons with God as the Man before the Woman and God preferreth some Women before thousands of Men as Lady Jane and Q. Elizabeth and Deborah and yet thou say'st Women are not so fitted for Manly Actions and Employments These were Manly Actions and Godly of Q. Elizabeth and Deborah c. And then thou sayâ—st She being the weaker Vessel she is more fit to keep and order her House and Children c in Silence and Retiredness c. but in this thou confoundest thy self for these were Fitted with
up his Cross and deny himself he that will be his Disciple and they must Die with Christ if they Live with him and suffer with him if they Reign with him and his Spirit teacheth Temperance Patience and Holiness yea to deny that which is Unholy both in Word and in Thought And the Righteousness of Christ Jesus is our Fine Linnen and it is God and Christ that doth justifie by the Spirit who art thou that dost Condemn And where did we say that Our Holiness is Christ and God though we cannot deny Christ to be Our Holiness c. who deny Self-holiness R. W. And thou say'st I know the Writers of the Quakers make this high Obedience to be the Crown of some high Saints among them as the Papists do and that others come not so high are taken by the fleshly Spirit and Repent and Confess and be more watchful as they say in a Contradiction of J. Naylor Answ. These are most horrid Lyes and Reader see if G. F. speaketh any of these words in his Answer to T. H. as to the Crowning of high Saints like the Papists for their Obedience or Making their Obedience a Crown for it is the Lord Jesus Christ that Crowneth his Saints that believe in his Name and grow up in his Grace and Truth And as for a Fleshly Spirit and Repent and Confess this you may apply at home for we own no Repentance nor Confession but what is made by the Spirit of God in which we have Unity and for Exhorting to the watchful that is Christ's Doctrine And it is no Contradiction to say He that is born of God cannot sin for the Apostle John explaineth this in his Epistles better than thou can'st which the Quakers own which thou makest a great Jumble about For the Apostle saith He that believeth is born of God and overcometh the world and is not that the world in mens hearts and he writeth to Young-men and Fathers which had Overcome the Wicked one and to Little Children that they sin not and if any man sinneth we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is a Propitiation for our sins and not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole World 1 Joh. 2. R. W. Thou say'st Yet again in a horrible Mystery of Iniquity they exclaim against the Protestants for saying A Child of God cannot fall from the true Grace Finally or Totally Answ. Here are no such words in G. F.'s Answer to T. H. Or how hangeth this together thou say'st They say He that is born of God cannot sin then how Can they Fall from the true Grace But what say'st thou to them that Crucifie the Son of God afresh and do despite against the Spirit of Grace and turn it into Wantonness and these are such as do not Own the True Grace of God which is their Teacher though it hath appeared to them nor do not Believe in the Light of Christ Jesus but hate it And If the Righteous Fall they rise again but the Wicked Fall into Mischief R. W. And thou say'st Here is a Mystery of Hellish Iniquity in that they confess such a Man Christ to have been and his Blood-shedding the Types and real Predictions and Figures of him a real Death Resurrection and Ascension yet upon the point by a Devilish Chymistry evaporate all these and leave nothing but a Christ within as God and Man whose Name is now Light c. Motions within Answ. As for Hellish Mystery of Iniquity and Devilish Chymistry thou may'st keep at home for according to the Scriptures of Truth we do believe Christ Jesus his Birth Sufferings Resurrection and Ascension who fulfilled the Prophets and the Types and Shadows of him And what must we not call God and Christ as the Scriptures call them for God is called the Light and Christ saith I am the Light And though Christ is Risen and Sitteth at the Right hand of God yet he doth dwell In his Saints his Temple according to the Apostle's Doctrine as you may see 1 Cor. 6. and 2 Cor. 6. And what must not God's people Obey the Motions of the Spirit of Christ and his Light and to take heed to it by which they may see Christ their Saviour and Justification and Salvation and the Lord their Righteousness and the Apostle stirred up to Perfection and to Holiness which all the Saints are to follow R W. And thou say'st It is a Hellish Mystery of the Devil to Cosen poor souls with a Notion of the Difficulty and Hight of their profession and of Worshipping God in Spirit and Truth which they say no body in the world doth but they Spirit within Answ. Our good Profession which we make is of Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour who hath enlightned us to follow him and his Worship that he hath set up in Spirit and Truth and they that quench the Spirit and hate the Light and will not come to Truth cannot worship God in Spirit and Truth John 3.4 And this Truth and Spirit of God is Within people and thou or they that draw people from the Truth in the Inward parts and Spirit within you draw them into the Hellish Mystery and Cosen poor souls as thou speakest of for coming to Christ and his Worship And whereas thou say'st Thou toldest them of an Image in the Bed but David was gone c. but this is thy own Condition And then thou say'st That their Religion is one of the Easiest in the world Nay thou never trod the Path thou do'st not know what it is the Gallowses and Goals and Whip-Stocks manifest whether Our Religion be Easie. R. W And whereas thou tellest us What will delight our Ears and Minds to wit various Tunes of Musick c. Answ. But that which Delighteth Vs is the Lord Jesus Christ and his Holy Ghost and the Joy of the Lord is our Strength And that which thou applyest to Us thou may'st keep at home it 's thy own and none of ours R. W. And thou say'st If a poor soul give way an Inch and lets in one thought of yielding to the Voice of a Spirit within they are filled and ravished with Curious Notions of Justification Holiness and Righteousness God and Christ and the Spirit within them Answ. How endlesly do'st thou speak against the Voice of the Spirit of God in his People And the Apostle exhorteth Not to walk after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8 1 2 5 6 9 10 11 13 16 26 27. Rom. 12 11. and 1 Cor. 6 20 34. 1 Cor. 12 13. Gal. 5 5 16 18 25. Eph. 4 3 5 9. Phil. 1 27 That you stand fast in one Spirit Phil. 2 1 If any fellowship of the Spirit c and those are the Poor souls that do not hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches And they that Obey the Voice of God and Christ must Obey the motions of the Spirit and the Holy Spirit leadeth to Holiness
cometh and receive him the Messiah though thou and the Jews will not And they that come to the Light of Christ they See how Christ enlightneth all Men that come into the VVorld by the Life in the VVord and how the Word was made Flesh. R. W. And thou say'st VVhat is this to a mixture of Light and Darkness Answ. Nay we must tell thee that the true Light doth not Mix with Darkness though it shineth in darkness darkness doth not comprehend it but the Light comprehends darkness And what was that the Pharisees closed their Eyes to and stopt their Ears and prickt Saul and made him kick again R. W. And after thou hast rambled to no purpose thou say'st VVhen God in his own Means ordinarily works the Will to hear to turn to believe to pray c. And being thus turned with Ephraim c. Answ. The Apostle saith It is not him that Willeth And is it the VVill of Man that heareth and was it not the Spirit of Ephraim that Heard seeing God had poured out his Spirit upon the House of Israel and Christ saith He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches And thou hast not seen thy Vndone Condition yet And if thou wast in a Mourning lamenting state thou would'st not be in this Work who say'st When he turns our Wilderness c into a Garden it seemeth It is Not Yet which we do believe thee R. W. And thou say'st Then we bring forth sweet Fruits Flowers c and When he turns the Wolf into a Lamb then we are meek innocent and patient Answ. Mark When it seemeth it is Not Yet and therefore have these Weeds and Wolfish Nature appeared c. in New-England that have Worryed the Lambs who have shewed forth such an Impatient Vnmeek and Vn-innocent Spirit not to be the Spirit of Christ and so No true Christians R. W. And thou say'st But to talk of the Preaching to the Spirits in Prison c and the Seed of God in Prison c when the Lord speaks of his warning and moving Men by Noah 's Preaching in the Old World as may be evidently evinced is like the prophane Teaching of Parrots to prate of Grace c and as the Parrot in France could say her Pater-Noster her Creed c and yet knew as much of the working of God in the Soul as the Popish Teachers Answ. Dost thou think the Popish Teachers knows no more of the Grace of God which hath appeared to all Men than a Parrot and dost not thou Contradict thy self and say'st That the Papists aim uprightly at God and truly love him and labour to increase in the Knowledge of Grace Pag. 31. And in thy Epistle to the King and Baxter wouldst thou not have the Papists c. in Ashes burnt with Fire and Brimstone and now That their Teachers know but as much as a Parrot of the Grace of God working in their Souls and that is Nothing at all And why dost thou shew thy self so dark and so envious against the Seed of Christ being in Prison for doth not Christ say I was in Prison c and was not that his Seed and Why persecutest thou me and was not that Christ in his Members And why dost thou compare Christ's Preacking to the Spirits in Prison by his Spirit in the dayes of Noah to a Parrot like unto the Parrots profane Preaching in France c And all may read 1 Pet. 3 18 19. how Christ preached to the Spirits in Prison by his Spirit in the dayes of Noah Peter doth not say that it was Noah but it was Christ and the Prisoning cometh by Disobedience And doth not Christ say to the Prisoners Shâ—w your selves forth and so it is not Means Ordinary as thou speakest of for People To Believe in the Light but a great Work of God and that maketh you so stumble at the Light R. W. And thou say'st They often say God is All. Answ. Doth not the Scripture say the same That God may be All and In All 1 Cor. 15 and Ephes. 