and so taught of the Lord according to that New Covenant promise They shall be all taught of the Lord Isa. 54. 13. Iohn 6. 4 5. Then was our Hearts inclined to hearken unto the Lord and our Ears which he had opened to hear was bent to hear what the Spirit 's Teaching was and what he said unto the Church who was the chief Shepherd and Bishop of the Soul And thus were we gathered into a right Gospel Exercise and Gospel Worship by him and through whose Name we had received Remission of Sins past and whose Blood had sprinkled our Hearts from an evil Conscience and who gave the pure Water that washed and made clean so that with true Hearts many began to draw nigh unto God in the full assurance of Faith as the ancient Saints did and was accepted and had access by that one Spirit by which we came to be baptized in one Body and so came to drink into one Spirit and was refreshed and greatly comforted and grew up together in the Mystery of the Gospel fellowship and so worshipped God who is a Spirit in the Spirit received from him which is the Gospel Worship according to Christ's appointment Iohn 4. 24. And then we came to see over all the Worships in the World which were set up either by Imitation or man's Invention and saw it to be in vain to worship God and teach for Doctrines the Commandments of men as our Lord had said Matth. 15. 9. and therefore were we constrained to withdraw from them and also many of us to go and bear witness against them in their invented and traditional Worships where they were ignorant of the Life and Power of God And thus being gathered by the Lord Jesus Christ that great Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls we became his Sheep and did learn to know his Voice and to follow him and he gave unto us Eternal Life and manifested the Riches of his Grace in our Hearts by which we were saved through Faith and delivered from that wrath fear and terrour which had been so weighty upon our Souls and in measure from the power of that Death that had reigned and made us miserable and wretched and came to partake of that Life wherein the blessedness doth consist and so then the Lord becoming our Shepherd he taught us and led us forth into green Pastures where we did feed and rest together with great delight O the Joy the Pleasure and the great Delight that our Hearts was overcome with many times in our reverent and holy Assemblies how was our Hearts melted as Wax and our Souls poured out as Water before the Lord and our Spirits as Oyl Frankincense and Myrrhe offered up unto the Lord as sweet Incense when not a word outwardly in all our Assembly has been uttered And then did the Lord delight to come down into his Garden and walk in the midst of the Beds of Spices and he caused the North-wind to awake and the South-wind to blow upon his Garden and the pleasant Showers to descend for the refreshing of his tender Plants that they might grow still more and more And now unto them that had known the Night of Sorrow was the joyful Morning come according to that ancient experience of David Psal. 30. 5. and such as had been in the foregoing deep Afflictions Tossings and Distresses came to witness the fulfilling of that great Gospel Promise O thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundations with Saphires and I will make thy windows of Agates and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant Stones and all thy Children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of thy Children In righteousness shalt thou be established thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear and from terrour for it shall not come near thee Isa. 54. 11 12 13 14. Thus then came we by him to be gathered into Covenant with God and to witness the fulfilling of the Promises of God in whom all the Promises are Yea and Amen and so come to sit together in heavenly places in him and so come to feed upon the heavenly food the Bread of Life that came down from Heaven which Christ the heavenly Shepherd did give unto us who had gathered us from amongst the Shepherds that fed themselves with Temporal Things from the Flock but knew not how to feed the Flock with Spiritual Food for they had it not And now we coming to be acquainted with the Power of the Lord Jesus Christ in our Hearts became great Lovers of it and Delighters in the Enjoyment thereof having already counted all things but as Dross and Dung in comparison of the Excellency that we saw therein and therefore was willing to suffer the loss of all that we might win him as it was with the Apostle of old and blessed be the Lord many obtained their desire they found their Beloved met with their Saviour witnessed his Saving health by which their Souls was healed and so became his Flock and Family or Houshold of Faith And thus then as his Children and blessed Family we still did continue to meet together twice in the Week or oftner and in his Name and holy Fear being gathered together his Promise we did witness according to Matth. 18. 20. he was in the midst of us and did honour our Assemblies with his heavenly Power and Presence and that was our great delight and the sweetness of it did wonderfully engage our Souls to love him and our Hearts to wait upon him for we did find the ancient experience of the Church true as testified in the Scripture because of the savour of thy good Ointments thy Name is as Ointment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee And growing thus into this Experience of the Goodness of the Lord and of the Sweetness Glory and Excellency of his Power in our Assemblies we grew in Strength and Zeal for our Meetings more and more and valued the benefit thereof more than any worldly Gain yea it was unto some more then our appointed Food And thus continuing we grew more and more into an understanding of Divine Things and Heavenly Mysteries through the Openings of the Power that was daily amongst us and wrought sweetly in our Hearts which still united us more and more unto God and knit us together in the perfect Bond of Love of Fellowship and Membership so that we became a Body compact made up of many Members whereof Christ himself became the Head who was with us and did rule over us and so further gave Gifts unto us by which we still came to be enlarged and further opened that we might answer the end for which he had raised us up and so far blessed us and sanctified us through his Word that dwelt in our Souls and so we keeping still in our Zeal and unto our first Love and
Then not long after in the same Year I was moved of the Lord by his Spirit to go to Briggham to speak to one Priest Denton who then was preaching in the Steeple-house to the People who in his Sermon which he had before hand prepared had many false Accusations Lyes and Slanders against Friends and the Principles of the Truth I stayed till he had done and then did speak to him but got little Answer but immediately some of his Hearers fell upon me and did beat me with their Bibles and with a Staff or Staffs all along out of the House and also out of the Grave-yard that the next day I was sore with the Blows and so the Priest commanded the Constable to secure me and a Friend that was with me and next day did cause him to carry us to Lancelot Fletcher of Talantyre who did order a Warrant to be written for us and so sent us from Constable to Constable to the common Goal in Carlisle where I was Prisoner three and twenty Weeks And when I wrote a Paper to the Priest wherein I answered his false Accusation and sent it to him by a Friend he would not read it but as I was told put it in the fire and burnt it Now while I was in Prison something came upon me for Scotland but I being a Prisoner and not yet deeply acquainted with the way and work of the Lord's Power and Spirit as in relation to such a Service great was the Exercise of my Spirit that I went under and for want of Experience and a clear Understanding I was swallowed up and for a time quite lost in the Deep where great was the Distress of my Soul beyond utterance but the merciful God by his powerful Arm and healing saving Word of Life did restore and bring up my Soul out of the Deep where it was for a time buried and renewed Life and Understanding and caused the Light of his Countenance to shine and the Sweetness of his Peace to spring so that I may truly say he caused the Bones that he had broken to rejoyce And then when he had thus crushed and humbled and let me see how he could make all things become as nothing again and so hide all Glory from Man then in his Goodness he revealed his Glory and Power and Presence and reviving Life and so opened to my Understanding his good Pleasure which with all readiness and willingness of mind I gave up unto in my Heart and Spirit So after my being kept about three and twenty Weeks in Prison I had my Liberty and so came home and followed my outward Calling that Summer and grew more and more into the Understanding of the Mind and Will of the Lord in that which I had a Sight of while I was in Prison And so keeping to Meetings and waiting upon the Lord in a true travel of Spirit after more acquaintance with him and more enjoyment of his Power and Word I grew not only into an Understanding but also into a degree of Strength and Ability sit to answer that Service which the Lord had called me unto And so then in the Faith that stood in God's Power about the beginning of the Eighth Month 1658. I took my Journey into Scotland and travelled in that Nation about Three Months and was both in the North and West of it as far North as Aberdeen and back again to Edinborough and so down West to Lithcow Hamilton Aire and as far as Port-Patrick and back to Aire and Duglass and our Service was at their Steeple-Houses and Markets and other places where we met with People and sometimes at Friends Meetings where there was any And our work was To call People to Repentance out of their lifeless hypocritical Profession and dead Formalities wherein they were setled in the Ignorance of the true and living God and so to turn them unto the true Light of Christ Iesus in their Hearts that therein they might come to know the Power of God and so come to know Remission of Sins and receive an Inheritance amongst the Sanctified And being thus clear of that Nation we returned into England and came over the water to Bowstead-hill the first day of the Eleventh Month 1658. Then returning home I followed my Calling or Trade again from that time until the Third Month 1659. and then I took shipping for Ireland according to what had been Opened unto me in the Truth when I was in Scotland and grew mightily in me through the Strength of the Power and Word of Life while I stayed at my Calling at home and kept to Meetings For the Lord often filled and enriched my Heart and Soul with his glorious Power and so sanctified and prepared me for that which he set before me For often in Spirit was I carried thither and had it sealed unto me that it was my place to go into that Nation to serve the Lord and bear witness unto the Truth and call People to Repentance and hold forth the Way of Life and Salvation unto them So I waited till the full Season came according to the blessed Counsel of God in which I found his leading Power with me and to go before me and so at the time aforesaid I took shipping at Whitehaven and landed at Dunacadee in the North of Ireland and travelled up to Lisbourne and so up to Lorgan and on to Kilmore in the County of Armagh and so up and down in the North for some time amongst Friends and had Meetings And many People came to Meetings and many Convinced and turned to God from the evil and vanity of their ways And then from thence I travelled up to Dublin and thence to Mountmeleck and so forward to Kilkenny and so on to Caperqueen and Tallow and so to Cork and Bandon and back to Cork and then to Toughal and to Waterford and to Ross and to Waxford and had Meetings along as I travelled and according to that Ability I received of God I was faithful and preached the Truth and true Faith of Jesus From Waxford I came to Carlough and Mountmeleck and so down into the North and spent some time there And so having gone through and in the fear of God published his Name and Truth as I had opportunity I then was willing to return home to England and for that end as I intended came down to Carrickfergus but before I got thither it came upon me that I should return back again to Lorgan and Kilmore and from thence to Londonderry And so I sent word to appoint a Meeting at Lorgan and went on to Carrickfergus and got a Meeting where there was many People at it and I did clear my self unto them in the fear of the Lord and then returned to Lorgan as I had appointed And there I met with Robert Lodge newly come out of England who had something in his Heart also to go to Londonderry this was about or near the beginning of the Seventh Month 1659.
