said before them all that he never heard any such Voice or Command And I ask'd him what he Preach'd to the People then and he made Answer and said His Experiences and I told him his Experiences might not reach to every Condition but he that had the Word of the Lord might Preach it whom God sent and that would Reach all Conditions who knows all Conditions And so the Lord's Word and Power struck him that he was Silent But the rest of the Priests were High and Opposed and came to nothing And Judge Fell wondered and was astonished at what he heard Thomas say that he had never heard the Voice of God nor Christ to Command him to Preach to any People and the said Thomas Taylor being look'd upon a High Priest and above the Common Priests and a Sober Man and Beloved among the outward Professors and so I went along with him that Day to a place called Newton in Lancashire where he used to Preach sometimes and he was very much down and sad and groaned that Night And the next Day we went to a Meeting which we had in the Steeple-house-yard but he would have gone into the Steeple-house but the Priest would not let us and I told him it was no matter And there came another Priest from Vnder-Barrow and several others and Thomas sitting still at last a tender Spring of Life Sprang up in him and he Spoke very well in it to the People both of his own Condition and the People's and where they had been and now how they must turn to the Lord Jesus Christ And the Vnder-Barrow-Priest and some other Professors were Offended and Opposed him but the Lord's Power came over them all For he was look'd upon in the time of his Priesthood above them And Thomas Taylor grew in the Grace and Truth of Christ and came to know the Word of the Lord and Preach Christ Freely as then he had Received Freely and forsook his Parish-steeple-house and his old Parish-wages and the rest of the Priests that Preach'd for Hire and he Travelled up and down in many parts of England Preaching the Word of the Lord and his Gospel freely as he was Commanded who had Received it freely And likwise his Brother Christopher Taylor who had been a Publick Preacher to a People was also Convinc'd and Preach'd Christ freely And many Disputes Thomas had with the Priests and Professors and continued still in his Confession to God and his Truth and People and what their Conditions were and had been formerly And so from that time he continued in the Truth and the Grace of God and grew mightily in it and boldly Preached it and saw where the Priests and Professors were and by whom they were made and sent not of God so that the Priests and Professors grew in a Rage against him and Persecuted him And he having been a Lecturer at Richmond in Yorkshire was made to go there and Turn his Back to the Priest and put his Hands to both his Ears and stop them as a Sign how God had stopt his Ears unto their Sacrifice and Service and Offering And then after he was cast into a Prison at Appleby in Westmoreland for the Truth 's Sake under a cruel Goaler and a very bad Prison being a sad smoky place by the Smoke that came out of other Rooms enough to Choke him But he continued Faithful in the Life and Power of the Lord and the Lord delivered him thence And afterwards he Travelled up and down Preaching to Priests and Professors and warning all both Small and Great to Repentance and Amendment of Life turning many to the Lord. He was after a while cast into Prison at York for Truth and after some time the Lord there delivered him And so when he was at Liberty he still continued Labouring in the Work and Service of the Lord Preaching the Everlasting Gospel and Turning People from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Power of God And also his Life and Conversation Preached being a Man of a Sober Life and Sound Judgment and a good Understanding in the Truth And after he had Travelled much up and down in several parts of this Nation he coming into Staffordshire was there Imprisoned and Premunired for refusing to Swear in Obedience to the Command of Christ who says Swear not at all and there he was kept Prisoner Ten Years and a half in the Town of Stafford under cruel Goalers and a sore tedious Imprisonment he had and great Sufferings by those Magistrates as his Letters will Testifie and a wearisom Imprisonment he had through the wicked Prisoners which burdened and grieved his Righteous Soul And when he was at Liberty and Travelled up and down in the Power of the Lord in the Lord's Service being a Man of a Tender Spirit and Conscience sometimes he met with Bull-baiting Bear-baiting Plays and Shews and Cock-fightings and Mountebanks and Ringers of Bells c. which burdened and grieved his Righteous Soul that People should spend their pretious Time in Sports and Vanities and such as professed Christianity which were more like the Heathen-Romans than Christians who was made to Admonish such and Reprove them as his Letters Testifie and not to spend their time so Vainly The Lord was with him and did assist him who was an Elder indeed and Partaker of the Glory that is to be Revealed who sought to Establish such as he Convinced and were Convinced in the Truth and Gospel the Power of God who was Beloved of God and all his Faithful People And many bad Prisons or Goals he was cast into for the Lord Jesus Christ and his Truth 's Sake And he had a Dispute with Doctor Owen at Oxford and the very Scholars could say That Thomas was too hard for him for the Lord with his Eternal Arm and Power did Support him And he was a Faithful True Upright Man in the Lord's Truth to the last and turned many to the Lord Jesus Christ that they became Hearers and Followers of him who Speaks from Heaven And he loved the Government of Christ and his Spiritual Heavenly Order among his People And when he had fulfilled his Ministry and finished his Course who was a harmless and blameless Man in his Conversation he laid down his Head in Peace and Died in the Lord and is Blessed and his Works follow him Much might be writ of this Honest and Faithful Servant of God Thomas Taylor 's cruel Hardships and Sufferings that he went through for Christ and his Truth 's Sake He finish'd his Days at Stafford with his Wife in 1681. after he had been an able Preacher of the Gospel from about 1652. And is at Rest with the Lord And Blessed is he that Dies in the Lord yea saith the Spirit his Works follow him Precious 〈◊〉 in the sight of the Lord is the Death of all his Saints Psal 116.15 George Fox Edmonton in Middlesex the 24th of the First Month 1681.
the Lord must be cast out and have their Portion with the Hypocrites where is weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth for Ever And now that Christ Jesus the True Light is arising the Children of the Night Who love Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are evil are inventing all manner of false Covers and false Arguments to hide their Nakedness and Shame withal but the Judgment of this Light they cannot avoid for it is to give to every Man according to his Deeds And now therefore all ye Teachers of the People awake and arise to Judgment and bring your Deeds to the Light and you Principal of the Flock come forth for the words of the Lord by Jeremy his Prophet Chap. 25. Ver. 34 35 36. are now to have their perfect Accomplishment upon you And these are the words Howl ye Shepherds and cry and wallow your selves in the Ashes ye Principal of the Flock for the Days of your slaughter and your Dispersions are accomplished and ye shall fall like a pleasant Vessel and the Shepherds shall have no way to flee nor the Principal of the Flock to escape A voice of the Cry of the Shepherds and an Howling of the Principal of the Flock shall be heard for the Lord hath spoiled their Pasture Now he that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit of the Lord hath here commanded to be left in writing And see and consider all you that are under the Wo of these words even all you who are called of Men Masters with your Elders and Officers and Repent for where will you hide your selves And where will ye leave your Glory For the Lion of the Tribe of Judah is arisen and it is God and not Man Spirit and not Flesh that is pleading with ye and the Powers of the Earth and the Wisdom of the Beast will not shelter you nor secure you from the Wrath of him that sits upon the Throne and of the Lamb. For now though you be changed as to the outward form somewhat from the way of your Forefathers yet in the same Nature and Steps as to the substance of Things are ye found for were they justly cast out for feeding themselves and not the Flock Ezek. 34. And is it not so with you And did not their House become desolate because they stuck to the Shadows and denied yea Crucified the Lord of Life the Substance in his Appearance Luke 13.34 35. And is it not so with you And was not the Spirit of the Lord grieved then to see that filthy and horrible thing committed in the Land to wit to see the Prophets prophesie falsly and to see the Priests bear rule by their means and to see the People love to have it so Jer. 5.30 31. And is it not so found now with you And was it not the Spirit of the Lord that moved to Cry against such then as stood for Watchmen over the People and yet were Blind and Ignorant yea as Dumb Dogs and greedy which could never have enough such Shepherds as could not understand who all of them looked to their own way every one for his Gain from his Quarter Isa 56.10.11 And is it not with you so now And were not the People a prey to the Enemy of the Soul when things were thus with them then as it is now And was it not for the Covetousness and Cruelty of the Teachers of the People that the Lord brought his Judgments upon them so that they had no Answer of God Micah 3.5 6 7. As it is now And what was it that made the Priests contemptible and base in the Eyes of the People but their horrible Breach of God's Covenant Mal. 2.8 9. As it is now And therefore ye Proud Men called Ministers and Teachers of the People in the High Places in England and elsewhere who have made a Covenant with Hell and Death as those of Old did in Jerusalem earthly hearken and give ear for the Lord hath a Controversie with you as he had with your Fathers who were in Covenant with the Powers of Darkness to keep the People in Blindness and Ignorance from the true Light and Life then as is your continued Custom now for saith Hosea in his Day by the Spirit of the Lord As a Troop of Robbers wait for a Man so the Company of Priests Murther in the way by consent for they commit lewdness Hos 6.9 And is it not so with you now See and try and let that of God in all Consciences give Judgment and both your selves and all your Congregations see and consider and fear the Lord and be not Mockers lest your Bands be made strong Is it not so with you now as it was with them of Old which the Lord sent Isaiah his Prophet to declare against Chap. 29. to whom these words were sent Ver. 9 c. Stay your selves and wonder c. Here the words to the 15th Verse were written at large and after them see and consider is not this your Condition And are you not worshipping in the oldness of the Letter and the earthly Spirit and not in the newness of the Spirit of Christ and the Heavenly Wisdom which is pure peaceable and full of the Fruits of Righteousness without Partiality without Hypocrisie And therefore will the Fire of the Lord be hard to endure by you for now the Sinners in Sion are afraid and fearfulness surprizeth the Hypocrites because of the Everlasting Burnings see Isa 33.14 And take warning while time is for this is the Day of the Lord's Visitation and witnessed by his Spirit in his Servant Thomas Taylor To William Thornton called Justice at Hipswell in York-shire Divulged for the Information of other moderate Enquirers after the Lord. FRIEND I have received thy Lines in answer to those I sent thee and thou dost rightly conceive of the ground of my writing them to thee for it was indeed out of pure Love to that which lieth in the Death in thee thy Soul unto which I spoke though in the Death to hearken to the Light of God that shines in thy dark Heart for the Gospel is Preached to the Imprisoned Souls who are dead in Sins and Trespasses that the dead may hear the voice of the Son of God even of Jesus Christ who is the Gospel it self the true Light and Life of Men who shines in Darkness though the Darkness do not comprehend it and so live And if thou hast an Ear within open thou may'st hear what here is spoken and so there will be no contradiction in directing thee to a pure Principle to attend to the pure Light of God within freely given to guide to himself but thou wilt if thou be'st once indeed turned to the Teachings of that Light of God in thee which shows thee thy Sin and Death daily and calls to Repentance and Faith see clearly that the Contradiction lies in the disobedient Nature within in thy self as in all others without Exception of what
