Their message required haste two coats would cumber to salute any by the way might occasion derision or delay and they were to go without money to encourage them he intended to send them into the nations afar off Here I charge all the Priests in England how you go about in your own country without bag without two coats without money without saluting any by the way So here in your own words you are judged who makes a derision of them that doth not salute by the way for that some are beat whom the Lord sends without two coats and doth not salute by the way so you are the oppressors of your own nation who go in two coats and money in your purses salute men by the way sue men at the law and imprison them that will not give it you and out of the doctrine of Christ you are for you confess you are not sent forth immediately as the Apostles were You are speaking something for justifying of your particular great houses Stephen for witnessing against the temple was stoned to death who saw the substance and Paul witnessed against the Jews outward temple and was haled out of the Synagogues and was persecuted And for the maintaining of the Pulpit in your great Steeple-houses you bring Ezra who had a Pulpit to read the Law who read the Law to a particular people and the Gospel which is preached by the messengers of Christ is to every creature and the Gospel where it is received they may all speak one by one which is the end of the Law Here you are raced out and Ezra and his Pulpit is ended and the Gospel is preached which you are cleared from who would have Ezra's Pulpit under the law And you dreamers saith Your great idol-houses are clean to you where you meet with your great mixt multitudes and your Pulpit and you that are up which are called of men Masters Let Mat. 23. Christ's words there judge you and all your practices who cries wo against such as you are and the Apostles words who said They sinned against their brethren and against Christ who sit in the Idols temple and there you are judged to be out of the Apostles doctrine and Christs And whereas you would justifie your method and your study first you say The Evangelist exhorted to you such means as are here blamed And these you bring to maintain your study and method You enemies of God was Timothy to study for the word or to divide it was he to study for the gift or to give it forth You bring Solomon who set in order many parables and teaching the people And this you bring for your study and method who speaks a definition of their own brain and not from the mouth of the Lord who confess you were not immediately sent as the Apostles were therefore all is but a definition of their own brain And whereas you are speaking of the Apostles opening the Scriptures and Ezra the law Their conditions shall judge you for that which opened in them was immediate which you confess you are not sent forth immediately therefore you cannot open Scripture as they did so all your method is to be troden under feet who speak a definition of your own brain Whereas you say Learning is to the understanding of the letter of the Scriptures and to help to significant words Here I charge you in the presence of the living God to be them that deny the word that gave forth all words learning is natural and the Scriptures were given forth by the Spirit and can that which is natural open that which the eternal Spirit gave forth Here let all try your spirit and judge your understanding to be bruitish And as touching Magistrates and your outward teaching the Lord hath opened many of their eyes to see your outward teaching to be vanity who witness the law of God in their hearts and so God is coming and is come to redeem his people from among you which witness new Jerusalem come and coming down from heaven so all you corrupt teachers must be trodden under feet which are not sent as the Apostles were they were sent immediately and that you deny to be sent as they were Whereas you are speaking of the deceiveableness of the mystery of iniquity lying Prophets and prophaness Lying Prophets and prophaness is found amongst you it shall stand for your selves for before you are proved to be out of the doctrine of Christ And as you are speaking of voices and being deluded and bewitched with the spirit of lyes This shall stand for your selves again for there you are made manifest to all the children of light who hath long reigned this dark time and where Christ is made manifest the same yesterday to day and for ever There him you call false Christ but in the mystery of iniquity you are which are curst from Christ who hath answered line for line among the simple ones who ensnare the simple ones but now you are taken in your craft and catcht in your guile bound with a chain and the Lord God of might and power is sending forth his sons and daughters and they are amongst you some cutting the branches and some at the roots and amongst you in the wood and drive you foxes out of your holes and shake you fowls out of your nests that are set so high who hath been saying Loe here and loe there but now Christ is within made manifest and all you are seen but you are without who stumble at the light and them that are sent forth without stick or money or two coates such you deride that walk according to the rule that gave forth the Scripture and are brought into Christs doctrine and against such you inform people they are as Satan transformed into an Angel of light but this shall stand for your selves for there you are in the dark eternally we judge you who are not sent forth as the Apostles were immediately as you confess it And what have you to talk of the authority of the Scripture which is immediate and what have you to talk of the Ordinances of God which are spiritual or Communion which is immediate or what have you to do to speak of Faith or Resurrection or of God who are not sent forth immediately as the Apostles were Therefore you I say Lead the people from the authority of the Scriptures and from the Ordinances of Christ and from the Communion Therefore you that are not sent forth as the Apostles immediately your doctrine and Gospel is not as theirs was but are doctrines of devils so we are not as little children now to be tossed with your cunning sleights and windy doctrine you are for ever judged we see your footsteps and know in what path you walk and some of us have learned your language as Moses did the Aegyptians And whereas you are speaking of Germanie In the same nature you are which ever murthered the righteous seed where it
lost sinners who saith It is nowhere found but in the Scriptures And here you shew you are in the state of the Jews which would have had life in the Scriptures and would not come to Christ but persecuted him as you do now them where the life is made manifest this I say This light wherewith Christ Jesus hath enlightned it will shew the greatest sin yea unbelief and waiting in this light which Christ hath enlightned their salvation is made manifest but all you that hate this light you are enlightned with it and it shall eternally condemn you and you give it the term of a natural light and a moral which there is no Scripture for that speaks of moral as p. 5. but this light which you stumble at so much and give it these terms with it you shall be condemned you may as well say Christ is moral which there is no Scripture for and there the plagues is added to you for adding your own inventions to that which was given forth from the eternal Spirit of God And whereas you say But we conceive not how Christ is preached out but by them who brings the word of God whose feet are beautiful Here you have shewed forth you have no infallible judgement not the Spirit that gave forth the Scripture which judged them that did conceive where you are living in your conceivings and terms the light to be as a moral law as you call it and so with the same eternal Spirit you are judged for which there is no Scripture for moral and so establisheth Paganisme and heathenish Philosophy and abundance of such stuffe you have in your book And we do witness the same Christ as ever was made manifest and there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved And we see you in the same generation that crucified him you who are stumbling