said Human Invention and vain Tradition And Trinity of Persons in the Divine Essence where learned you this Article from the Pope from the Mass-book yet the Father Son and Spirit are owned and these three are one and the Father Word and Spirit and these are one but I challenge all you Orthodox Professors to shew me from Scripture where the Holy Ghost or Spirit is called a Person be ashamed of your Ignorance ye illiterate men 2. Or shall deny the Person of Christ to be distinct from the Father and the Holy Ghost or shall deny the Person of Christ to be distinct from every Believer Answ. Do but mark the Madness and Confusion of these mighty Rabbies before there must be three Persons in one Essence and now Christ must be distinct from the Father and the holy Ghost before in God and now distinct from God this is damnable Doctrine which hath been brought in since the Apostacy for the Scripture saith God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself how was he distinct from the Father when the Father was in him And I am in the Father and the Father in me and I and my Father are one Nay say New-England Doctors They are distinct and the Fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily Now prove you that the Father and the holy Ghost are distinct from Christ or how is Christ's Person distinct from every Believer when he that is a Believer hath him revealed in him and he that is a true Believer eats his Flesh and drinks his Blood How is he then distinct What nearer Union can there be exprest Is that distinct from a man that he hath in him But it may be they will say as the rest of the Dreamers do he is in Believers by his Spirit distinct from his Body then I say Christ is not divided a Person without a Spirit or distinct from the Spirit is not Christ but this blind Doctrine came up since the Apostles Dayes and was counted as Orthodox by the Councils at Nice and Lateran a Company of Apostates and hath been counted by the Beast's Followers a great Point of Divinity 3. Or deny the Manhood of Christ to be a Manhood distinct from the Manhood of any other Man Answ. The Man Christ Jesus who was of the Seed of Abraham according to the Flesh and the Son of God according to the Spirit his Flesh is distinct from you who live in ENVY whole FLESH is as the Flesh of Horses and as the Flesh of Dragons who devour you know not the holy Flesh of Christ but the Man of God doth who is born of the Spirit and the Flesh of Christ is his Meat and they that believe in him are Bone of his Bone and Flesh of his Flesh you ignorant Dreamers how then is his Flesh distinct But you do feed upon Ashes as your Father doth the cunning Serpent for God's Wisdom is hid from you 4. Or shall deny the Scripture or the written Word to be the Rule Answ. We own the Scriptures which you ignorantly call the written Word as though all the Scriptures were but one Word the Word is Christ which was revealed in the Saints which spake the Words forth and he is the Way and the Rule of Life to them that believe and his Spirit is the Leader and Guider into all Truth and the Rule of Obedience and you are they that deny the Scriptures and the Rule of holy walking you own it in Words and in VVorks deny him witness all your fore-mentioned Deeds of Darkness and Hypocrites and Dissemblers cry Scripture is the Rule of Faith and Life when their Life that they live in stands in Sin Wickedness and Deceit 5. Or shall openly revile either Church or State or Church-VVorship Church-Officer or Ordinances divine or the publick Assembly of the People of God to worship him according to the Prescription of the Gospel Answ. Your Church and State Church-Officers and Ordinances and Assembly and your Worship is manifest to be a Place where Dragons are who sting devour kill and destroy God's Workmanship and he that speaks for you God will condemn him for he that justifies you justifies the wicked and that is an Abomition to the Lord And let the Nation see your Prescription in that which you call your Gospel where Christ commanded the Churches or gave his Disciples such Prescripts as these If the rest of the Jews or Gentiles will not come to your Assemblies fine them 5 s. a Day and 10 s. a Day or 40 s. a Moneth and if any speak any where in my Name but where you meet let him that speaks be fined 5 l. and if they will not pay fetch away their Goods Beasts Horses break open their Houses and take Hatchets and beat down their Doors and take the Names of them that meet and bâ—le them to the Court and there fine them 5 l. a Man and send them to Prison and load their Backs and Stripes and whip them severely and if any refuse to doff his Hat and will not say Reverend Mr Peter and Reverend Mr Paul and Reverend Mr John or if it please you Mr Mark or Mr Andrew and Philip then go you to the Judgment Seat and tell the Magistrates and let them indict them and put in a great deal of aggravating Words as Muteny Sedition Insurrection Rebellion and the like and let them say unto them you are against the laudable Custom of our Country and last of all banish them and if they return again put them to Death and let them say as Richard Bellinghom the Deputy Governour of Boston said to John Copeland John Rous and Christopher Holder We commanded these Men not to come again but they returned again in Contempt of the Magistracy and Ministry and so whatsoever comes upon you Loss of Ears or Loss of Life your Blood be upon your own Heads I say let the Regions know your Prescript in your Gospel and your Rule of Life for these Practices and then you will convince the Quakers and satisfie all People 6. Or shall entertain any such in a Way of Conventicle or private Meeting or shall resort unto the Conventicle of any such who are known Refusers to come to the publick Worship of God in the publick Assembly Answ. These Men would have banished Paul he was a Man publickly known to refuse to go into the Temple and Synagogues except to lead People out of them and yet they have got his Words in their Mouthes and these Men would have imprisoned the Church of Corinth and Galatia and Thessalonica and the Church of Antioch for they met in Houses and denyed the rest of the Synagogue of the Jews and the Temples of the Gentâ—les and they had private Meetings and often by the Sea-side and Mountains and other Places and although Bishop Laud be dead his Spirit speaks and acts in New-England he made such Articles as these against Conventicles and told of the laudable Customs and Worship of
is but to set Bryars and Thorns in Battel against the Lord. Thy Book thou callst Hell broke Loose or a History of the Quakers published to preserve Christians against formality of Religion and Apostacy and to the intent that thy Book might not grow old nor stick upon thy Hands as such other moudly stuff hath done thou saist London Printed in the Year 1660. and so hast Printed a lye in the Frontis-piece of thy Book thy Book by that time thou may'st hang up with old Almanacks or sell for waste Paper and if thou beginst with a lye and Scorn how dost thou think that this will be an Antidote as thou callst it against formality and Apostacy Is not a Lyar an Apostate is not he that pleads for Popish Trumpery a formalist in Religion without the Power he that reads but thy Title page may see what thy Book is within if he go no further the Covenant of Death is not yet broken in thee and the agreement with Hell is not yet disannulled and therefore all this Smoke is come out of the Pit in which thou delights to dwell And is this such a worthy Piece in thy account that thou must needs shelter it under the Wings of the Officers of the Army of England Scotland and Ireland art thou so great a Friend to them and in thy Book tell'st them they were the in-let of Heresie and Blasphemy who art but yet an Episcopal stem or at best a Presbyterial Branch I believe many amongst them will savour thy Spirit and know what Uniformity and unity thou art for which may be more properly called deformity and Enmity and so thy Flattering Epistle when they see thy Spirit will hardly merit thanks and so that wicked Spirit which could not be satisfied in the time of the former Parliaments and Protectors still persists in the unsatiable desire to see if the Army will gratifie thee and turn Persecutors but thou hast mist it far in crying a confederacy to the reverend Pastors or Priests of Scotland the Army knows right well or at least might do that the Priests of Scotland whom thou so reverencest have been alwayes Hinderers and Obstructors of the Way of God and of his Work these divers Years instance two â—o three Hundred of them before the sight at Dunbar who Prophesied all like Zedekiah for the poor Scots against the English Army to go up and Prosper and Cursed them and Excommunicated them and gave them up to Satan and for Distruction but such Prophets were made fools and their divinations were Madness and God gave a sufficient Testimony against them and their deceived Followers which I hope the English Army have not 〈◊〉 forgotten and for the Scotish Priests and their Doctrine and Practice 't is so grosly ignorant and abominably Prophane as I believe many of the Army do right well know but such as are not satisfied I refer them to a Book called The Doctrines and Principles of the Priests of Scotland wherein may be seen their deceit and how some of them have said they had Reason to curse the Magistrates from morning to Night because that Allowance was granted unto any to Worship God in Spirit and Truth who could not be subject to their Traditional uniformity and thou tellest the Army in thy Epistle That ruin is like to come upon all Religion and Piety if God prevent it not by you or some other way they may see what Religion thou art of which may be rather called Irreligious and Impious the Government of Religion and Piety lyes upon the shoulders of him who is a wonderful Counsellor and mighty to save and able to defend them that are subject to him and wouldst thou have the Souldiers or any others intrude themselves into Christ's Throne unto whom all Power is committed both to make Religious and preserve pious them that do believe in him this were to derogate from the Honour and Power which belongs to Christ who is the Head of the Church who will not give his Glory to another and let all take notice of this that whosoever hath sought to take Honour from him and glory from him he hath laid their honour in the Dust and their Glory is become as the moth-eaten Garment as hitherto it hath been evident and thou tellst them They know the Scripture is God's written Word and a Holy perfect rule of Faith and Practice and that it holds out that Christ is now in his human glorified Body in Heaven If thou hadst said the Scripture are the Words of God written thou hadst said something for the Word of God is one thing and the Words are another though the words are a Testimony of the Word and the Word and the Spirit which is one which gave forth the Words are the perfect Rule and Foundation of Faith which was before the Words and is greater then the Words as we have often declared to thy dearest Generation though they would not hear and where doth the Scripture hold forth a Human glorified Body in Heaven thy deceit and ignorant mind holds out a Human glorified Body we say according to the Scriptures that Christ's Body is spiritual and he is raised a spiritual Body and is Glorified in a spiritual Body and in a Heavenly Body which thou never knewest neither art like while the Nature lives in thee in which thou now stands And thou say'st in thy Epistle that one day in seven should be set apart for rational Souls to mind the things of Eternity And which is that Day that thou wilt set apart some of Babylon's Merchants have cryed up one day and some have cryed up another day and some have called the seventh day the Sabbath and some have called the first day the Sabbath and whether was Sabbaths made for Man or Man for Sabbaths and whether was dayes made for man or man made for dayes all time is in the Hand of the Lord and they that have Communion with him do mind the things of Eternity every day and so they come to know the day of the Lord in which rest is given to the Soul and the Creature hath rest though he labour in the Creation when that is done away in himself which hath Opprest thou may'st go learn what this means In thy Post-script as thou callst it thou saist If any shall take offence for thy seeking to civil or Military Power to Support Religion thy defence is thy belief is That thou ought to seek to the higher Powers to support Religion and this is the Liberty of thy Conscience and that this thou may do more acceptably then they who Cross their own profest Opinion as they have done of late Years by motions Counsels Books and Papers which they have delivered for these many Years for â—he pulling down the Ministry and Steeple-houses and that their importuning the Magistrate to pull down Ministry and Worship is a yielding of the Cause I say thy belief is without the true Foundation and so
Spirit without the Scripture and that the Words in the 17th of John 22. That they may be one as we are one these Words give an uncertain Sound thou say'st and further thou say'st Surely they are under â— Rule of Lâ—fe who have not the Spirit since the Canon of the Scripture is closeâ— so far is the Spirit from being a Rule of Life that to us it is not the Spirit except 〈◊〉 move in the written Word Answ. Gross Darkness is thy dwelling Place and out of thiâ—k Darkneâ—s all this pitiful Confusion cometh the Doctrine of Life was communicated according to the VVill and Mind of God sometime by Dream sometime by Vision sometime by Revelation to the Patriarchs and Believers from Abel till Moses and by Faith they were Followers of Christ and doubtless they did communicate in their Generation those â—hings that were â—â—nifest unto them by the Spirit which was the then Rule and Guide to the Feet of the upright in the way of Peace before any Scripture was writtâ—â— and if the Scripture be not necessary absolutely thou hast said as much as we say therefore we speak of a Rule and a Way which is absolute necessary without which no man can know the Father or the Son nor the Way of Peace but by the Spirit of Truth which gave â—orth the VVords of Truth which may manifest and doth maniâ—est it self as it will when where and how it will for it is unlimited and it will not be limited by its own VVords as to Sound but may speak VVords which it never spoke before as for instance Paul by the Spirit said The second Adam the Lord from Heaven is a Quickening Spirit which none of the Scriptures before-written speak in these very VVords and if the Spirit be not Spirit without the Letter then where the Letter is wanting the Spirit is wanting and consequently them that have the Scripture have the Spirit which were no less then Ignorance and Darkness to say and what Rule are they under who have not the Spirit or no Measure of it there is but the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error and they that are not ruled by the Spirit of Truth they are ruled by the Spirit of Error though they may have the words to fight with and quarrel about without the Life but last of all thou hast in plain words set the dead Letter before the living Spirit and say'st That the Spirit is no Spirit except it speak by the Scripture and if the words of Christ in John 17. give an uncertain Sound it is but to thy deaf Ear and to thy blind Understanding for he spoak soundly and certainly and prayed to the Father that as the Father and he were one so they alsâ— might be one being guided by the one Spirit of the Father in the Son and that they might live in the Unity of it and have Unity with one another in it and with the Father and the Son In thy 15th page though thou hast set up the Letter for a perfect Rule of Life yet here thou throwest it down again and say'st It is to be unâ—erstood as including Consequences for the greatest Part of Scripture is Conâ—equences and the Scripture cannot be true without Consequences for Thomas and Mary are neither câ—mmanded Obedience or forbidden Diâ—obedience for we no where read thou Thomas or thou Mary are therein commanded Obedience or forbidden Disobedience such an one by Name do this or that Answ. I told thee the Spirit of God is unlimited and whether it speaks of Degrees or Measures of a greater or less thing or whether it speaks the greater first and the lesser after whether it speaks from Major to Minor or from Minor to Major or what may truly follow either from the greater to the less or from the less to the greater it is all Truth but thy Consequences are no Part of this the Spirit still demonstrates its own Mind by what words and Terms and Expressions it pleaseth and will not be limitâ—ed or confined to this or that Form of words and thou errest grosly neither knowing the Scripture nor the Power of God and thy Consequences are false for there are the individual Persons or Names of Thomas and Mary both commanded Obedience and forbidden Disobedience and if thou hast never read this in Scripture I inform thee and instruct thee thou may'st read John 20.16 17. where Jesus saith unto Mary she turned her self and said unto him Rabboni which is to say Master Jesus said unto her Touch me not for I am not yet ascended here is a Prohibition and forbidding that she should not touch him Secondly here is a Command of Obedience But go unto my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father to my God and your God and in the same Chapter thou may'st read in ver 27. where Christ spoke unto Thomas by Name after his Resurrection Then said he to Thomas reach hither thy Finger and behold my Hands and reach hither thy Hand and thrust it into my Side here was a Command to be obeyed and be not faithless there is a Prohibition or a forbidding of Unbelief and so thy Foolishness is manifest and Ignorance of the Scripture some of it thou sayest is an uncertain Sound and the Scriptures fore-mentioned thou hast denyed or else never hast read it and so art unacquainted with thy Rule which thou quarrellest and fightest so much about And then thou comest and say'st Thou wilt vindicate some Scriptures and citest 1 John 9. That this was the true Light which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World hence they affirm that there is a Light in every man which being followed is an infallible Guide and that this Light which lighteth every man is the Rule of Life and not the written Word thy Answer is The Sense of the Text is notoriously false and thy Reason is If Christ the true Light that liâ—hteth every man be the Rule then Righteousness should be by the Law for the Light which is in every Man is not Gospel-Light but there is a natural Light or the Light of Nature which is to be construed in Opposition to spiritual and the Light of Nature and the Light of the Spirit are contra-distinct and by this Light of Nature there is a Difference put betwixt that which is good and bad and it will teach us not to lye nor steal and it will lead to the Knowledge of one God and yet it is in Opposition to one Spirit and it will lead to know Eternity Omnipotency and it will lead to know the Creator yet it is contra-distinct to the Spirit Answ. The Scripture needs none of thy Vindication for thou hast defamed it and sayest Christ's Words are an uncertain Sound and thou hast said that neither Mary nor Thomas was commanded Obedience thou may'st look back of thy Lyes and repent of them and why is the Sense of the Text utterly false that Christ was the
natural Conscience that it is sufficient if we give heed unto it to discover Sin and turn our Minds towards God and that this Light within is the Grace of God and that it is Christ in us Answer Let all that reads that Book see if you be not Lyars and Slanderers and Perverters and are in the Generation of those false Witnesses which bore witness against Christ and here I charge you to be Lyars Where in all the Book doth he say that the Light of a natural Conscience is sufficient to guide to God if it be taken heed to or where doth it say it discovers Sin there is another Lye And where doth he say that natural Conscience is the Grace of God there is a Third Lye and where doth he say that natural Conscience is Christ in us there is a fourth Lye Be ashamed that ever you should go and present so many filthy Lyes to Authority that there is no Truth in at all Oh ye dark Minds would you be judging and prescribing what is Heresie and Blasphemy and call the Light of Christ Paganisme and Heresie But I am bold in the Name of the Lord to declare unto you and unto all the World that Christ is the true Light that hath enlightned every one that comes into the World and that this Light is spiritual and not natural and it convinceth of all Sin he shall convince the world of Sin and whoso obey this Light which shines into the Conscience it leads up to Christ and out of Sin and it turns the Mind towards God and it shines in Darkness but you dark sottish Children know it not yea you that hate it have it and it shall condemn you and when the Book of Conscience shall be opened you shall be judged for all your hard Speeches against the Truth Another thing you present to be Blasphemy and Heresie is that the Worship that is performed in England with those Ministers that sing Davids Psalms baptize Infants wear double Cuffes Boot Hose toops take Tythes say men shall never be perfect in this World and that say the Letter is the Light and the Letter is the Word and that Salvation is in the Scripture and that call Matthew Mark Luke and John the Gospel are Seducers and no Ministers of the Word but shew forth the Spirit of Error Answer All those Ministers in England which abide not in the Doctrine of Christ all those Worshippers and Worships which are Contrary to the Scripture are Heathenish and they worship they know not what and all such Worship is an Abomination to the true God and I charge you and all those that would be counted Ministers in England to prove from the Scripture where the Saints sung Davids Conditions and Psalms in Rhimes and Meeter and where is there any Scripture for baptizing of Infants and whether any of the Ministers of Christ lived in pride and Lusts of the Flesh and where any Ministers of Christ took Tythes which belonged to the first Priesthood and the first Covenant and so they that uphold the first and deny the second and the one everlasting Offering which perfects forever them that are sanctified and where doth the Scripture say that the Letter is the Word and the Light but it witnesses against you and saith God is the Word and Christ is the Light and Christ is the Gospel yea the everlasting Gospel and Matthew Mark Luke and John declared of him and here you be witnesses against your selves ye dark-minded men and I charge you that you deny the Scripture and all those who uphold those things are in the Heathenish nature without God in the World in the Earth where the Devil dwells who is an accuser of the Brethren and doth not the Scripture and they declare it who were Ministers of Christ that there were that ran after the Errour of Balaam and their Hearts were exercised with covetous Practices And were there not such that were Railers and false Accusers and blind Watchmen and greedy dumb Dogs and such as led into VVitchcraft and Anti-christs Deceivers you might as well have called Christ Paul Peter and Jude Blasphemers and Hereticks but you are made manifest to be them and in the same nature that called Christ a Blasphemer and Paul a Pestilent Fellow and a Setter forth of strange Gods and the Ministers of Christ Seditious and thou mightst as well say Christ despised a Governour when he called Herod a Fox And now blessed be the Lord the Hour of his Judgments is come and we freely declare against all Deceit both in Magistrates Priests and People as they did that wrote forth the Scripture and bear witness to his Name as they did in our Measure and we have suffered and do suffer daily by slanderous Tongues such as you have and Imprisonments and cruel Mockings and Stripes and Bonds and can truly say to the praise of his Name We bear in our Bodies the Marks of the Lord Jesus but we must pass through good Report and evil Report and it is our Crown and rejoycing to suffer for his Name and now Gog and Magog and all the Powers of the Earth bend themselves and are angry even the Nations that profess Christ in Words and say the Scripture is their Rule but walk not according to it and against all such hypocrisie are we VVitnesses to the fulfilling our Testimony and the laying down of our Lives that he alone may be honoured who sits upon the Throne of David and of whose Government there is no End to whom be Praise forever who shall break all your Combinations and plots and you shall be Ground to Powder who set your selves against him and be dashed to Pieces as a Potter's Vessel And now to that which you call Anti-magistratical Errours That the Magistrates are not to have Titles of Worshipful or Right Worshipful and that the Subjects of a Common Wealth which is not Israel's Common Wealth are to be disturbed and that no Civil Government is to be acknowledged but the Government of the Law within us Answ. Where readest thou or any that any Magistrate was called Worshipful or Right Worshipful or ever any of the Saints of God did so he that is Righteousness and Truth unto whom all Honour and Worship belongs God blessed forever we own and worship he is no Respecter of Persons And you filthy Flatterers who are in the Curse respect mens Persons and so you are razed out forever from the Faith of Christ and from the Faith which all the Holy Men of God lived in that you know it not but you false Accusers Magistrates we know and they are for the Punishment of Evil-doers and for the Lavvless for Lyars and Slanderers such as you are and for the Praise of them that do vvell and vve honour such in our Hearts and obey their just Commands and are not like him that said he would go and vvent not but are subject for Conscience sake to the Povvers that are of God and
pure Spirit if thou waitest in the Manifestation of the Spirit these Things thou wilt see to be Truth though hid and vailed from the World that lyes in VVickedness as thou comest out of its Nature I have not written for to please Men of corrupt Minds who glory in VVords and outward Appearances and glory in natural Parts and in Sounds and are erred from the Life but to the simple-hearted and for the strengthening of the weak and for the understanding of the simple and that which thou seest in the following Discourse which thou canst not close with let it alone and judge nothing before the Time in thy Wisdom that is earthly or in thy Reason but in that and to that of God in thee I desire to be approved and to nothing else and shall be made manifest in the day of the Lord that is dawning in the world and many have seen it to appear in Power and Glory wait thou in thy own particular that thou may'st feel thy own Condition and see thy own State and that which lets thee see thy own Condition will let thee see the Lord and what I have declared of him to be true I am thy Friend in Truth and wish Good to all Men. F. H. SOME OF THE MYSTERIES OF God's Kingdom DECLARED As they have been revealed by the Spirit THROUGH FAITH THE Lord God of the whole Earth who lives forever even the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and Jacob whose Throne is established in Righteousness forever who rideth upon the Heavens and shines forth in his eternal Excellency from the Firmament of his Power he is manifesting himself in his Power as in the dayes of old and revealing his Righteousness as in the Years past and pouring forth his Spirit upon his Sons and Daughters according to his Promise and they that believe come to be made Partakers of the Blessing of the everlasting Hills even the Lord who appeared at Sinai unto Moses his Servant in the Bush who rose up from Mount Seir and shined forth in his Brightness from Mount Paran and came with ten thousands of his Saints even he from whose right Hand went a fiery Law so that the People could not behold his Glory the same is he who hath now appeared in this the Day of his Power and is appearing whose Glory shall dazel the Eyes of the World whose Brightness shall make dim all the World's Glory and stain its Wisdom and shut it up in utter Darkness that it shall not appear to have any Existence or Being and the Shadow of Death shall fly away and all the haughty and lofty Princes of this World shall be horribly afraid the Beasts shall go into their Dens when the day appears and the Lambs of the everlasting Fold shall come forth and be fed in the fat Valleys where the Springs of Life compass about all the Banks and rejoyce in their Shepherd and shall say The Lord is my Shepherd which many at this Time do admire and say What hath the Lord wrought who have seen his Wonders in the dayes of old and have seen his noble Acts which the Fathers have told of who are fallen asleep and are at Rest in the Lord and now many is God bringing to see what they witness to be true and to have the same fulfilled in themselves Honour and Praise unto him forever who is the Stay Strength of all his People forever And the day of the Lord is broken and the Light hath appeared that manifesteth all Things which are reproveable and the Day-Star is arisen in the Hearts of many and they are come to see that fulfilled in their Hearts which Peter exhorted them to wait for and to take heed unto the sure Word of Prophecy until the day appeared and did dawn in their Hearts which day when it appears and to whom it appears discovereth all things and maketh all things manifest as it is declared by the Spirit of Truth in the Scripture of Truth and every Man's Work shall be tryed of what Sort it is and of what Nature it is and this day hath appeared to many Praises to the Lord who have waited for it and now they see every thing in its Ground and Rise and every tree and fruit is seen according to its kind whether good or bad and every Man's Work is obvious to every one who are in the day and upon whom the Morning of Righteousness hath appeared and the Sun of Righteousness hath shined upon whereby that is seen in every one by the Light which is truly called day by the Lord who causeth it to spring from on high which is reproveable and condemnable and also whatever is justifiable and unreproveable is seen by the day of the Lord appearing in the Heart The Day of the Lord what it is and to whom it hath appeared discovered and how it is seen GOD is a Spirit his day is spiritual and is seen with a spiritual Eye it 's pure Light pure Brightness the pure shining forth of the Lord in his glorious Excellency the pure shining forth of Eternity Life putting forth it self in its Brightness Holiness shedding it self abroad in its Glory Purity spreading it self in its immeasurable Excellency and can only be seen as it is in it self by the Children of Light that are born of it there is a natural day there is a spiritual Day the natural day receives its Brightness from the Sun the spiritual day receives its Brightness from the Sun of Righteousness by whom it 's brought forth without whom nothing was or is made or brought forth but by him who is the Fountain of Life and as the natural day receives its Clearness from the natural Sun and is discerned by the natural Eye of a natural Man and all things natural are seen and discovered by and in the natural day and are perspicuous and obvious to him that hath his natural Sight even so from the Sun of Righteousness the Lord of Glory Light and Purity the day of God receives its Brightness and is issued out from him by the Rayes of his Brightness and is discerned and seen only by the spiritual Eye of the spiritual Man who is the Image of the Father brought forth in Life and in his own Nature and Quality that is to say from God the Father of Life by Christ Jesus the Life of men the Light of the World and this is the Birth which is born from above which is of the Nature of the Father and the Son and of the day and he only comes to behold this day and discerns all things of the Father's Kingdom by it and likewise discerns all the hidden things of Dishonesty and the Works of Darkness which are brought forth by the Prince of Darkness who is shut up in eternal utter Darkness which is his dwelling-place forever which is his Residence and shall be the Residence of all the Workers of Iniquity that bear his Image forever Object But some
rest of the People that buy yet our Merchandize that he holds hereticall Opinions and despises the Ministry and the Ordinances and the Doctrines of our reformed Churches or if any say That the Spirit of the Lord is a sufficient Teacher to lead his People into all Truth without outward Means as natural learning Hebrew Greek and Latin and the ancient Fathers and old Authors and so make void all our Arts and Parts which are the Foundation of our Divinity then let us cry in the Ears of all the People and in the Ears of the Rulers and the Powers of the Earth that this is Blasphemy and Error and ought to be supprest And furthermore if any shall say That he believes he shall be made free from Sin in this Life by the effectual working of Chrâ—st the mighty Power of God which condemns Sin in the Flesh and destroyes the Works of the Devil then let us cry Heresie and Blasphemy and let us tell them that the holiest that ever were upon the Earth sinned and that the Body of Sin was uncut down in them and let us prove it by Paul's Words he complained of a Body of Sin and was never in any other Condition while he lived upon the Earth and so it may be we shall keep them in Blindness that they will continue and trade with us and if any say They are come to the Baptism of the Spirit the one Baptism into which all the Saints were â—aptized in which all other Baptisms end and so being come to this deny all the Figures and the Baptism of Infants then let us cry out that they are Sectaries and deny the Ordinance of God Infants-Baptism and let us give them some Scripture how that Christ took up little Children in his Arms and blessed them and how he hid his Disciples go out into all Nations and baptize them in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost and may be with an Inference or two or two or three Consequences raised from this and the like Scriptures we shall make their Eye blind that we shall put off this counterfeit Ware yet a little while And if any shall deny our Church or Chappel and call it an Holâ— Temple which God never commanded to be built then let us bring some Scriptures how that God commanded a Temple to be built at Jerusalem and how the Jews had Synagogues and how God commanded Store-houses to be built for God's Service and Worship and it may be such a Proof as this will satisfie them that they will come to our Shop another Time at the Hour appointed for the Sale of our Wares when the Marke-Bell rings and the Wares are ready to be set out and so by this Means we may hold on our Trade a while And if any shall deny David's Psalms to be sung in Rhime and Meeter and with Organs and Pipes to be an Ordinance of God in Gospel Times then let us bring them some Scriptures and some Fathers and tell them in the Church of Corinth that he that had a Psalm might sing and it may be they will know no Difference between a Psalm which was given forth by the Spirit the Psalm which is gotten by Tradition from another and let us bring a Proof out of Revelations That they that were redeemed from the Earth played upon the Harps and sung a new Song and it may be they will see no Difference between them that are in the Earth and them that are redeemed from the Earth and so we may keep up this still as an Ordinance invented by our Mother Mystery Babylon And let this be agreed amongst us now when many of us are assembled together whose Lively-hood and Riches stand only in the merchandizing of our Mother Church that to whatsoever Place we sail in our Ships if any be heard to say That the Spirit of the Lord ought to move first before any Teacher Minister or Believer ought to pray that so they may pray with the Spirit and in the Spirit in publick and in private whether with many or few that so without the Spirit none can be edified let us all agree to this that it be voted down as an Error and let us do what in us lyes to prove from Scripture that set Forms of Prayer are lawful and are an Ordinance of God and let us bring the Lord's Prayer called by our Mother-Church the Pater noster and see what that will do and also Hosea 14.2 Take with you Words and turn to the Lord say unto him take away our Iniquity and receive us graciously so with a Deduction from these and the like Scriptures we may happily prove that a set Form of Words invented by our Church or any of us that trade with her Merchandize that this is an Ordinance of God and ought to be practised publickly and privately and is accepted with God although the People have not received the Spirit as they had in the primitive Times and if this will not satisfie then use some prevalent Argument as our reverend Brother and Fellow-merchant with us Mr. Samuel Bolton in the like Case in Hand used this forcible Argument Though you cannot command the Wind said he yet you may spread your Sails and see what such an Argument as this will do but if they will not be content with this as it may be they will not in England Scotland Ireland and Holland and some other Parts who are more quick-sighted then some other Places where we merchandize if we cannot stand it out against them that none can pray to God aright but he that is come to the Spirit and knows by the Signification of it what to ask then let us grant them the thing if we cannot help it if Common-prayer Forms of Prayer will not go off as they use to do amongst our Customers then let us agree to them but let that be the last Shift that without Faith or the Spirit it is impossible to be accepted or heard of God yet before this be granted let us strive as much as in us lyes by forcible Arguments from the Scripture if so be they will not allow the Authority of ancient Fathers nor of our Cannon-Books how that there is a Platform laid down in Scripture and the general Heads of true Prayer are laid down in an Orthodox Method in the Scriptures that is to say Confession Petition Intercession Supplication with giving of Thanks and if this will not stave them off from speaking so much of Prayer by the Spirit and with Understanding for iâ— will be a grievous thing if we let this Ordinance fall of set Form of Prayer which our Mother Mystery Babylon hath allowed so many Years and raâ—â—fied and confirmed in several great Councils as Nice and Lateran and divers others and if nothing will serve them but Prayer by the same Spirit as was in the primitive times before we lose them quite let us grant it them in Words that Prayer by the Spirit
Fellow-merchants denyed the Mass-book or publick Profession Doctrine and Discipline and joyned to the book of Common-Prayer and the Letany as the publick Profession of the Worship of God and now of late Years we have denyed it our selves and so we which are of this Order can dispence well enough with this seeing that we trade with some of our Mother's Merchandize under another Name and so the Matter is less grievous because the Orders and Ceremonies about Worship are retained still in our Directory under another Habit and Guise and having these Witnesses before mentioned for our Example and if any seem to contend with us this will take the Edge off People seeing it 's no new thing with us to set our Sails which Way soever the Wind blows and it may be we may bring them a Scripture or two and an Inference from it for a Cloak as to submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lord's sake and let every Soul be subject to the higher Power so Henry the 8th while he stood he was the higher Power and so Mary Elizabeth James and Charles they were the higher Power while they stood and they did ordain that sometime the Mass-book should be the publick Worship and some time the Common-Prayer-book should be the publick Worship and now the Directory a Plat-form of publick Worship it may be these and the like Arguments to them that are dim-sighted will take Place for some time But there is one thing above all which ought to be considered of by us who are allowed to be publick Merchants seeing that we must go under the name of Reformation for that is our Flag we carry in our Ships seeing that generally People of the most understanding will not allow of any preaching to be effectual to the converting of Souls but that which is ministred by or from the Spirit for the reading of old Homilies which served in our Predecessors Dayes will not serve now or if we should speak some Hebrew or Greek or Latin in an unknown Tongue they will conclude that is rather the Wisdom of the Flesh and from natural Wit rather then from the Spirit and therefore it is not much amiss if we conclude to let some of the Ancient Fathers pass and not mention them because it is holden generally that they lived in an Apostatizing time and so it will not be effectual in the Audience of People And so for Austin and Cyprian Jerom and Beda Origen and Damazin their Traffick will hardly go off for they will conclude it 's rather by Art and Study that we preach then by the Spirit and so we being fallen into such a dangerous time as this is now in the break of Day when men begin to be quick-sighted and will not onely espie Hills but also Motes therefore all we which are Merchants of this Order and Rank to our Mother Mystery Babylon had need to trade with the best Merchandize as Gold and Silver and precious Stones and fine Linnen and silk and Scarlet and so let this be agreed upon by us all that we study hard and read the Scriptures and other modern Divines which are Orthodox that so if need require every one may preach extempore for else it will not go upon the Account of the Spirit and so have Words to fit at all Times Occasions and Seasons as before Protectors Parliaments and Councils or Noble men or Classis or Synods or the like and every one labour by Study and Art to raise many Doctrines from one Scripture and make many Uses and Tryals and Motives and so carnal people's minds will be affected with such dex-Tterity and Readiness so that we shall clear our selves from Clamour which some of our Merchants have fallen under because of their Negligence and if any should accuse us for studying and patching up our Sermons out of divers Authors mixt with Scripture and our Inventions then bring such a Scripture as that 2 Tim. 2.15 Study to shew thy self approved unto God it may be some blind People will take that for a good Proof and such a word as that Study to be quiet and because the word Study is found in Scripture therefore with a Consequence or two we may prove in the Ears of people that studying of Sermons is lawful and if any question our set Wages and Heir be sure that all with one accord do study to vindicate this for this is the Life and Sinnews of the Propagation of our Gospel And now Reader I shall give thee an Account of the principal and chief Traffick which is established for the Publick Worship amongst those that are called Gospel-Professors the general heads whereof are laid down in a Directory of the Publick Worship in these three Nations of England Scotland and Ireland and the general Heads of that which they purpose to traffick with is laid down in their Directory so called and what Traffick is of less Moment may be ushered in time will make manifest and in their Preface to their Boâ—k they say as follows Directory That the Liturgy hath been a great Means to encrease an idle Ministry from puttâ—ng forth themselves for putting forth the Gift of Prayer which Christ pleaseth to furnish all his Servants with whom he calls to that Office Answer So then by this Conclusion all their former Fathers and Fellow-merchants were not sent out by Christ because they contented themselves with set Forms of others made to their Hands and if all whom Christ called to this Office be furnisht with the Gift of Prayer then this must needs follow that they that have no Gift of Prayer are no Officers of Christ well their Part being acted and the Exit being come let him go off the Stage and thou shalt see the gifted men come on next Direct In the assembling of the Congregation together the Direction is that the People do reverendly compose themselves to joyn in the Ordinance of God which is then coming in Hand as it is written in the 11th Page of their Book Answ. Here they are putting Self to perform the Ordinance of God which whosoever comes to perform aright or joyn with the Assembly of the righteous they must deny themselves and all their own composings Direct The next Thing is about reading the Scriptures and Expâ—sition of them and in their expounding they are to take heed that preaching and other Ordâ—nances be not streightned Answ. As for reading the Scripture it is a thing so harmless honest just and good that I wish that all their whole Ordinances so called had been all waved and given Place to this and if it were read oftener to the People without adding or diminishing the Understandings of People would be more opened then by their cloudy and dark patched up Speeches which is called preaching but preaching I am not against that is to say to declare the Mind of God as it is revealed by his Eternal Spirit to and in them that speak and why do you prefer