is gathering his Lots from amongst them into his happy Fold of Truth and Rest that the Judgments of God may hasten upon the wicked Sodom and Egypt who burden the Just that God's righteous Soul may be eased of them Even so come Lord Jesus for thou art worthy to reign saith my Soul Thomas Taylor Richard Baxter's BOOK ENTITULED The Cure of Church-Divisions ANSWER'D and CONFUTED And he PROV'D to be a Physician of no Value Who hath Manifested his Folly and Weakness in Undertaking a Work which he hath so little Understanding in By THOMAS TAYLOR For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to Covetousness c. They have Heal'd also the Hurt of the Daughter of my People with sweet words saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace Jer. 6.13 14. But ye are Forgers of Lies ye are all Physicians of no Value Job 13.4 London Printed and Sold by T. Sowle next Door to the Meeting-house in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-Street and at the Bible in Leaden-Hall-Street near the Market 1697. Richard Baxter's BOOK ENTITULED The Cure of Church-Divisions ANSWER'D and CONFUTED RICHARD BAXTER a Man who through a shew of Learning and Religion had gotten in Oliver Cromwell's Days a great Esteem in the Minds of the Ignorantly Zealous Professors of Religion in this Nation and especially in the Parts of Worcester-shire about Kidderminster where he then resided hath since the Change of the Times and coming in of the Old Common-Prayer-Book-again much manifested his Nakedness Confusion and Unsoundness to every Eye that in any measure is open to see the difference of Truth and Error in the ground of it as by his Works appear And that it is so amongst other things that Book of his fasly call'd The Cure of Church-Divisions which I have now under-hand to Answer doth plainly manifest For instead of Curing Divisions he hath shew'd himself to be a Physician of no Value and so instead of Curing hath struck at under a Judas Kiss of Unity and Concord the very Life and Foundation of all true Christian Unity and Amity to wit The Free and Perfect Teachings and Gifts and Work of the Spirit of Truth the Spirit of the Father and Son in his Believing Members whereby they cry in a spotless Mind Abba Father and freely and powerfully declare the Glory of his Kingdom to the Children of Men and instead thereof would bring in and establish that Soul-deceiving and Church-dividing Doctrine of Humane Learning and Humane Helps as absolutely necessary to the procuring and engaging as it were the Holy unlimited God to give unto the Creature his Holy Spirit and the Knowledge of the Mysteries of his Eternal Will and Kingdom for the same as in Answer to an Objection in the 6th Page of his Book in his first Direction so call'd is to be seen The Objection against his Carnal Reasonings for Old Men's Knowledge is in Page 5. where he saith I know those that I have to do with will say That Divinity is not learn'd by Labour and Men's teaching as other Sciences and Arts are but by Teaching I add yea and most free Gift of the Spirit of God and therefore the Youngest may have as much of it as the Eldest And to this R. B. there thus Answers Answ There is some Truth saith he and some Falshood and much Confusion in this Objection But let us hear how this R. B. proves that that there is either Falshood or Confusion in the Objection It is true saith he that the Saving Knowledge of Divinity must be taught by the Spirit of God but it is false that Labour and Humane Teaching are not the Means which must be us'd by them who will have the Teaching of the Spirit Reply But O the Darkness yea rather Enmity that is in R. B's Heart against the free Teaching of God's Spirit That he would find any thing against so plain and manifest Truth as is in this Objection But what will not Flesh do that is lifted up with Conceits of his own Wisdom to keep up its Honour before the People rather than the Purâ— Undoubted Truth of the Gospel and Self-abasing Spirit of Truth should Reign and have the Preheminence But to this I say that a Child of Light in the least Measure doth easily see the Falshood of that Spirit by which this R. B. is acted in this his Answer For the Wind of the Spirit bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof thou natural Man but neither knows whence it comes nor whither it goes so is every one that is Born of God And without this Birth all thy Knowledge is Damning not Saving John 3.7 8 c. And Job 32.7.8 I said Days should Speak and multitude of Years should Teach Wisdom But there is a Spirit in Man and the Inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding And saith God It shall come to pass in the last Days that I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and they shall all know me from the least to the gâ—eatest Yea and Young-men shall see Visions and Servants and Hand-maids shall Prophesie And ye have received an Vnction from the Holy One And ye know all things saith the Apostle John and ye need not that any Man teach you This is the Day of the Lord wherein these things are fulfill'd prais'd be God And the New Covenant abundantly witness'd in the Children of Light whom this wicked Book of R. B's strikes at but his Wickedness turns upon his own Pate and his own Iniquities shall slay him For he by his Carnal Wisdom would darken Knowledge and shut the Kingdom of Heaven against Men as his Predecessors of Old the Pharisâ—es mention'd Mat. 23. did But the Lord hath open'd a Door to the Believing Souls this Day which all the Powers of Darkness shall never be able to shut Glory to his Name for Ever But what is that Labour and Humane Means that People must use for getting the Spirit of God or Saving Knowledge of Divinity as he calls it Is it tumbling over a Ruck of Books stuffed with Art and Humane Wisdom or Learning from below as this R. B. hath long done to the darkning of his Heart from the Knowledge of God and Way of his Spirit so that he knows nothing of it after all his long lost Labour but what he knows naturally as a Brute Beast and that 's plain for it sanctifies him not as by his confessing That his best Duties even his Prayers are not without Sin and affirming That no Man prays without Sin As in his Book is to be seen Page 195. and in his Preface And so the Prayer of Faith and Preaching by the Spirit he is ignorant of yea Preaching by the Spirit is become a Mock and a Derision to him and his Brethren at this Day But Paul and all the Ministers of Christ Magnifie the Free Grace and Infinite Gift of the Spirit of God according to that 2 Cor. 3. saying Not
Blood of Prophets and of Saints and of all that were Slain upon the Earth Rev. 18.24 For what Spiritual Man did ever ask such a Question or rather affirm for in him his question is an Affirmation to wit That no man is able by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone to Expound one Chapter in the Bible And that there is none can solidly Vnfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never Read or Heard of or can teach the Truth or defend that Religion which he was never taught by Man Oh happy therefore are they who are come to the Everlasting Covenant of God and to know the inward Teachings and Leadings of his Holy Spirit in their Heart to lead them into all Truth according to Promise John 16. without being beholding to vain Man's Help for whereof is he to be accounted as is manifest even as a thing of naught is the best of them out of the Truth For O! How Ignorant of the Ministry of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit 's Inspiration sufficient Teaching is this R. B. who is not content to fit among the Parish-Teachers as a Fellow but even takes upon him to be a Teacher of the Teachers Yea so Ignorant and Unbelieving is he concerning the Spirit 's Power and Sufficiency in these Days that without an outward Miracle he will not believe any such thing Nay he would not have People believe for themselves that God teacheth their own Hearts unless it comes in Man's Way and by humane Study Labour and natural Means Therefore the Lord saw good for his own Glory and for the Vindication of his own Honourable and Everlasting Truth which the Hirelings had made void by their Traditions and for the absolute necessity of his own beloved Seed to restore unto us the Ancient Doctrine of the Holy Spirit 's Sufficiency in all the Work of bringing Man out of the Fall to God that the Lord the Spirit might be the first and the last yea all in all in their Salvation without Man's help for he is worthy who as he Created all things by his own alone Power and according to his good Will so he Restores all things according to the Counsel of his own Will and not of Flesh nor of Blood nor of the Will of Man as the Apostle also Speaks John 1.13 But Oh! How unlike is this Doctrine of the Apostles to R. B's for when the Apostle had said To them that received Christ to them he gave Power to become the Sons of God lest any should think as this R. B. doth that it was either by Man's Labour or Study or humane Endeavour or Art or Parts or any Natural Abilities or Helps whatsoever he saith It was not of Flesh nor of Blood nor of the Will of Man but of God And of his own Will begat he us by the Word of Truth saith that other Apostle Jam. 1.17 18. And he bids not Err as this R. B. doth to set up another Fountain or Root and that this Word of Truth is not any outward Writing Voice or any Creature John in his first Chapter tells us That in the beginning was this Word and the Word was with God and is God And his Name is called the Word of God Rev. 19.13 So this Word though it works according to the Witness of the Scripture which it gave forth