at the light that enlightneth every one that cometh into the world but it is because your deeds are evil who shall be condemned with it which gave forth the Scriptures You say in p. 6. It is by Scripture-light of the Prophets and Apostles which once was read or heard or else how could they know it Here you shew that you are in the state of the Scribes and Pharisees which read Moses and the Prophets which prophesied of him and wrote of him and they persecuted him the light which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world And so do you which hates the light And you are speaking of the Spirit that brings to God and of Faith in Christ And you that stumble at the light that Christ hath enlightned every one withal that cometh into the world You stumble at the Spirit and Faith both and hears not the Gospel but stumbles at the first Principle and you have nothing to do to talk of Saints Ministers nor of the second Adam but are of the first Adam To that in your consciences I speak be but honest and that will let you see it and here 's a difference between you and the Saints for the Saints to whom the Epistles was written that walkt in the light we make a difference between you that hate the light and them that walk in it for you that hate the light take the Saints words which was declared from the light and make a profession of their words but with the light you shall be condemned from among the Saints and to you this is the word of God and Christ which was the Light cried wo against such Pharisees and hypocrites as you are which stumbled at the light You boasters say You know no man after the flesh no not Christ And yet you stumble at the light which enlighteneth every one that cometh into the world And you that stumble at this light stumbles at the foundation Christ the Prophets and Apostles for this light was in them that gave forth these words and so it is the light within that opens them again and he that walks in the light as saith our Lord and master Christ he shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life and he that owns the light owns the word and doth not weaken the authority as in your p. 4. you say and this we witness And you Priests slander us with a foolish jealousie But you that stumble at the light stumble at Christ the Authority of all the Scriptures and you that stumble at the mystery between the Jews and the Gentiles which Christ cometh to put an end to the outward oracles of the Jews to bring in the Gentiles so the state of Jew and Gentile within you know not who stumble at the light This brings in and this condemns out Priest And you are talking of mount Sinai in matters of moral righteousness Reply O ye shameless men where doth the Scripture speak of moral righteousness and as touching mount Sinai silence for you are not come out of Egypt and this is in your p. 5. Whereas you say Natural man runneth to mount Sinai for righteousness in his personal obedience which you say these men put them upon Here I charge you That you know not what you speak for this lght of Christ judges down your immediate personal obedience and self-righteousness and natural-estate whom the wrath of God abides upon and the plagues of God for that is your due for mount Sinai you are not come to and there exhorting people to the light is to bring them to Christ and mount Sion in the life of the Scriptures which it speaks of Priest Your speaking of the body of Christ once offered to God at Jerusalem for an attonement for all Reply This Christ we own and know him no more after the flesh and you that stumble at his light stumble at Christ and know him not according to the flesh but are in the generation of your fathers that persecuted him But you say If any one destroy your Faith and make sleight the person of your glorified Saviour O you hypocrites what have you to do to talk of a glorified Saviour that stumble at the light and what talk you of Faith who stumble at the light your Faith is vain and will fade away but Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ we own and so it is you that trample upon the blood of the new covenant as in p. 9. And whereas you say You do confess God the Father of Lights natural and spiritual and that the eternal word lightens every mans candle whereby man sees the eternal power and God-head of God but nothing of the mystery of the Father and of Christ as a Mediator is seen but onely by the children of God What a confession and doctrine is this by you for you confess that man may see the eternal power and God-head of God and the Father and know nothing of the mystery of the Father and of Christ as a Mediator and he that knows the Father knows the Son and he that knows the Son knows the
the works of the devil and his servants ye are to whom ye obey and this light must be owned before he be owned Wherein ye cry out Ye cannot hold your peace for the deceit we seem to lay upon Christ and his Spirit which is but the light of nature not the light of Christ as a mediator Ye blasphemers who calls the light of Christ the light of nature which Jesus Christ is the light that enlightneth every man and is the Mediatour wherein ye are found to be them that draw back to perdition and not to the saving the Soul in drawing from the obedience of the light which is the light of Christ in man which shews him his natural condition which the Apostle exhorteth to take heed unto until the day dawned and the day-star did arise and such experienced ones as you are lives in jealousies which are as strong as death who stumbles at the light of Christ and calls it natural O high blasphemers You shew along that you are them that hates the light and hate them that walk in it who are troubled at them you call Quakes who saith That the light of Christ doth discover their thoughts and sin and yielding to it power is given from God to stand against thoughts and sin And this you call free will And as it is written They that waited upon the Lord their strength was renewed and here let all the children of light which be in the light contrary to their own wills and contrary to the will of man you judge and therefore it makes you stumble at it and here in this you have denied all the waiting upon God in the light and watchings with the light which hath declared that all your watchings and waitings is without the light an imitation which is to be condemned with the light and many derisions and reproaches have you given forth in your book but these we wave because they do not touch us And whereas you say While you change the Name and call the light Christ Here you have declared you are not Ministers of the letter Christ saith He is the light of the world so say we so it is you cannot own his name but stumbles at the light stumbles at the Mediator so if the babes of Christ should be silent the stones in the walls would cry out against you And whereas you say Reformation reaches not the work of regeneration O ye blinde Hypocrits and corrupt Judges doth not the same that reforms regenerate but you are without both And whereas you say By his disobedience not obeying the light he may fall from that eternal salvation which began to work in him by the power of light And this is your implies and so you interpret our words as you do the Scriptures you that oppose the light you oppose your eternal salvation and as touching eternal salvation you that stumble at the light are for eternal destruction and condemnation with the light which you stumble at and who turnes from the light turns from the salvation and draws back into perdition And whereas you say There is no mention made in any of your papers of eternal salvation from the wrath to come or condemnation of hell by any atonement or price of blood or sacrifice from the dominion of evil by Jesus Christ Eternal salvation from the wrath to come and condemnation of hell I witness by the price of blood of Jesus Christ which is without you and from the dominion of evil by Jesus Christ which your fathers crucified you their children seek to crucifie him where he is made manifest which stumbles at the light and thou ands do begin to confess That they are made free from the wrath to come the dominion of evil by Jesus Christ who is the same yesterday to day and for ever which witness the