4. One God the Father of All who is above All and through All and in you All but thou canst not speak our Words right R. W. And thou bringest Jer. Ives's Words who saith It is a known Error to say That a Man was in Hell and in Heaven And G. F. Answ. J. I. and saith Who in this sheweth his Ignorance of Scripture For it giveth Testimony of Men that did witness that they had Been in Hell in the Nether-most Hell and witnessed again that they were In Heaven and Sate in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus and such were In Heaven as is spoken of in the Revelations And this Truth according to the Scriptures R. W. calleth a Lame cheating Answer who cannot speak without Reviling but let the Reader judge And R. W. saith That G. F. and Millions more talk of Heaven as the Parrot but this he might have applyed at Home R. W. And whereas thou say'st They talk as the Parrot of our Fore-Fathers some from the Scriptures and some out of Reasons Light talk of Places of Joy Eternal for the Righteous and Misery for the Wicked Answ. What R. W hast thou a Parrot that hath as much Light and Reason to talk of these things as G. F. and Men And didst not thou say before Thou findest all Men to confess that the Mind or Will of God was pure and to be observed and that it is ever wickedness to sin against it and now to say G. F. and Millions talk like a Parrot what is not Reason and Light in Men beyond the Parrots Knowledge Truly Enmity hath darkened thee and thou art ignorant of thy own Condition therefore thou judgest others with thy Contradictions And thou tellest the Parable of Dives and Lazarus Luk. 16. but take heed thou dost not know how soon thou may'st be in Dives's state who art so much against the poor Lazarus's that believe in the Light of Christ Jesus and have no Helpers but God and Christ and thou needs not tell us what the Intent of Christ's speaking of Dives and Lazarus was c. R. W. And thou says He knows to wit G. F. the state of Sorrow and Bitterness is called Hell and the state of Death and the Grave is set out by the Word Hell c and so to either of these he wickedly applies the Third state of which the Lord Jesus so clearly speaks viz. the State of the Ungodly after this Life in the Life and World to come Answ. Here thou pervertest G. F's Words For in his Answer he doth not speak of the World to come and the Wicked are turned into Hell after they die but as David spoke Though the Gates of Hell took hold of him and as Jonah cryed out in the Whales Belly in Hell in Misery For thou say'st G. F. knows the state of Hell is Sorrow and Bitterness and Death and Grave and yet thou say'st in
of praised be the Lord for ever R. W. And thou say'st Whereas G. F. here saith The Work of the Ministry was to bring the Saints to a Perfect Man he grosly abuses that Heavenly Eph. 4 which concerns the Fulness and Perfection of all the Elect of God c. Answ. Then were not the Ephesians concerned And doth G. F. mention the Ephesians only in his Answer are not his Words general so the Gross Abuse is thy own and not G. F.'s R. W. And thou say'st Applying it to every particular deluded Convert of theirs as being as much Holy as much God as Christ Jesus c. Answ. Let the Reader see G. F's Answer if R. W. hath not grosly Abused his Words here again for there are no such Words in his Answer of the Saints being as much God as Christ. But doth not the Apostle say That we may present every Man Perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1. 28. And He spoke Wisdom among them that were Perfect 1 Cor. 2 6 And Col. 4 12 That ye may stand Perfect and compleat in all the Will of God And doth not God and Christ exhort to Holiness and Perfection and Without Holiness none shall see the Lord. And Christ saith Be ye Perfect as your Heavenly Father is Perfect Matth. 5 and must they not be perfect in their Love and Measure of the Spirit of God which they have from him the Fountain who are Sealed by his Holy Spirit of Promise Ephes. 1 13 and 1 Thes. 4 8 And doth not Peter say Ye are a Royal Priesthood and Holy Nation 1 Pet. 2 9 and doth not the Apostle Paul call the Saints Holy Brethren 1 Thess. 5 26 27 And their hands were to be Holy that they lifted up to God 1 Tim. 2 And 2 Tim. 1 the Lord called them with a Holy Calling and 1 Pet. 1 Be ye Holy in all manner of Conversations Be ye Holy for I am Holy saith the Lord. So is not the Vessel to be Holy and Potle that holdeth the Heavenly Treasure of his Spirit which they have from the Holy God the Fountain But to say The Saints are as much God as Christ I ask thee how the little Vessels or Potles can contain him who filleth Heaven and Earth But what is thy end in all this that thou wouldst not have God and Christ dwell in his Saints by his Spirit and by his Faith R. W. Thou say'st I may use the Exprobrations of Moses against Korah Dothan and Abiram Is it not enough for you but ye will seek the Priesthood also Answ. This thou mightst well have applyed to thy self and the Priests of New-England and not to the Quakers for it is through the Grace and Mercy of God that we are what we are R. W. And thou say'st Is it not enough that the Most-High Potter hath made us Men and Women and not Serpents and Toads and not Pagans Turks Jews Papists but English Protestants Answ. Are not the New-England Priests and thou in the same Nature and Spirit that the Turks Pagans Jews and Papists that persecute with Tongue and Hands yea to DEATH as witness the New-England Laws and did not Christ call the persecuting Jews Serpents and of their Father the Devil that did not do the Works of Abraham and what may be said to you that do not do the Works of true Christians R. W. And further thou say'st We must also be Infinites Eternals Omniscients c. Answ. If thou chargest this upon the Quakers we say they are Words of thy own forging and do challenge thee to make it good out of the Quakers Writings or name the Persons that said so which we know thou canst not R. W. And further thou say'st Will not the infinite Favour of Leave to drink of some Heavenly Drops of the Infinite and Inconcâ—ivable Ocean of his Goodness satisfie and content us but we will be Gods with the Devil and our first Parents we will be the Inconceivable Ocean it self Answ. I never did hear such Lies before come out of a Man's Mouth that any of the People of God used any such terms as They were the Inconceivable Ocean it self and that they would be Gods They might say they were God's People and he would dwell in them and Christ was in them and all their Springs were in him and this is according to Scripture But let the Reader see if there be any such Occasion in G. F's Answer for him to use this forging Language And if thou werest one of those proud Rebels thou speakest of that was fetcht from the Gallows by the Smile of a Prince thou would never have used these Expressions against us But thou say'st They must be the Prince and King himself Thou hast not proued this though we must tell thee Christ makes his Redeemed Saints both Kings and Priests to Reign over the Deuil and offer up Spiritual Sacrifice to God Revel 1 R. W. And thou say'st The Pagans of the World as they are wild to all Civility so to all Divinity and Heavenly matters And then thou tellest a great Story what they Worship Lyons Dragons c. And such as cryed out of Paul and said he was a God c. And thou say'st They apprehend a Doity it 's like thou meanest a Deity if thou hadst Printed it right c. Answ. And what is all this to the purpose to prove that the Saints did not receive of Christ's Fulness and grow up to a perfect Man For may be some of us have read the Story of these things as well as thou but thou shouldst have brought Paul's Answer to those R. W. And thou say'st It pleased the Most-High c. often to meet with Pharaohs Absoloms Nebuchadnezars Hamans Herods of this World with Nations Cities Armies for their Pride as he did with Sodom with remarkable Strokes of Judgment c. Answ. Let thee and New-England take heed of this who boast your selves against God's People Sons and Servants take heed that God's Remarkable Stroke do not come upon you for be sure it will if you do not find a day of Repentance R. W. And thou say'st Paul in danger to be pufft up in Voices and Questions out ef the Whirle-wind c. Answ. But it were well if R. W. saw himself then he would not be against the Quakers who say God's Grace is sufficient both to teach and bring Salvation R. W. And thou say'st Till we more and more come to see how Perfect we are in Dirt and Stink and Filth and Death and Hell Crawling like Monsters of Pride and Self-conceitedness upon this Earth c. Answ. It seemeth you do not see your Stink to the full yet of Filth Death and Hell and your Crawling monstrous Pride of Self-conceitedness and how should you without the Light of Christ which giveth the Knowledge of Christ and his Blood that cleanseth from Sin and maketh their Garments white R. W. And thou bring'st M. B. Fol. 90. saying There is a kind of