freely and as it self pleaseth in the Children of Men yet it is not the Scripture For search the Scriptures or ye do search the Scriptures saith Christ that witness of me but you will not come to me that you may have Life and these were they that Paul said He bore them Record that they had a Zeal for God and Scripture but not according to Knowledge for they being Ignorant of God's Righteousness went about to Establish their own Righteousness and submitted not to God's And so even so this R. B. and many such like have a blind Zeal and a great Talk of the Scriptures without and of the Spirits Teaching by the Letter and humane Helps and the like but will not come to Christ to know him in them that they may have Life and Wisdom and Righteousness But would Establish their own which is meer Emptiness and Vanity in the sight of God and all truly Spiritual Men 1 Cor. 13.5 Rom. 10.3 And how far this R. B's Language in those other words where he saith That if any will pretend to a good Vnderstanding of the Scriptures without learning the Languages which they are written in and the Customs of those Times Countries or without much Reading and long Study of the Scriptures themselves and the Writings of them that better understand them had need of some Miracle or something like a Miracle to perswade themselves or others that they are not deceived How far I say is this Doctrine and Language in this R. B. from the Language of the Holy Men of God that writ the Scripture let the Spiritual Man who best understands all things Judge for the Holy Apostles Magnified the free Grace and the free Teachings of the Spirit of Grace and debased Man and all meer humane Helps as is said before and as the Scripture Witnesseth But this R. B. tyeth the weight and main Stress of all upon humane Learning natural Parts knowledge of Custom and Countries much Reading long Study and the like insomuch that without them Man must not look that any should believe him Nay nor he must not own God's Teaching in his own Heart without these unless seconded by some Miracle or the like But Oh the Misery thereof of such poor Souls as follow such wretched Teachers and their unsound Doctrine as I may well say And Oh! for ever Blessed are they who are brought from off such Barren Mountains into the good Fold where all the Lambs of Christ lye down in the good Pasture of the Spirit 's Fulness and walk up and down in the Light of the Lord under the Hand of the good Shepherd Christ Jesus where none can come to make afraid nor deceive for in the Light of our God we see all these false Teachers and their devouring Doctrines and by the Holy Power of God are delivered from them and made able in the overcoming Spirit of Truth to declare against them Glory to God for ever Amen Again let us review and consider in particular a little of those words of his before set down where he saith as an Argument to perswade his young Ones and Dissenters to his falsly called Humility Especially saith he If you know your Advantages for Knowledge have been less than other Men's that you are younger or that it is but a few Years since you entered upon the Study of the Scripture or that you have not any stronger Natural Parts than other Men or that you have not had that Measure of Learning which might further your Knowledge of the Holy Scripture But that others that differ from you have had much more of all these Helps and Means
the Kingdom of his own Son over all to whom every Knee shall how and every Tongue confess for he is worthy The Springs of Life gush out apace from the Presence of the Lord into the Hearts of the Righteous and Righteousness runs down like a Stream through the Valleys of Israel to bring forth the Heavenly Fruits of Righteousness to the Glory and Praise of the Great and Good Husbandman who is over all God Blessed for Ever of whose Holy Reign Kingdom and Government there never shall be end But of the Kingdom of the Man of Sin and all Antichrists there shall be an utter end and Death and Hell shall be cast into the Lake of Fire and the Judgment of the Living and Everlasting Truth of our Heavenly Father shall go forth more and more for the discovering and consuming the false Hope and lying Refuges of all Hypocrites who have covered themselves and not with the Spirit of the Lord the Zeal of the Lord of Life will perform this that his Name over all may be exalted who is worthy whose Appearance in Glory this Day the Children of the Night have greatly withstood and the Dragon hath made great War against the Lamb but praised be the Lord the Lamb hath got the Victory and the Lamb's Followers are this Day with their Feet upon the Holy Mountain where none can make them afraid rejoicing in this that they have found the Lord whom their Souls loved and do love for Evermore So be it Thomas Taylor To some of T. Hicks's Friends YE Hicks's Hearers of Tixall-hall and elsewhere who Read his Defiled and Defiling Book called A Dialogue between a Christian and a Quaker Fear the Lord God of Heaven and Earth for I do affirm in the Truth of Christ that it is a meer Work and Invention of the Wicked One in that Servant of his called T. Hicks who goes under the Name and Profession of an Anabaptist as they are termed I say this Man was put on by the Wicked One who is called the Devil and Satan who was a Lier and False Accuser of the Brethren of Christ from the beginning to Render us the Servants of the Lord called Quakers Odious to the World For the very first Words and Title of his Book is an absolute Lie for never was there such a Dialogue between a Christian and a Quaker but it is a meer Fiction of his own naughty Heart and Head for Rendring us and the Truth we hold Odious and it is a False and Wicked Representation of us and our Religion to the World for the which God will severely Judge him And indeed by this manner of way that he takes who or what kind of Profession is there that he can miss grosly to abuse Seeing he takes upon him like a Prevaricator or Stage-player both to ask the Question and give the Answer so as may serve most for his own wicked End and Purpose and make his Opposite infamous O the Wickedness of such Actors and their Work but Praised be the Lord we are out of the reach of his Malice for under the Holy Wing of God's Power and Protection are our Souls gathered by the Eternal Power of his Living Word in Christ Jesus our Lord And you that Read this Book whether called Papists or Protestants if this Hicks had a Mind to Render you Odious could he not this way he takes do it as Plausibly as against us and so I would not have you hurt your selves so as to strengthen your selves against us and the Truth which we Live in by such bad Books and Endeavours as this Hicks hath come forth in for if that your Minds stand open to receive them you will never want them for the Enemy of your Souls and ours yea of all Mankind will never be wanting to furnish you with Lies for Strengthening his Kingdom in you and hindering you from entring into the Kingdom of God And if you would know the Reason of his thus rising up against us I say it is because through the Grace of God given us we Preach the Mystery of the Kingdom of God even the Wisdom of God in a Mystery as Scripture speaks And that Striking at his carnal Conceptions of things and his Idolatrous Thoughts of outward Water-Baptism hath stirred up the Venom in him which by this his Book he hath Vented but the Lord is the Pleader of his People's Cause which is our Joy and our Armour against all the fiery Darts of all wicked Ones for the Birth Life Death Resurrection Ascention Glorification of Christ and his Coming again to us according to the Scriptures of Truth and Heavenly Promises through the Power of God to our Souls Eternal Salvation and Comfort we Witness Glory to the Lord for ever whatsoever this Book or any thing of like nature can or may say to the contrary so as Christ said to one of our Brethren in times past The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against us And so in the Peaceable Habitation of the Love of God in Christ Jesus do we lye down together with all Holy Souls and Spirits of Just Men made Perfect Hallelujah for the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth in Mount Zion and before his Ancients Gloriously And so let the Mouth of all Iniquity be stopped for ever saith my Soul Thomas Taylor Something concerning that called the Common-Prayer AND Now all People that you may see we do not without cause Cry against the Priests and deny to joyn with them in the present Common Service now in use amongst the Parish Teachers of England which you are enjoyned upon several Penalties to submit unto I shall in the strength of Truth unbowel it a little unto you that you may at least in part see the true inside of it and not be deceived with the outward Appearance any longer for the Lord is arisen in his mighty Glorious Power to scatter all those Clouds of Ignorance and Error that have long vailed and covered the Minds of People and to be himself the Teacher of his People how to Worship him For his Spirit is greatly burdened with the Manners of the People who take his Name so continually in vain as such do as are only Confessors of their Sins but never forsake them but all their Lives long doing what they should not do and so instead of lessening their Sins are daily adding Sin to Sin covering with a vain verbal unfeeling Confession of Sin but not with the Spirit of the Lord. And so in the very entrance into their Work their Foundation is seen for they manifest themselves not to be in the New Covenant of the Spirit of the God of Life but in the Old Covenant of the Letter saying The Scripture moves them to confess their manifold Sins and Trespasses But when will it be seen that the Scripture moves them to forsake them for a Confession of Sin in Words we hear amongst them but the time of forsaking them never as yet come to be seen
