was a Spirit and here art thou a Witness against thy self that thou speakest not by the inspiration and moving of the holy Spirit but speakest thy imaginations and lyes in the Name of the Lord And whereas thou sayest In this confused Age there hath appeared variety of spirits pretending to be sent by the everlasting God yet they are at war with all their power to overthrow one another that their own Opinions may bear rule I Answer Among the Many Pretenders thou speakest of thou art one and it is true you are at war with all your power endeavouring to overthrow one another that your own Opinions may bear rule and though there be among you variety of Opinions yet by one spirit you act for the Kingdom of the Devil is but one and yet divided and it is at war with it self and therefore it cannot stand and you cannot overthrow one another but one is appearing to overthrow you all and all your Opinions for all you Pretenders are made manifest by your fruits and thereby men may try you for nothing is to be gathered from you but Opinions and airy Imaginations some of you speaking of a God and Christ a far off to believe in others of you speaking of a God and of a Christ within and a far off to believe in thus you feed people by your own imaginations and some of you pretend Revelation others of you denying Revelation and thus you strive to set up your own Opinions but you live all in one nature and are of one Generation and he that walks in the Light seeth you all and comprehendeth you all and judgeth all your Opinions and are redeemed out of all your vain imaginations into the Life of God acting and speaking as the Spirit acteth and speaketh and seeketh to exalt Christ and him to bear rule that all Opinions may be by him thrown down and that by him people may be brought out of a confused Age into the Land of Rest and Peace and Righteousness to serve the true Spiritual God in the Spirit and by the Spirit of his own Son And further thou sayest Some there are that take upon them to speak of a God and of a Christ in the invisible Heavens above the Stars but are uncapable to demonstrate how Christ by his spiritual Word liveth in mens hearts and how he reigneth visibly in glory with his Elect Angels I Answer there are not some but many which lives in and speaks forth their own imaginations upon God and Christ and one of them thou art thy spirit is tryed God who is a Spirit dwells in the Spirit of his Son even in the high and holy Place and with him also who is of a contrite Spirit and trembleth at his Word but this by thy vulterous eye is not seen neither can any demonstrate how Christ dwells in the heart but he who witnesseth it through death and where he reigns his Glory is with him and his Elect Angels this I witness but to thy carnal eye it is invisible and by thy carnal wisdom he can never be known Christ and his spiritual Word is not to be divided though thy sensual spirit would divide them but by the Flaming Sword thou that speakest art divided from both and shalt know neither but to thy condemnation And further thou sayest Others there are which speak of an eternal Spirit or Christ only in the Consciences of men as if there were no Creator or Christ at all visibly reigning upon his Throne of immortal Glory I answer they who talk of an eternal Spirit or Christ in the Conscience by hearsay or of other mens words without as thou dost and doth not in Life and Power witness it from the Father within made manifest such are denyed by them who witness the eternal Spirit dwelling with the contrite heart which Spirit is the Creator which dwells also in the high and holy Place and reigns upon his Throne for ever and who do in Power witness this sees and judges all your carnal imaginations and conceptions of the living God in your carnal minds where he dwells shall no unclean thing enter but is without to be troden in the Wine-Press of his Wrath for ever and ever and by him shall thy carnal conceptions be consumed even by the Breath of his Mouth for he is Eternal and his Throne is Eternal and by the carnal eye shall never be seen And further thou sayst There are some who through unbelief that ever any living Creature had a beginning do affirm there is no God or Christ at all but perishing nature this sort are innumerable witness the lives and conversations of people every where I answer All who do witness the Eternal Spirit made manifest to rule and guide all such do deny and declare against such Opinions for nothing was without beginning but the Eternal Word which was the beginning of all things and will be the end of all things even the destruction of the wicked and the Salvation of them that believe who are born of the immortall Seed and redeemed out of the perishing nature into the image of God and such do set to their seal there is a God who will reward every one according to their works and bears witness against them who in their lives and conversations denies God as all do who do not witness the eternall Spirit of Christ ruling in the Conscience but talkes of a God in imagination at a distance and such are innumerable and sayes in their hearts there is no God and such are the fools the Scripture speaks of and whereas thou beseeches to consider of these ensuing particulars I answer They are considered and by them thy ignorance is made manifest and thy folly disclosed and thy blasphemy who calls thy self the last Witness 1 Quer. In thy first particular thou queriest Whether these men were sent forth by the eternall Spirit to preach which in the least cannot demonstrate what the onely true God is in himself and how he is a distinct Beeing from all living Creatures and how he reigns in the Elect by a created Word Voice or spirituall Motion onely Answ. Those men were not sent forth by the eternall Spirit to preach who have not received it and such know not God what he is nor where he is but in their imaginations imagine him to be like a creature by being in a creaturely Place or Habitation God is a Spirit and he is not distinct from living creatures for in him living creatures lives moves and have their beings and he is not far from them nor distinct from them as he spake who was sent by the eternall Spirit to preach he reigns in the Elect not by a created word voice or a created spirituall motion for the Word which lives in the Elect from which voice and motion proceeds is not created but is uncreated even as God is uncreated for God is that Word and here thy ignorance appears by calling the Word which lives
people and by them being deceived in some particular things naming onely three things the first whereof is That godliness being a Mystery that it did consist of something within and not of something without and that the Saints were to expect life and salvation from a Christ within and not from a Christ without I answer Godliness is a mystery the Image of God which is Godliness is a mystery hidden from the eye of I. Turner and from all vulterous eyes and this mystery is within in life and power consisting of the new man Christ Jesus who is the Image of God made manifest within the Saints in whose Image man is like God godly and this mystery is not in outward things in word or declaration or outward practice though where this mystery is made manifest godly practises will flow from it to without but yet the power life and mystery of godliness is within and cannot be seen with the carnal eye not comprehended with the carnal mind And here I charge I. Turner in the presence of God that she knowes not the mystery of Godliness who blasphemously calls this a corrupt Principle and here it is made manifest that she is in Babylon yet and is deceived and bewitched by the Devill I bear witness to the truth and to this particular and against her who denyes it And the Saints have Life and Salvation from Christ made manifest within which is the same Christ which suffered without and this I affirm that till Christ be revealed within there is no Salvation nor Life partaked of The Scripture saith they were Reprobates in whom Christ was not And the Apostle said Christ in you the hope of glory and Christ lived in him which was his â—ife and Salvation Where Christ is not made manifest within the Serpent is Head and the Devil is King in the heart and this I witness and do declare it as in the presence of God that till Christ was made manifest within me I was not saved nor had no life as to God though I was high in Profession and Knowledge outwardly And here again I. Turner hath shewed forth her blindness and sottishness to all and may stop her mouth for shame and confess that she is a bondslave in Babylon who calls this a corrupt Principle which is the Way Power and Life of Religion and Salvation which is Christ Jesus within made manifest in the Saints which takes away Sin and destroys the Works of the Devil and she and all others who walks and lives in the flesh following the lusts and desires of it living to their own wills in the broad-way and talks of Salvation by any thing without will be deceived for nothing will present to God but the Righteousness of Jesus Christ revealed which takes away sin and sets free from it And now for the second Principle That Saints were not to do duties by or from a commmand without but from a command within and that the Word command in Scripture was not a command to them till they had a Word within them I answer That is no command from God to me what he commands to another neither did any of the Saints which we read of in Scripture act by the command which was to another not having the command to themselves I challenge to find an example for it they obeyed every one their own command one was sent to Baptism and to Preach the Gospel another was sent not to Baptize but to Preach the Gospel And thou I. Turner or any other who goes to duty as you call it by imitation from the Letter without which was commands to others in your own wills and time your sacrifice is not accepted but is abomination to the Lord for you go without the moving of the Spirit in your own wills and strength which God hates and which his wrath is upon And I charge her here as in the presence of the Lord that she knows not what a command from God in Spirit is but is ignorant and not a daughter of Sion and let her mouth be stopped and let shame strike her in the Face who professes her self to know the Lord and let all be ashamed of her who professes themselves members joyned with her in Church she hath made manifest the ignorance of them all Now for the third particular That as to the time of doing duties they were to wait for the moving of the spirit to carry them forth to it and this they called Wayting for a power and till they had such a power they were to do nothing but sit still and wait and this not onely in private duties but in Church also not owning any Ministery by way of gifts of Office but to come together and there sit still and wait till they had a power and then to speak whether man or woman I answer who dare call this a Principle of deceit none but who are led by deceit and such is I. Turner who puts light for darkeness and darkeness for light all duties as she calls them whatsoever if the moving of the Spirit do not carry forth to act them then the movings of the corrupt will and vain mind carries forth and who act from such Principles are accursed from God And I. Turner and all who denies to wait for the movings of the power of the Spirit to carry forth but goes before the moving of it all their Prayers Preachings Ordinances and Churches I do deny and declare against by the Eternal Spirit of God that they are odious and abomination in the eye of the Lord and is no duty which he accepts whether they be done in private or in the Church And that Ministery which is not carried forth by the moving of the Spirit of God but of man and in the will of man which Ministry is hated of God and she which denies waiting upon God till power be given in from God to act and speak for God hath denied the way of God and the practice of the Saints in former Generations and wo is unto her who makes the simple believe this to be deceit Whereas she saith in these particulars which carried such a face or shew of spirituality she was corruped but did never fully own them in judgement nor practice I answer O blind deceived spirit which calls these but a shew or face of spirituality she calls the substance a shew and the shew or likeness a substance And wo unto her which calls good evil and evil good these particulars by the eternal spirit I own and walk in but that spirit of deceit and Antichrist in her hath denied them and calls them deceiveable and saith by them she was corrupted let her be ashamed and all of her Faction it was the Principle which led her from these things by which she was corrupted and which hindered her to own them and practice them and which now makes her declare against them which Principle is the spirit of the false Prophet which now rules
