did shew forth Christ which was the substance he finding him riding in his Chariot and thou Beast dost wrest this Scripture and pervert it and so takest a place of Scripture and raisâ—st Doctrines Poynts and Uses as thou callest them and what thou conceivest and imaginest of it and so sellest it for money and so makest an hours talk of it and art in one of these Text a moneth or more and speakest thine own inventions of it Did they do so O thou Blasphemer Philip had not a set wages of him but he was moved of the Lord to go to the Eunuch when he was going to Jerusalem to worship so if any were moved of the Lord to come unto any of you who are going to worship and reading of the Scripture and should shew you the substance of it such as thou art would fall a raging for it takes away your Trade we do witness that which Philip did but we deny thee to be in Philips place but onely Antichrist like hath gotten his form O thou Enemy of all Righteousness who hath wrested many Scriptures and perverted them to thine own way Acts 23. 6. to maintain thee in thy filthiness and to make a cover for thee but thou art discovered with all who are uncovered and stand naked before the Lord God Almighty Prayses be to him for him And above all thou sayst thou hast Christ for an example for taking a Text the words which Christ spoke he said it was fulfilled Luke 4. 17. Isai 61. 1. and if thou take his words for an example Is thy Text which thou speakest fulfilled then why dost thou ly so long in a Text Christ said his was fulfilled that day who said the Lord had anoynted him to preach Luke 4. 21. which thou art not nor â—anst witness and Christ did not take it and raise Doctrines Reasons Uses Tryals and Motives and have a set time and a set wages and preach out of it a moneth or more as thou dost but sayd it was fulfilled that day which thou couldst never witness nor yet say O thou impudent and brazen-faced how darest thou take Christ for an example to maintain thee in thy silthiness Christs words we own to be tru and to be fulfilled prayâ—ed be the Lord for ever which thou hast nothing to do with but wrests them with thy corrupt carnal minde to thy own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. but as the Prophet did speak of the Merchants of Babylon as thou art one of them in the mystery of Witchcraft and so with thy craft dost deceive simple ones and the Scriptures I know cannot err from that which gave it forth and thy spirit I know to be the spirit of errour which is the same that ever deceived the Nations and we witness the Scripture in our hearts as Christ did And as touching thy Belief we deny it for thou neither believest Christ nor us for if thou wert of God tou would own us as they sayd who needed no man to teach them but the anoynting 1 John 2. 27. but that thou art without and in the world an Antithrist and there I leave thee Whereas thou dost accuse us of a profane spirit it is the profane minde and spirit in thee which judgest the spirit of truth so because it doth shew that which the profane nature cannot bear and whereas thou dost accuse that we finde fault with your often calling and seeking to God that is false for we would have all to call upon the Lord while he is near and to seek him while he may be found Isai 55. 6. and that is the intent of all our writing and printing or coming to your Steeple-houses or coming abroad for your souls good which you shall eternally witness though your corrupt filthy mindes do reject it but thou Hypocrite and Pharise and Enemy of all Righteousness all thy prayers we utterly deny for they are abominacion to the Lord and all thy blessings are cursed as in Mal. 2. Your praying in the Synagogues as the Pharises did Christ did deny and we also do deny the same and so will every one where Christ is risen deny thee and such as thou art for he is but one the same to day yesterday and for ever whom thou art an Enemy to and in the Generacion of them that ever were so Friend thou sayst thou art jealous that we are acted by a spirit of Satan and dost accuse us to be like those spoken of in Mal. 3. these are thy companions eternally I witness it and there thou art present now among them in the same nature and one that walks out of the commands of God as I have proved before and out of the commands of Christ following thine imaginacions and therefore are we all witnesses against thee that thou art in the Sorcery in the Witchcraft and in the Adultery and in the corrupt seed whose blessings are cursed the same light sees it now and sees thee in the same Generation And whereas thou dost accuse us concerning Prayer thou gatherest many Scriptures in thine imaginacions the Saints prayed continually and from them Scriptures thou imitatest a Form and accusest us who live in the praying continually and to thee it cannot appear in thy carnal form neither dost thou know our spirit for it terrifies thee nor the spirit of the Apostle and we do witness the condicion that the Apostle speaks of praying continually and in every thing giving thanks 1 Thess 5. 