Pulpit in that Profession before either he or they was clearly Convinced of or Come to the Eternal Truth and awakened by the Power of God And in as much as that while he was a Publick Priest he would not Baptize his Children at the Font nor Sign them with the Sign of the Cross so that the other Priests were offended at him and upon some Discourse about it they agreed upon a Dispute to be held at Kendall Parish Steeple-house where was a very great Auditory and Three Priests appeared against him to prove Baptizing of Infants by Scripture which they could not do and he came over them all and some of the Hearers run up Kendall-street crying Mr. Taylor hath got the Day Mr. Taylor hath got the Day which Outcry grieved the Priests This was in the Year 1650. And about Two Years after George Fox came into Westmoreland and Preached the Everlasting Gospel and Power of God in the Demonstration of the Spirit of Eternal Life and many of those called Puritans was Convinced and Broken by the Power of God And the said Thomas Taylor was almost left alone it being a very great Cross to become a Fool to the World and lose his Benefit his Wife being a pretty high Woman having Six young Children and nothing else to live on yet he gave up all laying aside all superfluity of Naughtiness and received with Meekness the Ingrafted Word which is able to save the Soul and sanctifie throughout in Body Soul and Spirit And shortly after Margaret his Wife was Convinced and laid aside all her finery of Apparel and trusted Providence for a Livelihood for her self and small Children and became a very good Friend and kept the Faith and laid down her Head in Peace in the Town of Stafford a Year or more after her Dear Husband Died who Died and was Buried in the same Town of Stafford So Thomas Taylor having received the Truth of God in the Love of it and denied himself in all things for the sake of it in a short time he had his Mouth opened by the Opening and Inspiration of the Word of Life by which his Soul was then quickened and he concerned in the Motion of God and Authority of his Name to describe the Darkness of the Parish Hirelings so that they rose up against him and by the Aid of the then Unbelieving Magistrates got him to Prison in Appleby Goal where he grew in the Knowledge of God and Government of Christ Jesus and after he was released out of Prison Travelled abroad and was a Living Instrument in the Hand of the Lord to the Convincing of many And he being a Man full of Zeal and Integrity and being filled with the Spirit was always in Truth 's Service that when he had been going on the Road he commonly had a Word of Caution to Professor and Prophane and some of his Old Hearers who did not receive Truth I have seen him speak to them on the Market-day in Kendall street and sometime go to their Houses to exhort admonish and reprove as the Lord directed or if he had been Travelling on the High-way and seeing Boys playing on the First Day in the Summer-time and their Barents or Old People sitting besides them he would Preach to them so that he was always concerned for God's Glory and Truth 's Praise and Propagating of his Glorious Gospel of Peace He was a Man I loved when he was a Priest and more abundantly when he was a Gospel Preacher He was a Comely Man of Person Fair and Ruddy his Hair Gray before he Died being of a Good Old Age. I was at his Funeral in the Town of Stafford where was divers Hundreds of People and I was concerned in Testimony in the Lord's Power among them And though it had been a dark Persecuting Town â—et divers of the Priest's Hearers being his Neighbours whose Children he had Taught in the Prison they did there give their Testimonies and said He was a good Man and his Words and Counsel they believed should never be forgot and further said They had not such another to Bury in the Town of Stafford And as he Lived Honestly he Died Honourably yea even in the Lord and his good Works follows him the Reward whereof he is in the Possession of a Life that 's Everlasting out of the reach of his Adversaries Robert Barrow London the 9th of the 11th Month 1690 â— William Fallowfield's TESTIMONY Concerning Thomas Taylor THis short Testimony is with me to give concerning Thomas Taylor having good knowledge of him that he was a Man of a harmless Life and Conversation in which he was a good Savour his Conversation confirming his Doctrine God had undoubtedly indued him with Patience and had committed to him a Dispensation of the Gospel which he was both a Preacher of and a great Sufferer for his Patience in his Sufferings manifested his Christianity he never sought his Liberty by any indirect Means but waited patiently till the Lord effected it and when at Liberty he Travelled much abroad and Laboured much for Truth 's Prosperity God that called him did in all things fit him for that Work in which he imployed him and his Labour therein was very Effectual both for the Comforting and Establishing those already Convinced as also for the Convincing of many as many Living Witnesses that he hath left behind can Testifie also the stopping of the Mouths of many Opposers He had a Word of Counsel to the Weak and Feeble and a sharp Reprover of Disobedient Loose-minded ones he was altogether Accomplished for that Work whereunto his Lord called him And what shall I say but that I have Dear Unity with that Spirit that he was acted by and doth see him in that which is Immutable his Bow was always bent and retained its strength his Arrows were sharp and often pierced the Uncircumcised and as one well skilled he mist not his Mark the Churches amongst whom he was Conversant wants him for he was a Faithful Labourer in his Day he sought not his own but others good walking according to the Example of him that called him in which he was fervent and diligent Preaching the Word both in Season and out of Season and though he be taken from us as to Visibility yet his Life and Memory lives with us several sweet Expressions came from him in the time of his Illness and was very sweetly kept in that time of his Weakness he lay ill not long though for a considerable time an Indisposition of Body did attend him yet his Love and Good-will was such to the Truth that as one striving against his Distemper he kept not his Chamber long but went to Meetings and visited Friends but at last it prevailed over him and brought him to his Bed where he Died the 18th of the First Month 1681. in the Sixty-fifth Year of â—is Age I had Dear Unity with him and with those good savoury Expressions that proceeded from him which tended
agree to set at naught The living Virtue by which Saints are taught And so at large the wicked Mind is left In Vnbeliâ—vers to make up by theft And stealth in their out-side and vain Profession What they of Truth do want in true Possession But Babes of Zion feed upon that Bread The real Substance Jesus Christ their Head Which came from Heaven and thither hath them led With him to rest in his Eternal Bâ—d They feed upon him in the Mistery Hid from the Raven and the Vulters Eye For where the Body is the Saints Resort And there are kept secure as in a Fort Of Brass or Iron where the Table 's Ready All day full fraught with Dainties for the Needy Yea for the Needy and the Hungry Soul To take and freely Feed without Controul When false prophane Professors in the double Mind Much seem and dream they Eat but all 's but Air and Wind. Of Prayers WHen as a tuned Instrument my Mind is in the Lord Well set and with his Power Assist O then I can Record The mighty Acts and wonders great of him that Rules on High And of his great Magnificence from whom the Heavens do fly And Earth also when he is pleased to make his Power known In Mercies and in Judgments deep for such as are his own When â—â—e an Arm of Help doth reach unto the needy Soul When he the daring Power of the Enemy doth Controul O then I say what Treasure can before his Presence stand Before his Glorious Face who is the Lord of Sea and Land Where Kings and Princes are as Dust and nothing in his sight Yea all who in their carnal Minds against his Glory fight Yet he doth make his Residence with every humble Heart That loves his Name and from his Truth by no means can depart His presence is their perfect stay and they in him can say He is our Rock that nothing shall our Spirits much dismay Yea though our Troubles for a Night or so upon us lye Yet in the Morning we are Saved as we to him did cry So be it Concerning ZION IF I Jerusalem forget a People sav'd from Pride Then let my Skilful Hand forget the warbling Harp to guide And if Mount Zion in my Joy I do not still set up Then let my Tongue cleave to my Mouth and taste of Sorrows Cup. said David So shall the Seed of David now in Heart and Pen endeavour The Praise of Zion to Record and of her God for ever And Blessed are those Men on Earth that with us now take part In this our Work of Innocence when all the rest must smart For how can Israel 's Kingdom be the Portion of such Wights As will not have God's Truth to Raign but still against it Fights The Life more than Cloaths and Meat O Lord God my Life is in thy Service and my Soul 's Everlasting Peace and Satisfaction in thy Love all the Things of this World are of an empty fading Nature and yield not the least true Content unto the Immortal Soul but only answer a Mortal Necessity as the Apostle saith Meat 's for the Belly and the Belly for Meats but God will destroy both iâ— and them so Cloaths for the Back and the Back for Cloaths but God will destroy both it and them and so for other things of the World they serve but only for Worldly and Temporal Necessities but now Man made in the Image of God breaths after a more Excellent Good than this World hath to give for in the Soul which is Mortal there abides an Immortal Desire and from that an Immortal Cry after that Holy and Heavenly Food of Life which is in the full Hand of God to give and so when that is received and digested in the pure Mind then goes forth Praises and Thanksgivings to the Lord the pure and fall Fountain of all Everlasting and Eternal good Things and so happy they who come through the Obedience of the Truth to have their Hearts seasoned with this Heavenly Salt of the Word of God the Living Word which abides for Ever For in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and that Word was God and is the Lise and Light of Man and all places in Man which is not filled with this Living Light is full of Darkness and the dark places of the Earth are full of the Habitations of Unrighteousness and Cruelty and there is engendred all the Ravenous Birds and Beasts of Prey all the fiery stinging Serpents and every Venemous Thing which annoys hurts and disquiets the Living Plant which God hath planted in the Paradise of his Pleasure and seeks to devour the Man-child as soon as it is Born but into the Arms of the Eternal Power of Life is the Babe taken and by the Choicest Angel is the Plant watered and defended and so the wicked is disappointed of his Prey and therefore doth he retreat into his Den of Darkness gnawing his Tongue because of his Plagues So be it O Lord our Strength and mighty Joy How Glorious is thy Name within our Hearts We cannot cease to Preach thy Truth Though for it at us Satan shoot his Darts Though Hell be broken loose upon the Earth To vent its Malice for a little time And make the Righteous Man his Butt to shoot at Yet God will Plague them for their mighty Crime The greatness of their Evil passeth thought Their Sins in number far exceeds the Sand And therefore will the Lord against them plead With all his Judgments in his Wrathful Hand And though great Trials be to try the Faith Of pure and upright hearted People now Yet that pure holy Power will us defend Who makes the very Devils fear and bow To the Unsatiable Devourers of Strong Drink WHat Hellish Spark is that in your Inflamed Brest Which neither suffer's God nor Man to Rest But doth disorder even the whole Creation Bringing God's Judgments thick on every Nation Ye will not hear nor learn the thing that 's good But eat and drink up Sin your daily Food Be filthy still ye filthy Ones and when Your Measure is full your dreadful Doom comes then Thomas Taylor HE that to Glory would attain And many Happy Days would see His Tongue from Evil must refrain And eke his Heart from Sin keep free He must both watch and ward in Heart And persevere in that good deed Lest Satan wound him with his Dart As he doth all that take not heed Such must not promise to themselves Great things on Earth as Sinners do Who build and plant and root therein As from it they would never go But he that to the Heavens would come To dwell in that which never fades Must not in the World set up his Rest Nor shelter under Mortal shades TO MY Dear Friends every where O My Friends and Faithful to God whose Hearts are Tender and Zealous after the Lord and his Honour in this day of the Tryal of our most
