that they were of at Munster who followed John of Leydon and thought to build up Sion with blood and beat down its enemies with carnal weapons for though they might pretend to be led by the Spirit within them we know that that which led them into uproars war and bloodshed was not the Spirit of Christ which leads us for it teaches us to love our enemies and to save mens lives and not to destroy And for the corrupt principles and practises of those called Ranters we have given testimony against them which all that have heard and duly weighed in that Spirit that tries all things can witness that we are as far from them as light from darkness but whereunto shall I liken the men of this generation for when the Spirit of Christ doth so work in the hearts of any that they cannot run with the world into rioting and excess then presently they will call it Belzebub Mat. 10.25 or the Devil transformed into an Angel of Light as the Pharisees did unto Christ in the dayes of his flesh and if they called the Master of the house Belzebub no wonder if it be more done to them of his houshold But as for self-mortification voluntary humility and will worship whereof we are accused we know it avails not but those which do by the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh shall finde comfort in so doing and an humble heart Isa 57.15 with a broken and contrite Spirit which doth fear God and tremble at his Word however that be reproached as one of the Devils tricks yet such a one God delights to teach and dwell in Ch. 66.2 and we with whom his Tabernacle is do not worship in our wills but in Spirit and Truth neither do we say that it is a perfect demonstration of humility to cast away band-strings lace and ribbonds though we believe it a duty incumbent upon us to abstain from wearing things superfluous and unserviceable and also from all excess in meats and drinks though we know the Kingdom of God stands not therein yet we desire to be found temperate and in modest apparel 1 Tim. 2.9 according to the good example of the ancient Christians And further I do observe how the Author of that writing with which I now deal hath often misrepresented our doctrines and practise as further may appear by a serious view of his and what follows thereby I perceive he doth not rightly understand us and I am perswaded did never regularly try our Spirits either by a sober hearing of our doctrines declared by our own mouths and pens or by his own view of our practises but hath heard and believed what evil and prejudiced men have maliciously printed and said against us on purpose to slander and render us odious Therefore in answer to what is said against us I shall labour rather for the stopping of slanders and to prevent misconstructions to inform the Reader of the Truth of those doctrines which we do believe and practice then particularly to traduce the Author with whom I have to deal though in many things more I might shew wherein he hath wronged us and given unsound constructions both of Scripture and our doctrines and practices Concerning the Scriptures and concerning the Word Spirit and Light within Concerning the Scripture I say we do not slight them nor cast them off as a dead Letter Paper and Ink but own them which Moses and the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles did write or speak forth as they were moved by the Spirit of God so far as they are free from false transcription and corrupt translation to be the very words and true sayings of God and therefore not to be slighted but read believed and practised by every true Christian but they that are unlearned of Christ 2 Pet. 3.10 whose hearts are not stablished by the grace of God do pervert or wrest the Scriptures out of their right place to their own destruction not rightly distinguishing betwixt the Law and Gospel times nor betwixt that which was abolished for the unprofitableness thereof and that which God hath established for ever and therefore we do direct all to that Word of God which was in the beginning before the Scriptures were written Read Joh. the first of which the Scriptures testifie that it is Life and is the Light of men that shines in darkness even in mens dark hearts shewing the grosness and corruption of their hearts I say this Word which was and is God the Saviour of all them that believe who searcheth all hearts and incomprehensibly dwels in his Kingdom that is in man and doth reprove man for his unbelief and evil deeds we do direct all to wait to knovv this ingrafted Word and hearken to it Luke 17.20 21. that they may not be unlearned but all taught of the Lord that Spirit vvhich holy men of God knevv and did believe in Jam. 1.21 and vvas moved or led by before the Scriptures vvere vvritten that so by this Interpreter one of a thousand people may have the Scriptures opened and feel the povver of God and have faith in the povver and live in the life that the Primitive Christians lived in Act. 26.17 18. and thus to direct people to the Word Spirit or Light of God vvithin is none of the Devils vvork as he saith but the vvork of Christs ancient Ministers neither doth it make void the Scriptures 1 Joh. 1 2 3. but establisheth them in their right place as a true Declaration and the Lord Jesus Christ vvho is that quickning Spirit vvhich doth enlighten every man that cometh into the vvorld in his right place as the foundation which unto all generations standeth sure Joh. 1.9 1 Cor. 3.9 2 Tim. 2.19 neither can our directing people to this foundation Christ the Light vvhich enlightens their consciences have such bad effects as to lay them open to all base lusts error and delusion for all those things are