also Must not Christ dwell in his people and are not the Saints bodies members of Christ and are they not Christ's Temple for to dwell in And doth not the Apostle say Ye are not your own ye are bought with a price c. is this to affirm They are Christ himself Or doth it hence follow That those particulars affirmed of the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 3. are inverted and dreadfully turned upon their proud devilish Flesh because God was Manifested in the Flesh c 1 Tim. 3 16. see what false Charges and Inferences he frameth But doth not Christ destroy the Devil and proud Flesh in people for doth not the Apostle say If Christ be in you the body is dead because of Sin but the Spirit is life because of Righteousness Rom. 8. R. W. And thou say'st The Devil is manifest in their Flesh Condemn'd of the holy Spirit of God abhorred of the heavenly Angels the world shall abhor their Memory and except Repentance they shall descend with all the Enemies of the true Lord Jesus into the Lake that burns with unquenchable fire c. Answ. R. Williams might have applyed this Judgement of his to his own Spirit and the professors of New-England of the Devil being manifested in their Flesh whose work of Lying Murder and Persecution they have done and it s well if they do see a day of Repentance that they and he may escape the Lake Thus we do Confess with the Apostle The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the Law of Sin and death for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of Sinful Flesh for sin Condemnes Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fullfilled in uâ— who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. And as for R. W's saying The world abhorring of our memory c. we know the World hated Christ our Lord and Master and so it is no marvel if such worldly minds as R. W. is hate us God Loved his people yea all his Saints are in his hand and they sit down at his feet and receive his words and his Angels do pitch their Tents about them and we know that their Ministring Spirits are sent forth to Minister to them that be Heirs of Salvation Deut. 33. Hebr 1. R. W. And thou bring'st Tho. Moor saying Christ is distinct from from every one of us and without us and our particular persons And G. F. Answers T.M. The Apostle saith Christ was in them except they were Reprobates and they were of his Flesh and of his Bone and they eat his flesh and drank his blood then it was within them And he is distinct from none but Reprobates who hate the Light And is not this truth according to Scripture for the Apostle saith We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bone Ephes. 5 30 and 2 Cor. 13 Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates And doth not Christ say he is the Living bread that cometh down from heaven and Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath Eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day for my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him and is not this Scripture R. W. Replyeth to G. F. and falleth a Railing as he used to do and saith G. F's words carry two faces one to God and another to the Devil Answ. As for that word face to the Devil he might have kept it at home for it is his own And as for the Papist's Transubstantiation which he calleth Rome on Hell let them answer for themselves we have nothing to do with them and Christ saith his words are Spirit and Life and flesh profits nothing And as for thy saying that the Quakers have printed that their flesh and blood is as good as Christ's and of as much vertue c. These are more of thy Lyes but no book nor page hast thou mentioned for this R. W. And whereas thou bring'st Act. 20. and say'st Hence many of them contend that God's blood and God's flesh redeems them Answ. What! must they not use the Apostle's Expressions who said Take heed unto your selves and to feed the Flock which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood And in Contradiction to thy self thou say'st That God pay'd his blood to redeem thee page 156 but I must tell thee Christ as God did not die but Christ suffered according to the Flesh. R. W. And thou say'st Gods Flesh redeemes us Answ. Was not Christ God and doth not the Scripture say Rom. 9 5. Christ is God but God is a Spirit And where did ever the Quakers print or say it was God's Flesh it is called the Flesh of Christ but what if the Quakers use the Apostle's words Great is the Mystery of Godliness God was manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit c. 1 Tim. 3 R. W. And thou say'st That their blood and their sufferings are God's Flesh and Blood Redeeming and Saving c. Answ. The Reader may see there are no such words in G. F.'s Answer For I say It 's Christ's blood who dyed at Jerusalem that saveth and yet the Saints cannot deny but that they are Christ's and Christ is God's and their bodies are his to dwell in And thou tell'st of One that would not speak all at once but who it is thou tell'st us not so its like thou hast Abused him as thou hast done others R. W. And thou say'st These Foxians are God and Christ Spirit Resurrection Life and Heaven Answ. These are more of thy Lyes and Forgeries let the Reader see if there be any such thing in G. F's Answer and whether thou hast not abused his Answer And must not Christ dwell in his people who is the Resurrection and the Life and his Kingdom be in them and doth not he dwell in all his true believers And did not Christ appear again to his Disciples according to his Promise and Christ saith He that loveth me and keepeth my words my Father will Love him and we will come unto him and make our Abode with him John 14 And that of Joh. 16. is true as Christ speaketh and the true believers do behold his Glory as in Joh. 17 R. W. And thou say'st I know these poor Foxians say that he did come again to them to wit Christ and I know also that a man may feel this Lye with a pair of Mittins for I know the Comforter came not unto them upon his Resurrection for then he was forty days with them but after his Ascension Answ. As for poor and Foxians thou might'st have kept to thy self and Lye for thou call'st it Vncivil for G. F. to speak the
Hearts and is the Body and Soul and Root and Branch of their whole Religion Answ. Truly R. W. we may use the Proverb and say Thy Tongue is no Slander for thou art given up to Lies and abusest us with them Neither do we abuse the Scriptures but esteem of them and as for the Pope c. thou should'st have gone to Rome and told them these Words And as for Worldly Advantages and Religion rooted upon It is not our Religion but hath been the Religion of New-England as witness their SPOILING of our Goods worse than ever did the Papists R. W. Bringeth from G. F's Fol. p. 243 Richard Sherlock's saying We must not look for an Immediate Extra-ordinary Miraculous Teaching from the Lord. G. F. Answ. Yet he saith All Men are Taught Of God what Confusion is here The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all Men and this he calleth an Outward Teaching by the Lord Jesus Christ is that which bringeth Salvation Outward all in the Truth may judge this and try thy Spirit And the Teachings of the Lord are not only Mediate but Extra-ordinary also above all Yours which are Men got up since the Days of the Apostles R. W. replyeth and saith Although I have spoken before of their Immediate Inspirations yet seeing how greedily and boastingly this Deluded Soul with Scorn and Contempt of all his Opposites sucks in the Poyson of Devilish Inspiration instead of the pure Wine and Milk of the Christian Truth and milks out this Poyson into the Mouths of his Poor bewitched Followers Answ. Let the Reader observe what Railing Expressions he giveth in the Front of his Reply that God's Teaching in his Covenant of Grace and by his Spirit he calleth Bâ—â—sting Deluded Souls Scorn and Contempt a Sucking-in of Poyson and the Devil's Inspiration bewitching his poor Bewitched Followers that follow God's Teaching as though God's Teachings were not pure Wine and Milk and Christian â—râ—ths but God's Immediate Teaching is Poyson to R. W. R. W. saith That G. F. affirmeth That the Teachings of the Lord are not Mediate but Immediate and Extraordinary c. Contrary to the whole Stream of the Sâ—â—â—â—â—tes and Experience Contrary to Psal. 9. Contrary to God's Teachings in every Man's Nature and God 's Teaching the Fowls and Abraham's Teaching his Children and the ordinary Teaching and Feeding by Shep-herds and Contrary to the Teaching of the Holy Scriptures written by the Immediate Breath of God This great Wrester of Holy Scriptures saith They shall be all Taught of God and Contrary to the Ordinary Teachings of the Priests and Levites c. Answ. The Teaching of God in his New Covenant is as the Apostle saith Heb. 8. The Lord saith I will put my Laws into their Minds and write them in their Hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People and they shall not Teach every Man his Neighbour and every Man his Brother saying Know the Lord for all shall know me from the Least to the Greatest c. and Isaiah saith Ch. 54. All thy Children shall be Taught of the Lord and Christ saith Joh. 6. All thy Children shall be Taught of God and this of God's Teaching in the New Covenant is above Nature's Teaching and Outward Mediate Teaching and the Priests and Levites Teaching in the Old Covenant And this is not Contrary to the Scripture nor true Experience but according to it and not Wresting the Scriptures which saith They shall be all Taught of God And as for Abraham's