much longer for it is a very fearful thing for thee thus in thy Sins to fall into the Hands of the Living God So whilst thou hast time prize it and say not within thy self that thou shalt have Peace though thou continue in this thy Hard-heartedness for certainly there is no Peace from the Holy Just and Merciful God to any abiding in the Paths thou walkest in So if thou hast an Ear hear what the Spirit of Truth saith unto thee in his Servant Thomas Taylor To those that Rejoyce in Bells and Bonefires WO Wo from the Lord to this Heathenish manner of Rejoycing with Bells and Bonefires Have you not learned it from those Wicked People called Papists for Deliverance from whom you seem to Rejoyce And so instead of honouring God with your Mirth you greatly grieve and burden his good Spirit And therefore your â—ins remain and Judgment after Judgment still waits for you until you turn to God with your Hearts which yet to this day you have not done O People of Stafford and of all England who delight in such vain things yea though Mercy after Mercy you have been tried with yet still you are doing what you should not do and leaving undone what God wills you to do and so indeed have no Spiritual Health or Soundness in you but all full of Putrifying Sores you are and so unfit to enter God's Holy and Heavenly Temple And that which makes your Wound uncurable you cannot endure to have your Wounds searched to the bottom but such as can dawâ— you over with their untempered Mortar and call you good People and good Christians when your Lives loudly witness the contrary those you account your Friends And therefore will the Lord judge you according to your Deeds and according to the Fruit of your Doings will he reward you if you speedily return not to him with your whole Heart for a short Work will God make upon the Earth when neither one Name nor another nor one Profession nor another shall be able to hide the Wicked from his Stroke for it 's in the Truth it self as Truth is in Jesus that the safe Hiding-place will be and â—o where else as saith his good Spirit in his Servant Thomas Taylor To them that plays the Fool upon the Stage THOU that plays the Foolish Man upon the Stage and invents all the Lyes and vain things that ever thou canst to move Laughter in the Rude Multitude which is Madness as Solomon speaks and all this for filthy Lucre I demand of thee whether thou believest that there is a God that will call into Judgment all Mens Words and Deeds yea to the very Thoughts and Intents of the Heart and whether Christ's words are true which say that for every idle word that Men shall speak they must give account thereof in the Day of Judgment And if this be true as most true it is then how wilt thou stand in thy multitude of vain idle unclean and corrupting words before the Righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth whose Wrath is kindled against all such as have even thus sold themselves to do Iniquity And his Judgment is near and the Judge even at the Door therefore in love to thy Soul I write this that if possible thou mayst repent and not Perish Eternally O ye People whose Eyes are abroad and whose Minds are in the Vanities of this World wandered from the Lord How can ye behold such Men as these doing such Foolish things upon the Stage without all fear of God and care what any one that fears God can say against them and yet profess themselves to be Christians How can ye forbear to reprove them Doth not the Apostle say to Christians Have no Fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness but rather reprove them And this is a Work of gross Darkness for People to profess Christ to do these Deeds of the Heathen who said their Tongues was their own and they may use them at their pleasure But God will call into Judgment every vile vain and unclean Word and account must Men give for them and then Wo to the Wicked and all that love Lyes and such vain Inventions as this Foolish Man upon the Stage for filthy Lucre doth practice So People fear God and repent of your Deeds for the Lord God is at the Door ready to judge the present evil World for all their Iniquities Thomas Taylor Against Mass-Times WO to this degenerate World of People called Christians What shall be said concerning you and who shall declare your Misery For as you have multiplied your Transgressions as the Sand of the Sea so will the Lord multiply his Judgments and Plagues upon you for you have violated the Laws and broken down the Bond of that everlasting Covenant that should have redeemed and kept your Souls to God and you have wholly suffered the Spirit of this wicked World to carry you away Captive by Millions and Multitudes into the Land of Darkness and Wickedness which is Spiritually called Sodom and Egypt where our Lord was Crucified and is at this day trodden under foot by you where the Abominations of the Heathen and Superstitions of the Jews are kept up by you and practiced in the face of the Sun and many of them held up by force of a Law and such as depart from the Iniquities thereof even become a Prey to you So that the Lord hath dashed you together for many Generations like a Pot-sheard one against another and will yet dash you together for your great Iniquities and grievous Idolatries and will raise up his Plant of Renown from amongst you and become the Teacher of his People himself and they shall no more be a Prey to the Teeth of the Dragon Wolf nor Fox but shall feed in the good Pasture as in the beginning before Antichrist was and the Temples of Antichrist with the False Worships therein shall be a Desolation for evermore Wo Wo to all ye observers of Mass times and Tides and Seasons of the Year wherein the Spirit of this wicked World which is called Satan God's Adversary and Antichrist Christ's Enemy sets you at liberty to do all those Evils and abominable Works wherewith the Spirit of the Holy Lord God that made you is so much burdened and gâ—ieved from one end of the Year unto the other so that he can smell no sweet Smell in any of your Sacrifices that you offer up unto him because of the gross Darkness of your willfully deceived Hearts and the great Filthiness of your polluted Hands O how the Lord and his good Spirit in all is pressed under the weight of your Iniquities as a Cart under her Sheaves And therefore hath the Lord rejected your Confidence and called you Loruhamah not Beloved and Loammi not his People for as the Plant of a degenerate Vine are you to him a Field over-grown with Weeds and your Spot is not the Spot of his People and therefore into the great Captivity are
Yea is the Yea and the Nay is the Nay Such I say of you who found the Bill and brought in the Verdict as it is called against me for a Disturber of the Peace because in Obedience to God I witnessed against Deceipt publickly amongst you Consider Do you know what you have done Do you know what Verdict signifies a Verdict sounds in your Language as much as a true Saying or conclusion upon consideration of things in question and is yours brought in against me so to that of God in all your Consciences I speak which if you had taken Counsel at and not your own Wills you would not have called Good Evil nor brought in your own words against the Innocent for by judging this which was done in me to be a Crime do you not condemn the Holy Men of God mentioned in Scripture who were often commanded of God both contrary to their own Wills and the Wills of all the World to declare against the Sins both of Priests Rulers and People in the most publick Places and greatest Meetings yea and most solemn Assemblies as you may read in Scripture and by this your Judgment do you net justifie those in those Days who Persecuted the Prophets and Holy Men of God for their Witness sake and so do what in you lies to bring the Judgments of God upon your own Heads as those in those Days did who took Counsel and not at the Spirit of God So consider what I say and make your Peace with God for it is your own Sins and not the words that were spoken through me which have disturbed it and broken it and do no more so wickedly for the Day of the Lord is upon all the Unrighteous of the World and in him have I Peace who breaks no Peace but that of the Wicked whose Peace God will break for ever and so you having time prize it for this is the Day of your Visitation and a warning to all your Souls rests Thomas Taylor From Appleby Goal And further consider how durst you say or how dare you say that what was done by me was done maliciously and wilfully is there no fear of God abiding in your Hearts Awake awake to Righteousness for herein you have not done according to the knowiedge of God I speak this to your Shame To Judges and Rulers HEar O Judges and Rulers and hearken O all People the Lord hath a Controversie with you your Teachers have deceived you and you that have followed them are destroyed You are full of Strifes and Debates your Iniquities are increased your Assizes are full your Fat overflows your Pride and Vain-glory with your Profession is grown high and in the open Sun are these things manifest and you are grown a heavy Burden so that the pure God will speedily ease himself of you for the Soul of the Righteous is grieved with hearing and seeing what is daily done amongst you Therefore while you have time all prize it for this is the day of your Visitation and in this day shall no Hypocrite nor Worker of Iniquity be able to stand As witnesseth the Spirit of the Lord God in and by his Servant Thomas Taylor A Testimony of Truth MANY are the Enemies of the Glory of Christ in this his day who through their wilful and affected Ignorance would set up a Faith in the People that purifies not their Hearts to God nor presents them Spotless and without Sin in his sight carrying the poor People in hand that they may be Christians and abide in Christ though they Sin and do Evil directly contrary to the plain Doctrine of the Scripture 1 John 3.3 6 7 8 9. which John saith And ye to wit the Brethren know that he to wit Christ was manifested to take away our Sins and in him is no Sin Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him nor known him And amongst these Enemies of Christ's Kingdom and Glory are found even many who highly profess him in words who therefore would be accounted better than others yet upon true Search and Tryal are as Ignorant of the Mystery of God and Christ as any as was yester day manifest by two of their Teachers one whereof affirmed That even the Perfection wrought by or in Christ was not Sinless And the other denying and going about with all his might to prove That this plain Scripture here set down must not be understood literally as it speaks nor that other Verse 9. of this forementioned Chapter which saith Whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot Sin because he is born of God But it must saith he be understood some other way than the letter speaks otherwise saith he it would make People go out of their Wits What none born of God that Sins Can People live and not Sin or to this purpose I will bring a Scripture saith he