17. 1 Tim. 2. 8. But this thou canst not witness to be fulfilled to that which should exercise thy conscience do I speak which shall eternally witness we for thou art dead and the dead cannot prayse God and that which should prayse God in thee is in the Grave and none in the Grave can prayse him Isai 38. 18. and thy carnal minde in thee is limiting God in thy carnal form and custom and with a pretence of thy Prayers Pharise like which is but mocking God and hatefull and abominacion to him and all who are of him thy Prayers and spirit will be denyed by them and thou accuser art without in the world among the false accusers 2 Tim. 3. 3. and thou must deny all thy prayers and all thy customs and all thy worship and all thy imitated Churches as thou callest them and all thy praysings and all the worlds ways before ever thou knowest God or us Qu. 8. Shew me by the Scriptures where the Apostles went into the world and gave the world David's Psalms to sing in Meeter these things that ye practisâ— answer them by the Scripture or the Apostles practise without consequence and imaginacions Priests Answer That the Apostles went into the world that is up and down in several parts of it is clear by all their Epistles That the Apostles Commission from Iesus Christ in their going forth to preach to all Nations was this Teaching them to observe all whatsoever I have commanded you is as clear Matth. 28. 20. That the
Apostles were men that were under the same commands that were generally commanded of all men cannot be denyed and if so then they were to teach this very Lesson of singing Psalms to the world where they went see Psal 100. 1. 96. 1. 117. 1. 61. 32. 148. 11 12 13. 145. 21. 150. 6. Now because you generally keep such work about this particular but further least you should evade this the New Testament is not altogether silent in this case for we reade of Christ that he sung a Hymn with his Disciples after Supper according to the manner of the Iews at their Feasts which say some was a Part of the 116 Psalm Paul and Silas sung in Prison and besides this Paul observed the command of God in this particular for he taught the Churches this very thing Ephes 5. 19 20. â—ol 3. 16. yea and the Apostle Iames declares the very extent of the command Iames 5. 13. holding it forth as a general duty without exception he sayth Is any merry let him sing Psalms For singing them in Meeter I would ask thee such a Question whether a truth in Meeter holding forth the goodness greatness majesty or mercy of God do not remain a truth instructing comforting edifying as well as the same in Prose If so the Devil hath befooled you exceedingly to make you so busie without cause as you are in this thing and while you pretend for truth of one hand you are beating down truth on the other hand publickly and visibly but besides this the Psalms were penned by the Spirit of God so no question they were directed to be sung in the Temple to that end David sent the Psalms to the chief Musician or Master of the Musick to put them in Meeter for singing and gave them grave Tunes to sing them forth in for the Hebrew Psalms were sung in Meeter in the Temple and in Tunes invented and what makes it worse now than it was heretofore God hath required the singing of Psalms even of English men as they are a part of the world then to that end Scripture-Psalms which were Themes and Verses are translated into English Psalms which Themes and Verses in like sort that we might sing them besides all this I would have thee to know that we are not to live onely by examples but by precepts also now I have discovered general precepts for the practise of this and as we are to do it so we are to do it spiritually orderly and most to edificacion and so the general Rule is 1 Cor. 14. 26 40. the Apostle in the 26 verse specifies this particular of a Psalm now what can be more for edificacion and decency and order than to follow that order that had been used so long before with the approbacion of God himself Hezekiah set the house of God in order and this was one thing he did he put the singing of Davids Psalms in order as in the 2 Chron. 29. 30. and in chapter 7. 30. 26. God blames him not for it but saith he There is none like him from the days of Solomon and to this day the order is not contradicted by God that I know if thou knowest more discover it Last of all exception is taken because they are given forth to the world any Assembly of Christians coming together to worship God are not bound up so close but a company of the world may come in amongst them and joyn with them in those things which are required of all men as hearing the Word praying or singing of Psalms and Christians are not to refrain because they are there for this see that place 1 Cor. 14. 