stand in the Fear of the Lord your Sword will be a terâ—… and dread to them that fear him not but live contrary to the Light in their own Consciences which Light if you love it is your Command to march by and your Rule to judge by and Weapon to fight withal and your chief Commission for duty And now you have all time take heed to your selves go not on in your course of evil nor take not your pleasure in unrighteousness but to thâ— Light in your Consciences take heed it is your Teacher to God if you love it or your Condemnation from God if you hate it And this is yoâ—â— Terms with the Lord prize the acceptance of his Love to your souls and the Day of your visitation lest you perish in your rebellion eternally Written in love to your souls Edw. Burrough Written in Ireland at Caterlough A Warning from the Lord to you the Natives of the Nation of Ireland who are made a Curse and a Prey to be destroyed of your Enemies REpent repent ye that remain from being devoured whose dayes are 〈◊〉 stretched forth that you may return to the Lord from whom you are grievously degenerated into filthiness and uncleanness being a cursed Brood and are become unhuman in your impudent shameless practices of ungodliness and are brazened in your filthiness and cannot blush when you have done evil the Plagues of God and his Wrath waits to consume you from off the face of the Earth you are shut up in blindness and covered with darkness which may be felt and you are as deaf Adders void of understanding and past feeling and given up to work all unrighteousness with delight counting it your glory to work wickedness having sold your selves to commit sin you have wholly slain Gods Witness and are become wilde and brutish as the Beasts of the Field and untamed as savage Colts the Indignation of God is against you who are as dead Trees and withered Branches and scorched Heaths not sensible of good nor evil but as wild Asses who neither fear God nor regard man To the Light in your Consciences wherewith Christ hath lightened you do I now speak Gods murdered Witness shall answer me by which you are inexcusable for with the Light you know Lying Swearing Stealing Murder Drunkenness and Whoredom are Sins and Transgressions the Light will let you see these abound among you by which you are reproved and eternally to be condemned if you do not repent of these your grievous abominations And if you love the Light and turn to it it will lead you out of sin and out of your vain foolish Traditions and Immitations and Sorceries and Witchcrafts which deceive your souls And this Light in your Consciences will change you into Soberness and Humanity and will lead you into the Way of Life and Salvation out of the way of Death and Hell wherein you walk to eternal misery Therefore prize your souls and the dreadful God fear and tremble before him ye prophane Wretches and cease from your filthy nasty poluted wayes of Idolatry Lying Swearing Stealing Drunkenness and such like God forbideth with the Light in your Consciences and he that doth these things shall eternally perish in condemnation for ever And this to you is a Warning in pity to your lost souls whose hearts are desperately wicked and set to do mischief the Vengeance of God is against you the Light in your Consciences shall witness me and justifie the Lord in the Day of recompence when every man receives according to his deeds the Righteous unto Life the Wicked unto eternal Wrath. Now you have time prize it the Light is your Teacher loving it and your Condemnation for ever hating it By one who suffers for the Seeds sake waiting for the building of destroyed Sion EDWARD BURRUGH A Trumpet of the Lord Sounded forth of SION Which gives a certain sound in the Ears of all Nations and is a true noise of a fearfull Earthquake at hand which shall shake the whole fabrick of the Earth and the Pillars of its standing shall fall and never more be set up again Or fearfull Voices of terrible Thunders uttered forth from the Throne to the astonishment of the Heathen in all the Quarters of the Earth who are not sealed in the forehead And is an Alarm and preparation for War against all Nations where Gog and Magog resideth And sheweth the wounding Sword of the Mighty God from whose blow the Kings nor the Captains nor the mighty men cannot flee to escape Declared and written by a Son of Thunder as a Warning to all the Inhabitants of the Earth where the great Image is standing or any part of it worshipped speedily to meet the Lord by Repentance that in the day of his fierce Wrath they may be hid With a Salutation to the Seed who are gathered into the Fold and with the Children of the King The Tongue that was dumb sings a joyfull Song of Sion in an unknown Language which none can understand save the Redeemed of the Lord. BY Order and Authority given unto me by the Spirit of the Living God King of Kings and Lord of Lords the One and thirtieth day of the tenth Moneth in the Year of the Worlds account 1655. about the fourth hour in the morning when my Meditations were 〈◊〉 my God upon my Bâ—d in Kilkenny City in the Nation of Ireland at that time the Word of the Lord came unto me from the Righteous Iudge of Heaven and Earth who was 〈◊〉 is and is to come who sitteth on the Throne of righteous Iudgement judging Nations and Kindreds and Tongues and Peoples equally saying Write my Controversie with all the Inhabitants of the Earth unto all sorts of People as I will shew thee By this same Authority and Commission declared this I send unto you the Tribes of the Earth and this upon your heads shall stand for ever to be witnessed by the Light of Christ Iesus in all your Consciences in the dreadfull day of Vengeance which upon you O Inhabitants of the Earth is coming Prepare prepare to meet the Lord O Nations Tongues and People unto you all hereby a Warning is come and a Visitation from the Presence of the Living God which you are straitly required to put in practise as at the terrible day of dreadful Vengeance you will answer the contrary Given under my hand and sealed by the Spirit of the Eternal God who livâ—â— for ever Through a Servant of the Lord. E. B. O Earth earth earth hear the word of the Lord and awake awake awake all ye Inhabitants thereof and give ear give ear unto the controversie which the Lord hath with you Noble and Ignoble listen unto the Word of the Lord men of high degree and men of low degree be not stout-hearted nor stop not your Ears for the Lord hath spoken People of all sorts and men of all conditions the Word of the Lord is towards you even from the Princes and Nobles that
the Holy Ghost Ans. His words are utterly false yet we say we have received the Holy Ghost which teacheth us and leadeth us into all truth and by it are we lead out of all Wickedness and Delusion and all wicked speeches which he brands us withall and these things are his own for he is seen to be in delusion and odious wickedness and wicked speeches And saith he They speak against the DOCTRINE of the SPIRIT and cryes down the love of the Saints and against the Ordinances of the Ministers of Christ. To this I have answered In the love and union with all the Saints we are and Ministers of Christ but against Hypocrisie we declare such who profess what they are not and use their tougues and saith the Lord saith when the Lord hath not spoken to them and sprinkle Infants and saith it is an Ordinance of Christ and singing Davids experiences in Rime and Meeter with many other things which the Priests hath in their practice such things we deny to be Ordinances of Christ and them to be Ministers of Christ which do practice them and this we do say by the Spirit of Truth But that we pronounce damnation against Gods Church and holy Servants this is false again and is but the fulfilling the number of his lyes and though he charge us secretly with preaching another Gospel then that which Paul preached is false and if we duely examine it will be he that will be found preaching another Gospel whose practice is found in many things contrary to them who were Ministers of the true Gospel and so the curse pronounced by the Apostle will fall upon him and not upon us in the day of Judgement 21. His one and twentieth Reason Saith he The Quakers themselves renounce 〈◊〉 words the Ranters and Papists as a deluded sort Answer To which I answer and say Yea not only in words but in lives lives also we utterly abhor the Ranters and Papists both in profession and practice and do know that Rich. Baxter is of the same spirit though differing in words But saith he The Ranters and Drunkards cryes out against the same Ministers same exercise and godly people as the Quakers do To which I answer What the Ranters and Drunkards may do in their wickedness and unclean spirits is one thing and what we do in the fear of God and tender love to peoples Souls is another thing but how uncharitable is this man in his judgment Let us try him as if I should say The Ranters and Drunkards and Prophane and all ungodly People they are our Enemies and do oppose and gainsay the Way of God and the people called Quakers and they Beat them and Reproach them and Slander them and doth much cruelty unto them and thus doth Richard Baxter of Kidderminster he reviles them and reproaches them and belyes them and therefore he is one with the Ranters and Drunkards and prophane people and he holds part of the Papists Ranters and Drunkards doctrine and practice And thus he is judged with his own Rule according as 〈◊〉 hath judged us by the same Rule and now say I as well as he of us Let any man judge that hath not forsworn all wit and reasons whether it is likely the Holy Ghost will inspire Richard Baxter and a company of Priests of Englâ—… to acquaint them with the same Points Doctrines and Practices which the Papists Ranters Drunkards and all prophane people exercise themselves in for as all they are Enemies to the Quakers so is he and his company Aâ—… farther I ask him Whether the same things be heavenly in Rich. Baâ—… and his company which be hellish in the Ranters and Drunkards And whether Richard Baxter hath not condemned himself and the Priests of England in condemning the Papists and Ranters and Drunkards and prophane people in acting the very same things to wit speaking against reproaching reviling and slandering and backbiting an innocent people of God called Quakers 22. His two and twentieth Reason And saith he If I have any Reason to 〈◊〉 weary of the Christian Catholick Reformed Religion what reason have I to turn Quaâ—… more then to any other Sect Why saith he how do they prove they are more in the riâ—… then any other c. Ans. To all this I answer this is according to his knowledge who sees 〈◊〉 difference between good and evil between such as serveth God and such as serves him not and how can this man be a Teacher of others that is so blind himself The true Christian Religion he is out of and in a Sect whose fruiâ—… are as bad as the Papists or Familists or any others for I believe not the worâ—â— of Sects could have brought forth more lyes and slanders and scoffing worâ—â— in one sheet of paper then he hath done in this which now I deal withal And as for our proof that we are in the right way to every man that hath an eye to see and an ear to hear and an heart to conceive it 's easie to be proved and such are satisfied but as for Unbelievers and Persecutors such as himself they must hear and see and not perceive and understand 23. His three and twentieth Reason Saith he The way by which they prâ—… is not producing any evidence for they renounce that and offers all from the Autâ—… of the spirit within them c. Ans. The way by which we prevail is by the the Spirit of the Lord which 〈◊〉 within us and that was the way whereby all the Ministers of Christ evâ—… prevailed by the authority of that But yet this is false we do not deny 〈◊〉 produce Evidence but is sufficiently able and hath done it to produce Eviâ—… out of the Scriptures to prove all things which we profess or practice for Religion But saith he They must prove their Commission by Divine miracles before 〈◊〉 reasonable man can believe it c. many that fear God and are in the 〈◊〉 Reason hath Believed us already and do see the Mighty Wonders of Goâ—… brought to passe and it cannot be believed by Richard Baxter no more 〈◊〉 Christ was believed of the Pharisees in whom the mighty Power of God 〈◊〉 made manifest for though he did miracles yet this Generation could not believe them And he tells of some that said he was 〈◊〉 so might they well do and not lye his blindness is made manifest at largâ—… And saith he But can I see the Witness in them that saith they have the Witness in themselves Nay because thou art an Unbeliever thou canst not but it thou wert a Believer in Christ thou wouldst feel the same Testimony in the Brethren but by thee we are not known and therefore by thee are falsly Judged for no other Testimony do we give or hold forth but the same which the Apostles did which we have received from Christ as the Apostles did and not by any authority of our own though he falsly says it but by the Authority
upon whom the Wrath of God abideth and are subject to the Curse every moment and this is the state of all Mankind And the Light in every one shall answer this Measure and witness you and your Word to be the Word of the Lord which Light if they love it will bring every one to know the Power of the Creator to reconcile them and to bring them into Fellowship with him and to receive his Blessings and his Inheritance being changed by the Power of God into his Image But if they hate the Light and deny the Power of God and his Covenant and will not have Christ who hath lighted them to teach them and to rule them but do continue Enemies in their Minds to the Lord and will not receive your Message then they perish forever and you are clear seal your Testimony against them and the Lord shall be justified when he arises to Condemnation against them all who cannot own this Message and receive you in the Name of the Lord. Be bold and valiant and spare not to shew all people this Message and to Declare unto them in the Name of the Lord by whom you are sent And I warn you all Let the Fear and the Judgments of the Lord be in your Hearts and stand wholly in his Will and be obedient to the moving of his Power in all things that you may be armed against all the Swelling and Roaring of the Proud Waves of the Sea which will beat against you put on the whole Armour of God that you may withstand all the powers of Darkness and may overcome all the Temptations of the Devil Look beyond your life and your liberty and beyond all things of this World and the Life of God know and feel in you to give you Dominion over all and with his Word and Power to reach to his Witness in all that you may leave a Testimony behind you for him Thick Darkness you will find covering all people their Ears deaf and their Eyes blind and the Ground wholly barren and untilled you will find overgrown with Cursed Fruit and wild Branches which must be cut up and cast into the Fire and aboundance of Idolatry and vain Superstitions and great Hardness of Heart you will meet with and find all People in the Degeneration ignorant of God and without him in the World and abounding in all Unrighteousness and Unbelief worshipping their Idol godds which will grieve your spirits but be you Patient and Long-suffering and be not offended at any of these things but Plow in Hope and Sow in Hope and Thresh upon the Mountains and beat them to dust ye Children of Sion and bring all people to know the Fear and Judgments of the Lord in them You are sent forth to beget People unto him and to turn them to his Knowledge to till the Ground to pluck up the wild Branches which cumber the Ground and the tender Grape must be spared Therefore let the Word of the Lord dwell in you and divide the Word aright and cry not Peace to the Wicked neither cry Judgment to such as are of a Broken Heart feed the Hungry with Bread and feed the Fat with