Teaching and that in Psal. 9. and the Apostle's Teaching what are your Teachers to them who are got up since the Apostles And if the Scriptures were written by the Immediate Divine Breath of God and they were made Ministers by Divine Revelation can any understand the Scriptures but by the Divine Spirit and is that Mediate or Immediate And doth not Moses say A Prophet will God raise up unto you c. and him shall ye hear and he that will not hear this Prophet shall be cut off R. W. Saith What is there in G. F's wild Notion Can that which bringeth Salvation be Outward c. Answ. The Grace of God which hath appeared to all Men which bringeth Salvation Teacheth us that denying Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live soberly and Godly c. Tit. 2. and this thou callest a Wild Notion but that is thy own and wilful Ignorance And is this Grace of God Outward which bringeth Salvation And as for our Men and Women-Apostles their Teaching it is in the Power and Spirit of Christ and they turn People from Darkness to Light and so to God and Christ's Teaching and to the New Covenant and do not keep People always under Teaching saying like the New-England-Priests But thou wouldst see a Sign and a Miracle like the Adulterous Generation the Priests Scribes and Pharisees thy Fore-Fathers And as Assisted by the Devil's Doctrine R.W. this suiteth thy own Spirit best and thou hast proved nothing against us but thy self to be a Liar and Ignorant of God's Teaching in his New Covenant R. W. Thou say'st While they cry out Light Light there is none as Isaiah speaketh not a Spark of Light within them Answ. Here thou wrongest Isaiah's Words and thou bringest them in Opposition to the New Covenant and givest the Apostle the Lie who saith God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ which we and all true Christians have and witness in our Hearts And what must we Conclude from R. W's Words That he and the New-England-Priests have not a Spark of the Light within them that the Apostle speaketh of John telleth you Your Darkness cannot comprehend it Then thou and you are Pitiful Blind Teachers Disputers and Oratours and ye are like to be no other that call Light Darkness and Darkness Light R. W. Goeth on to his 43 Instance where he brings-in Christopher Wade G. F. Fol. p. 247. saying The written Word is the Sword of the Spirit and he maketh another Rule beside the Scripture False G. F. Answ. Which we say is the Spirit which gave them forth whereby Peace is known upon the Israel of God And the Pharisees had the Scripture but had not the Sword of the Spirit the Scriptures testifie of the Sword of the Spirit R. W. saith I reply and affirm The Spirit of God cannot here be the Sword intended 1. This Spiritual Furniture being a Similitude taken from War-like Furniture Helmet Breast-plate Shield Shoes c. and every one applyed to Gifts and Means flowing from God's Spirit as Faith Hope Sincerity c. it were most improper then to bring in God or the Spirit to be the Sword or any of the other Pieces 2. There is no more Reason to make the Spirit of God to be the Sword than the Shield 3. It seems
too Low to the Holy Spirit and God to be here in this Similitude Answ. Stay Roger to the First If the Written Word be the Sword of the Spirit then before the Written Word was it seemeth the Spirit had never a Sword which is false it had as good a Sword before as since To the next It is not a distinct Gift though a distinct Name but a distinct Operation and that thou shalt know Yet if the Spirit be God notwithstanding it proceedeth from the Father and Son and the Spirit of God be God as thou confessest so may the Sword of God be God and the Sword of the Spirit be the Spirit To thy Second Particular Why not a Shield as well as a Sword Right and it is so This sheweth thy Ignorance of God his Spirit Scripture and Experiences of the Holy Men of God of Old Was not God David's Buckler and Shield and was not God's Name a Tower of Defence and is that distinct and separate from God Again is not God's Word as a Fire and is not the Holy One of Israel a Flame yea Everlasting Burnings that will consume thy Chaff and Stubble and therefore is that Word not God or is that Fire or Flame not the Word To thy Third Allegation That it is below God's Spirit to be so called or resembled this still sheweth thy Ignorance Why not to a Sword as well as to a Lyon a Rock a Door a Man of War a Captain a Stone c and is not a Sword the Emblem of Justice God's great Attribute R. W. But thou goest on saying 4 This was the Sword the Only Sword is called a Sword with which the Lord Jesus fought and vanquisht the Devil It 's Written it 's Written and we may well say of it as David of the Sword of Goliah by which David cut of his Head There is none to that c. Answ. O Roger thy great Stupidity was the Written Word Christ's Sword yea his Only Sword the Spirit and Power of God is excluded then And if it be what had Christ that the Devil had not for he us'd the Written Words and therefore Christ said It 's Written it 's Written and so said the Devil because Satan began with him with a Scripture in his Mouth And so according to R. W. the Devil had the same Only Sword that Christ had But consider what thou say'st The Scripture is the Only Sword Roger what Scripture had Christ â—or his saying Get thee hence Satan Did not he with these Words rebuke the Devil and by his Power resisted him and over-came him because thou say'st The Scripture is the only Sword with which the Lord Jesus fought and vanquished the Devil shew us that Scripture from which Christ had that Rebuking Resisting Sword when he said Get thee hence Satan But what became of poor Abraham Enoch Lot and the Patriachs if the Written Word be the Only Shield Sword c. that had no Written Word But dost thou not commit Idolatry consider it well to say There is none like to the Written word What was that Word when it was never written or spoken that Burnt as a Fire in the Prophets that which came to them before Writings were and of which Writings do but declare that was an Ax an Hammer a Sword a Fire c is the Written Word more powerful than that yea than the Word in the Heart the Word of Regeneration and Reconciliation the Word that was God that made all things O Idolatry O Blasphemy against God Christ and Holy Spirit Besides Roger did Christ the Lord of the New Covenant make the Old-Testament-Writings his Only Sword for there were no New-Testament-Writings then if so then either the New-Testament-Writings are none of the Sword or the Sword was Imperfect how say'st thou to that But Roger remember 'T was not principally Goliah's Sword that Kill'd Goliah but the Stone so the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands which the Written Word was not is that which smiteth the Image and bringeth it down and will bring down thy Images and Imaginations with which thou puffest up thy self in the Pride of thy Airy and Luciferian Mind against God his Truth and People Again the Sword that cut off Goliah's Head was that which Goliah used as well as David but the Stone was that which slew him that he despised as thou dost the Light and Spirit of Christ and which Goliah could never use which may be called a Figure of Christ and not of the Scriptures that wicked Men use as well as good R. W. But go on The Holy Spirit Christ and God are Authors of all those Heavenly Gifts and Graces the Beginner and Finisher of Faith and therefore not Faith nor Hope Answ. Here thou prevaricatest and abusest me Did I say the Spirit was Faith or Hope or Faith or Hope the Spirit read my words again even as thou lay'st them down But why may not Faith and Hope be called the Spirit that begetteth them as well as Christ is called Sanctification and Redemption but thou art blind Again the Question is about the Spirit 's power being its own Sword the Sword the Spirit the Spirit the Sword of God and not Faith or Hope the Spirit But that the Word of God Ephes. 6 17 which the Apostle calleth the Sword of the Spirit is the Spirit and not the Letter is clear from the Greek which is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being in the Neuter Gender is relative to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is also in the Neuter whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Foeminine and therefore the true English Translation of these words is thus And the Sword of the Spirit which Spirit is the Word of God And so doth Clarius one of the Criticks understand them as may be seen Tom. 7. Crit. p. 3480. and he doth observe that the words are an Hebraism The Sword of the Spirit that is to say the Spiritual Sword or the Sword of the Spirit it self or the Sword which is the Spirit and that is the Word of God for Christ whose Name is the Word of God is the Quickning Spirit Even as when he saith the Breast-plate of Righteousness he understandeth the Breast-plate which is Righteousness and the Sheild of Faith that is the Sheild which is Faith so the Sword of the Spirit that is the Sword which is the Spirit Thou talkest of thy Learning and Experience and either can'st not or else deceitfully wilt not distinguish between Gifts and Operations Faith and Hope are Gifts to us that believe but the Sword Fire Ax Hammer Iron Rod Honey Balm c. are names for the divers Operations of the same Power R. W. But thou say'st Christ and the Sword with Two Edges which cometh forth of his mouth are distinct and cannot be the same Answ. But where is thy Reason for this or where is thy boasted Experience What! is that which goeth out