23 24. Now whatsoever thou judgest I dare not but judg that God hath some of his people in our meetings that are Christians indeed and though there may be more of the world I know not that this should be a ground to forbear that which all in the Congregation are required to do viz to speak good of God A Reply to the Priests Answer Whereas thou goest about to maintain the singing of Davids Psalms in a Meeter and that the Apostles did so and went into the world to give to the world Davids Psalms to sing in a Meeter which David sayth The dead cannot prayse the Lord here I charge thee in the presence of the Almighty God to be a perverter of Scriptures and of the Apostles words and Davids words and dost bring in a consequence to bring them into the same carnal invencion that thou art in and wouldst make them like thy self and thou bringest a Scripture Matth. 28. 20. that the Apostles went into the world to give to the world Davids Psalms to sing in a Meeter there is not a word in the Scripture that Christ sent his Apostles into the world to give them Davids Psalms to sing in Meeter here thou accusest Christ and wouldst make him like thy self and wouldst make the Apostles like thy self here again I charge thee to be a wrester and a perverter of the Scriptures thou speakest of Paul and Silas singing and them thou dost bring to confirm thy going into the world to give to the world Davids Psalms in a Meeter here thou hast shewed forth thy blindness sottishness and ignorance Paul and Silas when they sung prayses to God they were in Prison which condicion thou never knewest and another Scripture thou bringest concerning Christ and his Disciples when they did sing an Hymn which thou art ignorant of but art in the Generacion of the Pharises and Priests that â—ought to put him to death who hath gotten the form of his words therefore as Amos sayth The songs of the Temple shall be turned into houling Amos 8. thy songs and all your songs another Scripture thou bringest in the Ephesians and Colossians to maintain thy beastly end of going into the world who are ignorant and live in darkness and giving them Davids Psalms in a Meeter contrary to all the Scripture and the practise of all the Saints and wouldst compare the Church who are gathered out of the world the Saints to be like the world and thy beastly worship who sung with the spirit and with understanding and with grace making melody to the Lord in their hearts 1 Cor. 14. 15. Heb. 2. 12. but the world turns the grace of God into wantonness and how darest thou compare them with those that lives and dwels in the grace of God and sings with grace and with the spirit but here thou hast shewed forth thy ignorance and blindness and it is that fools may utter forth their folly and that blinde Guides might appear openly and here I charge thee again to wrest the Scriptures and David thou bringest for the justifying of thy going into the world and giving them his Psalms to sing in Meeter who sayd Sing unto the Lord a new Song and none can sing a new song but who are redeâ—med from the earth Rev. 14. 3. and who are not
of the world and here thou art an adder and the Plagues are added to thee therefore all thy consequence and Songs we utterly deny and thy vain imitacions thou wouldst fain get a colour out of the Apostles words to maintain thee in thy filthiness but thy shelter is taken away and thy coverings and thou art discovered to be without and not in the practise of the Saints Friend the singing with the spirit as they did we own that singing in grace we own and making melody to the Lord in the heart we own and the singing of a New Song we own and witness as the Saints did but thy singing we do deny and witness against it Glory glory to the Highest Another Scripture thou bringest to maintain the singing of Davids Psalms in Meeter that the Apostle gave them to the ignorant world which is Iames 5. 13. where there is not a word in the Scriptures for it but he sayd If any be merry let him sing Psalms which he spoke to the Saints scattered abroad and not to the world and there thou art a Lyar of him and a false accuser of him the Apostles sayd they would sing with understanding and here thou shewest that thou hast no understanding nor no grace that thou livest in it s not to be given to people that turn the grace of God into wantonness and have no understanding in things that be eternal nor of the Saints condicions that were gathered out of the world here thou hast made thy self voyd of the knowledg of God and of Christ and of the Apostles and all the Saints thy Meeter we do deny and they who turned them into Meeter are like thy self therefore do we witness the beating down of all thy strong holds and singing in Meeter thou hast got another mans condicion into Meeter and all people I take to record if thou shouldst see David roaring quaking and trembling and water his Bed with his tears Psal 32. 