when we partly pressed that they would answer little but held back some of them who like Diotrephes of old who loved to have the Pre-eminence and so withstood the Apostle did keep off in their Minds being of that Spirit I wrote of before in Virginia who pretended to be against Forms And while we sate waiting upon the Lord and staying to see what they would come to and George Pattison labouring to bring them to a Sense of the Service and so to come into the Practice and they not being willing to say any thing my Spirit being very low the Word of the Lord came unto me and the dread of his Power fell upon me so that after some time I opened my Mouth with a Lamentation and said I was sorry or grieved that I had that to say that I must declare unto them and that was That while they stood in that Spirit they were in they could not act in Unity with the Body in honour to the Head c. and therefore after that our Exhortation was unto them to Condemn that Spirit by which they had been led aside and wait for the Universal Spirit of Life or to this effect and so we left them and they were greatly concerned So the next day we had a publick Meeting amongst them and after meeting came away towards Boston Then their Consciences being troubled we had to do with several of the Chief of them who laboured to have Reversed that I had spoken and said It was very hard c. But I told them I could not do it the Power had sealed it and it must stand it was they must come to Repentance and Condemn that Spirit which had deceived or to that effect And so we left it upon them according to the Word of the Lord And since some of them have seen it and Condemned that Spirit and given a Testimony in writing against it blessed be the Lord who shews Mercy and restores out of the Snares of Satan And so being clear of all those Parts we came away strait to Road-Island and there we met with G. F. who was preparing to go Westward towards Long-Island So he went away and Robert Withers Iames Lancaster and George Pattison with him And from Long-Island they went over to East-Iersey and so over Land back again to Maryland and Iohn Stubbs and I were left at Road-Island Iohn Cartwright we left at Piscattaway he went further Eastward and after some time came to Iohn Stubbs and me at Road-Island I. S. and I went up to Providence had a Meeting there and as we returned we had a Meeting at Warwick where none had been before and several were Convinced and did own the Truth And there we had to do with one Gorton and his Company who were by other People there called Gortonians but they called themselves Generalists They were of Opinion All should be saved But they were in reality Ranters for in our Discourse they would maintain and say No Creaturely Actions could be Sin and would have no Whoredom nor Drunkenness nor the like to be Sin but what was spiritual the Outward action was but creaturely And thus in their filthy unclean Spirits they like the old Ranters made merry over the reproof of God's Spirit So from thence we came down again to Road-Island and there we spent some time and had a long Dispute with one Roger Williams that sent us a Challenge from Providence with fourteen Propositions as he called them but they were Charges and he engaged to maintain them against all Comers the first Seaven to be disputed on at Road-Island and the latter Seven at Providence We spent in Dispute with him three days at Road-Island but he could not make any proof of his Charges to the satisfaction of the Auditory for there was a great Congregation every day it would be tedious here to insert the Discourse if I were able but I cannot remember it There is a Book in Manuscript of what was taken in Short-hand of the Discourse at that present besides there is a Book in print entituled New-England-Fire-Brand quenched c. which is an Answer to a Book of the said R. Williams which gives some relation of some part of the Dispute to which I refer the Reader William Edmondson came from Virginia and was also with us at the same Dispute W. E. and I. Stubbs went up to Providence and spent one day with him there about the latter Seven and so cleared themselves to the People and came away when they had done with him So after some time together upon the Island Iohn Stubbs and I went over with several Friends that did accompany us to Narraganset and there we had a Meeting the four and twentieth of the sixth Month at one Richard Smith's and next day took our Journey towards Hartford We came first to New-London and from thence to Norwich and so to Hartford and stayed there one day and several of the Professors came in to us to Dispute with us And the next day we rode to a Town called Westfield near thirty Miles which was within the Massachuset's Colony And there was a Man and his Wife that received us and we appointed a Meeting But when they heard of it some of their Officers came to us and commanded that we should have no Meeting and so affrighted the People that none durst come to us We had a little Discourse with their Officers or Elders that came to us but they would not stay but cried out against our Religion We asked them If they knew our Principles that they so condemned Some of them answered and said Nay they knew them not nor did not desire to know them We asked them How they could judge of them and withal told them They were such as the Scripture did speak of who spoke evil of the things they knew not and they were confounded and went away and so scared the People that none durst come near us So we came away to Hartford again on the sixth day of the Week and on the seventh day several came to us and discoursed with us and we desired that we might speak with the Priest and they had promised that we should but when we desired him to come he or they for him made an Excuse he could not that day come from his Study So the next day being the first day of the Week we did go to their Meeting and the Fore-noon stayed without till they had done And when they had done and came forth we spoke to the People but they got away as if they had been afraid of us and none would stay So we returned to the Inn and stayed there till the After-noon And then we did go into their Meeting-house and stayed till the Priest had done And then I stood up and called unto the People and desired their patience a little to hear I had a word of Exhortation to them and so began to speak But immediately the Sexton came to
Friends in quietness sitting still only one who reasoned the matter with him he at last went out and all his Company to the Stable and there took all the Horses and Friends Horses all they could find in the Town But after Meeting we got them again they being then taken without any colour of Law But the next day being the 3 d day of the 10 th Month the said Informer went to one William Pugh of Mathauern a Justice of Peace so called who came along with him and met Iohn Burnyeat and Thomas Ellis upon the Road and stopt them both and caused them to turn back to an Ale-house where this Informer and another Man which was William Pugh's Bayliff Swore against them for Preaching at the aforesaid Meeting for which the Justice Fined them and wrote a Warrant and sent for a Constable who by that Warrant seised upon Iohn Burnyeat's Mare and Thomas Ellis's Horse with Saddles and Bridles and so they were constrained to Travel on their Way on Foot till they could get to an Ale-house to get Lodging This Reward the Lord's Servants Received at their Hands for their Love and Good will to the Souls of People Iohn Burnyeat's Mare was worth about 8 l. Thomas Ellis's Horse about 3 l. 10 s. Iohn Burnyeat's Mare Dyed within an hour and an half after Seizure and the other Friends took the Mange and Dyed in the Informer's Hands within six Months time J. B. Dear and Well-beloved in the Lord WITH you my Soul hath Precious Unity in the Spiritual Fellowship and Nearness and Heavenly Oneness which stands in that Life by which we were first Quickened in which we Live and in the Increase of which we grow into a Heavenly Understanding and true Soundness in Discerning and Judgment whereby the Faithful come to be more and more accomplished for their Places and fitted for every good Work that so they may answer their Office and Membership in the true Body whereof Christ Jesus is the Head of which Body we are made living Members through his Love who hath called us and in his Son chosen us to be Heirs of Life Dear Friends your selves know that he who through his Bounty hath blessed us with Spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus so that we are made Stewards of his Manifold Graces who now doth require answerable Service from us all according to our gifts received from him and whosoever is found Faithful to their Gifts and Places shall certainly witness an Increase and so grow in Grace and in the Knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and so come more and more into true soundness and to the Spirit of a sound Mind For you know how richly the Power of Christ was Manifested in us and among us in the beginning and how wonderful it did work for the Redeeming of our Hearts out of the World the Vanity and Pleasures of it that we might Love and Affect Heavenly things and delight in the glory of that which comes from Heaven And in that day you may remember the glorious and Heavenly Raptures we many times were raised up into and with admiration were ready to turn about and say We will Behold this Wonder the Bush which Burns and is not Consumed But since that time many have been the Exercises and weighty have been the Tryals that have been met with in our Spiritual Progress through which the Lord hath led us and many Temptations hath the Lord delivered us from and led us out of and many Weaknesses hath he passed by and Trespasses hath he in his great Mercy forgiven so that to this day we remain and that in covenant with him Therefore have we cause to Praise him and to Sing unto him Now our present state and capacity to which he hath brought us is to be minded and our duty therein for now many are come to be Free from being Servants or Slaves unto