have your Minds stayed that you may adorn the Truth by a chast sober and holy Conversation and your Lives preach and answer the just in every Man that so Truth may be exalted above all Deceit And Friends keep your Meetings on the first Day at your several Places where you might hitherto have waited in Stilness and Quietness but it hath not yet been prized as it ought and you may all yet learn and see all those that run up and down being heady and self-willed that still run after Words and never come into the Obedience of the Truth and now are turned out where they were before nay worse and a Fan will yet come and all that stumble at the Cross shall all fall and they that get above it deny the Power of God But Friends since the Truth hath been declared among you you have not known a Want and that makes the careless and the full now to loath Manna the least of which if you had had in Time past would have been accepted unto you And so now all you who have kept your Garments clean whom the Lord hath preserved out of the Snare of the Enemy below and dwell in Love in Meekness and Peace one with another and grow up in the Wisdom of God and Life of God and now see that all keep in the Fear look to your own every one in Particular that you may savour and discern all Deceit and keep the Faith that so you may see Victory daily and do not talk of things above what you enjoy and let none think of himself above what is meet and he that is least shall be Minister And so the Lord God of Life preserve you all in Uprightness that you may come through all this Mud and Dirt and may find your Strength renewed and the Power of the Lord more made manifest the Desire of my Soul is to the Lord for you all fulfil my Joy in your Obedience to the Truth as it is made manifest in you and the God of Life and Power be with you all who are of an upright Heart I am yours as you continue in the Faith which hath been declared and revealed in as many as have believed F. H. THE Invisible Things OF GOD BROUGHT TO LIGHT BY THE REVELATION OF THE ETERNAL SPIRIT Who was an Eye-Witness of the Wonders of the Lord in the Beginning Wherein is declared the Felicity of all Things in the Beginning and the sad Estate of all Things after the Transgression How all the reformed Churches so called in Christendom are yet in the Apostacy The Estate of the true Church before the Apostacy and her State in the Apostacy and the Glory that shall appear after the Apostacy By one who believes God will shine out of Sion in perfect Beauty again after the dark Night of Apostacy F. H. The Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun as seven Dayes and he will destroy in this Mountain the Face of the Covering cast over all People and the Vail that is spread over all Nations Isa. 25.7 AN EPISTLE TO THE Reader or Readers TO the upright-hearted Reader in all the Regions of the Earth wherein this may come who have walked in the Thick Fogs and Mists which have arisen out of the bottomless Pit which have been raised up since the Transgression which have dimmed your Eyes and hurt your Sight so that you could not behold the pure caelestial Being nor him that dwells in it whose Presence gives Life nor any thing within the Vail because the Vail hath been spread over all Nations and it hath been so thick that it hath been hard for any to rent it and the Night of Apostacy and Darkness hath been so long since the Woman fled into the Wilderness and since the Manchild which was born hath been caught up to God that few or none for these many Ages past have come to see the End of the Night but have mourned without Hope and few or none have seen or have been able to discern the time of the Woman's Return out of the Wilderness again into which she fled and few or none have seen to the End of the times after which she should return Mens Sight in the Apostacy hath been so dim and in the Vexation that when the Man-child which was caught up unto God would appear again few have had Faith to believe or Sight to behold him or an Understanding to discern of the times But Praises be to the Lord God everlasting who hath opened and is opening the Windows of Heaven and showring down his Wisdom as a mighty Rain and his Knowledge as the Morning Dew and an Understanding is pouring forth as the Water out of the Bottles of Heaven and as the Water Spouts so that Ages Times Things Dayes and Years are measured and seen And him that was before all things is beholden by whom all things were made who hath been as in a far Country all this long Night of Darkness but the time is fully expired and now is he returning and his Appearance is as a Morning without Clouds as clear as the Sun and as pure as Christal and now is he scattering the Clouds Fogs and Mists as with the East Wind and his pure Breath clears the Air and by his Arm which is mighty is he renting the Vail of the Covering according to his Promise and revealing himself in his naked Glory that the solitary may rejoyce and the feeble may be comforted and them that have erred may come to a good Understanding what I have writ thou must read me only in that which is invisible and eternal in thy self else I am sealed from thee my Words are a Riddle the Dreamers of this Age in the Apostacy say Immediate Revelation is ceased and not to be looked for yet I must needs bear my Testimony against them all for what I have here written I neither received of Man nor from Man nor Books nor other Words but by the Eternal Spirit who saw these things and was an Eye-Witness of them and God through it hath revealed them in me and to me that I might bear my Testimony of the hidden things of God which are eternal although I have made Use of the Scriptures and the Saints Words and cited some it is not for my sake but thine who readest that so every Truth may be confirmed by two or three Witnesses if thou wait to know and find the Key of David who opens in what I have declared thou wilt see the State of things before the Fall and after the Fall and how all Men in the Fall have corrupted themselves in all Administrations thou wilt see the State of the Church before the Apostacy in the Apostacy and what shall be after the Apostacy and if thou cannot reach into the things as they are declared judge them not before the Day appear in thy self for till then they will be obscure to
Jews under the first Covenant had the Scriptures the good and wholsome Words of God and the Prophets and read the Law and the Prophets on the Sabbath dayes and yet the Vail was over their Hearts and though they did perform many things commanded yet they being erred from the Spirit did not understand of what the Scripture spoke nor know him nor his mind to wit Christ of whom the Scriptures spâ—ke neither were they accepted of God but reproved and Rejected by Christ himself who said they erred not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God doubtless they did know the words naturally and read them but the Spirit 's mind in so speaking they knew not and Jude reproves all such and said what they knew they knew naturally as â—worâ— it Beasts and in that Knowledge they corrupted themselves and therâ—foâ—e Peter well said many things were herd to be understood which the unlearned wrested they that were ignorant of the Spirit of the Father and had not learned of God who is a Spirit they I say perverted and wrested the good and wholsom Words of the Scriptures and were no more accepted of God then if they had never heard the Words nor read them at all and as for the Jews conforming to the outward Commands when the Vail was over their Hearts and their Hearts Uncircumcised these things did not make them any whit more accepted then the Heathen so the Christians since Christ's time in the Apostles days and after the Apostles dayes who held the form of Worship and the form of Godliness and the outward part of Worship and hold and retain it in that part which is above the Seed and deny the Power this no more makes a Christian inward then outward Circumcision made a Jew inward neither any of these things do recommend any unto God but are covers made and rests formed from that part which is above the Seed and so man comes to be Counselled in those things when alas he is Miserable and Naked and hath not the righteous Garment on which should make man accepted of the Father through the beloved God's Righteousness How all men upon the Earth in the degeneration and in the Fall and in the Transgression have corrupted themselves have been Idolaters in every administration being gone from the Power in which man had the Ability Power and Wisdom to Worship God aright and honour the living God of Heaven and Earth IN the State and Condition which man was created in when he was the Image of God and lived in the Power of God in which he was created he in that Power which was his Life had Wisdom and Understanding and Power to worship the living God and to glorifie his Maker the which thing I have treated on before but being gone from the Power grew in Knowledge without the Power his Thoughts became vain his Imaginations vain and his Desires earthly and corruptible and so the Creatures were worshipped in his Heart and not the Creator the Life of the Creatures and he bowed to the Creatures and they had Dominion over him and that Nature began to grow and multiply in all the Earth and that Seed that was at Enmity with God and against the Seed which is Christ and few there were that called upon the Name of the Lord in Truth and Righteousness although some yet few one in a Nation or a few in an Age nay in many Ages and men multiplyed in the Earth and Wickedness multiplied also and Idolatry and the Seed of the Serpent grew great And God saw the Wickedness of man that it was great in the Earth and that the Thoughts and Purposes and Imaginations of his heart were only evil continually Gen. 6.5 And the Earth was filled with Violence Cruelty and Oppression and the living God forgotten and not worshipped but on the contrary they followed the Imaginations of their own Hearts and bow'd down to every corruptible thing and to every Creature and did not worship the Lord God in their Hearts till the Lord was grieved at the Heart and repented that he had made man and this was before the Flood and after the Flood when the Earth was a little multiplyed Iniquity grew in the Earth and the cursed Seed sprang from Ham's Stock of whom was Nimrod the Hunter before the Lord the Beginning of his Kingdom was Babel of the which became great Idolaters and of this Seed came the Philistians who were uncircumcised who were Heathens and the Jebusites and Gargasites and the Canaanites and Hivites and their Generations were great in the Earth and they were great Idolaters and committed Idolatry with Stocks and Stones and with Brick having forgotten the Lord they began to work exploits in the Earth and to build Cities and Babel having forgot the Name of God they would have got a Name in the Earth and builded a Tower whose top might have reached to Heaven but the Lord whom they had forgot scattered them and this was the Seed of evil doers whom God scattered and drove out of Canaan who were great Idolâ—ters and gave it to Abraham who feared the Lord and to Jacob and to his Seed to possess And when Transgression grew he added a Law the Sence of God's Power and Wisdom was so lost in man and they so gone from his Wisdom that a Law was added after Israel came out of Egypt which was outward and written in Tables of Stone wherein was the Statutes and the Commands that they should only worship him and that they should not make them Gods of Gold and Silver neither the Likeness of any thing in Heaven and Earth yet nevertheless that uncircumcised Part which kept the Seed in Bondage and that corruptible earthly Nature that ruled in them made Gods like the heathen Egyptians and they made a Calf and bowed to the molten Image and forgot God and provoaked him to Anger till many of them were consumed in his sore Displeasure and tempted him and lusted and eat and drank and rose up to Play and committed Whoredoms with the Creatures and abused them and therefore the Lord sent his Prophets and rebuked them they abused the Gold and the Silver the Stone and the Wood which were good Creatures but not to make Gods of nor Images thereof nor Idols to draw away their Minds from the Lord but they in whom the Seed was not made manifest they worshipped deâ—d things and Likenesses of things which were not Life it self and so transgressed the Law acting from that Part and living in that Nature which the Law was against which was added because of Transgression to limit the Transgressor and to slay him and to bruise that under till the Seed came up that fulfils the Law but the Seed of the Serpent had so much Rule in them whom God had often delivered out of the Hands of their Enemies so that many perished Corah and many Princes and many Thousands of Israel who followed their own Inventions and were cut
and the Son of God according to the Spirit is glorified with the Father the man Christ Jesus he is sate down at the right Hand of God But if tho meanest by Human a carnal Body or the same Flesh that thou hast on deal plainly with us and nakedly the next time thou or any of thy Teachers write and prove us by Scripture where the Church is called his mystical Body or where hast thou got these new coyned words as Human Nature and mystical Body Correct thy Pen and let no such Popish Phrases come in Print again lest thou shamest thy self more instead of shaming of us And thou concludest If any say here he is or there he is on Earth believe them not Where learnedst thou this Article of Faith I pray thee shew me Is he not both in Heaven and Earth How should he restore the Earth and all things into their purity if he must not be manifest in the Earth What! wilt thou confine him to or in a place Doth not his Presence fill Heaven and Earth Is he divided from his Presence But may be thou wilt say as thy Generation doth that he is in the Earth by his Spirit and in Heaven in his Body or Person distinct from his Spirit If so then you divide Christ and a Person without a Spirit and not Christ. I will aske thee a Question No man hath Ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven the Son of man which is in heaven Where was the Son of man or the Man Christ when this was spoken If thou canst see this thou mayst be ashamed to shut Christ out of the Earth or from among his Saints where his Presence his Arm his hand and his Power is which is not divided from his Body but I know thou art deaf and canst not hear what I say and thou bringst Heb. 10 12. After he had offered one Sacrifice sate down at the right hand of God that is saist thou In his human Nature The shame is come upon thy self who hast added thy own Imagination and let all see whether the Scriptures speak of Human Nature but thy folly must be manifest to all Thy third Particular that thou namest and as thou sayest shamest is If we say we are without Sin we deceive our Selves Thou hadst better have enquired perfectly whether we said so or no before thou hadst undertook to reprove upon so doubtfull terms and thou bringst Prov. 20.9 For who can say my Heart is clean He can say so and speak Truth whose Heart God hath cleansed by the Blood of Christ from all Sin And then thou bringst Job 9.20 If I justifie my self my own Mouth shall condemn me That 's true we justifie not our selves neither self but deny self and self is condemned and Christ God's Righteousness is become our Justification And then thou bringest Paul Phil. 3. Not as though I had already attained but follow after that I may apprehend What of that he was in his growth and was come to that which was perfect and did believe to attain to the Stature of a perfect man And then thou saist I tell you you are not perfect your contempt of the Ministers of Christ and perverting the Doctrine of Christ are characters of Sin That shall stand for thy self and thy Masters whom thou art joyned with who set up Popish trumpery instead of the Ordinance of Christ and set up the precepts of men introduced in the Apostacy for the Doctrine of Christ And then thou concludest the Scripture hath concluded all under Sin all in the first Adam but I hope the Scripture doth not conclude all under Sin in the second Adam neither doth conclude him under Sin that 's born of God who Sins not And if thou makest any such conclusion thou givest thy verdict for the Devil and not for God then thou sayest I am not pleading for Sin Thou art pleading for nothing else but for Sin and Imperfection in which the Devil's Kingdom stands and thou sayest thou hast cause to cry out O wretched man that I am So thou hast indeed hast thou repented of thy Drunkenness How long is it since thou fell'st off a Bridge being Drunk and broke thy Leg but it is like for thy good Service done to thy Master in writing this lying scrole he will give thee an Absolution for that Transgression The fourth Particular which thou call'st our Tenet is That we deny the Scripture to be the Word of God And thou hast brought many Scriptures to prove that they are but they are as impertinent to the thing as thy former about the Steeple-house or Mass-house Thou hast brought many Scriptures Jer. 37.8 how they are called the words of the Lord who ever denyed that but the Word spoke the words and the Word is greater 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by divine Inâ—piration I deny that some was spoken by the Devil and some by wicked Men and I hope thou wilt not call that divine Inspiration Then thou may be wilt conclude I deny the words of Paul to Timothy I deny the Word Is it is an Addition of the TRANSLATOR which Word alters and varies in the true sense of that Scripture but all Scripture given by Inspiration of God is profitable for Doctrine c. But knowest thou no dinstinction between Inspiration and Tradition You have it by Tradition the Saints by Inspiration It 's a dead Letter in it self and as it is spoken from your Mouthes who speak of it by tradition but from them that were Inspired the living Spirit uttered forth living Words But what is all this to prove the Scripture or writings to be the Word of God And then thou cites 2 Cor. 2.4.7 Not handling the Worâ— deceitfully What doth this prove nothing at all and all the rest that thou hast ciâ—ed is nothing at all but what we have answered over and over many times wherein all that have any understanding in the Knowledge of God are satisfied That which thou shouldst have proved by the Scripture is where the Scripture or writings or Letter doth title it self the Word of God It is granted they are the words of God and the Words of Holy men Inspired So in thy own words I say take thou notice though thou art confident and presumtuous in this thou hast shamed thy self and not us the Word was before either Scripture Writings or Bible was which Word is greater and gave them a Being And thou that wouldst set that which is brought forth by the Father above the Father art out of the Apostles wisdom speaking a similitude He that builds a House receives more Honour then the House Now to call the Scripture the Word is to give as much honour to the House as to him that builded it but in a word this I say whatever the Scripture doth testifie of it self or call it self that I own it to be And if any man call it another thing it shall testifie against him and
false for Christ was discovered to Moses by Faith and Abraham saw Christ and his Dâ—y by Faith and the Shepherds by the Star which led them where the Child was and so for thee to conclude all like thy self is Presumption without Knowledge and Christ was revealed by and through his Spirit to the Saints in Light and yet the words testifie of him and many have the words and yet they are a sealed Book and are not any way or means unto them as to the Discovery of Christ so that Christ said unto a learned Generation You err not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God and yet they were frequent Readers of the Scriptures yet ignorant of the Spirit through which God maketh manifest his Mind and maketh known his will by what way and means he pleaseth to the Sons of Men Yet this we say that God may make manifest his Son by his Spirit what way he will and yet the Scripture is not excluded for the things of God are spiritually discerned and the natural man may have the words as the Pharisees had without the Spirit But this is the Sum all this striving is to set up the words above the Spirit and the Scripture above the Life And thou goest on and sayest That thou wonderest that men should not be able to distinguish Christ to be the way and the Scriptures to be the way I say there are not two wayes but one way and one Life and none comes to the Father but by the way and he is the way and the means too for he is said to be the Leader of his Flock and of the Sheep of his Pasture unto whom he giveth eternal Life eternal Life is found in him out of him there is none and them that seek without him shall never find the way to Rest and thy many Distinctions of way and way do cast a Mist before Peoples Eyes and do darken their Understandings and would lead them from the one way of Life And thou askest how those Scriptures can be reconciled Cor. 1.11 Other Foundation can no Man lay then that which is laid Jesus Christ. Ephes. 2.20 And are built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ himself being chief corner-Stone ver 22. in whom ye also are builded These two Scriptures are reconciled already and were never at Enmity nor at Discord for he which had the word of Reconciliation committed unto him write them both dost thou think he laid one Foundation to the Corinthians and another to the Ephesians Christ was the Foundation to the Corinthians and no other could be laid and were not all the Saints Citizens of the Houshold of God builded upon this Foundation and so became a Habitation of God through the Spirit But thou would'st have two Foundations as thou hast laboured to prove two Wayes and eternal Life to be found in two distinct things as that eternal Life is found in Christ and that eternal Life is found in the Scriptures and then hast brought all this striving to nothing and say'st That we must not imagine that eternal Life lyeth in Words or Sentences I say if thou had'st not imagined so thy self thou would'st not have made all this Contest for Scripture or Writings consisting of Words and Sentences except thou judgest as some of thy ignorant Brethren have done that eternal Life and the Scripture is inseparable or that the Scripture and the Spirit cannot be separated And if thou judgest so then these that have the Words and Sentence of the Scripture have eternal Life and the Spirit and such dark Doctrines the Land hath been filled with thou wouldst make Distinctions betwixt way and way Light and Light and put Distinctions where there are none and yet where the Spirit distinguisheth thou either cannot or wilt not that doth not distinguish betwixt a visible an invisible betwixt that which is given forth in time and that which gave forth the words which is Life it self which was before all time Next thing thou comest unto The Scripture is the Gospel and the Scripture is the Word of God and this thou countest great Ignorance for any to oppose and thou sayest Thou supposest that we do not know what the word Scripture meaneth is it not the Gospel that thou say'st was preached by Christ and his Apostles and what they preached was written and may be called the Word of God for it is full of Power It may more then be supposed that thou art ignorant for thou hast really manifested it that gross Darkness covereth thee and Blindness hath happened to thee through thy Unbelief and it 's really apparent that thou knowest not what the Word Scripture meaneth who callest it the Gospel and the Word hast thou not learned to distinguish betwixt the Subject declared of and the Declaration betwixt a man which speaks and the Words which come from a man betwixt that which is visible and that which is invisible betwixt that which may be seen which is temporal and that which is everlasting and eternal The Scriptures are writings which may be seen and read with a natural Eye or Ear but that which the Scripture declares of cannot be seen with a Natural Eye neither heard with a Natural Ear Knowest thou no difference betwixt a Creator and a Creature Is not that which createth greater then that which is Created And was it not the eternal Power that gave the words a being or thou hadst never had them And were it not ignorance for any man to say that the Creature were the Creator Judge in thy self For thee to call that which is brought forth by the Name of that which brought it forth is great Ignorance And is it any Derogation unto the Creature to call it by its own Name But it is derogation to the Creator to call the Creature by the Creator's Name so for thee to call the writings the Power of God or the Gospel or word is to attribute that to the Declaration which properly belongs to the thing declared of which is far greater in Magnitude in Glory and Excellency in Power and Virtue insomuch that the Apostle said when he had spoken largely of the Power of God and of his unsearchable Riches he cryed O the Height and the Breadth and the Length and the Depth thereof was to speakable or could not be spoken which was unsearchable and past finding out The Declaration or the Scripture may be enjoyed and not the Power of God which is the Gospel of Christ. That the Holy Scriptures were given by Inspiration and thou sayest It is full of Power and therefore sayest It is the Power of God and that it 's able to make wise unto Salvation and thou hast done well that thou hast not left out through Faith in Christ Jesus as some of thy Brethren used to do And thou sayest It 's a sad Argument against the Scripture to say that the Gospel was preached to Abraham before Matthew Mark Luke and John
The Scripture was given by divine Inspiration 't is freely granted and â—s of no private Interpretation and is able to make wise unto Salvation â—â—rough Faith in Christ Jesus for without Faith in him it hath no Power in 〈◊〉 to make wise unto Salvation witness the Pharisees and the Jews outward â—ow for they had the Scripture-Promises as thou callest them which thou callest the Gospel and the VVord yet they were not turned changed nor sanctified nor knew not the new Birth as many do not now who have the scriptures or writings or words written and so thine is a private Interpretation who callest that the Power of God and the Word of God and the Gospel which one may have and not have the Gospel or the Word or the Power of God for Proof Joh. 5.37 38. And it 's no Argument against the Scripture to say the Gospel was preached to Abraham or as thou sayest to Adam but it is an Argument to prove that there was a Gospel and that the Gospel was preached before that which you Parish-Teachers use generally to call the Gospel which is Matthew Mark Luke and John and the Epistles written to the Churches which you raise Doctrines from and Arguments from and sell to People for money and call it preaching of the Word and preaching of the Gospel what dost thou think we are not come past Midnight Is not the Night over and the Morning sprung forth in Brightness without Clouds wherein we now discover betwixt the Husk and the Kernel the Husk will feed Swine but Men must have Bread and a sound without will not serve to administer Life to the Soul and now no longer Talkers of the Gospel will be received or can feed the hungry but it 's he that eats of the Flesh of Christ that hath eternal Life in him Thou sayest Thou wilt remove a gross Mistake from us who think that you cry up the Letter of the Scripture and separate the Word from the Spirit for we own the Spirit going along with the VVord for the VVord and the Spirit are united as the instrumental Cause and Christ and his Spirit in the Gospel is the principal Cause The gross Mistake is not upon our Parts but yours in that you think that the Scriptures or the VVritings are not separated from the Spirit we know the VVord and the spirit is one and cannot be separated but here lyeth the Mistake in putting the sentences or scripture or VVords of Declaration for the word and then say they cannot be separated from the spirit that is another Mistake on your Part for if you so judge then this must needs follow that they that have the words or scripture have the spirit if they be inseparable and why makest thou such Distinctions between the word Christ and his spirit they are one and that which is the principal Cause of every good thing brought forth useth what Instrument he will to effect it we know the Word and the Spirit doth convert and convince and bring to Christ and Salvation through him that we know but doth the Scripture convince without the Spirit And is not the Spirit and Power of God often wanting Doth the Scripture convince then or convert or bring any to salvation And we know there is union betwixt the Word and the Spirit for they are one and that which is attributed to the one is to the other the Word sanctifieth and the Spirit sanctifieth but the Question is still unanswered and the Charge stands still good against you Whether the scripture sanctifies without the Spirit or whether is the Spirit and the Scripture so united together as that when a Hâ—â—â—ling or a Deceiver or a false Prophet speaks the Words of Scripture that the Spirit must needs go along with it and cannot be separated from it And thou sayest The Scriptures are the Word of God as it is a Declaration of what God would have us do and therefore God hath declared his mind Heb. 1.1 God who spoke in times past by the Prophets hath in these dayes spoken by his Son And thou bringst Isaiah 38. The Word of the Lord came to Isaiah saying c. Were it not a gross Absurdity to say that this word of the Lord was Christ in the New Testament The Word of the Lord endures forever and by it the Heavens and the Earth were framed and the things that are therein and without him was nothing made that was made and we can and do distinguish betwixt the word and the Declaration and what a declaration is that which consisteth but of one word a Declaration consists of many words and it s an improper Speech to call that which consists of many words one word and that in Heb. 1. was spoken after the Ascension of Christ and the Voice from Heaven by his Son I question whether thou hast heard or read and we can distinguish betwixt the words of Isaiah and the Word of God and betwixt the words of Jeremiah and the Word of God Jer. 1.2 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah unto whom the Word of the Lord came and there see if thou canst distinguish betwixt the words of Isaiah and Jeremiah and the word of God and how many words can properly be called one word and why is it an absurdity to say that the word of the Lord or the Power of the Lord came upon Isaiah or the Father through the Power or through the word did speak unto Isaiah and is not the Power of God Christ and Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God in the New Testament Now see thy own absurdity and Glory not when thou puts on thy Armour but when thou puttest it off As for John 12.4 8. He that rejecteth me and rejecteth my words c. where the VVords of Christ and Himself are distinguished thou sayest I say Yes and therefore thou hast brought this Scripture against thy self and likewise this the word that I have spoken shall judge you at the last Day and thou sayest this must make us Tremble nay why should we Tremble at this we are one with his words and his words are not against us And thou hast brought all these Scriptures against thy self and fightest with thy own shadow for all the words which God and Christ and the Apostles have spoken we own and now learn thou to distinguish betwixt words and Word for all that thou hast said to prove the Scripture to be the Word of God amount to just nothing but that it is the word as it 's a Declaration and what a Declaration that is the wise will judge which is but one word And now when thou hast Vindicated thy self as thou judgest thou goest to make War abroad to see if thou canst get any into the Pit of Darkness with thy self and now thou fallst upon the stumbling Stone and the Rock of Offence which will break thee to Pieces the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the
in the Life thereof they are judged though the Truth in it self stands clear and so whâ—t as they were in their Principles Practiâ—e in Life or in Doctrine must they give Account for But thou like the rest of the Hireling Priests of England use alwayes to be confuting your Adversaries when they were at a great Distance when they were dead and could not reply or at such a Distance that they could not hear and you are such valiant Champions for the most Part as to Disputation except you have Club-men and Prison-doors standing open to fight or to shut them in you will hardly enter into a Dispute publickly or it may be if they be afraid that they shall be worsted and their Deceit laid open put a Key in the Mouth of one as some did in the Mouth of Humphrey Norton when he was with one of thy Brethren and then cry The Opposite or Quaker hath nothing to say for himself and such dark muddy Stories you used to fill up your Hour with as to confute Arrius and Pelagius men that were Hundreds of Years dead and no such Principles holden in a Nation and such dead Stories you fill Peoples Minds with and confute the Pope when your Elbows were leaning upon the soft Cushions on the Pulpit and twenty or thirty Shillings for such a dead Story as you told People but when have you gone amongst them and reasoned of the Things of the Kingdom of God into their Dominions and convinced them by sound Doctrine and yet you will say Christ said Go into all Nations and preach and plead that for your Commission and it may be stay fourty Years over an hundred Families As for the Heterodoxes of the Quakers concerning the Heads of Religion as thou hast set down this I say to thee and to all the World we do not hold them because any Man before did hold them or may hold them after but because God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit which also may be confirmed by the Testimony of the Scripture of Truth As to those which thou settest down as our Tenets I shall answer on the Lord's Behalf for Truth 's sake and for the rest thou may'st take them home to thy self First Concerning the Trinity thou say'st The confess the Father Son and holy Ghost and yet they deny the Trinity and those to be three distinct Persons for Confutation of this thou bringest Heb. 1. 3. He is the express Image of his Father's Person Thy Trinity is an old Popish Term and we love to keep to sound Words but by Trinity I suppose thou meanest three and thy own Words shall confute thee thou confessest we say there is Father Son and Hâ—ly Ghost and yet but one God or one Eternal Being or Substance in which they all subsist but thy Word distinct is thy own and not the Spirit 's yet to distinguish betwixt Father Son and Spirit we deny not and as for Heb. 1. it is in another Translation rendered The express Image of his Suâ—stance for Perâ—on is too gross a Word as to express an Eternal and Divine Being in and if thou dost hâ—lâ—l three distinct Substances thou errest in they Judgment for that were to make three Gods Secondly They deny Christ to be God and Man in one Person and Christ to be a distinct Person from the Father and they acknowledge such a Christ as unchrists Christ and when they say Christ manifest in the Flesh they mean not as the Scripture but fallaciously Answ. We say according to the Scripture of Truth and not according to thy Fallacy that In the man Christ did the fulness of the God-head dwell and God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself and he saith I and my Father are one and the Father the Son and the Spirit subsist in one Eternal Power Life and Glory which thou with all thy stupid Generation are Ignorant of and that Christ we acknowledge is such a Christ as is able to save to the utmost them that come unto him and receive him and believe in him and is such a Christ as is able to raise them that have been Dead and such a Christ giveth eternal Life to them that believe And so that Christ that we own doth not un-christ Christ but by your Doctrine who plead Imperfection and the continuation thereof and a continuation in Sin for term of Life as one of thy own said Sin will dwell in the House till the House he pull'd down speaking of the natural Body which some other of thy own Generation have called the Body of Sin and so it is you that hold such a Christ as un-christ's the true Christ in thy own Words and when didst thou enter into our Thoughts and into our Heart or with what dost thou search that thou sitst as Judge over the Heart who knowest not Judgment in thy self nor what Spirit thou art of and so thy lyes and deceit are turned upon thee when we say Christ manifest in the Flesh we say that Holy thing which was brought forth and born of a Virgin and Conceived of the Holy Ghost in whom the fulness of the God-head dwells in whom the Eternal Power of the Father was manifested that he was the Christ which was manifested in the Flesh and Justified in the Spirit Preached among the Gentiles seen of Angels and received up into Glory and this is according to the Scripture of Truth and thy Judgment must be judged Thirdly Concerning the Scripture considered as the Rule of Life They deny the Scripture or written word to be the rule of Life and they make the Spirit without the Scripture to be their guide they account Church instituted Worship and waiting upon God for the Efficacious presence and Operation of the Spirit of Grace in the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament for Conversion and Edâ—fication to be Idolatry and the Political order of Church Officers and Members they affirm to be an Image Answ. Concerning the Scripture we say they are Scriptures of Truth and words of Truth spoken from the Spirit of Truth that which gave them a being is greater then they as he that Creates is greater then they that are Created which is perferred above and before and yet no Diminishing or Detracting from the Creature so the Spirit is greater above and before the words and yet this doth not Diminish neither Derogate from the Scripture these and the like sound Words we have spoken to thy deaf Generation yet a Spirit of slumber being upon them all they could not hear that which gives Life and bringeth to Life and preserves in the Life is a rule and a Guide to them that are enlightned the Sons of God who were quickned by the Eternal Spirit of their Father and of Christ and raised from Death to Life this was their rule as it is written as many as are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God and we say it is a sufficient rule of
up for all your Weapons are but carnal and that which wrestles with Flesh and Blood which the true Church wrestles not with nor with Creatures but with spiritual wickedness and Principalities and powers of Darkness in the Creature and threw that down and saved the Creature alive and redeemed it who was in Captivity Oh sottish Children when will you learn Wisdom and when will you hearken to reproof of Instruction which is the way to Life but remember this the Beast shall be taken alive with the false Prophet and them that have wrought Miracles before him and then shall be cast into the Lake of Fire They pretend to act from an Infallible Light within them and profess Perfection in Degrees in this Life and publish smart Invectives against Ministers who teach the contrary Answ. We pretend to nothing but to that which God hath given us through his free Mercy which we have a true Right unto having received him as the Father hath tendered him to be a Light to open our Eyes and to be a Leader unto us and all his People and to be God's Salvation even to the Ends of the Earth to them that receive him and he is that infallible Light which the Father sent into the World that all men through him might believe and he is the true Light that lightneth every man though every man hath not received him the Fault is not in the Giver nor in the Gift but in them that will not receive and he that is the Life of all men hath lighted every Man that cometh into the World and he is in us our Hope and our Glory the Riches of the Gentiles and the Riches of all them that do believe he is our VVay and our Life and Peace I say all Glory unto him forever though thou debasest him and settest him thus at nought and for his sake we can bear Reproaches and become Fools in that we have obtained that in which true VVisdom stands and Life eternal And what is this Heterodox to profess Perfection of Degrees in this Life is not this Orthodox Used not you and do not you generally hold Perfection in Part or Parts and is not that which is perfect in Parts perfect in Degrees He that feels Victory over one Sin by Christ the Power of God hath not he some Part in that which is perfect and of that which is perfect And if he witnesses Victory over more is not he come to a greater Degree or Degrees of the Life which is perfect And he that knows the Blood that cleanseth from all Sin is not he perfect and compleat in him who hath made him so But art thou so offended at Perfection that thou dost not admit of any Part or Parts Degree or Degrees thereof that thou set'st this down as a Blasphemy And it 's time indeed to reprove you sharply who are puffed up in Pride and know nothing who teach contrary to the perfect Life of Christ or any Degree or Degrees thereof to be attained unto thou art perfect in VVickedness and a perfect Minister of Anti-Christ a perfect Heathen and it's time to bear Testimony against you lay you open your Deceit in the Sight of the Sun that them that have but the least glimering of the Light may behold you a pitiful Church is that like to be which thou art Pastor of by Appointment of the General Court who cryest out against any Degree of the perfect Life of Christ in this Life to be obtained or enjoyed a Minister of Sin a Minister of Satan and Unrighteousness that is thy Name own it In the ninth page thou art going about to prove thy Trinity as thou callest it and thou say'st The Father is a distinct suâ—sistance and the Son is a distinct Subsistance and the Holy Ghost is a distinct Subsistance and thou bringest John 5. There is another bears Witness likewise speaking of the Holy Ghost he calls him another and this another thou say'st is intelligible of the Essence and then say'st What is more manifest then another Subsiâ—tance and another Subsistance speaks distinct Subsistances and thou say'st The Spirit is called the Band of Trinity Answ. Another is not understood of another being of another Life or another Substance but is understood of another Manifestation or Operation of the same God who subsists in the same Power in which the Father the Son and the Spirit subsist as I said unto thee before another as to distinguish of the Operation and Work of the Spirit and of the Son we do not refuse but to make three distinct Essences and Beings is Ignorance and Error as thou say'st Another is intelligible of the Essence and so thou hast made three Essences three Subsistances three Persons and three Gods but we say there is but one God and there are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one Now as for Subsistance and Essence they are unsound Words coined of your selves from your dark Imaginations in which there is no Truth at all but to cast a Mist Now where the Holy Ghost is called a Person in the Scripture I have never read and where it is called The Band of Trinity I have never heard of before thee and so thy blind ignorant Conclusions and Sophistical arguing will have little Place with them that are come to know the Teachings with the Spirit and also keep to a Form of sound Words which thou canst not And thou say'st He that sendeth and he that is sent are distinct and so the Father sending the Son and the Son sent of the Father and the Father and the Son sending the Spirit and the Spirit sent by the Father and tho Son are distinct Subsistances and not the same He that sends and he that is sent may be distinguished but he that sendeth and him that is sent are not so distinct and afar off one another but that him that sendeth is with him that is sent and so God was in Christ reconciling the World and then how were they distinct one from the other and by him were all things made and Christ was not so distinct or afar off at a distance when the Heavens and the Earth were made so that it is truly said without him nothing was made that was made and the Spirit of God which may be distinguished in Regard of its Operation yet it was not absent or distinct from the Father and the Son in the Creation neither is absent from the Son in the Regeneration or Work of Redemption And then in thy Answer to an Objection which thou makest thy self How the Doctrine of Life was communicated vocally by the Patriarchs but it is not so now and in thy Answer thou say'st The Scripture is not necessary absolutely but it being God's Will to communicate Life through the Scripture hence the Scripture is necessary and then thou say'st Not the Letter without the Mind of the Author nor the
Grace and the Light enlightening is either the Word considered as the second Person or Christ the Son consiâ—ered as Incarnate Answ. It seems that thou knowest not which it is but Guessest like a blind-man and like a wild Archer shoots at Randome and why dost thou make such distinction betwixt the Word the Son of God and Christ the Son of God thou madest but three Persons in the Trinity before but it seems by thy arguing thou wouldst now make four And as for thy Câ—lle â—ive and distributive Light the distinctions is that which would cast a Mist before People Eyes and thou bringst the Judgment of Calvin Beza and Piscator and others that as concerning Man endued only with the Light remaining since the Fall they conclude him to be Darkness and unable to comprehend the Light or to improve it to Salvation their Judgements are more sound then thine though thou wouldst bring them to strengthen thee that the Son of God hath not enlightned every man they confess the Man in the fall is in Darkness and Darkness is over him and in that he is not able to comprehend the Light which is in him and as to the Improvement of it in the Darkness man hath not Power to improve it to Salvation but what doth this invalidate the Light which is in Darkness the Power of improving is in the Light being turned to again and received and what if I say it is the Light of Life in its self though thou deny it I knowest what I speak for in him was Life and is Life and that Life is the Light of men and the Light of the World and so that Light which every man is lighted with is of the Life and from the Life and so may truly be said to be the Light of Life in it self though man in the Transgression doth not feel it so as to him but may truly say it is the Light of Condemnation because he feels it so in the Operation thereof being in the Transgression it convicteth reproveth accuseth and condemneth for Evil and therefore it cannot be the Light of Life to him till it be received closed with obeyed and followed and then the back is turned upon the Transgression and man is come out of the Darkness and therefore the Apostle spoke well and understandingly according to Knowledge that which was ordained for Life wrought Death in him that was because the Law was against him and he in the contrary Nature to it the ignorance of many wise Men so accounted in this Generation is such that when they see or feel contrary Effects they judge there must needs be contrary Subjects or Objects because there are different Effects for now the same Light which shews Evil and accuses for it and Judges for it there is one Operation and excuses him that loves it and obeyes it here is another Operation that which Convinceth the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment and that which consolates and gives Peace to the Believer is the self same Spirit so here is not two Spirits or two Lights so that he which kindles a Fire in the Earth and appears in flames of Fire and rendereth Vengeance upon all them that obey not the Gospel which is the Power of God here is one Work or operation of Christ the same bringeth Peace Joy and gladness and refreshment and makes the springs of Life to bubble up in them that believe here is another Operation yet the same Christ these things I write to inform thee and all where this may come that that is truly an Appearance of Christ which sheweth Sin and condemns it in a measure and he alone is the Judge of the Quick and the Dead and if all Judgment be committed to the Son then to be Judged for Lying for Stealing and for wronging any man it is the Work of Christ and the Work of the Son Oh man thou hast much to Repent of and thy Ignorance is great which hast called Christ the Light or the Light of Christ or the Light of Life Darkness and contra-distinct to the Spirit and worse then gross Darkness so this is thy conclusion against the first of John the 9th that Christ hath not enlightned every man or all men that come into the World but all men so qualified of every sort so then by thy conclusion the first of John and the 6. verse gives an uncertain Sound like the 17th of John and 22th so then its Qualifications of men that procures Light from Christ and so it s not of Grace but of debt but if it be of debt which is owing unto a Person so qualified then it is not of Gift but thou err'st in thy Judgement for it is by the gift of Righteousness that Justification comes upon all that believe it is not this or that Qualification before their conversion which is any cause of God's enlightening them but it is the free Love of God unto man without Exceptions or respect of Persons that he hath lighted every man to the intent that all and every man might see his Error and depart from it and turn to him that shews him it who would have all men saved and come to the Knowledge of the Truth and such is the large Love of God unto whole Man-kind which thou wouldst restrict and bind up to such and such Persons so Qualified as though Qualifications of Persons were a Meritorious cause wherefore Christ was Bound to give them Light this is rank Popery and not according to the Doctrine of Godliness And thou citest 2 Pet. 1.19 We have a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto you do well that you take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-star arise in your Hearts hence it is inferred thou say'st that after the Reception of the Spirit there is no need to attend to the Scripture and so thou goest on and say'st the Word of Prophecy is the Scripture of the Old Testament that thou art to take heed unto until the Day dawned and the Day-star arised in their Hearts and that until signifies forever Answ. And here thou art in Confusion I know none that make any such Inference but thy self for the Scripture is seen most clearly who know the Day dawn and the Day-star arisen in their Hearts and first thou say'st We are to understand the Word of Prâ—phecy the whole Scripture and then in the same Page say'st That Peter expounds the Word Prophecy of the old Testament only so then Peter's Exposition by thy Account and thine is different thou say'st he spoke of the old Testament and thy Interpretation is of the whole Scripture but thou hast mist it both of Peter and thy self for Peter wrote to People in that Epistle in several States yet they all might be said to be Believers according to a Proportion of Faith given unto them and in that which thou hast cited 1 Pet. 1.19 We have also a more