3. â— 11. â— â— 42. 3. and have this turned into a Meeter and get up into a Pulpit among ignorant people of beastical mindes and then say Let us sing to the prayse and glory of God Let all people judg what thou justifiest and this is thy imitated singing which is altogether to his dishonor and this is thy Psalm but who are moved to sing with understanding and making melody to the Lord in their hearts we own if it be in Meeter we own it O thou blinde Hypocrite was David of the world when he did sing prayses and did David send his Psalms to the chief Musician to havo them put in Meeter and so to give them to the world thou neither knowest the Example nor the Precept which thou wouldst have us to know nor David and all thy Precepts we do deny and that minde in thee which doth discover them as thou sayst which is thy own practise and not the practise of the Saints for there is nothing proceeds out of thee but what comes out of thy imaginacions and invencions but the Precept which the Scripture speaks of we know and witness which thou art ignorant of as thou makest it to appear and all those Psalms which you have turned into an English Meeter we deny and such as thou art who keep people in blinde forms and customs but the singing prayses to God as David did we own and witness Psal. 104. 33. 144. 9. which thou art without and ignorant of and an Enemy to and to them who witness the same condicion as he was in And friend another Scripture thou bringest 1 Cor. 14. 26 40. to maintain thee that the Apostle went into the world and gave them Davids Psalms in a Meeter to sing and here I charge thee in the presence of the Lord to wrest the Scripture and to add to the Scripture for the Apostle spoke this not to the world but he spoke to the Brethren if thou wert not blinde thou mightst see it the very Letter declares it O thou slanderous Beast why dost thou slander the Church of God and would make them like the rude world strikers fighters Ps 33. 2. 89. 5. but it is that thou mightst shew forth thy folly blindness sortishness and ignorance thou Hypocrite if thou wouldst sing now as David did then where is thy Harp Lute and thy loud Symball here thou shewest thy self that thou art neither in Davids condicion nor the Apostles nor in the Saints condicion but art without following thy own filthy imaginacions living in the cursed nature which holds up all these abominacions and the abominable invencions of men which God forbids Thou sayst God hath required the singing of these Psalms of English men in this thou art a Lyar O thou Lyar God never commanded these Psalms to be sung of English men which you have turned into a Meeter but they are your own invencions and when you reade them Hats you keep on and when you sing them Hats you put off and here you worship the works of your own hands thou sayst you ought to do it spiritually which is thy own invencion and applicacion and thee and thy application we do deny and there is nothing of the spirit born up in thy understanding to guide thee now here thou shewest to be in the same nature that the world is in they say they ought to do such things and doth not here thou shewest thy self to be one of them without and not in the same minde the Apostle was in who sayd We will sing with the spirit and we will sing With understanding and with grace but we do deny all thy imitacions And â—riend another Scripture thou bringest to hold up giving to the world Davids Psalms to sing in Meeter 2 Chron. 29. 30. and here I charge thee in this Scripture to be a Lyar in the presence of the Lord God Almighty and an adder to the Scriptures for they sang prayses to the Lord who were Brethren that came to the house of the Lord as the Scripture sayth and Hezekiah did not give them Davids Psalms to sing in Meeter which were Enemies to God but these did sing when the House was cleansed and this is nothing to thee to hold up thine abominacions and to give the world Davids Psalms in Meeter but openly to all people hast thou shewed thy self thou sayst God blamed him not there was none like him therefore thou mayst see thy self he was not of the world and here thou shewest thou dost not know the old Covenant and hastraced thy self out of them both and hast made thy self stark blinde thou sayst to this day the order is not contradicted by God Did not Steven witness and say God doth not dwell in Temples made with hands Acts 7. 48. and for witnessing forth the substance was stoned to death and the Apostle Paul witnessed against all the Figures Types and Shadows and all their Customs and outside Observances and all their offering and contradicted that which God