the old Task-masters and though but in our Journey yet there is something to be done which was truly Figured out in Israel's Travel they were to fit the Tabernacle with all the Services and Ornaments belonging thereunto though in the Wilderness in their Travel and the Men and Women were both concerned as you may read in the work to prepare for the Fitting of the Tabernacle according to the Command of the Lord. And this was after the Lord had appeared unto Moses shewed his Wonders in Egypt wrought that great Salvation at the Red Sea and manifested his dreadful Presence upon Mount Sinai and given forth his Holy Law and his Manifestations by which he Taught Israel to do his Will so that in the observation of which they were blessed a lively Figure of what our Souls are Witnesses of in the Heavenly Substance So that now we are not to be negligent for it would not have been well in Israel to have answered Moses when according to the Command of God he put the People upon it both Men and Women to Work for the Fitting of the Tabernacle We had no such thing when we came out of Egypt we had no such thing put upon us when we began our Iourney we will do as we did in the beginning This would have been Rebellion against him that by the Hand of Moses brought them out of Egypt and freed them out of Bondage And you know what Judgments and Destruction he brought upon them that did rebel and gainsay as Corah and his Company who withstood the Ordinance of God Oh! my dear Friends methinks I am as if I were talking with you of the Lord's Mercies and former Loving Kindnesses and Dealings with us and being also under a present sense of our present state and capacities to which he hath brought us my Bowels within me are even Melted with a Holy Love and Tenderness towards you and in that Love I send these Lines as the Salutation of my Soul in that which Lives for ever and as a signification of that entire love which in my Heart lives towards you Wherein I desire that both you and I forever may so mind our present state and our growth and the increase of the Mercies of our God unto us as to answer them by a Faithful Serving of him and one another in that love which thinks no Evil and is never weary of doing good and yet will not vaunt it self Now this is that which lives in my view the Power of Christ which was so Richly Manifested in the beginning did then Work to the preparing of us to be a People fit to do his Will and so it wrought unto a Cleansing Washing and Sanctifying of us that we might be Holy Vessels fit for his use Now being Prepared the same power in the Faithful works mightily to the Fitting and Furnishing of us unto every Good Work that we might be to the praise of his grace who hath called us and if we so be to his praise we must grow in Grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour
The Apostle having spoken before of the effects of the Cross of Christ tells them That in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision availeth any thing but a new Creature So that we may see the Apostle who believed his Master's Doctrin pressed to have it answered by witnessing the Old Man put off which was corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and to be renewed in the Spirit of their minds c. Ephes. 4. 22 23. And in Col. 3. 9 10. There you may see that the Apostle tells them they had put off the Old Man with his Deeds and had put on the New which was renewed in Knowledg after the Image of him who had Created him and was not this new Man Christ or at least the bringings forth of his Power in them for the Apostle saith Rom. 13. 14. But put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ c. and Col. 2. 6. As ye have therefore received Christ Iesus the Lord so walk ye in him And Col. 3. 11. Having spoken of them that had put on the New Man as before saith Where there is neither Iew nor Greek c. But Christ is all and in all As the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1. 30. He was made of God unto them Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption So here was the true Imputation or gift of God thus given or made theirs and so imputed and so they did witness his Power to Work in them as the Apostle saith Ephes. 3. and 20. And in the same Chapter you may see how he desired with bowed Knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that he would grant them according to the Riches of his Glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the Inward Man and listewise in his Epistle to Titus 3. 5. Having spoken of the Love of God to Mankind Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he Saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost So here still the Apostle hath regard to the Doctrin of Christ and Maintains Regeneration through the Renewings of the Holy Ghost so they were Washed thereby and Born thereof To this agrees another Testimony of his 1 Cor. 6. 11. Having told them that the Unrighteous shall not Inherit the Kingdom of God and having reckoned up to them the wickedness that the Gentile were given to saith And such were some of you but ye are Washed but ye are Sanctified but ye are Iustified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God And what saith James Barry was not Righteousness here wrought in them was there none Inherent when this work of Sanctification and Washing was wrought by the Spirit or were they Saved and Justifyed while they were in those gross Evils before-mentioned If so let us know what manner of Salvation it was for the Apostle saith None shall Inherit the Kingdom of God and the same Apostle saith Phil. 2. 12 13. Work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to Will and to Do of his good Pleasure Now it is evident that though they Preached Remission of Sins past in the Name of Jesus to those that did Believe and so through Faith their Sins came to be Blotted out yet without this Washing of Regeneration and work of the Spirit to Renew them that they might be Born again as Christ had said they could not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And therefore you may see how the Christians witnessed the New Birth and how the Apostles laboured for it yet this neither was by them then nor is by us now accounted Man's work alone But was the work of Christ in them by his Spirit And that was the reason why the Apostle came under such a Travel as in Gal. 4. 19. where he saith My little Children of whom I Travel in Birth again until Christ be Formed in you Here the Apostle was concern'd lest they should be lost and he had bestowed upon them Labour in Vain as verse 11. seeing they were going out into the Observations which were unprofitable and therefore in Chap. 5. 16. saith this I say then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh. So you may see it was the Spirit the Saints were to walk in and thereby was the overcoming of the Flesh with its Lusts. As the Apostle in Rom. 8. doth at large Testify and tells us plainly verse 9. That if any Man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his And verse 14. saith As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God But Iames Barry with some of his Hearers denyed Revelation and accounted it an Errour in us to own it and therefore it cannot be expected that they should walk in it who deny it or that they should be Adopted by it or Sealed by it And therefore let Iames Barry in his Answer make out how they came to be Christians or Children of God and whether they are Christ's and how they came to be so and whether they own Regeneration necessary to Salvation Yea or nay And whether this Eternal Salvation he saith Sinners are Saved by without any Mixture of Inherent Righteousness do fit Man for the Kingdom of God Yea or nay And whether any Man can reap Benefit by the Active and Passive Righteousness of Christ without except he have a True Faith and whether any Man can have a True Faith without the Word of Faith and whether this Word of Faith be not in the Heart c. Yea or nay And whether true Faith be not an Effect of this Word in the Heart Yea or nay according to Rom. 10. And this is not the speech of the Law but of the Righteousness of Faith as in verse 6th and 7th Thou need not say who shall ascend into Heaven to fetch Christ down or who shall descend into the Deep to bring him again from the Dead c. verse 8th The Word is nigh in the Heart and Mouth This is the Word of Faith which we Preach and is this Word there in the Heart And doth it beget Faith in Christ and concerning his Righteousness and yet no Righteousness within For Iames Barry will have no mixture it must be a Faith without Righteousness or else a Justification and Salvation without Faith So let him send forth his Arguments to prove us grand Hereticks according to his Promise and then it may be seen what we have further to say in the Vindication of our Principles which if he do not let it rest upon him as such a one and let Errour and Heresie lye at his Door The next Errour that he chargeth upon us as he lays it down in his own Terms is That we do own Perfection in Sanctification as to degrees in this Life Answer We having said so much before tending to prove this no Errour in our so owning of