Judgment Be ye good Stewards of the Lord's Treasure cover the Naked but make bare the Harlot and discover her Abominable Whoredoms let all the World know how they have committed Whoredom with the great Whore who hath sate upon Nations Kindreds Tongues and Peoples And proclaim unto all Nations That the Lord God is risen for the Deliverance of his Chosen and he will make War in Righteousness against all his Enemies and they must lick the Dust of his Feet and bow under his Scepter And openly declare unto all the World That God is setting up an Everlasting Kingdom and the Dominion thereof shall reach over all the Earth and the Kings of the Earth must bring in their Glory to it In the Name and Power of the Lord God go ye into all the World with this Message and Testimony which shall be answer'd to be the Message of the Everlasting God with the Light which he lightened every man withal that you may bring Glory and Honour and Dominion unto him who hath called you to bear witness of his Name in all the World This I was moved of the Lord to give forth unto all that are moved to go into other Nations by a Companion unto all that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes E. B. A General Epistle to the SAINTS To the Seed of God Elected and Chosen of him before the World began and now called by his Word and Power into the Kingdom of Peace and Righteousness to be Heirs of the Inheritance of Eternal Life that never fades away DEarly beloved Friends who are called and sanctified through the Grace of God that hath appeared unto you and in you be mindful of your Calling and make your Election sure that you may feel it the Seed of God and the Heir of Life born and brought forth in every one of you that the Promise may be fulfilled in you and you may sit down in the Kingdom feeling the immortal Crown of Life as the Reward of all your Sufferings and Tryals and Patience for the Inheritance of an endless Life is the Portion of the Righteous who have followed the Lamb through his Sufferings and laid down their Crowns at his Feet and now his Feet are treading down and will tread down all mortal Crowns and stain the glory of all Flesh and bring it into contempt and set up his Kingdom to have Dominion over all And so Friends you in whose hearts the Day-Star hath appeared of Light and Life feel the growth of the good Seed in your selves which must rise in you all over the contrary part and over that nature which is related to the Kingdoms of this World that must be kept down in you all and all must be subject to the Lambs Power and to his Dominion every Work Word and Motion must be brought in subjection unto him that he who is Light and Life and Righteousness and Truth and all Vertue and Goodness may alone reign in you and over yâ—â—avâ— and the contrary may be kept in the subjection and the Body of Siâ—â—â— and Death may be wholly put off and Immortallity brought forth in you all by the Gospel which hath been sounded forth amongst you in Power and Life and not in the words of man's wisdom and this Gospel which we have received and you have heard hath wrought its effect wherefore the Lord sent it and many are turned from darkness to Light and from Satan's power to God and the Lord hath gathered his Jewels and is gathering of them and he hath planted his Inheritance with a pleasant Plant of Righteousness and Renown and his Arm hath wrought great deliverances in the Earth and hath raised up the Poor and exalted the Meek and Lowly and he hath brought down the Mighty from his Seat and these things hath
tell us plainly Are you Redeem'd from Pâ—… 〈◊〉 are you such as oppress the Seed as Pharoah did And tell us who was the Inâ—… of â—…our Images and who was the Former of all your graven Images 〈◊〉 not they all invented and come up since the Apostles dayes which ye have 〈…〉 and what is Purgatory and from what had it its rise and original 〈◊〉 what ground have you out of Scripture for such a doctrine And what is the 〈◊〉 of Faith and what 's Faith and what doth it give victory over and what 〈…〉 it over come and what is the â—aiâ— that hath bin spread over all Nations and 〈◊〉 is the Mountain of the House of God and what are those Mountains the 〈…〉 shall seek to cover themselves under and what are those Mountains that people expect Salvation from in vain and did not Iohn come to throw down the â—…ins and what are the Mountains that he came to throw down and what is the Valley he came to raise up answer us And what is the Sword of the Spirit and whether have ye the Sword of the spirit and the Spiritual Armour and what is youâ— Church defended and upâ—…d by Spiritual Weapons or Carnal are not your Goals carnal Weapons 〈◊〉 your Inquisitions and your killing people aboue Religion are not all these 〈◊〉 Weapons and had ever the Church of Christ such Weapons answer 〈…〉 plainly And do you not expect the Lord will suddenly plead with you and are not 〈◊〉 them that put off the Day of the Lord and cause the Seat of Violence to come near and are not ye them that have Eyes but see not Earâ— but hear 〈◊〉 Hearts and understand not and is not your Eye blind that should see God's Presence and your Ears stopped that should hear his Voice â—nd have 〈◊〉 heard his Voice and seen his Shape if you have what is he like answer 〈◊〉 And what is his Word and where doth it dwell in your hearts or is it without you and can any thing without you purifie you and take away sin 〈◊〉 of your Hearts and must not Christ be within and what are the Fruits and Signs and Marks of a Saint and why do you go Pilgrims to visit 〈◊〉 Bones what is the reason of it and who was the first that â—â—tuted it 〈◊〉 what is the meaning of your holy Water give us Scripture for all these 〈…〉 ces or else the Power of the Lord will tear you to pieces and lay open 〈◊〉 Foundation and none that love God can joyn unto you And can any o◠〈…〉 pardon Sin truly that it shall never more be remembred and are not 〈…〉 sins remembred with the Light in your Consciences sometimes and is there 〈◊〉 a Light in your Consciences that doth convince you tell me plainly And whether do you own That Christ hath lightened every one that coâ—… into the World and what is the Light and do you know Christ as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before Abraham and have you seen his Day as Abraham did and what 〈…〉 Day of Christ doth the Carnal Eye see it give us your Knowledge and 〈◊〉 Judgment in all these things and lay down your Principles at full and 〈…〉 by the Scriptures what you hold and profess if you would have any to 〈…〉 your Religion otherwise renounce your Church and come out of â—… What is Babylon and the Mother of Harlots and what is spirituâ—◠〈…〉 and Sâ—dom where Christ is crucified and what is the Whore and what 〈…〉 flesh that has stain'd the Earth and what is the Fire that must consume her 〈…〉 Many are jealous concerning you that you are not the true Church 〈…〉 you have drunk of the Whore's Cup who hath made all Nations drunk 〈…〉 if that time be come that she hath made all Nations drunk then how 〈…〉 clear your selves being Nations and Multitudes of People To 〈◊〉 these 〈…〉 I expect your speedy Answer And what is the Death that hath raigned over all and how is Man recâ—… out of it and when and what are the Gates of Hell and what is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they cannot prevail against and whether your Church may never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vailed against and whether they be not your Inquisitions Stakes and â—… and killing people that do principally defend your Church and if yâ—◠〈…〉 cease your Inquisitions and killing those you call Hereticks whether 〈…〉 not you be prevail'd against by many other Sects Lay away yoâ—… perâ—… of People that you call Hereticks and do not deaf with them after the 〈…〉 which you have done by Inquisitions and such like and only by sound 〈…〉 guments and the Power of the Spirit defend your Religion And dare you suffer a certain number of us to come among you and pâ—…ch what we hold and a certain number of you shall freely come among us 〈◊〉 freely preach what you hold without Persecution or any Violence as we would expect and have the same from you engage man for man with us and 〈◊〉 no otherwise deal with ours then we deal with yours and take the free liberty to deal with our men as we deal with your men but no otherwise and 〈◊〉 each of the Messengers preach and hold forth what they would have and whâ—â— they really hold and believe and convert the most either of them can to theiâ— own Religion and then let all the World see which have the Power and Spirit of God with them and whether your Ministers or our Ministers do turn the more people from you to us or from us to you and send your Answer whether you will agree to the Premises and if you do send your Messengers when you pleaâ—â— and we will engage in the Lord their Persons shall not be harmed but if they were then take Man for Man Life for Life of our Men sent to you and let that God be the true God that appeareth in most Power and Authority and let him be worshipped forever whose Power converts the most to the knowledge of him out of Wickedness and let that Church be the tâ—… Church which cannot be overcome And as you are willing to be made manifest joyn issue with us in this business and propound your own time when the men shall return and whether the continuance of the Matter be for Dayes Moneths or Years and let each of the men return without harm of Person and this will be a way truly to try and make manifest all things to all the World and whether you or we be in the right Way and of the right Church and use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Weapon against us but the foundest Arguments you can by words according to the Scriptures and the same Weapons we will use against you 〈…〉 other but the Authority of the Spirit of God and Arguments thereby 〈◊〉 shall be according to the Scriptures the Apostles Writings and the â—…ony of the true Church And hereby in the sight of the whole World let your Church and Faith 〈◊〉 Principles and Practices
that they have ran and not been sent but left Peoples and Nations unsetled as the Waters notwithstanding all their preaching and ministry for so many years yet it seems there wants still a settlement in Religion and seeing their preaching hath had no effect to do it but their Ministry hath been all in vain and people are not learned in Religion not yet established therein whereby their Ministry is proved not to be Christ's Ministry for the Apostles did settle people and the Churches in Religion which theirs have done no such thing and therefore it is that the Powers of the Earth are called to that they may force by Violence and by violent Laws that by that means a Worship and Religion may be settled as they say and their Ministry hath not drawn people by Love and therefore would they have people forced and compelled to be of such or such Religion but this is not Christ's Way nor the Way that his Apostles and true Churches were in for the Spirit of the Father led each one of them to be religious and that same Spirit settled and established them in it and not external Laws nor Powers of the Earth but that was Antichrist's Way and the Beast's and the false Prophets Way for when they had killed the Saints and slain true Religion then the Beast and false Prophets they established a Religion or Worship by outward Laws and it s written That he caused and compelled all both small and great bond and free to worship the Beast and his Image and here was a settled People in a Religion and Worship by an outward compelling Power And thus it was then and is now the same false Churches and false Religions are settled by an outward Authority and it was Nebuchadnezar and his wicked Princes that settled a Religion or Worship by an outward Power and by an earthly Authority but that was not the Worship of true Religion but was the Worship of Antichrist and so it hath been for Ages that Worship that is settled and that Religion which is established by an outward external Power and the Laws of men is but the Worship of Antichrist and not the true Religion nor the Worship of the Living God which is in Spirit and in Truth but it must all be overthrown and brought to nought both that Religion and Worship that is out of the Spirit and that Power that upholds it and now the Lord God is risen to confound the thoughts of mens hearts and he alone will settle and establish Religion by his own Power and by his own Law and through his own Ministry and as people come to that of God in them to feel the Spirit and Power of the Lord God to change them hereby will every one particularly be settled in Religion and by no other way nor means and this I know from the Lord. But how should people be settled in Religion for Peoples and Nations have been and are as Waters which have been driven with the Winds this way or the other way and the great Whore sits upon the Waters and the Beast hath carried her and born her up false Worships and Churches and an outward Power and she hath ruled and made all Nations drunk with her Cup of Fornication and the true Religion hath been lost for many Ages and the Sects and false Churches have been set up and established upon the Waters and as for true Religion it cannot be established while Nations are Waters under the Whore's Dominion and so the many Sects which have been the many Horns upon the Beast and one hath risen after another and one diverse from another and they have been striving one with another and persecuting one another and one subduing another and each one of them hath cryed for help from the Beast and from the Powers of the Earth to be defended from the Power Malice one of another least one should prevail against another get the better one of another and so that Sect that could get Authority from the Powers of the Earrh and have them of its side that Sect hath thriven and hath been settled more then another which hath not gotten the Powers of the Earth to defend it and so as the Powers of the Earth have been changeable so hath Religion been changable and what Sect the Rulers have been on that have they highest tollerated and most defended against all other but all this hath not been the true establishment of true Religion But now some may suppose and query whether I speak this as if I would have Religion not at all settled and as if I were against the establishing of Religion and so thereby may be accused as if I were an Enemy to all Religion and would not have Religion be established c. To all this I answer I am a Friend to true Religion and seeks the establishing of it in the right way and by the Ministry of Righteousness by turning peoples minds to the Spirit and to receive the Anointing that they may be all taught of God and true Worshippers of him in Spirit and Truth and may be settled in the true Religion and this true Religion would I have established in the World and in the Nations and would have all people therein established by the Ministry of Righteousness thereunto ordained But I am against the establishing of Sects and the settling of one Sect above another by the Powers of the Earth and I would not have one set up and an other thrown down by the Laws of men for that brings forth nothing but Tyranny and Oppression and Strife and wickedness in a Nation and amongst People though thus it hath been for many Ages false Sects and false Churches have been established by the Earth and external Laws and that Sect which the King or Queen or Ruler hath been of that hath been set up and tollerated above the rest and the rest despised and persecuted and set at nought for when and where a Prince or a Ruler is of the Papists Religion then that Religion is the most established and settled in that Government and if at any time a Ruler change to be of the Protestant Sect or one come to govern that is of that Religion then that Sect was the most established and upheld thus it is through Nations and in England particularly within these late years when King Henry the eighth turned from the Papists to be a Protestant then that Sect was established and all other thrown down and persecuted and when Queen Mary rose to govern which was a Papist then she established that Sect and false Church by Laws and the rest were limitted and thrown down then when the next Queen arose being a Protestant she established that Sect again by outward Laws and cast all others down and thus it hath been for many Ages throughout all Nations of what Sect and Religion the Governor and Ruler hath been that Sect was onely established and all the rest persecuted as I