had commanded when the everlasting Offering was come and against the outward Temple but thou art blinde and canst not see it Pharise like but thy minde is seen to be contradictory who wouldst contradict the truth and doth not see the end of God in fulfilling his Types and Figures and when they are fulfilled he doth contradict them and therefore do we contradict thee which actest these things God never commanded that which God had commanded was contradicted as Circumcision and the outward Temple and the Sabboth and all the Priests were denyed with them who had received Iesus Christ and here thou hast shewed thy self to be a blinde Pharise which knowest not the precepts nor commands of God but followest thy own imaginacions and thy own invencions which I have charged thee withall formerly and here I charge thee to be a blinde Guide Matth. 23. 16. and therefore came the Apostle to contradict all the Jews who held up the Figures after the substance was come but thou art blinde as the Pharises were and worse for when the Apostles had received the substance they contradicted the Pharises which held up the Types and Shadows which God had commanded and killed them that did witness the substance come but thou natural brute Beast who knowest nothing of God nor his truth must be consumed by unquenchable sier thou speakest of an Assembly of Christians coming together to worship God but a company of the world may come and thou joynest with them here thou shewest plainly that thy worship is no tru worship of God for they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth Iohn 4. 23 24. for such are they which he seeks to worship him but not in the Steeple-house the mighty day of the Lord is coming and God that made the world doth not dwell in Temples made with hands therefore come down thou painted Beast which deceivest the people God will overturn thee and thy worship and all such as thou art and them who are of God God is sending them forth to give you the Cup double that ye have given to them thou sayst an Assembly of Christians coming together to worship God are not bound up so close but a company of the world may come in and joyn with them here thou shewest that thy Assembly are all of one spirit and here thou shewest plainly that thy spirit and their spirit is the spirit of the world and not the spirit that was in the Apostles and Saints which sayd What concord hath Christ with Belial and what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness 2 Cor 6. 14. and here thou hast raced thy self out of the tru worship of God and I know thy spirit is not bound up but it is at liberty in the world in the broad way and therefore with them it can joyn and so here thou shewest thy self to be of a contrary spirit to them that preached the Word the Ministers of the Word are not Ministers of the Letter wherein it doth appear that thou art a Minister of the Letter a wrester of it those who are the Ministers of the Word speak forth freely and testifie against such hierlings as thou art who art bound up in thy form and set place and against all thy customary praying and singing for the preaching of the Word is to declare freely to all it is not bound up but such as thou wouldst limit it who doth keep poor simple people in bondage under thee I do believe God hath a people which is in captivity under thy dark imitated Forms and such as thine and who are misled by such as thou art for we were all under such blinde Guides as thou art until God of his infinite love did shew us his way and his light and your ways therefore in the presence of the Lord God do we testifie against all such practises as thine and for the simple ones sakes who are under such blinde Guides as thou art do we let forth our selves that they may see how such as thou bewitchest them and keepest them from worshipping the living God by thy imaginacions Gal. 3. 1. Thou bringest a place 1 Cor. 14. 23 24. to maintain singing of Davids Psalms in a Meeter but in that Scripture there is no such thing in it here again thou openly shewest thy self to be a perverter of the Scriptures and a wrester of it what communion hath the believer with the unbeliever here thou shewest thy self to be one of Babylon full of confusion and confused in thy words contrary to the Scripture and a wrester of it for the world knows not God by all its wisdom Thou sayst that your Congregacion is required to speak good of God O you Generacion of Vipers how can you being evil speak good things Mat. 3. 7. Here thou crossest Christs words thou wouldst have the Generacion of Vipers to speak good things An evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit how can you speak good of God that speak nor good of his people the Pharises when they met together did they speak good of God when they sayd Christ was a Devil and gathered together with the chief Priests and sought to put him to death Iohn 11. 