and was a Peace-maker and he preacht in his Life and Conversation as well as his Words And he travelled with me from Maryland through the Wilderness and through many Rivers and Desperate Bogs where they said never English Man nor Horse had Travelled before where we lay out at Nights and sometimes in Indian Houses and many times were very hard put to it for Provisions but the Lord by his Eternal Arm and Power did support us and carry us through all Dangers Blessed be his Name for ever And he was an Elder and a Pillar in the House of God and the Name of the Righteous shall be had in Everlasting Remembrance but the Name of the Wicked will Rot. He was a Man Endued much with the Wisdom of God and in it had a Care of the Welfare of the Church of Christ to keep in Peace out of Strife and Contention and laboured with the Apostates and Back-sliders to turn them to Christ and his peaceable Truth So that they might Study to be Quiet and keep in the Unity of the Spirit which is the Bond of the King of Kings and Lord of Lord's Peace And much more I might write concerning our Dear Brother in the Lord I knowing him very well and his Travels and Service in the Lord's Power and Truth and so doth the Church of Christ among whom he will be missed But he is gone to his Rest and the Lord by his Eternal Arm and Power is able to Raise up others in his place The 13th of the 9th Month 1690. G. F. The Testimony of Friends in Cumberland COncerning that Faitful Servant of the Lord John Burnyeat belonging formerly to Pardsay-Meeting in Cumberland he was born at Crabtreebeck in the Parish of Lows-water in the said County his Parents were of good Repute and his Education was according to his Parentage The Lord visited him in his young and tender Years and inclined his heart after good things whereupon he gave himself to Reading the Scriptures that thereby he might be informed of those things that made for his Soul's Peace and going from one Man to another who were counted Men of Experience yet found no true Satisfaction until it pleased the Lord to send his Ministers to turn his Mind to the Invisible Word of Life which he gladly received into his heart and came to Wait in Humiliation to feel the Operation of it So that he was brought forth Early in the Day of the breaking forth of God's Light and Power in our Age when it pleased God to Visit many People in divers Nations of the World and to make known his Everlasting Truth in the North-Country which Day of Light and Truth and Grace many waited for and were in a readiness to Receive with Ioy and Gladness of Heart amongst whom this our Dear Friend J. B. being called by Grace to the Knowledge of the Lord his Truth and Power and receiving the same in Love Faith and Obedience he came to Witness the Effectual working thereof to his Sanctification and so became a Vessel of Honour fitted for his Master's Use even Christ and learned to Rule his own House well in washing first the Inside and the Outside appearing clean also Then his Light began to shine before Men to the Glory of God that called him And this being first done in him and for him to his particular peace and satisfaction in the Lord 's Eternal Truth then the Lord opened his Mouth in a few words in much tenderness which tended greatly to the comforting of his People he always being careful to wait for the Motion of the Word and to keep close with it whereby he grew in his Gift and was drawn forth to visit Friends in this County where we dearly loved him He was faithful in the discharge of his Duty when called to give Testimony against the Hireling-Priests in the Steeple-Houses to gather People from the Mouths of those Greedy Shepheards that feed themselves and not the Flock and did not profit the People at all And for these things he suffer'd Imprisonment a long time under a severe Goaler in a close nasty place For the Lord sent him forth in his joyful opening Power and Spirit to preach glad Tidings of Salvation by Christ Iesus sometimes to the Spirits in Prison and to them coming out of Prison and entring into the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God and to them who walked stedfastly in that Glorious pure Liberty he that hath an Ear to hear let him hear whereby he was a blessed Instrument in the Hand of the Lord both for Convincing and Converting to God and for the Refreshing Comforting and Strengthening of them in the Faith Grace and Truth that they might be built on the Rock Christ the Foundation for all the Chosen of God in him throughout all Generations that Man might answer the End for which he was made even to Glorify God who is worthy of Glory and Praise for ever He was a Man of an Excellent Spirit and of deep Experience in the things of God and Mysteries of his Kingdom which were richly made manifest unto him And it was his Delight to be Meditating therein whereby his Experience was daily increased unto the Conclusion of his Days He was a Man tender of God's Glory and Earnestly sought the spreading and propagating of the Truth The Lord made his Travels successful and he saw the Fruit of his Labour and the Lord blessed him with the Fruits of his holy Spirit whereby he became well qualified for the Work of the Ministry a Nursing Father lending a hand of help to the feeble of the Flock and comforting the Mourners in Sion For his Doctrine did drop as the Dew and his Speech as the small Rain He was a Pattern of Righteousness to the Young Generation over whom he was very Tender and to the Aged he could give Counsel so that God made him a strong Pillar in his Church and cloathed him with Divine Wisdom that he was capable of speaking a Word in Season to all which was as a Nail fastned in a sure place He was one of the Lord's Worthies in his day of a quick Sight and clear Discerning of a strong Arm and skilful Hand whose Bow abode in strength and carried the Arrows to the Mark aimed at like as the Men of Benjamin that could sling Stones to a Hair's breadth so he fixed Judgment upon the head of the Transgressor And his Arrows returned not in vain particularly against that Wicked Spirit of Separation where-ever he met with it He was often concerned in Testimony against those that profess the Truth and Way of God and yet did incline to suit themselves to the vain Fashions and Customs of the World as Inlets to a wrong Spirit and became evil Precedents to others especially Young People that are too much employed in their Minds with foolish Dresses and Fashions that never knew the weighty Work of Truth and Power of God in their Hearts to work a Change
old as may be read Isa. 1. and Isa. 66. 3. where the Lord told Iudah their killing an Ox their sacrificing a Lamb their offering an Oblation and burning Incense was as the slaying of a Man cutting off a Dogs neck offering Swines blood blessing an Idol And thus we saw for want of Righteousness and keeping the Commandments of the Lord and forsaking of our own ways and that which was evil our Religion was loathed by the Lord and we rejected in all our doings and left in desolation and barrenness for whatever we might pretend that true saying must stand A good Tree cannot bring forth bad fruit nor a bad Tree good fruit the Tree is known by its fruit And thus things opened wonderfully in us and we saw not only common sins which all consess so to be though they live in them but also the hypocrisie and sinfulness of the Professors of Religion even in their Religion which was performed out of the true Spirit of Grace and Life which in the Mystery is the Salt that every Gospel Sacrifice is to be seasoned withal according to the Example in the Figure and therefore were we commanded to withdraw and be separated in our Worship and wait to have our Hearts sanctified and the Spirit of our Minds renewed that we might come before him with prepared Vessels for we soon learned to see this that it must be true in the Substance as in the Figure all the Vessels of the Tabernacle was to be sanctified consecrated or made holy and therefore did we come out from among such in their Worship that lived in Uncleanness and pleaded for Sin which made unholy and met together and waited together in silence may be some times not a word in our Meetings for Months but every one that was faithful waiting upon the living Word in our own Hearts to know Sanctification thereby and a through cleansing and renewing of our Hearts and inward Man and being cleansed and made meet we came to have a great delight in waiting upon the Word in our Hearts for the Milk thereof which Peter speaks of 1 Pet. 2. 2. in our so waiting we did receive the Milk or Vertue thereof and grew thereby and was sed with the heavenly Food that rightly nourished our Souls and so we came to receive more and more of the Spirit of Grace and Life from Christ our Saviour who is full of it in whom the Fulness dwells and in the Power thereof we did worship the Father who is a Spirit and waited upon the Teachings of his Grace in our Hearts and he taught us thereby to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously godlily and soberly in this present evil World And so we came to know the true Teacher which the Saints of old did witness as saith the Apostle Titus 2. 12. and therefore wanted not a Teacher nor true Divine Instructions though we had left the Hireling-Priests and also other high-flown Notionists and sat down together in silence for that was our desire to have all Flesh silenc'd before the Lord and his Power both in our own Hearts and from without And as we thus came into true silence and inward stilness we began to hear the Voice of him who said he was the Resurrection and the Life and he said unto us Live and gave unto our Souls Life and this holy Gift which he hath given has been in us as a Well springing up unto eternal Life according to his promise and therefore hath it been our delight all along to wait upon it and draw nigh with our Spirits unto it both in our Meetings and also at other Times that we might both be taught and saved by it for by it the Saints were saved through Faith c. as Paul wrote unto them Ephes. 2. 