price of blood by which they are redeemed which makes them clean from your generation which hate the light Priest And now you come to declare your own belief you speak of the promise of the power of the Father and the Gospel and the lost sheep and Faith But to you I answer which stumble at the light you stumble at the promise at the power of the Father at the Gospel and at the Spirit as you plainly make it appear which scorns them you call Quakers which in the Scripture there is a cloud of witnesses against you And whereas you say If they can tell how the bones grow in the womb of her that is with child they may come neer to trace out this work of God We who are in the second birth know the first and how things genders and works and so with it we discern where you are And whereas you say You are children born not of blood nor of the will of man nor after the will of the flesh but of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth O ye thieves and robbers I charge in the presence of the living God to be so for these are John's and James's words who speaks of being born not of blood nor of the will of man but of his own will hath he begotten us what have you to do with these things that stumble at the light so you stumble at the truth and how can you glorifie God the Maker who stumbles at the light and so it 's you that deny the resurrection for we do witness the worst sort of men turned to God with his light so we witness the Scriptures fulfill'd Publicans and Harlots enter in before you Priest 2. You are speaking of waiting on Christ for renewing of strength morning by morning Ye enemies of God how can ye wait upon Christ who stumble at the light and writes against it for if you waited upon Christ according to the Scriptures you would own the light and there would be unity in the light but this light which ye stumble at shall condemn you to be no waiters upon the Father nor Christ And whereas you are speaking of the Saints assemblies Reply You that stumble at this light stumbles at the Saints assemblies as you make it appear in this book and the Sons of God and the children of Faith and as you say You are tied to all means so you would tie all to your means and the Lord is tied to none Here you shew you are not of the Lord for who are of the Lord are freed from ties and from the Ordinances of men and outward means which you finde your spirit is tied to contrary to the Spirit of God for where the Spirit of God is there is liberty And whereas you say The children of God all their life-time are found groaning under the burthen of sin Here your Spirit and experiences are tried again to be contrary to the Scriptures and all the Saints for the children of God born of God doth not commit sin and he that is born of God overcomes the world and as he is so are we in this
present world and rejoyce evermore and they sung Hallelujah and the kingdom of God stands in righteousness joy and peace in the Holy Ghost Here I charge you in the Spirit of the living God to be lyers And you say That the children of God are found groaning all their life long under the burthen of sin Now I take all the children of the light to judge you and may see the Scripture to witness against you and see that your experience is contrary to the Saints in Scripture and as touching the second coming of Christ as you speak silence flesh who stumbles at his light for you that stumbles at his light stumbles at him But blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath given us an understanding with his light which you stumble at You Priests have been looked on to be the props and pillars of the truth but now the truth hath discovered you to be the props of Antichrists kingdom having the form as the Pharisees had And again you are speaking of the Apostles faith and the seed and the promises and of Abraham Isaac and Jacob All these are our witnesses who witness the promise of God to the seed but as for you that stumble at the light you have but the form as the Pharisees had who saith you are found all your life time groaning under the burthen of sin Here you shew your selves to be them that lead silly women captive led away with divers lusts ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth that the Apostle spoke of but lies groaning under your sins who said They haâ— put off the body of sin and was made free from sin Here your experiences are tried again to be contrary to the Scriptures and the Saints lives so we have weighed you to be contrary to the Scriptures and the Apostles you that say you lay groaning under the burthen of sin bound under the temptations and snares of the divel who are without God in the world And whereas you say That whosoever bids man take heed to the light within which the eternal Word hath enlightned which enlightens him which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world in attendance thereto puts man besides the way of life and saith This assertion puts men quite besides the way of salvation to attend upon that light which comes from the eternal word If this put men aside from the way of life and put men quite beside the way of salvation to wait upon the light which comes from the eternal Word Here again I take all the children of light to record how you are confused and are beside the way of life and salvation for none knows the way of salvation life peace and righteousness but who owns this eternal light which is in the eternal Word and so here all may see it is you that bring men quite besides the way of life and eternal salvation and terms the light of Christ to be the light of nature and not pure And so there you blasphemers are discovered to be the foxes that spoil the vineyards And you say What shall we think of Paul who found the law in his members warring Here you shew you are stangers to Pauls condition when you have learned it you shall know it but them that stumbles at the light stumbles at his condition and here your experiences are tried again to be contrary to the Scriptures You say You grant to walk up to the law or light of nature shall have the light of Grace or Gospel revealed to him and yet you say You never knew the Gospel bestowed upon any such person and say You more then doubt whether ever they stood before the throne of glory Here you are confused let the Reader take notice was not the light of Moses the light of the Gospel who wrote of Christ shall they receive Light Grace Gospel and not stand before the throne of glory you grant they may receive it then here they may fall from the throne of glory which you was accusing them of you call Quakers before they that fall from the light fall from the eternal salvation And so O man thus thy condemnation ariseth of thy self Whereas you say Men taking heed to the light which Christ hath enlightned them withal takes away the ministration of the Gospel and shuts the kingdom of God from men Here you have manifested your selves to be in the generation of the Pharisees who hath the letter to talk of as they had but the light wherewith Christ hath enlightned shuts not the kingdom of heaven from men but you that denies the light shuts the kingdom of God from men and so denies the Gospel and them that hate this light preaches not the Gospel but their own inventions and takes away the authority of the Scriptures who are in the same nature of your fathers that murthered the Prophets Christ and the Apostles and you the children of them now where the life and power is made manifest among the Quakers you act the same part of your fathers which all the righteous blood was shed by Whereas you say Your chief contention is for the Gospel administred by man Here you contend for that the Apostle denied not by man had he received it neither was he made an Apostle by man And here your Spirit is tried to be contrary to the Apostles and the Scripture Whereas you say You know not how any should believe unless they hear the testimony of the Apostles or their words Here you shew you to be in the generation of them who hoards the Apostles words as your fathers read the Prophets and Apostles words but persecuted Christ Blessed is he that believes and sees not And you say You cannot tell how men should believe unless they saw the Apostles conditions Here you shew your selves to be in the Jews doting condition who are Ministers of the letter and your faith is theirs and both is dead he that believes is born of God without Scripture and yet witnessed in Scripture And whereas you slander and say Them you call Quakers aimes to beguile you of Scripture themselves they say this Light or Gospel within you it is the sure word of prophesie Here let all see you to be lyers whether we do not set the Scriptures in the heart of every one for every one having the light within which shews his evil deeds which light is his condemnation that hates it this is Scripture within Here we do not take it from them but that every one might possess it within as it was given forth from within from the life and that they might take heed to the sure word of prophesie till the day-star arise in their hearts as the Apostles exhorts the Saints and that was within And so here again we do not take Scripture from you but it is that you might be seen to be lyers who seek to draw people from the light within from the