of Robin Hood a Comedy or a Play is more frequently read by the Members of the Church of Rome which begets into Looseness and Prophaneness a Thing which this Generation is in Love with rather then the Scriptures and though the Scriptures be applauded in Words as for the Rule of Life by many and a Judge of Controversies yet how should they be rul'd that may not read them without a Licence or a Toleration from the Superior if it be lawful to read with Toleration it 's lawful to read without Toleration for the Toleration of Men neither addeth to nor diminisheth from any spiritual Exercise and Timothy read the Scriptures of an Youth and who gave him his Toleration And Apollos was a mighty Man and a knowing Man in the Scriptures from whence had he his Licence 3. Because thou judgest according to the Judgment of this present evil World that they are only fit to read the Scriptures and give Interpretations upon it who are naturally learned and have the Wisdom of this World I say nay the World by Wisdom knew not God neither know him now and them that had Natural Learning rejected the Foundation them that had the Hebrew Language set Christ at nought they that had the Greek Tongue withstood Paul and called him a Babler them that had the Latine Tongue the Tongue of the Whore your Mother persecuted the Christians in the first three hundred Years after Christ as your own Histories do relate So according to all these who had only the Knowledge in the Natural Languages they did not understand the Things of God and it was the wise Builders which builded by Art and Skill in the earthly Wisdom that rejected the true Foundation and corner-stone but on the contrary we say according to the Apostolick Doctrine That the Scriptures may be read and ought to be read for they are profitable for Insturction and Correction and Information to make the Man of God perfect and throughly furnished to every good Work through Faith in Christ Jesus and I would have the Author know that we do not look upon Cardinals Fryars Monks and Bishops to be the alone Men of God so that they alone have the sole Power to tolerate the reading of Scriptures for he is a Man of God who is born of the Spirit which sanctifieth and leadeth into the clear Pathes of Equity and Righteousness who walk not after the Flesh neither fulfil the Lusts thereof and such there are and have been which have been unlearned in Natural Tongues but this is the Way to keep your Church in Reputation to believe as you believe and every Man to put out his own Eyes and live by anothers Sight and hang his Faith upon anothers Shoulders this is not like Apostolick Doctrine for the Apostle said Let every one be perswaded in his own Mind not by other Mens Minds and he that believeth hath the Witness in himself and hath it not to seek among the literal Rabbies who darken Counsel through Words and it is not for Want of Natural Learning that one understandeth the Scriptures this way and another that way but because they want the Understanding of that Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures which Spirit universally is given to all Men and Women a Measure of it to lead into Truth and through which the deep Things of God are revealed And it s not your Traditions Inventions Natural Learning Schools and Colledges Fryeries and Covents in which the Spirit of God is only limited but every one that seeks finds whether learned or unlearned for of a Truth God is no Respecter of Persons and so the Mind of Christ is manifest unto them that believe and the one Spirit into which the Saints were baptized is that which opens the Scriptures truly as they are and discerneth the Times and Seasons and fulfilleth it in the Hearts of them â—hat believe and manifests the State unto which they were spoken And if the Scriptures be so hard to â—e understood by Reason of the hard Sayings or because of the Translations what have you been doing these fourteen hundred Years with all your Learning with all your Councils Popes Bishops and Clergy that you have not translated them aright or so plain that they may be understood by all that read But then your Doctrine Worship and Practice would be soon manifest not to be Apostolical nor consonant and agreeing to the Practice of the true Church of Christ. And now I come to the effectual Arguments and pregnant Wayes which the Author tells of which will work upon the Sectaries to make them return to the Catholick Church which he saith they have groundlesly forsaken and now I shall come to try his Arguments and search the Force of them which he layeth down as the most efficacious VVay to convince all Sectaries as he is pleased to stile them to come to the Church of Rome but the Hope of this Man will be like a Spiders VVeb for all whose Eyes God hath illuminated in any Measure will come to see the VVeakness of this Philosophy and vain Deceit which he hath laid down as a chief Instrument to convince all that the Roman Church is the true Church and that Salvation is only concluded in her 1. The first Argument he takes from Mat. 18.17 Christ sends us to the Church saith he if any neglect to hear her they must be counted as Heathens and Publicans from hence this is the Argument That that Church is to be heard in which there is most Assurance to be had that one iâ— in the Way to Salvation but in the Roman Church there is most Assurance therefore the Roman Church is to be heard Answ. The Minor is false and also the Conclusion That church which hath the Foundation of its Assurance without it is not the true church of Christ neither is to be heard but the Roman church hath only their assurance of Salvation without them therefore are not to be heard it is manifest their assurance stands only in outward things as Antiquity and Visibility which are not the alone Marks of the true church Cain was Ancient enough and there were them that were in Cain's way before Rome was so highly elevated and that for Universality and Visibility there is no assurance in that for all the World hath wondered after the Beast and the Whore hath sitten upon Nations Kindreds and People and so the first Argument is denyed and proved to be false I shall lay down another 1. That church which hath alwayes been so Visible and Universal since the Apostles dayes as hath had its seat over Nations Kindreds and Tongues is not the true church of Christ but the Harlot but the church of Rome hath been Universal over Nations Kindreds Tongues and People therefore the church of Rome is the Harlot and not the true church of Christ. But I shall not traduce thee in thy vain Deceit but return thy Arguments upon thy self which thou chargest upon others
neither Traditions nor Inventions of Men for the Worship of God The second Doubt which the Author would be resolved in is whether we can make good what Luther and Calvin with all Protestants have boasted that they would do to reform convincingly one of the silliest Roman Catholicks that is and to begin do it in the Matter of the real Presence after Consecration What Luther and Calvin have said unto you as about your Worship Doctrine and Practice hath been made good by themselves while they were living and in the Body and what they said did not only inform the Minds of many of the Roman Catholicks but reform'd them too which were not of the silliest amongst you not only one but thousands did see your Error and Deceit though they in some Particulars did but differ from you But now that is manifest which denyeth your Foundation in the very Ground And what I have said as about the real Presence of Christ's Body being in the Bread and Wine after Consecration if thou dare put it and endeavour the Trial thereof according as I have in Reasonableness propounded unto thee it will convince many of the Roman Catholicks of their Error or else many of the Protestants of their Error and so if thou darest adventure it make no more Boasts but let come to Tryal as before is propounded unto the Church of me if she or any of her Agents dare admit of it 3. The third Argument which he promiseth If it can be proved from the Scripture which he calls God's written Word that the Sabbath-day is commanded by God to be kept on Sunday and that little Children are to be baptized Answ. What others have said as to these two Particulars who were but departed a little Way from you in divers things as to their Judgments I shall not stand to vindicate because the Church was rather but a coming out of the Wilderness rather then come already into her first Purity but I am one of those amongst many thousands in Europe who deny the Châ—rch of Rome as to be the Bride the Lamb's Wife and yet I shall not vindicate either the one or the other but deny both as amongst Christiâ—ns viz. as to keep the Jewish Sabbath upon Sunday as the Author calls it and sprinkling of little Children is like the other an Invention in the Apostacy never that we read of commanded commended or practised in the Apostles Dayes as such The first Day of the VVeek the Apostles met together and worshipped God not by Virtue of the Jews Commandment but in the Power of God and you only have them both and keep them both by tradition and custom without commandment and so are out of the Power of God and out of the Saints Life 4. The fourth Argument Can the Sectaries with Reason and Ground sufficient condemn all Catholicks that were so many Ages before Luther and Calvin for being no better then Heathens and convince me that adhering to you I shall be more secure in my Salvation then injoyning to them that have Time out of Mind been of the only saving Religion Answ. The Sectaries have not gone about to condemn every individual man before Luther and Calvin for no better then Heathens we believe some were and we believe many were as bad if not worse they that walk in the Practice of the Heathen and bring forth Fruit but not unto God are in the Heathens Nature but the Generality of the Church of Rome have for these many hundred Years brought forth no better Fruit then the Heathen and therefore are in the Nature of the Heathen for like as the Heathen persecuted the Christians in former Dayes even so hath the Church of Rome persecuted the true Christians in their Day aâ—d in this are no better then Heathens instance the Blood-shed Murder cruel Deaths you have put many unto since you have had the Name of a Church and therefore are no better then Heathens in Nature and for Antiquity it proveth nothing without Verity And there can be no Assurance in your Church seeing that it stands upon Tradition and Hear-say and outward Performances and bodily Exercises that profit little but some whom you call Sectaries have more Assurance for it 's the Spirit of God that gives it and as there is Obedience yielded unto the Lord that Spirit he giveth them Assurance and them that are born of it do overcome the World and his Spirit beareth Witness to their Spirit that they have overcome by which they cry Abba Father and this Spirit of Truth that leadeth into all Truth bringeth more Assurance unto them that are led by it and worship in it then can be had in all your outward Formalities Ceremonies and Traditions 5. Can you make evident at least that in your Flock and Luther and Calvin their Guides there is more Holiness and Virtue then can be found among the Catholicks and that you go the narrow way that leads to Life I answer yes I am one among many thousands who are not of the Church of Rome yet am of Christ's Flock which he hath cleansed by his Blood and revealed his Virtue in and his holy Life and it 's made manifest that they are in the narrow Way more then the Church of Rome they are in the Way that leads to Life and abide in Christ's Doctrine we love them that hate us we bless them that curse us we pray for them that persecute us but so doth not the Church of Rome but kills them and persecutes them that oppose her we say without Righteousness and Holiness be revealed and wrought in our Hearts we can bring forth no Fruit unto God neither can be Members of the true Church but if any conform unto the Practice of your Church in outward things he is counted a good Member of your Church though Righteousness and Holiness Self-denyal Humility and Love be wanting Therefore we are the Church in which there is more Holiness Virtue and Life enjoyed then in the Roman Church 6. Can you shew us any Miracles that ever were wrought in Testimony of your Religion or that the Catholicks Miracles are wrought by Beelzebub and now thou hast askt us a resolution of the Doubts and let all that are Illuminated judge how we are deluded Answ. It 's an adulterous Generation that seeks a Sign and what Christ wrought was reckoned as no Miracles by them that are in the Unbelief yet these Signs have accompanied the Gospel which is the Power of God the blind have been restored to Sight and the dead have been raised and the deaf have heard and the lame have been made whole and this hath been witnessed by many and we have a cloud of Witnesses which your Church knowâ— not of and by the effectual working of God's Power these things have been done which do give Testimony and confirm our Religion And for your Miracles the most that ever I heard of have been done by Pictures and Images as you have testified
are not these Articles of the church of Rome yea or nay If I should traduce the church of Rome in their Bishops and Councils these 12. hundred Years and upward I might bring a â—loud of Witnesses that the church of Rome is not the same in Articles of Faith in Religion but divers Popes I might prove have made distinct Articles and divers Councils and Bishops so that I might clearly prove and can and shall if God permit me with Life if I hear any more of the church of Rome or the Author of this Book that I shall prove that the church of Rome in the articles of her Faith is not the same that the church of Christ was in before Rome was Planted a church 2. I shall prove if need require her Universal Councils as she calls them to vary and her Bishops to be different in their Decrees and that her Faith in points of Religion is not the same from the Apostles day to this time as the author of this Book would make People believe but what I have said to this unanswerable Proposition as he calls it may be sufficient to convince both the author and them that are doubtful in their mind about this particular 3. Proposition is That neither the Sacraments nor Ceremonies or any Doctrine of the Church of Rome contain any thing that is contrary to the Scriptures but learned Doctors maintain the same and that there is no alteration in any article of Faith and then the Author makes a conclusion though full too hastily That they which dissent from the Church of Rome which he is pleased â— Stile Sectaries and Hereticks have no reason to withdraw from the Catholick Church Answ. As for that which you call the Catholick church of Rome we find such diversity of Orders and constitutions one distinct from another that to begin to enumerate them all would take up much time before one ended and would prove tedious to the Reader to view over the Variety of Constitutions and Decrees that have been made concerning the Ceremonies Sacraments as they call them and other Doctrines of the church of Rome which at this time is not my intention but Pope Alexander commanded that unleavened Bread should be used in the Supper in the Year 1119. Lib. Concil grat Sabil Before that time the outward Bread was indifferent whether it was leavened or unleavened notwithstanding the Greeks do use leavened Bread unto this day in that which is called a Supper and they use Wine only in the Cup but the church of Rome mingles Water with Wine according to the Pope Alexander's Decree And the Doctrine of Transubstantiation of turning the Bread into the Body of Christ and Wine into Blood as they say was an unknown Doctrine in the Apostles dayes and also among the Greeks until Pope Innocent the third 1215. Likewise Honorus the third he made a new Ordinance that the Sacrament of the Altar as the Church of Rome terms it should be Worshipped and kneeled unto of the People and also it should be born unto the Sick yea and that with Candlelight though it be at noon-day in the Year 1214. D. 3. Tit. cap 10. Lib. Council Pant. And Innocent the third ordained the Sacrament of the Altar should be kept under Lock and Key that such as were like to dye might not want Spiritual comfort at the time of their Death Lib. Council Cron. Pant. Pope Innocent the 8th permitted that the Priests of Norwegia might sing Mass with Water for lack of Wine in the Year 1484. Math. Falm Pant. And as about the Ceremonies about the Sacrament or Mass in a Council held at Rottomage it was decreed that the Sacrament should not thenceforth be given to Lay-men nor Lay-women in their Hands any more but the Priests should put it in their Mouths contrary to the use and practice of the Primitive Church yea of the church of Rome it self many Years after Lib. Council c. And so here the Church of Rome in contrary to the former Churches and to their own Church of Rome in former times though C. M. would elevate the Propositions of Francis Costerus a Jesuit unanswerable 4. Proposition The Author saith It cannot be proved that any have been admitted Priests but were duely consecrated by Bishops Whence we infer That Lutherans Calvinists and other Hereticks are no true Ministers neither are of Divine Priest-hood because they give to People a meer piece of Bread and nothing else and they have no Power to absolute People from their Sins but send them away entangled with Sin as when they came to them Answ. As for the Consecration of the Priests of Rome you have consecrated many who are out of the Doctrine of Christ who are Traytors to Kings and Governments and it 's a Maxim and a thing Meritorious in your Church to slay a Heretick that is one dissenting or not consenting to your corrupt Principles and as one Deceiver hath ordained and admitted another so hath your Bishops and Popes ordained the rest to Execute their Drudgery and corrupt Traffick and as I have offered unto thee before if it be not a piece of Bread and Wine except mingled with water according to your changeable Ordinances before mentioned put it to Trial upon the terms I before mentioned that you may be made manifest to be Deceivers or else we to all People And as for your Absolutions and Pardons it hath been that which you have sold for Money which made Luther and divers of your own Church to deny you because it hath been contrary to Christ and the Apostles Doctrine And as for forgiveness of Sins it properly belongs to Christ and to them that are in the same Power to them that confess forsake and turn from Sin to Pronounce forgiveness and Mercy but the Members of your Church confess from day to day unto your Priests that are as much entangled in Sin as they who do confess and neither do Repent nor find Mercy at the Hand of the Lord and your confessors and they that do confess they are defiled as much with Sin when they End their Work as when they began 5. Proposition It cannot be found in the holy Scripture that nothing is to be believed but what is clearly and expresly contained in the same Hence follows the overthrow of the Ground-work of the Sectaries who say that nothing is to be believed but what is expresly set down in the Scripture Answ. What others have said as to this particular I shall not now stand to Vindicate because it is not my Work to Vindicate every particular Judgment Person who believe contrary to your Church but I say many are of that mind that are not of your Church that things may be believed to be true according to the manifestation of Godâ—s Spirit though the Scripture in express words doth not declare the same yet you to bring in fabulous Stories which you call unwritten Verity that are to be believed though never
Spirit a Spirit of Error is not a sufficient Guide and Judge and in this he fights without an Adversary and fills the World with Noise and Darkness and the Air with Smoak and would cloud Peoples Understandings with Multitudes of Words that tend not to Edification with a quarreling wrangling Spirit which is not for Peace but I see he hath delighted in Contention and sported himself in Variance and like the Son of the Bond-Woman his Hand against every Man Secondly â— wonder why R. E. quotâ—s so much Scripture for the Proof of his Matter in Hand seeing that it is one of his great Pleas that it is insufficient to be a Rule or a Guide or a Judge as to answer any Doubts or give any satisfactory Solution to him that is enquiring and seeing he hath given in so many Reasons against it as insufficient and as much as in him lay to invalidate and set it at nought and hath laboured to set it at Odds and to make Contradictions in it as to render it insufficient for Matter of Probation in any thing which is in Controversie or how he can judge that others should receive them and his sometimes false rendering of them or his own Interpretations upon them seeing he denyes them as uncertain as they are translated and insufficient and not fit to be a Rule and who this man hath conversed with I know not that should ever affirm a private Spirit or their own Spirits to be a sufficient Rule or Guide to walk by such I deny and leave them and thee to quarrel together about your Imaginations Thoughts and Conceptions or else the Conceptions of other Men who are as uncertain and fallible as the first and shall assert the Sufficiency of the Spirit of God teaching ruling guiding and judging all true Christian Men in that certain everlasting infallible Truth which is necessary and satisfactory to the Souls of all them that do believe in it and shall deny all the Pretenders to it who run into Heaps and Heads and quarrel and fight one with another about Shadows and can give no other Account or Manifestation then I am sure I have the Spirit of God and I ought to be believed and I am a good Man and the like which thou say'st thou could'st never receive any other Evidence or Testimony and what though many have pretended to the Spirit and the Guidance thereof and in the mean while have brought forth the Fruits of the Flesh and their own imaginary false Conceptions and have put on Confidence enough to say so as thou thy self it may be hast had a Share in times past shall this make the Spirit of God insufficient and uncertain in its Teachings to them that believe in it and have received and bring forth the Fruits of it and have the Deeds of the Flesh mortified by it God forbid Thirdly Why hast thou perverted the Scripture as I said at the first Onset Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self bears Witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God and this thou hast put in in a distinct Character to be taken Notice of as though it were Scripture and render'st it thus The Spirit being Witness in secret with our Spirits or in plainer Terms the private Spirit thou must repent of this and take Heed how thou callest the Spirit of God a private Spirit for it was that publick Spirit which manifested it self among all the Patriarchs and Prophets and by which they spoke forth the Words and Mind of God unto the People and prophesied of things to come and through it alone is the deep and weighty things of God revealed and was and is the only Way and Means by which Christ promised after his Ascension to lead guide instruct and comfort his Disciples in all Truth and that it should bring to their Memory whatsoever he had spoken and that they were to be without Care or Thought for through it the Father should give them what to speak and what to answer before Rulers and Council for his Name 's sake And here the Sufficiency of it is proved to any reâ—sonable Man who hath the least Savour or Discerning of the things â—f God and this is that publick Spirit by which the Apostles published the Everlasting Gospel of Peace and which Christ the Head of the Body his Church had received without Measure and this is a private tâ—â—ining creeping Spirit of thine who hath been lost in thy own Imaginations and following thy own forward rash Spirit and hast found no Certainty in thy self of God's Spirit to stay thy Mind upon nor no Patience to wait upon it but reaching 〈…〉 at things in thy dark Mind and last of all hast brought in thy 〈◊〉 for the Devil against the Sufficiency of the holy Spirit of God 〈◊〉 Guidance amongst his People in the latter Dayes and that is thy fond Conception to say that the Spirit of God is expresly against 2 Pet. 1.20 which thou callest a private Spirit all along 't is true no Prophecy of Scripture is of private Interpretation but the holy men of God spoke it forth as they were moved by the holy Spirit which was publick and conversant among them with them and in them and they that have it can receive them as they are written and can read them and understand them as they were spoken and do see the Intent of the Holy Ghost in so speaking unto different States and Conditions notwithstanding the many Copies thou tellest on and Diversions and different Translations which thou would'st make a great Mountain on and raise it up so high to make the Scripture uncertain and low as not fit to be taken Notice on as to answer any Doubt or to be any Rule and Guide or any Example or President for any thing that I can perceive by the Courâ—e of thy Spirit which in the Truth is fathomed and comprehended though it is as uncertain as the Way of a Serpent upon a Rock yet they that have the Spirit of God see beyond all and have Unity with the Words and Mind of the Spirit of God notwithstanding the many Corruptions and Defects in Translations and the many foul Hands it hath passed through Fourthly The Spirit of Christ is the Gift of God which he giveth unto all that wait for his Appearance and his Sheep have it they that are Christ's have it for they that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his it is that which is every Way sufficient no Way insufficient it is every Way sufficient to lead into all Truth according unto Christ's Promise and to convince the VVorld of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment again it is that which Christ promised for a Director which was with them when they healed the sick and cast out Devils and which was in them to consolate them and comfort them in the midst of Affliction as it did Peter and John and made them bold who were yet illiterate Men and
Weapons they have the Spirit of Error for the Weapons of the Lamb and his Followers are not carnal Weapons but spiritual and yet mighty through God to the beating down of the strong Holds of Wickedness and to prevail over the Powers of Darkness again the Testimony of God in every Man's Conscience which is an unerring Testimony this savours the things of God and by this things that be not of God are discerned and this will put a perfect Difference between the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error but what can be said to a man in Unbelief that hath closed his Eyes The next thing which R. E. saith he considered was That the Natural Reason of every Man could not possibly be the Rule and Judge that I sought for for saith he if Reason were to be Rule and Judge then it would follow contrary to Scripture that it 's not impossible to please God without Faith and it would likewise follow that every Religion would be Truth consequently Contradictions would be true consequently there would be many Religions and no Faith at all for Reason excludes Faith as in the 26th Page of his Book Thy Tongue is thy own and thou art at Liberty and goest whether thou wilt and speakest what seems Good in thy own Eyes and hast never yet known another to gird thee and lead thee whither thou would'st not I stand not to vindicate every Man's Judgment neither to prove other Mens Conceptions but seeing thou hast taken in Hand to lay all Mountains waste before thee that stand in thy Wayes thou hast raised up some in thy Discourse for others to stumble at and hast spoken many false things without distinguishing and putting a Difference between Light and Darkness between Natural Reason and Spiritual Reason I could not chuse but say somewhat Although it is no Part of my Belief that the Natural Reason of any Man or every Man is able to be Rule Judge and Guide to any Man in the things of God yet Faith is not in Opposition unto pure Reason neither is pure and spiritual Reason in Opposition to true Faith but in Harmony with it and one with another as they are the Gifts of God but the Natural Reason of all the fallen Sons of Adam is corrupted and is too short and too narrow too cross and too perverse to be Rule and Judge in the things of God for the Natural Man by all his Endowments in the Transgression perceives not the things of God for they are spiritually discerned and the things of God that are spiritual and eternal are above the Reach of Natural Reason and yet thy Consequence is false for Faith doth not exclude pure Reason and Faith doth not make blind the Understanding but enlightens it and though it is impossible to please God without Faith yet it is impossible that that Faith should be without Reason the Apostle desired to be delivered from unreasonable men that had not Faith so it is manifest they that have Faith have Reason and they that have no Faith are unreasonable and where thou hast borrowed this Rule I know not That a man must believe that he doth not understand seeing the Apostle saith to the Romans even of the Gentiles who had not the Law nor the Scripture that that which may be known of God was manifest in them for by that it is manifest they understood the Mind of God and knew him for Paul saith further When they knew God they glorified him not as God but were unthankful c. and again He that believes must know that God is for none can believe in that which is not for to perswade any to believe in Uncertainties which are not manifest in the Understanding doth rather beget Unbelief and Doubting then true Faith but thy Paths are so full of Darkness I shall not traduce them and thy Consequences are false for pure Reason teacheth not Contradictions neither doth teach that there is no Faith at all neither is Faith excluded by pure Reason as thou ignorantly say'st in the 26th Page and is it not Reason that I should believe in him whom I know is the Creator and Governour of all the World and pure Religion is so far from excluding Faith that they that have true Faith have Reason and stand not in Opposition to Faith but this I conclude that the Reason of fallen men is corrupted and is an uncertain thing to rely upon and so not a competent Judge in Matters of so high Concernment as touching everlasting Salvation The third thing which thou treatest upon is against them who have pleaded that the sole Scriptures are sufficient of themselves to teach true Faith from time to time to direct rule and govern us and to be Rule and Judge and to supply the Place of Christ and the Apostles As I said it is not my Intention to vindicate other mens Quarrels which is no Part of my Faith notwithstanding I should be sorry but that every thing had its true Weight and Measure and shall not in the least detract from the Price Value and true Worth of the Words of Truth to wit the Scriptures of Truth which were spoken forth by the Spirit of Truth and by the holy Ghost as it gave Utterance but as men erring in their Judgments run sometimes to the right Hand and sometimes to the left Hand and walk not in a straightâ—Path some men are setting them up above that which they were intended for and placing them in the Stead of God Christ and the Spirit and others are too much debasing them and dis-esteeming them as that they would set up the Judgment of Variable and Changeable Men who hold and teach Things in Contradiction to the Scriptures and repugnant to the Mind of the Spirit in them that spoke them forth But first of all I say not against thee in this thing that the sole or whole Scriptures are not sufficient of themselves to teach true Faith and give the Knowledge of God without the Spirit for many have got the Words and yet have not received the Spirit nor the Power which the Scriptures declare of such wrangle and contend with the Words and oppose the Life and the Power the Jews had the Scriptures and knew by them where Christ should be born and knew by them what his Works should be when he was manifest and yet rejected him unto whom all the Prophets bore witness from Moses to Samuel and from him to John and they were never intended by God as to be set up as Judge Guide to wit the Words without the Power and Spirit of God yet notwithstanding though I cannot set them up in the Place of God Christ and the holy Spirit nor contend ignorantly as some have done that they are the Author of True Faith and that they are the Eternal Word of God which the World was made by that they are the Light and the VVay the Truth and the Life and that they are the Decider
of all Controversies and sole and absolute and only Judge of all Matters of Faith and of all Matters that â—ver have been or ever shall be in Controversie to the End of the VVorld without the Spirit of God neither am I of that ignorant Mind as some are that the Letter and the Spirit are inseparable as that whosoever hath the Scripture must needs have the Spirit or whosoever hath the Scripture must needs be infallible without the Spirit all that are of the aforesaid Judgment are but VVranglers for the most Part about VVords and Contenders against the Power of God and Godliness and bring the VVords to oppose the Life and them that have the Spirit and walk in it for a natural man may read the Scriptures and yet not perceive the things of God neither perceive the Mind of the Spirit but wrest to their own Destruction as Peter saith because they are unlearned and untaught by the Spirit 's Teaching though otherwise learned enough in Languages Tongues and Speeches Secondly Yet I cannot detract from them neither undervalue them or dis-esteem them as uncertain or of no Use or of little Use but whatever themselves declare themselves to be that I own them to be to wit the Words of God the Words of Christ the Words of the holy Prophets and Patriarchs and Apostles who were endued with the holy Ghost and spake forth the Scripture as they were moved thereby in several Ages of several things and unto several States and Conditions as they were led thereto by the holy Spirit and they are a certain Declaration of things that were done and believed and practised by the Jews under the first Covenant and by the Apostles and primitive Christians in the New Covenant and contain many precious and holy Precepts and Commands Doctrines Examples Exhortations Admonitions Reproofs and Instructions and are as lively Examples and holy Patterns for all the Saints in Light to follow by which we are given to understand what Faith what Hope what Patience what Love what Mercy what Long-Sufferings what Consolation what Virtue and what Inheritance the Saints in Light were made Partakers of through Faith in Christ Jesus likewise what Doctrines were held forth and what Practice they used in the primitive times when they walked in the Order of the Gospel and had Fellowship with God the Father and the Son and one with another in the Light of the Gospel which is the Power of God through which they witnessed Salvation Remission of Sins and published it unto others that they might believe Thirdly The Scriptures testifie of Christ and were written that they might be believed and received and read that thereby every one that believed might be made wise to Salvation through Faith in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3. and instructed in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished with all good Works and whosoever doth teach any Doctrines contrary unto the holy Men of God who spake as they were moved by the Spirit of God which dwelt in them the Scriptures are Witnesses against such that they have not the Spirit of God but are led by another Spirit which brings forth contrary Doctrine and another Faith then was once delivered among the Saints and whosoever brings in sets up other Precepts Constitutions Orders and Practices in Point of Worship in Opposition and contrary unto those Practices which were held forth in the primitive times and would set up other Traditions then the Apostles delivered either by Word or VVriting such are manifest to have the Spirit of Error and are Innovators and Bringers in of other things as necessary in Point of VVorship among Christians which the Apostles and Ministers of Christ did not see necessary then and yet they wanted no Part of the Counsel of God for Paul said He had declared the whole Counsel of God and furthermore they said We have the Mind of Christ and Christ's Mind is not variable Fourthly Though divers of the VVritings of the Prophets and Apostles be lost doubtless as is evident by divers Places of Scripture yet blessed be God that there are those preserved which do bear VVitness of the one thing absolutely necessary unto Salvation of the Ministrations that were appointed of the Lord for the Church of God to observe both in the first and second Covenants so that Christians of this last Age are not lest without Example and President which all ought to have an Eye unto and a diligent Regard and though there be divers Copies of that which is called the Original Tongue and divers Translations yet he unto whom the Spirit of God is given and waiteth in the Measure of Christ's Light shall receive it doth â—ee and shall see the Mind and VVill of God in every Age and the Mind and Intent of the Spirit in them that spoke forth the Scripture and can receive the Matter therein contained as though they had heard them speak that spoke it at the first and though the Translators were Men yet I have such an honourable Esteem of their Labour that I believe they have not varied wittingly and willingly from the best Copies that were extant in their Age neither that they were altogether void of the Spirit of God in such a good VVork which conduced to the Benefit of Mankind but were assisted by it for so good VVork and there be many Figures and Tropas Improprieties of Speech Mysteries and Diâ—â—iculties yet all these come to be made easie and plain to them that are Witnesses of the same Spirit that gave them forth and though there be Diversity of Judgments Professions of Religion one clashing against another thwarting and contradicting another all will seem to bring the Scripture for their Proof which yet cannot maintain and prove every thing good especially when their Doctrines contradict one another this is granted it is only their private Interpretation and not the Scripture and for Wâ—nt 〈◊〉 â—hâ—t Spirit that gave it forth for that alone gives the true Understanding of iâ— and they that are without this are like to kill one another about Words and Names Sounds Tittles and Jottas but still want the Key that opens and gives an Entrance into the Knowledge of the things of God which alone is the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures Last of all R. E. after he saith The three former Props which are the Basis of the whole Foundation and glided over as slightly as he possible could although he hath never stated the Matter right indeed as to remove all things out of his Way which might hinder him in his Cause which he drives so hard on in to wit to set up a certain Company or Multitude of men Visible and Universal as he saith to be the only infallible Judge to convey Faith to the World and to be the certain and infallible Judge in all Matters that either pertain to the Worship of God and to be believed under Pain of Damnation as
I was moved to call thy Name Abigail which signifies the Father's Joy or Delight for in thee I was comforted that did mitigate my present Trouble and my Counsel unto thee is That thou remember thy Creator in the Dayes of thy Youth and fear the Lord in thy Youth and learn to know him and serve him all thy Dayes first seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof it 's not far from thee it 's within thee it consists in Life and Power and it stands in Righteousness Truth and Equity Justice Mercy Long-suffering Patience Love Light and Holiness this is the Being and Center thereof therefore seek not lo here or lo there without thee in this or that outward Observation for mâ—ny seek there and never find it but seek and thou shalt find wait and thou shalt receive if thou enquire in what must I seek and what must I wait in how must I seek I inform thee thou must silence all thy own Thoughts and thou must turn thy Mind to that which is pure and holy and good within thy self and seek and wait in that in the Light of Jesus Christ wherewith thou art enlightened which shews thee when thou dost Evil and checks and reproves take heed unto that and it will shew the evil Motions and Thoughts and as thou lovest it it will subdue them and preserve thee for the time to come out of Evil for though thou be born into the World a reasonable Creature yet thou must be born again and be made a new Creature or else thou canst not enter into God's Kingdom thou must know the Seed of the Kingdom in thy self of which thou must be born and formed again into God's Image I have told thee God hath sown it in thee a Grain of it a Measure of it a Portion of it a Measure of Light and Truth of Righteousness and Holiness keep in thy Mind to that and love it and thou wilt feel the heavenly Father working in thee â—nd begetting thee to Life through Jesus Christ that hath enlightned thee and thou wilt feel the Power of the Lord strengthning thee in thy little and make thee to grow in the Immortal Seed of his Kingdom and out grow and over grow all Evil so that thou wilt daily dye to that and have no Pleasure in it but in the Lord and in his Goodness and Vertue shed abroad in thy Heart which thou wilt tast and feel within and have Joy and Comfort therein love the Lord with thy Heart and Soul even him that made thee and gave thee a Being and all things in Heaven and Earth and still wait for the Knowledge of him in thy self he is not far from thee but near unto thee and unto all that call upon him in an upright Heart and do thou enquire of thy dear Mother she will inform thee she knows him and the Way to Life and Peace and hearken unto her Instruction God is a Spirit a pure Spirit of Light and Life and Power he that searcheth the Heart and shews thee when thou dost Evil or think'st Evil or speak'st Evil and shews unto Man and Woman their Thoughts that which shows the Evil is Good and that which shews a Lye is Truth this is within take heed to it this is called God's Spirit in the Scripture believe in it love it and it will quicken thy Heart to Good and it will subject the Evil here is thy Teacher near thee loving it and if thou act contrary it will condemn thee therefore take heed unto this Spirit of Truth and it will enlighten and enliven thee and it will open thy Understanding and give thee to know what God is and to do that which is good and acceptable in his Sight this Spirit never errs but leads out of all Error into all Truth O Abigail believe my Words they are the Words of God and Truth be not wanton but sober minded in thy Youth and wait on the Lord within hearken unto him God is Light immortal Life immortal Truth immortal an everlasting eternal Spirit he speaks spiritually and invisibly within the Hearts and Consciences of Men and Women hear what he speaks and obey his Voice and thy Soul shall live fear to offend him or sin against him for the Wages of Sin are Death therefore prize his Love in thy young and tender Years and do thou read the Scriptures and Friends Books and take heed unto what thou readest to obey it as far as thou understandest and pray often unto the Lord that he will give thee his Knowledge and open thy Understanding in the things of his Kingdom search thy Heart often with the Light of Christ in thee manifest and bring thy Deeds to it that they may be tryed and examine thy self how the Case stands betwixt the Lord and thee and if thou seest thy self wrong humble thy self and be sorry and turn unto him and he will shew thee Mercy and take heed for the time to come that thou run not into the same Evil again keep thy Heart clean watch against the Evil in thy self in that which shews it therein there is Power and thereby thou hast Power to overcome all Evil And dear Child miâ—d not the Pleasures of Sin which are but for a Moment and the End is Misery but keep under and cross thy Will and Affection so thy Mind will have no Pleasure in the Evil but in Good and thou wilt feel the immortal Seed springing up in thee which God's Peace and Love is to O Abigail these are great and weighty things not to be slighted accompany thy self alwayes with them that fear the Lord and fear and worship him in Spirit and Truth and lead a holy and a blameless Life and Conversation deny not them but love them and suffer with them take heed that thou follow not the hireling Teachers who preach for Gain and Lucre and abide not in Christ's Doctrine believe them not heed them not they do People no Good but thou wilt see them thy self they have an outside Shew of Godliness sometimes but deny the Power of God and true Holiness remember I have told thee who have had perfect Knowledge of them but be sure that thou let nothing separate thy Love from God and his People those are his People that keep his Law and obey Christ's Voice and lead a holy Life and they were ever hated and belyed and persecuted and evil-spoken on alwayes by bad and evil loose People these are God's People and his Love and Peace and Blessing is with them do thou grow as a natural Branch up among them of the living Vine and continue all thy Dayes in Obedience unto God's Will and thou wilt feel Joy and Love in thy Heart which above all things covet after and thou shalt attain and obtain everlasting Peace which the Lord grant unto thee according to the Riches of his Mercy and Love which endure forever and ever Amen And now Abigail concerning thy well