and rumors of Wars what are they to us What have we to do with them and wherein are we concerned in these things is not our Kingdom of another World Even that of peace and righteousness and hath not the Lord called us and chosen us into the possession of that Inheritance wherein strife and enmity dwelleth not Yea he hath broken down that part in us that is related thereunto and being dead in that Nature of Strife Bloodshed and Wars how can we live in strife and contention in the World or have fellowship with any therein And can we have pleasure in the confusion and distraction amongst men or joyn in any thing with them if so be we are quickened in the new life to God which is a life of love and peace and free from such things and if we are crucified in the life to this World out of which all these confusions and strife doth arise how can we live therein and therefore these things are nothing to us neither are we of one party or against another to oppose any by rebellion or plottings against them in enmity and striving with them by Carnal Weapons nor to destroy any mens lives though our Enemies so we War not for any nor against any for the matters of this Worlds Kingdom But our Kingdom is inward and our Weapons are spiritual and our victory and peace is not of this World And our War is against souls enemies and against the powers of darkness even by the Sword of the Spirit which God hath given us and called us to war therewith to convert people from sin and death and from the very occasion of wars and contentions about the things that are earthly and this is our calling and work at this day and these things all the Children of the Lord are to mind and to keep over the spirit of this World in all people which all this enmity strife and confusion that is up amongst men lodgeth in and out of it ariseth for these things are the fruits of the spirit of this evil and sinful World and the fruits of the Spirit of God are of another nature even Peace and meekness towards all and not enmity towards any in which Spirit let us live and walk admonishing all hereunto and Praying for our enemies and not hating them but doing good for evil and not rendring evil for evil but being meek and humble merciful and patient towards all and this is the true Christian life learned of Christ and this life is blessed in this World and in the World to come and them that live here are redeemed out of the World wherein is Troubles and Confusion Wars and Strifes But let us not heed any of these things for they Rise and Fall in their season and are brought forth effected in the changable and erring spirit which worketh not the honour of God but is in the dishonour to him And Friends let us be a people separate from all that live therein waiting for the deliverance of the holy seed in all and believing that through all these things the Lord will set up his Kingdom and thus it must come to pass BABYLON MUST FALL WITH A GREAT NOISE for in strife and confusion was She builded and therein hath She long stood and thereby must She fall and Tribulations must come upon the Earth that People may learn to fear the Lord through his Judgements And he will speedily do great things in the World which cannot be believed by many if it were told them for Hell and Death must be destroyed and both the Beast and the Whore must be taken alive and cast into the Lake of the anger of God But blessed are they that do wait upon the Lord and rest under his shadow and wait in his Counsel and receive his Instructions they shall see the marvellous works of his hand but the wicked and unbelieving shall be turned into darkness and shall not see the countenance of the Lord to refresh them but their sorrow shall be increased And as for me If I were no more this is the Testimony of my Love unto the Seed of God through these Nations who am a Companion to all that travel after Truth and Righteousness and that seek the Lord in their hearts that he may Rule and these things were upon me to send amongst the Flock of God to be read in all your Meetings Oxfordshire the 1st day of the third Moneth 1660. E. B. A VISITATION AND Presentation of Love Unto the KING and those call'd ROYALLISTS Consisting of I. An Answer to several Queries proposed to the People called Quakers from a supposed Royallist II. An Objection answered concerning the Kings Supremacy III. An Epistle directed to the King and those that go under the Name of Royallists IV. Certain Queries returned to them called Royallists to answer An Answer to divers Queries subscribed thus To the Quakers some Queries is sent to be answered that all People may know your Spirit and the temper of it and your Iudgment concerning the Times and Seasons and subscribed let your Answer be directed Tradite hanc Amico Regis AS concerning the Quakers that are scornfully so called We are at this day and have been ever since we were a People a poor despised and contemptible People in the eye of this World and deep Sufferers under the Injustice and Cruelties and Oppressions both of Rulers Teachers and People and we have been a prey to the Wicked and trodden down under the feet of Ambitious men that have been in power in this Nation and have Ruled in force and cruelty over us and this hath been ever since the Lord raised us up to be a People though we have not been offensive to any just Law or Government or to any sort of People otherwise then that we have given our Witness against Sin and wickedness in all People but we have not been Oppressors of others neither have we envied the persons of any but in all good Conscience have we walked towards all men doing no otherwise to any then we would be done unto and this is the very Law we walk by towards all men desiting the good of all and that all may come to Repentance and be Saved and what we are as unto the Lord if I should declare it could not be believed by many But we are his People and he hath chosen us and he is our God and we have believed in him and walked with him in the uprightness of heart and we have this Testimony in our own hearts if we die it is for him and if we live it is to him and though we have been and may be clouded with the Reproaches and Persecutions of an Uncircumcised Generation yet in the Lord's Season it shall be manifest even to the World and to our very Enemies that we are his People and chosen of him and he in the midst of us whom we serve and worship in Spirit in Truth and in Righteousness and
not read that the Iews persecuted them for so doing And will you that have the name of Christians persecute the People of God though they meet together in private houses and their own hired houses and cannot come to your Temples and Steeple-houses And will not you suffer such to meet together out of your Publick Places but you will persecute them and call them Hereticks and such like Is not this worse than ever the Iews did to the Apostles And so you are out of the Example of the true Christians who met together and preached and prayed often and not in a Synagogue or Publick Place but you cry against them that do so and threaten to persecute for it and thus you shew your selves out of the true Christian Example and in this you are worse than the Iews and more cruel if you should persecute People for meeting to wait upon the Lord in their own houses or in what place or time as the Lord should move their hearts but if you proceed in this way and will not permit the People of God to meet together in their own houâ—â— and not in your Idol-Temples then the Power of the Lord will confound you and God will break you to peices and you will feel his heavy Wrath upon your Consciences and God will smite you with his Judgements inwardly and outwardly Now for your restraining of people from one way of Worship and forcing them to another and compelling them about Religion by cruel Laws and Commandments of men this is of Antichrist for you to do and of the Devil for all forcing of People to this kind of Worship and from another 〈◊〉 posing upon their Consciences in matters of Gods Kingdom this is also of â—…tichrist and contrary to Christ and his Way for he won People by sound Doctrine and by Love and by a good Conversation and so did his Disciples for they never forced any by outward violence to their Worship nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Church-Government and Ordinances but it was the practice of the Beast and the Dragon that first forced People and compelled them 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ship since the dayes of the Apostles Rev. 13. It was Antichrist that first 〈◊〉 upon People in the Ignorance of their Consciances and contrary to their â—…ences by the Commandments of men false Faith false Worship false Ministry false Doctrine and false Religions so that now if you should force any contrary to their Consciences to your Steeple-houses to 〈◊〉 and say your Form of Prayers we shall say then you are Antichrist 〈◊〉 of the Devil if so be you should endeavour to compel any either against 〈◊〉 Consciences or in the Ignorance of their Consciences to your way of Worship or Religion Therefore take heed how you meddle in these things lest God confound you And as for us we are the People of God we fear his Name and worship him and cannot bow to the Devil and we need not be forced to worship the Lord for his Spirit leads us into all Truth and we need none of your outward Prescriptions or Form of Prayers for the Spirit of God teacheth us in all these things when and where and how we should worship the Lord God who is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth which is free and not by outward force and all the Worship that is otherwise and not in the free Spirit of Christ is of great Babylon whom the Lord will confound and destroy Another general Objection answered Object 2. Again whereas it is said by some Now there must be no more private Preachers unlearned men and men not ordained must not now preach anymore Lay-Persons must not be Preachers that are not so qualified nor so and so ordained and this is the present talk among some People Answ. To this I also answer and say Wo to them that would stop or quench or limit the Spirit of God in Sons or Daughters for such are Denyers of the Scriptures and the Power of God and such bring guilt upon their own Consciences and work fearful Abomination against God And what must not the Spirit of the Lord speak now where it is in this Age as it did in the dayes of old as you may read in the Scriptures for was not Elisha a Plow-man and was not he called from the Plow 1 King 19. and became a Prophet of the Lord unto the House of Israel and had the spirit of Elijah poured upon him and would not you have said he was a Lay-man a Plow-man unordained not fitting to preach if you had lived in his dayes And was not Aâ—â—â— called from following the Flock who had been no Prophet nor no Prophets Son but an Herds-man Amos 7. 14 15. and it was lawful for him to preach the Word of the Lord though he was but an Herds-man and had been no Prophet nor Prophets Son which if he had lived in your dayes you would have called him a Lay-man an unfit Person unlearned and one not ordained for the Ministry and you like Amaziah the wicked Priest of Bethel would now quench the Spirit as he would have done in Amos who was a Trades-man and such a one as you call Lay-men who are not as you say fitting to preach And did not Christ Jesus himself chuse Fisher-men and sent them forth to preach the Gospel and such as were men of Trades and unlearned in Books as it is written Act. 4. 13. When the Ruâ—â—â—s saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived they were Unlearned they â—â—velled and these were Ministers of Christ and preached the everlasting Gospel whom you would have called Lay-men and men unfit to preach 〈◊〉 you lived in their dayes And Paul himself by Occupation was a Tent-â—…er it is said and he laboured with his Hands and yet was a Preacher of the Gospel and there are multitudes of Witnesses in the Scriptures of these things how that men of Trades and unlearned in Letters and Books and never were brought up at Schools and Colledges but followed the Plough and were keepers of Cattel and some followed Fishing such as these in old 〈◊〉 had the Spirit of God given them and they preached the Gospel And what if the Lord at this day give his Spirit to such as these and send them 〈◊〉 to preach the Gospel even to such as were brought up and educated 〈◊〉 â—ay be at Handy-craft Trades and are labouring men and are not 〈◊〉 at Schools and Colledges will you limit the Lord and quench his 〈◊〉 and reproach his Wayes and Servants and now call them Lay-perâ—… and say they are not fitting to preach for they are not Learned nor â—…ed say you and calling them Mechannicks and private Preachers and 〈◊〉 they must not now be admitted to preach the Gospel and in this you 〈◊〉 the Scriptures and the Example of the Saints in former Ages and so neither 〈◊〉 the Scriptures nor the Spirit that gave them forth though you say 〈◊〉 own the Scriptures yet