Gospel and from the day-Star So it is you that takes Scripture away from people and layes it waste and makes it of no effect And again you are inquiring whether there be a prophetical light in every one Here you have given Christ a new name contrary to Scripture who saith he is the light and enlightens every one but here you shew out of what land you are come who cals the light prophetical And you are inquiring what this light in man prophesieth of Here you shew your selves to be strangers again from it and hates it the light wherewith Christ hath enlightned who are inquiring What is the day-star when you love the light you shall know what it prophesieth of and what the day-star is but with this light you shall be condemned and you are under that saying of Christ Light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not And here you preach forth your selves to be blinde guides who are strangers from the day-star And you say The Scripture was written for you learning and to make you wise to salvation through saith in Christ Jesus These were the Apostles words to the Saints which shew your selves to be them which have the words of the Apostles and Christ as your fathers which had the writings of the Prophers but was not wise unto salvation but persecuted Christ as you do where he was made manifest And whereas you say The Scriptures they lay aside as waste This is another of your lyes they are not true to you if they be not in your hearts as they were in them that spoke them forth O ye thieves which are making thieves where are they that are stealing the word from his neighbour useth their tongues but ye are the thieves which have not the Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures it was written for our learning who are come into the life of them that gave it forth as it was spoken to the Saints but the seed of evil doers is condemned with the life that gave it forth for it is against them and it is for the perfecting of the man of sin And whereas you are slandering in your p. 20. By their doctrine you say the Scriptures are â—urned into allegories This shall stand for your selves the Scriptures we own without any private interpretation for no prophesie of them came by the will of man And whereas you say Some dare not quite lay aside the Scripture You are the busie mindes that are spoken of for the Scriptures are not laid afide but witnessed every Scripture in its place for shame give over your lyes and you that denies the light of Christ and saith It is not pure denies all the openings of all the Scriptures and the Spirit of prophesie and the testimony of Jesus and the instruction of all children of God in Scriptures As for your stories and false applications those applications shall turn upon your selves for they are not worth mentioning and you that deny this light you neither read right nor understand the Scripture right And you say It 's more sure then a voice from the excellent glory concerning the word of prophesie which is to be tended upon more then one risen from the dead This word of prophesie you know nothing of which denies the light which Christ hath enlightned withal your prophesie is the letter which is death and nothing of the excellency of the glory you know who stumble at the light Whereas you say They say this light is the anointing from the Father and that they need not teach one another I answer In this light waiting the anointing is known which is received from the Father but your darkness cannot comprehend this light So you know not the anointing which stumbles at the light which keeps you out of the garden of which you talk of breaking down the walls it is but your walls that are broken down that stumbles at the light and with it you are condemned out of the garden and all the Saints favours And for saying they need no man teach them but the Lord this is witnessed among thousands and they need not say Know the Lord who are come into the new covenant this is witnessed And you say This destroyes Pastors Elders Bishops and plucks the seven stars out of the hand of Christ You enemies of God is not Christ the covenant which was promised who are in him need not say Know the Lord and is not he the end of the seven Stars and Bishops and Pastors and Elders and are not all these in their places to bring up to the stature and fulness of Christ and those we witness in their places but you are such who stumbles at the light Whereas you slander and say It cuts off all instructions All yours it doth who stumbles at the light but who dwells in the light are moved of the Lord daily to instruct and that which doth instruct the same doth convince and that is eternal and the word of God is the fame now which shall hew you down to the fire and the dung and hammer you down to the dust and all your twisting twining inventions which here is much of in this book which is not worth mentioning vented forth but with the light you are comprehended which you stumble at And again you say The teaching of man is implyed and not excluded Here again you are contrary to the Scripture and are excluded from the Apostles doctrine which preach glad tidings which was not made by the will of man And whereas you speak of believing Christ in them and that they perish for want of believing Christ made manifest in their flesh Here you have proved your selves to be reprobates and if he be not made manifest in you the works of the devil are standing and not destroyed And the Apostle spoke of a dying with Christ and a rising with Christ and they were to take heed to the sure word of prophesie as to a light shining in a dark place but this Christ is without you and not made manifest in you as the Apostle speaks which Christ was in them except they were reprobates Here your life is contrary to theirs and with the life which is the life of all the Saints you are judged out of the life of the Scriptures and to be reprobates you speak of Christ without you and the Apostles spoke of Christ in you except you be reprobates And Christ in you the hope of glory Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever we witness him made manifest amongst us and raigns as King the same which ever was made manifest among the Saints but you and your fathers in your generation persecuted him for he is without you as he was without your fathers as you may read in Matthew which be of the seed of your fathers the high Priests Whereas you say That them you call Quakers use the words of the Scriptures and say The kingdom of heaven is within you And