condemned vvith the Light and they that believe and do such things go from and against the Light in their ovvn consciences Concerning the tryal of Spirits I say the Apostle gave forth no such command as that we should try the Spirit of God by the Scriptures for it is most absurd to try the superior by the inferior and no man can rightly understand the Scripture nor discern Spirits whether they be of God or no but by the Light of the Spirit of God within 1 Cor. 2.14 Therefore are they worthily reproved who presume by strength of reason sharpness of wit and humane learning both to judge of the Scripture and of the Spirit of God and its movings in men Jer. 31.33 as the Scribes Pharisees and chief Priests did who in their pride and self-wit sate as Judges of the Law in the letter Isa 8.20 Heb. 10.16 and thereby condemned Christ the Prince of Life and also his blessed Martyr Stephen as blasphemers that were not
worthy to live and this was the fruit of trying the Spirit by the Scripture when mans wisdom sate as Judge of both Note That we own the Scriptures to be a rule but not the onely rule whereby to cry Spirits which is rather to be judged by them both and let such as know no other rule whereby to try Spirits but the Scriptures confess they are ignorant of the Law written in the heart and of the testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit or Word of Prophesie that is near in the heart even the more sure Word surer then the words of the Prophets or Apostles which may be wrested for it is a Light in a dark place viz. the heart to give man a true understanding of their words and his Law that is written there is perfect and unalterable and by this rule holy men of God tryed Spirits before the Scriptures were written and so all the Spirits that are gone out into the world may be tryed and those that are contrary to it are also contrary to the Scriptures rightly understood and therefore under the judgement of both 2 Pet. 1.19 but the Spirit of God judgeth all things but ought to be judged of no man therefore sad will be their accompt that call it the Devil and its motions his impulses for all sins and blasphemies against the son of man may be forgiven Mat. 12.31 32 but the blasphemy against the holy Spirit shall not be forgiven neither in this world nor in that to come Concerning Perfection We say first that we have sinned and God hath let us see it and we have confessed it 1 Joh. 1.7 and he hath forgiven it through the blood of Christ which doth wash and cleanse us from it and by his power we are kept from sinning yet do we not boast of perfection in our selves because by the grace of God we are what we are howbeit we know that it is the Commandment of Christ that we should be perfect even as our Heavenly Father is perfect Mat. 5 48 and therefore we are perswaded it is not impossible for us to be so whilst here in this life for he is not such an hard Master to command impossibilities Heb. 10.10 14. and moreover by one offering he hath for ever perfected them that are sanctified and we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all therefore perfected for ever and this was and is the very end for which he sends forth his Ministers Eph. 4.11 12 13 even to gather the Saints into the unity of the Faith to a perfect man in the mersure fulness and stature of Christ 1 Joh. 3 5 to 11. who even for this purpose was manifest to take away sin and destroy the works of the Devil but if any will yet say that cannot be whilst here in this life for some sin will remain in men whilst on this side the grave let them answer me these questions 1. Whether they believe that any shall enter in to inherit Gods Kingdom and if yea then whether they believe that they shall enter into it with some sin in them and if nay then in what time and place shall they be cleansed and their sin perfectly done away seeing they deny it to be possible whilst in this life but we affirm it being perswaded that there is no purgatory wherein to be cleansed after death and knowing that Christ Jesus is able to save to the uttermost Heb. 11.25 they that come to God by him so that those that are born of God and abide in Christ sin not neither can because they are born of God and his seed remains in them contrary to which text no interpretation of it or argument can stand good but herein are the children of God and the children of the Devil made manifest he that doth righteousness is of God but he that sinneth is of the Devil who sinneth from the beginning and this doctrine doth not tend to Ranting as they that understand it not say but to encourage people to wait to be cleansed and kept by the mighty power of God from all unrighteousness which is all sin and press on to perfection in the Life of Christ Concerning Salvation by Christ We say and believe that without the sufferings and death of Christ at Jerusalem no man can be saved justified or sanctified and therefore do they maliciously or at least ignorantly slander us who say we expect not to be saved by Christs sufferings at Jerusalem but by Christs sufferings in us for such words did never proceed from us though we say that it is not an historical knowledge and belief of what Christ said and suffered at Jerusalem sixteen hundred years ago that can or doth save any man without feeling of his Spirit Phil. 3.10 Power and Life made manifest within to make them conformable to him in his death and raise them together with him to live in the vertue of his life by which life we as well as the ancient Christians are saved Rom. 5.10 and we are justified sanctified in the Name and by the Spirit of our God which mightily worketh in us and all his works are