G. F. answereth Fol. 330. Here any may read thy Confusion but I say unto thee He that believeth doth not commit Sin but Vnbelief is Sin Rom. 12 20 And Christ is the End of the Law to every one that believeth for Righteousness sake Rom. 10 4 and yet thou puttest both Believers and Vnbelievers under the power of the Law R. W. replieth and telleth How the Devil sinneth and Saul and Judas and Robbers and Murtherers and saith It is not so with the Regenerate or New-born Answ. who saith it is But thou say'st That the Seed of all Sin is in the New-born Append. pag. 96. and here thou say'st They can no more touch Sin unless deceived or circumvented then Fire can delight in Water or Light in Darkness How is all their Seeds in the Newborn then if it doth not touch them for mark thy words are In the New-born For the New-born are born of the Spirit are they not New-born Babes are born of the Immortal Seed of God how proveth R. W. with the New-England-priests that all the Seeds of Sin are in the New-born and yet it doth not touch them no more then Fire can delight in Water R. W. And further thou say'st That the Protestants have proved from the Scripture and Experience of all true Saints that Sin and Grace the Flesh and Spirit the Law of the Spirit and the Law of Sin may and do continue in the Regenerate or New-born contrary to that proud Perfection of Papists and Quakers in this Life c. And G. F.'s silly Shift saying that Paul was perfect and thanketh God for Victory c. Answ. We never read in the Scripture of such a Doctrine till R. W. New-England's Oratour hath publisht it That Flesh and Spirit and the Law of Sin should be in the New Birth in this Life This is contrary to the Apostle for he saith With his mind he served the Law of God but with the flesh the Law of sin so this was in the Flesh or Old-man Unmortified or put off so this Law of Sin and Flesh and Spirit was not in the Regenerate part or New-Birth as Doting R. W. saith but in the contrary Birth the Old Man And Paul did cry out Wretched man who shall deliver him and he saw no Man but Christ Jesus and thanketh God through him who gave him the Victory and was not Paul Perfect when he said As many as are perfect be thus minded But why cannot R. W. read as well Rom. 8. as Rom. 7. where the Apostle saith There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit and the Law of the Spirit of Life maketh him free from the Law of Sin and Death so the Apostle saith he was a free Man from the Law of Sin and Death but R. W. giveth him the lye and saith There is a Combate with the Law of Sin in the New-born in this Life And so as for Silliness and Ignorance of the Saints Life R. W. and his New-England professors and priests may keep at home R. W. And thou say'st They are to strive after Perfection and Holiness c. as a Child going after his Father the Scholar or Maidens following their Copies and Samplers though they never come near the full Exactness and Perfection of them Answ. R. W. doth confound Reason among men and Short of the Truth What! shall the Scholar never learn his Lesson nor the Maidens learn their Samplars to be as perfect as their Masters and Teachers So the Children shall never come to an Exact Perfectness of Copies and Samplars nor a Child never to come to go as his Father doth nor to be in the Strength and Knowledge of outward things as his Father then what do all these learn their Copies and Samplars for if they never be to come near the full Exactness and Perfection of them But what shall we understand from R. W.'s Words and Doctrine in this That they that learn of Christ shall not be perfect as their Heavenly Father is Perfect as Christ commandeth and that the Saints shall not be sanctified throughout Body Soul and Spirit whil'st they be upon Earth and That Christ doth not sanctify his Church without Spot or Wrinkle and Blemish or any such thing and present them to God as on this side the Grave as Ephes. 5 But what doth R. W. and the New-England priests say to John 1 Joh. 2 He that abideth in Christ ought himself even also to walk as Christ walked and in another place So as he is so are we in this present World but let the Reader see what a silly Reply he hath given to G. F. here he speaketh nothing of Rom. 10. and 11. to the contradicting of them that which G. F. hath asserted R. W. bringeth in from G. F.'s fol. 338 John Nasmith Priest from Scotland saying That the Evil Spirits are both Sinful and Reasonable G. F. answereth This is a Lye for Reasonable is not Sinful Vnreasonable is Sinful 1 Thess. 3 They have not the Faith And if the Evil Spirit be Reasonable and the Good Spirit they are both One who then is Vnreasonable if the Evil Spirit be Reasonable Thou puttest no Difference betwixt the precious and the vile thou hast the Mark of a blind Guide and of a false Prophet in thy Fore-head R. W. Replieth and beginneth with Railing and saith First The filthy rash Fury of his Mind and Pen and saith 2dly This proud Pharisee will appear to be a Sadducee also and to bold no Angels nor Spirits It 's true they pretend to own Scripture Christ and Resurrection they with the Jesuites-Equivocations name Angels and Spirits but the bottom as some of them and that in Print discover is They hold there is but one Spirit which is in all into which all return and the Soul of Judas is as Happy as the Soul of Peter Answ. Reader this is nothing to G. F.'s Answer neither hath he nor can he make out any of these False Charges which he hath forged which be not our Words against us and therefore we can say When he speaketh a Lie he speaketh of himself and is the Father of it For where did ever any read in any of our Books or is there any thing in G. F.'s Answer that we hold There is but One Spirit in Man R. W. and the New-England-Priests have not we often told you that you have vexed and grieved and quenched the Spirit of God And we never said That Judas's Soul was as Happy as Peter's it was not like for Peter had fed the Lambs of Christ and Judas betrayed him to the Chief Priests as thou art doing now in his Saints who hast Crucified him to thy self a fresh And Christ and Scripture and Resurrection we own according to Scripture Really without any Pretence or Equivocation that is thy own Condition And R. W. thou say'st They hold neither Angel nor Spirit then again thou
we dare not for all the World to Assert that which R. W. hath Affirmed here to wit That the Blood of Christ is Corruptible and did Corrupt for we know that we are Redeemed not with Corruptible Things c. but with the Pretious Blood of Christ as of a Lamb without Blemish and Spot 1 Pet. 1 18 19. 3. R. W. affirmed That Salvation was by a Man that was Corruptible I do not say Corrupted So far R. W. J. B. Answered and said to this purpose I desire not to grate upon the Antient Man but am sorry that he should so over shoot himself as he hath done so far to deny Christ and undervalue his Appearance both Inward and Outward as to say That Christ within was but a Fancy and a false Christ as he then affirmed and That Christ without was Corruptible contrary to the Apostle who said His Flesh saw no Corruption And also of his Appearance without Who then also said That his Blood was Corruptible and Corrupted as I believe many of the people that was there may yet remember I shewed then how that he had brought upon himself that Charge and proved himself Guilty of that for which he endeavoured to Condemn us And I spoke at that time of our Owning of the true Lord Jesus Christ in his Appearing in that Body and of his Suffering and Resurrection according to the Scriptures And also of his Spiritual Appearing in his Saints after his Ascension according to the Promise of Christ and the Testimony of his Apostles as I then brought many Testimonies out of Scriptures to maintain and prove the same And so signified fully to the people of our true Owning of Christ and there bore Testimony against his dangerous Words that he had then uttered before them in speaking contrary to what is written of Christ's being Corruptible and his Blood and was as I then signified truly sorry that he should so sin against God and Christ and wrong his own Soul 1. And now how could W. E. do any otherwise but Charge R. W with Blasphemy against Christ his Body and Blood For he affirmes that the Light of Christ is an Idol a Fancy a Frantick Light and Christ within an Imaginary Christ as ye may see in many places of his Book 2 He affirmes That Salvation was by a Man that was Corruptible and that this Blood was Corruptible and Corrupted Now we do Charge R. W. and all the New-England Priests together with those Baptists that took his part against us at Rode-Island and Providence at the Dispute to make those his Assertions good by Scripture if they can which we do affirm are Blasphemies and show us Chapter and Verse which he saith is the Rule and Touchstone and so let his Horrible Blasphemies be Touched and Tried with Scripture For David saith Psal. 16. My Heart is glad and my Glory rejoiceth my Flesh also rests in Hope for thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy HOLY ONE to see Corruption And again the Apostle saith who spoke of the Resurrection of Christ That his Soul was not left in Hell neither Mark his FLESH did see Corruption Act. 2 27 31. And Act. 13 34. Thou shalt not suffer thy Holy One to see Corruption David saw Corruption but he whom God raised again to wit Christ saw Mark NO CORRVPTION Now if R. W. and the New-England-Priests be Redeemed by a Corruptible Man and a Corruptible Blood that did Corrupt this is contrary to what the Apostle saith His Flesh saw no Corruption and They were not Redeemed with Corruptible things but with the Pretious Blood of Christ. So it is clearly proved that Christ his Flesh and Blood is not Corruptible but Incorruptible And therefore R. W.'s