your selves to be of them the Apostle speaks of that would be some body in conference but not in possession and hath got the form which the Apostle bids turn away from for immediate you have denied and so you are to be denied with the power and as touching Abraham Isaac and Jacob and Paradice and the Prophets and the holy men of God silence flesh for immediate you deny and all these things who knows them are immediately sent of God for all Scripture being given forth immediately by the Spirit and is of no private interpretation but holy men of God spake as they were moved of the holy Ghost And here you are manifest to be no Ministers of the Spirit but following your own inventions who saith you are not sent forth immediately as the Apostles were and here you may well enough stumble at the light who denies that you are sent forth immediately as the Apostles were And here all the children of light may see you to be formalists Joseph Kellet John Pomrey Paul Glisson and the rest who saith you are not sent forth immediately I command you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to give over deceiving the people and be silent you murtherers of their souls who saith you are not sent forth immediately as the Apostles were make a scorn and derision of them that would have you live in what you speak but go on for destruction is your portion in the vain and blasphemous philosophy you are and your conclusion shall stand for your selves who are in the rottenness of your hearts and body of iniquity and you are not as the Apostles were and so you have denied the life that gave forth the Scriptures for all Scripture being given forth immediately and they that gave them forth were sent of God and you that go forth to preach which saith you are not sent forth immediately are in the state of them that err'd not knowing the Scripture for they are not known but with that Spirit which gave them forth which was immediate And here with all the children of light you are judged not to be of God nor sent of God out of your own mouths Whereas you say That them you call Quakers do admonish you to wait in silence till God open your mouths and they would not have any to read pray and teach but when the Spirit of the Lord leads them We cannot close with this Here all the holy men of God shall witness against you I take them all to record and you to be contrary to them and your prayers to be abomination and your teachings not of the Spirit and contrary to the Apostle who said He would pray with the Spirit And here you are contrary to his doctrine and contrary to the Scripture and the Apostle said The holy men of God spake as they were moved of the holy Ghost and they speak as the Spirit gave them utterance and Christ saith The Spirit of the Father speaks in you And here again you are contrary to Christs doctrine and the Apostles who cannot close with the Spirits praying and the Spirts teaching And there you shew you are Babylon again and in the error err'd from the life and doctrine of the Apostles And here I leave you to be judged by all the children of light and to walk out of the foot-steps of Christ and his flock who say you are not sent immediately as the Apostles were but praying in families and reading and instructing of children and bringing up in the fear of the Lord and teaching according to the Apostles doctrine we own who was a Minister of the Spirit but not of the letter And this we seek to bring all people to into the life which gave forth the Scriptures and all your experiences and teachings are to be trampled upon who cannot close with the praying of the Spirit and the Spirits leading to pray and teach Here out of the Apostles doctrine you are seen clearly to be with all the children of God Now you say To the best of your understanding That them you call Quakers gives equal liberty for men and women in assemblies to pray Here you do shew your selves to be them that would limit the Spirit of God for God saith He will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh and his sons and daughters shall prophesie the Apostle saith They may all prophesie one by one And here you shew again you are contrary to the Apostles doctrine and your understanding to be bruitish and as touching the assemblies of the Saints silence flesh or their prayers either for either male or female with the Spirit of the Lord they may teach or pray but you that deny the Spirit and cannot close with his praying or teaching either you have got a popish law of Queen Maries that when some hath been moved to come into your Synagogues some hath been beat some stoned some stocked and haled before Magistrates and imprisoned as many in these northern parts may witness Whereas you say They speak after their trembling with an extent voice as the Oracles of God and them you call Quakers do not leave you time to try their sayings as the Apostle did to the Bereans O ye lyers doth not the whole Scripture witness trembling and the Saints gave forth the Scriptures and such had the Oracles of God and we witness the same Spirit now the Saints in light you cannot deceive but the blinde you may lead into the ditch for a while And whereas you speak of magnifying papers equal to the holy Scriptures The same Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures which gives forth now is as true as the Scriptures and not contrary to the Scriptures He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith Whereas you are tormented at those that forsake pride in apparel and receiving honour of man and giving honour to man is it not according to Scripture and the doctrine of Christ who saith How can ye believe which seeks honour one of another And there you shew your selves to be out of the belief and the doctrine of Christ which cross the Saints doth pass through to eternal life which cross is to the world which cross you live without who are puft up And whereas you are speaking for your schools and learning There you shew where you are in the first nature not in that as the Apostles were in who counted all loss and dung and denied all his bringing up and learning in the first birth for the excellency of Christ when he knew the excellency of him Whereas you speak of buying and selling Now you shew where your mindes are yet lawfulness justice and equity we own for this is of God righteousness in man yea nay in all communication we own and all filthy merchandize we trample upon where we see you to be your mindes in the earth your God is your belly you glory in your shame and to be the evil beasts the
A short ANSWER To a book set forth by seven PRIESTS who call themselves MINISTERS of the Gospel of Christ but are plainly discovered to be lyers and slanderers and envious of them who are the true Ministers of Christ who abide in his doctrine With A vvord to the Reader To read with understanding and let the light of Jesus Christ within judge for to that in the conscience it is spoken LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the black-spread-Eagle at the West-end of Pauls 1654. A Reply to a book set forth by some Priests about Beverley whose names I do finde subscribed to it who saith The light in man before faith is not pure Answ. The law is just holy and good and what is holy is pure what is just is pure what is good is pure what is perfect is pure which Law is the Schoolmaster until faith after faith is come we are no longer under a Schoolmaster and this is witnessed amongst as And this you Priests about Beverley say is not pure Jos. Bellet Joh. Pomrey Paul Glisson Christoph Feake Jo. Simpsom Geo. Cockin Law wyse I charge you command you give over deceiving the people you seven who are perfect in iniquity without the Law of God And Moses saw Christ wrote of him that which saw him was pure and is pure And here you have shewed forth your ignorance and blinde judgement and not knowing neither Law nor Faith for the truths sake have I replied to your book of errors who is in the light of Christ which lets me see the Law and the Schoolmaster both And you which say you were not sent immediately as the Apostles were with the immediate which sent them are you all judged Joseph Kellet John Pomrey Paul Glisson Christopher Feake Jo. Simpson George Cockin Law Wyse which is seven perfection perfect in the mystery of iniquity acting against the mystery of godliness you are the beast which stands upon the sea with your seven heads and upon your heads the names of blasphemy who are out of the Apostles doctrine and life that say the light before faith is not pure whose mouths are opened with blasphemy against God and his Name and his Tabernacle which is with men the light which discovers sin and evil you are seen that such as you might be more manifest with it which are manifest now to all the children of light and the children of the day praises praises be to the Lord God for ever for that which shews sin is eternal and is pure and that which is before Faith is perfect just holy good and