perfect and therefore I do distinguish betwixt the righteousness which is of faith 1 Cor. 6.11 which the Spirit worketh and the righteousness which is of the Law performed by mans own strength for though the one be as filthy rags yet so is not the other therefore is he the enemy of all righteousness that mingles them both together and treads them under foot as dung and dross therefore let all that love their souls love Christ the righteousness of God and follow after him that they may be made righteous and have that boldness in the day of judgement which the ancient Christians had because said they as he is so are we in this world 1 Joh 4.17 Concerning Swearing To swear at all in Gospel times is no part of Gods worship therefore it is no delusion but the truth that makes us refuse to swear in any case For though swearing was used in the time of deaths reign from Adam to Moses and that by some of Gods people and not only so but commanded in some particular cases by Moses and the Prophets in the time of the Law yet a greater Prophet being raised to whom they all gave witness and command that in all things he should be heard with this severe penalty that every foul that would not hear him should be cut off from his people Acts 3.22 23 24. And seeing Christ Jesus that Prophet which they said God would raise hath found that Covenant faulty in which oaths were used Mat. 5 34. and by his own mouth expresly hath commanded us not to swear at all though in old time it was lawful and an honour to God to swear in some cases yet now it is not lawful or an honour to God to swear in any case
and others but we see they are most degenerate from true Nobility and Christian saith and so least deserve it which do so eagerly seek honour one of another Joh 5.44 for to such Christ said how can ye believe rendring that as the reason of their unbebelief And further a King we can call by that title and a Father by that title and those that are our Masters according to the flesh by that title and every one in their place by such titles as are neither false flattering nor blasphemous but such titles as are so we cannot give to any Job 32 21 22. for in so doing God would soon take us away And for curteousness to all both to Superiors and to Equals where is the man or woman among all our neighbours that have been conversant with us that can justly accuse us and shew wherein we have not been curteous and amiable to them unless they count it discurtesie to be reproved for evil or not to have their persons worshipped and adored as God with uncovering the head and bowing the knee which is usual when we approach to him in prayer and if withholding that from men be esteemed discurtesie let them shew where God commanded it or the antient Christians gave it Hester 3.5 6. seeing Mordica denyed to give it when required by a King to Hamnan a person of great place though thereby he did not only endanger his own life but the life of all the Jews throughout the Provinces of Babylon And further if any do judge us not curteous for speaking to them in that language which God and nature hath appointed for distinction betwixt singular and plural numbers viz. Thou to a single person whether Superior or Inferior and You to many then let them come forth and shew the contrary to be a curtesie commanded or commended by God or any of his Saints And for not using divers other vain customs and manners of the Nation in which we live I know we are accused of discurtesie and unmannerliness as for not using the drunkards custom and manner in drinking one to another and pledging those that drink to us and for not using the ignorant peoples custom and manner in saying god even and god-morrow when we meet them and other things wherein people will not be held guiltless for taking Gods Name in vain and using such words as corrupt good manners Ex. 20.7 and therefore we cannot be conformable to them though for it we suffer reproach and sure if the Author of that writing with whom I now deal had met some of Christs antient Disciples he would have said they had gone by men like a Hog or a Cow as he saith we do when they were obedient to Christs command who said salute no man by the high-way and the Prophet said if any salute thee Luk. 10.4 2 King 4.29 answer them not again But in all other things wherein we may do any service to God or our neighbours where is the man that can say we refuse or are discurteous or unneighbourly and from whom have we withholden either rents debts or other customs as he accuseth us which in righteous reason and conscience is due but sure our blameless conversation in these things may by this time have stoped the evil surmizings and gainsayings of our adversaries and therefore I shall commit our cause to the Lord who I am perswaded will yet more and more plead it and clear the innocency of those that love him by the rising of his light which is a faithful witness in all consciences to which we desire more and more to be made manifest And therefore we desire that all sober people may take heed of receiving false informations against us whereby both they and we may be wronged but rather first hear what we declare and hold for and then judge of it and us according to the Light of the Spirit which God gives them and according to the Scriptures of Truth and if by true tryal they finde us hold forth or practice that which is contrary to either let them avoid it 2 Cor. 4.2 for on no mans conscience would we impose any thing which he cannot freely receive no more then we would be imposed upon for it is our principle to do unto all men even as we would be done unto Writ the 24th day of the second Month 1662. THE END