Life to come into it F. H. Cork the 18 th of the 11 th Moneth 1655. A LAMENTATION FOR THE Scattered Tribes Who are exiled into Captivity and are now mingled among the Heathen and are joyned to the Oppressor and refuse to return Presented unto all the separated Congregations under what Name or Form soever in Love to the Lost. SHEWING The Difference betwixt them that were separated by the word of Faith and them who have separated themselves in Immitation from the Letter And how they differ both in Doctrine in Matter in Form and so not the same with the Churches of Christ in the Unity The Difference between the true and false Ministry The Difference betwixt the Faith which is feigned and the Saints Faith The Difference betwixt true and false Hope A few words to the Ministry in all Sects and to all the mingled People who dwell in the Land of Darkness and are tossed up and down and know not where the Power is which is of God which gives victory A few VVords for your Information Thy Prophets have seen vain and foolish Things for thee and they have not discovered thine Iniquity to turn away thy Captivity but have seen for thee false Burthens and Causes of Banishment Lam. 2.14 By a Servant of Truth and a Friend to Righteousness who suffers with the Seed which is held in Oppression waiting and labouring for its Return F. H. Printed in the Year 1675. THE CONTENTS Concerning the Word of Christ which the Apostles and Ministers preached who had it in them revealed which did gather them into one that believed in it and its Effect and Operation that it had The Difference shewed betwixt that Ministry and the Ministry of them that preach the Letter for the Word The Difference between them that were separated by the VVord and them who have separated themselves The Difference shewn betwixt them that are taught of Christ and them that follow the Principles of Darkness that lead into Error The Difference betwixt the Faith which is feigned which is the VVorld's and the Saints Faith Concerning Hope and the Difference betwixt true and false Hope True Faith how it s wrought and what it is and its Operation A VVord to all the Ministers of the World in all Sects and to all People in every Sect. A few words to all you who put out the eye through long accustoming unto Sin who are near utter Darkness With some Information to them who are tossed and find no Rest nor know not where the Power of God is that gives Dominion over Sin the Power declared and the Way to Peace A LAMENTATION FOR THE Scattered Tribes TO all you who profess the Name of our Lord Jesus in Words and make mention of his Words and of his Ministers Words who had the everlasting Gospel and the Word of Reconciliation and of those Practices which the Churches of Christ had in their Day committed unto them after they were gathered out of the World and had denyed it and its Nature and were not comformable to it but were changed in their inward man and fruits of Righteousness were brought forth and they were as Lights in the World and did bear witness against the World that they were evil and said they were of God and had the Witness in themselves and were bold to say the whole World lay in Wickedness To you who are called separated Churches and Fellowships under this or that Name to you I write my Soul pities you above the rest of the World and in Love to those Desires which were once among you I write that so if it be possible you may come to see your selves and the Foundation on which you stand that those Desires which were after God begotten may not wholly be slain extinguished and betrayed through the Subtilty of the Serpent whose wayes are crooked and whose Subtilty is great to keep man under his Power This I have to say unto you There was and is a Zeal in you but not according to Knowledge bear my Words and judge that in your selves which would be angry There was that which shewed you the National Way of Worship under Episcopacy and Prelacy and Presbytery which is one in the Ground and Nature that this was the broad Way and not according to the Mind of the Lord neither was it according to Precept nor the Practices of the Churches of Christ which is clear from the Scripture Now you seeing this was not accoding to Christ nor his Ministers nor the Churches you began to separate from them into this or that Body under this or that Name as a Body separate from the World and their Worship because you found in the Writings of that which is called the Gospel People be gathered out of the World now your Eyes being still without you conformed to their Practices as you judged both in matter and manner and Practising those things which you read in the Scripture that the Churches Practised and so some Zealous did go forth and gather people together in this or that Form and here was your beginning and so here you set up your Rest that you walk according to the most exact Pattern that is Visible or Written yet since this you do not agree but are divided in your selves one sets up this and another that thing which you in your Reason judge right Now many things I might write unto you which you cannot bear but rather in Love a few Words that you may see the vast Difference betwixt your Assemblies and Churches and the Churches which you say is your Example And first of all I will shew in the Ground how far you fall short although it may be you may hate my instruction yet I say Suffer me a little for I am one who have obtained Mercy after a long and a sore Travel and tossed up and down in great Tempests but at last entered into the everlasting Rest and do not desire to contend with you for out of Debates carnal I am brought but rather in love to the Honesty in you all which is not of this World I speak First they received Power from on high and Commission given to preach the Gospel to all Nations I speak of the Ministers of Christ and those things which they had heard and seen and felt and tasted of and had handled of the Word of Life which Life was manifest in them this they preached and were sent to turn People from Darkness to Light and from Satan's Power unto God's Power and as many as received and believed the Word which they preached which was the Word of Faith and Faith was begotten by the Preaching of it and they heard and learned of the VVord of Life Faith came by hearing that VVord and this VVord which they preached unto them was nigh them in their Mouth and in their Heart which as People turned to it and received it and believed so a Change was wrought in the Hearers of it and they were
turned from dead VVorks unto the Measure of the living God and they separated from the Temple and left Circumcision and all those things of the first Priest-hood which were commanded by God and out of the VVorld's VVayes Fashions Customs and VVorships and came to see the worshipping in Spirit and in Truth was that worship God required and the Ground of their Separation was not from any literal Command or Precept for all that was written there was flat against it but they which were Ministers of Christ which had believed in him preached him the Substance and the Measure of him and of his Grace which was in them unto whom they preached and this was the Apostles Witness in their Hearts unto which they did commend themselves in the Sight of God which is a great Mystery and they are not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit Now in these few words before written with much more I could write compare your Ministry and your Members gathered and you will see you differ in the Ground in the first for your Command you take from the Letter and so are Ministers of the Letter and not of the Spirit 2. Ye preach the Letter for the Word of Faith which they did not as is plain in their own Writings without adding 3. Them whom you gather it 's but into Conformity to the Letter and to that which is visible which all may be done in the Will of man which is fallen from God and see if it be not so with you both Pastors and Members not witnesses of that VVord which they preached which did beget Faith in them that received it and believed in it which Faith was in them wrought by the Power of God which gave them Assurance and their Assurance was in them and their Hope in them brought in and wrought by the Operation of the Spirit which the preaching of the Letter Sound or Declaration only of that which was in them never works Assurance nor true Faith nor Hope And now consider where had your Ground of the Knowledge of God been and your Gospel and your Faith and Hope if you had not had the Letter I speak not to upbraid you but to the Light of Christ Jesus I speak which will let you see how far short you are and that you must come back again to the first Principle and now you may see if it had been the same Word or Command it would have the same Effects as it had and Change into its own Nature all that received it now see whether a Change be wrought in you or not some of you yea many running back after the Foot-steps of the Priests preaching for Hire and upholding the Idols Temple if you can get into them and in the Customs of the World nay most of you not come to yea and nay in your Communication but one with the world in all or most of things differ only in Words and Names and your Gospel you have preached hath not begotten such a Faith as was in them that had the Gospel not to respect Persons nor none dare own cleansing from Sin in the Body but call that a Delusion but the Word and Faith which they preached and received gave them Victory over the World Sin and Death and by its Power made them more then Conquerors and their Hope purified their Hearts but you cannot believe that ever you shall be made free from Sin nor have not hope in that and therefore are ignorant of the Body of Christ you so much talk of which made them clean and free from Sin Secondly your Doctrine is the same with the World your Hope your Faith your justification is all at a Distance grounded upon the Report of Christ dying at Jerusalem and of their Report that knew him and believing this you call it Faith and so are one with the Faith and Hope which the World hath for the Report of Christ's Righteousness what he did suffer and wrought in the Saints if this be the Ground of Salvation then why have you separated from the World If you say Because the world hath not right to the Ordinances I say Doth not Faith in Christ give Interest to all his Ordinances And if this be onely your Faith the World hath as good an Interest as you so why do you separate from them And so you shall see the Matter is the same with the VVorld of which your Fellowships consist and the Name of Christ is a great Mystery which they were sent to baptize in who knew his Name his name is not Letters and Syllables and using these this with the lips speaking over is not to baptize into his Name And so Friends in Love I speâ—k unto you There was such as separated themselves and were sensual and had not the Spirit and so there was no Difference betwixt them and the World for they are Clouds without Rain appeared VVells but hâ—d no VVater in them seemed something but were but a Shew Friends your foot-steps I know your ground I know and your Compass and your Measure yet I shall not glory over you nor boast my self against you but rather to inform your Minds that you may not build upon a Foundation which will moulder away And now boast not your selves in your Ordinances as VVater bread and Wine which is but elementary and was never but a Sign and in the Day of Appearance of Christ the Elements shall melt with servent Heat and while you stand here and have Confidence in these things your Sun will set in Obscurity and you shall know the old Heavens and Earth will pass away with a Noise which when you come to know and hear your Hearts will fail for Fear for this I say to the highest of you If you build upon any thing or have Confidence in any thing which stands in time and is on this side Eternity and Being of Beings your Foundation will be swept away and Night will come upon you and all your gathered in things and taken on and imitated will all fail you Many more things I might write time would fail me to utter but these few among many I have written that you may compare your selves with the Ministers of Christ then and the Gospel which they preached which were separate from the World in the Ground and Nature and if you see your selves in the Light of Christ in your Consciences not to be the same neither in Matter nor Manner let not a deceived Heart lead you aside any longer Further I say they were sent out for the gathering in of the Saints some Apostles some Prophets some Pastors and Teachers yet all was by the Spirit Now if you deny the Command of the Spirit or cannot witness it but from the Letter take it up and talk of it because the Scripture speaks of it then your Ministry is not that Ministry Again this End was the Ministry sent forth for for the perfecting of the Saints which it did which not
he will manifest his day and his Power in his day in thee as thou keepest in thy Mind to that which manifests unto thee Evil and shews thee Good thou wilt see how it appears Even as the Light shineth from the East unto the West so is the coming of the day of the Lord and the Eye which is spiritual â—eâ—s it and the Power the Glory of the Lord comes to be seen in the day which is pure and spiritual in the Heart and the Eye which is pure doth behold when it comes where it comes and how it comes and it 's hid from vulturous Eyes and from their Eyes which are fall of Adultery and cannot cease from Sin Now the day of the Lord cometh not where the carnal Mind may imagine nor when Man will neither according to the carnal Desire of the carnal Heart neither according to the evil Eye that looks out can it be seen but is seen in God's own Light and by the Measure of God's holy Spirit And as the day of the Lord is a Mystery the Spirit of the Lord is the only Discoverer of it None know the Things of God but by the Spirit of God and the day of the Lord and his bright shining forth in the Heart of Man is one of the glorious Things of God which only the Spirit of God doth give the Knowledge of to Man and in Man and not the Letter nor the Scripture for the Jews had the Letter and they had neither heard God's Voice at any Time neither ever did they see his Shape neither did they see the day of the Lord nor the Power neither in a Word did see or perceive God or any of the Mysteries of God's Kingdom at all but dreamed imagined thought and conceived of Things in their Minds their foolish Hearts being darkened for the further a Man draws from the Light his Heart comes to be more dark and their Understanding closed up and shut up that they cannot behold the Lord neither his Glory which is revealed only by God's holy Spirit which Spirit is near Man though he see is not What the Spirit of the Lord is and how it comes to be received which discovers the Things of God THE Spirit of the Lord is pure holy equal Purity it self Holiness it self Equity it self and is one with the Father and the Son the Father Word and Spirit are one it 's Life it 's pure Power â—ure Strength Purity it self which mixeth not neither joyneth to any Thing but that which is of its own Nature it 's an immeasurable pure Substance it 's Life issued forth an active living Power and is everlasting alters not changeth not keeps its Holiness its Purity forever it is unsearcheable unfathomable undeclarable Words are all too short too narrow to declare its Excellency and Glory but only as it makes it self out to them that believe and opens it self and sheds it self abroad in them that wait upon it it is revealed in its own Purity manifest in its own Power and received in its own Light felt in its own Virtue the living Father of Life himself is manifest by it and appears in his Power Majesty and Excellency through it to man and to the Sons of men to the righteous and unrighteous to godly and ungodly to the upright and to the deceitful to the Children of Darkness and to the Children of Light that which searcheth the Heart of man and sees through all things and maketh manifest all Things even the hidden Things of God and the secret Works of Darkness and reproveth for all Evil all Iniquity that is the pure Act of the Spirit which convinceth every man and as the Creature comes to joyn to it it ariseth and shines forth more clearly and maketh it self known in its Power and Operation its Power comes to be felt it checks and reproveth judgeth and condemneth all Actions which are done and past and brings them to the Creature 's Remembrance and as it is waited upon and hearkened unto it sheds it self abroad in its own pure Brightness and â—ringeth all things to Light even all the Deeds of Darkness and maketh manifest the Intents of the Mind and manifesteth all things reproveable Now as there is a waiting upon the pure Appearance of it and the Mind be still and quiet and calm the Creature comes to feel and sensibly know his own Condition he sees his Mind is alive to other Things and other Lovers and not to God and so he sees himself dead to the Things of God's Kingdom and in the Loss and in the Fall and in the Transgression now this which shews the vain Motions and vain Thoughts and checketh them is an Operation of the Spirit and Purity comes to be felt working in the Heart and as it is loved and obeyed it leadeth and converteth the Heart to the Lord and draweth towards it self out of Unholiness and from under the dark Power and brings that under and so it ariseth in its Strength as it is believed in and waited upon and judgeth and condemns for all Evil for it is the Discoverer of the Mind of the Lord to the Sons of Men or the Father by it makes known his Mind to and in the Creature and doth discover the Things that be eternal in their true Property and Nature which only they that have the Spirit and have received it and are brought out of the Sensuality come to discern him who is invisible and the things that belong to everlasting Happiness which are not seen by a natural Eye neither received by the Spirit of the World who never received the things of God neither the Testimony of them who were in the Life Now all that come to receive it that is to say the Spirit of Truth must wait in that which is pure unto which it joyns it joyns not to the corrupt Man neither to the sensual Heart neither to the vile Affections neither unto them whose Eyes are full of Adultery which cannot cease from Sin neither to the Seed of Falshood neither to the corruptible Birth neither unto that which is born of the Flesh nor unto the Will of the Creature yet notwithstanding though it joyn not to these yet it is near man even the natural man its Manifestation or the shining forth of its Brightness maketh all these things manifest before-mentioned to be evil and thus far the Spirit of God hath appeared to the World and all Mankind as to convince the World of Sin yet still it remains in its own Purity and while the Heart of any man is taken up with that and joyned unto that which the Light reproves that is to say the Worker of Iniquity that man hath not received the Spirit neither is made Possessor of it nor enjoyes it but it stands off man and from man at a Distance shewing the Worker of Iniquity and the Works of Darkness and manifesting to the Creature in its Light and letting him see unto whom he is
though with the best of all our Commodities though with Cinamom and Odours and Oyntment and Frankincense yet they will buy none of our Ware nor there 's no Hope of trading with them any more for they are come to know the Pearl which is more precious then Rubies and the heavenly Treasure that doth not rust and the Word which is sweeter then the Honey and the Honey comb there 's no Hope of them but this is the Misery they will not be content with what they have found but impart it to others and so beget a Dislike in other Peoples Minds to the best of all our Merchandize However them that are gone from us and deny our Mother and her golden Cup and deny all her Merchants great and small not only them that trade in Wood and Vessels and Brass and Iron but even them that trade with the best Merchandize as Gold Silver precious Stones Pearls fine Linnen Purple Silk and Scarlet however let us excommunicate them and give them up to Satan and let us call to the Beast with his seven Heads and ten Horns who is scarlet-coloured dreadful and terrible and let us accuse them of Heresie Schism and Blasphemy and call them Seducers Deceivers and false Prophets and let us brand them with Names of Reproach as Sectaries and say they are seditious and rebellious and mutinous and they are Enemies to Church and State and all good Government Peace-breakers factious and pestilent Fellows that bring all the Nations into an Uproar and if that will not do let us petition to Kings Princes Dukes Parliaments Protectors and Councils that some speedy and effectual Course may be taken for suppressing of these Hereticks and for stopping of these blasphemous Doctrines as that the Steeple-house is not the Church and sprinckling of Infants no Ordinance of Christ and singing of Psalms by Tradition no Part of the true Worship of God and it may be shall get some Law or Act of Parliament against them or call them Vagabonds and get them whipt abroad and put in Prisons while we take away their Oxen and Goods at home and so by this Means it will stop others whom we traffick withal that they will not dare to hearken unto them for if they will not buy our Wares and take our measures by a Glass in Love to it yet because of Fear of Imprisonment or Loss of their Goods or Estates they will be constrained to trade with us But alas it is otherwise with us now then it was in Queen Mary's Dayes when Mass Mattens and Even-songs Processionings Ave-maries Creeds and Pater-nosters took up most Part of the Time and went off among People for spiritual Worship at a good Rate neither is it with us now as it was in the Dayes of Bishop Laud our great Metropolitan and the rest of our Mother's Merchants then would Common Prayer translated out of the Mass-Book into the English and Creed Letany Pater-noster with a Lord have Mercy upon us or we beseech thee to hear us good Lord forty Times over in a Quarter of an Hour with some of David's Psalms turned into Meeter by Hopkins and Sternhold Masters of Musick sung with Organs with Choristers and Boyes with bowing to the Altar and such like Merchandize which was then precious in the Eyes of our Mother's Children then whosoever would not be obedient to all the Rites and Ceremonies we branded them with the Name of Puritans and Non-conformists and haled them before Sessions Courts and Magistrates cited them to appear before the Bishops served them up to the High-Commission-Court before the Lords Spiritual and Temporal falsly so called and there the Flesh was gnawn to the Bone and Ears cut off stigmatizing and burning with Irons Imprisonment and Banishment Now as People came nearer the Day they began to suspect all this as not to be the spiritual Worship of God having no Ground nor Footing from the Spirit of Truth nor Example from the Scripture nor from the primitive Churches then they over whom our mother once reigned began to question her whether she was the Lamb's Wife yea or nay And whether our Predecessors and Brethren were the messengers sent out by the true Church yea or nay And whether the Ordinances and Practices were the Institution of Christ and his Apostles yea or nay in the primitive Times And the Day dawned upon them and the Spirit came to be revealed and did shine into their Hearts and they began to search the Scriptures and to compare the true Church which was cloath'd with the Sun and crown'd with the Crown of twelve Stars with our mother Mystery Babylon and they began to compare the Apostles and ministers in the primitive Times with our Predecessors Babylon's merchants and also compared the Institutions and Ordinances which were delivered to the true Church with the Institutions Rites Ceremonies and Inventions of our mother Mystery Babylon and so they found all out by the Revelation of the Spirit and by searching of the Scriptures they found out the Rise of our mother after the Woman was fled into the Wilderness and that she sate not as a Queen upon Nations Kindreds Tongues and Peoples till after the Woman did fly away upon the Wings of an Eagle into the Wilderness for a Time Times and half a Time and likewise they found out that our Predecessors and Fellow-merchants were not like the ministers of Christ in the primitive Times neither our Doctrines and Ordinances like the Ordinances and Doctrines which were once delivered to the Saints before ever we merchants set sail or floated in a Ship on the Sea And so finding our City to be raised up in its Glory since the Glory of God was lost in the Earth and finding our Queen Mystery Babylon ruling in our City since the Lamb's Wife fled and finding us merchants to receive her Traffick from her City since the Faith was lost that once was delivered to the Saints and did see our Creeds and Beliefs and Pater-nosters our Prayers and our Hymns that they are quite another Thing which was Part of her Traffick they have concluded and that upon infallible Grounds warranted by a Cloud of Witnesses in the Prophets and Apostles that our mother is a Whore and her Predecessors are her merchants and that our Ordinances are and Traffick hath been invented by some of our mother's children which are Apostates and they have found us out And now alas a Ship will be hardly able to ride any more upon the Waters nor the Sea will hardly bear up our Vessels any more the Nations the Kindreds the Tongues and the Peoples are almost dryed up especially in the North Regions they will not buy our merchandize any more our Ships are like to stand still and our merchandize is like to be all shipwrackt therefore let us take counsel lest all the Sea dry up and we all sit down in Solitariness and our Song be turned into wo worth the Day misery and alas Therefore now it
one Part of your Worship before another Was not a Psalm in the Church of Corinth acceptable unto God when it was sung in the Spirit and with Understanding as good as Interpretation And was not Prophecy as acceptable as speaking with Tongues If your expounding so called of the Scripture be by the Spirit of God why should that give Way to sprinckling of an Infant till the Spirit cease to speak in him that spake by it Direct The next Piece of Merchandize is of their publick Prayers before Sermon and to pray after this Manner to acknowledâ—e your great Sinfulness by your Original Sin which makes you liable to everlastâ—ng Damnation and doth defile your best Actions if it were not restrained by God's Grace as in Page 15. Answ. What! is original Sin unwasht away and is a deprived Nature alive that poisons all your Faculties and defiles your best Actions What is not this tâ—ken away yet then you have confounded your Orthodox Doctrine or else never have been baptized when you were Infants for did not you use to say that when an Infant was sprinckled That he was regenerate and born again and ingrafted into the Body of Christ's Congregation And furthermore to give Thanks to God on this wise We yield thee hearty Thanks that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this Infant and to receive it for thy own Child by Adoption and to incorporate this Child into thy own Congregation then seeing that all that are baptized are regenerate as you say how is it original Sin and the Guilt is not taken away and how is it that the best of your Actions are defiled for Regeneration is a cleansing Work and the Actions of the regenerate are pure and holy but your best Actions are defiled then you are not regenerate by your own Doctrine and if Sin be restrained by God's Grace then Actions do not defile for Grace is one that which restrains and that which saves for it 's written By Grace you are saved and if you are restrained from Sin or saved by Grace then your Actions would not be defiled what cankered rusty Merchandize is this but I shall proceed to shew more of the like Nature Direct The next Doctrine is to confess your actual Sins the Sins of your Magistrates Ministers and whole Nation and how that you have broken all the holy just Laws of God doing that which is forbidden and leaving undone that which is injoyned and not only ignorantly but presumptuously against the Light of our Minds and Checks of our Consciences but also despâ—sing God's Forbearance and standing out against all the Offers of Grace in the Gospel Answ. Was not the baptized Infant incorporated into a holy Congregation and now you confessed you were a sinful Congregation not only ignorant but presumptuous also and have sinned against the Light of your Minds and the Light of your Consciences what is there any thing in your Minds or Consciences worth taking Notice of what will the Light in the Conscience shew Sin and reprove for it then how is it that you Merchants of this Rank cry out against it as Delusion and heretical Doctrine when any exhort them that they sin not against the Light of their own Consciences and if you stand out against all God's Invitations and Offers of Grace then are you none of Christ's Ministers and never blame me for calling you Babylon's Merchants for the Ministers and Disciples of Christ they came at Christ's Invitation and Peter and Jâ—hn left their Nets and followed Christ when he invited them and they resisted not the Offers of Grace but received it when it was offered and were saved by it and if you walk so unworthy of him in your selves then repent and cease carrying abroad such Trumpery as this to deceive the People withal Direct In the sixteenth Page you Reformers say You ought to bewail your Blindness of Mind and Hâ—rdneâ—s of Heart and Unbelief Impenitency Secureness Luke-warmness and Barrenness and not endeavouring Mortification nor to keep your Garments unspotted Answ. You had need to bewail your State indeed if this be it but see that you be not Hypocrites to confess that before the Lord and your Congregation and if any say you are hard-hearted and Unbelievers you deny it again and so make your Lives transgress and your Tongues utter forth Deceit what are you such a Company of blind Minds and hard-hearted impenitent unbelieving secure luke-warm and barren whâ—m God will spue out of his Mouth who do not so much as endeavour after Mortification nor to keep your selves unspotted and have broken Promises and Vows and Covenants O that ever such a Company as you should carry a Ship to Sea or think in your Hearts to give Directions to oothers to reform when you are unreformed your selves and full of Unbelief what People will take Directions at such a Company of Heart-blind Guides as you If this be Reformation what is Deformity the wise in Heart may judge of this Merchandize Direct Yet you say notwithstanding in the 18th page Let us draw near to the Throne of Grace and incourage our selves with hope of a gracious Answer of our Prayers Answ. He that sits upon the Throne of Grace before whose face the Heavens and the Earth shall fly away he will reject your Offering notwithstanding all the Encouragement you may take to your selves and how can you have Hope to receive a gracious Answer it's but the Hope of the Hypocrite you that are blind in Mind and hard in Heart and do not so much as endeavour after Mortification David a messenger of God said If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my Prayers and you that are so presumptuous and are so full of vain Hopes as to think that God will hear your Prayers who are in Unbelief and endeavour not after Mortification he will send you empty away Direct The next Doctrine is about preaching the Word the subject of his Sermon is to be some Text of Scripture sutable to some emergent Occasions and he may go on in some Chapter or Psalm as he shall think fit Answ. Here Reader thou mayest take notice these Artificers of the last Edition have Traffique of divers Sorts to fit the several Places and Occasions as when they come before some Princes or Courtiers or some Convocations or Counsels then some great swelling Words and new coyned Expressions and Rhetorical Speeches and Philosophical Phrases this will go off at a good rate and by this the Merchant may procure his Discourse to be printed which may procure his Fame and Renown among ignorant People besides it may be he gets Profit by printing his Sermon setting all set-Wages Tythes and Salleries aside but if it be amongst poor country People or an odd Corner of the Land then any ordinary Traffick a Sermon which it may be he hath sold four times over this will go off among ignorant people and make them more ignorant and as you say a Text
other Times and gorgeous Attire and lascivious Habits and if any such Thing be the Minister may reprove them at a Fast. Answ. To fast unto the Lord is not to set a Day apart by the Will of man but by being moved thereunto by the Lord and not to hang down the Head for a Day like a Bulrush nor to smite with the Fists of Wickedness but to loose the Band of Wickedness and let the Oppressed go free And as for gorgious Attire Rich Apparel and Ornaments it 's no where found so much as amongst you Steeple-house Fasters and for Delights and Pleasures and these Things which you say is lawful at other times that which so judgeth will not forsake them in your set Times and if they be lawful at any time then the Apostles Exhortation is made void who said Not in Gold nor costly Array nor broidered Hair that which abstains from them one day and takes them up another day is Hypocrisie and Deceit And as for your Abstinence from one set Meal in a day and it may be go to a Banquet or a Riot the next day after this is Abomination to the Lord And how should the Minister reprove any for Pride when it may be hath as many Points at his Knees as a Beasom Ribbons and Cuffs and a long Robe to his Heels and a broad Hatband enough to cover one most Part down the Waste if it were spread out and who do you think will receive this man's Reproof for Pride that thus is gorgiously attired And what do you judge this man will have on the Thanksgiving day Direct The next comes on the Performance of the Worship which is reading preaching with singing of Psalms fit to quicken the Affections and especially Prayer wherein Sin is to be confest with several Aggravations and with greater Inlargement then at other Times Answ. You that have nothing to quicken your Affections but to turn David's Cryings and Tears into a Song and sing You roar for the Disquietness of your Hearts and as Men distracted when your Hearts are whole and unrent and you that think to be heard for your feigned Confessions and if you speak from your Hearts as you say the Ministers ought to do there is no such Hypocrisie and Deceit among any People as among you who do that which is forbidden and leave that undone that is commanded and presumptuously sin against the Light of your own Consciences as you confess and do not so much as endeavour to receive Christ into your Hearts nor so much as endeavour after Mortification and Newness of Life And how can you think for your multitude and Inlargement of Words and seeming Importunacy God will hear you for your much Babling many hypocritical Fasts have been made which I have observed as well as some other men what would be the End thereof the Beginning thereof was Feignedness and the Performance thereof like them that Amos speaks of that howled for their Corn Wine and Oyl and mocked God and drew near with their Lips but their Hearts were far from him Direct But to proceed Such Texts ought to be used for preaching that may best work the Hearts of the Hearers into Humiliation and Repentance and the Minister is to exhort before they depart that their Assembly may improve their whole Life to the Glory of God by re-inforcing themselves and their Families in all private Resolutions towards God which they professed in publick Answ. You that have no other things to bring people to humility and repentance but by a Text as you call it of Scripture which you may judge in your carnal minds will do it and pick and chuse too the Scripture where you like What! was not the Scripture spoken forth by the Spirit of God and cannot be broken And one Scripture is as good as another and is as effectual as another but none is effectual without the Spirit which is that which leads to Repentance and brings down the Pride of the Transgressor and except People come to receive the Spirit and believe in it which convinceth them of Sin and leads them to Repentance all your stirring up and composing and re-inforcing will do no Good at all and re-inforcing of self began your Fast and there it will end without Christ which whoso comes to follow deny themselves and otherwise taught then to take the Kingdom by Force And concerning their humiliation thou hast heard and mayest judge Reader what their Thanksgiving will be like the rest Direct The Minister is to make some pithy Narration of God's Deliverance and sing some pertinent Psalms and choose a pertinent Text to the Occasion Answ. The Thanksgiving doth not arise from any Sensibility that people feel in themselves but it arises from the pithy Story as they call it of the Minister and likewise from his devised Sermon which hath fed the carnal Minds to rejoyce in Words without the Life and then ring the consecrated Bells and get Bonfires and eat and drink and satisfie the flesh and these are the Thanksgivings and the Rejoycings that the World makes over the Witness in themselves Direct And now I come to the singing Psalms and their Mass-house the place of their Worship and so I have done with their Traffique First they say that singing of Psalms publickly in a Congregation with a tunable Voice is a Christian's Duty Answ. Where it was injoyned by Christ or any of his Ministers I am ignorant and yet the Scriptures I know but no where read in it that singing of Prophesies and Prayers and other mens Conditions turned into Ryme and Meeter by Poets and Masters of Musick in an inverted Tune in the same Mind which invents Tunes for Ballet-mongers and to sing such Conditions amongst proud wanton and disdainful People covetous envious and such as have not so much as endeavoured after Mortification or newness of Life as generally your Parochical Congregations are as you have confest in your Directory for publick Worship this is no way accounted as a Christian's Duty for whose Souls are not brought out of Death cannot praise the Lord and you confess Ministers and Congregation that you are blind in Mind hard in Heart full of Unbelief Impenitency Luke-warmness and Barrenness not endeavouring to receive Christ into your Hearts your State is Howling and Lamentation and not rejoycing yet singing with the Spirit is owned and with understanding Direct And now we come to the place of publick Worship They say It is not unlawful or unconvenient for Christians to meet together in the place which was dedicated to Idolatry or consecrated to an idolatrous Use yet we hold it requisite that the Places of publick Worship should be imployed and continued to that use Answ. And upon what Account do you count it lawful convenient and requisite to meet in an Idol's Temple or a Mass-house your Account will be but slender and poor which will be without Example from the Saints Did Josiah or Hezekiah when they had broken
Self-acting was not known now Self-will Self-worship Self-righteousness nay they moved in the Power Righteousness was their covering and as I said before there was no shame I might speak largely in this thing and truly my Tongue is the Pen of a ready writer Oh that all had an Ear to hear that their Soul might live and that every one might be unbottomed of his false rest false and feigned Hope and Faith and of his own ragged Garment and let go his Self-righteousness and his dead Works and come to Christ the Life of men again that man hath run from that so he might have Life and Peace Object But some would say That thou wouldest have all upside down anâ— unchristian the Nations and unchurch Churches and throw down all our Worship and then what should we do all would be as Heathens and turn into Atheism I say a time of fanning and sifting and trying is come when nothing shâ—ll stand but that hath the Image stamp and Character of the living God upon it and all that which hath been brought up and raised up since man hath been in the Transgression must be turned down into the Pit again and all that have got a Name of Christian and wants his Life to live among them and in them shall be scattered as Clouds with the 〈◊〉 wind and all imitated Worships and will-Worshippers and the feigneâ— Faith and the feigned Hope shall be confounded and all will-worships and Worshippers will be overturned who are not come yet to the true Light that lightens every man that comes into the World and till man comes to the Light and tryes his deeds and works by it he never sees what he is doing nor what he is working nor what he works and so all that man doth here in the unbelief it is but Sin or Self-righteousness which is brought forth by him who abode not in the Truth in the Unbelief and so who be come to the Power which was in the Beginning before Sin entered and death by Sin hath and doth measure all deeds and all works and man that is in the loss in the Fall and sees that a dead man cannot act a living work nor bring forth living Fruits unto God nor living works of Righteousness being in the Unrighteousness neither the fruits of Faith being in the unbelief neither the works of the Day being in the Night neither the works of charity being in the Enmity in a word without Christ the Power the Light the Life which was glorified with the Father before the world began I say the said it himself who is the Beginning of the Creation of God the first born of every creature he said and his Testimony will be found true without me ye can do nothing nothing that is well-pleasing to the Lord nothing that ever shall be acceptable and here is the true State of all the Earth discovered and all mankind drove out from God miserable Naked Hâ—peless Helpless Faithless and so can do nothing as to the glorifying of God his Maker or to the ordering of any thing in the Creation to his glory having lost his Dominion and God's Wisdom and this being câ—â—sidered seriously by all and brought to the Light in all and their Deeds tryed by it would make the losty bow and the Stout-hearted fear and the conceited sit down in Solitariness that they should so long deceivâ— their own Souls with a conceit of Righteousness and redemption whâ—â— as Death yet reigns in them and over them and not Life eterna 〈◊〉 the Devil is a distinct being from God and his Works are distinct anâ— his Deeds from the Works of God and neither he nor his works 〈…〉 be numbred among the works of God but he and they tha◠〈◊〉 him and fellow him who is our of the Truth they their work 〈◊〉 whâ—t â—ort soever they may seem unto men to be whose Eyes the 〈◊〉 hâ—â—h â—linded so I say all is to condemned and shut out from God's 〈…〉 â—â—rever and to be Destroyed by him who is a consuming Fire 〈◊〉 all the Righteousness of man burned as combustible stuff in 〈…〉 Aâ—d by what hath been said the Principle of that 〈…〉 become vain in their Imaginations and foolish 〈…〉 being Darkned and are seen and their Principle overthâ—â—â—â— As that Light and Darkness is one and good and Evil one and 〈◊〉 Righteousness one and Truth and a Lye one and that God is all and doth all and whatever is done is of God and that there is no Evil but to him that thinks it so and it is only a false apprehension of things and that there is no such thing as Sin and that Sin is nothing Unto all these things I might speak but the understanding Reader may by what is before written see each of these plainly declared and the true Ground of things laid down as the Spirit gave utterance and this shall at present suffice in this Matter Object But some may object further and say Will not reading the Scriptures and conforming to the practice of the Saints in the use of his Ordinances will not this make us accepted and bring us out of the Fall and make us good Christians Answ. No while Death hath dominion in man and over man and the vail over the Heart man doth not understand the Mystery of God's Kingdom neither understands the Scripture which was spoken from the Spirit of Truth or any thing of Truth as it is in Christ for none understands the things of God but by the Spirit of God so that every man that comes to have a good understanding must come to know the pure Spirit of God in him to direct him and inform him which Spirit was the Original of the Scripture for the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost without the holy Ghost in some measure be known and that which is infallible the sayings the writings the Scriptures cannot be understood because of the want of this all the Earth is run into Heads and Sects and Opinions and large Treatises and Volumes and expositions have been written and yet differing one from another and all from the Spirit and in all these particular Sects Persecuting one another and Envying one another and hating one another and would compell others to believe what they believe in what they say if they had but power and for proof of this it is most evident in the Scripture of Truth and in latter Ages since the Apostles it hath been and it is evidently seen both among the Papists and Protestants and among all them that are called the reformed Churches but all this is in the Fall and in the Transgression and in the Apostacy and is an evident token that they are all under the Power of the Beast whom makes War against the Lamb so all compellation and they that do compell are not Worshippers of the Lamb but of the Beast which is to be destroyed and cast into the Lake For the
but it called it self by the best Name as for the Priests of Scotland their Doctrine and Practice is made manifest and their Reformation by their Principles which I refer the Reader to intituled The Principles of the Priests of Scotland their Reformation and discipline is nearly related to the Spanish Inquisition for their Doctrine they say Grace is not free and Faith is not without Sin and the Letter is the word of God and that they are Cursed that say there is Light within which will lead up to God and as one said although it meant Christ and if any will not submit to their words and conform to their Practice and Traditions then they call a Counsel together as their fore-fathers at Trent and pronounce him a Heretick and within these few Years Banished them or else took their whole substance outward from them and if any out of Conscience could not submit unto their Invented Tradition then if he ever came to have any converse with them again he must have a Pennance before he could get an Indulgence from them like the Pope and furthermore if any deny them because they are out of the Doctrine of Christ and are contrary to the Scripture then as I said they Excommunicate them and charge all People neither to buy nor sell nor eat nor drink with them nor work for them and so the Beasts Power is exercised compelling to come to their Mass-houses and as for the denying the Bishops then you have denyed your Fathers that begat you and Ordained you then you have no Ordination but may be you have Cryed so for setling your Gospel you have got a Committee to ordain you or one Company to lay Hands on another but when receive ye the holy Ghost Oh that is an error in your Church but are not you got into the old Cathedrals so called and into the Steeple-houses and the old Mass-houses and where you had may be 20 Pounds or Forty in the Year now you have gotten a Hundred it may be two here 's Reformation indeed well we must needs remember you of your race and Stock the Apostates since the Apostles dayes and the former Practices which is found among the old Protestants and Papists is among you and you are still Drunk with the whore's Cup and are crying for Cain's Weapons to guard you well I say you are part of the Dragon's Tail that draws to the Earth and to the Pit which will be the end of all Idolaters and Apostates except they come to Repent And as for the Independants Churches so called you are a Branch of the same Root you have declared against the Bishops and court Prelates and said they were in error and many of you declared against them for Pluralists because they had too great Benefits and declared against Tythes as to be Anti-christian and whoso received Tythes denyed Christ come in the Flesh who are wheeled about and now take them your selves and Creep into the old Mass-houses and have taken that up which you condemned in others and so have made your former Testimony void and all sober People see your Hypocrisie and Deceit who have gathered a company together which you call Select People or Members of your Church and you exclude the rest who have as good right to your Ordinance as you for they profess Christ in Words as you do And yet you will receive their means whom you judge not capable of your Ordinance and your Church will no more maintain you then it would maintain them that you have denyed in Words if you had not the Beasts Power to compel your Vineyard would Starve you your Gospel and your Preaching is one with the former and the People is the same in Nature they were before you have got Bishops Lands Augmentations and Stipends more large then your fore-fathers had for the most part and sue Men at the Law and hale them before Judgments Seats and take away their Goods whom you loook upon to be in error yet this stands as good with you as any Article of your Faith to force to compel to Sue to hale into Prison to take away their Goods and get a Scripture for your Cover and say He that Preacheth the Gospel must live of the Gospel and them that neither hear you nor receive you neither believe your Gospel yet you conclude it 's lawful to take their Goods and if you cannot get them hale the party into Prison are not you drinking still the Whore's cup and do not you follow the Beast and do not you own that Law to be Just that compels People to pay Money to you who deny your Ministry and are none of your Sheep and are not your Ordinances and Worship Imitated Things from the Scripture the Saints words and yet out of their Life and Practice are not you in the Apostacy have you not your Profession and Confession of Faith to make year after year as the Magistrate changes doth not this Evidence that you are Unstable and are yet in the Waters upon which the whore Sits and situated in Babylon the Mother of Harlots who yet makes you Drunk and that makes all the Filth and Vomit appear in the Earth that Stains the Earth and your Idols corrupt the Earth all Separates under what Name soever who have not denyed the Ground of Apostacy but are in the Apostacy for all Sects since the Apostles dayes have taken up some part and left another since the Life hath been lost and the Power lost all hath been in the Idolatry and the Protestants who have denyed the Papists yet they have not denyed them in the Ground of their worship but have retained some part and have kept some part of their worship and all Sects sprung out of the Protestants in them all there is some part remaining for they have not denyed the Ground of the worship set up in the Apostacy the Whore's cup is Drunk of and the Dragon hath Power which sought to destroy the man-Child and made war with the Remnant of the Seed of the Woman who was Clothed with the Sun you all stick yet in Babylon and the best of you all are but yet in the Suburbs thereof For since the Apostles dayes their Foundation hath been either Traditions Imitations Inventions of their own or Borrowed things from the Jews in the first Covenant or at the best the Letter hath been the ground of their Faith and their Foundation which they have twined and translated this way and that according to the wit and Reason of every particular Sect and Opinion and according to the understanding of their private Spirits now all these buildings and Towers that mâ—n have builded up in the Apostacy they would fasten upon the writings of the holy men of God and so have raised an Imagination of their own and so would have the Scripture prove what they say and the writings of the Apostles theâ— all call the Gospel and the word of Faith and the Light