53. and in this generacion thou art taking counsel against Christ and against his anoynted incensing the rude multitude against them and is this speaking good of God Query 9. Whether a man shall overcome the body of sin while he â—â— on the earth yea or no Priests Answer There are divers and several victories over sin as first a victory over the dominion and reigning power of sin Rom. 6. 14. this is not given by the power of man but by the power of grace there is a victory over the condemning presence of sin sin cannot so hurt any elect Vessel as to throw him into â—ell and eternal wrath and condemnaâ—ion Rom. 8. 1. There is a victory over the being of sin in the flesh and whatsoever curse thou sayest on me for the same I must profess that I am of the minde that victory â—s not fully enjoyed while we are on the earth for then and not before when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption Death is swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15. 54. and the Apostle cals the body of sin the body of death Rom. 7. 24. A Reply to the Priests Answer Friend thou bringest so many Scriptures which is to the throwing down of thy own self as Rom. 6 14. and thou desirest to be satisfied to the contrary to thy belief for thou believest that man shall not be made free from sin as long as he is here and here I will shew thee that thou hast a lying spirit for in Rom. 6. they sayd they were made free from sin for while they were servants of sin they were made free from righteousness and here thou shewest a contrary spirit to that which was in the Apostle and thou desirest to be fully satisfied in those Scriptures in Rom. 7. 18.
ascended into Heaven where was he all that time being dead long before discover this by Scripture any of you all if cleared to any of you Answ Here thou Beast art got up and shewest forth thy pride when thou knowest the Heavens thou shalt know where David is wouldst thou have a meaning to that which the Apostle spoke another meaning to his words he sayd it was so plainly and we witness the same David is not yet ascended what sayst thou to that we witness it is as the Apostle spoke Acts 12. 34. wouldst thou pervert his words here thou hast shewed forth thy dark minde Davids Sepulcher we know and see and it is with us as the Apostle sayd Acts 2. 29. if thou hast an ear thou mayst hear but thou art blinde and therefore dost thou rage and cavil and there thou wouldst have another meaning to the Scripture in this Query which shews that thou hast not the same Spirit that gave them forth and plainly hast shewed forth thy blindness and ignorance wouldst thou have the Scripture cleared up to thy dark minde and carnal eye as Job sayd It is hid from thee the Scriptures are as they speak we witness them here I charge thee again thou wouldst have another meaning to Scriptures than they are and thou wouldst have us to clear them to thy covetous eye but thou must have thy eye cleared for Darkness cannot comprehend the Light John 1. 5. as the Scriptures sayth for the natural man knows not the things of God 1 Cor. 2. 14. thou knowest them not nor no Serpent nor Scribes and Pharises who are in thy nature but God is Light in him is no darkness at all who hath made himself manifest unto us we do witness that they are of no private interpretacion 2 Pet. 1. 20. and we deny all thy clearing which thou wouldst have us to give of them for we own them with that Spirit which gave them forth And in the same Query thou speakest of George Fox who as thou sayst is our cunning and subtle Leader the name of George Fox is carnal and thou with thy carnal eye and by thy carnal imaginacions lookst and imaginest our Leader to be carnal such as thine is the carnal Letter but herein thou art under the power of witchcraft and the deceit hath blinded thy eye for our Leader is not carnal but eternal and spiritual Rom. 8. 14. which leading yet thou never knewst nor canst not witness therefore dost thou blaspheme but art lead by thy imaginacions as in this thing thou makest plainly appear and art guided and lead by him who is the subtlest of any Beast of the field the cunning Serpent under whose dominion and government thou art and that which all the tru servants of God in all generacions were guided by do we witness to be our Leader who was before time when as George Fox is in time and so not the Leader of the Saints but him we own as one with us in the eternal unity Query 1. What they were that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgressions he being the publick head of mankinde in the first Creation Answ Thou wouldst know what they were that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgressions but thy knowledg is bruitish and they are hid from thee without thy understanding eternally and here thou hast shewed forth thy self not to have the same Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures for if thou hadst thou mightst see them and if thou knewst Adam as he was in the beginning as he was in the head as thou sayst thou mightst see them but thou dost not see thy self in the fall and the death passed over thee which hath passed over all men Rom. 5. 