his being removed was in Judgment from the Lord against his Persecutors who desired and sought his Destruction and what they have done against him hath greatly added to the fulfilling of their Iniquities That the Blood of the Righteous which cries for Vengeance may be avenged to the utmost upon them who would not suffer the Righteous to have a Beeing amongst men nor lay to heart their being taken away from the Evil to come And they who in a byast or prejudiced spirit of Enmity are listed up because of his Decease they were not worthy of him nor of his Testimony and they have cause to Mourn and Lament amongst those that have pierced the Just and slighted and despised the Messengers of Truth and Righteousneds whom God hath therein Honoured and God will debase such and their vainglory unto the Dust and exalt the Testimony and Life of his faithful Witnesses over all their Heads But we who have been well acquainted with the deep suffering of the Righteous Seed and with the worth of true Unity in the weighty Body and Spirit of Christ and therein do behold the Glory and Compleatness of the City of our God which is at Peace within it self cannot but prize the Ministers of Righteousness and every Member of the same Body and oh how blessed and precious is the Memorial of the Righteous in our eyes and how deeply is my Soul affected with that comfortable Communion and those many and living Refreshments that we have enjoyed one with another even with him and others who have finished their Course Well however in this I am satisfied That though we be left in Travel and our Dayes have been Dayes of Affliction and Suffering for Christ and the Gospel's sake as in the World yet in him whom the Prince of this World hath nothing in we have Peace being come into Communion with the Spirits of Just Men who are the Family of God written in Heaven and called by one Name both in Heaven and Earth and the God of Life is their Portion and his Glory is the Rereward of his Called and Chosen and Faithful Ones who have dealt their Bread to the Hungry and brought the Poor to their House even to the Habitation of the Righteous where the Living Bread is received and the Heavenly Mansions lived in and enjoyed by all who abide in the Truth and retain their first Love and Habitation therein in which True Fellowship is enjoyed and the Prosperity of the Elect Seed known Blessed be the Name of our God forever and ever London the 12th day of the 1st Moneth 1663. George Whitehead JOSIAH COALE HIS TESTIMONY Concerning The Servant of the Lord and Minister of Jesus Christ Edward Burroughs FRiends a necessity is upon me and I am even constrained and pressed in my spirit to bring in and give my Testimony concerning my beloved Brother before mentioned that it may remain and stand upon record for Ages and Generations to come And this first I say and declare unto all people unto whom this shall come That he was a man endued with the Almighty Power of God which lived and reigned in him and the Treasury of pure divine heavenly Wisdom was opened in him c. and understanding in the things that relate unto God's Kingdom of Peace and Righteousness and in the things that concern the Everlasting peace and well-being of all mankind was plentifully manifested unto him by the good Spirit of God which I may say he had received in a plentifull Measure And this many can testifie unto and his own Writings which remain upon record will in a large Measure manifest the truth thereof And this Spirit dwelt plentifully in him so that thereby he was able to instruct many in the Way of Life Peace and true Holiness and if any were afflicted in spirit or mind by reason of the Wiles of the Enemy of their Souls or if they met with any difficulty in their journey as they passed from Death to Life he was a man able through the large experience that he had of the dealings of the Lord and also of the Wiles of Satan having followed the Lamb in the Regeneration to administer a word in season to their refreshment and comfort and for their establishment in the most precious holy Faith and this I know the Witness of God in thousands must and shall testifie unto who are the Seal of his Ministry And moreover he was a man that was able through the Wisdom and blessed Gift of God that was in him to convince and stop the mouths of all Gain-sayers of the Truth which he with us professed and lived in And it is well known to many that he was never backward but alwayes ready and willing to appear in a way of publick conference as in vindication of and against any that should oppose the blessed Truth of God which he held and professed and also to manifest the Grounds and Reasons wherefore we deny and dissent from the National Priests of the World and their traditional Ways of Worship and the hypocritical Professors thereof who have not the Life and Substance of what they profess in words And these things it is well known unto many he was oft exercised in and he did not go about in Corners nor creep into dark Places hiddenly nor secretly but preached the Truth of God and Doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ boldly and openly even upon the House-top and his valour for God's Truth on Earth was well known unto many and his voice was as the found or ratling of the Charriots of God's Host upon the tops of the Mountains and was oft uttered sorth in the Name of the Lord even like Thunder and the Voice of the Son of God was uttered forth through him by which the Dead was raised the Witnesses are now alive let them bring in their Testimony that the truth hereof may be confirmed His Doctrine dropped as the Oyl of joy upon the spirits of the Mourners in Sion His life extended it self as a sweet Stream into the hearts of the Children of Light that thirsted after Righteousness He was one of the Cloud of Witnesses that dropped down the Dew upon the tender Plants of God He pleaded the Cause of the innocent suffering Seed and earnestly contended with the Powers of the Earth of all sorts in the behalf and for the freedom of the suffering people of God He fore-prophesied unto them that were in Authority in the dayes past of their destruction and of their overthrow because of their deceitfulness to God and their false and cruel treacherous and merciless dealings towards his people who had made many fair Promises both to God and Man in the time of their adversity That they would grant free Liberty of Conscience in things relating to the Worship of God and that Oppression should be removed and the like but in the time of their prosperity when they were waxen fat and grown great and lived at ease and in Pleasures
Rudiments of the World we testifie against being Witnesses of the Substance and your taking on practices in that nature which is contrary unto Christ from the Words and Commands of Christ unto them that followed him we also testifie against and in it you are found among the Papists which walks by Tradition and not from the Motion of the Spirit of God and here thou art found a Lyar for the Commands of Christ is our life our joy our peace and glory and hereby we know that we love him because we keep his Commandments and they are not grevious unto us which is not received by tradition from without us but by the Eternal Spirit Christ Jesus revealed in us which is not contrary to his Commands without but a fulfilling of them for he is not a Iew who is one outwardly whose praise is of men neither is the Obedience which Christ doth require a conforming the outward man unto an outward thing which Obedience is your boasting onely and there only your difference lieth from all the World in the outward appearance Pharisee-like but the ground of enmity and seat of the Beast is standing within and you are twofold more the children of the Devil and God is risen to confound you and to break your Image to pieces and he shall have the praise of God who is the Jew inward whose obedience and circumcision is inward and who have no confidence in the flesh And whereas thou exhorts to hear one loving Reproof out of the Scripture which their Predecessors I mean the Papists thou sayest would have taken from us in the English Tongue and these would take from us the vertue of it that is to say the sharpness and sweeness of it by working upon us a dislike to it I Answer we do deny thy voice and though thou mayst bring Scripture in thy mouth to us it is but as the Devil brought it to Christ and we deny it from thee for if thou sayst God lives thou swears falsly and the Papists they are thy Predecessors who walks only by tradition as thou dost from a thing without them separate from the Life and both them and thee we do deny and bears witness against you to be without God in the World in the alienation out of the Covenant knowing nothing of him but what you have heard by a Fame and a Report and that we in the least would take from any the virtue of the Scripture it is a Lye uttered by the Devil in thee for we testifie unto all that it shall every tittle be fulfilled even upon the ungodly and thou shalt know it one day to be fulfilled upon thee thou Lyar must be cast into the Lake that burns for ever and this is the sharpness and sweetness which thou must have from it who art a false Accuser of the Brethren bearing the Image of the Dragon the Devil whose servant thou art as it is made manifest by thy Writing and this many will witness with us that often we do declare upon the just and the unjust the Scripture must be fulfilled and the righteous must have a Reward and the ungodly must have their Portion in utter darkness according as the Scripture saith and herein we establish the Scripture in its place to be a true Declaration of God and Christ and what the righteous and the wiced shall enjoy but that it is God and Christ or the Way unto Life we deny it for this is its vertue a declaration of that which the Saints believed and he that witnesses the same Life and Truth which it testifies of to be made manifest in him is a Witness of it and it is a Witness unto him and this is the vertue of it if thou hast an ear thou mayest hear and that we work upon Any a dislike of the Scriptures I charge thee to be a Lyar for to the fulfilling and establishing of it we declare that every one may walk up in the Life of it by that which gave it forth and to be a true witness of it as they were that spoke it but thee and all such we do deny which adds your imaginations upon it to sell for money And whereas thou sayst by way of Query to us Hath the Scripture no power over you have you a spirit to guide you without a written word it is out of Gods Government if it cannot be brought to the Law and to the Testimony I answer Jesus Christ onely hath power over us and not a Letter without us and the Spirit by which we are guided is no other but that which gave forth the Scripture which Spirit is the Word of God and which Spirit the Scripture bears witness unto and this we often say if we speak or act contrary to Scripture let us be judged by the Scripture and we as Paul did do commend all that shall search the Scripture to try whether these things be not so which we declare and herein we are under the Government of God who alone hath power over us but you who have not the same spirit which gave forth the Scripture neither knows it nor us but out of the evil corrupt ground thou judgest of it as thou dost of us and both thy judgment of it and us is to be judged by the Eternal Light of Christ which never erreth nor changeth And whereas thou sayest We may be Familiar-spirits for ought thou knowest what muttering and uncouth howling is among us which you cannot but impute to be a spirit contrary to the Word if we will not come to the Word to be tryed I answer it is true thou knowst us not for we are unknown to thy Generation though you have the Scripture which we in our lives and practices are Witnesses of as Christ was unknown to the Pharisees who had the Scripture which he came to fulfil and thou art ignorant of the Scripture and a Scorner of the Power of it who callst the Power of the Lord uncouth howling what would you have said concerning David who lay roaring all the day long even as a man distracted and concerning Habakkuk whose belly trembled and whose lips quivered when he heard the Voice of God But here you are made manifest who scorns that which the Scripture bears witness of and never knew what it was to be pricked to the heart as they were which cryed out what shall we do to be saved and if thou canst thou may try by the Scripture whether this be any other but that which the Scripture speaks of and not the same Spirit which made the Servants of God to quake and tremble which the Scriptures speaks of which this day is become a reproach even unto them that profess the Scripture for by the Word of God which the Scripture declares of shall all flesh tremble and be confounded and then thy self shall be judged into the Lake that burns for ever except thou repent And whereas thou sayest How shall you do to try spirits if we