but the Quakers see before thee and beyond thee and comprehend thee and have received Eye-salve whereby their Eyes are opened to see thy Deceit the deceit of the Treacherous Generation with whom thou art joyned and thy Rejoynder and Vindication of Samuel Smith whom thou calls Minister of the Word at Cressage in the County of Salop thy Vindication of him and thy pleading for him will not bring much Honour to neither him nor thee and though thou and he both joyn hand in hand in deceit yet you shall not go Unpunished Thou tels the Reader Of wandering Planets who have left their Station who have stepped upon the Stage in the County of Salop who are come forth in this Apostatizing time All who have a good understanding may clearly see not only in the County of Salop but also in every Corner of the Land many wandering Stars that have no habitation in the Firmament of God's Power but are Tossed up and down and are as waters Unstable Tossed to and fro with every wind and the change of one Magistrate or head Governour will make them all change their form and as thou callst it Metamorphize them into another shape witness the many publique Teachers and Parish-masters and Tything Priests in the dayes of Edward the sixth Henry the 8. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth's dayes and now of late in the Bishops dayes when the Magistrates voted down the Bishops all or most of the Priests denyed their Fathers and their Institution and though they ordained them Ministers yet they still seek after their seats and Benefices and there thy Reader may see the Metamorphosed changlings and the Apostates and I do believe the County of Salâ—p abounds with such like and they have been on the Stage long and have acted such a part in every Generation as would please the present Authority or Power whether they were Papists or Protestants Prelatical or whatsoever but E. D. the Exit will come and when the Day appears the Beasts must go into their Dens again and thou confessest you live in Apostatizing times thou that art among the Apostates and in the Apostatizing Age and time would accuse others Nay thou must hold thy Peace and leave pleading for Apostates and for the Fashions of the Heathen which have got up since the dayes of the Apostacy which the whole scope of thy Book is full of nothing else and we cannot permit or allow them who are in the time of Apostacy and who are one with the Apostates which have wandered after the Beast since the Dayes of the Apostles I say we cannot allow such as you to be Judges for we are come out of the Apostacy and to before the Apostates and to before the wandering Stars and thou hast mist it much that tells the Quakers are they Edward I tell thee we are come to the everlasting Gospel again and have received it and it 's the Power of God which was to be and is to be preached again to the Nations after the Apostacy And as for the Book called Malice stript and whipt I have seen it and he Spirit of thy Mr. Smith whom thou callst Reverend thou hast elevated him as high as the Pope but E. D. what is the Reason thou reverencest him so much as thou dost to thy Reader And in the tenth page thou saist many Souls depend upon his Ministry and thou blessest God for the worâ— of God you enjoy in that Congregation Thou hast extoll'd him too highly or else he hath wronged thee grievously for thou saist thou hast profited much by him Thou mayest call to mind a certain time when he preached as you call it out of the 13 of Luke and when he spoke of the Parable of the mâ—n that planted a Vineyard and 3 Years looked for Fruit and Sam. Smith whom thou so adorest said he had sought for Fruit from your Congregation this 7 Years at Cressage and had found none he shall be an evidence for me against thee that thy glorying of him is Vain and it 's manifest he is one the Lord sent his Prophet to declare against who hath run and the Lord never sent him therefore he hath not profited you at Cressage at all lean Souls are they like to be that depend on him In the first Observation as thou callst it thou hast extracted the Heads of Samuel Smiths Book into five particulars which thou sayst we are ashamed to Answer or else know not what to say for our defences I say unto thee Boast not when thou purst on thy Armour but when putst it off for the Victory may be doutful THe first particular That the Nationall Ministers do maintain the true worship of God and the Doctrine of Christ according to the revealed will of God Answ. So saying and so doing were something the true Worship of God is in Spirit and in Truth which is not Lo here and lo there nor in outward Observations but in Life in Power and in Truth But to be brief both the Doctrine and Practice of the National Ministry in general is contrary to the Scripture which thou callst the Word of God as for Instance their sprinkling of Infants their teaching Men to Swear and calling it part of the Worship of God which is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ who said Swear not at all Their singing David's Psalms put into Meeter by Poets and Ballad-mongers singing them in their invented Tunes which pleaseth the carnal Mind their studied discourses which you call Sermons Invented from the strength of natural wit and not speaking as they are moved by the holy Ghost which the Ministers of Christ in all Ages did In these and many other things which I could instance they are out of the Doctrine of Christ And in a word your whole Worship differs both in matter and manner from the Saints Worship in the Primitive Times But seeing we have denyed the National Ministers divers Years ago and have laid down our Grounds and Reasons to the World wherein we have charged them that their practice is contrary to the Scripture unto which Grounds and Reasons not one Parish-master in England hath yet Vindicated themselves these six years And unto that Book called The Grounds and Reasons why we deny the Priests if the Reader be not satisfied concerning them there he may see how they err both in Doctrine and Practice contrary to Scriptures To the second and third Particulars That the present Government of the Nation is the Ordinance of God and that the Ministers bringing Offenders before the Magistrate is not Persecution As for the present Government of the Nation the lawfulness thereof is not to Question by us but many who are Governours and should be Executors of the Law have acted contrary to the Law being stirred 〈◊〉 by the Priests who bite with their Teeth if one put not into their Mouths and have caused the just to suffer by giving Judgment 〈◊〉 theâ— in their wills contrary to Law or
and this Spirit rules the most in those men who are so full of their Complements that begets one another into Pride and Deceit and provoke one another by their bad Example into deceit like Drunkards drinking one to another to make one another Drunk it 's like thou wilt call this civility too And if thou wilt plead it s the Custom of the Nation doffing Hats and Bowing The customs of the Heathen are vain and many in Israel who feared the Lord were not to walk after the Customs of the Nations for this Deceit was not from the beginning and who ever comes to be a follower of Christ who received no Honour of men neither respected Persons will deny this deceit Take him for thy example rather then a company of Fidlers and Roysters and Ruffins who are without the fear of God and Christ who is the Saints Example he said How can you believe that seek and receive Honour one of another So then they were Unbelievers who sought and received Honour one of another and wouldst thou and the rest who live in deceit bring the custom of Unbelievers and the practice of Unbelievers among the Saints who are believers and follow Christ their example I say we have no such Custom nor the Churches of Christ. The next piece of Deceit thou art pleading for is bowing to one another the Knee and Titles of Honour wherein the Devil hath a great hold among people Gen. 44.14 This thou bringst to prove Bowing Judah and his Brethren came to Joseph's House and they fell on the Ground This is an example indeed Wilt thou take another the same Brethren of Joseph sold him when he was a Boy was that a good act If thou sayst nay I say one is as much commanded and commended as the other for that same that doth Violence it 's the same that respects Persons but Abraham bowed to the Children of Heth what of that So did Joseph Swear by the Life of Pharaoh and both Joseph and Abraham were good men but they were never the better for these Actions neither the one nor the other But then thou brings a Scripture and thou saith it must stop our Mouthes Gen. 49.8.10 And thou saist this may Teach us if we be of Jacob's Seed and houshold To bow to the God of Jacob our King and why should this stop our Mouthes But the Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his Feet till Shilo come So he was to Rule to wit Judah till Shilo came why should this stop our Mouths Shilo is come and hath opened our Mouths and the Scepter is departed from Judah long since both them that bowed to Judah and Judah that was once Bowed unto they are both Bowed under and Shilo is set above and now he must be bowed unto go learn what that means It was answered agaiâ—st Bowing the second Commandment prohibits it Thou shalt not bow down to them but the answer satisfies thee not Thou saist Doth thâ—s forbid civil respects or Idolatrous worship That which callst civil respects is Idolatrous worship putting off the Hat and bowing the Knee to a man with a gay Cloak or a Gold Ring or a company of Ribbons or a long Gown To bow down to such because of the Attire is respecting of Persons and Idolatry but you are fallen into a far worse state then respecting of Persons for you respect Cloaths and doff your Hats and bow your Knees to them with fine Rayment And let the man in vile Rayment or poor Attire go by without either Cap or Knee and for all thy civility thou so greatly pleadest for and courtesie if he put not off his Hat to thee it may be thou wilt call him Sirrah Rogue or Clown for all thy civility Again put on the Poor man good Attire and a fine Cloak and a gold Ring then you change your note and say If it please your Worship or liâ—e your Honour your humble Servant Sir Now here is not only respecting of Persons which is Commission of Sin but respecting the Creatures and Worshipping the array which is upon a man's back which is idolatry and not civility which is to be condemned Yet civility and courtesie I own which is so indeed and in Truth but that which the World calls civility and courtesie is Hypocrisie and Idolatry And for Salutation thou saist we seldom use and thou bringst Scripture to prove that Christ and the Saints saluted one another Their Salutations are owned and such Salutations are practised by us in uprightness of Heart and true Love without Feignedness but we cannot do as you do bid a man God-speed when he is not doing the work of God nor say Farewell to them who are in their Evil deeds nor as the Wâ—rld doth with thier Good-evens and Good-morrows and takes God's Name is Vain and if one do not answer them according to their Light Vain Mind they will fall a Rayling and Beating all such Spirits we deny and their Salutations In thy second Observation Thou saist Do not we prove that places of Christian Assemblies to be a Church and thou bringst many Scriptures to no purpose Thou bringst the first of Kings vers 8. and 1 Cor. 11. For the Glory of the Lord shall fill the House of the Lord. And thou answerest and saist not the Steeple-house but the Church There thou hast added to the Scripture and divers other Scriptures thou bringst wherein the Temple was called the House of God and the Store-houses were called the House of God Mal. 3.10 All which Scriptures I own but they are nothing to thy purpose that the Temple was called the House of God and the Tabernacle the House of God and the Store-houses the House of God this is granted These were made and builded according to the Command of God wherein the Lord's Treasure was which sed the Poor the Fatherless and the Widow and the Priests and Levites that Ministred unto him which Temple Priests Store-houses and Tythes were Figures and shadows of good things to come which when the good things did come the Figures ended But when did God command your Idols Temples to be built and what are they a Figure of That which thou shouldst have proved is that your Steeple-houses where you meet any where in Scripture are called the Church of God Thou and thy Master Smith art offended that we call the place you 〈◊〉 in a Steeple-house and say Take heed that no such Languaâ—e be spâ—kâ—n again as Steeple-house Why nâ—t Have not these Houses Steeples But we shall call it truly and properly as it is the Mass-house which hath the Crosses standing upon them yet or an Idol's Temple which was 〈◊〉 for the Idolatrous Worship and for the Idol Mass and other superstitiâ—â—â— Ceremonies your Windows full of Pictures your Walls full of Images and Monks faces and bear the Popish Names as St. Anthony St. Clemenâ— St. Dunstâ—ns and St. Patrick and St. Maryes and the like You blind
due time was made manifest by what means the Father pleased who is that unlimited Spirit which cannot or will not be confined to this or that thing for Moses was a Believer and a Follower of Christ and Christ was revealed to him that through Faith he saw him that is invisible Heb. 11.27 And then was there no Scripture and the Shepherds and the wise men of the East they were directed by the Star And lo the Star which they saw in the East went before them till it came and stood over where the young Child was when they saw the Star they rejoyced with exceeding great Joy Mat. 2.2 9 10. And here is no mention made of Scripture so to confine the Lord to this or that Way to this or that Form to this or that Appearance as John VVells would do is to limit the holy One of Israel and the Scripture saith As the living Father hath Life in himself so the Son hath also Life in himself to give to whâ—msoeâ—er he will and the Scripture saith further none know God nor the Things of God save by the Spirit of God so that this is a true Saying and worthy of Acceptation that eternal Life can be found no where but where it is and eternal Life is in the Son of God and thou and the rest of you Professors who look for eternal Life in the Letter you are seeking the living among the dead for the Scripture saith he that hath the Son hath Life but not he that hath the Scripture hath Life for there are many which have the Scripture the Writings or written Words and have not the Son neither eternal Life for the Pharisees had the Words and the Scriptures and never heard the Voice of God at any time neither had they the VVord of God abiding in their Hearts and yet they had the Scriptures and Writings of Moses and the Prophets in their Minds so that it is manifest they had neither found God Christ nor eternal Life notwithstanding though they had Moses and the Prophetâ— And as for the Apostle's Words in the Romans it 's manifest that they might hear the Scriptures and the Writings of the Law and Prophets and yet not believe in Christ who is eternal Life neither hear the Word of Faith which the Apostle preached and exhorted all to attend unto which was nigh in their Hearts and in their Mouth which Word discovereth the Intents of the Heart and separateth betwixt good and evil Thoughts of the Heart and good and evil Words in the Mouth which Word they that had the Scriptures who have thought as thou dost to find eternal Life in the Scriptures did not listen neither hearken unto and so eternal Life was vailed from them and not revealed in them and yet I say unto thee we are not vilifying the Scriptures as thou falsly judgest for if the Spirit of Truth through which God and the deep things of God are discovered if it pleâ—se to manifest eternal Life or any thing that pertains thereunto through the Words which have been spoken before by it sâ—lf and now brings in thoâ—e VVords again and opens them in any Believer's Heart and gives him to â—nderstand them and the things of God through any of the VVords of the Scripture this is not excluded but to limit Life or the Spirit to this or that or the other thing true Believers dare not do For God who is eternal Life manifesteth his Mind to the Creature how when where and by what he will who art thou that would'st limit him and thou that know'st Christ no other VVay then by the VVords without thee know'st him not at all no more then the Pharisees who had the Words and yet were ignorant of the Life Then thou to confute thy former Words say'st That we must not think that thou judgest that eternal Life lyeth in Words or Sentences but eternal Life is found in or by the Scriptures What reasonable or understanding man can judge or think of thee otherwise is not the Scripture Writings and do not Writings consist of Syllables VVords and Sentences And if thou lookest not â—hat eternal Life is found in the Scriptures VVords and Sentences thâ—u thy Assertion is made void and false for eternal 〈◊〉 is in the Life that spoke forth the VVords and those VVords are a certain Sound or a Declaration of that Life but not the Life it self And thus having laid down the Meaning of thy VVords thou sayest Thou wilt draw an Argument of the Truth of them from Joh. 5.39 where thou sayest Christ brings an Argument from his VVords in ver 37. who produceth the witness of hâ—s Father that he was sent of God And ver 3â— thou sayest That Christ saith Go and search the Scriptures for in them you think to have eternal Life for they are they that testifie of me So thy Conclusion is That by the Scriptures eternal Life is to be found because by them Christ is to be found In Joh. 5.31 33 36 37. he produceth Testimonies that he was sent of the Father and saith If I bear witness of my self my witness is true likewise he produceth the Father and John for his Testimony and in ver 39. to the End of the Chapter he saith Moses and the Prophets 〈◊〉 of him but in ver 46. he saith unto the Pharisees Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me but he doth not say that eternal Life was found in Moses's VVritings or VVords now the 39 th Verse thoâ— hast perverted and thy Argument falleth into the Pit from whence it arose for the Pharisees thinking to have eternal Life in the Scriptures doth no more prove that eternal Life is to be found in the Scriptures then Paul when he made havock of the Church of God and persecuted the Believers from City to City and thought he did God good Service dâ—th prove thâ—t he was doing the VVork of God and therefore thy Ignorance is manifest The words in the Greek Copy are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendered on this wise You do search the Scriptures because in them yâ—u think â—o have eternal Life and they are they that testifie of me This was spoken to the Pharisees and Unâ—â—lievers and Christ did neither approve of their sâ—arching with that Mâ—nd which envied the Life therefore he reprehends them for their Thoughts which were gazing at the words and looked not at the Life which the words testified of and therefore they were reproved in ver 40. Ye will not come unto me that ye may have Life And so thy Affirmation from thâ—se words and also thy Conclusion is false and denyed and so the Charge stands stilâ— good against thee Further thou goest on and sayest That neither I nor you nâ—r any man could ever have found Christ or come to him but by the Scriptures and then milâ—eâ—t this the Conclusion That the Scriptures are the VVay for the obtaining Life Both thy Assertion and Conclusion are
them your Original Rev. 14.6 XIX What is the false Prophet and Anti-christ inwardly ravened from and what is the Sheeps Clothing that they wore Mat. 7.15 XX. What is the Anointing in People to teach them that they need not any Man to teach them but as it teacheth them spoken of in the first Epistle of John 2.20 27. XXI What is the Light that shines in the Heart that gives People the Knowledge of God in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 XXII Is any a true Christian but who hath the Law of God in his Mind and in his Heart and need not say to one another know the Lord was not this that that differed from the Jews who had the Law without them have any of these Talkers of Christ the Apostles Words Makers of Trades of them Life except they eat his Flesh and drink his Blood have ye eaten thâ—t and doth any Man eat that that doth deny the Light that hath enlightened every Man that comes into the World Heb. 8.10 11. John 6.53 54 55. XXIII Were not the Steeple-houses which ye call the Churches or Temples the old Mass-houses which ye creep into yea ar nay XXIV Was Ezra's Pulpit set up in the Temple and Synagogue ye or nay or set up in the Street before the Water-gate and how many might stand upon it and whether it was like yours yea or nay Nehem. 8.3 4. XXV And were not your Colledges set up by the Papists to make Ministers by and whether your Colledges and Steeple-houses have not the Papists Names to them and were not the Jesuites the Tribe of Black-coats whether ever yea or nay thou hast deserted at all the Habit wherewith thou wert dâ—stinguished XXVI Whether dost thou own and believe that Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the World yea or nay John 1.9 XXVII Whether ever any Minister of Christ did imprison any for Maintenance but on the contrary they should covet no Man's SILVER and they that were covetous crept into Houses had the FORM and denyed the POVVER whether or no they were not to be turned away from 2 Tim. 3.5 6. XXVIII And whether or no they are Ministers of Christ that swear seeing Christ saith Swear not AT ALL and James saith Above all things my Brethren swear not and whether or no they are not false Brethren that do SWEAR that fall into the Condemnation James 5.12 Matthew 5.34 XXIX Whether ever any Minister of Christ imprisoned for Tythes seeing Christ saith Freely ye have received freely give and whether ever any Minister of Christ runs to the Powers of the Earth for Maintenance seeing the Apostle saith He that feeds the Flock shall eat of the Milk whether these Things be the Fruits of the Spirit in suing men for Tythes and Maintenance they do no VVork for and if so shew the Example by Scripture if not are they not to be turned away from 1 Cor. 9.7 XXX Whether any of the Disciples of Christ carried Bag but Judas the Thief and Betrayer of the Just John 2.6 THE Mouth of the Pit STOPPED AND THE SMOAK That hath arisen out of it SCATTERED BY THE Breath of Truth IN Answer to a lying Story called Hell broken loose or the History of the Quakers published by Thomas Vnderhil a Seller of the Whore's Merchandize otherwise called a Book-seller His Lyes returned upon him his Accusations answered and his Envy declared and Truth cleared from all his Reproaches By one that waits to see Death and Hell cast into the Lake of Fire with the Beast and the false Prophet F. H. THE EPISTLE· Thomas Underhil THou Seeds-man of Lyes and Slanders and false Reports whose Hell is broken loose and is spreading where the Banks are not set nor the Bounds and thy greatest Madness and Rage is at them that tremble at the Word of God and work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling and thy Lyes and Slanders and false Reports we understand are set on Sale in such a Man's Shop to get Gain upon the Innocent and the Ground is seen and the Earth in which thou may'st sow thy evil Seed and thy Lyes Slanders and false Reports who art a Man fitted whom the Devil hath found out to go on in his Will and to do his Work for a long Time hath he been fitting of thee and for a long Time hath the Seed been sown in thee and now it is growing and buds forth and Hell is broken loose but thou art taken and the Hell who art the Seeds man of the Devil that sows Lyes the Prince of Death but all is and shall be taken and cast into the Lake of Fire the Hell the Devil the Author of thy Work and thou except thou speedily repent Was there ever such Thing heard or seen that Thomas Underhil should gather up Lyes Slanders and false Reports and set them to Sale at the Star in Pauls Church-yard as he calls it There is a Refuge of Lyes of his for any to shelter under that are given up to believe Lyes but that will not save you from the Storm nor the Wrath of the Almighty but the Beesome is witnessed that sweeps all the Refuge of Lyes into the Fire and brings the Lyar to Judgment and thou wilt become a Shame and a Stink to all modest and sober People the Witness in thy own Conscience shall witness it And dost thou think that the Nations of England Scotland and Ireland do not begin to see your Priests and such as thee that hold them up and such as thee callest Converts What a Stink and a nasty Smell there is in your Streets in your Towns in your Steeple-houses as though you had never heard Talk of God and Christ your Natures are so unchanged and your Priests haling up and down to Courts and Assizes and cast into Prison till Death for their Bellies and their Mouths such they do no Work for your Prisoning and Persecuting for not swearing to the Priests Bill and the Priests rude Miltitude breaking the Windows breaking up Meetings and breaking the Heads of People the Servants and Messengers of the Lord that you are almost become like a Field of Blood whipping such as warn you to repent and here Hell hath been broken looâ—e and thou art a Seeds-man of him that is out of the Truth who art an Encourager with thy Lyes and Slanders of these Persecutors but thy own Words shall be thy Burthen G. F. THE Mouth of the Pit STOPPED AND THE SMOAK That hath arisen out of it SCATTERED BY THE Breath of Truth IT is written He that watcheth for Iniquity shall be cut off and the Wicked shall come to an End although the Long-suffering of the Lord be great who waiteth that Men might return and cease to work Iniquity and to strive against his Holy Spirit by which he reproveth the World of Sin and the wicked of their Transgressions and to this End hath he given a Measure of his Spirit to every Man though
it self and thou may'st as well count the rule of the Sons of God Heterodox and Heretical and the Apostles Position who said as many as are the Sons of God are led by it and Christ promised unto Believers the Spirit of Truth to lead them into all Truth and to bring things to their remembrance and to guide them in the Path of Righteousness what has Envy and Madness eaten all the good out of your Hearts yet the Scripture is not so excluded by us as thou Judgest though we say the Spirit may lead and direct with it or without it yet not contrary to it for the Spirit doth will and may take up what thing it pleaseth to manifest it self and its mind unto the Creature and who art thou and what art thou any thing but an Egyptian who wouldst limit it and tie it to Paper and Ink to words and Syllables sounded and written in diverse Tongues Languages and Characters they that appointed thee for a Minister never knew God's Work and we know that there are several Ministrations and several Operations yet the same God and the same Spirit who manifested it self and formeth and Ordaineth things according to its Heavenly will to represent its Heavenly mind to the Creature and that which Christ hath Ordained and Instituted to be Worshipped in waited in and his presence seen in and the Operation of the Spirit of Grace in the work of the Ministry which is for Conversion and Edification is dearly owned by us as that whereby we have found the Lord and his pure Presence through this or that thing and without and beyond all Creatures or visible Appearances and this is not accounted Idolatry by us as thou falsly say'st which God will Judge thee for in the day when he appears to take Vengeance upon his Enemies in flames of Fire and thou that talkes of trying the Spirit by the Letter knowest no more of God then a Horse but what thou knowest naturally the Jews had it and they tryed and Condemned him for a Blasphemer and the Apostles for breakers of the Law and makers of it void and so condemned the Lord of Life and the Spirit by which the Prophets and Apostles were led even as thou dost with us and I never heard of any Political order of Church Ordinance or Officers or Ordinances not of the most dark and Sottishest Merchants of Babylon that ever spoke or wrote yet there was sundry Gifts given and sundry Institutions in the Primitive times which were single things of things of a more Heavenly and Coelestial Nature which were to be made manifest He gave some gifts to be Prophets some Evangelists some Apostles some Pastors some Teachers but these were Ministerial for the Work and Service which he had appointed but this was all by one and the same Spirit but I never heard of any Political order of the Officers or Political Ordinances ordained in the Primitive Churches but it seems you have got such in New-England in the Church of Rome so called I have heard of the order of Benedict of Francis and Austin and the like and of several Ordinances Instituted by their Mother to perform but I never heard of any such as a Political order of Officers and Ordinances before and this may be called an Image indeed and nothing in the world but deceit and is no Heâ—rodoxy that ever such a Blind fellow as thou should put Pen to Paper who hast crept so into the Mudd and Dirt that gross Ignorance and Darkness is in all thy words But the least of the Children of Light will see thy Ignorance so that I need not say much Concerning the Magistrate they own none are lawful Magistrates who are not of their Way their non-acknowledgement of the Magistrate as now established in all Christian States is more then manifest Answ. If thy Aspersion were full proof no more need be said but the Judicious will not easily believe thee that there is a State of Magistracy is granted by us and that a true Magistrate that Rules well and Rules in the Power of God and is a Terror to evil-doers and a Praise to them that do well and are as nursing Fathers who preserve mens Persons and Estates from devourers as a Father preserves a Child from injury these are Ordained of God and such we are subject unto for the Lord's sake and for Conscience sake and to every Ordinance of man which is consistent with the Honour of God and a pure Conscience but I believe you have few of them in New-England who are rather like Bears and Lyons tearing and rending their Estates and rend and Tear their Flesh and gnaw it like evening Wolves that the Prophet speaks of and wouldst thou have this counted as God's Authority and we tell thee and all the World in singleness of Heart and unfeignedness that our way is Christ the way to the Father the Truth and the Life the Power of God and the Wisdom of God and all that Rule not in his Power Rule in the Devil's Power in the Dragon's Power in the Beast's power who made War with the Lamb and killed the Saints and compelled them to Worship and herein they that Rule in the Power of God and for God are manifest and them that rule in the Dragon and Beast's power for they that Rule in the Power of God answer God's witness in every man and reach to that by his Act of Justice in the Transgressor and he restraineth the Evil-doer within and limiteth that and preserves the Creature as much as in him lies from harm and his Estate from destruction and also saveth the Innocent Meck and Harmless from the violence and from beating and fighting and from them that would Destroy their Persons and Estates and herein the Magistrate that Rules in the Dragon's Power and in the Beast's power he is also made manifest he reacheth not God's witness by his Governing he lets the Transgressor live and is not a Terror to evil Works and workers but a Terrour to them that do well exercise a pure Conscience towards God and man and it may be cannot go into the House of Rimmon neither can bow to Baal nor be subject to that which another may set up in his will and in his Pride then he afflicts the Body the Creature and mars God's workmanship and defaces it and doth Violence to the Creature and rends away his outward substance and saith for his Authority It was so ordered at our General Court I must tell the the false Church the Mother of Harlots has ridden long upon the Scarlet-coloured Beast which has been made drunk with the Blood of the Saints whose Garments have been red with Scarlet colour and I know no where in any Christian State so called where he reigns in more Power then in New-England and you ride upon the Beast which hath risen out of the Sea which is amongst you and the Beast carries you your Church on his back bears it
true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World without Exception and why is this utterly false if he be fâ—llowed that he who is the true Light is an infallible Guide and the Rule of Life Hath he not enlightned every man that cometh into the World If thou makest Exceptions where the Spirit makes none then thou pervertest the Scripture doth not he say I am the Light of the World the World in the Scriptures Account is set in Opposition to Believers for Believers are not of this VVorld but are redeemed out of it as for Example God so loved the World that he sent hâ—s Son into the World that whosoever did believe in him might not perish but have Everlasting Life for it is manifest that the Saints and Believes had Life given 〈◊〉 that followed Christ and were his Sheep and saith Christ I put them forth and go before them and give unto them Eternal Life and he said to them who had not Eternal Life While you have the Light believe in it that you may be the Children of it And is not Christ God's Righteousness who is given for a Covenant of Light to the blind and dead and lame and to the dumb to open their Eyes to quicken them to make them leap as an Hart and their Tongue to sing and utter forth Praise we say Righteousness is not by the Law but by Christ that lighteth every man who is the End of the Law and why is not the Light which lighteth every man Gospel Light seeing it is said Go preach the Gospel in every Creature under Heaven go learn what that means And if Natural Light must be construed in Opposition to Spiritual and the Light of Nature contra-distinct to the Light of the Spirit then it must needs be sinful for that which opposeth spiritual Light and is set in Opposition against its leading must needs be sinful and that which is contra or against the Light of the Spirit must needs be sinful and then if it be as thou hast said and if this must be the true Sense of that Scripture that it must be understood of natural Light and that natural Light thou construest in Opposition to spiritual and say'st It is contra-distinct to the Light of the Spirit and in Opposition unto it That which is against the Spirit 's Light or the Light of the Spirit must needs be Darkness sinful and evil and yet thou hast confessed It will teach that none ought to lye or steal and to know one God and the Creator and Eternity and Omnipotency and yet it must be taken in Opposition to the Spirit and contra-distinct from the Spirit that which leads to know the Creator and Eternity and Omnipotency is that Spirit of God through which God and the Things of God are revealed and that that teaches that a man should not lye that is Truth and that that leads from Sin and accuses for Evil-doing and convicts that is the Spirit 's Light as it is written He shall convince the World of Sin And so thou like a man who hâ—th lost all Aim ramblest up and down in every By-Path and like a blind man gropest but canst not enter into the Treasure-house of Wisdom thou hast called the Light that every one is lighted with the Righteousness of the Law and no Gospel Light and in Opposition to spiritual and contra-distinct to the Spirit and in a Word hast made of it at the best Construction but bad and evil and then when thou hast done thou confesâ—est That it will put a Dâ—fference between Good and Evil and shew that God is to be worshipped and Eternity is known and Omnipotency and are not these the deep Things of God And so Babylon is the Land of thy Nativity and thou reelest and staggerest up not and down like a drunken Man and wouldst be a Teacher and knowest not whereof thou affirmest nor of what thou speâ—kest Further thou say'st That thâ—â— little Light there is is much miscarried and thy Reason is because it is mannaged by the reigninâ— Power of Darkness and the Judgment of Man is corrupt and then thou goest on the Light of Nature siâ—ce the Fall is not to be compared say'st thou with the Light of the Image of God before the Fall and it hath no Proportion with Gospel Light but is gross Darkness nay is worse then gross Darkness Answ. And how did the Light miscarry thou blind-man and when did the reigning power of Darkness manage it seeing that there is no fellowship betwixt Light Darkness and the Light which every man is lightned with hath born witness against Darkness and the Reigning Power of it and though the Judgment of man be corrupt his miscarriage is because he hath not minded the Light and because he hath turned his Back on it and then Sin entered and then came to Reign in the Power of Darkness and corrupted the Heart and this hath made man miscarry and though thou sayst that the Light which lighteth every man is not compared with the Light of the Image of God before the Fall and hath no Proportion I 'le tell thee a Riddle go learn what it means the Light of the Image of God before the fall is the same in it self after the fall and holdeth its proportion and is no whit lessened or diminished in its purity in its self although fallen man do not see it neither can behold it because Sin hath entred and Death by Sin and that is it which obscureth the Image of God from man and it 's Light yet the Light shined in Darkness but thou concludest it is Darkness yea worse then gross Darkness and thou bringst a proof to prove it ye were Darkness the Apostle doth not say that the Light which shined in darkness was darkness or worse then gross Darkness as thou ignorantly saist but he said the Ephesians or the men of Ephesus were darkness and not the Light in them which shined in Darkness though the Darkness comprehended it not but how now John Norton what will the General Court of Boston say when they see thy confusion laid open and the Deceit made manifest to thine and their shame and ignorance thou confest in the 16. page That it would lead to know God and the Worship of God and Teach not to Lye and Steal and so forth and to discover some of God's Attributes as Eternity Omnipotency and the like here was some good in it in thy own account but now it s become gross Darkness in the 18. page and worse then gross Darkness and so hath made as bad if not worse then any Principle that is in a Beast and it may truly be said of thee even in thy own Phrase Qanta sub nocte Jacebat Nostra dies But now thou comes to a further Interpretation of 1 Joh. 9. and thou saist The Light which we are enlightned with it is either the Light of Nature the Light of Reason or the Light of saving
and his Power amongst and their Adversaries will God rebuke for their Sake Therefore O Nation consider and take this one Warning more that thou proceed not further to thy Hurt and thou repent when it is too late ONE OF ANTICHRISTS VOLUNTIERS DEFEATED AND THE TRUE LIGHT VINDICATED In Answer to a Book called Ignis Fatuus published by one R.I. wherein he vindicates Edward Dod and Samuel Smith of the County of Salop in their Lyes Folly and Wickedness and hath added more of his own with divers of his false Doctrines Lyes and Slanders c. brought to Light and reproved As that the Law of the Spirit of Life is imperfect and not fit to be a Christian Rule and also Human Nature may be taken for the regenerate Part of Man and the Soul c. and likewise calls Idolatry Civility and Heathenish Complements Courtesie His Vindication made void and his Weapons broken and he taken Captive and left with E.D. and S.S. among the Slime-pits of Siddim near Sodom with his Ignis fatuus By F. H. a Witness to the perfect Law of the Spirit of Life The Wicked are estranged from the Womb they go astray as soon as they be born speaking Lyes AMâ—ngst all the Opposers of the Truth that yet have appeared among the black Army of the the old Dragon who like the Philistians have alwayes defied Israels God and also their Camp through their ostentation and Boasting and with their Clamorous loud Cryeâ— in the Ears of the People like Rabshekah to dish earten and dismay Israel none hath appeared more out-ragious and virulent then one who Subscribes himself R. I. who in Vindication of his Brethren in Iniquity Eâ—ward Dâ—d Drunkard and Samuel Smith an uprofitable Talker otherwise called a Minister at Cressage who hath preached that which he calls the Gospel these divers Years and yet sees no Fruit at all and yet this impudent R. I. whom I believe to be another Dreamer like him for his Language doth manifest him to belong to Mystery Babylon the great City the Mother of Harlots he saith One may Minister and preach the Gospel and the People not be profited at all as Samuel Smith hath done at Cressage And he saith further that they are barren Professors yet saith R. I. that S. S. need not be abashed at it And for instance he saith Was Pauls Preaching of less credit because there were many Runnagates in the End shewed themselves Hypocrites yet this comparison will not excuse S. S. neither E. D. nor R. I. who would cover them with an old patched Cloak some Pieces he hath scraped up out of Esop's Fables a Book full of Lyes and altogether compacted and patched up of fictions and some out of Oviâ— and Seneca Heathens in their own account and the like frivolous Stories and Plato and Diogenes they must serve for a covering if it will to the two former Opposers of Truth but stay R. I. Did Paul stay seven Years in any place and saw no Fruit And though there were many Unbelievers among the Jews notwithstanding the publication of the Word and the miracles of Christ yet some believed and though the Apostles and Ministers of Christ laboured in the Work of the Lord yet some believed and clave unto them but there is no Fruit at Cressage at all but they barren Professors as R. I. saith but if thâ—s will not serve tâ—ke another of R. I. his arguments that God sends his Word sometimes for the hardening of People and upon this account S. S's teaching and Ministry must be kept in credit A sad thing for the People of Cressage that they should Hire a man for seven Years together and pay him Wages for hardening of their Hearts and for counting them barren Professors yet I judge S. S. E. D. and R. I. counted them fruitful and abounding in Zeal and fervency to God when they came into the Meeting of the Quakers some ringing Pans some Candlesticks and Frying Pans and throwing Water like People void of Understanding and saith this R.I. these yielding a better sound then the Quakers So that thou mayst see what will not this R. I. Vindicate and what Wickedness as can be acted and spoken here they may look for a shelter rather then they shall want a Guardian as Pictures Images Crosses Cuffs Ribbons Laâ—e and such other like things invented by the Devil to draw People from serving and Worshipping the living God R. I. will Patronize them all being brought forth and when they are not brought forth he will reach forth his Hand to help to elevate Iniquity and to under prop the Devil's Kingdom which is exalted in the Children of Disobedience as all along may be seen in his Fabulous Scrole called Ignis Fatuus when like his two Brethren before him he goes about to Vindicate Idolatry Images Hirelings Mass-houses Cuffs and Ribbons Tythes Flattering Titles and vain Customs and Popish Practices Pride Persecution and Lying all those things he pleads for and hath used many vain Arguments and false Interpretations of Scripture so that the two former it may truly be said they have done wickedly but this R. I. Exceeds them all who is so stout-Hearted against the Truth and Power of God that whatsoever he can invent in his corrupt Heart against it and gathers up the rest of the Priests lyes that they have Vomited up before and cast in the Face of Truth and â—enders them as good proof and some Scriptures perverted with Eâ—op's Fables and Ovid and Diogenes's Stories and upon such materials he hath framed his Book called Ignis Fatuus which he hath writ in Vindication of E. D. his Book called A pair of Spectacles for a Dark siâ—hted Quaker and S. S. Malice Stripped and Whipt three Pamphlets whose Title will discover what the Substance of their matter is and whose Work they drive on so that I need not say much some of them Vindicating Persecution and incouraging the Rude behaviour of the People another mocking at Innocency and scorneth them who Tremble at the Word of the Lord and last of all R. I. who hath made a Fortress for both the other and hath cast up a heap of confused Darkness to guard his Brethren he mocks at the Light within and calls it Ignis Fatuus and the Law which is Light which God hath Promised to write in his Peoples Hearts this he calls an Imperfect thing and therefore to be ruled and not fit to be a rule of the Saints as may be seen in the 55 th page of his Book and so hath spoken contrary to the Spirit and Scripture of Truth Prov. 6. and the Law of the Lord which is the Law that endureth forever this saith R. I. is imperfect and the Letter or Law without written is perfect and is a standard as R. I. saith for all Controversies then if it be so perfect and so fit to decide all Controversies why doth R. I. borrow his proofs and raise his Arguments from Esop's Fables Ovid's Stories