Corruptible Man and Corruptible Blood that did Corrupt by which he pretends he is Saved is a false Christ and not the Christ the Apostles preached the true Lord Jesus whose Flesh and Blood did not Corrupt And if the Flesh and Blood of Christ as R. W. affirmeth be Corruptible then how is he in Heaven with Corruptible Flesh and Blood when the Apostle saith Corruption doth not inherit Incorruption 1 Cor. 15 50. Christ sanctifieth the people with his own Blood Heb. 13 and 1 Pet. 1 2. the Saints were sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus and 1 Joh. 1. that Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all Sins and Revel 1. He hath washt us from our Sins and Christ hath Redeemed us to God by his Blood Rev. 5 9 and the Saints Garments were made white in the Blood of the Lamb Rev. 7 and the Saints Overcame by the Blood of the Lamb Rev. 12 11 and Christ saith Who eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood c. and My Blood is Drink indeed Now was it Corruptible Blood oâ— Corruptible Flesh that the Saints did Eat and Corruptible blood which cleanseth from all Sins and made the Saints Garments White by which they Overcame O Horrid Darkness For will not corruptible stain and not fetch out the Stain And the Saints were to have Faith in Christ's Blood Rom. 25 The Saints are made Nigh to God by the Blood of Christ the Flock of God which Christ hath purchased with his own Blood Act. 20 28. NOW if this be the New-England Priests Principle Profession and Judgment that they be Redeemed by a corruptible Man and the Blood of Christ Jesus was Corruptible and Corrupted then they that have tolerated R. W.'s his Blasphemous book to be printed that held forth those Abominable things in his Dispute before a great Assembly of people at Newport in Rode-Island how can we say otherwise but they are â—lasphemers and own not the true Lord Christ Jesus whose Flesh saw no corruption neither was his Blood corruptible And therefore we do Conclude with the Apostle that R. W. and they that held forth this Doctrine with him are such as have Trodden under Foot the Son of God and counted the Blood of the New Covenant wherewith they were sanctified an Unholy Thing and have done Despite unto the Spirit of Grace and have Crucified to themselves the Son of God a-fresh and put him to open Shame Now see if this Man R. W. that hath spoken those Blasphemous Words against Christ Jesus his body and Blood and Spirit and Light is fit to take the Name of Christ in his Mouth And yet this Man he brought this Saying of the Priest to be G. F.'s to prove That our Christ was not the true Christ Which words proving to be the Priest's and not G. F's he R. W. stood by them and maintained them against us And so by his own Argument and Judgement by the same Rule and Words that he would have disproved ours he hath prov'd His own Christ not to be the True Christ. But should we the People of God in Scorn called Quakers have come and preach'd in New-England and told you that you were Saved by a Man that was Corruptâ—ble and that Christ's
is because there is no Light or Morning risen in him see his Works pag. 249. Again Others know no other Touch-stone nor Trial no other Light by which they judge of Truth then Scripture thus putting it in the room of the Spirit which is Light and the greater Light For they say they cannot know Truth till they bring it to the Letter for Tryal thus making an Idol of the Letter setting it up in the â—oom of God Ibid pag. 248. Testimonies concerning the RULE IRenaeus pag 242 384 389 The Writing in the Heart is the Rule Again l. 5. c. 8. The Word giveth his Spirit to All to Some according to Condition And l. 4. c. 30. The Fathers being Iustified by the Righteousness of the Law of God in them therefore had no need of Reproving Letters W. Perkins Works Vol. 3. pag. 220 The Light of Nature and Grace teacheth To do as we would be done to Pag. 221. It is the Fulfilling of the Law the Rule to Iudge Scripture That of God made the Rule something in the Conscience Happy Times if Men would follow it Bishop R. Sanderson De Obligat Conscientiae p. 127. saith A Rule of Discerning without the Scripture Regula discernendi extra Scripturam T. Collier saith The Spirit of God who is God is the alone Rule of a Christian Gen. Epist. to the Saints Chap. 12. The Spiritual Man Iudgeth all Things by the Rule of the Spirit ibid. The Law of the New Testament is Written in the Heart ibid. Testimonies concerning the SOUL TErtullian De Animâ pag. 297. Asserts the Immortality and Divinity of the SOUL D. Fagius in Gen. 2.7 Rabbi Nehamanides hath observed That he that Breatheth on any contributes something of his own to it whence Christ our Saviour when he would Communicate his Holy Spirit to his Disciples he did it by Breathing upon them signifying that he contributed to them something of his own that was Divine The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies something Divine and Heavenly something 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the Immortal Soul of Man is a certain Divine Thing Peter Martyr speaks of the Soul thus in Psalm 94 We are Taught not to with-draw from the Divine Nature those Things that are Perfect and Absolute in us pag. 12. And pag. 122. They say saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Soul doth chiefly signify that which is Divine and Reasonable which God doth give unto us H. Bullinger saith The Soul is a Spiritual Substance poured of God into Man 's Body in his 4. Decas 10. Serm. Augustine saith It is felt in the Life it is Vnutterable Breathed into Man 's Body from the Secret Power of God Henry Ainsworth Annot. in Pentateuch brings the Rabbines saying The Form of the Soul of Man is not Compounded of the Elements c. but is of the Lord from Heaven Therefore when the Material Body which is Compounded of the Elements is separated and the Breath perisheth because it is not found but with the Body and is needful for the Body in all the Actions thereof this Essential Form is not destroyed but continueth even for ever and ever This is that which Solomon by his Wisdom said And Dust shall Return unto the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall Return unto God who gave it Id. in Gen. 2 7. The Lord Animated or Inspired him with a Living and Reasonable Soul or Spirit which presently appeared by Breath at his Nostrils For the Soul of Man is not educed derived or fetched out of any Power in the Matter of the Body nor made of any Matter at all as the Body is but as it is a Spirit Material and Immortal so it had its Immediate Original from the Father of Spirits Hebr. 12 9. Walter Rawleigh 's Hist. of the World pag. 18. Man is said to be after the Image of God in respect of his Immortal Soul only because as God is Invisible so the Soul of Man is Invisible as God is Immortal and Incorporcal so is the Soul of Man Immortal and Incorporcal and as there is but one God which Governeth the World so but one Soul which Governeth the Body of Man and as God is Wholly in every Part of the World so is the Soul of Man Wholly in every Part of the Body Henry More Philosophical Writings pag. 37 The Specifick Nature of the Soul of Man is an Immaterial Substance endued with those two Eminent Properties of Understanding and Power of Moving Corporal Matters Peter Charron 's Wisdom pag. 22 The Immortality of the Soul is a Thing Vniversally received throughout the World I mean by an Outward Profession seriously and Inwardly not so witness so many Epicures Libertines and Mockers in the World Iohn Smith 's of Queen 's Colledge in Cambridge Discourses pag. 87 The Soul of Man acting upon it self and drawing forth its own Latent Energy finds it self able to tame the Outward Man and bring under those Rebellious Motions that arise from the meer Animal Powers and to tame and appease all those Seditions and Mutinies that it finds there Ibid. p. 92. There is a Naked Intuition of Eternal Truth in the Soul which is always the same which never Rises nor Sets but always Stands still in its Vertical and fills the Whole Horizon of the Soul with a Mild and Gentle Light There are such Calm and Serene Ideas of Truth that shine only in Pacate Souls and cannot be discern'd by any Troubled or Fluid Fancy Plotinus En. 4. l. 8. c. 1. pag. 99 The Soul of a Divine and Immortal Being c. Id. Ibid. When he shall behold his own Soul fixt in an Intelligible and Pure Nature Contemplating Things Eternal looking into the Intellectual World being it self made all Lucid to wit Light Intellectual and Shining with the Sun-Beams of Eternal Truth borrowed from the First Good which perpetually Rayeth forth his Truth upon all Intellectual Beings William Robertson in his Key to the Hebr. Bible sub Lit. Nun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Soul a Noun Primitive from which is derived the Verb in Piel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nippesh he Breathed because the Soul is the Principle of Life and Breath c. Henry Moor 's Philosophical Writings of the Immortality of the Soul libr. 2. cap. 1. pag. 58 There is such an Immaterial Substance in Man which from the Power it is conceived to have in actuating and guiding the Body is usually called the SOUL Id. Ibid. Cap. 3. pag. 72 No Essence in it self can vary its Modification For there is an Essence in us what-ever we will call it which we find endued with this Property as appears from hence that it has Variety of Perceptions Id. Ibid Cap. 11. pag. 109 The Soul is a Substance distinct from the Body and her very Essence is spread throughout all the Organs thereof Lactantius The Soul whereby we Live comes as it were from Heaven from God G. F. J. B. ERRATA I. Part. Pa.