was in and this he shall witness with me to be true and against thee who would reproach the Way of Truth by him when the Book of Conscience is opened And whereas thou further sayest Their spirit will perswade them that they are not fallen from righteousness and would therefore justifie them I answer We are gathered up into righteousness and fallen from vanity and this the Spirit of God perswadeth us and witnesseth in us and for us by which onely we are justified freely and not by the works of the Law nor by any outward observance and herein thou also art a Lyar who sayst we are fallen from righteousness for even the righteousness of God is manifested to us by which we deny all your carnal outward observances by which you think to obtain life and righteousness Now in answer to thy sixth Particular which thou calls a heavy and sad offence which is a denying honour to men which thou sayst is the example of good men to which I do answer God hath commanded to honour him alone and not to how down to any Creature and thou hast brought many Scriptures to oppose the command of God and so art more fully made manifest to be an enemy unto him which would plead against him by that which is written from him pleading the example of good men which is no example to us to break the command of God no more then Davids example in comming whoredom and Iosephs example in swearing by the life of Pharoah is an example for any to act those things now and I do utterly deny that any of these Scriptures which thou hast cited will prove and maintain your heathenish custom in your deceitfull way of honouring one another to please the Devil in one another which is without the fear of God and it is a sad offence to none but the Devil because it weakens and disturbs his Kingdom of which thou art as is made manifest who pleads to uphold it from the Scripture but vain honour with flattering titles unto any man we do deny but yet we honour all men in the Lord and out of him we honour none to uphold the pride of man for God will bring it all down and lay it in the dust and exalt himself to reign over you all and whereas thou sayst how far are these men from the holy Writ To which I say and answer thou slanderously wouldst make us to appear odious in the sight of men but all the upright in heart will see thee and thy blindness and ignorance who bringst that Scripture where Christ in fulfilling the Law of God which he came to fulfil worshipped in the Temple to prove and maintain the worship of man Answ. O thou blind Pharisee and perverter of the Scripture God will plague thee thou enemy of his truth who perverts the Scripture to thy own destruction and art worse then the Pharisees who said he respected no mans person and they shall witness against thee and whereas thou speaks of honouring Father and Mother which thou sayest we deny in this our practice I answer I charge thee to be a Lyar for as I said we honour all men in the Lord and direct all Children and Servants to obey their Parents and Masters in the Lord and this many can witness for us which have more frequented our Assemblies then thou hast done but this we also testifie where the obedience to any man stands in opposition to God the obedience to God is rather to be chosen and herein he that will not hate Father or Mother for Christ sake is not worthy of him but thou carnal earthly man art pleading for the Kingdom of the Devil to honour man above God and I say how can you believe that seeks honour one of another your honour and your heathenish custom we testifie against yet unto every Ordinance of man we are subject for Conscience sake Now to that which you call the seventh mistake affording absolute perfection at one Instant in admitting of none but perfect men into conjunction Answ. It is a mistake in thee for such a word never proceeded from us I may say it is rather an absolute Lye invented by thee to make us odious then a mistake from us for thy heart is desperately wicked and thy torment is kindling by the Breath of the Almighty many which have heard us will testifie against thee for we say the Saints have their growth up into a perfect man in Christ as Christ himself had and we say also there is children and young men and fathers as the Apostle said but thou art not ashamed to utter thy Lies and Slanders which hundreds in this City will witness against thee for a Lyar and even the light in thy Conscience will accuse thee to thy face that thou hast imagined lyes and mischief upon thy bed against us and whereas thou bringst many Scriptures to prove thy slanders against us to be true to which I answer all the Scriptures we own and bear witness unto by that Spirit from which they were spoken but thee and thy spirit we deny for both you and it is of the Devil and thou hast devillishly added thy imaginations upon them and wrested them which I shall not now mention because I do deny the thing which thou assertest for its an absolute lye and do say unto thee God will reward thee thou slanderous tongue and whereas further thou sayest in our perfection we deny any man being under frailty or capableness to sin to be of our communion I answer here again thou art a Lyar these words were never uttered by us as thou hast set them down but I say he that sins is of the Devil and such we have no unity withal nor such hath no unity with God for no impure thing enters to him nor hath communion with him for whosoever works abomination is to be cast out and trodden in the winepress of his wrath where the portion of Lyars is among whom thou must receive thy reward for with such we have no union who are disobedient children but with him who in the least measure which he hath received from God walks up in the Light unto God we have unity and communion with him Thou sayst one of us told thee that which sinned could not be saved I answer it is out of the reach of thy wisdom and thy vulterous eye shall never see it I say as the Scripture saith The soul that sinneth must die and every man must die for his own iniquity if thou hast an ear thou mayst hear and further thou sayest that our Doctrine may appear to be utterly against the Scripture thou bringst Rom. 7. 23. where Paul was under the Law and saw a Law in the members warring against the Law of the mind I answer his Scripture we own and are ture Witnesses of it but there was also a time that the Law of the Spirit of Life had freed him from the Law of sin and death but
Life and Power that gave them forth So thou art to be condemned with the Light and with the Life which gave forth the Scripture Let all people read Deut. Chap. 18. from verse 9. to 15. there the Priests and the Levites which were ordained of God were to have no Inheritance among the people but the Lord was their Inheritance and they were to have it of that which was offered up to the Lord and this was a figure of the everlasting Priest-hood which ministreth out of the everlasting Treasure and the Lord God commanded Israel not to do as they did when they came into the Land nor to go after their abominations as you may see but gave Israel their Land to possess that did hearken unto such as the Lord had not sent which was Abomination to him and the Lord said to Israel Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God and in the 15th verse The Lord thy God will raise unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee of thy Brethren like unto me unto him shall ye hearken And so to the end of the Chapter he that hath an eye may see and the Lord is the same that he was and he will not suffer the abominations that are committed in this Land but is discovering the abomination of it A horrible and a filthy thing is committed which Ieremiah cryed against Coveteous Men preach Drunkards preach Swearers preach Lyars preach Strikers preach and Proud Men preach Oh wonderful where are your eyes Try your Priests by the Scriptures see if they be not found in the same Generation that all the false Prophets and the Deceivers were in which the true Prophets of God cryed against and discovered and in the steps of the Scribes and Pharisees that Christ cryed wo against and see if they be not the Antichrists and the Deceivers which are entred into the World which Iohn speaketh of which cannot confess Christ come in the flesh but transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ so hath not God neither knoweth him but preacheth for sin and against Perfection and denyeth the Light which enlighteneth every one that cometh into the World so keeps people in blindness and ignorance and out of the Knowledge of God and never any that follow them shall ever come to the Knowledg of the true and living God therefore all people see where you are and mind the Light in your Consciences which is pure and which testifieth against sin and it will let you see all your Blind-Guides which deceive you to be in sin and ignorant of God for they deny that which should make him manifest therefore beware what you hold up and give over going after them to that in your Consciences I speak which shall witness me eternally to speak the Truth if you obey it and shall condemn you eternally if you disobey it These Blinde-Guides that are in this Land deny the Prophet which Moses wrote of which is the substance of the Priest-hood which was before and here they are found in the same Generation in the Sorcery and in the Witchcraft which the Lord commanded should be put out of the Land where the Children of Israel went to possess Answers to several other subtil Queries put forth by one John Reeve who lives in the City of London who callst himself the Messenger and Witness unto the true God but is found a Lyar and a Perverter of the right Way of God A Certain Writing is come to my hand called An Epistle from the Mighty JEHOVAH or Jesus the only LORD and God of the Eâ—ect Israelites from one whose name is subscribed Iohn Reeve Pilgrim who calls himself the last Messenger and Witness unto the true God unto which for the sake of the Simple I am moved by the Spirit of the Lord of Heaven and Earth to write something in answer that so his folly may be made manifest and his ignorance and blasphemy laid open unto the simple-hearted who have been long deceived by such through their false Voice lo here and lo there Friend to thee who hast subscribed this Writing who calls thy self the last Messenger and Witness unto the true God I Answer the Lord of Hosts and God of the Elect Israelites doth not accept thy Testimony and Witness for thy spirit is made manifest not to be the Spirit which came from God and which dwelleth with God which beareth true Witness unto God but the spirit which is driven out from the Presence of God into the Creation and into the visible World and that is the lying spirit and bears not true witness unto the true God but is a spirit which bears witness to the imaginations of thy own heart which looks upon and declares the living God as if he was carnal and a Creature-like Substance and here the Scripture is fulfilled upon thee thou thinkest he is altogether such a one as thy self and for the true God thou art no Messenger nor hast received any Message from him for thy spirit is known and he never delivered his Message unto it in any Generation but kept his Secret sealed up from it And Friend here I charge thee in the Presence of the true spiritual God that thou belyst the Lord of Hosts who sayest thy Epistle is from him thou uses thy tongue and sayest The Lord saith when saith the Lord I have not spoken unto thee And of that Generation thou art which Ieremiah cryed against and therefore let all flesh be silent before the Lord and call not thy own imaginations his Word but thou who hast a Dream tell thy Dream for a Dream and he that hath the Word of the Lord let him speak it faithfully and though thou callest thy self the last Messenger or Witness unto the true God yet I say unto thee verily the Lord hath a Witness which was before thee which hath been slain in the Streets of the great City which the Lord will bring forth after thee which will bear true witness of the true God and against thee and thou who hast been alive shall be judged by him who hath lain slain and he will eternally condemn thy Testimony and Message Friend in the Light of Christ which hath lightened every one that cometh into the World thou art comprehended and seen thy beginning thy time and thy end and with it thy Testimony and Message is denyed for thy Testimony is such that if thou swearst the Lord lives thou swearest falsly and further thou sayst By inspiration of the holy Spirit thou wast moved to present this Epistle I answer the language of the holy Spirit is like it self Pure and Spiritual but thy language is carnal and sensual and so is thy spirit the Saints which spake by the inspiration and moving of the Spirit cursed not that which God had blessed as thou dost neither did they say the Elect were defiled as thou doest neither did they speak of God as a carnal Substance as thou dost but said that God
Weeping Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth But as for the Elect Wheat of Christ which thou sayest is the Children of Adam thou speakest thou knowest not what the first man is of the Earth earthly and he begat his Image and that which is earthly shall never inherit but are to have their portion with Cain where thou art that hast uncovered thy nakedness but the Elect and the Wheat shall be gathered into the Barn and they are not nor ever were they defiled but shall reign with the Lamb in the New Ierusalem for ever and ever where no unclean thing can enter nor nothing that destroys or defiles in that holy Mountain of the Lord if thou hast an ear thou mayst hear 6 Quer. What is that painful and shameful Death in utter darkness and where it is that is reserved for the Reprobate who are the seed of Cain and not of Adam or blessed Abraham Answ. Thou that queriest shall surely know it is Tophet prepared of old even for the King the burning of it is as Fire the Breath of the Lord doth kindle it it shall be destruction for ever and ever to that which hath given forth these queries and it is to be separated from God for ever among all Idolaters and Adulterers and Lyars the Unbelieving the Abominable and the Fearful in the Lake of Fire where the Worm dieth not nor the Fire goeth not out as for Adam in innocency thou knows nothing of him who art of Cain who slew his brother and must have thy portion with him and not with Abraham the promise was not to the Transgressor nor to Adam when he eat of the Tree of knowledg for the Lord said in the day thou eatest thou shalt dye he was driven from the Presence of the Lord into the Earth in the curse the Promise was to Abraham in Isaac is the Blessing not in Ishmael and here thou shewst thy ignorance but it is but like the former when thou joynest the Elect and Reprobate together Light and Darkness and in Babylon thou art but in that which was before Babylon was thou art seen and as for those dark spirits thou speaks of who minde nothing but their lusts condemning the glorious things of eternity because their carnal reason cannot comprehend them see at home for in the Light of Christ thou art seen that thou knowest nothing of Eternity by