then how is it that R. I. would straiten or lessen the effusion thereof under the Gospel for there were Daughters that prophesied under the Law and many Sons that spoke by the Spirit of God but now all must be confined to the Letter and your Pastors now have far less of the Spirit if any at all who speak from the Strength of natural Parts and deny the unerring Spirit and so shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men. And R. I. is so grieved at this infallible Spirit or this Spirit of Prophecy that he cannot endure that a Daughter should prophesie or speak by the Spirit of God in the Assembly of the Saints and the main stress of his or their Argument is 1 Cor. 14.34 Let your Women keep Silence in the Church for it is not permitted for them to speak and if any Woman speaks in the Church it contradicts the Spirit and though they have a Gift they ought not to improve it in a disorderly Way Aosw That which hath been said in this particular unto E. D. is sufficient to them whose Eyes God hath opened but this R. I is one of the Evil Beasts that the Apostle speaks of whose Mouth must be stopt And so I further say that the Apostle writ to the Church of Corinth which were Believers which few will deny but that it consisted both of Men and Women and he expresly saith Ye may all prophesie one by one and furthermore if a Woman prophesie with her Head uncovered dishonoureth her Head so that it is manifest that there were Women did prophesie and also laboured in the Gospel but saith R. I. That was but in a private Way or amongst some few this had been lawful or orderly in R. I. his account and if she might speak to two or three or twice two or three it may be as there is in many houses is not this called a Church and doth not Christ say Where two or three are gathered together in my Name I will be in the midst of them Moreover was not that a Church which was in Aquilla and Priscilla's House 1 Cor. 16.19 and was not Priscilla a Daughter that did prophesie What must Priscilla go out of her House in which was the Church if she had any thing to speak by the Spirit was it lawful to speak without doors and not in the House and if she might speak in her House then she spoke in the Church and R. I. would have said she contradicted the Spirit of God and is not Christ one in the Male and in the Female and is not male and female both one in Christ Jesus is Christ's Power the Spirit 's Authority any whit less efficacious or powerful when he speaks in the female or is it the Sex only that addeth or diminisheth from the authority of the Spirit thou ignorant man who art void of the Knowledge of God was not Mary a Woman and did not she preach Christ's Resurrection to the Disciples and were not they the church but this it is like will not satisfie R. I. his unreasonable mind who doth not believe that a woman may prophesie or speak in the church for this would contradict Paul's saying not at all I grant Paul's words to be true this was spoke occasionally to one church concerning them that were unlearn'd untaught of the Spirit that usurped Authority over the man and such as were disorderly whose Spirit was not subject to the Prophet and what must this be a binding Example as to quench the Spirit and limit the Lord from Generation to Generation as to bind or limit them who are in subjection to their Husband and who usurped not Authority for it is one thing to have Authority and another thing to usurp Authority now they that are come to feel the Power of God and thereby be moved to speak the Power gives her Authority to speak but she that is not in the Power neither doth feel the Motion of the Spirit such a one Usurps Authority and is unlearned and such and they only were prohibited by Paul and no other for if it had been extended unto all then the Women before mentioned had been Transgressors and likewise further for the satisfaction of all Anna a Prophetess the Daughter of Phanuel of the Tribe of 〈…〉 coming into the Temple gave thanks unto the Lord and spake of Christ unto all them that looked for Redemption in Jerusalem and that was in a publick Place and in a publick Congregation Luke 2.36 37 38. And last of all if E. D. and R. I. will not confess that the Meeting near Cond in which the Women spake was a Church which F. H. justifies then E. D. and R. I. have lost their Cause and wrangled about nothing and the thing proved against them both viz. That a Woman declaring speaking or prophesying by the Spirit of the Lord and in the Authority of God is a lawful and a commendable and a justifiable Act in the Sight of God and all the Children of Light and therefore cease your foolish clamour and let no such ignorant stuff come in Print again lest your Folly be more and more made manifest and the Stone fall upon you which will grind you to Powder The next thing which R. I. quarrels about is a Lye which Ed. Dod asserted that some of the Quakers should say they were equal with God unto which F. H. replied and said he that hath the Spirit of God is in that which is equal and he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit there is Unity and that Unity stands in Equality and these Expressions saith R. I. offer Violence to God and his Glory Answ. This R. I. is so in Love with the Spirit of Error for he hath denyed the infallible Spirit and is in such Love with an unequal Spirit that he cannot endure to hear that any should be joyned to the Lord in an equal Spirit and so quarrels with plain Scripture and saith it doth Violence to the Majesty of God the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of Truth is an equal Spirit and they that are led by it and are in it are in that which is Equal and so are joyned to the Lord and are nearly related to him but that I said or any other that the Creature is Equal to the Creator in Power or in Glory is false and a Lye and let E. D. and R. I. know that Lyars are for the Lake R I. saith Chrâ—st is glorified in 〈◊〉 human Nature and human Nature and Flesh may be understood â—f the regenerate Part and human Nature may be understood both of Soul and Body and this may confute F. H. that doth contend against human Nature and goes and tells another lye as every pâ—ge is filled with some and saith F. H. saith Christ hath no real Body Answ. This man speaks out of thick Darkness and intrudes into those things he hath not seen being vainly puft up in his fleshly mind
none effect by your Traditions and as for Rom. 10.8 The Word is nigh thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart and this is the Word of Faith which we preach here the Apostle saith the word is nigh thee in thy Heart but he doth not say the Scriptures is nigh thee in thy Heart which is the Word of God And 2 Cor. 2.17 For we are not as many which corrupt the Word of God he doth not say we are not as many that corrupt the Scriptures which are the Word of God or the Word of God which is the Scriptures And as for 1 Pet. 1.25 But the Word of the Lâ—rd endures forever and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto yâ—u he doth not say the Scriptures endures forever or this is the Word the Scriptures which by the Gospel is preached unto you And as for 1 Thes. 4.15 For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord that we whâ—ch ar◠〈◊〉 and remain unto the coming of the Lord shâ—ll not prevent them which are asleep he did not say this we say unto you by the Scriptures for there was not such a Scripture written before and therefore we sâ—y this unto you by the Word of the Lord And what a foolish Mâ—n is this to assert his own Imaginations and then imagines the Scriptures will prove it and what â—n improper speech were this to call twenty â—housâ—â—d Sentences one word and it is called a Declaration and what a Declâ—â—ation would that be thâ—t consisteth but of one word but enough of this hath been published before concerning the particular by divers hands so I shall be brief however R. I doubts his proof already that it will not satisfie F. H. and therefore he thought good to make this Conclusion upon him That he doth not believe the Scripture at all and though F. H say that these Sciptures are nothing at all to prove that thing to deny his Imaginations is not to deny the Scripture but F. H. believes what the Scriptures say of themselves and doth not deny the Scriptures at all but R. I. his Lye and also his false Conclusion And further saith R. I. The Scripture was delivered to the Church in writing that it might be an infallible Standard of true Dâ—ctrine and a determiner of Controversies and the Saints rule of knowing God and living to him Answer Reader take notice here is no room for the Spirit at all the Scriptures and writings have taken up the room of it in R. I. his account for it hath lost its Office if his Doctrine be true the Letter is become the infallible Judge and standard to try Doctrine and a Determiner of all controversies and of the Saints Rule of knowing God and living to him and indeed is become all in this man's Account then what doth R. I. bring Esop's Fables Oviâ—'s fictions Plato's and Diogenes Stories in this Controversie to joyne with this infallible rule and because he hath the Scriptures so high to be a tryer of Doctrines without the Spirit doubtless is the Cause here is no mention made of it and so he shall be Judged by his Rule in the 42th page take his Exposition upon the Words of Joel I will pour out of my Spirit upon Sons and Daughters and they shall Prophesie This is not meant of a ghostly Power but of an extraordinary measure of enlighting Grace Ignorant man is not Ghostly Power or spiritual Power an Extraordinary measure of enlightning Grace and was it not a spiritual Power and an extraordinary Light the Prophets Prophesied by But it is this Mans meaning that must be the Standard when all comes to all and the Determiner of Cases and he speaks contrary unto his own Rule as may be seen through his whole Book who hath either added to the Scriptures or perverted them or otherwise given his false Interpretations or Villified them in calling them the True Cards and so though he extolled them in Words he denyes them in Practice The Jews tryed Christ's Doctrine by the Scriptures and â—udged him a Blasphemer and a breaker of the Law and the Apostles Seditious and so though a man have the Scripture and have not the Spirit it is all as a sealed Book wherein such Unlearned men as this R. I is cannot read and therefore he saith in his 55th page That it is a great fault in us because we say the Law of the Spirit of Life is the Rule and so like him will not say it is imperfect as he doth and so saith R. I. it is not fit to be a rule so Blasphemously he detracts from the Authority and Power of the Spirit and like Anti-christ and his Ministers sets the Letter above it and calls it Living and an infallible standard and saith Thâ— Scripture inclines the Heart unto obedience and like a Drunken man this R I. reels up and down and contradicts himself Before he said The Law of the Spirit chiefly gave Power to conform to the Rule and wiâ—hin four Liâ—â—s Contradicts himself and saith The Scriptures incline our Hearts to the Oâ—edience of the Rule and the Scripâ—ures it self hath caused us to know it as we have it from the Church it is a probable aid and yet giveth but a confused Belief with a light Impression Answ. It is probable enough indeed that thy Faith is confused and the Faith of your Church and that makes thee utter forth all this confused Heap but in what hath been said the Spirit of this man and his Doctrines will be manifest to all whose Eyes God hath opened and so will depart out of his Paths and not give heed to his fabulous Stories It is true saith R. I. There iâ— an inward Law written in our Hearts called the Law of the Spirit of Life Rom. 8.2 And there is the outward Law written in the Scriptures now the outward and external Law is properly the rule of a christian Life and not the inward and internal Law for the outward is perfect in that it declares in what is the Will of God and in what it is not but the inward Law received and written on the Heart is imperfect and therefore unfit to be our rule the Law within is that thing that is to be ruled Psal. 17.4 The outward Law is therefore the rule Answ. This Man would set the sun by his Dial as it might be said although he confess in the very same page that the Law of the spirit of Life giveth Power to the Creature yet now it is become imperfect and not fit to be a rule this man like one unlearned sets the Law which was written in Tables of stone which the Apostle calls the Ministration of Condemnation and was glorious this he sets above the Ministration of the spirit of Life which the Apostle saith is much more glorious but nay saith R. I. the Law written in the Heart is iâ—perfect and not fit to be a rule but to be ruled contrary to
The Quakers deny Honour to Superiours and to whom it is due and so blaspheme the Name of God and his Doctrine Ninethly F. H. would never have cryed out of Deceit but a Purpose to deceive the more Tenthly That the Quakers bid open Defiance to the Worship of God Eleventhly That J. N. did say that he was as just and holy and good as God Twelfthly That F. H. said That Christ Jesus was not glorified in Heaven with a real Body Thirteenthly Human Nature is taken for the regenerate Part of Man and the Soul Fourteenthly That the best Men though regenerate bear Nettles Brambles and Pricks Fifteenthly There is an inward Law called the Law of the Spirit of Life which is imperfect and not fit to bear rule but to be ruled Sixteenthly And the Scriptures lead us to the Spirit and encline our Hearts to the Obedience of the rule Seventeenthly And F. H. prefereth Ignis fatuus before the clear Light of God's Word Eighteenthly and lastly when he hath spoken all these Lyes and published them in Print to the World he blasphemously saith in his Epistle to the Reader Have not so much regard to the Authority of the Writer as the Truth of the Matter written by him who was moved of the Lord thus to declare So all these Lyes with many more and all these damnable Doctrines which he hath uttered forth against the Truth these things he would fasten upon the Lord's Motion and so make him the Author of Iniquity and a Cloak for his ungodly Speeches against them who love the Truth as it is in Jesus who have suffered many Reproaches for its sake and have been killed all the Day long by this Generation amongst which R. I. is who hath bent his Tongue to Mischief and his Lips to utter forth Deceit and as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses so hath this R. I. resisted the Truth being a Man of a corrupt Mind and concerning the Faith reprobate but he shall not proceed much further for in what he hath written his Folly will be manifest unto all men and them that fear the Lord will depart out of his Foot-steps which lead to the Chambers of Death and from those dark Paths in which R.I. treadeth which lead into utter Destruction Westmoreland the 15 th of the 4 th Moneth 1660. F. H. To all Friends and Brethren who have been called of the Lord into that Place of New-England to bear your Testimony for the Lord to the answering of his Witness in every ones Conscience FOrasmuch as the Lord through his infinite Love and Goodness which he hath manifested amongst the Sons of Men hath called you and fitted you for his Work and Service which he hath to do you being made Partakers through the Love of God unto you of the like precious Faith with many Brethren which giveth Victory over the World and supporteth all them that keep it in the Day of Tryal My Heart's Desire is that you may all fulfil the Will of God and answer his End in sending you thither that so you may receive your Reward my Heart is drawn out unto you in true Love being sensible of the many Oppositions that you have met with and may meet with by Reason of the Strength and Power of Darkness in those Parts where Satan's Throne is exalted keep all near the Lord and feel his Power in your selves which giveth Dominion and Victory over all the World and over all fading Things which pass away and so you will feel his Strength daily renewed in you to carry you above all Opposition and his Presence to go before you and his Righteousness to be your Reward so will you be preserved in the Peace of God and feel his Life present to refresh you in the Time of Need and as your Tryals and Travails and Sufferings for Christ do abound so your Strength and Joy and Peace and Consolation will also much more abound from his Life manifest and revealed in your Hearts keep in the Power of the Lord over all Deceit and know your own Image in every one to whom you joyn and let no Deceit come near you which may get the Words and not be subject to the Power for those will betray you and rise up in Rebellion against you and glory over you for that only which can receive you through the Cross will stand by you and the other who may receive the Truth in Words into the earthly Part will stumble at the Cross and so get a Knowledge above the Cross these will blow away as Chaff Keep in your Innocency and every one in your own and there you will come to be setled and established as Trees whose Roots are spread in the Earth which cannot easily be plucked up nor a Tempest blow down you know where the Entrance was unto your selves into the Sheepfold into the true Rest thither bring all and keep all down to that to the Measure of God's Spirit through which eternal Life is revealed and the Things of God's Kingdom made manifest and they that would climb up any other Way must come down again and them that walk in any other Way must come back again and they that would strive to enter in any other Thing are shut out forever for you know there is no Communion or Concord with the Spirit of God which is pure and that which resisteth it and gainsayeth it that Wisdom must perish it 's from below that Knowledge must fade away and come to nothing So never heed the Subtilty and cunning Craftiness of the Enemy which would twist and twine every Way to gainsay the Truth and make a Noise in an airy Sound which may satisfie corrupt Minds who vilâ—fie the Truth and set the Corner-Stone at nought look not at them nor never heed that you know in whom you have believed and no other Foundation can be laid then that which is laid already for all to build upon throuâ—h which they that do believe are made a glorious and an holy Habitation for God through the Spirit and any that declare another Way another Door another Life then he that is the Light of Men is accursed So feel hâ—s Eternal Power the Power of his Resurrection in your selves to subdue and bring under all 〈◊〉 Enemies which would hinder your Enjoyment of his Life but he is a tryed Stone and they that have tryed him have found him elect and precious and his Faithfulness Power and Might Love Life and Glory endures forever and ever throughout all the Generations of the Just who are Eye-Witnesses of his Coming Power and Glory which God out of his Everlasting Love and Kindness hath revealed unto Thousands and his Coming is known in Ten Thousands of his Saints and also with them and they with him to judge in Righteousness and to make War with the Sword that proceeds out of his Mouth which slayes the wicked and brings Death and Destruction upon Death that so Life Immortality and Eternity may be brought
as well as that which is unconsecrated then we will deny our Faith and confess that you are the true Church Lastly If you be not Idolaters there were never any in the World who say that to adore or worship the Bread and Wine after Consecration is no more Bread but whole Christ your God and Redeemer who placeth himself there upon the Altar by Miracle it 's a miraculous Thing indeed that that which is given unto you by the Priest which enters in at the natural Mouth and goes into the Belly should be the Body of Christ and whole Christ and very God and Redeemer as thou say'st that one Person should contain whole God seeing the Scripture saith that the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him for he is the very Fulness that filleth all Things Oh gross Darkness and palpable Ignorance which you have led People to believe and call this Idol that Rats and Mice may eat whole Christ God and Redeemer and you have destroyed and burnt to Ashes many for Hereticks who could not believe this Doctrine Therefore all People it 's Time to look about you and see where you stand and what you joyn unto if you cannot receive this Doctrine for Holy and Apostolick by the Church of Rome not worthy to live and without Doubt might not if this Church had but that Authority which sometimes it hath had in England but I hope the Eyes of many are open to see and detect this damnable Doctrine The Author sayes That Ceremonies were used by Christ at his last Supper and they excite People to their Devotion during the Sacrifice but for Proof you must expect none from this Author and the Scripture is silent in the Thing and Ceremonies and Formalities are so far from stirring up the Mind to God that they â—ndeed draw the Mind to be busied in the Exercise of them from waiting upon God and from worshipping him in the Spirit and such Worshippers are only accepted of him The Mass is said in Latine and the rest of Divine Service for if it were not ignorant People might easily be mistaken if these Mysteries were done in the vulgar Language and because the Scripture hath been written in Latine Greek and Hebrew and these three Languages were written upon Christ's Cross and therefore these three Nations ought to use them at their Mass and Divine Service but the Priestly Garments and Ceremonies gâ—ve enough to understand what is done at the Mass and Divine Service Answ. This looks with a black Visage to be Apostolick Doctrine but however I shall search into it and examine it by the Apostle's Doctrine before it be condemned it 's a good Shift indeed to keep People from Mistakes not to let them know what they say or do but this is contrary to the Apostle's Doctrine 1 Cor. 14.7.8 9 10 11 14 15. If a Trumphet give an uncertain Sound who can prepare to Battel and except Words uttered be understood how shall it be known what is spoken If the Meaning of the Voice be not known unto him to whom it is spoken the Speaker and the Hearer are Barbarians one to the other And when one understands not what is spoken how can he be edified And all Services ought to be done to Edâ—fication So your Church is erred from the Apostolick Doctrine and your Mass and your Service doth not edifie at all but you are as Barbarians one to another for your Worship goes on in such a back Road that the vulgar People would soon learn it and know it and it may be slight it if they should know the Worthlesness of it and therefore the only Way you â—udge is to keep them in Ignorance And what Mystery is there in the Mass and your Service seeing that it stands in Crossings Cringings and Abundance of endless Ceremonies and Reiteration of Words which are patcht up by many Authors contrary to Christ and the Apostles Doctrine But it seems the Priests Garments and Ceremonies give Understanding enough to the Auditors a dumb shew is enough for them like a Poppet-play to make them understand the Mysteries of your Mass an unbloody Sacrifice indeed in which there is no Remission nor Acceptation And here thou hast acquainted us with a Mystery indeed Because Latine Greek and Hebrew were written by Pilate upon the Cross of Christ therefore they are called sacred Languages sure the Church of Rome hath lost both Faith and Reason will any that hath a Friend that should be crucified upon a Cross and an Enemy who condemned him should set over him Words in Latin Greek and Hebrew in contempt that therefore a man should count the Cross holy and the Language sacred as the Church of Rome doth is great Ignorance and Idolatry of which she is full and therefore is not Apostolick nor the one true Church in which Salvation is to be looked for as the Author would make People believe The next false and superstitious Doctrine which this Merchant of the Church of Rome holds for Apostolical is the Reliques and Images of Saints and also Prayer by the Beads by Number and Tale as Brick-makers sell their Bricks and this the Church of Rome would put off unto us as Apostolical Doctrine The Reliques and Images of Saints are honourable in Regard of the Saâ—nts which they have Relation unto and God himself makes Use of them for his Mâ—racles Moses was enforced to honour the holy Ground where the Angel appeared Exodus 3. And David commanded the Ark to be adored because it was God's Foot-stool Psal. 99.5 And to honour the Reliques and Images of Saints is no Idolatry for that is Idolatry to worship false Gods and Châ—ist doth not take it ill that we honour his Saints and Friends And to number our Prayers if Hail Mary be said upon Beads threescore and three Times it 's because Mary lived so many Years and the Prophet prayed seven Times a Day and Christ three Times in the Garden and it 's not evil to say our Prayers by Number and if five Pater-nosters be said it 's in Honour of the five Wounds and what would there be amiss in this And it 's not Idiots that pray â—y Beads but Catholick Kings the Pope Cardinals and Bishops make Use of them an Variety delighteth the Mind and there are no better Prayers then the Pater-noster Ave and the Creed Answ. The Reliques or that which remains for all the Saints and Members of the true Church of Christ to follow and to honour is to live in the same Life that they lived in and to honour him who was their Life by whose Power they fulfilled the Will of God and to walk in the same Foot-steps is to honour him that was their Life and them also who walked as Examples of Righteousness and that Power by which they became Examples of Holiness and Righteousness but for the Church of Rome to worship Pieces of cloth dead Bones painted Images which may as well be called the Images of Cain
Forms by number and Tale they are as much Idiots as the rest are who know not the Spirit to pray by And so this is no Authority to prove your Practice Apostolical and holy as for variety of Prayers and Worships it delighteth the carnal mind indeed but they that worship God in Spirit and Truth they Pray by the Spirit and in it as David and Christ prayed whether seven times five times or three times and with understanding and that which they prayed in was not various but one and it 's by that one Spirit which is not various by which the Sons of God cry Abba Father and the variety of your formed charms Bablings upon your Beads God hath no regard unto but is a Smoke in his Nostrills all day And they that have exercised themselves in these things have not the Witness of God in their own consciences that they are accepted of God and so I shall proceed to another Doctrine called Apostolical and Holy and that is about Meats whether they may be lawfully eaten at all time The Author confesseth they forbid certain kinds of Meats but it is but aâ— certain times and they are forbidden not as they are Evil and the Creatures of God but because they are forbidden by the Church and his proof is the Apple which Eve and Adam eat was not Evil in it self but being prohibited so to eat that which is good of it self is not ill but to eat contrary to the Superiors mind and order this is Evil. The Bible and Scriptures ought not to be read but leave is to be asked of the Superior because there are many hard Passages which they which have little or no learning as Peter testifies in hâ—s second Epistle chap. 3. some â—nderstands it one way and some another and therefore it is the fittest for Learned men to judge of them and they must judge whether People be in a capacity to read them Answ. And why are Meats forbidden aâ— certain â—imes is this like Apostolick Doctrine are not all Times and Seasons in the Hand of the Lord and are all good to them that believe and to the pure all Things are pure all Times and Seasons all Meats and Drinks being sanctified by the Word which made them all holy unto all that do believe And if you forbid them not as they are Creatures of God but because they are forbidden I say who did forbid them or when were they forbidden by Christ his Apostles or the true Church of Christ in their Dâ—y but on the contrary Christ taught That which goeth in at the Mouth and â—n at the Belly doth not defile the Man but that which proceedeth out of the Heart which is corrupted And Paul said What is sold at the Shambles may be eaten and no Question made for Conscience sake for to the clean all Things are clean and to the believing all Things are pure and who hath limited such Meats for such Dayes and such Times the true Church No but the Church of Rome â—ho are going on in that Doctrine the Apostle spoke of 1 Tim. 4. which he reckoned a Doctrine of Devils but here is your Argument that must bring you off because you forbid it not at all Times I say if it be a Doctrine of Devils to forbid at all Times then it is some Part of the Doctrine of Devils to forbid at any Time seeing Time and Things are all good in the Hâ—nd of the Lord but if this Doctrine should hold what would become of your Dog-dayes and of your Lent which has been patched up Week by Week by divers Popes and of your Wednesday Friday and Saturday Fast so by this Account of yours half of the Year is either unholy or else some Meat is unholy for half of the Year but there are few but see your Blindness that in this much need not be said but only thus that which may lawful in it self when it is prohibited by the Lord unto any particular then it becomes evil for whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin But Christ alone unto whom all Power is committed hath the sole Power over the Heart and Conscience and for any to make Injunctions and Prohibitions contrary to him the same is Anti-christ and so the Practice which your Church commands is not Apostolical but you bring Yoaks upon the true Disciples Necks which they that are made free by the Son cannot stoop unto neither joyn with for whosoever doth goes into Bondage And Christ is the supream Power unto whom all Power is committed and when he justifies what superior can condemn And there is no need of asking leave of them that are Superiors which reckon themselves as so seeing every man stands clear in the Sight of God when he transgresses not against the Supream Law of Christ in his Conscience and to offend any Superiors who lay any Injunction contrary to the Command of God is not to offend God neither to break his Command 2 dly It seems all Parts of Religion are monopolized by Mystery-Babylon in which Rome is comprized not only Patents and Pardons sold for eating of Meat but Authority and License must be given to every one that reâ—ds Scripture a Thing which the Apostolick Church before the Pope had a Being knew nothing of but on the contrary some were exhorted to read the Scriptures and some were commended for reading of the Scriptures and for searching whether the Things were so as Paul testified and in this they were counted more Noble then they â—t Thessalonica but now it is become an ignoble Thing and not at all to be 〈◊〉 to read the Scriptures without Patent or Licence in the Church of Rome's Account who have laid down Ignorance to be the Mother of Devotion but the Danger is because there are hard Passages which are not understood when the People have little or no Learning as the Author saith was it for Want of natural Learning that Peter complained they wrested the Scriptures and therefore is it for Want of Natural Learning that the Scriptures are not understood and for Want of this they must not be read as the Author saith Ignorant Man what was Peter such a great learned Man a poor Boat-man of Fisher-man whom the Scripture saith was illiterate in the Acts When they beheld Peter and John and that they were illiterate Men and saw their Boldness and took Notice they had been with Jesus What! was it Want of Natural Learning that Peter spoke of then he spoke against himself for he was illiterate but it was such a Learning that they wanted as this Author wants who is untaught by the Spirit and unlearned in the Doctrine of Christ and such wrest the Scriptures and do not understand hard Sayings because the deep Things of God are revealed through the Spirit of God and not by natural Learning as this Author who would sell Licences and Pardons for reading the Scriptures as they have done for eating Flesh in Lent but a Story
delivered unto the Saints is vindicated and the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles against the pretended Faith and false Doctrines which have been held forth by the Church of Rome among Christians as infallible By a suffering Member of that Church which fled into the Wilderness when Mystery-Babylon sate as a Queen upon the Waters F. H. THE TRUE Rule Judge and Guide OF THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD DISCOVERED c. AFter Variouâ— reports and upbraidings and insultings of divers men in my heâ—â—ing of a certain great Pillar and a leading man among the Non conformists who it was said had reliâ—quished his Errors and had conformed and also written and published a Book for the convincement of all others to Uniformity and Conformity also the Weekly Intelligencer willing to take advantage sometime when there is little or no occasion doth signifie to the whole Nation in his News book of the Conversion of a great Non-conformist for the strengthening and Supporting of those desires only in People who are willing to make Shipwrâ—ck of all Faiâ—h Hope Religion and whatsoever also that is of the greatest moment for a little ease and Liberty in the Flesh and the imbracement of this present World is willing to joyn with that which is the upper mâ—st and to Sail with Wind and Tide not minding the Harbour nor the way which they are passing but only present enioyment and such whose Faiâ—h is builded upon men and not upon God and chuse rather to run with the Multitude to do Evil then with a few despised and afflicted who keep Faith and a good Conscience such flashes and airy ungrounded Rumours stagger'd their mind and make them afraid and troubled when there 's no cause At last this great and magniâ—icent Piece of Conversion came published in the News book boasted on by the Clergy and divers other great Mountains of Earth came to my hand providentially unlooked for unsought for or desired which is Titled An Epâ—stle to the several Congregations of the Non-confrimists Subscribed by Captain Robert Everard as he stiled himself a Member of the Catholick Church which Book hath been spread up and down the Counties â—t seems as some rare Weighty and great matter to induce others to be of the same mind But why the Members of the Church of Eâ—gland should extoll this and reâ—oyce in this great Convert I know not except they have a mind to shake Hands with the Roman Church to receive their Catholick Faith so called as unquestionable but Deceit loves to sport it self and to make merry and triumph over any who do but relinquish the seeming Appearance of Truth to turn into the common Road of Darkness they hug such a one for a while and set him out as an Ensign to Glory in and over against others After the said Book came to my Hand amongst divers others I was wiling to take a Survey and to make inspection into those things contained in it and to see what demonstrative Grounds and solid and Weighty matter was contained in it which I have diligently weighed and without a Prejudiced Spirit read finding the matter in it chiefly to set up a Council of men to be absolute Judge of all matters of Faith and Doctrine though never so Repugnant unto the Doctrine and Practice once delivered and received and walked in by the Saints setting up this both above the Holy Spirit of God which is the only and Sole tryer of all Spirits but also above the Scripture wherein I have taken notice his own Eye being blinded he would Captivate all others and make them Blind also and lay waste the Spirit of God and its office the Scriptures and their Translation making them as uncertain as much as in him lyes as the Turkish Alcoran and all solid and weighty Arguments and Reasons that have been produced these many Years by many Godly and moderate Dissenters in divers Ages from the Church of Rome this he strikes over all by whole Sail labouring to set all a jarr and to make every thing look with a Face contrary way to represent them uncomely and at last he hath concluded that the Catholick visible Church is the absolute Judge and Director both in matters of Faith and Doctrine without distinguishing of their abiding in the Faith or falling from it as though the Promise of God had been intailed to a certain place as Rome or to a certain sort of Men that may call themselves Peters Successors and Ministers of Christ though they walk as far wide both in Doctrine and Practice as Heaven is from Earth from Peter and would assume the Title of Name and Office for honour and profit's sake but do none of Peter's Work feed not the Flock of Christ but worry them and kill them that Christ Feeds and shear off the Wool from off their Backs and pull off the Skin too and instead of saving have Destroyed hundreds of mens Lives in Europe and America some under the Name of Hereticks and some under the Name of Infidels have been most mercilessly and cruelly destroyed by the Power of this Holy visible Church as â— E. calls it as the true Chronologies of Ages past do testifie so that the Nations have been made like Akeldama by that Mystery Babylon which hath drunk the Blood of the Saints and slain the Prophets and Martyrs under the Name of Hereticks quite out of the Doctrine of Christ and erred from his infallible Spirit who came not to destroy mens Lives but to save them and to save People from their Sins But this false visible Church hath destroyed their Lives under the Name of Heresie and so hath destroyed them in their Sins if they count that Heresie be a Sin But of this something more afterwards may be said if God permit But it is a great piece of Confidence in R. E. that after fifteen hundred years as he saith this Church hath continued as a Judge a Director unto which all Christians are to submit Page 20 th that he that is but a man of yesterday should be so stout a Champion as to make a flourish and seem to over-ride all the weighty Things that have been spoken by the Blessed Martyrs and Sufferers for Christ and Righteous dissenters from this Româ—n Church at one clap and again to exalt his own feeble things that he hath brought forth and exhibit them so confidently to all Non-conformists as unanswerable matter or how he judged in himself that his Reasons or Arguments should be of that weight to Convince or Convert any seeing he hath rendered himself they that know him can testifie he hath alwayes been a changeable man and unstable in all his wayes tossed up and down like the Waves of the Sea and now at last fallen into the black Gulf of Darkness but it seems by his own Writing in his Epistle that it hath been his former Method being filled with a scribling Humour in the days of his Ignorance as he saith when the
Vail of Pride and folly hung between his Eyes which appears to hang there yet for any thing I can see having condemned himself and also repented as he saith for being in the head of a Troop of the Rebellious Army a Captain and yet after Conversion and Illumination and Repentance as he saith Subscribes himself Captain Robert Everard argues both Pride and Folly and gives but a small shew of Repentance but rather Argues feignedness and flattery and him to be a time-server and a man-pleaser And whether he intend by his Epistle to all the Non-conformists to the Church of England or all the Non-conformists to the Church of Rome is doubtful for then the Church of England hath to conform in part as wel as others though I believe the Church of Rome will claim a good part of her Discipline to be theirs only it wants the formality of Language somthing might largely be spoken as in return of Answer to the things contained in the said Book but that it may be supposed some of those People with whom he hath formerly conversed which he now calumniates wiâ—h notorious Error will not receive his Epistle as an infallible and Heavenly Oracle but rather will return him some publick Answer for the Vindicating of their own Principles and also shewing him his Weakness how soon he was turned aside with and for a thing of nought and also that he should be so bold as to turn in a moment their Instructer Teacher when he hath but newly learned within a Year or two the Principles of his own Religion which he saith he adores God in and so is but a novis and unskilfull in the word of Righteousness though his Web be very long of Linsie Woolsie and his Words be many which will pass away as Wind and have small effect I hope of gaining many Proselytes to be Members of that visible Church which hath ruled over Nations Kindreds and Tongues which are the Waters upon which the great Whore sits I take my self little concerned or that People with whom I am joyned in the Fellowship of the Gospel of Christ Jesus who are Nonconformists to the World and ever resolve to be according to the Apostles Doctrine and to all Hypocrites and Time-servers and them that serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own Bellies of which this Generation is full who will Transgress for a morsel of Bread and conform to any thing and every thing for the smiles of the World ease and Liberty in the Flesh but the Followers of Christ have not so learned Christ for whoso will Reign with him must suffer with him Neither should I have said much if the Quarrel had been Personal or about some Circumstantial matters which a man may be with and without and they neither add to nor diminish from his Goodness and Vertue but seeing it is a Quarrel not only against us that are alive but against the Faithful Sufferers who laid down their Lives in Flames of Fire and the very Foundation of God which is the most sure thing is struck at and the Spirit of God turned out of doors in regard of its Office of certainty and infallibility and the Scriptures of Truth laid aside as an insufficient thing except the Interpretations of Men be added to it for its Authority and the Constitutions of fallible and Erring Men set up for Rules and Men as Men set up as Law-givers and Judges over mens Consciences and Lords over Faith and to be the most certain thing for any Christian Man to rely upon and to believe as the old phrase is as the Church believes to pin ones Faith upon others Sleeves and to hang ones Hope of anothers Shoulders to put ones Eye out that God hath given them to see with and then see by anothers may be led into any Hole or Ditch and this to be published with such confidence as the only infalliable Guide to which all Christians are to submit would make a Man half Dumb to speak and stammer forth some thing as a Testimony against such palpable Error and manifest Darkness put off with such confidence and Usher'd in among Christians in such an Age as this when Light and Life is broken forth as a Morning without Cloudes in Goshen where Israel the true Seed inhabits I could not but say something in Vindication of that certain sure everlasting Truth which the Devil is out of by which the Saints are made free indeed in their inward man from Sin and Non-conformists to the World its Error ways and Worship and also to shew the mistakes of the Author and how easily he hath been drawn aside to lean upon a broken Reed all his particulars which are of any weight or moment shall be considered and weighed in the Righteous Ballance of equity and answered in their due place for the Confirmation of them that do believe and for removing the stumbling Blocks out of the way of them that doubt to Stagger lest they fall in such dark Pits as these viz. as to deny the Spirit of God to be a sufficient Guide and take away its infallibility and place it in Men that have Erred do err and may Err and call them the only sure infallible guide for all Christian men to follow But to speak something to the seeming weighty matter which weighed down R. E. his Judgment and cast the Scales so far as that all his Hope Faith Foundation and Religion was weighed down at one draught and by such feeble things as put him to silence which he heared from his Lay-catholick as he calls him argues a very weak and a poor Foundation and a sâ—ndy which was so soon driven away but one thing is to be minded because he hath minded it himself of his Conversion as to matter of time this Conversion happened to fall out since the happy Restauration of our Gracious Soveraign to his Crown and Dignity as he saith this to some will render his Conversion somewhat suspicious whether he name this time as only accidental or the Restoration of the King the cause somewhat of his Conversion I shall not determine but however he having been behind before in Conformity resolved to make a good step to before the next time to avoid suffering loss and Reproach But to speak a little as to the Discourse which R. E. hath published as the weighty matter whereby he was Convinced their Judgments now it seems becoming one the Lay GENTLEMAN he mentions and himself speaking to one speaks to both First Whether that any can be certain that the Christians in General are more true then the Turkes Jews or any other and whether any can be infallibly assured of this that it is possible for one to mistake in this and again the answer amounting to no more then this you conceive you are in the right you hope and believe you are not mistaken but it is possible you may be mistaken in this for every Man is a Lyar and every