to prove That these words of John have some other meaning and not to be understood literally as they speak Yet H. Osland in one of his Papers says They follow the Lamb in all his ways Which Profession of his though it be most False as is manifest yet from his words I demand Whether such as follows the Lamb in all his ways or whithersoever he goes do Sin Yea or Nay Is not the Lamb's way undefiled And they that walk in that way are undefiled are they not Are not these the Called and Faithful and Chosen And then he turned to the Book of Ecclesiastes Chap. 9.3 which saith Yea also the heart of the Sons of Men is full of Evil and Madness is in their heart while they live and after that they go to the Dead To which was answered This shews only the State of Man by Nature in the Fall and so under the Law and Curse and doth not at all concern the Gospel-Dispensation which Ministers Righteousness and Life to the Soul and gives a new clean and wise Heart according to the Blessed Promise that saith I will give them a new Heart and Circumcise their Hearts that they may sear me saith God According to that blessed Doctrine of the Apostles which saith To such as really believed in-Christ and so were not under the Law but under Grace ye are God's Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works which God hath ordained you shall walk in them What will this Contender go on in his Blindness Blaspheming and saying That Madness is in the Hearts of these while they live and that these new Creatures in Christ Jesus are full of Evil in their Hearts while they live and so go to the Dead O Sad that ever such should take upon them to be Teachers of others and be so Ignorant of the Gospel-Mystery themselves And therefore Woful and Miserable must needs the Condition of all such be that follow them for as Christ said If the Blind lead the Blind they must both fall into the Ditch and in
which sets the Soul free from all Sin for how should People ever come to the Knowledge of the Truth by following such Teachers as are out of the Truth For if the Blind lead the Blind must they not both fall into the Ditch Also seeing you profess the Scripture and not unwritten Traditions to be your Rule and would have People to believe that what you do is according to Scripture therefore it 's demanded in a few words further 1. What Scripture have you for your Sprinkling of Infants and Signing them with the Sign of the Cross and telling People That thereby they are made Members of Christ Children of God and Inheriters of the Kingdom of Heaven when in your own Catechism in Contradiction to your Practice you teach That Children by reason of their Infancy or tender Years then cannot perform the Requests of Baptism to uit Faith and Repentance 2. And what Scripture have you for your Sureties so called which you most unscripturally call the Childrens God fathers and God-mothers which you pretend to make up the Defect in the Infants by and for putting these Pretended Sureties upon such bold Undertakings and unadvised Promisings of that for the Child which they never yet did for themselves nor indeed have Faith to believe that so great Works can be done in any upon Earth to wit To forsake the Devil and all his Works c. seeing that such generally held That none can live without Sin Is not Sin the Devil's Work Yea yea And is there any Undertaker for Man to God-ward but Christ And was there any Surety betwixt God and Man but Christ only who saith Without me ye can do nothing So then this evil Custom of your undertaking being derogatory to the Honour of Christ Who can say that God hath required it at your Hands But if you will yet plead for it shew us your Scripture for it if you would be esteemed to act as Protestants and not as Papists and to own Scripture above Mens Inventions and Traditions 3. Also what Scripture have you for your Surplice Canonical Coats Typpets c. and for wearing Black rather than other Colours seeing the Apostle blamed such as placed Religion in Days Meats and the like surely he would not agree with such as place their Religion in Garments and Colours Blessed be the Lord whose Day is dawned which makes all things manifest and none will hate the Light of it but Evil-doers 4. And what Scripture have you for your Tithes Easter-Reckonings Mortuaries and the like now under the Gospel and for your Laws which you call Spiritual to compel the People to pay you them seeing Christ is come the End of that Levitical Priesthood under whiâ—h Tithes were payable by Law 5. What Scripture have you who profess your selves to be Christians for your Swearing Swearing in your Courts so called Swearing in your Spiritual Courts 〈◊〉 The poor People called Câ—uâ—eâ—-Wardâ—ns grâ—â—an under the Burden of this evil Custom O this is far from following Christ who said and saith unto his Swear not at all but you are grown to that pass that you cannot trust one another without Swearing no not in your Church-matters Is not this a Fruit of Apostacy and departing from that ancient Faith which was once delivered to the Saints 6. And what Scripture have you for giving David's Prayers Prophecyings Roarings Quakings Tremblings and Confessions in Rhyme and Meeter to the World to sing who are of another Spirit than David was and so utterly unacquainted with David's Conditions and so instead of singing with the Spirit and Understanding as the ancient Christians did you sing in a Form without the Power thereby not honouring but rather dishonouring the Lord who is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and Truth 7. And what Scripture have you for teaching People to worship one another and for your Ring in Marriage where you teach them to say With this Ring I thee Wed and with my Body I thee worship Is not God alone to be worshipped How then are such to be accounted Christian Ministers who abide not in Doctrine 2 John 9. And lastly seeing you pretend to be Christ's Ministers and so God's Free-men I ask you these few plain Questions further Gal. 1.10 viz. 1. Why do you limit your selves or suffer others to limit you to such and such Forms of Words and Gestures and Apparel as is in Use amongst you in all your Services Is it from any Excellency you see in those Words or Forms more than in any other Or is it because you are so weak of Judgment or brittle of Memory as that you can do little without Book Or is it not rather for filthy Lucre sake you are willing to be soâ—ty'd because you know that without Conformity to the Wills of the great Ones in this Matter you can get no Power to compel Peoples earthly things from them O what will not the Love of Money compel covetous-minded People unto 2 Tim. 6.10 11. 2. What is that makes you go to the Bishop rather than any other Man or Men for Ordination as you you call it Is it because you know or believe that he is more Holy than any other Or hath more Power to confer any Spiritual Gift upon you by Imposition of his Hands more than any other If you say he hath where had he it And wherein doth it appear Or is it not rather that you go now to the Bishop for Ordination as you or your Brethren went formerly to the Classical Presbytery so called in Oliver's time because this is the Way now as the other was formerly to impower you to come into Parishes and be their Teachers and command their earthly things from them by Force whether you do any Spiritual Work for them or no Yea from such as in the Lord's Light see you to be no Ministers of the Spirit and therefore not able to minister Spiritual things and therefore deny you Oh that ever such a thing should be among such as profess to be Gospel Ministers 3. Whether do you believe that all things in the Church ought to be done and spoken in the alone Power and Spirit of the Lord Jesus And if so then how can you expect but that God will overturn overturn all Things until he to wit the Lord Jesus Christ to whom all Power in Heaven and Earth is given comes to rule in all and over all to whom of Right it belongs So be it And what is the Cause that you are so dark in your Minds as concerning the Mystery of Christ's Kingdom and the Spiritual Saving Power thereof if it be not that mentioned in the third Chapter of Micah's Prophecy verse 5 6 7. where it is written Thus saith the Lord concerning the Prophets that make my People err that bite with their Teeth and cry Peace and he that putteth not into their Mouths they even prepare War against him therefore Night shall be unto you that you shall not have
that we are sufficient of our selves to think a good Thought but our Ability is of God who hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter kills but the Spirit gives Life And that which the Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor hath entred into the Heart of Man or Humane Heart to conceive hath God reveal'd to us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the Deep Things of God and which Things we Preach or Speak not in the words which Man 's or Humane Wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual 1 Cor. 2. But this R. B. comparing Spiritual Things with Carnal is not wise who because Old Men and long Students in Arts and worldly Sciences are most Wise or likely to be so therefore they that Labour and Study most in Books of Divinity so call'd get most of the Spirit 's Teaching O sad that ever the Minds of the Children of Men should be so cover'd with Darkness and yet read the Scripture of Truth which witnesses to no one thing more than to the Free Teachings of the Spirit of God without Humane Helps For all the Help that is Humane or that Man who is ab humo that is from the Earth can afford is but Natural and of this World which comes to nought therefore is it said That none of the Princes that is the Chief Men of this World knew the Mystery of Christ and his Kingdom then which made them so Band against him see the 2d Psalm And the Natural Man with all his Natural Means discerns not the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discern'd So every one that would know the Mind of the Spirit of God must come to feel through the Most Holy Faith a measure of it in themselves For after ye believ'd ye were Seal'd with the Spirit of Promise saith Paul And the Word is nigh thee even in thy Heart and Mouth O thou that hast an Ear to hear hear what the Spirit speaks even the Word of Faith which we Preach Therefore go not forth from the Anointing of God in thy Heart to hear the frothy and false Doctrine of such as R. B. who have run and set up themselves by their Humane Helps in the Place of Teachers and God never sent them and therefore they cannot profit the People at all but lead them about like silly Women laden with divers Sins and Lusts yea in their Prayers and best Performances as is manifest and so not being sent and enabled by God's Spirit they can never lead you to it but from it as is manifest Also R. B. in Page 6. before-mention'd saith The Objection hath much Confusion in it And how proves he that But by saying 1. It confoundeth the Spirit 's teaching us by inditing the Scripture with the Spirit 's teaching us the meaning of the Scriptures 2. And it confoundeth the Common Knowledge of Divinity with the Saving Knowledge of it No Man cometh to a Common Knowledge fit for a Teacher of others without the Spirit 's teaching by the