pure and it is written The Law is the Schoolmaster till Faith and that we own in its place which is just holy good and spiritual and you which owns not God owns not Faith nor the Law to be pure for the Law hath dominion over a man as long as he lives which you Joseph Kellet John Pomrey Paul Glisson Christopher Feake Jo. Simpson Geo. Cockin Law Wyse have cleared your selves to be without Law and Faith and both and so you are not fit to teach others so it is you that have slandered the innocent to have laid waste the Scriptures when you are they that have laid waste the Scriptures your selves Christ the Church Faith and Hope and the Law which stumbles at the light so the righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth doth return a righteous judgement upon you unrighteous judges so in righteousness doth he set the innocent free To you all this is the word of God This is the word of the Lord to you that have subscribed your names to the book whose folly in it out of you hath appeared and to be viewed with the children of light it is seen and your nakedness and where you are who doth conclude the Light before Faith is not pure and who doth say God doth not send Teachers and Pastors and Elders immediately forth now as he did the Apostles And here you are concluded to be without the immediate life as the Apostles were in who were sent immediately from God See the miserable estate and condition you are in and with the immediate life you are judged who have professed your selves to be teachers to others and guides to others which hath gone on in such strains and presumptuously judgeth the innocent but God who is immediate sees you all and from him you all have your reward and your judgement which is eternal to that light in your consciences I speak which shall be your condemnation eternally which hate it and stumble at it and it will witness me when the book of conscience is opened and it you have condemned And to all people that have a love to Christ which love this light that those before mentioned do stumble at it is it that will lead up to witness Faith it is it that will lead you up to witness the Anointing it is it that will lead you to witness Hope it is it will lead you to witness Christ the Head and to know all the Saints which have unity in the light and so not to stumble at the words that proceeds from the light but with the light waiting upon God the Father of light with the light the Scriptures will be opened to you there is your teacher The light if you walk in it you will not stumble but have the light of life and if you hate it it shall be your condemnation eternally You shall witness what I speak for to that in every mans conscience I speak which if you love the light that Christ hath enlightned you withal it will guide your hearts together to hold the Head which if you hate this light you hold not the Head and all that ever you act or speak is in the invention of your own work so you are condemned with the light To the light in every ones conscience I speak which shall witness me when the book of conscience is opened and all things judged with it and out of it This is to all them that the Priests calls brethren to take heed to the light within them which Christ hath enlightned them withal that with it they may see all them that stumble at it and hate it which are to be condemned with it To you this is the word of the Lord Priest Somthing in reply to that which you do conclude as first to awaken your souls that are apt to slumber to take heed of the evil of the times pride covetousness formality which these clamour against which you call Quakers Reply Here you own their doctrine you call Quakers and with it you see your selves and what state you live in and yet in Page 52. you say Go not after them hath their doctrine stirr'd you up and let you see your pride formality and oppression and slumber and that which declaims against these you say go not after Priest Another false slander that you Joseph Kellet John Pomrey Paul Glisson and the rest charge upon them
you call Quakers that they bring an odium upon the glorious affairs of Christs kingdom Reply This shall stand for your selves who live in experiences which the Minister of Christ taught to forget the things past and to press forward and there you do shew that you are raced out from the life of the Apostle and layes waste his words Priest Another of your lying slanders is that you say They lay waste Churches Graces Scriptures Principles Reply And in these I charge you Joseph Kellet John Pomrey Paul Glisson to be lyers for the Churches of the Saints Graces Scriptures Principles we own but you slander us because we deny the Steeple-house to be the Church and the Grace of God we own which teacheth to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and so it is in the first lesson That they do come to see with the light of Christ to deny your Church your Principle your Experiences and so are not to taste of their doctrine which perish with the using of it for you have been the proud and coveto us that have led silly women captive which have been ever learning but never able to know the truth of you And some are moved to come and cry against you therefore slander them not Priest Another lying slander you bring saying They hinder the progress of the Gospel by weakening the hands of faithful teachers Reply These are more of your lyes for the progress of the Gospel we own and the faithful teachers we own but such as you Priests who say you are not sent immediately as the Apostles were we deny Priest You are making a Pharisees confession you Priests and are learning your lesson how you are apt to slumber and how you should be stirr'd up and doth confess that your people are in deadness of their hearts occasioned by formal duties Reply Here you have uttered where you are which makes people forsake you and where one doth ten shall and see your prayers empty without the Spirit and this is to your Pharisees confession of your selves and the people and many doth see that the Lord is gone out of your publick assemblies and that Ministery he doth not own for you are such as the Lord cried wo against as stood praying in the Synagogues c. Mat. 23. and there you are all openly shewed to be none of Christs sending neither your Church none of his Body for when the Lord hath moved some to come to speak after the order of the Saints Churches and the Scriptures Some have been stocked some stoned and beat and prisoned And how can you say This is a Church of God but blaspheme God but it is as the Scripture saith Become a cage of unclean birds And as touching the Saints conditions Hope Faith I charge you let them alone and meddle not with them for them you know nothing of for your Faith is vain and your Hope shall perish and to you this is the word of God who stumbles at the light Priest And again you say Take heed of judging Ordinances as unnecessary or indifferent things Reply And here I charge you to keep people in blindness who put no difference between the Ordinances of Christ and the Ordinances of Men Priest And again you cavil because they say Minde the light in you which is Christ and is pure and that it discovers every evil and your Answer to this is Whether makes not this the Scripture unncessary and casts off all outward teachings Reply O you blinde guides this light which is to be minded which is Christ stablisheth the Scriptures and it doth bring to deny all outward teachers which is made by man for What is the chaff to the wheat Priest And again you Query Whether this brings not down the glorious mystery of the Scriptures and from every rule of duty Reply Here you have declared you know nothing of the mystery of the Scriptures but are in your own duties for the light within which shews him sin and every evil it doth teach him how to pray and watch and oponeth to him every mystery of the Scripture and without it you are all blinde and know nothing of the mystery as you make it appear and you slanderers do not incense the people that we deny the Scriptures for the Scriptures is ours Priest And in your p. 2. whereof you are tormented and saith We sit inthe chair of judgement I answer Reply God hath given us an understanding and judgement that we are able to distinguish