12. and art in the trangression of Adam in the fall eating of the Tree of knowledg which God forbad but those we do know which thou with that eye shalt never see who art a busi-body Query 2. Wherein was Adam a Figure of him that was to come Answ Wouldst thou have the Figure cleared to thy dark minde he was the Figure of him that was to come here thou shewest thou neither knowest the Figure nor the Substance if thou hadst known the Figure or the Substance thou wouldst have known the Apostles meaning we witness as it is and here I charge thee again that thou wouldst have another meaning than the Apostle spoke who wouldst have the Scripture cleared shewing that thou hast not the same Spirit that the Apostles had Râ—m 5. 14. here thou makest thy self manifest to be a stranger to the life of God death reigns in thee and thou neither knowest Adam nor Moses and there is the Scripture cleared up to thee it is thou that must be cleared and there is thy meaning to it Query 1. Who were they that were baptised for the dead 1 Cor. 15. 29. Answ Wouldst thou have another meaning of them who are baptised for the dead it seems that the dead is not risen in thee and here thâ—n standst in thy imaginacions and that dead minde in thee shall never know any thing of the Scripture nor any thing of God but art dead from the truth 1 Cor. 15. 29. but we witness it to be fulfilled Query 2. What his meaning is in being baptised for the dead Answ Here is the evil minde in thee that would be aspiring to know the Baptisme of the Dead here thou shewest thou never knewst Christ nor the Apostles nor Baptisme nor Death in thy self Rom. 6. 3. but makest thy ignorance and foolishness to appear when ever thou knowest Death to that which is alive in thee and that thou must before ever thou comest to know the Scriptures that which would have a meaning to it we do deny for we witness it through the death of that nature which is alive in thee who art blinde and canst not see which never shall know the meaning of that Scripture but Death with thy carnal eye Rom. 8. 6. Query 3. How this makes to the proving of the Point of the Resurrection the Apostle instancing it to this end Answ When thou knowest the Baptisme thou shalt know the Resurrection but to make a Point of Resurrection I utterly deny here thou hast shewed thy witchcraft I charge thee in the presence of the Lord God Almighty to make an Image for thy dead minde as touching the point of the Resurrection Psalm 73. â—0 the Resurrection thou wouldst have a Point made of it and the proof of this Point to thy dead carnal minde I utterly deny thy Points with thy dead minde raised out of the dead Letter which was given forth from a living and an eternal Spirit but thy dead minde is an Enemy to the Resurrection and here thou shewest thy self plainly unlearned 2 Pet. 3. 16. and untaught of God for before thou know the Resurrection thou must deny all thy dead Points and Proofs and openly hast thou declared it in these Queryes that thou
Apostle speaks of thou knowest not but art an enimy to it neither knowest thou the Milk that was given to the Flock but thou art one of them that fayl with thy Feet Ezek 34. 18. that hast nothing but the Husk which is fit for nothing but the Swine but as a Theif wouldst be up in the Apostles Condicion The Apostl spoke the Truth which thou art out of and to the flock he spoke of it and the Vineyard thou art an enimy to and that with all thy power and might wouldst wrest the Scripture but thou art thrust out and discovered with them who are within and seen by us and so I bid thee Farewell unto Perdicion thou must go Query 3. Whether the Apostles did not give a tru Exposicion of the 9 verse in the forecited â—hapter and in the 10 verse And if so then he that Plougheth and Thresheth may do it in hope and expectacion of outward preservacion in his labour not to have his mouth muzelled Answ Thou wouldst not have thy mouth muzeled the mouth of the false Prophets must be stopped as the Apostle saith Evil Beasts Slow-bâ—llies whose mouths must be stopped Tit. 1. 11 12. and thou art one of them who takes the Apostles words for thy carnal ends and wouldst have Exposicions upon his words who perverts his words and sayst he gave Exposicions who spoke plainly and thou showest thy self to be one of them that the Apostle spoke unto Query 4. Whether there be not the same equity that those that wait on the Gospell should have maintenance as well as those that wayted on the Temple and on the Altar Aensw They that waited on the Altar lived upon the Altar and they that preached the Gospel lived on the Gospel 1 Cor. 9 13. but repent thou knowest neither but art a deceiver and makest a Trade upon the Scripture but praised be the Lord God who hath given a Light to discover thee and to draw from under thy bands for thou neither waitest upon the Altar nor canst not witness the Gospel but only that Scripture thou bringest to maintain thy gift which thou confessest thou receivest worse then Balaam 2 Pet. 2. 