8. Now from the Year 1653. as before hinted in which Year I was convinced of the blessed Truth and Way of Life Eternal unto the Year 1657. I was not much concerned abroad in Travels upon the account of the Truth save only to visit Friends that were Prisoners for the Truths Testimony but being mostly at home following my outward Calling I was very diligent to keep to our Meetings being given up in my Heart thereunto for I found great delight therein and many times when one Meeting was over and I at my outward Labour in which I was very diligent also I did in my Spirit long for the next Meeting-day that I might get to the Meeting to wait upon the Lord with the rest of his People And I can also with safety say that when I was there I was not sloathful but in true diligence set my Heart to wait upon the Lord for a Visitation from him by the Revelation of his Power in my Soul and as I waited in the Diligence Patience and Faith I can say this for the Lord and on his behalf with many more Witnesses we did not wait in vain he suffered not our Expectation to fail everlasting Glory and Honour and Praise to his worthy and honourable Name for ever The very remembrance of his Goodness and glorious Power in those days revealed and renewed overcomes my Soul And so then in diligence waiting and the Lord so in mercy visiting by his power in our Hearts my Soul was daily more and more affected with the Glory and Excellency and Sweetness of it and with the holy Dread with which it filled my Heart for that became pleasant and then my Spirit was bent to keep near unto it and to dwell in that holy Fear which the Father thereby placed in my Heart And then I came to see what David exhorted unto in the Second Psalm when he bid the Kings and Judges of the Earth be wise and. learned and further said Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling O the bowings of my Soul O the pleasant dread that dwelt upon my Spirit and the reverent tremblings that came over my Heart which filled it with living Joy as with marrow and fatness And then could I say in my heart with David will wash my hands in innocency and compass thine Altar O Lord. O the pleasant drawing near unto the Altar of the Lord and that not unprepared by many whose Hearts were filled and their Souls and Spirits anointed with the true anointing from the holy One which Iohn speaks off in his first Epistle which is the substance of what was figured out in that Ointment Moses was commanded to make Exod. 30. 25. which all the Vessels of the Tabernacle were to be anointed withal Now when my Heart was thus fitted filled and furnished as it was many a time in our holy Assemblies with many more I know that sat under the same dread and power with me for our Temple and Tabernacle in which we worshipped that were Children of the New Ierusalem was but one even the Lord God and the Lamb as Iohn saw Rev. 21 22. And so it was in this Power that we sat
rest quiet under his disposing and ordering Hand by which he will in his Wisdom and Power over-rule all Men and Things who knows best how to Execute Iustice and Iudgment upon all according to their Works or Deserts For before him all things are naked and bare therefore he cannot miss in Iudgment We resting here and waiting upon him it quiets our Spirits and sweetens them and also I can say it makes many bitter things sweet and so sanctified that we meet with Comfort in Tribulation And though it be both Natural unto and Lawful for us in Affliction reverently to pray for and desire Deliverance and also when obtained to rejoyce therein and bless the Lord therefore yet still our Happiness is to mind his Providences and wise Ordering of all things and therewith to be Content without either murmuring at or strugling against what he seems good to bring to pass And so here we shall all rest in one Fold and Covenant and seed in one Pasture together and so have a Fellow-feeling of one anothers Ioy or Sufferings For our Resting-place is but one in the Truth and our Salvation stands therein for ever and therefore we need look at no other Iohn Burnyeat SEVERAL EPISTLES WRITTEN By J. B. to Friends from divers Places Dear Friends IN the dear and tender Bowels of Love and Life do I dearly salute you all who are faithful to the Lord without respect of Persons in whose Life and Love I feel you and enjoy you wherein my Heart is opened towards you my dearly beloved ones with whom I am daily refreshed and comforted in Christ Jesus the Fountain and Well-spring of Life and living Refreshment who is our Rock and daily Refuge unto whom we fly and are safe in the day of storms and tempest when the floods arise and the raging Waves of the Sea do swell and beat yet in the Light have we a safe hiding-place and a sure and peaceable Habitation against which they cannot prevail As faithful to the Lord we abide therein whose Love towards us hath abounded and will abound as we abide in that unto which his Love doth reach which is his own Seed which he hath raised in us by his own Power and outstretched Arm wherein the Issues of Live and Love are known and received Therefore my dear Friends keep to it and feel it continually that fresh and lively and open-hearted ye may always be in the Life that nothing may enter that would vail the Seed and oppress it for that will stop the Issue of the Love of God which is shed abroad and shedding it self abroad in the Hearts of all the Faithful whereof we in the bountifulness of his Love have richly been made partakers of Therefore as one who with you have been partaker of the rich and endless Love of God I do exhort you my dearly beloved ones to continue in his Love and all to abide faithful in the Life that Death again may not pass over any one but that the Life which God hath raised may be felt and that may rule over him that hath the Power of Death in every one of us to his own Praise and Glory who hath redeemed us wherein the comfort strength and refreshment is re-received daily from him who is the Life and Strength of all that wait upon him and who is near to preserve all them that are upright in their Love towards him And herein have we boldness believing that neither Tribulation nor Affliction Persecution nor Distress shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which we enjoy in Christ Iesus although he may suffer great things to come upon us as it is at this day to try us nor yet to separate us one from another nor to break our Unity in the Spirit wherein we feel and enjoy one another In which my dear Friends I feel you and have you often in my remembrance to my great Joy and Gladness of heart for ye in the Lord are my Ioy and Rejoycing many times when all other Comforts are taken from me but only that in which I feel and enjoy you wherein our Unity Life and Love doth stand wherein I remain Your Brother in my measure received J. Burnyeat Postscript Dear Friends I Wrote a Letter in the Eleventh Month before I went out of these Parts and sent with one who did intend to pass through Cumberland but I hear it was left in Yorkshire which did something trouble me because that I did not obtain an Opportunity to send again so soon as I could have desired in regard we travelled into the West towards Galloway and Cork But at Dublin when I was there I wrote a Letter which I partly believe may be come to you So being in haste I cannot give you an account as I would desire only Times are very troublesome in regard of the Distractions of the People in this Nation We were taken Prisoners after we came from Dublin at Ardmagh and kept three days It is very hard to Travel in this Nation for us but for the Seed's sake we are freely given up into the Will of God Clanbrasel in the County of Ardmagh in Ireland the fourth day of the fourth Month 1660. Dear and well-beloved Friends in Cumberland BRethren and Sisters in the holy Covenant of Life with you is my life bound up in the unspeakable Bond of perfect Unity and unfeigned Love wherein I feelingly reach unto you in this day of weighty Trial wherein every ones Faith and Patience must come to be tried and every ones Foundation made manifest whereon he stands blessed are they whose Foundation and standing is in the Power of Christ Jesus the Rock of Ages and Foundation of many Generations such shall stand immoveable on the Rock in the day of Tempest and shall be at Peace and kept in Safety in the Power in the hour of Temptation and time of trial Therefore my dear Friends as if I were present with you my Bowels are opened towards you and my Life reacheth unto you in pure love even desiring that every one of you may truly feel and abide in the feeling of the pretious Life and pure invisible Power of the blessed God which he hath made manifest in your Hearts whereby every mind of them that hath been faithful to the Lord is changed and renewed and redeemed and made pure and sweet through the vertue and goodness of the same whereby our Souls continually are refreshed as we abide in the sensible seeling of the Lord's Presence O! therefore my dear Friends ye who have tasted of the Lord's goodness and have been nourished by his mercies inwardly who have felt the weight of his love and the value of his truth in your inward parts Mind that as your chiefest treasure my dear Friends that the sweet Consolation and the pretious Spring of the Father's love ye may feel opened in your Hearts from day unto day and from time to time For truly Friends large is the Lord's
blood and he that burned Incense as if he blessed an Idol and all this was because they chose their own ways and their Souls did delight in their Abominations as you may read Isaiah 66. 3 4. And therefore were all their Performances rejected of the Lord and he brought their fear upon them because when he called they would not answer when he spoke they would not hear but did Evil before his Eyes and chose that in which he delighted not So that all along you may see in the Scripture that it was not that which People did do as upon the account of the Worship of God that did at all please him or appease his Wrath while they did Evil before him and chose that in which he delighted not as is very evident from the Scriptures of Truth in divers Testimonies therein to this purpose Time would fail to mention all and what was written afore-time was written for our Learning and that we should take warning by their Example who sinned and continued therein till the day of Mercy was over Rom. 15. 4. 1 Cor. 10. 11. And therefore since the Lord hath stirred in you to take notice of his Judgments and of his Hand upon the People of this Island prepare your Hearts to seek the Lord in his own way and before you do pretend to draw nigh unto him that is Holy or to Worship him or to offer an Offering or to keep a Day unto him forsake your Sins Put away the evil of your doing from before his Eyes and learn to do well that your Prayers may be heard and that you may keep the Day holy unto the Lord and so observe the Fast which the Lord hath chosen which is To loose the bands of Wickedness to undo the heavy Burthens and to let the oppressed go free and to break every Yoke to deal thy Bread to the hungry with such like Works of Righteousness And then the Lord hath promised that such their Light shall break forth as the Morning and their Health shall spring forth speedily and their Righteousness shall go before them and the Glory of the Lord shall be their Reward And then may such cry and the Lord will answer and say Here am I when there is a taking away from the midst of you the Yoke the putting forth of the Finger and the speaking of Vanity c. Isa. 58. 