any were otherwise minded they were to be let alone till God revealed it to them And whatsoever People or Church though they claim infallibility that teach a contrary Dâ—ctrine unto this we have good Reason to suâ—peâ—â— it to be that hasty dâ—â—ving and overdriving Spirit that would force a Faith 〈◊〉 God hâ—th not given it not to be the infallible Spirit of 〈…〉 the Church of Rome hath given a vehement 〈…〉 and Tortures they have exercised towards them who 〈…〉 their Principles and own their Judgment in all things Bâ—t 〈…〉 Gentleman blinded thy Eye 〈◊〉 he made thee 〈…〉 question 〈◊〉 truth of Scripture and â—hat it proceeâ—ed from the iâ—fall his Testimony of God's Spâ—râ—t and if thou hadst a certain feeling of the same in thy 〈…〉 Conscience to let this go and mâ—ke this void as an iâ—â—uffâ—cient Ground to receive Christianity upon and to lean to a Prop without thee and to â—e judged by men who have been as fallible and changeable in their Judgments as the Moon which have assumed the Name of Catholick Church whose Testimony thy Instrucâ—er I perceivâ— told thee ought to be received concerning what was pretended to be revealed or not revealed by God yet all must be obliged to stand to their Judgment though never so repugnant to the Doctrine of Christ and Practice of the Church of Christ in the first Primitive times truly so called yet it is granted that the Church of Christ are the dispersed Members through the World though not of it agreeing in one Faith being in the Power of God and being led and guided by the Holy Ghost their Judgments ought to be received which cannot as lead by the Spirit fail in giving true Judgment in matters of Faith which pertains to Salvation but as men they may fail and as erring from the Spirit they may fail and infallibility is not intailed to the Persons of any men but as they continue in the Grace of God and walk in the Spirit and bring forth the Fruits thereof nor to any place or City but as they continue in Covenant with God for the Promise of God was to Jerusalem and Mount Zion and to many other places and People in divers Cities where the Glory of God once appeared but now through their Apostacy and unbelief and disobâ—dience they are desâ—late as to the presence and Power of God and their Sun is set and they are covered as with the Shadow of a Cloud but this true Church whereof I have spoken was seen to Fly into the Wilderness for time times and half and that since the Apostles dayes and then was she not so Visible and Universal as she had been before the Man-child was caught up unto God now if thou reckonst the Roman Church to be this true Church shew the time times and half a time wherein she fled into the Wilderness and how long she hath been there and when was the time of her return and if ever she was there how that will hang together with yâ—ur assertion that she hath been visiâ—le and so Universal these fifteen hundred Years and if this could be proved that Rome hath been so whether doth it not rather demostrate her to be the Whore that sate upon the many Waters which Waters are Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and what Church instance if thou can doth lay claim to the Nations Kindreds Tongues and People to be your and to Rule over so many Kings of the Earth as you lay claim to be Universally of your Faith and of your Church which gives us a shrewd Character to believe that indeed you are Mystery Babylon besides the Blood of the Saints hath been shed under the Name of Hereticks by thâ—â— vâ—sible Catholick Church among the Nations this twelve hundred Years doth give clear evidence that it can be reckoned or imputed unto none but you But I would not Grate too hard upon thee being but a new Convert but when thy instructer had made thee doubt of thy won state and questioned the Foundation whereupon thou hadst received Christianity the next thing he labours to make void is the Spirit of God its Testimony which thou didst lay claim to but I feel had little Portion in what thou saidst at last he makes thee doubt of the infallibility of this Spirit which thou hadst spoken on might for ought thou knew be the Spirit of Error and thou not able to distinguish betwixt the Spirit of God in thy self which is infallible and the Spirit of error nor to distinguish betwixt their Operations he perswaded thee that all was uncertain and therefore no confidence to be given to any Spirit of Faith in ones own particular which is the most absurd and ridiculous thing in the World so to judge For if there be no certainty or assurance given to any man or means to every man wherein he may be assured of the certainty of God's will then whither should any go or upon whom should any lean seeing that no credit can be given to any thing that any man believes and this were but tossing up and down Men from Mountain to Hill that they might never have Rest for their Souls And as for Jer. 17. and Eccles. 9. Rev. 3. The Heart of man is deceitful c. No man knows love or hatred And because thou sayest I am Richand increased with Goods and have need of nothing c. These Scriptures were brought unto thee to make thee more Blind the first is spoken of the Degenerate estate where deceit bears Rule and not Truth the second is spoken of visible enjoyments which are common to all and the third was spoken to one who had erred from the Spirit and was exalted in Pride because of external performances but having lost the Power was miserable c. But what of all this doth this any whit at all detract from the certainty assurance of the Spirit of God in them that have it what shall we Reason thus because some have been led aside and are deceived by their own Hearts Lusts that therefore all may be deceived even them that have the Spirit of God God forbid and we have some-what more to Answer an Arian a Jew or a Turk if they should urge the like knowledge and feeling with the like confidence to prove they were in the Truth and Christianity a delusion and thy intructer said what would you reply to them We have more to reply in such Cases then time will permit now or the state of the Case require seeing it is but a supposition and we take no thought what to answer the Gain-sayers of Truth withall but rely upon the Promise of the Father and of his Son Jesus Christ who said to his Disciples take no thought for it shall be given you what to answer in that day which Promise all that are true Disciples shall find true to the end of the World but some-what more we have to say it may be then thou said when thou
suffered thy self to be made blind and carried Captive with another Man's Judgment neglected the measure of God's Spirit in thy self at home through which alone the secret things of God are Revealed in which true certainty and infallibility is Witnessed and not in Men who are fallible and changeable If an Arian Jew or Turk should urge their own interpertation of Scriptures which is of no private interpretation contrary to the mind of him that gave it forth I would say he perverted the Words of the Scripture which 〈◊〉 in Harmony Unity one with another as to the states and conditions they were spâ—ken to and are plain and are only read by that Spirit that gave them forth except it be in some Historical or Chronology or Genealogy of Names and Generâ—tions which might be some gathered from anothers Hands and different hands taking notice of them as to Record them there might be some variation yet the substance of the report is true but what is Calculation of Years or Dayes or reckoning up of Genealogies as to the matter of Salvation and what if we had never had them no more then we have other Histories and things that fell out among the Jews but if there be any contradiction for ought I know we may blame the Church of Rome the most of any who will needs affirm they received all or most of the things from the Apostles and if the Translations differ or be some-what uncertain what have they been doing this fifteen hundred Years with their infallible Spirit that they could not have rectified them according to their first Original and if any the foresaid Sects should pretend the certainty of the Spirit and yet not have it I should answer the Spirit is known by its Fruits and the Fruits of the Spirit are manifest and they that pretend to it and bring forth contrary Fruits are manifest to be Deceivers and deceived but their States are different and therefore require different Answers which time will not now permit to insist upon but over and beside all other Arguments perswade any man to or from any thing the witness of God in the party unto whom he speaketh is to be reached and that is beyond the understanding of Man and greater then it and more convincing then any Arguments that can be used without and he that cannot speak to this is not skilful in the Word of Righteousness That Christ was an infallible Guide who is the way the Truth and the Life is granted by all Christians and that the Apostles received the Promise of the Father and the infallible Spirit of God which led them into all Truth and this infallible assurance the Christians had that lived in the Apostles time thuâ— iâ— granted and the Apostles were infallible Guides not as Men meerly but as Men full of the Holy Ghost as Men who were filled with the Spirit of God and therefore the Apostle said be Followers of us as we are Fâ—llowers of Christ and if any controversie did arise as some there did and doubts among the then Christians the Apostles and Elders meeting together in the Power of the Holy Ghost did write their minds and Letters to the Christians to pacifie all and good Reason that they that had believed through their Word should Suâ—miâ— unto the Holy Ghost and unto them by whom they were begotten unto God by the word of Life for the ending of strife about Words and Shadows and outward things and they whose minds were outward then in Ages since and now ran into contention about outward things and such for the most part do Err from the Spirit of God in themselves But I would have thee to take notice of this and all you Catholick Members so called The Apostles of Christ only did exhort and did not force their Decrees by Penal Statutes and to be observed under the penalty of loosing Life and Limbs as since their pretended Successors have done who have Erred from the Spirit and have goâ— the Saints Words and turned against the Life and Power but the Decrees as you call them are not many nor burdensome which the Apostles wrote at Jerusalem as the many Counsels since have made they are so endless and numberless and burdensome and so contradictory one to another in divers things who will but look into the Decrees of the Counsels since the Apostles dayes that we can find little certainty in any of their Decrees but rather as thy Instructer saith the Sword of the Flesh and not the Spirit hath been the Rule and Law to Christianity but the Masters of great wit and Power and Interest have framed and made parties unto themselves and have Wars been raised among your selves about deciding your Controversies hath not the Pope Warred against the Emperour and the Emperour against the Pope were noâ— Wars raised about the Decrees when Pope Eugenius was deposed as a Heretick by the Council of Bazell and one while the Pope must be infallible as Peter's Successor and above all Councils and Churches another while the Council is above the Pope Excommunicates him as a Heretick and excludes his Infallibility and now where is the certainty and whether should one go or appeal for true Judgment so though the Church of Rome boast of Unity yet how hath one Nation made War against another and yet Professing the same Faith at divers times and in sundry Ages And to tell thee plainly and to speak the naked Truth according to the Apostles Prophecy after their Departure there was a great Apostacy and a great Falling away from the Faith and a giving heed to Lying Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils and many were suhverted from the Faith by them that spake Lyes in Hypocrisie and took up the Priests Office for filthy Lucre and they went out into the World and the World wondred after them and they had the Form and the Sheeps Cloathing and the Saints Words but were Enemies to the Cross of Christ and to the Power of Godliness and the Kings of the Earth were bewitched with her Sorceries and then forced all and compelled all to receive and believe such Decrees and such Articles as were then set forth by a Pack of those Hirelings who minded their own Profit and their own Bellies who mingled their own Inventions and Traditions with the Doctrine of Christ and brought the Scripture for a Cloak and the Apostles Practice for a President and could â—ay falsly as the Apostles said in Truth It seems good to us and the holy Ghost that these our Decrees be observed for God hath placed us as Judges and directors as them that are appointed of God himself to which all Christians are to submit and none to question and if any do question and will not obey it is the Kings and Princes Duty in all Countries to cause all to submit to these our Decrees and Orders or else to be punished as Hereticks with Death for we are the Apostles Successors and
we are the Elders of the Church and we have the infallible Spirit and though we make Decrees contrary to what the Apostles made in their Day yet none are to question that the Church was but in its Infancy then as unwasht and unswadled and in Persecution but now she is grown up to a greater Statuâ—e and Power and endowed with greater Priviledge and that may be necessary now that was not necessary then and last of all called themselves the Clerâ—y which signifies the Heritage of God and so excluded all others but themselves And these things are true and certain and have been made good by many Sufferers for Christ and this kind of Clergy or Heritage made the Heritage of God indeed to fly into the Wilderness who had the infallible Spirit and the Witnesses to prophesie in Sack-cloth and then Mystery-Babylon began to sit as a Queen and to gild her Cup and to fill it full of Abomination and brought in Judaism and the Practice of the Apostles and their own Inventions and patched up an Endless kind of Worship and Service consisting of out-side things in a great Part in Postures and Gestures and Meats and Drinks and Days and times and Vestures and Bonnets and Caps and Coules and such other like Trumpery which they made the Nations drunk with and greedy after and if any scrupled at any of those things or any other the Holy Catholick Church hath decreed it and she cannot err for she is infallible though the Errors thereof cannot be numbred And this R. E. thou rests satisfied in as thy only Rule and Judge and Director and thou hangs all thy Faith herein and sayest Thou shalt not scruple to believe what Authority teacheth thee to be revealed by God no more then if thou heardst God himself speaking I say unto thee as the Apostle said The Serpent hath beguiled thee as it beguiled Eve and further say as the Prophet said Thou must arise and get thee hence for this is not the Rest for thou wilt see thy self plunged into such a Labyrinth of Uncertainties as thou never wast before if the Lord ever open thine Eye And R. E. gives an Account that after his reading of some controvertal Books hath made some Collections as to himself and also declares That all dissenting Judgements grant there must be a Way and a Rule appointed to teach us to deside all Doubts to judge of all Matters and to teach us the true Way to Heaven with Certainty but who this Rule or Judge is is not agreed upon by all which he hath collected into four Heads First Some set up the Spirit to direct them and to be this Means Secondly Another will have every Man 's own Natural Reason to be this Rule and Judge Thirdly Others will set up sole Scripture And the fourth assigns the Holy Catholick Church to be that Judge and Director Other then these he saith he never heard of any for he saith he alwayes esteemed the Quakers Light to be either the Spirit or Natural Reason but which R. E. doth not know and all the four before-mentioned he saith he hath examined and treateth largely upon them all wherein he goeth about and giveth Grounds and divers Reasons and divers Interpretations of Scriptures he layes waste all the former three and establisheth as he thinks the fourth as to be that Way and Rule and Judge and governing Power to decide all Doubts as that whereby all are oblieged to submit unto as to Christ himself and this was that Question which he was to gain Satisfaction in and therefore he saith He ceaâ—ed â—o enquire of their Doctrine or this or that Article of Faith and hang altogether upon this Point before-mentioned Answ. 'T is true it is granted by all that there must be a Way and a Rule as the Means appointed of God to answer all Doubts and to give Satisfaction to every Man of the Certainty of that which he believes and who this Way and Judge and Rule is every one ought to be satisfied and the four Heads into which thou hast collected the whole Controversie of all dissenting Judgments in Christianity take up the whole as to this Particular which have ordinarily been holden forth among Christians But I judge thou deal'st not wisely in thy Inquisition and Search for Satisfaction to hang all on this Pin but rather to have examined further as concerning Matters of Doctrine and Matters of Faith held forth most especially of this Party to whom thou wast so much inclined and see how thou could'st have swallowed down that Doctrine of Purgatory and Sacrifice for the Dead and Justification by a Man 's own Works and of Bread and Wine after the Words of Consecration by the Priest is transubstantiated into the very Body and Blood of Christ and becomes whole God their Saviour and Redeemer for these are principal things either greatly necessary to Salvation or greatly unnecessary and when thou had'st tryed and found these to be so repugnant unto the Doctrine and Faith once delivered among the Saints in the first Plantation of the Gospel this might have put a Stop unto thee that thou could'st not so easily close with their Judgment and pretended Infallibility who pretend to be only Guides and yet lead into the greatest Errors in Matters of greatest Moment But as to the four Particulars mentioned I shall not stand to trouble either my self or the Reader as to speak much what of that which is no Part of my Faith or Judgment but only to vindicate the Truth against the many false Conceptions of changeable Men And first of all R. E. begins to treat of the Spirit and perverts the Scripture at his first Onset and saith As touching the Spirit â—earing Witness in secret with our Spirits or he saith in plain Terms the priâ—ate Spirit this saith R. E. I considered could not be the Means to convey Faith unto the World nor the Rule Judge or Guide which I enquired after nor indeed the true Spirit of God which he promised to be Apostles Secondly Those who pretend this Guidance do not believe Godâ— but themselves only and their own Perswasions which tell them they have the Spirit of God but they can give no other Account but that they are verily perswaded so or no other Answer but I am sure it is the Spirit of God and I am a good Man and an honest Man and I believe my self but â—ther Reasons or Evidence can they give none Thirdly This pretending of a private Spirit is against 2 Pet. 1.20 That no Prophecy of Scripture is of private Interpretation Answ. This Man beats altogether beside the Anvil whatever the Matter is but that he is blinded and confounded in himself he sets but up a Shadow and then fights with it for instead of proving the Spirit of God not to be a competent Rule Judge and Guide and Instructor in all Matters of Faith necessary to Salvation he goes about to prove a private Spirit a pretended
them that bring them forth like them in Bedlam and what though Turks Jews Pagans Mahomet and the false Christians do pretend to the Spirit and guidance by it and yet bring forth the Fruits of the Flesh doth this make the Spirit of God void or the certainty of it to them that believe or do make their Fruits of none effect God forbid thy Ignorance is manifest but here thou ceasest not thy Tongue being thy own and thou being at liberty and speakest thy own words which in the end shall become thy Burden Thou vapours and vants over them to wit all the Nonconformists and saist What can you say for your selves any of you which these Enthusiasts who have gone before you to maintain their Errours but the Rule and judge and then thou concludes That which God hath appointed to be rule and judge to all the World and capable of being known and heard by all and cannot contradict it self nor must be contradicted by any under pain of Damnation if you cannot shew it to have been your Rule you ought to lay aside your Folly as destructive to human Society and them that have pretended the Spirit the strongest party and Sword upon the vote will prove it self the most convincing Spirit and force the weaker Spirits to submit or cry for thou concludes the Nonconformists have no other Testimony to try your contradicting Spirits in matters of greatest moment but force and success if you have I pray you inform me what it is Answ. If the Wind had not turned into another door divers Non-conformists believe we should have had another Song from thee if time had but favoured thee so far as to have granted thee priviledge of thy Troop to be Captain which Name thou holds up yet in the pride of thy Heart though thou hast lost thy force success and Pay which was the greatest plea when time was with thee and not long since too which makest thee measure every Man's Foot by thy Last and thou might receive information before thou hadst made a Conclusion had been the part of a Wise man before thou hadst set thy self as Judge over all thy former Fellowships which thou fianedly pretends so great love to and before thou hadst discovered their nakedness if it be nakedness to all the World in such a publick insulting bravado as this like Goliah of Gath and as for whatsome Non-conformists both of the Church of Rome and to the Church of England to which thou creeping and sneakingly flatters and saist it 's established and therefore thou will not meddle thou might have said dare not for thy Spirit is well enough seen by them only to have the Spirit of a Slave and not a free Member of the true Church of God and it 's no part of a Vertue nor Honour for thee to insult and glory over them who are in suffering and Adversity whenas thou darest not meddle with them who are as contrary to thee as the former this is but the Spirit of a Coward and is ignoble and base and ever so to be accounted by all the Children of Light who dare put all to venture which they do enjoy on this side of Immortality and to suffer the loss of all visible things for their Testimony and the Truth which they believe and for bearing witness against that which is contrary unto their Faith as did the valiant Primitive Christians of old and that which some Non-conformists can say is more then thou canst believe although demonstrated in the evidence of the Spirit of God with sound reason and evident Example from the Scriptures of Truth and though thou and thy former fellowships then and thy new fellowships now have made this vapour which for ought I know might lay your Hands upon your Mouths all considering what contradictory Doctrines and Fruits have been brought forth since the Night of Apostacy entred in and all the World wondered after the Beast some have this to say He that pretends to the Spirit and the thing cometh not to pass that they speak or Prophesie let him be accounted a false Prophet again they that pretend guidance of the Spirit as some formerly have done and yet bring forth the Fruits of the Flesh as variance Hatred Emulation Strife Contention Heresie false Doctrine Persecution force and violence let them be counted as truly they are Deceivers and Delâ—ders which have gone out into the World and deceived a great part of Mankind of which Rome hath not had the least share clear it when thou canst Morever he that pretends to have the Spirit of God and layes down another Foundation to build upon in matter of Faith in matter of Rule in matter of Judgment in matter of Doctrine then that which the Lord of Life and Glory hath laid down he is a Deceiver and an Anti-christ but R. E. hath laid down another Rule another way another Judge another Foundation for Faith and let himself make the Conclusion if he once dare joyn to true Judgment other Foundation can none lay then that which is â—lready laid to wiâ— Christ Jesus the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and of the Church of God by which they were all builded up as a holy Habitation for God to dwell in through the Spirit Again the Apostle saith All Judgment is committed to the Son both in Heaven and Earth and again he saith himself I am the Way the Truth and the Life and none can come to the Father but by me and again the Spirit of Truth shall lead and direct hâ—â— Disciples into all Truth and sealeth unto them their Justification Redemption and Salvation And this R. E. would lay all waste and void and why because many have pretended to it and have fallen short therefore all the aforesaid things must be laid aside as uncertain and not to be trusted unto and a certain sort of Men called the Apostles Successors who have sought their gain and worldly Interest and to enlarge their Dominions and to make themselves Lords over mens Faith and over mens Consciences whatsoever they say though never so contradictory to the Primitive Doctrine delivered in Christ and the Apostles dayes yet all must be received upon pain of Damnation as R. E. saith and this he calls the Visible Church and the infallible Judge and Rule and Director and hath laid waste the Office of Christ and turned the Spirit out of doors and made it ineffectual and would perswade all others to look to this from the Foundation and so is a deceiver and an Anti-christ Again we have this to say he that teacheth a contrary Doctrine then that which was once delivered unto the Saints is a Deceiver and deceived and this was Christ's Doctrine once delivered unto the Saints Swear not at all and love your Enemies pray for them that Persecute you do good to them that hate you And many more precepts which this visible Guide to wit the Roman Church holds not but hath made void
his Term is all along without questioning at all either their Doctrine or Principles or comparing them with the Doctrine of Christ or Primitive Christians whether they be true or false whether they be with or against but all is to be received by an implicite Faith Hand over Head and by whole sale for it will admit of no Examination or Doubt but all must be received of Necessity as infallible and upon so great a Necessity too as R. E. saith if you will believe him would make it so that all forfeit eternal Salvation for not receiving all the Doctrines of this Church and consequently procure eternal Damnation unto themselves who refuse it so that if I should say no more but even lay down his Assertions which are scattered up and down his Book called An Epistle to all Non-conformists it were Answer enough I hope to many whose Mouths I hope would be filled with Arguments and sound and grounded Ones too or at least with Faith in their Hearts to oppugn and not receive all these bold Assertions without Examination or Tryal only upon the Account of Infallibility from the universal Church of Rome falsly so called but R. E. having removed away all the stumbling Blocks which are in his Way as he judges the private Spirit he hath concluded not to be this Rule and Judge which I judge he hath no Opposers in though he hath spent much Paper and Time in his scribling Humor which hath been his manner in former Dayes as he confesseth in the first Page neither Reason nor the Scriptures are this Rule and Judge but he hath concluded the Catholick Church is but all along he hath waved that which indeed is the only and alone Rule and Judge infallible viz. the Spirit of God but either calls it the private Spirit or concludes it is intail'd upon the Church so that she cannot err Page 54. which I shall say something further unto That there hath been a Church of God and a peculiar People whom God hath singled out as to be Objects of his Love which feared him in their Hearts and bore a Testimony of him and worshipped him according to the Manifestation of his Spirit unto them whether by Word or Revelation which was certain and infallible unto them that received it is granted and this was alwayes but little in Comparison of the Multitude of the fallen Sons of Adam and the rest of the Nations and People that served and worshipped strange Gods and never made such a Boast of Universality and Visibility as this supposed Catholick Church hath done sincâ— the Apostacy entered in which the Apostles fore-saw and prophesied of before their Departure out of this Tabernacle and since many have believed in Christ and the Worship of the Jews extinguished and a fatal Overthrow of their Civil Government and Kingdom are two main Reasons of extinguishing their Worship and hath been no Invitation to any to turn Jews or hold in their Worship seeing they have lost their Government and Dominion and are as scattered People without Priviledge and is no Inducement for the World to joyn to them therefore seeing the Face of that Government was demolished and their Worship ended but only as to themselves who remained in their Unbelief and seeing that the Doctrine of Christ did so far prevail as to extinguish it and put out the Glory thereof in the Apostles Dayes and sometime afterwards and also the Gentiles Worship and their false Gods and dumb Idols which they were led after the Power of God prevailing through the Apostles the Ministers of Righteousness by whom many were converted unto the Faith of Christ the Sum and Substance of all Shadows many being converted to the Faith did hold forth a publick Testimony and it became in some Reputation and many preached him of Envy Contention and Strife and for filthy Lucre Covetousness and Self-Ends and many followed their pernicious Wayes and yet held the Name of Christ and Christianity and thus began the Mystery of Iniquity to work and the Devil to turn so far Christian in Name only because it was in vain among many to hold forth the Jews Worship or the Gentiles Worship because they had an Inclination another Way after Christianity that came into more Repute with the World and therefore suffered the Name or many to profess it and under this Name and under this Cover to bring forth his Work of Darkness and the Fruits of the Flesh and the Nature of Christ wanting and here was the Beginning and Rise of your universal visible Church Secondly For the first two Thousand Years before the Scriptures were written R. E. saith the Church of God was this Rule and Judge and infalliâ—le Director which might to some indifferent men have been granted but that I see which Way his Course bends viz. to the setting up of men as Judge and Rule and Guide and detracts from the Spirit and Power of God in which the Ability and Power of the Church of God stood and from which alone they received this proper Power and Right because their Understandings were enlightened and their Judgments informed to declare the Mind of God freely according as it was revealed and to give true Judgment why is not this attributed rather to the Spirit and Power of God that was manifest in them rather then to Persons seeing their Ability stood and their Power only as they kept in Covenant with God as any erred from that in any Age or fell from that they came to be blind Guides and to give false Judgment as some such there were in all Ages Thirdly R. E. saith That after the Scripture was written the Church of the Jews was Rule and Judge unto the Jews and cites Deut. 17.8 Thou shalt come unto the Priests Levites and unto the Judge and enquire and they shall shew thee the Sentence of Judgment and according to that which they shall tell thee thou shalt do And likewise he quotes Mat. 23.2 3. The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses 's Chair whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do c. And from thence he infers would God direct them unto and punish with Death for not obeying an Authority which might deceive them and was this Authority committed to them that were capable of mistaking Answ. It seems R. E. would narrow and pinch up the Church of God among the Jews in a straight Compass when he would confine it only to the Priests and Levites and to the Judges in those Dayes whenas all the Tribes were called the Church as well as Levi again it is said Jacob is my Portion and Israel is the Lot of my Inheritance comprising the whole Tribes and Families of the Jews but it seems these must be no Part of the Church with R. E. he pinches narrower now then he will do when he tells us of the Vastness of the Universal Church but let that pass as by the Way and to come to the Matter in Hand
the Priests and Levites were appointed by the express Commandments of God as to be Ministers unto him and to minister unto the People according unto the Covenant that he made in those Dayes and the Priests and the Levites were endowed with the Spirit from God suitable to the Ministry Charge committed to them and they were Figures of Christ the Everlasting High Priest and the Law and Judgment which was given by the Lord to Moses was delivered to the Priests and their Lips were to preserve Knowledge and good Reason because they were committed unto them and the Tables of Stone and the Commandments were not given to the Families and the rest of the Tribes and as R. E. hath answered himself neither could sufficient Copies have been written in any reasonable time to every particular Tribe Family or Person and therefore R. E. concludes full too hastily but that his Spirit indeed is by assed all along in his Discourse to aim toward the Mark he would be at to set up Men above the Spirit Scripture and Reason but I enquire of R. E. whether that the Priests and Levites and Judge did tell them any other thing or direct them in any other Way or gave Judgment after any other manner then as was written in the Tables of Stone or the Book of the Law which was written wherein the Mind of God was contain'd both in Point of Worship and also in Point of Government and why might not R. E. as well and reasonably have concluded that that which was given from the Mouth of the Lord concerning all Israel was the Direction Rule and Guide and Judge as well as the Priests and Levites and the Reason that the People or the Church having the Recourse to their Ministers appointed of God was because they had the Statutes and Ordinances of God committed unto them which was put in the Ark of the Covenant and in the Tabernacle And by the Way I would ask R. E. or any of his Roman Catholicks a Question seeing he saith That this Promise is granted and intailed unto the Church without all Limitation or Condition as to be the only infallible Rule and that they cannot err whether that these Priests and Levites ever did err yea or nay and when was the Entail cut off from them seeing the Scripture saith They had violated his Law and broken his Covenant and again The Prophets prophesied for Hire and the Priests bore Rule by their Means and the Judges judged for Rewards and as David and Paul said concerning Israel They are all gone out of the Way and there is not one that doth Good no not one and whether were they the Rule and true Guides and Judges in this revolted State yea or nay although I do not question but they retained still their Places by Way of Office and would claim the same Power which they had before from God as they stood in the Commands of God as R.E. and his Catholicks do and will lay claim to the Office and Power the Apostles had though they do err from the Spirit the Apostles were in and whether their Power of being Directors Guiders and true Judges and infallible Rule stood not upon this Condition as they did continue in the Covenant of God and kept the Precepts of God in Purity without Violation which when they did not as sometimes they did not whether were they subject to err or whether did they err yeâ— or nay viz. the Priests and Levites Judges and Heads of the People which R. E. reckons for the Church and though Christ did exhort his Disciples to hear the Scribes and Pharisees who sat in Moses's Chair and to observe and do those things which they from the Law before-given read taught and instructed the People in because as I said before the Law and the Statutes were committed to the Priests and Levites and they to read it and minister unto the People by the Appointment of God and these Statutes and Ordinances were the Rule that the then Church ought to have observed yet Christ exhorted the Disciples to beware of their Leaven and of their Hypocrisie and said they said and did not notwithstanding all the Authority which R. E. saith they had and further saith Would God direct them unto and punish with Death for not obeying an Authority which might deceive them or would Christ command the doing of whatsoever should be done by an Authority that was capable of mistaking all which maks nothing for R.E. but rather would run him upon a harder Rock if this should be true or granted for then he is bound both to believe and justifie the Scribes and Pharisees in whatsoever they did or said of which methinks R. E. should be ashamed 't is true they that sate in Moses's Chair could not err nor be capable of mistaking as they continued to keep unviolate the Ordinances Statutes and Rule which were given unto them by the Command of God but when they disobeyed and set up the Traditions of Men and mingled them with the Ordinances of God and neglected the weighty Matters of the Law as Justice and true Judgment both they that taught and they that were taught came justly under Reproof And seeing R. E. reckons that the Authority of the Jews Scribes and Pharisees could not be deceived or capable of mistaking only because they bear the name of such an Authority and Office I query of R. E. again whether the Scribes and Pharisees were not mistaken yea or nay and whether they were not deceived yea or nay and wherefore Christ should exhort his Disciples to take heed of them and to beware of them and to take heed of their Doctrine and why did Christ pronounce so many Woes against them notwithstanding their sitting in Moses's chair But in what hath been said I hope will be sufficient to convince any that what R. E. hath laid down for a seeming Foundation makes altogether against himself the Premises before well considered And as for all thy collections out of the Promise of God to his Church Isa. 54. 56. and of its Endowments and Glory and Excellency and of his putting his Spirit in them and of his Word in their Mouthes and that it should not depart from the Seed or the Seed's Seed forever this is granted and the Promise is not to Men as Men but to the Seed which is not many but one but Israel was this true Church then in the time of this Prophecy though it hath Relation to future Ages also and if R. E. looks that this Promise should be to Israel after the Flesh the Church then visible and in Being he mistakes himself and he egregiously errs and contradicts the Scripture in sundry Places which saith Your House is left unto you desolate their Sacrifices ceased the Glory of God departed from them their Prophets prophesied a Divination of their own Brain and their Visions were as Visions of the Night and the Lord spake not to the most
of them yet they said falsly Thus saith the Lord in their revolted Estate for they were erred from the Spirit and gone from the Seed and joyned to another Seed and their holy Flesh was departed from them though as Men they had the same Flesh still go learn what that means and yet notwithstanding all this the Promise of God was not violated neither unfulfilled on God's Part for the Promise was not then neither now is to Natural Generations or that which is born after the Flesh or to men as men and Creatures but as they are the Seed and as they are Men of God and as they are born again and new Creatures and if thou wilt have an intailing here it is intailed which cannot be cut off for the Covenant stands not to Men in such a Place that carries the Name of Office or Authority but as they are led by the Spirit the infallible Judge Rule or Guide as they walk by this and in this they cannot err and they erring from this they are subject to be deceived and to be mistaken in all things and every thing of which there are evident Examples in the Scriptures of Truth in divers Ages of them that professed themselves Members of the Church of God and so visible as R. E. speaks of yea and the greater Part too that have erred and their Pathes have been reckoned by the Lord as crooked and perverse and their Habitations full of Cruelty and this is given for an Instance the visible Church of the Jews did err and go aside notwithstanding all the Promises of God to them and as they looked that it still belonged to them because they were in visible Profession though they had turned their Backs upon the Lord and their Hearts too and violated his Covenant yet still as I said the Promise of God and the Covenant of God is not made of none Effect nor broken on God's Part but stands with the Seed forever who are circumcised in Heart and who worship God in Spirit and Truth and in Uprightness of Heart and hath no Confidence in the Flesh nor fleshly Priviledges nor external Performances but only trusts unto the Gift of Righteousness manifest in them by which Justification comes upon all that believe and the Fulness of the Blessing of the Gospel of Christ and the Fulness of the Promise of God but these things I know though they be Holy Faithful and True are a sealed Book and hid from all Eyes living in the Flesh who have not been baptized into the Death and Suffering of Christ. Fourthly That Christ by his own Mouth and the mouths of the Apostles did Promise that there should be a Church which the Gates of Hell should not prevail against and this Church was established upon the everlasting Foundation and the Rock of Ages and was endued with Power from on High and with a great measure of the Spirit of God according unto Christ's Promise which more plentifully was poured forth after Christs departure and after his Ascension and great Gifts were given unto them the Word of Knowledge the Word of Wisdom the Interpretation of Tongues and the gift of Tongues the Gift of Prophesie the gift of discerning Spirits healing the Sick working of Miracles c. and all these foresaid gifts were given for the Work of the Ministry for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come into the Unity of the Faith and the knowledge of the Son of God and unto a perfect Man and to the measure and Stature of the fulness of Christ Ephes. 4.11 12 13. And all these were instrumental though the Spirit of God which was with them and in them the only means to bear witness unto those things that they had learned and believed and to publish the word of Faith abroad unto the World and for these aforesaid ends above-mentioned which though R. E. and his Catholicks will needs lay claim to the Succession by way of Office yet by their Doctrine deny in part the very end wherefore such gifts were given to wit the Doctrine of Purgatory for if they did perfect the Saints or were brought up to the knowledge of the Son of God and to perfect Men in Christ Jesus and to be without Sin what need had there been of raising up this damnable Doctrine out of the Pit to purge from Sin after they be dead seeing they were to be perfect Men while they were alive and the Ministry was given for this End but yours it seems cannot have these effects on this side of the Grave and therefore they perfect them in the grave and so be ministers in another World And this Church thus gathered and endued before-mentioned with the infallible Spirit of God if any that did sometime believe and were joyned unto it did walk disorderly as not becoming the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ they were to be admonished and Exhorted and if they persisted in their disorder it was to be told to the Church or the whole Body and if such a one would not hear the Church he was to be reckoned as a Publican or a Heathen and to be denyed as to have any Fellowship with him till manifest Repentance was shewn but we never read that this Church did shed any man's Blood or Burn any or give consent to Destroy any iâ—stance if thou canst though obstinate and Hereticâ— too and in this amongst many other things the Spirit of your Church is seen to be contrary to the Primitive Church and you out of Christ's Doctrine but R. E. Argues further and saith but if Christ by his Spirit doth not preserve this Church from all possibility of teaching Error instead of Truth I may receive such Errors as may damn me unto which I say Christ by his Spirit doth preserve this Church from all possibility of teaching error if they continue in the Guidance thereof and Err not from the Spirit of Christ as some Churches did which were as truly Christian and might lay claim unto Christ's promise of preservation out of error as ever Rome could do and yet six of the Seven Churches of Asia were reproved by the Spirit of Christ some of them for holding gross Error and some for suffering it but where was the fault did not Christ perform his promise to his Church or to these and other particular Churches as Corinth and Galatia yes but there was an erring from the Spirit but all that R. E. goes about is to prove which he will never be able to do that Christ is bound by Promise to make it good to them that he hath once Promised unto though they perform nothing of their part in taking heed to his direction and thus would limit the Lord and let Men go free with obedience to his commands and he cites Mat. 28.20 how the promise of Christ was and lo I am alwayes with you even to the end of the World but he hath done as the
Devil did when he brought it is written to Christ and left out half the words so R. E. hath left out the Conditions on the Disciples part and that which was their duty teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you and then lo I am with you c. But R. E. likes not obedience it seems unto Christ's commands and yet he will needs be a sharer in the Promise and of the Power that was given and bind God unto that and he and his Church to be loose to do and to teach what they will but as to all the Scriptures he hath brought and minced them and cut them in piece-meal and all the inferences he makes this we acknowledge without multiplicity of words that whatsoever was promised to the Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ as the Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ the same Promise of Christ doth belong to the Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ in every Age and stands upon the same condition viz. Obedience unto hâ—s will and that they still do teach and no other thing but what he commands them then he is with them according to his Promise but let not R. E. nor his Roman Catholicks look if they teach things repugnant to his mind and contrary to his will and press upon others to believe that which Christ hath never taught that then the Promise of God will be so intailed to them as that they cannot Err and here the deceit of thine and your Hearts hath led you aside and this is one of the cunning sleights of Men and craftiness whereby you lay in wait to deceive and by this you have deceived many because God hath made such large Promises unto his Church how that they should be led into all Truth and preserved out of Error and you are their Successors and must needs Inherit this Promise by way of intail and you cannot Err you cannot be deceived because the Apostles were infallible therefore you must needs be infallible though you Err and go aside never so much from the infallible Spirit the true Guide and Judge of and in the Church of God as though you had been born to infallibility and the Spirit of Truth had come by succession but the inward Light which thou scoffs at and the Spirit of Truth which thou calls a private Spirit often hath discovered you and your Spirit though thou boastest of fifteen Ages that your Doctrine hath been held by the Pastours and Teachers in your Visible Church as in the fifty seventh Page of thy EPISTLE suppose I should grant the fifteen hundred Years which I neither can nor will but I will lead thee to the sixteen hundred years and try thee your Doctrine that you have held this fifteen hundred Years if it be so as thou saist but this thou likes not but seeing thou plead'st Antiquity let us come on and joyn issue prove us Transubstantiation in the first hundred Years nay I will give thee five hundred more and if I give thee five more thou would'st hardly prove it before the Council of Trent prove us the Doctrine of Purgatory in the first hundred Years and if thou take two it shall not offend me prove us the forbidding of Ministers to marry in the first hundred years and abstinence from Meats as though they were unclean which are created by God for the use of Believers prove us that Man hath a two-fold right to the Kingdom of Heaven as your great Bellarmine saith the one by Christ the other by a Man 's own Works prove us Invocation of Angels and Prayer and Sacrifice for the Dead the first hundred years after Christ prove us their selling of Pardons in Christ's and the Apostles dayes for Money prove us setting up of Images as to put Men in mind of the Saints deceased and of their Works prove us Baptism of Infants with Cream and Spittle and singing with the Cross and God-fathers and God-mothers and let us have some example beyond bare report for we dare not relie upon your infallible Spirit in these things therefore convince us for we are Gain-sayers and upon good Ground and we do look upon all these Doctrines and many more not to be of such a great Age as thou tells on neither to have any affinity or congruity with the Church of Christ in his or the Apostles time nor sundry Years after but rather look upon them as Doctrines of Devils and a very novelty a further Scripture R. E. urges 1. Tim. 3.15 the Church of the living God the Pillar and Ground of Truth and may we not relie of that Pillar that God hath erected for us saith he and he that hears you hears me and go teach all Nations and I am with you alwayes and yet if after all these Promises if the Church may not be believed except she teacheth according to the Scriptures and be only infallible but when she doth her duty then the Church hath no more priviledge then the Devil hath for so long as he teaches conformable to the Scripture he may be believed and so long as he teaches Truth he may be believed saith R.E. in page 58 59. Answ. The Church is in God 1 Thes. 1. and is the Pillar and Ground of Truth she is in the World though not of the World and though the Members thereof be visible in the World yet the world that lies in Wickedness never owned them as such either saw the Glory of this Church but alwayes Persecuted it and was so far owning it as Rule and Judge as it altogether gain-sayed its direction but they that did believe in the word of Life and were separated from the World and hated by it were willing to hear the Counsel to receive the instruction of the Church of God and the Church only medled with their own Members as in matter of Judgment and not of the World further then by preaching Repentance in it for the Apostle saith What have we to do to judge them that are without and this Church as in God was secure to relie upon for she had the Oracles of God committed unto her every one may relie upon this Pillar if they dare trust it which I see R. E. dares not because he likes not to be tyed to their Doctrine declared of in the Scriptures but would have all to take what they say for granted without the Scripture or the Apostles example or Spirit and is not this unreasonable in thee that would'st have the Church to be believed or that which calls it self so by Name when she teacheth not conformable to Scriptures and to the Faith which was once delivered among the Saints and wouldst thou have a Church reckoned infallible and to be believed when she doth not her duty the Churches priviledges are in speaking Truth and judging Righteously and the Devil was a Lyer from the beginning and is out of the Truth and where hast thou read that he teaches