Scriptures for that was the first part of the Spirit 's teaching us to inspire the Prophets and Apostles to deliver a Teaching Word to the Churches by which we might all be taught of God through all Generations But many Men have Excellent Common Knowledge by this Word and by the Common Help of the Spirit without that Special Help which begetteth Saving Knowledge And all Knowledge requireth Time and Labour to obtain it though the Spirit giveth it and though it may be sanctified to us in a little time but that may be a means of saving others which saveth not the Man that hath it And in Page 114. farther saith Take them not for no Ministers that want Grace totally And marvel not that Gifts are more necessary to the validity of Ministration than Grace is he may perform the Office of a Minister to the Benefit of the Church that hath no Saving Grace at all Thus far R. B. O! What Sorcery and Egyptian-darkness is here to make void the New Covenant and Free Gracious Teachings of the Spirit of God in these Days and to Establish the Letter in the room and stead thereof which only witnesses to is and is a Declaration concerning what the Spirit of God did in them and in the World before Christ's coming in the Flesh and what was done during his being in it and what the Spirit would do in the Believing Souls and in the World after that time But this the Hirelings do that they by their trading with and giving their false meanings upon the Scriptures they may keep the People in Blindness and so from the Anointing and Teaching and Enjoyment of that Spirit that was in them that gave forth Scriptures that they may not see their deceitful Doctrines and Merchandizes lest they should buy no more of them For no Man that knows the badness of Babylon will buy them any more and then will the Merchants of Souls mourn For they that know the Lord and his Spirit 's Teaching in them which is the Good Old Way yea and the ever New Fresh Profitable and Living VVAY will follow no more such Men as would bring in and establish a Graceless Ministry as this R. B. doth here to his Shame But such Graceless Priests the Lord will have none of nor his People neither For my Sheep hear my Voice saith Christ and a stranger they will not hear Surely a Graceless Man is this Stranger They to wit graceless Men saith John 1 Epist 4. are of the World and the World hear them we are of God Stewards of the manifold Grace of God 1 Pet. 4.10 And they that are of God hear us And so Ever Bless'd and Prais'd be the Great and Glorious Name of the Lord Jesus who hath restor'd to them that Obey him the Glorious Doctrine of the Spirit 's Teaching as was in the Apostles Days according to his true Promise where all in the Truth of which we the People of God in Scorn call'd Quakers are Members is done in and by the Holy Spirit prais'd be God and nothing own'd amongst us but what is so done Here is Praying in and by the Spirit and Preaching in and by the Spirit and Singing in and by the Spirit of our Holy Lord God and so the Head being Spiritual and the Members of the Body every one Spiritual for we are all Baptized by one Holy Spirit into the one Heavenly Body our Food is also Spiritual Heavenly Bread and Heavenly Wine and the Water Spiritual that sanctifies us and makâ—s us clean to God in all our Sacrifices and Services For Christ gave himself for his Church which is his Body that he might wash it and present it spotless to himself and without all Deformity by the washing of Water even the Water of Life in the Word of Life the Creating Word of the
is all and Christ suffered to have no Rule But those mine Enemies saith Christ that would not that I should Rule bring them and slay them before my Face But what sottishness is this in R. B. to ask such a Question as this when himself confessed in the very last words before it That none are so forward to Preach as these same Men that cry down Mens Teaching VVhereby it plainly appears that we do not deny God's Teachings and the Spirit 's Good and Gracious Gifts freely given for the edifying and building up of the Body of Christ till we all come to a perfect Man to the measure and statutre of the fulness of Christ no more than the Apostle did Ephes 4.11 c. but that which we cry down is that Antichristian Spirit in R. B. and all such Men as by setting up Self and Flesh would draw from Christ and his Teachings in Spirit to look at them and their Painted Words and Love-killing Doctrines who are this Day Goliah-like come forth to defie the Armies of the Living God but the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands shall dash them and their Images all to pieces Glory to the Lord for Ever And though they with their Humane or Earthly Spirit and Sorceries withstand the Truth and Spirit thereof as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses when he was about to call Israel out of Egypt yet as their Folly was soon seen so are these and they shall not proceed far but Israel out of Egypt shall go and those Faithful Ones that are escaped shall they not with all their Inchantments bring back again into Egypt Glory to the Lord for Ever Amen But wouldst thou indeed know O vain Man R. B. for what the Apostles who had Ability to Preach without Man's help were sent forth Then thou may'st know it was to reprove such as thâ—e that would limit God to vain Man's Help and to call his People from amongst you who lay heavy Burdens on Mens Shoulders but will not touch them with one of your Fingers it is even so But whereas thou addest and said Those are taught of God who are taught by those who are sent of God to be their Teachers it plainly shews the numerous Company thou boasts of who believe thee are not taught of God for thy Doctrine already mentioned shews most plainly that thou wast never sent of God for never did any whom God sent set themselves against the Free and Gracious Teaching and Gifts of God's Spirit to Establish Humane Helps as thou dost But as if that which thou hast said were nothing thou addest Page 8. Advise with the Experience of all the World who was the Man that ever you knew able to Expound one Chapter in the Bible by the inward Teachings of the Spirit alone without any Labour of his own or Help from others by Voice or Writing Where dwelleth the Man who by meer Inspiration can turn one Chapter out of the Hebrew or Greek into the Vulgar Tongue And where is the Man that can solidly unfold any Doctrine of Divinity which he never read or heard of or can Teach that Truth and deny that Religion which he was never taught by Man And afterwards in his Second Direction and Page 16. having led his wretched Disciples into a Labyrinth or Mist of words about their Uncertainties in their Matters of Knowledge and having advised them to Humility as he calls it or not to think too highly of their own Knowledge he there adds and says in that 16th Page especially If you know your Advantages for Knowledge have been less than other Mens that you are young or that it is but a few Years since you entred upon the Study of the Scriptures or that you have not any stronger Natural Parts than other Men that you have not had that Measure of Learning which might further your Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures but that others that differ from you have had much more of all these Helps and Means than you and have Prayed more and Meditated more c. And in Page 17. in his Answer to an Objection which is That the Learnedst Men are not always the Wisest in the Matters of Religion he saith many Men are learned in the Languages and Sciences who are not learned in the Scripture because they applied not their Studies that way and many Men are learned in the Scriptures and Sacred Languages who yet live in Sin though they are able to Teach the Truth for others Here by the way all may take notice what a False Teacher this R. B. is who is not ashamed to say That Man that lives in Sin may Teach the Truth for others for such as live in Sin neither know the Truth which is Christ nor have seen him as John's first Epist Chap 3. expresly saith but this R. B. goeth on and saith But those that well understand the Scriptures without learning the Languages which they are written in and the Customs of those Times and Countries or without much reading and long Study of the Scriptures themselves and the Writings of them that better understand them are so few if any at all that if you will pretend to be one of them you had need of some Miracle or something like a Miracle to make your selves or others believe that you are not deceived I might here add his other false Doctrines immediately following these in that his Book as his Answer to an Objection there set down against Singularity or so the Objection is this The greater Number are not always in the Right therefore why should my Singularity discourage me But because his Answer hath a pretty many words in it I refer it to another place and to what he hath already said do Answer and say in breif thus First That as by his other words so also by these it is most manifest from what Fountain this R. B's knowledge hath proceeded to wit not from the Inspiration of the Eternal Spirit which gave forth Scripture but from his own Earthly or Natural Spirit and Humane Industry and Studies and Trading in Books and Letters without him from which earthly or humane Spirit and Wisdom hath not come nor possible ever can come to any the right Meaning and Understanding of Holy Scripture as such as he would have it For the natural Man as the Apostle saith perceiveth not the things that be of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 But all false Visions and lying Divinations have ever come from that earthly Spirit and all the cruel Wrestings of the Holy Scriptures from the beginning to this Day have proceeded from it to the miserable and woful Undoing of the Generality of that People called Christendom as also the Blood-sheds and all the cruel Usage of Spiritual-minded Men for their pure Conscience Sake have issued from that Fountain of the Earthly Spirits and the false Births thereof from the beginning and that great Whore found Guilty of all for in her was found the