Darkness to Light turn People to the God of the World what Blasphemy is this R. W. But thou say'st The Scripture is but a Dead Letter the true Christ is within thee he will turn thee from thy Sins and make thee Perfect as he is and he is come in us Ten Thousand of his Saints c. Thus thou mockest Answ. R. W. hath not proved that the Letter of the Scripture is Living for Christ saith Search or Ye search the Scriptures but ye will not come unto me that you may have Life for they are they that Testifie of me they Testifie of the Life but Christ doth not say They are Life or Living And doth not Christ shew People their Sin else how doth he Convince them of their ungodly Deâ—ds And doth not Christ say to his Apostles Be ye Perfect as your Heavenly Father is Perfect and what dost thou kick against this Doctrine We do confess that Christ Liveth in our Hearts and if he live not in your Hearts you are Roprobates the Apostle saith R. W. And whereas he scoffingly saith He within thee is the Word of God the Christ of God the Light of God the Spirit of God God himself and He seeks Worshippers in Spirit and Truth And then thou say'st What is in all this but the noise of Fenny Bitter in Hollow Canes c what is here but that two Common Businesses may reach to 1. The Conscience of Good and Evil which every Savage Indian in the world hath 2. The Whisperings the Blindings and Cheatings of the Devil in Samuel's Mantle Answ. Here the Reader may see that R. W's Words are nothing in Answer to G. F's Assertion But what must we infer from R. W's Words but that the Preaching of the Word of God in the Heart and Christ within People except they be Reprobates and God Walking and Tabernacling in his Saints and the Spirit of God to lead his Saints into all Truth that they may be his Sons and the Light that shineth in their Hearts that giveth them the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus and the Worship of God that is in the Spirit in which he seeketh People to worship him These Doctrines saith R. W. are such a Conscience of Good and Evil as every Savage Indian in the world hath And further he saith These Doctrines are the Whisperings Blindings and Cheatings of the Devil pretending saith R. W. Vowing and Swearing to be the Word of the Lord to be Jesus Christ yea and that to your Feeling c. This is an Horrid Lie he knoweth it in his own Conscience for we neither Vow nor Swear but Christ Jesus the Word we feel to our Comfort and Salvation but what Comfort in this Doctrine hath he to poor Sinners And after this thou Contradictest thy self and say'st That Christ Jesus is the Door of Hope to poor Sinners here thou grantest what G. F. asserts and what thou hast been Cavilling against and so Contradictest thy self which is frequent with thee But Roger is the Worship of God in Spirit and Truth a Temporal and Visible thing prove this by Scripture and prove to us by Scripture That God and Christ and his Spirit is called a Conscience of Good and Evil and whisperings and blindings and cheatings in Samuel's Mantle Also pag. 74. he saith to this purpose Natural Men until Chang'd and Born again do but prate as the Devils do but in Contradiction to that he saith pag. 79. That it is by Outward hearing or reading and inward Convictions of Natural Conscience God hath passed Sentence of Eternal Death R. W. must this then be an Inward or Spiritual Hearing of this Sentence And when People come to see their Sins by the Light of Christ then People Cry out to Christ the Saviour the Gospel the Good News for Salvation from him they Receive this Gospel their Healing and Setteth them out of Prison and free from their Sin and with his Light it is they see themselves Blind and with his Light they see his Spiritual Eye-Salve and his precious Blood which Cleanseth from all Sin But these are too good and soft Words for thy foul Spirit and full Stomack who hast cast out so many Lies against God's People R. W. And thou bringest-in Ellis Bradshaw Fol. G. F. 224. saying There is more Words than one G. F. Answ. God is the Word and the Scriptures are the Words which Christ fulfilleth And R. W. replyeth As the Design of the Bloody Pope and Jesuites are to kindle Wars between the Protestants that the Protestants may do the Papists work so deals the Devil the old Serpent with Christ Jesus and the Holy Scripture which are but one in a Sense as the Sun and the Sun-Dial his end is to tear down the Sun-Dial c. under pretence that the Sun is within them and they need no Dials or Clocks no Visible thing that is Temporal c. and so to destroy the Person and Commands of Christ as Visible and Fleshly pretending all to be Light and Spirit Answ. Reader what is this to G. F's Answer But R. W. have not the New-England Priests and Professors done the BLOODY Pope's work as thou call'st him and art not thou a doing it and would they be so careful of the Scripture but that they make a Trade of it and under a pretence of Scripture and Dials without do the Devil's work to throw at the Spirit and Christ in Peoples Hearts and tear him out there if you could But I must tell thee R. W. that as to Christ himself and his Person though he was Dead yet he is Alive and Dies no more and he is out of your Reach and you cannot persecute him any more though they and thou may persecute him in his Members that keep the Commands of Jesus And as to Visible and Fleshly pretending and the Visible and Temporal things thy Clocks and Dials which are thy Helps to know the Invisible know this thou may'st pore on them till thy Eyes rot in their Holes and never know the Lord Jesus Christ but by Revelation R. W. Thou say'st The word Dabar in Hebrew and Logos in Greek signifie the Word c. and that it is a Metaphor to say God is the Word for God is no more a Word than he is a Man or a Spirit c. Answ. Dost thou not here gain-say John's Doctrine who saith The Word was God and wilt thou give Christ the Lie that saith God is a Spirit Joh. 4. but prove this by Scripture that John did say That it is a Metaphor to call God the Word Then dost not thou Contradict thy self and say'st The Man Christ Jesus is called the Word but was not he called the Word that was called God and did not this Word take Flesh did Christ suffer and die as he was God or according to the Flesh since 't is said The Word liveth and abideth and endureth for ever Thou say'st That G. F. confesseth that
the Scriptures are the Words of God so here thou yieldest to G. F's Answer though thou makest a great Smoak with words to no purpose R. W. Thou say'st I do affirm the Sun and the Moon and the Stars are the Words of God c. and the Rain and the Hail and the Grasâ— and the Corn and the Sand c. Answ. These R. W. calls the Words of God but where doth R. W. find in the Scriptures that they are called the Words of God give us Chap. and Verse And as for David Psal. 107.110 and Job 33. Luk. 1. what 's all this to the purpose these Words are owned but not R. W's Imaginations R. W. Thou say'st They rob the Scriptures of their Heavenly Title of the Word of God c. and also turn this Word of God and Christ into a Spirit without any Body c. and part him his God head from his Man-hood into a Fancy a Dream a meer Whimsy and Devilish Imagination Answ. We Rob not the Scriptures of their Title thou pretendest thy self a Scholar and dost not thou know that Scriptures signifie Writings and are called so by Christ and his Apostles and we charge R. W. to shew where the Scriptures do give themselves the Heavenly Title of the Word of God And these are Words of thy own Inventing as to say Christ is a Spirit without any Body and our Parting his God head from his Man-hood this is thy own Fancy or Dream Whimsy or Devilish Imagination thou speakest of as the Reader may see there is no Ground for R. W's Words in my Answer And as for thy saying we would Run the Scriptures out of the world and by seeming to embrace it destroy and kill it These are more false words of thy own Inventing the Lord knoweth we esteem of the Scriptures more than thou by the Spirit that gave them forth R. W. And thou bringest Tho. Weld G. F. Fol. 228. saying There lies a Mystery of Iniquity for to say The World calls them so by such and such Names or gives them their Christian Names G. F. Answ. There are Names given by the Heathen the Heathen outwardly by which Men are called there is a New Name written in the Book of Life which the World knoweth not here is the New Man known after God in Righteousness Created unto true Holiness Now who is this New Man and this New Name the World may call him by the Old So it is not a Mystery of Iniquity to say The World calls him so R. W. Replyeth As to Christian Names or things bearing or pretending to bear the Name Authority or Vniting of Christ Jesus as we know the word Christian signifieth c. and thou say'st Every Christian Soul should search into the Rise and Practice and Warrant of them with holy Fear and Trembling in the Presence of God Answ. What is this to the New Name written in the Book of Life to tell us what a Christian signifieth but if thou werest united to Christ thou wouldst not persecute him in his People Neither if thou werest in the Practice of that holy Fear and Trembling in the Presence of God thou wouldst not have uttered forth so many Lies and Scorns against them that be in his Holy Fear and Tremble at his Word R. W. Thou say'st Is it not a proud Trick of a Pharisee thus to scorn the poor Heathens and Publicans as not worthy to know the Quakers high Names or to take up such Sacred Names and Mysteries upon their Lips yea is it not a Ridiculous Fancy thus to prate and like Pharisees to scold about washing of Hands and Pots and Cups therein