infallibly directed so to teach I hope R. E. will grant that the Church in Christ's time and the Apostles was infallible it taught no such Doctrine but to the contrary therefore that Church which pretends infallibility and yet teacheth such Doctrines as before mentioned contrary unto Christ and the Apostles cannot be infallible neither led by the infallible Spirit all have good reason to Question the Verity of these things more then what the Apostles taught seeing they are contradictory to Christ and the Apostles teaching and contrary to Scripture and contrary to the witness of God in all Consciences and as I said before this Church of God whereof I have spoken now though not denominated by any other name then the Church of God is and hath been assisted so by the Holy Ghost as she hath not erred when she only hearkened to its instruction and direction but when the Wisdom of the Flesh and the Worldly part and States and Governments and Policies and Princes have been minded more then the Spirit of God then Error hath been taught and the greater Part in a Council have overswayed the rest established Error by Decree and have enjoyned it under Penalties to be received as Sacred and Holy and Infallible of which we find the Church of Rome exceedingly guilty and therefore do conclude notwithstanding the promise of God to his Church that kept in Covenant with him that this Church of Rome hath erred and doth err both in Faith Doctrine and Practice of the infallible Church in the Apostles dayes and therefore their Doctrine is more to be questioned then the Apostles and they not fit to be this Rule and Guide and director unto which R. E. saith All are to submit under pain of Damnation Scar-Crows will hardly affright Men of understanding but unreasonable Creatures they may And last of all R.E. saith He will conclude his whole Proof with an Argument from Heaven of the highest Nature make it evident That the Roman Church must be this Guide and Judge which God hath appointed because of the Gift of Miracles cites John 15.24 If I had not done among them the work that no other Man did they had not had Sin And now I say that the Roman Church hath done Works and Miracles such as no other Church hath done therefore if we refuse to believe her we shall have Sin and shew our selves haters of God And he instances St. Ber. St. Mal. St. Dom. St. Fra. which wrought Miracles and of Austin the Monk which taught Christian Faith first in England and his fellow Monks which was then confirmed by wonderful Miracles from Heaven not in confirmation of those Points and Articles of Faith which you had with us but of those which you call Popish and Superstitious as the Sacrifice of the Mass and about Respect and Veneration which is given to Saints Reliques and Images and about the Doctrine of Purgatory and Payment of Tythes and R. E. concludes if we will not believe what you have not seen you destroy Faith which is an evidence of things not seen Although R. E. makes a great boast of the Miracles of the Church of Rome which no other Church hath wrought the like therefore concludes that she is this Rule and Guide which all are to give Ear unto under pain of Damnation and these Miracles he saith are an Argument from Heaven and proof of the highest Nature believe him who can If time would but permit and the Reader have patience to read most or many if not all the Miracles he so much cries up might be declared to his and their shame the very report and relation thereof cannot but be reckoned as fabulous and fained Stories and proceed from that lying Spirit which was in the faâ—se Prophet which wrought Miracles before the Beast and deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast and them which Worshipped his Image which must be taken alive and cast into the lake of Fire Rev. 19.20 It is an adulteroâ—s Generation that seeks a sign and yet did not believe when they had Miracles wrought by the Finger of God amongst them yet they said it was by Beelzebub The Scribes and Pharisees said If he be the King of Israel let him come down from the Cross and we will believe but the Power of Christ was not to be shewed at the Blind will of the Phariâ—ees neither would they have believed if he had come down Though Miracles have been wrought by the Power of God and are according to his Heavenly will and are not limited either to Men time or place yet it is not so sufficient an Argument from Heaven as R. E. saith to prove the Church of Rome this true Church seeing that the Devil and Satan and Anti-christ shall come with Signs and lying Wonders and if it were possible deceive the Elect And Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses in working Lying Miracles before Pharaoh to the hardning of his Heart And Chrysostome in his Hom. upon Mat. 19. saith In the end of time Power shall be given to the Devil to work Signs and Miracles So that the Ministers of Christ cannot be known by working of Miracles but by working none at all And Augustine saith though some said Prayers at the Tombs of the dead and obtained their desires as they said Away with these things they be either juglings and mockeries of deceitful Men or else delusions of lying Spirits Chrysost. in his Hom. upon Mat. 49. In old time it was known by Miracles who were the true Christians and who the false but now Miracles are rather among them that are false Christians And as for your great Miracles which thou sayest the Chronologies and Histories speak of J. L. as Bed and Holingshed Stow and others we look upon them not at all as material in this thing seeing they have had the Reports from other Hands and Pens of certain Mâ—nkiâ—h Stories which they have found scattered here and there published themselves and left their Fables upon Record to deceive poor People withal for their own advantage and most of the Miracles that we hear of are either wrought about your Tombs and Sepulchers and your holy Mass and your Reliques and Images I have heard indeed how that from the skirt of an Image of yours which one in a Bloody Flux did but touch and immediatly vertue came from it and Water and Blood issued forth whereby the party was made whole by washing therein Also I have heard of the Image of the Virgin Mary first honoured by Christians in Nazareth afterwards Translated into Sclavonia and when Images began to be vilified there and dis-esteemed it removed it self from place to place as discontent did arise in it it seems at the place and People where it was situated sometimes and at lâ—st it removed a whole Island with it nearer Rome now call'd Loretta and commonly known by the Name of Our Lady of Loretta to which all the Pilgrims
before-mentioned and see if thou canst receive them because the Church of Rome saith they are true and must not be questioned for if thou do thou art like to come under a hard censure by the verdict of R. E. and his Catholick Church first to be reckoned as an Unbeliever secondly to be a Hater of God and thirdly in not believing these Miracles or whatsoever else shall be declared unto thee by the said Church or else thou comest under no less Penalty then Eternal Damnation as R. E. saith in the 80th page of his Epistle but it is a small thing to be judged by man and especially such a man who hath gadded abroad and changed his way so oft so that he hath forgotten the true Path of Righteousness to walk in or else never knew it and hath turned and wheeled about and now at last doth as the poor Indian doth with his Deer-skin hangs it upon one Shoulder and so upon the other shoulder to shelter him from the Wind and Tempest that comes of that side But the day is dawned and mens Spirits are discovered beyond their Words and all the turnings and wheelings of things upside down is but as the Potter's Clay for God measures every man not by his Words but by his Heart and Spirit and Works and will judge every one in Righteousness according to their deeds And R. E. goes on as confident that his Arguments and Reasons laid down have prevailed and almost takes its for granted that it must needs be evident to all that the Roman Church is the true Church and saith He knows but one single Point between the Catholicks and them that stand divided from them and that is saith he That we follow a several Rule to Guide and Judge in the great affairs of Faith for all sides are bound to believe all Truth sufficiently propounded to them to be revealed of God and therefore if the presence of Christ in the Sacrament Purgatory Worshipping of Images Invocation of Saints and Prayer to the Dead and for the Dead If these or any other Point of Faith be sufficiently propounded by denying them God's Veracity is denyed and God thereby made a Lyar. The difference stands betwixt you and them that are divided from you in more particulars then thou art aware of or ever wilt be able sufficiently to propound them to be revealed of God though it is true some are divided from you in Circumstantials and Ceremonies and some others in some points of Faith and Worship yet some deny you in the very ground though 't is true the different Rule by which each party are directed is a great and a main thing Thou sayest This Cathâ—lick Church is the Rule but I say and am not alone that Christ is the Way to the Father and the Way to the Kingdom and the Rule and Means by which his Church is Governed and he is the Law giver and the Judge and all Judgment is committed to the Son and it is he alone that propounds Truth sufficiently and they that are in him are new Creatures and that which is the New-Creature Rule Guide and Judge is the Rule Guide and Judge of the Church of God and Christ is the Author of Faith and it is nothing that avails any thing with God but the New-Creature and as many as walk according to this Rule Peace is to them Gal. 3.16 And Christ hath not left his People without a Guide for he said Lo I am with you to the End of the World so as to commit the guidance thereof to fallible men who may assume Authority without his Power and to fasten those things upon God as to be revealed from him when the Lord hath spoken nothing and we are so far from looking that the main grounds that thou lâ—yest down to prove your Church to be this Rule Guide the many Doctrines propounded by you are not sufficiently propounded to be revealed of God but rather they are the Imaginations of your own Brain and things packt up since the Apostles dayes by different Popes and different Mutations and Alterations in your Church â—or filthy Lucres sake and so to deny them is not to deny God's Veracity neither to make God a Lyar as thou falsely sayest but thou and you are the Lyars as to propound those things to be revealed from God and to be received by all under pain of Damnation when God hath revealed no such thing but the contrary and so thy own Words at last shall turn to be thy burden because thou sayest the Lord saith and hath revealed and sufficiently proposed the real presence of Christ in your Sacrament of the Altar as a divine Revelation Worshipping of Images Prayer to the dead and for the dead and all â—hese foolish Imaginations which you have brought in and introduced and thrust upon People by force and these are sufficiently propounded as thou sayest as divine Revelations and the Father Son and Holy Ghost or the incarnation of Christ Silence deceit and for shame blush so to say the Prophets who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and Prophesied of things to come they declared of the Father Son and Holy Ghost all and prophesied long before that a Virgin should bring forth a Son whose Name should be called Emanuel God with us and the Government should be upon his Shoulders This the Pope hath usurped and you put it upon his Shoulders but your invented Doctrines aforesaid are meerly the Imaginations of your own Brain which neither the Prophets nor Apostles bore Witness unto but against And therefore it is thy and your great Presumption to make God Christ and Apostles the Foundation of all this Rubbish Straw and Stubble which thou would'st put off as divine Revelation and as sufficiently proposed as the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles was nay blush for shame they brought in the Prophets for the Peoples sake to prove that they had testified of the same before and had declared the coming of the Just One besides they commended themselves to the Witness of God in every man's Conscience and upon waiting upon the Lord and in the measure of his Spirit they found the things even so and by searching the Scriptures as the Bereans did found the things even so as had been declared of but upon due consideration we find not these foresaid doctrines so propounded as to have the Testimony of the Prophets and Apostles neither doth your Doctrine and Worship answer the Witness of God in every mans Conscience and so to deny you is not to make God a Lyar but God true the Prophets and Apostles and the Witness of God true and you Lyâ—rs who contradict them and their Testimony and the Power of God and would assume it to your selves though you be erred from the Spirit and would put all under the Name of Infallibility and by such Heavenly Arguments as R. E. calls them to wit the Miracles aforesaid by which you have deceived
and Vexation unto the Spirit of God in any in the Spirit of Christ which is but one in all I am burdened with them and do bear a Part of their Grief I speak without Ostentation or Glorying for what have I to glory in any but the Lord or to rejoyce in but that which all the World hates because it testifies against it and therefore we are become the Objects of Scorn and Hatred in this World by them that are of it who glory in Sin who rejoyce in Iniquity whose End is Destruction and perpetual Misery and their Rejoycing shall be turned into endless Sorrow and Grief Elected of God our Portion in this World is to be Sufferers in it and by it because God hath chosen us out of it and its Nature therefore we are hated despised and persecuted in our Generation like as all the People of God were in former Generations we cannot be exempted from drinking of the same Cup which Christ the Heir of all things drank neither be exempted from being baptized into his Suffering and therefore Christ told his Disciples In the World ye shall have Trouble and the Apostles and Ministers and Believers in Christ did drink of the same and were baptized into the same Baptism and therefore testified That them that will live godly in Christ must uffer Persecution for the World loves only the Children of it but alwayes hated the Children of God and them that were redeemed out of it and they bore Witness against it and the Works thereof it 's no new thing or strange thing for it 's that Portion which all the Prophets and holy Men of God were Partakers of Christ and the Apostles and all true Believers in every Age and the nearer any came to be unto God in their Life and Practice the more they were hated and the more vilified slandered and evil spoken of sometime by the Jews sometime by the Heathen and now by the Apostatized Christians for the Nature is one through all Ages and Diversity of Names in Profession do not at all alter Man or Men at the Heart the Jews who professed God in Words and cryed up the Temple and Moses and the Law in Words slew the Prophets and laid false things to their Charge Jeremiah when he prophesied against Jerusalem and spake to the Princes and Rulers when they were revolted from God in the Dayes of Zedekiah and denounced Evil against the City and People because of Transgression they put him in the Dungeon and where his Feet sticked in the Mire and said He was fallen away to the Caldeans and did alienate the Hearts of the Jews from them and their Law and despised their Government Christ was accounted a Friend of Publicans and Sinners and had a Devil a Transgressor of Moses's Law though he came to fulfil it and an Enemy to Caesar and a Blasphemer and what not who said so the Elders the Doctors the Rabbies and Rulers of the People and they crucified him as an Evil-doer though none could convince him â—â—â—in the Apostles of Christ as seditious Men Ring-leaders of Sects Authors of Uproars Turners of the World upsiâ—e down as disobedient Enemies to Peace as discontented Men with the present Laws and Customs then established and judged as not fit to live And therefore many suffered long for holding out their Testimony faithfully they had received and last of all suffered Death not as Saints and Prophets but as Evil-doers at last some by the Jews some by the Heathens The primitive Christians of whom the World was not worthy were falsly accused by the Romans Heathens and Pagans in the great Persecutions that arose were evil spoken of and falsly represented and rendered odious and as Objects of Hatred through the Envy of the Devil because they opposed his Kingdom of Darkness Tertullian saith The Heathen commonly reputed the then primitive Christians incestuous men Killers of Children Enemies of all Mankind Enemies against the Gods against the Emperours against the Laws they made an Out-cry upon them it 's not lawful they should live And when any Judgment did befall them Augustine saith it was become a Proverb Our Rain fails us because of these Christians and Eusebius saith The Religion of Christ was called the Heresie of godless Christians Likewise after the Name of Christ and Christians became in Repute and Esteem many Hypocrites and Formalists took on the Name when it was countenanced by the Kings and Princes of the Earth and then turned against them that were more in the Life and Power then they were as the Bohemians and the Waldenses and first Protestants in Germany how were they branded with Heresie and Schism as seditious factious Enemies to the Laws Church and State and to the Princes and how was the Hatred of the Pope and Emperour kindled against them and War raised upon them and many suffered Death in their Account as Evil-doers who persecuted them Likewise come nearer our own Age in the Dayes of Queen Mary how were the best of Men and the best of Christians in that Age censured as Enemies to the Queen 's Lawâ— and Government Enemies to the Church seditious Hereticks and such as were not fit to live and therefore many suffered in the cruel Flames of Fire and did undergo many great Torments and Sufferings and last of cruel Deaths many suffered and by them called Christians and yet slew him and persecuted him in his Members Last of all God hath brought us forth in our Age to bear witness unto him and unto that Life Power and Light by which we are quickned and raised out of the Grave of Sin and Death to live unto him and serve him in Newness of Life and to confess unto his holy Name and Power by which we are saved illuminated and directed and to worship him in Spirit and Truth according to the Manifestation of his Spirit to us and in us and according to the Scriptures of Truth for the Lord God of Heaven and Earth judge and all his holy Angels and all just Men that are anointed with the holy Unction that know Truth from Error whether we hold any thing either in Doctrine or Practice but that which the primitive Christians bear Witness of and also the Scriptures bare witness unto and that which we are perswaded in our Consciences by the unerring Spirit of the Lord which doth give us Assurance of his Acceptation and Peace in our Hearts And how often have we declared our selves both by Word and Writing which is sufficiently manifest unto all who have not wilfully closed their Eyes and stopped their Ears against us that we are of no other Faith Hope or Religion but that which Christ and his Apostles and primitive Christians were of which they did hold forth both in Doctrine and Practice as in Respect of Worship and how peaceably and humbly we have walked towards all Men without seeking the hurt or detriment of any thou righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth knowest and
plain Words of the Scripture and Interpretation to prove his false Assertion that he laid down at the first that Christ did not forbid all Swearing I say I could willingly have been silent rather then to be found over and over again contending with every new Opposer of those old Truths that have been believed and received long before the Apostacy entered in which hath been answered by that People I own in Judgment and Conversation long ago to let pass those Disadvantages we have adventured upon our low persecuted imprisoned and in a Manner condemned Condition so that we may expect our Words how true soever yet they are not like to gain much Credit against such an eminent Man as Doctour Smalwood Again considering how we expose our selves to the Lash and Severity of a sharp Law which some Men in their blind Zeal are far more rigid and severe in their Prosecution of it then I am apt to believe the Supream Enactors of it were in their Intentions when they did enact it all which notwithstanding are no Discouragement unto me forasmuch as the internal and eternal Truth of our God which we have known received and believed is very precious in our Eyes yea far more then either Life or Liberty and Estate which some have forfeited and lost upon Truth 's Account or any external Treasure or outward Enjoyment whatsoever so that considering how the Truth lyes at Stake we cannot be silent lest thereby we should appear to some Mens Apprehensions as to be satisfied with what the Doctour hath said and own his Arguments and Reasons that he hath laid down for positive Truth I could do no less then to show our Dislike of his Doctrine and to manifest the Weakness of his Arguments about this Particular of Swearing at all under the Gospel though he hath strained very hard to prove his Assertion That Oaths may lawfully be taken by Christians in some Cases notwithstanding Christ's â—rohibition and Command to the contrary but of how little Effect or Force hiâ— Reasons are thou wilt see in the ensuing Discourse although his Book be looked upon by some to be sufficient Force to convince all Gain-sayers and although he say he hath had divers Papers and Books of Dissenters who are of a contrary Judgment where he found any Reason offered against what he has laid down for Doctrine he hath answered though indeed he hath over-riden the most weighty Matters in them and hath said little but that hath been said before by other Opposers of Christ's Doctrine though it 's very like the Doctour will count this but a loose Discourse as he hath done others of very great Weight yea indeed of more Weight and Reason in them then any thing he hath exhibited to the contrary and so count it not worth taking Notice of but though he do not it 's not of much Moment for that End only have I writ to bear my Testimony for Christ's Doctrine against all the false and feigned Interpretations of Men being that which I have stedfastly believed and is of that Force and VVeight upon many Consciences so evident by the Spirit of Christ that they can receive nothing of Mans fallen Reasons and Conceptions which are variable and changeable to answer or weigh down the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and primitive Christians who walked in the Order of the Gospel and obeyed the Commands of Christ before the Apostacy entered in and the Power was lost and the Life and Spirit of Christ erred from and mingled the Ordinances of the first and second Covenant together the Injunctions of Men among them for Doctrine and then compelled all to receive it all this long Time of Antâ—christ's Reign and the false Church's Visibility wherein she hath sitten as a Queen upon the Waters which are the Nations Kindreds Tongues and People which A. S. brings as a great Argument to prove Swearing in Use among Christians since Christ gave out that Command Swear not at all the Reasons the very strength of them I have laid down as A.S. hath published them without varying from his own Words the Answer thou may'st peruse and read without Prejudice and weigh with the Measure of God's Spirit in thy self for unto that I appeal which is a more certain Thing then Councils or Nations or Consent of Multitudes who have the Name of Christian and walk not in his Doctrine neither live his Life nor do the Things he saith I am shut up in a Corner and have not that Advantage that some Opposers have of others Labours as to bring Authors of divers Ages that denyed to swear though not only some there were but many but alas they are condemned by A. S. and others for Phanaticks and Heterodox and so their sayings will seem of less Force but however I have not much striven neither shall to fetch Things from far in the Apostacy but rest in that which makes all Things evident even the Spirit of God in thy own Heart and the Scriptures of Truth which were spoken by the Spirit which are so clear unto many that there needs not Multitude of Words to demonstrate this Truth of the Prohibition of all Oaths among true Christians but I shall not detain thee from the Matter it self and the Lord give thee an Understanding OATHS NO Gospel-Ordinance But prohibited by CHRIST THere being a Book lately published by A. Smalwood D. D. as I understand Doctor of Divinity first preached in a Sermon at Carlile I suppose before the Judges at the Assizes then holden the 17 th day of August 1664. since which I perceive many Additions by Reasons and Paraphrases are added thereunto and Printed at York In which Discourse he hath Vindicated the lawfulness of Swearing under the Gospel and hath gone about to prove it by many Reasons and Authors how that Christ upon that subject Mat. 5.34 Swear not at all did not intend an absolute Universal prohibition of all manner of Swearing under the Gospel which Book of his I have perused with an upright Heart and an impartial Eye seriously to the End I might own that which is good in it not as one being glued to an Opinion or Judgment but what as carries demonstration of Truth with it upon my Conscience and in my Heart it being a Principle well known and believed amongst us to have our Consciences void of offence towards God and towards Man and seeing my self and many more are great Sufferers at this day upon this very account which I look upon being truly and Conscientiously grounded upon the Doctrine of Christ and consonant to the Primitive Christians and seeing so large things have been written by other Hands in asserting the Truth of what we have believed which yet stands as a Witness unto the Doctrine of Christ notwithstanding all opposition and gain-saying that it hath had by many Hands I could have been wholly silent and have referred all that hath been said to the Judgment of the Lord and to
that of God in every Mans Conscience but that I perceive A. Smalwood hath rendred that People which I own in Judgment and Practice to be in Error and hath greatly gain sayed Villified all such as ever did or do deny Swearing upon never so Conscientious account As erroneous and as only sprung from the Pelagian Heresie and Manicheus and I know not who and have rendred all with Reproach and disdain as Phanaticks who discent from him with disdainful and reproachful Names to represent us as Odious as may be to the Magistrate and at such a time as this when tender and Conscientious People who fear the Lord in their Hearts and desire to live and be at Peace and seek it with all Men are sufferers and great Sufferers too upon this very account whereby many are stirred up to more Persecution Wrath against us and besides this Discourse it seems is cryed up as the most exquisite that ever was or can be and as unanswerable and that we who deny to Swear would abolish all judicable proceedings and make them nothing this Discourse is printed as A. S. in his 12. page saith To induce us to forsake so irrational an Opinion and to Convince us of our Error and it seems he himself besides many other exspects it must effect some great matter Reply I say all these things being considered were a strong inducement to me to write something in reply thereunto through in very deed I love not Contention neither strife about Words but seeing it is the Doctrine of Christ and that which hath been and is stedfastly believed by divers faithful Professors and Sufferers both formerly and now however by A. Smalwood accounted and reproached by that disdainful Name of Phanaticks a Word lately invented in the Pit of Darkness where many of those and the like reproaches come from I was engaged in my Heart to bear my Testimony against this said Book and for the Truth of Christ's Doctrine not out of obstinacy and wilfulness but in duty as by Conscience to God his Truth which is dearer to me then my outward Liberty or all I have to loose for it which I and many more at this day choose rather to suffer then to be found violating the commands of Christ or deny that which I have stedfastly believed being perswaded thereunto by the Spirit of the Lord and evidence of the Scripture of Truth The subject A. Smalwood hath taken to treat upon and in the End to gainsay and pervert are no less then Christ's own Doctrine Mat. 5.34 But I say unto you Swear not at all who would have believed or thought that one who accounts himself a Doctor a Divine and a Minister of Christ should choose Christ's own Words to plead against Christ and them that do abide in his Doctrine or that ever any should go about to prove Swearing lawful from these words in Gospel-times or that Swearing is not forbidden but what would this Man encounter with or what would not he oppose if he hath but the Power of this World on his side it is a small thing to gain-say what we say and pervert our Words and make them seem Erroneous and to make our intentions one thing and our words another when he is so bold as to make Christ's Doctrine his express words Swear not at all and his intentions contrary to his words what do we judge of a Man that speaks one thing and intends another it's fearful to think what conclusions some will make to carry on their intended designs but methinks A. S. might have been more considerate then to have taken Christ's own Doctrine and Words to oppose Christ's intention or to be so bold as to assert the intention of Christ was otherwise then his words import but rather have chosen some other Subject but what matter makes many of subjects for with a Consequence or two and a little Logick they will seem to turn things any way and go about to prove darkness is Light and Light is darkness and what as in them lyes make it so to appear if they take a matter in Hand and therefore the Apostle Exhorted to beware of Philosophy and vain deceit for by this Men have been cunning and crafty and lie in wait to deceive the Innocent and Harmless and to lead them out of the way In the fourth page he saith He will clear his intention and that there are two sorts of Men that do Violence to this Text the one winds it up to too high a note as though Christ had forbidden all Swearing whatsoever And in the tenth page he saith This error is masked under a fair Colour of a more then ordinary Piety but tends to overthrow all Judicatures and takes away the decision of all emergent Suites and Controversies and were it granted saith A. Smalwood we should be necessitated if not to disown the Magistrates Authority yet to disobey their loyal command as having a counterâ—and from Christ Swear not at all and the other sort of Men are such who in despight of this Text to commonly rashly prophanely and falsely Swear Answ. Who doth the greater violence to this Scripture whether A. S. who in his Doctrine he hath raised from these Words to be the Foundation of his Discourse who makes Christ's plain and express words one thing and his intentions another I leave to all unbyassed Spirits to judge off or they that say Christ intended what he spoke and spake what he intended I say let all see and consider where the violence lies and in whom and whether he doth not wind it up by that note or contrary to it to use his own Words otherwise then Christ intends it as after will be made more eviently to appear we say it 's not error but Truth to believe Christ's Words whoare Truth more then A. S. his conjectural supposition neither do we believe it to be error masked but Truth revealed and Christ spoke and declared it that we might believe it and obey it And we believe that A. S. and many more have put a mask and a vail upon Christ's Words and would hood-wink all and lead them blind-fold after their Imaginations and crooked Pathes winding and turning this way and that way that lead into Darkness and trouble and Confusion from the Path of Life And what doth Christ's command viz. Swear not at all doth it overthrow all Justice and Judicatories Is it not the Seat of Judgment established in Righteousness and Truth and they that sit in Judgment ought they not to give Sentence and Judgment in Righteousness and Truth and as the causes are represented unto them and brought before them and may not every Truth be confirmed out of the Mouth of two or three Witnesses and all emergent suits Controversies ended according to the best evidence after diligent Inquisition and Judgment given accordingly and that without the needless and cumbersome formality of an oath which is sometime this and
is only acceptable And reverend Brethren let us all agree not to be idle but diligent read the Scriptures and pack them up together a deal of Exhortations Reprehensions Admonitions and Prophecies and read some old Authors as Ireneâ—s Ambrose Cyprian Jerom Bazal Austin Origen Damizin and it 's not amiss if we take in Luther Calvin Menno and Beza and some other late modern Writers and so by much reading and Meditation our Actions will be whetted up and quickned and those Words which we read often will lodge in our Memory so that we shall be able to pray half an Hour ex tempore or an Hour and an half upon a Fast-Day for that is the best Traffick that goes off such Dayes as those without Tautologies or Reiterations and so though we pray several Times and in several Places as before Kings or Councils or a Synod or Classis Merchants of our own Order yet by this Means we shall be fitted for all Places and Time to sute the Business which we are about and if any question the thing let us say we pray by the Spirit as it gives us Utterance but now this is the last Beast of our merchandize which is as Gold and Silver and precious Stone and Pearl if this will not go off as upon the Account of the Spirit or spiritual Worship or a spiritual Ordinance then there is little Hope of driving any more Trade or getting any more sale with these men then let us cry to the Magistrates they are new fangled and giddy-headed and delight in Novelties and are erroneous Schismaticks and Hereticks and are factious and seditious which if they be let alone and not be timely checked and reproved they will overthrow us Merchants call'd by our selves Ministers and not only us but also both Church and Common-Wealth And furthermore let us agree reverend Brethren in Unity and Peace and strive all with one Consent to be furnished with such Merchandize as will sute with the Countries and Regions where we traffick as Kings Princes Protectors Parliaments and Councils Noble men Gentlemen and also take in the common People if happily we can please them all because that by the last mentioned we receive much of our Subsistance yet if any of them do not like our Merchandize it is the least matter of them for then we have a King a Prince a Protector or a Parliament to appeal to and if we can but satisfie them with Merchandize upon Petition they will make us a Law and set a Compass upon every one of our Ships to ride in at Sea and they will command every Parish to buy our Merchandize and if they will not buy it at the worst compel them to give us our Price whether they receive our Merchandize or Traffick or not but if they will not having a Law to guard us we can take it from them whether they will or no and if at any time any seem obstinate and refuse to pay us Easter-Reckonings and Midsummer Dues which may be come to the Value of 18 d. or 2. s. we can take a Pot worth 7 or 8 s. or a Pan or a Kettle and if they shall neglect to pay us a Mortuary which hath been an Ordinance ordained by our mother Mystery Babylon seven or eight hundred Years ago or upwards if they will seek to disannul such a laudable Custom then we can sue them for it in a County-Court and get 20 or 30 Shillings Dammage and if any of the common People refuse to pay us our Tythes which belong unto us Church-Officers which were given unto us by our Mother who sate upon the scarlet-coloured Beast at the least 13. hundred years ago that if our Tythe come to 40. s or 3. l. we can go to a Chapman or two who resents our Commodities and they will give us a Warrant for treble Dammages and then we shall get some Bailiffs who are our Church-Members and take away a Yoke of Oxen worth 8 or 10 Pounds or a Horse or a Cow worth ten or twelve Pound and if the Tythe come to 5 or 6 Pound then we can take five or six Cows and a score of Sheep and half a score of Swine and thresh the Corn out of his Barn and take it away and take away the Feather-Beds and Curtains Court-cloaths and Blankets Rugs Sheets Kettles Brewing-furnance or the Rayment which the Family wore and if we judge it too little to satisfie our insatiable Desires take Pin-cushions or if it be but half a Cheese as our reverend Brother Alexander Bradly in the Parish of Elmstone in the County of Kent from Robert Minter of the same County and Parish And in thus doing there will be little loss or detriment to us And if any refuse to give us a Tythe-cock of Hay or a Shock of Corn having the Power of the Earth of our Side we can pull down the Hedges and break open the Gates and fetch away a Wain-load or two or as much as we think fit as many of our reverend Brethren of our Order have lately done which are good Precedents to Posterity that may come after us and if any with whom we have traded who are Neighbours do think much at us we can call them Hereticks and say they are Enemies to the Church and Common-wealth therefore why do you pity them But reverend Brethren it is not with us now in the North Regions of the World as it hath been in time past about two or three hundred Years ago neither as it is with the rest of our fellow-Merchants in Italy Rome Jerusalem Arabia Greece Portugal Spain Hungaria France and the rest of the Regions where our Mother sits as a Queen the People being all as asleep at Midnight any old dark rusty cankered Ware will go off there at a good rate and for Ave-maries or Pater-nosters Te Deum or a Magnificat Anima or the like or some other Charm in an unknown Tongue or a Story of St. Damisen or St. Benedict about Images or a story of St. Francis of his converting of Wolves and Bears or speaking an Hour from some old-Fathers and call it the Word of God and meddle not with the Scripture at all for a story of the Lady of Laurette or the image of the Virgin Mary and of what Miracles they have wrought which the Members of the Mother-Church believe for good Doctrine and receive these or the like as Crosses Crucifixes Pictures Beads and Images and such other like Merchandizes of the baser Sort are all brought and received without Question as Merchandizes of great worth and things belonging to Happiness and Felicity but alas it is almost Day and the Night is far spent and the People in these Northern Regions are come past Mid-night some towards the dawning of the Day and they question our Merchandize and with some the Night is quite over and they are come to the Day-break and to the rising of the Sun and with those there is no hope of trading
so Repugnant unto the Scripture and to the Truth contained in it this we cannot receive neither believe and this will never be attributed by the Lord unto any for Unbelief although you say it 6. Proposition The Author saith He would fain have Luther and Calvin and the other Sectaries to shew where Matthew 's Writing is called holy Scripture more then Nicodemus his Gospel and seeing they cannot prove the one no more then the other they must needs believe something that is not written in the holy Scripture Answ. I shall let Luther and Calvin alone they were Men that God did honour and I do honour and many more as in their Day they are at rest in the Sepulchres of their Fathers where your reviling cannot touch them they prevailed in their Doctrine and Faith so much against you as you have not recovered in an hundred and thirty Years neither I believe ever will so long as the Church of Rome will have any Cause to call her self Christ's only visible Church upon Earth And I do not believe Matthew's Writing only because it is reckoned by you and us for holy Scripture but becaâ—â—â— we feel by the Spirit of God that gave forth all Words that it is a Declâ—ration of those things which were brought to pass in his Day and likewise Mark John and Luke testifie unto the same Matter but for Nicodemus his Gospel as you are pleased to call it the Spirit of God doth not testifie in us unto the same but that it is repugnant unto the Mind of the Spirit and is a meer patcht up thing in the Corruption of time wherein many things are contained that are in Opposition and contrary to Matthew Mark Luke and John their Declaration And so thy feâ—â—le Argument is answered which thou concludest hath not been alâ—erable these fifteen hundred Years and let not him that puts on his Armour beast but him that hath overcome and puts it off 7 Proposition is That it cannot be shewn for these fifteen hundred 〈◊〉 that there hath been any Catholick that held that the Pope of 〈…〉 or that did rail at the most holy Sacrifice of the Mass or Inâ—ocation of Saints and Angels and usual praying for the dead and such like Worâ—â— of Piâ—ty â—elongâ—â—g to our Faith and Religion which the whole World hath laudably practised and reverenced for fifteen hundred Years It is a Wonder that this Author belonging to the Church of Rome is not ashamed of his Arguments and the silly Propositions that he hath propounded from another Hand It seems neither this Author nor Francis â—esterâ—â— whose Propositions the Author hath vaunted in and boasted of know the Apostles Doctrine who said The whole World lay in Wickedness and if any Man love the World the Love of the Father dwells not in him and Christ said to his true Church Ye are not of the World therefore the World hates you and again I have chosen you out of the World and John in his Day saw through the Spirit all the World wondering after the Beast and worshipping his Image and not the Image of God and saw all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People to be Waters and the Nations Kindreds Tongues and People to drink the Whore's Cup and these the two Aâ—thors bring in for a great Proof and for an unanswerable Proposition as that the whole World lyes in Wickedness in whom the Love of God dwells not and thâ—y that have drunk of the Whore's Cup of Fornication and they that have wondered after the Beast to wit the whole World these are his dark Cloud of Witnesses to prove that the Pope was never called Anti-christ will they that have received the Roman Faith and accounted the Pope Christ's Vicar and the visible Head call him Anti-christ which hath exalted himself and the Church of Rome's Faith over the whole World as the Author boasts That the whole World hath laudably practised and reverenced Invocation of Saints and prayâ—ng for the dead for the Piety Faith and Religion of the Church of Rome for these 1500 Years This proves the Church of Rome to lye in Wickednesâ— aâ—d to be contrary to the Doctrine and Practice of Christ and his Apostleâ— and this doth not clear the Pope at all but rather mâ—kes him to be an Anti-christ and your Church to be the ill-favoured Harlot and not the true Church of Christ Hast thou forgotten how John Bishop of Constaâ—â—â—nople would needs be chief Bishop over all the rest of the Chuâ—ches about the Year two hundred fifty and upwards and how the other Bâ—â—hops cryâ—d out against him for to be Anti-christ but your Bishop he got to be called chief Bishop over all Christian Churches not by Consent of the Elders nor Churches but by the Means of Phocas an Heathen Emperor as before I have said and is not he much more an Anti-christ And as for the Sacrifice in the Mass Invocation of Saints and praying for the Dâ—â—d which thou say'st is a laudable Practice I say none have or do reckon it worthy â—f Praise but they that worship the Beast and his Image and have drunk of the VVhore's Cup and are erred from the Faith and Religion that the Apostles and true Church of Christ were in which all the World did that wondered after the Beast Lastly This I say he that teaches a Faith a Religion a Doctrine contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles is an Anti christ but the Pope these fifteen hundred Years hath taught a contrary Doctrine therefore he is an Anti-christ The 1st Proposition is evident from divers Testimonies of Scripture who teach only to pray unto the Lord in the Name of Christ and for them that are alive in the Body and not for them thâ—t are dead The second is proved by the Author 's own Testimony that the Pope and Church of Rome have prayed unto the Saints and prayed for the dead these 1500 Years to his Shame be it spoken therefore the Consequence must necessarily follow The Pope 〈◊〉 an Antâ—-chrâ—st 8. and last Proposiâ—ion is this That the first Authors of the Christian Faith in Germany Italy Spain France England and Low Countries have acknowledged no other Faith nor brouâ—ht any other to them then the Catholick Roman Faith which the whole Universe hath acknowledged which we have learned of our Fore-fathers therefore they that have brought in another are accursed That which the whole Universe hath acknowledged in the Apostacy which lyeth in Wickedness seeing all have wondered after the Beast and drunk of the Whore's Cup since the Apostles Dayes is but a lame and pitiful Argument as to prove the Church of Rome the true Church and as for the Faith delivering such as it was to the Nations before-mentioned only excepting Spain because it 's probable that the Apostle Paul spread the Faith there seeing that he said he had a Purpose to come there into Spain which if he did thy Boast may cease as for the planting of Religion