6 7 8 9. And therefore try your ways and your doings and let none think that the Lord is like a Man that he will be satisfied with fair Words or Pretences where his Voice is not hearkned unto and obeyed but Sin lived in and the Fast kept which the Scripture condemns which the Lord hath not chosen as you may read Isa. 58. 2 3 4 5 verses for you may see there how that that People did seek him daily and had a delight to know his ways as a Nation that did Righteousness and forsook not the Ordinances of their God They asked me the Ordinances of Justice saith the Lord and they take delight in approaching unto God and then cryed Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our Souls and thou takest no knowledge The Lord gives the reason Behold saith he In the Day of your Fast ye find Pleasure and exact all your Labours Behold saith he ye fast for Strife and Debate and to smite with the Fist of Wickedness ye shall not fast as ye do this day to make your Voice to be heard on high saith the Lord. Is it such a Fast that I have chosen a Day for a Man to afflict his Soul and bow down his Head as a Bulrush and to spread Sackcloth and Ashes under him Wilt thou call this a Fast and an acceptable Day to the Lord saith the Prophet Nay as I have shewed before this is not it and therefore let every one consider how they are prepared to keep the Fast that God hath chosen that the Fruits thereof may be brought forth by every one that pretends unto it or else their cry will not be heard on high for the Lord knows every ones intent and takes notice of their doings so that it is not every one that saith Lord Lord that shall enter and be accepted but he that doth the Will of God So here you may see there is two Fasts the one chosen and the other rejected and the Fruits of both manifested whereby they may be known who are the true Fasters and who are not agreeable to what Christ hath said every Tree shall be known by its Fruit And so let all mind what they do and what they bring forth for they that fast for strife and debate and do smite with the Fist of Wickedness they do not fast to the Lord their Voice he will not hear according to the Scripture And such who instead of setting the oppressed free of undoing the heavy Burthens and of breaking every Yoke do bring under Oppression and lay heavy Burthens and make Yokes instead of breaking them such are not the People the Lord will accept in their Fasts nor whose Prayers he will hear Because they walk not in the equal way of the Lord but love to wander and have not restrained their feet therefore saith Ieremiah The Lord doth not accept them but will remember their Iniquity and visit their Sins and therefore the Lord commanded the Prophet that he should not pray for that People for their good for said God When they fast I will not hear their cry and when they offer Burnt-offerings and an Oblation I will not accept them but I will consume them by the Sword and by the Famine and by the Pestilence Ier. 14. 10 11 12. So you may see all along the Lord doth not regard all that Man can do or may do so long as he wandereth from God and doth not restrain his feet from walking in the evil way Thus hath it been in all Dispensations of the Scripture before and therefore much more under this last and most glorious Ministration of the Gospel of Christ Jesus which is professed by you wherein the former comes to be fulfilled and finished or perfected where Christ himself is the great Law giver who gives out his Ordinances and Precepts unto all his People who according to the promise of the Father gives unto them the Spirit and writes his Law in the Hearts of all the Children of the new Covenant Ier. 31. 33. which they are to observe and to walk after and if any one do otherwise he ought to be dealt withall according to the command of this great Law-giver Mat. 18. 15 16 17. First to be spoke to and see if he will hear either a Brother two or three or the Church And if he will not hear nor be gained then saith Christ Let him be unto thee as an Heathen and a Publican But he gives no Commission unto Christians to persecute to put in Prison to take away Goods to pull down their Houses
may come short of the Price the blessed Inheritance and so be such as Iames speaks of that ask and receive not because they ask amiss For the Heavenly Wisdom is to be sought after and waited for that comes down from above which teacheth and guideth in the Heavenly Way the Heavenly Path of Life and Salvation where every ones steps will be sure and their goings will be established and their understandings will grow For the Iust Man's Path will be as the shining Light that shines more and more unto the perfect Day Here none will be like those that beat the Air or run at an uncertainty the Apostle said they were not such yet there may be such whose Pains and Travels may be great Therefore still I say let your pressing be towards the Mark in the sense of the Lord's power which is the true Guide and the true Cross that mortifies and crucifies the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts and keeps Self down in the Death out of the Reputation for there is none due unto it For whosoever gives and seeks Reputation to it which ought to be made of no Reputation such can never rightly seek God's Honour nor work his Work nor obtain the right Price nor attain the Crown but must fall short at last For it is in him that crucifies Self and makes it of no Reputation that the Election stands and in whom the Heirship is for ever And therefore dear Friends wait all to feel his power in your Hearts and diligently mind the blessed working thereof that you may feel how it purgeth your Consciences from dead Works and cleanseth your Hearts from Sin for Sin defileth the Heart that it is not prepared for the Lord he will not dwell therein Therefore it must be washed and dead Works must be purged away for no Man can serve the living God therein it must be the living Works in the living Power wherein we must be accepted And so let all mind the living Power which is the living Guide which doth guide in the living Way and keeps alive unto God and so you will all be kept a living People and grow up in the living Wisdom that is from above which is inwardly taught by the living Gift that is received from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning And as you grow up in this Wisdom you will be constant there will be an establishing and such will shew out of a good Conversation their Works with Meekness and Wisdom But saith the Apostle if there be bitter Envying and Strife in your Hearts glory not and lie not against the Truth this Wisdom descendeth not from above but is Earthly Sensual and Devilish For where Envying and Strife is there is Confusion and every evil Work But the Wisdom that is from above is first pure and then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated full of Mercy and good Fruits c. And the Fruit of Righteousness is sown in Peace of them that make Peace so you may see the Fruits brought forth manifest the Wisdom from whence it comes The Heavenly peaceable Wisdom brings forth the peaceable Fruits of Righteousness and is full of Mercy gentle and easie to be intreated and full of good Works but the Earthly brings forth the contrary Therefore saith the Apostle If there be bitter Envying and Strife in your Hearts glory not and lie not against the Truth Say not thou art in the Heavenly Wisdom while this lodgeth in thee for this Wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly and sensual and therefore can never establish but bring Confusion because he is the Author of it that can never work good And therefore dear Friends let your Hearts be always kept in subjection unto that Power that bridles your Wills and crosses them and keeps you lowly humble and gentle where the daily dying which the Apostle was in may be witnessed and so you will see the true pressing forward towards the Mark and the true growing into Dominion over him that would hinder and then as Iames saith Swift to hear slow to speak slow to Wrath for the Wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God Yet this I have often observed Man in a heat of Wrath would be working for God but in that he cannot work the Righteousness of God Therefore well said Iames Swift to hear slow to speak slow to Wrath And you know that he whom we ought to hear saith Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in Heart And so as every one learns of him and minds the leadings of his Power and the teachings of his spirit of Grace in their Hearts they will grow more and more like him and come into his Nature and healing Spirit and so in his Grace and Life be Healers and Saviours And therefore was it said by the Prophet they should be as Saviours upon Mount Zion Now Friends every one mind this saving healing power in your selves and bow in your Hearts unto it and be still in your Minds and calm and you shall see how it will sweeten you level your Spirits and bring down that which is high and losty and hard and you shall see how the Mountains will melt at the prefence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Iacob and you shall see how the Winds and Seas obey your Saviour and into what calmness he will bring your Spirits and then when all is still your Ear being opened which is the first Work of the Word you will be swift to hear and hearing your Souls will live And you will come down out of all the noises floatings and swellings into the calmness and stillness where you will admire your Saviour and say What manner of Man is this that even the Winds and Seas obey him And you will see that though Iordan over-flow her Banks yet at the leadings on of our Ioshuah and at the entrance of the feet of our High Priest it must be driven back that the Ransomed of the Lord may pass over dry-shod Much of this nature in Spirit may be read as there is a hearkning and keeping low but the forward rash and hasty are often tossed upon the Waters and very uncertain in their ways and doings and therefore do produce unto themselves much affliction of Soul and Spirit for to them the promise doth not belong where it is said He will keep them in perfect Peace whose Minds are stayed upon him because they trusted in him Now Friends methinks the Way is plain if every one would be careful to attend upon the power and its openings and give way thereunto and be humble for its the humble he teacheth his Ways and the meek he will guide in Iudgment and the willing and obedient he will feed for the Promise is They shall eat of the good of the Land And therefore I do beseech all be mindful be you all careful keep your Hearts out of the World and the