And as for the danger the Apostle reasoneth in his Epistle to the Hebrews quite contrary to this T. H. for saith the Apostle Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him to wit Christ that speaketh for if they escaped noâ— that refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven Also see Heb. 2.1 c. See what thou hast chosen Tho. Hall How thou hast chosen the Earthly before the Heavenly the Killing Letter before the Heavenly Spirit of the Lord Jesus which giveth Life and the Shadowing Law of the Servant before the Living Law of the Master Jesus Christ who was counted worthy of more Glory than Moses in as much as he that Builded the House is more worthy than the House See Heb. 3.3 But when we say that Moses's Law is a killing Letter and made nothing perfect this T. Hall like a wicked Man is ready to cry out of us as though we broached some new or strange Doctrine when as it is no other than the plain downright Doctrine of the Holy Apostles and Servants of the Lord Jesus set down in Scripture as you may read without our adding or diminishing any thing at all And to this purpose see 2 Cor. 3. where are these words Verse 6 c. Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life But if the Ministration of Death written and engraven in Stones was glorious Mark this though he calls the Law glorious in its time yet he calls it the Ministration of Death so that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the Glory of his Countenance which Glory was to be done away How shall not the Ministration of the Spirit be rather Glorious For if the Ministration of Condemnation be Glory much more doth the Ministration of Righteousness exceed in Glory For even that which was made glorious had no Glory in this respect by reason of the Glory that excelleth For 〈◊〉 that which is done away was glorious much more that which remaineth is glorious Seeing then that we have such hope we use great plainness of Speech And not as Moses which put a Vail over his Face that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished But their Minds were blinded For until this day remaineth the same Vail untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament which Vail is done away in Christ But even unto this day when Moses is read the Vail is upon their Heart Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord the Vail shall be taken away Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty But we all with open face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Here this T. Hall might as well have condemned Paul as us for I say that here is more spoken for a Jewish Spirit to catch at than in our Writings for I say nothing comparable to this can be brought out of our Writings for a seeming denial and making void of Moses's Law for here he calls it not only a killing Letter but even a Ministration of Death and Condemnation done away and abolished and never able to remove the Vail of the Heart from any in reading of it And so whereas this Hall is used to bring Psal 19 4 7 c. for establishing his Dreams about Moses's Law where it is said The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul He might easily see it was not Moses's Letter Ministration or Law which Paul here says was Kâ—lling and Condemning to all that came under it to get Life by it But David speaks there of the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus which opened the blind Eyes of his Mind and wrought the Holy Fear of God in his Heart and so converted his straying Soul to follow the Lord through Faith in his Name as it is with the Faithful at this day as the Apostle saith Rom. 8.1 c. There is now therefore no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath set me free from the Law of Sin and Death For that which the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh Christ doth in us and for us And that the Law of Moses made nothing perfect it is the Apostles express words also Heb. 7.18 19. For there is verily a disanulling of the Commandment going before that is as he reasons all along in this Chapter the Law of Moses in the Letter for the Weakness and Vnprofitableness of it suitable to that before mentioned in Rom. 8.3 For the Law made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope did by which we draw nigh unto God Now if any be ignorant of what this Better Hope is which makes perfect and by which Believers draw nigh to God they may know it is Christ Jesus the Lord of Life and Glory that quickning Spirit also by which the Vail of the Heart is rent away in them that believe which the Old Covenant made with the Jews at their coming out of Egypt could not do because it was weak through the Flesh as is said before And so thou T. Hall and all the Unbelieving World going out from the Spirit into the Letter in your Fleshly Minds and Wills which is Enmity to God and is neither subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be as Paul saith Rom. 8. you bring in nothing but Condemnation to your poor Souls for you are so proud in Heart that you will not come to Christ that meek lowly Lamb to be taught by his Light and Spirit which shineth in your Consciences reproving you daily for your Unbelief But you think by your exercising of your selves in your own Wills and Times in some outward Observations of your own devising called Religion to get Acceptance unto God in them though to his Son you are utter Enemies But truly instead of Life you bring Death for the Wages of these your sinful Doings and defiled Worships is Death And that thou T. Hall art an Enemy to Christ and his Blessed Spirits Teaching thy words in thy Papers will still fully and more abundantiy shew which are these which I shall now set down for thou T. Hall in Page 11. wickedly sayst Be it known unto you Quakers God and Christ had no such an intention to answer the Question of the Man in the Gospel in any such like manner to seek to the true Worshipping of God in Spirit and Truth but Christ instead of directing the Desire of the Man for the good of his Soul and Glory of
God Christ dees not send him or bid him go to the Spirit of Truth and wait for it Had Christ done so he might then have sent or directed the Man out of the way to get Life Eternal and so further from God than before for then the Man had not come through the Father to him according to John 6.44 45. And Page 15 further erroniously thou say'st You Quakers cannot find as that Christ the Prophet did give any Command to any People as was in ignorance of the Ways to Salvation or Life Eternal that they should leave off to be taught of Moses or his Law or Precepts and go to learn of the Spirit of Truth and let that teach or lead them God forbid O miserable Blindness and Ignorance That ever any Professing God or Scripture should thus belch out their Enmity against the Spirit of Truth The glorious Promise of the Father without which all Knowledge and all Profession is a meer Nothing but a heap of Darkness and Confusion and without which there had never been any true Prophet nor Scripture of Truth for Holy Men of God spoke not in their own Wills or Times but as they were moved by the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Truth without which never Man did nor never Man can come to any Saving Knowledge of God or Christ or the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God and Christ and therefore saith Paul after many Years zealous Profession of Moses's killing Letter That which the Eye hath not seen nor the Ear heard nor hath entred into Man's Heart to conceive God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit for the Spirit of God that Spirit of Truth searcheth all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.9 10. And therefore saith the same Paul 2 Cor. 3.6 God hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life And therefore saith Christ John 16.7 It is expedient for you that I go away that the Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth may come who is the Saints Comforter And this is that means by which the Father draws to Christ even the Spirit of Truth and not as thou ignorantly Dreamest the Letter of Moses's Law John 6.44 45. And so T. Hall thou art not far from that unpardonable Sin of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost who says That if Christ had directed the Man in the Gospel to go to the Spirit of Truth and wait for it he had directed him out of the way of Life O sad that ever such a Monster of Men should appear in these days when the Lord is so graciously arising with his Healing Wing of Light Life and Spirit to save his Israel out of the Hands of their Souls Enemies And thou T. Hall say'st farther God forbid that Christ should send or direct People that were in Ignorance of the ways of Salvation to go and learn of the Holy Spirit of Truth to be taught of it and not at Moses 's Law I say again This proceeds from the same bitter Root of Error and Blasphemy in thee that the former did and so Wo Wo Wo to that Nest that hatches such Venomous Birds and Cockatrice Eggs as thou dost And if that People of whom thou professest thy self a Member should see these things and not deny thee for them they would be as much to blame as thy self who hast plunged thy self so deep into the Pit of Destruction that no less than a Miracle of Mercy can help thee to see and acknowledge the Truth of God whom thou hast Blasphemed For O thou full of all Unrighteousness What must ignorant People come to know the things of God by but only by the Spirit of Truth as Paul says No Man knows the things of God but the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 And saith Paul Gal. 3.2 to some of like mind with this T. H. concerning Moses's Law This only would I learn of you Received ye the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the Hearing of Faith And Verse 3. Are ye so foolish having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the Flesh Thus he shews That the Spirit of God is received into the Believing Soul through the hearing of Faith preach'd and not by any fleshly conforming to Moses's Letter of that Law for saith he in Ver. 10. of that Chapter As many as are of the Works of the Law are under the Curse For it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them See T. Hall what thou hast done for thy self and wouldst do for others by pleading for Moses's Letter of the Law to be over Christian People thou hast brought thy self under the Curse for they that come under that Covenant of Works must not only do all things written in the Book but they must continue therein without Sinning or Offending against it otherwise they are Cursed as the Apostle James in another place saith He that keepeth the whole Law and sinneth in one Point is guilty of all And so as I instanced to thee in that of the Sabbath day for though in thy blind Mind thou wouldst be a Teacher of the Law yet thou neither knowest what thou say'st nor whereof thou affirmest for the Sabbath-day which Moses commanded to the People under that Covenant was the Seventh day of the Week which thou neither keepest thy self nor any of thy Fellows and so you are guilty of breaking the whole Law and so under the Curse And whereas you think to save your Heads by saying You keep the next day being the First day of the Week for a Sabbath that will help you nothing at all for the Law admitted of no change of the day which was the Seventh from the Creation into another day And so the Apostles meeting together on the First day of the Week was so far from establishing the legal Sabbath that it was on purpose done to shew that Christ the end of the Law and everlasting Sabbath of Rest to his People was come And so to thee T. Hall and all of like mind with thee I say as Paul to the Galatians Chap. 4.21 c. Tell me ye that desire to be under the Law Do ye not hear the Law For it is written Abraham had two Sons the one by a Bond-woman the other by a Free But he who was of the Bond-woman was born after the Flesh but he of the Free woman was by promise Which things are an Allegory for these are the two Covenants the one from Mount Sinai which gendereth to Bondage which is Agar For this Agar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to Jerusalem which now is and is in Bondage with her Children But Jerusalem which is above is free which is the Mother of us all For it is written Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not break forth and cry thou that