thy dark imaginations being naturally as a Bruit to the Light of Christ in thy Conscience I speak which will let thee see it is so 7 Quer. Are they not deceived Persons and utterly ignorant of the true God who judge men and women in darkness if they ask them Questions about the needfull things of Eternity is it not because they went before they were sent and so are of a bitter spirit for want of spiritual Light to satisfie the tender Christian Querier Answ. All who dwell not in this Light which is pure and eternal are ignorant of God and never knew God such judging shall be judged and by the Light which sees and comprehends all darkness thou art seen but the spiritual man judgeth all things and he is judged of none and all Judgement is committed to the Son and where he is made manifest he speaketh and judgeth righteously and those men and women who would be asking questions of Eternity and never came to the first principle to be guided by it the Light which leads to Eternity all such men and women are in darkness and that minde which is in the Earth and in the naturals shall never know and therefore they are judged to be in darkness and darkness cannot comprehend the Light Christ and his Disciples answered and judged that spirit which would have had a sign and called them Adulterers which Spirit we witness to the praise of God and to thee that put forth the queries I speak to thee in the presence of God whether thou putst them forth in simplicity and art ignorant or wouldst know or in the pride of thy heart and subtilty to tempt the Light of Christ will let thee see but thou art rich and full therefore thou must be sent empty away all who queries from that nature that would know but never come to obedience that is to be judged and judgment must thou witness and for a bitter spirit of envy that shall stand for thy self and that thou wantst spiritual Light is made manifest which curses that which God hath blessed as I have seen under thy own hand far remote from this City and that thou hast cursed them soul and body to all eternity which thou never heardst nor saw let shame strike thee in the face and stop thy mouth for thou canst not put a difference betwixt the precious and the vile but cursest thou knowst not what and speaks to that thou knowest not But as for them who have a desire to know the way to the Father we are ready to give an answer and to impart of the gift we have received and doth not break a bruised reed but the fat we feed with judgement and there thou art answered 8 Quer. It is not an infallible demonstration unto them who have a discerning Spirit that that man hath no commission from the true Spirit to preach or speak to a pâ—ople when for fear of his ignorance being discovered or for fear of losing his Heâ—â—ers â—e shall counsell them to stick close to the Word of God or to heâ—â—ken to the Light within thâ—â— in their Consciences without knowing what that is in the Conscience or what will be the issue of it if men be obedient to it or disobedient to it and to beware of false Prophets and not thinking in the least himself to be that false Prophet and thus borrowing Scripture language which we are the true Messengers of the Gospel doth he not in his pâ—…â—inder his Heâ—â—ers from reading the glorious things revealed unto the two last Witnesses and so thou sayst it is clear that the Spirit is not in them which was in Paul who gave theâ— leave to try all Answ. Here thy infallible demonstration is made manifest to be fallible and lying when thou layst that down to be a sign of them that have no Commission from the Spirit and not to have the Spirit because they exhort them to cleave close to the Word of God and to mind the Light which shines into the Conscience of every man which is the Light of Christ here thy Spirit is tryed that thou hast not the same commission as they had who spoke forth the Scripture and so thou preachest another Gospel for the Word of God endures for ever and by the Word which is eternall and which was in the beginning which tryes all things which searches all things comprehends all things and judges all things he that cleaves not close unto that builds upon another foundation and by the Word which endures for ever thou art seen not to have that Word neither knowest what nor where it
which I know will never own nor practice these things She also saith She did oppose those Principles which led to looseness either in conversation or in slighting the Churches or Ordinances of Christ though she believes such Principles naturally follow the others I answer She did and doth oppose the Principle of God which would have led her out of pride and lust into an holy conversation and out of false Churches into the Church which is in God And I charge her here that she believes Lyes and utters what she believes which is Blasphemy who saith she believes that wicked Principles naturally follow the three named by her And whereas she saith As to that Principle of waiting she could yet never come up to it in practice in private duties she could not stay so long from duty till she had such a power but did frequently go to duty when she had it not I answer Here I do believe her she speaks truth with her lying spirit she never yet could wait upon God to act for him but hath run in her own will which is abomination to him which is no acting for God but for self and for the Devil and here hath she shut her self out from the holy men of Gods practice who waited upon him to be led by him by the power of his Spirit and she shews her self openly to all that she went to that which she calls duty in her own power and time and knew not the power of God nor his time to be acted in and all her Duties as she calls them is no more but imagined and imitated from the letter without acted by the Serpents strength and wisedom in her and she hath here plainly discovered that she knows not what waiting upon God is in truth and sincerity She saith She thought sometime she had had it and saith she thought she had had communion with God I answer Her thoughts I do deny who call truth deceit and she did as now she doth live in thoughts and conceivings by which she is beguiled that spirit which rules and speaks in her never had communion with God but is contrary to him nor never was acted in the truth of God but against him She saith She knew no Scripture-ground for the practice of waiting to be acted by the power of the Spirit and led to duty I answer The Saints ground of acting is not the outward letter but the Spirit which gave forth the letter but the Scripture doth declare of such as waited to be acted by the Spirit and Power of the Lord Dare any say the Saints Prayed or Propresied without the movings of the Spirit and Power of the Lord here she hath shut her self among the Heathens who knows not God nor what it is to be acted by his Spirit and Power She speaks of losing her peace and having little or no communion with God nor scarce any thing to speak to or for God I answer True peace in Christ she never knew for there is no peace to the wicked neither have any who denies waiting upon God as she hath done any communion with God nor nothing to say to or for God but through deceit and in deceit is I. Turner That which brought her into trouble and let her see the confusion Which she speaks of which she had lived in before but saw it not till then that Witness I own and it shall witness for the Lord and the Truth of what I say eternally though she have slain the Witness yet it shall arise to her condemnation and her everlasting misery And whereas she saith Some laboured to perswade her it was a dispensation of God and that the Saints after brought out of Egypt must be in the Wilderness before they come to Canaan I answer I bear witness by the eternal Spirit the truth of this particular as having witnessed the same condition and she which hath denied this to be of God hath openly shewed her self to be of the Devil denying the truth of Scriptures She saith this did not at all satisfie her but she continued in a sad condition I answer She here hath shewed what spirit she is of of the viperous Generation which fled the wrath which came upon her and could not abide the judgement and of the spirit of them which would have been back in Aegypt which murmured and therefore with them she entered not but i◠perished with them in the Wilderness Whereas she saith She was never so troubled with temptations as at that time I answer Here she hath shewed her self to be the stony ground which when temptation came withered away She speaks of a particular temptation which was Questioning the Being of God I answer That which was troubled wrought the temptations and not that which troubled and here she shews her ignorance which cannot discern the ground of temptation but layes it upon God which is basphemy for he tempts none to evil Whereas she saith this was the 〈◊〉 fruit of her straying from the pure wayes of Truth I answer Here again she shews her blindness who knows not that temptations are for good That which she calls straying from the pure wayes of truth is otherwise for the stronger man came to dispossess the strong man and then began the war and happy had she been if she had patiently endured to the end but not abiding under the judgement but starting aside she is cast out and must not enter for the second Beast whose deadly wound is healed is alive which makes war with the Lamb which exerciseth all the power of the first Beast and here I. Turner is under the dominion of the second Beast She speaks of blessing God that she strayed no further I answer She who hath denied to wait unto Prayer and Praises but prayeth in her own strength and time her Praise is abomination to the Lord and she calls that straying from God which was leading unto God and so hath forsaken the right way and hath cast the way of God behind her back and resisted him who would have led her out of darkness and out of confusion Whereas she speaks of God remembring her To which I answer he will remember her to plague her who hath brought dishonour to his great Name and hath called his way the way of error and of deceit and his real Truth a shew or notion she hath chosen her own way the way of destruction Whereas she speaks being turned from owning these particulars she was restored to those joyes that once she had I answer She is returned with the Dog to the vomit and with the Sow to her wallowing in the mire and there 's her joy and she now joys in the earthly dust in Forms and Traditions and likenesses of things and knows not what it is to joy in God the Substance as by her writings it is made manifest who hath denied Salvation by Christ within and hath denied to wait upon God for the Power of his Spirit and
calls them deceitfull Principles she hath chosen the way of Death rather then the way of Life and hath taken her self to follow shaddows and likenesses and neglected the Substance which is Christ within the hope of glory her latter end is worse then her beginning and the Parable is fulfilled upon her And she speaks in the 126. pag. of Satan being discovered under his vail and in particular as to that of being saved by a Christ within and not by a Christ without and the Lord was pleased to shew her it was quite another thing differing from the Gospel and that it was attended with this evil consequence to overthrow the whole Gospel and to deny the Lord that bought them I answer I charge her here as in the presence of God with belying the Lord and with horrible Basphemy who saith That that which the Saints and servants of God witnessed who Preached the Gospel and established it Christ within manifested is quite another thing differing from the Gospel and that it is attended to overthrow the whole Gospel O horrible Blasphemy and belying the Lord who saith that the Lord was pleased to shew her it did ever he shew any Lyes all take notice of this wicked and horrible Blasphemer the Lord rebuke that unclean spirit of Antichrist in her She goes on and saith then secondly as to that of waiting for a power to Pray and that here was no command but from within concerning both these the Lord was pleased to shew that it was not according to his minde but a meer invention of Satan and that it was attended with this evill consequence to slight Scriptures and Commands of God and to expose the soul to Satans deceivings to walk by the imaginations of their own heart instead of the motions of the Spirit I answer The Saints waited for the moving of the Spirit which was power in them to help them to pray they knew not to Pray as they ought without it and this command and help they had not without them but within them And I again here charge her with belying the Lord and with notorious Blasphemy who saith that that which the Saints witnessed waiting for the power of the Spirit to Pray is not according to the minde of the Lord but an invention of Satan and she is not ashamed to say the Lord shewed her and the same which they witnessed who spoke forth the Scripture and which walked in the Commands of God tends to slight Scriptures and commands of God and to expose the soul to Satans deceivings this is Blasphemy and Error and corrupt Principles and she which hath denyed waiting to be led by the motions of the Spirit is led by the imaginations of her own heart is under the power of Satans deceiving and speaks contrary to what the Scripture speaks and so slights it and the Commands of God she hath Blasphemed the God of Heaven and accordingly will the Lord requite her And thus have I for the simple ones sake declared the truth and every single eye may see who it is is led by corrupt principles and what I have written shall she eternally witness to be true and all her co-partners And I pass by the rest of her Book as not worth answering for it is nothing but airy imagination and confusion and death yet raigns in her and in her Book is spoken out by her and she knowes not the Baptism of Saints nor Communion nor the true Church of Christ to that witness in her conscience do I declare and when it shall arise it will eternally witness me Whose Name in the Flesh is EDWARD BURROUGH The Copy of a Letter c. FRiends for so I call you I was moved of the Lord to come into your Assembly to declare the truth from him concerning you as by the eternal Spirit was revealed to me and I do acknowledge it it was a mercy from the Lord that I had that small liberty which I had to clear my Conscience amongst you and