praises to his name We were in your state and kingdom but the Lord hath brought us out of it therefore we are able to judge it and you who hath no judgement but what is false Priest And you are querying Whether leaving you to be guided by the conscience and to have no standing rule whithout you you say Whether this be not to establish Heathens and Philosophy and you conclude that the Light is not pure before Faith Rep. Here you have declared that you neither know Faith nor Light and are afraid that that in your consciences should give you that standing rule which all the Prophets and Apostles had we have Christ Jesus saith I am the light of the world and enlightneth every one that cometh into the word and you conclude this light is not pure And Christ saith He doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world and one he loves the light brings his d deeds to the light and doth not stumble and the ohe hates the light and stumbles at noon as you do which stumbles so much at the light of Christ which enlightens every one that cometh into the world But it is that you might appear that you are them that hate the light and so hates Christ and that you might be judged with all the children of light and you that stumble at this light you neither know God nor Christ nor Faith nor Hope and cannot preach the Gospel nor the Gifts nor the Words but onely death hears a fame as Job said and destruction for â—n your p 4. you leave it to the spiritual to judge and here you conclude you are not spiritual and here you are concluded to be judged by the authority that gave forth the Scriptures for the spiritual man judgeth all things and the Saints shall judge the world and you that deny this light denies the Father of lights and the Apostles exercise who exercised his conscience towards God and man and you deny the Scriptures and growth and the watching and waiting upon God for you question Christs words do you who stumble at the light wherewith Christ hath enlightned Priest For you say If every one that cometh into the world hath a light sufficient to salvation that makes the Scripture the Testimony of God unnecessary a revelation of his minde and love which are nowhere to be found but there Reply And here I charge you again to set up the Scriptures before Christ who is the love of God to
Fathers and he hath the one hath the other also And here I charge you in the presence of the living God to be lyers and know nothing and see not the Father nor the God head can a man see the eternal power and God-head of God and know nothing of the mystery of the Father and of Christ as a Mediator but here you shew you know nothing of the eternal power of God nor the God-head of God nor the mystery of the Father nor of Christ as a Mediator who stumble at the light but these things we see with the light which Christ hath enlightned us withal an witness you to be without for the Apostle which witnessed the God-head knew the mystery of the Father which the heathens knew not And in your p. 10. you say That the Quakers say that this light before mentioned is pure which Christ hath enlightned withal and you conclude that this light in the conscience is not pure and saith How doth vain man justifie that which God condemns and would perswade us that nature is not corrupt Here again I charge you in the presence of the living God to be lyers and blasphemers nature is corrupt but the divine nature is not And you that declare and say That the light of Christ wherewith he hath enl ghtned is a corrupt nature Here I charge you in the presence of the living Lord to be lyers and the lye spake out of the false Prophets mouths and conclude you all to be blasphemers who saith the light of Christ wherewith he hath enlightned every one that cometh into the world is corrupt nature and not pure and saith God condemnes this light of Christ which is pure and that 's your own condemnation the light and saith Vain man justifies that which God condemnes Here I charge you again to be lyers for the light of Christ doth condemn vain man and it is according to the judgement of God this light and this light wherewith Christ hath enlightened every one that cometh into the world shall be your eternal condemnation And you are as high blasphemers as ever your Fathers were who concludes that the light which he hath enlightned withal is not pure and call it corrupt nature but this light as I said before condemns corrupt nature and that which is not pure and that you shall eternally witness for to that which Christ hath enlightned you withal I speak which shall eternally condemn you and witness me when the book of conscience is opened you that hate it whose deeds are evil and stumble at it but to all you that love it and walk in it shall not walk in darkness but shall have that light of life as I said before And you say Moreover they say the Quakers That this light discovers every evil as it ariseth in the heart And your Answer is That this light doth not discover the greatest evil which is unbelief Here you shew your selves to be blinde guides indeed which saith That the light of Christ doth not discover to man the greatest sin unbelief And here we witness you to be lyers for we witness it shews man all his weakness and wants and we witness waiting in this light of Christ we see more light and strength renewed from God and the Gospel enjoyed and self-denial in following Jesus in the light which he hath given us which teacheth to take up the cross and deny the world in which world we see you to live in void of the knowledge of God and stumbling at the light And again you are speaking of a moral law Reply But that 's without and there it shall stand as you are in the first nature and abundance of such stuff out of it you have vented which is not worth mentioning And again you are speaking of the Spirit of truth to covince the world of sin and you hope it will convince some of these deluded ones because they believe not Part of this shall stand for your selves you deluded ones but the Spirit of truth you know not that part is ours and with it we see you to be without God in the world stumbling at the light whose hope shall perish which when the book of conscience is opened shall witness me eternally and condemn you and all people everywhere that hate it You say Some may dare tosay their hands are clean but who can say their heart is clean I can and see all your hearts unclean who stumble at the light the pure in heart sees God and see your hearts which are deceitful above all things you which knows it not Here you shew you hate the light indeed who knows not your own hearts and here you have shewed you are not fit fellows to preacheth Gospel nor speak to others whose hearts are not clean Here you have made manifest you never saw God for the pure in heart sees God and you see not your own hearts and how can you pray you cannot pray lifting up holy hands to the Lord whose hearts are not clean There I charge you in the presence of the living God your prayers to be hypocritical and your hands to be full of blood And again whereas you are talking of shewing to man how impossible it is to enter into paradise O ye blinde guides what have ye to do talk of paradise that knows not your own hearts or shewing man the way The Lord hath given me a pure heart and clean hands by which all your deceits are discovered and paradise we witness which no such corrupt hearts shall enter who disobey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ whom the plagues of God is due to and to you that hate the light murtherers Cains who are so wrangling about the light and says The light in the conscience discovers not secret things Here you are out of the obedience of the light and contrary to Christs words who saith That the light that he hath enlightned withal shews man his evil deeds and he will not bring his deeds to it because he knows they are evil and therefore he stumbles and this is his condemnation and there you are to be condemned with the light of Christ who are querying who knows his heart and there you are manifest to be in the first nature and judgeth the light of Christ to be corrupt nature like your selves which you and your nature are to be condemned with the light of Christ which is pure and eternal which is the condemnation of you and all the world that hate it Wherein you say That we conclude that power accompanies that light to destroy every evil as it appears to them that yield up themselves to it It appears by your stumbling at this light of Christ in man that you are ignorant of the Scriptures who saith Ye are sanctified by the obedience of the Spirit And as many as receives him to them he gives power to become the sons of God And the Son makes free and he was manifest to destroy