15. Query 5. Whether the Ordinances of Christ in this be out of Date yea or no Answ Christ is the same he was where he is made manifest and his Ordinances the same but thou art one that dost deny them and disobey them Did not Christ command his whom he made Teachers Mat. 23. 8. 10. that they should not be called of men Masters and that they would not have the cheifest place in the Assemblies for they were all Brethren Come down thou painted Beast and proud Pharisy who ever wast an enimy of Christ Wo is thy Porcion for thou art out of date with them for thou dost not observe them Query 6. Whether simply taking of Wages make a Hierling yea â—r no Answ Thou robest the World whereas the Apostle saith he robed the Churches 2 Cor. 11 8. and thou robst the world for the Church of God is the ground and Pillar of Truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. Thou blind Sot and coloured Beast doth not wages make a Hyerling thou canst not deny but thou art an Hyerling thou receivest a gift Balaams wages of unrighteousness therefore Wo is thy Porcion VVhat hast thou to do with the Apostles who spoke against gifts Query 7 If so How could Paul be excused from being a Hierling he taking wages as well as others Answ Art thou as Paul was or wouldst thou make him like thy self who robest the world and he took of other Churches O thou filthy Beast who slanderest the Church of Christ and the Apostles with thy filthy minde who wouldst make the Apostle an Hyerling like thy self who hast nothing to do with the Apostle nor the Church of Christ but as a filthy fellow thou makest a trade upon the Letter and other mens Condicions to deceive withall but thou art discovered to be worse than Balaam who denyed the gift of Baalack though he loved it Num. 22. 18. but all thy Pleading and Querying is for the gift showing thy self to be worse than Balaam Query 8. Whether the worlds wages doth not imply some kinde of contract between them yea or no because he had wages of other Churches for preaching to those of Corinth Phil. 4. 17 18. Answ Thou askest whether Paul did well or no in receiving a gift of the Phillipians thou wrestest his words in saying he received a gift for saith he in the Scripture not because I desire a gift but I desire fruit that may abound to your account But I have all Phil. 4. 17 18. How fain wouldst thou make the Apostle like thy self an Offender so thy eye is blinded with a gift as it is written and here I charge thee to accuse the Apostle falsly Query 9. Whether if Paul received a gift why may not others supply their necessaries Answ Paul sayd not because I desire a gift in the same verse which words thou pervertest but that fruit might abound for he denyed Balaams gifts Thou enimy of Righteousness how darest thou slander the Apostle who was a tru Minister of God all thy end in thy Querying is for thy gift to maintain thee in Balaams Seat here I charge thee by the Lord to be a perverter of the Scripture who art in the way of Kain Iude 11. I can scarce compare thee to Balaam for he denyed the gift which thou pleadest for and wrestest the Scripture to maintain it and therefore Wo is to thee who lovest the wages of unrighteousness but thou art one who servest not the Lord Iesus Christ but thy own Belly and by good words and fayr speeches deceivest the hearts of the simple Rom 16 18. Phil 3 19. Query 10 Whether David was not in a heavenly condicion while on the Earth as well as any of you being a man after Gods own heart Acts 2 34. Answ He was in that heavenly Condicion which thou shalt never see David we witness and his Condicion whom thou art an enimy to and with thy aspiring mind wouldst know but it is the subtle Serpent which is shut forth which Christ cryed Wo unto you Serpents which paint your selves with the Prophets words Math 23 33 and so thou art painted and wouldst be painted and Wo is thy Porcion as t was theirs Math â—3 33. Query 11 What Heaven is this that he is not ascended into Answ â—hou wouldst know what Heaven David is not ascended into thou never knâ—west Davids Condicion that he was in that Minde of thine must first know Hell where the wicked are turned into Psal 9 17. Thou hast nothing to do to know where David is ascended for thou never knewest his first estate nor thou art not brought into his Condicion but he that knowes the Heaven of heavens knows what heaven it is he that hath an Eare let him hear but thou art in the generacion of them that hated David Query 3. If not