placing invented Holiness c. Who are G. F's Heathen c. Answ. Such as thou R. W. that knowest not this New Name written in Heaven who callest it a Ridiculous Fancy and comparest it to the Pharisees washing of Hands Pots and Cups and invented Holiness and this is an Invented Lie of thy own to say That we scorn the poor Heathens and Publicans And R. W. why dost thou so rage against me because I tell thee The New Man hath a New Name And then thou tellest us of the Jew and Gentile and how that Lea and Rachel did give Names that were signâ—ficant unto the Twelve Patriarch's and R. W. who knoweth not this or who opposeth it what is this to G. F's Answer R W. Thou say'st Doth Christian Regeneration or New Birth destroy Natural Births or Marriages or Names and Educations Answ. Where did ever any of the Quakers say they did or G. F. in his Answer destroy or slighted any of these things so it is a vain Question And thou say'st They quarrel about Straws when it is thy self that settest them up and dost it R. W. And thou say'st What is this New Creature and New Name they speak of how shall the World call them by it if they know it not Answ. Why is this because thou and the World hate this Light by which it is seen and known R W. Saith Such are their Non-sensical Fancies of giving no Repect to any in Word or Gestures such are their Fantastical Conceited Answers who being asked where they dwell they answer they dwell in God and where they live they answer they live in God Answ. And what must we observe from R. W. here but that he would have his Honour and Respect Pharisee-like which Christ forbad and cryed Wo against and Christ saith How can you believe that seâ—k Honour one of another and seek not the Honour that cometh from God only And R. W. what is it a Fantastical Answer to say That God's People dwelleth in God and liveth in God and doth not the Apostle say In him we Live and move and have our Being as the Poet saith for we are his Off-spring R. W. Thou say'st Are not They to the Popes a Kin because they sling to the World their Old Names Answ. Nay we say That Thou and the New-England-Professors are a Kin to the Pope both in Nature and Spirit and your Nature of Dogs and Swine Wolves and Lyons is not turned into Sheep and Lambs and Doves And here thou grantest that as the Nature is chang'd the Name is changed but thy Teâ—th and your Fruits have manifested you to be the Dogs and Wolves R. W. Saith That G. F. having attained a great Marriage and a new Carriage and Civility and his own former Rigidity Answ. R. W. hath manifested his own Ignorance of G. F. and he is busie about that which doth not concern him for G. F. is of the same Carriage Civility and Courtesie as he was at the First R. W. Thou say'st I am sure they will do most them for worldly Advantages for as they abuse the Scripture Eccles. 11 The World is in their Heart I may truly use it and affirm it the World and the Pride and the Advantage of it though they deny it as the Pope and Cardinals do is in their
shameful Lie And then concludes That they were his Witnesses that he had long said with David and he humbly hoped he should make it good that he hates and abhors Lying Providence in New-England Richard Scot. SOME TESTIMONIES of Ancient and Modern Authors concerning the LIGHT SCRIPTURES RULE and the SOUL of Man Testimonies concerning the LIGHT within MVnsterus Castalio Vatablus Drusius Clarius Codurus upon Iob 24 13 and Chap. 25 3. They â—re of those who rebel against the Light Vpon whom doth not his Light arise say That this Light is of the Divine Wisdom and Fountain of Light Alluding to the Psalmist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Mat. 4 19. The People that sate in Darkness saw great Light Also see Erasmus and Camerar upon Ioh. 1 4 9. Orpheus His Hand reacheth to the end of the Sea his right Hand is every where then within Of him alone are all things Clem. Alexandr Strom lib. 5. Thales thus There is but one God he is Glorious forever he knows Hearts and tells Thoughts He maketh the Teller of his Thoughts God as in Amos 4.13 Pythagoras thus GOD resembleth Light and Truth he is One He is not out of the World he is the Salt of all Ages ONE HEAVENLY LIGHT and Father of all things only Wise Invisible yet Intelligible Jambl. Iust. Mart. Heraclitus thus God is not made with Hands Pythagoras What things are agreeable to God cannot be known unless a man HEAR GOD himself Again Having overcome thy rebellious Appetites thou shalt know the Cohabitation of the Immortal God and mortal Men whose work is Immortality Eternal Life Trin. de Animâ Mundi Sophocles speaking of the Precepts written in Man's Heart saith God is their Father not Mortal Nature neither shall they ever be abrogated for there is in them a great God that never waxeth old Again saith he This is with respect to Man's Conscience a Divine a Sacred Good God the Overseer Oedip. Tyr. Clem. Alex. Str. l. 5. Socrates had the Guide of his Life within him and preached as he was moved by it even in the Streets and died for reproving the Corruptions of the Athenians in Manners and Religion Plotin taught That Man had a Divine Principle in him which maketh a True and Good Man Hierom called it a Domestick God The Good said Socrates shall be united to God in an In accessible place the Wicked in convenient places suffer due Puniâ—â—ment Iustin. Martyr in his Apology saith God hath built to himself a natural Temple in the Consciences of Men. Clem. Alex. Admon ad Gent. It is the Voice of Truth that Light will shine out of Darkness Therefore doth it shine in the Hidden Part of Mankind Strom. l. 5. Man cannot be void of Divine Knowledge who naturally partakes of Divine Inspirations Lactan. de Cult Ver. The Law of God is made known to us The Law is pure and unspotted Reason diffused through all the World Athanasius contr gent. The way to attain to the knowledge of God is within us which is proved from Moses who saith The Word of God is within thy heart and from this Saying of Christ The Faith and Kingdom of God is within you Minutius Felix saith God is every where not only very near us but infused As is observed by Grotius Crit. Tom. 7. on Acts 17 27. Testimonies concerning the SCRIPTURES LVther taught That the Spirit is required to the understanding of the whole Scripture and of every part thereof Again The Scriptures are not to be understood but by that very Spirit by which they were wrote Tom. 3. fol. 169. Iohn Bradford thus answered the Arch-Bishop of York We do believe and know the Scriptures as Christ's Sheep not because the Church saith they are the Scriptures but because they be so being thereof assured by the same Spirit that wrote and spake them Book of Mart. Vol. 3. p. 298. W. Tindal a faithful Martyr in Hen. 8. his time writes thus It is impossible to understand the Scriptures more then a Turk for him that hath not the Law of God written in his Heart to fulfil it Again Without the Spirit it is impossible to understand them W. Tindal's Works p. 319 and p. 80. B. Iewel against the Papists hath this Passage Flesh and Blood is not able to understand the Holy Will of God without special Revelation therefore Christ gave Thanks to his Father and likewise opened the Hearts of his Disciples that they might understand the Scriptures Without this special Help and Prompting of God's holy Spirit the Scriptures are unto the Reader be he never so Wise or well Learned as the Vision of a Sealed Book Calvin saith It is necessary that the same Spirit that spake by the Mouth of the Prophets should pierce into our Hearts to perswade us of the Truth of what they delivered Instit. lib. 1. cap. 8. Beza saith That the understanding of the Scriptures should be fetch'd from the same Spirit that dictated them Beza in Nov. Test. 2 Pet. 1.19 Peter Martyr taught That the Spirit is the Arbiter by whom we must assure our selves for understanding of the Scriptures that thereby we must discern between Christ's words and a Stranger 's Quoting Christ's words My Sheep know my voice and follow not a Stranger And among other Scriptures he quotâ—s these The Spirit searcheth out the deep things of God The Comforter shall declare all things that I have said unto you The spiritual Unction shall shew you all things Com. Loc. part 1. pag. 6. Again The Spirit of God reveals the truth in the holy Scriptures Com. loc p. 2. cap. 18. Again in an Oration to the Vniversity of Strasburgh concerning the Scriptures he expresseth himself thus The School of this Philosophy is Heaven Again We must remember that the Teacher hereof is the Holy Ghost Doct. Ames a Great Father of the Independents upon 1 Ioh 2. saith We require no more the Anointing of the holy Spirit doth teach the faitâ—ful to understand those things which they received of the Apostles there from to understand those things which are necessary to Salvation for these things those Believers had received of the Apostles With more to the same purpose in that Chapter lib. 1. c. 5. Thes. 32. contr Bellarm. H. Bullinger asserts in his 4 Decas and 8. Serm. dedicated to K. Edw. 6. That Men fetch'd the understanding of heavenly things and knowledge of the holy Ghost from no where else then from the same Spirit Doct. Owen saith The only publick Authentick and infallible Interpreter of the Holy Scriptures is he who is the Author of them from the breathing of whose Spirit it derives all its Verity Perspicuity and Authority Exerc. 2.7.9 T. C. an Antient and Considerable Baptist saith There is the Law and Testimony in the Spirit as well as in the Letter The Law of God is in the Heart there it is written and there it testifieth the Truth of God and if any Man speak not according to this Rule it