was made manifest but you are made manifest what generation you are of the day is come that declares it You say Why may not Satan help on mortification for such an end as to take away the death of Christ without you For Christ is without you we witness but your mortification that the devil helps on we deny and the plain Scriptures without any private interpretation we own and all your sences meanings interpretations and disputes we deny and you to be in Babylon in the state of the Pharisees Sorcerers and among dogs swine some in the lust and some in the mire are not some drunk and some as proud as they can go let you conversation witness it and all your arguments and consequences we do deny for you say You are not sent immediately as the Apostles were therefore ye are to be declared against that leads people with the mediate into the earth the lust and mire envious proud and covetous like your selves and the plagues of God is to come upon you all who live not in the doctrine of Christ Priest And whereas you slander and say That many writings of the the Papists are applauded and used by them of this way Reply Your writings and theirs we abhor which are contrary to the doctrine of Christ And whereas you were speaking of Jesuits books we put you all together Jesuits and Priests for you Priests have had their Law to maintain your Ministery and guard your Pulpit for with one Law of men have and are you Priests of England and Jesuits upheld so we that cry against Popery doth and must against you all and with the Spirit of the living God for it was before her Law was for where some have spoken in their time have been imprisoned and many lyes in prison now so he that sits in heaven laugheth at you the Lord hath you in derision and them that dwell in the light are on the watch have seen what your books have brought forth your folly and that the truth is exalted above all your lyes and slanders And they are at the battering of error who are in the commandment of the everlasting God who witness the everlasting Gospel the revelation of Jesus and the life of the Prophets and are in the obedience of the Faith who doth warn all to take heed of all seducing Spirits which draws from the light within which enlightens every one which comes into the world there is every one of your teachers in particular there is every one of your condemnation that hates it whose deeds are evil Priest Whereas you slander and say That some of them you call Quakers do expose themselves to be persecuted to sufferings Reply O ye persecuters and slanderers would you justifie your selves in destroying the innocent and make this your cloak and say They expose themselves to it when many are almost murthered in your steeple-houses but God is the strength of his people Priest And whereas you say That they put no difference between the Papists and the Protestants Reply Are they not both in a nature which are not in the power of God and who hath one law of Queen Maries for your protection for you have had that Popish Law of Queen Maries to defend you and doth not the Scripture say Every one that cometh into the world is enlightned with Christ which light is your condemnation that hate it which light searches the secrets of every mans heart Priest You say God who commanded light to shine out of darkness Reply This is not your condition it hath not shined forth of you which stumble at the light which hath enlightned every one that comes into the world Priest While you have been in your sinful silence you say Some privily have brought in damnable heresies denying the Lord that bought them Relpy This shall stand for your selves who saith You are found all your life time groaning under the burthen of sin Here I take all people in the light to record by whom I see you deny the Lord Jesus who came to save his people from their sins and to destroy the works of the devil which you say They must all their life time groan under and the Apostles said They were made free from sin and here your doctrine is contrary to theirs as in p. 15. and I take all people to record and let them read 2 Pet. 2. if you be not those Peter spoke of Which denies the Lord Jesus that bought them and hath brought upon your selves swift destruction many doth follow your pernicious wayes by whom the way of truth is evil spoken of and through covetousness and fained words you have made merchandize of the people who have gone in the way of Cain after the error of Balaam as you now have made it appear to the children of light who beguiles unstable soules eyes full of adultery sporting your selves in the day time evil beasts made to be destroyed speaking great swelling words of vanity through the lusts of the flesh promising your selves liberty but the mean while your selves are the servants of corruption and they that are escaped from you through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ comes to be entangled again among you their latter end is worse then the first and they had better never have known the way of truth but it is happened to such as the old proverb is The dog to vomit and the sow to the wallowing in the mire Therefore a warning to all you brethren that are in the light and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ that you may be kept unspotted from the world and to reign over all such who are in the lusts of the flesh and out of the doctrine of Christ that serves not the Lord Jesus Christ but your own bellies Queries 1. And whether the Gospel you speak of be the four books Matthew Mark Luke and John and if those be the Gospel then every one that hath these books hath the power of God to salvation and then that Gospel is preached and printed and that Gospel may be carried under their arms or in their pockets the Gospel we know and are established in it and we do not aske you this question because we would know it for your knowledge we deny but answer it to them you call your brethren 2. Whether that light that gave forth the Scriptures which enlightens every one that cometh into the world shall be every ones condemnation that hates it or the words of the Scriptures declared from it or this light which Christ hath enlightned withal when Christ saith This is the condemnation the light And whether there is any condemnation but this 3. And whether ye do own and believe in that one offering which hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified 4. And whether they are not in unbelief and not believe in this offering which say Men shall never be free from sin while they are upon earth and say They shall never come to perfection upon earth 5. And whether they that say so be not in the state of the Pharisees which brought no fruit to perfection though these professed a Christ to come yet they would not own this offering 6. And whether they that say Man shall not be sanctified throughout and shall not be made clean from sin while he is upon earth be not them that trample the blood of the new Covenant under foot and make the blood of Christ of none effect and denies Iesus Christ that bought them 7. And whether Christ Jesus doth not save his people from all their sins and set them free to reign as Kings upon the earth all these things we know and witness but to you Priests about Beverley and thou Priest Feak and the rest that subscribe to this book that saith They must lie groaning all their life long under it These queries are for you to answer that gave forth this book so here it is manifest that this everlasting offering that perfects for ever them that aresanctified is not owned amongst you Priests but onely to talk on as the Pharisees did of Christ From them whom the world scornfully calls Quakers who is in the power of God which shall make all the world to quake and tremble FINIS