it need now say little more especially seeing we never heard it accounted an Errour before till now by him and do question whether any will be now of his mind The Apostle as is shewed before said to the Saints They were Washed and they were Sanctified And again he speaks of their being Saved by the Washing of Regeneration and Renewing of the Holy Ghost and Jude verse 1. writes unto such as were Sanctified by God the Father and Preserved in Iesus Christ. Was this Washing and Sanctification which was by God the Father and by his Spirit and in the Name of Jesus Christ altogether without Perfection that it is by Iames Barry accounted an Errour to hold Perfection of Sanctification in any degree What! are the Works of God and his Spirit in Christ so Imperfect that they admit of no degree of Perfection in them Then how should the Saints Perfect Holiness in the fear of God according to the Exhortation given by the Apostle 2 Cor. 7. 1. We look upon it thus to charge God in the Work of his Spirit in Christ to be little less than Blasphemy David saith in Psal. 18. 30. As for God his way is Perfect And in verse 32. It is God that girdeth me with Strength and maketh my way Perfect And Moses saith I will Publish the Name of the Lord Ascribe ye Greatness unto our God he is a Rock his Work is Perfect for all his ways are Iudgment c. Deut. 32. 3 4. These bear a better and truer Testimony for God his Ways and Works than Iames Barry who will admit of no degree of Perfection in Sanctification which we always held to be the Work of God and his Spirit in Christ wrought for the Saints and in the Saints As the Prophet also Testifieth Isa. 26. 12. Lord thou wilt Ordain Peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our Works in us To Vindicate these our Principles or any thing Writ in Vindication of them by our Friends which he hath Abused viz. George Fox George Whithead William Pen and Edward Burroughs we offered to give him a Meeting and with him to Dispute fairly that it might be Manifest whether his or ours did most agree and concur with the Testimony of holy Scriptures We offered further then to Dispute with him about the Doctrine of Particular Election and Reprobation of Persons or of Christ's not Dying for ALL Men and told him we were desirous to be Informed what Gospel of glad Tidings Ministers of such a Faith and Principle had to Preach to them that Christ Died not for which might tend to their Benefit unto Salvation or whether they never press such to Believe as a Duty Incumbent nor ever offer Salvation unto them in the Name of Christ if they do believe This we said we did look upon to be a material Principle and ought to be cleared up because it concerns so great a part of Mankind And Iames Barry's Messenger that he sent with his Papers said That Iames Barry would lay down his Life in Vindication of this Principle Therefore we expect he should Inform us what Gospel he hath to Preach to them Christ. Died not for and what object of Faith he hath to lay down for them to Believe in for Faith must have an Object Or whether they do not press it as a Duty in general upon all to Believe And then let us know their Method of Distinction who Preach not the Gospel to every one for sure there can be no Gospel of glad Tidings to those Christ Died not for And we know 't is the common Opinion of such that they that Christ Died not for are the greater Number and if this Doctrine of theirs be true how can the Message of the Angel be true Luke 2. 10. And the Angel said unto them fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great Ioy which shall be unto ALL People And in the same Chapter you may see what Simeon said For mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the Face of ALL People Here he Witnesseth to the general Offer of God unto ALL. And the Apostle Rom. 5. 18. saith That as by the Offence of ONE Judgment came upon ALL Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of ONE the free Gift came upon ALL Men unto Iustification of Life And in Psal. 68. 18. David speaking of Christ saith Thou hast ascended up on high thou hast led Captivity Captive thou hast received Gifts for Men yea for the Rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell amongst them And to this agrees the Parable of the Sower whose Seed fell some on the High-way some on the Thorny some on the Stony and some on the good Ground And also the Parable of the Talents Matt. 25. 15. where it is said He gave to every one according to their several Abilities but ALL did not improve as Paul saith Rom. 10. They have not all Obeyed though they had Heard and in 1 Tim. 2. 6. you see what he saith of the Mediator Who gave himself a Ransom for ALL Men to be Testified in due time 2 Cor. 5. 14. For the Love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one Died for ALL then were ALL Dead and was not their Judgment right in this Heb. 2. 9. But we see Iesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of Death Crowned with Glory and Honour that he by the Grace of God should tast Death for EVERY Man So you see that by the Grace of God he should tast Death for EVERY Man and yet Iames Barry and such by their ungracious Limitations would have it to be but for a few and so he goes to contradict the Scripture and so is witnessed against by that which he said should be the Standard to try every thing by And therefore is not true according to the Standard And in the 1 st Epistle of John 2. 2. you may see what he saith of Christ and his Death And he is the Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the Sins of the whole World So not for theirs only but also for the Sins of the whole World And 2 Pet. 3. 9. There the Apostle tells us of the Long-suffering of God to us-ward not willing that ANY should Perish but that ALL should come to Repentance And the Prophet Ezekiel being of the same mind declares fully in the 18 th chap. That the Lord hath no pleasure in the Death of a Sinner but rather that he would Repent and Return Many Scriptures might be laid down to witness against this unrighteous Principle of limiting God in the universality of his Love to Mankind for the rejecting of which and slighting the offers of Free Grace which has appeared to all Men according to Titus 2. 11. Man brings destruction upon himself But Iames Barry's Messenger that he sent which we suppose may be an esteemed Member of
art in a great mistake in charging this to be a defect in the Quaker's Religion not to have such a Practice which is an unwarrantable human Invention And it is a great Defect in your Religion to perswade people that when you have Sprinkled a little Water on the Head or Face of a Child and signed it with the sign of the Cross it is thereby admitted into the Christian Church and call it Baptism when it is but Sprinkling and therefore a Defect throughout But thy Charge upon the Quakers Religion that we deny that of Baptism by which People are admitted into the Christian Church we affirm to be false For we own that Baptism according to what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 12 13. For by one Spirit are we all Baptised into one Body whether we be Iews or Gentiles c. This we own to be Christ's Baptism And we also own Iohn's Ministration of Water to have been God's Ordinance in its day But yours we leave for thee to prove from whence you had it Secondly Thou sayst Nor that of the Lord's Supper by which they are strengthened and preserved in it Ans. Let all that are wise in Heart consider whether that which thou callest a Sacrament which you take hath such a great effect in it as to strengthen and preserve in the Christian Church which is Christ's Church For the Protestants do account it no more than a Sign of an inward Spiritual Grace But we are satisfied concerning what Christ did as in that Scripture thou quotest Luke 22. For he had regard to the fulfilling of the Law and his time drawing near that he was to be Sacrificed and so the true Passover as Paul saith 1 Cor. 5. 7. For even Christ our Passover is Sacrificed for us had a desire to eat the Figurative Passover with his Disciples before he suffered as thou mayst see Luke 22. and in eating the Passover he took the Cup and gave thanks and gave it to them and bid them divide it among themselves and likewise took Bread and brake it and gave it to them And after Supper again he took the Cup and gave them And thou mayst see what he said both of the Bread and the Cup the One was his Body which was given for us the other was the Cup of the New Testament in his Blood which was shed for us Which words import that his Body which is broken for us is the substance of that Unleavened Typical Bread and his Blood which was shed is the substance of that Cup. Not that the Bread and Wine was his Body and Blood for that was but Typical though some do ignorantly imagine that he meant the outward Bread and Wine was his real Body and Blood As the Iews thought he had meant the Temple made with hands when he spake of the Temple of his Body For we read that when the Passover was instituted they were to have a Lamb without blemish and unleavened Bread and the Door-Posts were to be sprinkled with the Blood of the Lamb which Passover was certainly a Type of Christ the immaculate Lamb whose Body is the true Bread that nourishes the Soul to Life eternal and his Blood sprinkles the Conscience from dead works to serve the Living God This is that we have an eye to that which was broken for us and shed for us and we think by thy Writing thou art not of the Papists mind for the Real Presence And if not then consider what that Bread and Drink was that was broken and shed for us which he spake of though he was then eating the Passover with his Disciples and then come on and see what the Apostle saith to the Mystery of it which was that which he preferred in the Church at Corinth 1 Cor. 10. there he tells them of the Fathers viz. the Church in the Wilderness and saith They did all eat of the same spiritual Meat and did all Drink of the same spiritual Drink for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ. So here thou mayst see the Meat was Spiritual and the Drink was Spiritual and the Rock was Spiritual that they drank of and that was Christ. So the Apostle speaking to Wise Men bids them judge what he saith as in ver 15. and in ver 16. saith he The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ And the Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ And ver 17. For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread The Iudgment of this thou seest the Apostle referred to Wise Men and we know Wise Men will Iudge that it is this Spiritual Meat and Drink that strengthens and preserves in the Church of Christ what-ever thou may'st say to the contrary And so thou wrongest the Quakers in saying That we have not the Lora's Supper administred in our Religion for we greatly delight in the Lord's Supper to eat and drink that which strengthens and preserves us in the Church of Christ. And for your Practice that you use in your Church we demand your Example for it and whence it did arise For thou may'st see that Christ in the Figure did eat the Passover with his Disciples according to the Law and gave them the Cup both before and after Supper as a foresaid Thou pretendest Thou hast other notorious defects in our Religion but forbearest to bring them forth only one thou say'st thou canst not omit which is so great a one that it renders the generality of the Quakers almost no Christians at all And thou say'st Most of us are guilty and that is a defect in the very badg and mark of a Christian Disciple which say'st thou is Love and Charity and so quotest Christ's words John 13. 35. By this shall all Men know that you are my Disciples if ye love one another Ans. Thou dost in this as thou hast done in other things before charge us to be Guilty but dost not bring one Proof or Argument to prove the Guilt upon us from matter of fact unless thy saying It is so be either Proof or Argument which no wise Man will understand to be so Thou say'st Perhaps we have charity among our selves we love one the other who are of our Perswasion However that is well so far it answers this Text of Scripture which thou hast quoted we wish we might say in truth so much for all of your Perswasion But thou goest on to shew how we should love Enemies c. and tellest us what Iohn says That God is Love and the more a Man hath of Love the nearer he doth approach to the Nature of God and so tellest us what Paul saith of Charity c. But what doth all this towards the proving us to be defective in this great badg and mark of a Christian Disciple That this is both your and our Duty we
which he doubts not but we will make good upon occasion Thou in answer say'st Thou knowest our Practice well enough Which if true and if so bad as thou endeavourest to make People believe of us why hast thou brought none of them to make good thy Charges against us And as for our Principles thou say'st Thou never heard'st we had any Then thou must needs be ignorant of our Way and Religion And therefore in thy speaking evil of it thou speakest evil of things thou understandest not and so art of that Generation spoken of 2 Pet. 2. 12. And as for our Faith and Principles they have been published to the World both by Words and Writing they have not been hid in a corner so that any that had a mind to concern themselves against us and yet as wise Men would not judge without an understanding lest like thee they should speak evil of the things they did not understand might easily be informed what our Principles are However we are a People that believe in the Lord Iesus Christ and that the Father sent him into the World to lay down his Life a Ransom for all Men that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have Eternal Life That he was Crucified without the Gates of Ierusalem and so became a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World And that after he had suffered and was buried God the Father Raised him again by his Eternal Spirit after which he shewed himself unto many Witnesses and then Ascended into Heaven and is Glorified with the Father with that Glory he had with him before the World was made And we further believe that he is the Light of the World and that he ought to be followed according to his own words Iohn 8. 12. and That he lighteth every Man that cometh into the World according to Iohn 1. 9. and that this Light wherewith he lighteth every Man all ought to believe in that they may be Children of the Light according to Iohn 12. 36. And so we believe in his spiritual Appearance according to his Promise who said He would pray the Father and he should send them another Comforter even the Spirit of Truth according to Iohn 14. 16 17. and this was his own Spirit for he is the Truth and of this the Saints were Witnesses as the Apostle saith Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father And thus was Christ in the Saints the Hope of Glory according to Col. 1. 7. And thus believing and witnessing the Truth of the Scripture we wait upon God for his Spirit that we may worship him therein according to the Institution of his Son Christ Jesus as in Iohn 4. 23 24. and that we may pray with the Spirit and sing with it according to 1 Cor. 14. 15. For the Apostle exhorted the Saints To be filled mith the Spirit Eph. 5. 18. and the Saints were to Pray in the Holy Ghost Jude 20. So our Faith stands in the Power of God which is that the Apostle laboured that the Saints Faith might stand in as thou may'st see 1 Corinth 2. 5. believing that there shall be a Resurrection both of the just and unjust they that have done good unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation according to Iohn 5. 29. Here we have given thee some account in short of our Faith Principles and Practice and proved them to be according to the Scripture whereby thou may'st see if Prejudice and Self-Interest do not blind thine Eye that Robert Lacky in turning from thy Teaching to Christ the true Light and his Teaching according to God's Promise under the New Covenant who said They shall be all taught of the Lord which according to our Principle we direct People to wait for it 's no unsafe way to Heaven nor as thou falsly accusest us a pursuing such ways as are directly contrary to holy Scripture which thou in some measure promisest thou wilt make appear but hast it yet to do Thou say'st Because thou art fully satisfied we cannot make this out therefore thou wilt shew him how he has incurred not only the Displeasure of God for the present but the Damnation of his Soul hereafter unless he repent and return by this his departure from the Religion he was bred in Ans. Thou may'st see thy Satisfaction is without ground as also thy confident presumption in thy passing such a Sentence upon him concerning his present and Eternal Estate And surely thy Iudgment herein is groundless rash and vain as all may see who have any true Christian understanding and discerning and do but observe what is brought forth under your Teaching in your Religion For we understand no Reason thou assignest for thy Iudgment but His leaving of your Religion which we have before proved he had good reason so to do And therefore neither he nor any other need be afraid of thy Threatning upon this account because from what is before written it is clear that there are great Defects in the Principles and Exercise of the Religion he was bred in if he was bred in yours and so not according to Christ's Institution as may be seen if compared with the Scripture and that there are no such Defects in the Religion he now embraceth but proved in the Principles and Exercise of it to be of Christ's Institution according to the Scripture And herein thy Challenge we have answered and endeavoured to make it appear both to thee and him according to thy demand But if thou hatest to be Informed it shall lie at thy own door and thou shalt answer for it thy self So it is plain he may have changed out of a Principle of Conscience and pure Love to God and his Soul and not out of Interest Humour Passion or Prejudice as thou seemest to accuse him And as for thy Assuring him upon thy Word that it is not for any temporal advantage that thou seekest to reduce him but only in love to his Soul as thou hast to all Mens as thou say'st Ans. We think he hath no reason to believe that thou and the rest of your Clergy have such a Love to the Souls of all Men as to be the only Reason of your coming amongst them to be their Teachers for your Practice which is a surer evidence than your Words speaks the quite contrary in that you do leave any People where you are to go to another place for an Augmentation and higher Preferment So that it 's evident it is not the good of People's Souls nor the Glory of God that chiefly moves you in this concern what-ever may be pretended to And so to the Consciences and Understandings of Wise Men we refer these things to be considered of with our Hearts desire to God for you all that he would open your Understandings and let you see the Errour of you Ways and