to discharge my duty in obedience to the Lord and to every ones Conscience am I made manifest whether you will hear or you will forbear truely Friends there is somthing among you which I own and which is owned of my Father but yet many things hath he against you and as I said I now again say from the mouth of the Lord that your Covering is too narrow to hide your shame and your bed too short to stretch your selves upon Now friends the Ordinances of Iesus Christ which you act in you say in obedience to him I do not speak against but do witness them in life and power neither do I judge such amongst you who have entered in at the door by the Principle of God to the Ordinances if any such but you I do declare against and do judge by the infallible Spirit who have in your own wills thrust in your selves and acted by imagination and immitation from the Letter without and not having received the Command from Christ into your selves such I judge to be in deceit deceived by the Serpent which deceives the simple by the likeness of a thing and you that limit the Lord to any outward visible thing that without such can be no Salvation you I judge again to be in deceit and my judgement shall stand for nothing is available that which God once commanded nor that which was not commanded but the new Creature which is born of the immortall Seed contrary to the will of man Truely Friends you are acting in darkness and there is no seperation in you betwixt the precious and the vile betwixt the clean and the unclean for that which did convince you of false Hirelings and of their deceitful worship which is owned of my Father in you hath not been obeyed by you but your minds have been drawn forth from within to obey a thing without and herein have you been bewitched from the obedience of the truth within to obey the letter without as they were which the Scripture speaks of and you are acted in another form and likeness then you were before and which some are acted in yet but by the same spirit and you have a zeale I beare you record but it is not according to knowledge I declare against that spirit by which you are now acted as knowing it to be the spirit of Antichrist and that which is owned by my Father in you is oppressed by you by your wisdom and reason which stands above and is head and rules amongst you which is for destruction and for the Lord to accomplish his wrath upon and happy were you if you knew the day of vengeance which is the acceptable year of the Lord but you are yet full and rich and think you have need of nothing and have a name that you live but you are dead and empty and miserable your form is corrupted and you seek the living among the dead and you act in the form but walks at liberty
in your own wills despising the daily cross of Christ which if you walked in would bring down the high minde and high nature in you and through the Cross that which is low in you would be exalted and the witness of your Ordinances would you have within which you are seeking in the letter without And now Friend to the◠who wert the Speaker when I was present among you thy Name I know not but by thy nature and spirit thy spirit is the same which they speak from which thou seems to deny as false spirits and by that spirit hast thou been deceived and now it workes by thee to deceive others and that spirit infallibly by the eternal Spirit do I judge for the time is come that by the Saints the great Whore must be judged which hath made all the men of the Earth drunk with the Wine of her Fornication and which hath deceived the simple And whereas thou didst Quaery what one thing I will deny as untruth which you had spoken I answered then as now I do I do deny thy voyce and spirit for 〈◊〉 is the voyce of the stranger and not of Christ and though you sweare by that spirit The Lord lives I say surely thou swearest falsely and the false Prophets which used their tongues and said The Lord saith it when the Lord had not spoken unto them spoke the same words of the true Prophet but he that had the true spirit judged the false spirit and so it is now And therefore Friend out of love to thy soul I do advise thee to be silent before the Lord and wait upon him till he manifest himself to speak in thee and by thee for Friend thy Ministry is in the will of man and thou ministers death unto dead minds and the Ministery which is to the Seed thou art ignorant of to that in thy conscience I speak which shall witness for me before the Lord who is appearing in his power to utter his thunders and all Flesh shall tremble at his presence and all Forms of Worship will he dash to pieces at his appearance And yours which is the purest Form shall be broken to pieces that he may rule who is without form and comeliness Now Friends for the Seeds sake have I spoken and written to you and to that in your consciences have I cleared my conscience in the presence of the Lord which you shall Eternally witness whether you will hear or forbear By a Servant of the Lord who is named of the World Edward Burrough An Answer to a Book called A Voice from the word of the LORD by one Iohn Griffith against us whom the World calls Quakers wherein his false Accusations is denied and he proved to be a Slanderer and the Truth cleared from his Scandals A Certain Book being come forth into the world full of Lies and Slanders against the Innocent called A voice from the word of the Lord to those grand Impostors called Quakers to the Author of which Book who calls himself Iohn Criffith a Servant of Christ and to all to whomsoever it may come I am moved to write something in Answer that his lies and slanders and false reproaches may be made manifest and that he may proceed no further for as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses so doth he resist the truth being a man of a corrupt mind and reprobate concerning faith and is not a Servant of Christ nor a witness for his Name but a child of disobedience in whom the Prince of the aire rules And first to the title of thy Book I Answer the Word of the Lord is powerful and will cut thee down thou sensual minded man it thou knowest not but takes the words of others declared from the word which was in them and thou useth thy tongue and saith the Lord saith it but I say unto thee the Lord hath not spoken unto thee neither commanded thee to speak of his Name and I charge it upon thee in the presence of the Lord God of Life that thou art of that Generation which Ieremiah was sent to cry against Ier. 23. 31. for thou speaks thy imaginations upon their words which dwelt in the life of God but the life thou knowest not and thy whole Book is no more but an empty sound and voice and is as the untimely fruit of the womb which will wither and perish away and one of them I am whom thou calls Quakers to whom thou sayst thou directs thy speech but that we are grand Impostors I do deny for we are gathered up into the life which the holy men of God lived in and are fallen from the world and from its wayes and nature and I charge thee here to be a slanderer and from the mouth of the Lord I do declare unto thee that thou must have a slanderers reward And whereas thou sayst thou hast discovered their fleshly and filthy mindedness together with the judgments of God attending them I Answer Fleshly and filthy mindedness we have denied by the Power of the Son of God made manifest in us thou hast laid it to our charge but thou hast not proved it nor discovered it and here again thou are a false Accuser fleshly and filthy mindedness shall stand for thy own condition for there thou art in the flesh filth living to thy will in the lust of uncleanness for thou mayst remember thou camest out of the Bowling-Alley to our Meeting though Pharisee-like thy out-side is painted and made clean but thy heart is full of enmity and lies and slanders and false reproaches to that in thy conscience I do speak which shall forever witness me and as for the judgments of the Lord upon thy own head will they fall and with what measure thou metes it shall be measured to thee again we are passed from judgment and from the condemnation and who art thou thou enemy of righteousness that shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect. And whereas thou sayest thou art one that bears witness against those wandring starres I answer this shall stand for thy own condition a wandring star thou art and hath no habitation in the Heaven but speaks swelling words of vanity thou thy self being a servant of corruption we have an abiding place and an habitation in the Lord and are not wandring and here again I charge thee to be a false Accuser and a false witness who bears Witness of thy self for the Father bears no witness of thee but against thee Whereas thou sayst the most high God that made the heavens and the Earth hath moved thee and stirred thee up to bear witness to the Truth and to witness against the abominable fleshly mindedness and yet spiritual pride of those grand Impostors called Quakers by whose sorceries many are bewitched and drawn from the simplicity of the Gospell to another Gospel which is not another Gospel but the vanity of their own minds and their own fleshly and corrupt thoughts which they
cry up as Oracles of God I answer The most high God judge between thee and us whose wrath is kindled against thee thou enemy of righteousness and Child of wrath thou hast belyed the Lord of Heaven and Earth for to this he moved thee not for he moves none to utter lyes and slanders as thou hast done but the spirit of enmity and of the Devil hath moved thee and to the Truth thou bears no witness but against the Truth and against the Innocent and charges us with fleshly mindedness and spiritual pride O thou Lyar and false Accuser the Lord who takes our part against thee will plead with thee and render upon thy head according to thy deeds prove what thou speaks that we are fleshly minded and spiritually proud or else let thy mouth be stopped and shame cover thee forever Sorceries and witchcraft and drawing from the simplicity of the Gospel we do deny but the plain single Truth we do declare by which the eye of the blind is opened in many to see your deceits who call your selves Churches and Preachers of the Gospel which is not the Gospel that the Apostles preached but an adding your own Imaginations upon their words who witnessed the Gospel and it shall stand for thy own condition thou art in the sorcery and witchraft who draws people to observe an outward visible thing from the Light of Christ within them which leades to the simplicity of the Gospel which is inward and not outward and thou art in thy fleshly and corrupt thoughts crying up the Ordinances and Oracles of God which are but carnal and beggerly rudiments of the world which passeth away and here thou art seen and made manifest in the Light of Christ to be a Hypocrite who falsely accuses others of that which thou art guilty of thy self the same Gospel as ever was do we declare and not another which we received not from man neither was taught it by man and as the Oracles of God it shall stand forever for a witness against thee and all the world who doth not believe for even the Father beares witness of us and therefore our witness is true and the righteous God will plead with thee thou Lyar and false Accuser and here be a witness against thy self that the Lord moved thee not but the Devil acting in thy own imaginations and in the vanity of thy own mind and in thy one fleshly and corrupt thoughts And whereas thou sayest to us thou directs thy speech from the Lord Thus saith the Lord to thee O Quaker thou art fleshly minded I answer It is not the voyce of the Lord to us that speaks in thee but the voyce of the Devil and the Serpent which speaks from thee fleshly minded we are not but are redeemed out of it and our mindes are changed and are Spiritual and 't is the Spirit of the living God seals unto us and witnesses in us and here thou art of thy Father the old Dragon and Accuser of the Brethren but it is God that justifies and who art thou that condemns and this thy speech is seen and comprehended which thou hast directed to us and it is judged by the Spirit of true judgment to be a false Accusation and a Lye and not the Word of the Lord and into the Lake amongst the false Prophets thou art to be turned who useth thy tougue when the Lord never spake to thee And thou sayest we look upon the Iustitution of Christ Supper with a fleshly and carnal eye because we say that the bread and wine which Christ commanded his Disciples to eat and to drink is carnal I Answer The bread and wine is visible and carnal and fleshly and not Spiritual nor Eternal and in the eternal Light by the Spiritual eye of God opened in us we see them and do own that it was a command of Christ to stand for its time and no more but a carnal figure of a spiritual thing and the spiritual thing being the Substance bearing witness the figure is denied and declared against and thou and thy Generation who art acting in those things by tradition tying and limitting God to a visible thing that without it no salvation art in the sorcery and witchraft and an enemy to the substance for Christ never since he was sacrificed brake of the Bread or drank of the Cup with his Disciples but new in his Fathers kingdom and thou who art in the â—arnal figure acting those things without the injoyment of Christ art sensual and by the Light of Christ art to be condemned and judged with the world who art without God and without the injoyment of Christ in the beggerly rudiments of the world Thou sayst O fleshly minded men whom the god of this world hath blinded because you believe not and thou sayst thus saith the Lord and speaks the Prophet Malachic words To which I answer this again I do deny the god of the world is cast out and the eye is opened through judgments and our fleshly minds are judged and in the Name of Jesus we do believe and our belief in him hath purified our hearts to the praise of the Living God who hath wrought all our works in us and foâ— us do I speak without boasting and here again I charge it upon thee that thou art a slanderer and a false accuser and let shame cover thee who professes thy self to be a Teacher of others who thy self is not taught of the Lord but steals Malachis words and speaks them to us in thine own imaginations and calls it the word of the Lord the Lord is against thee thou false Prophet who prophesies lyes in his Name and that which thou speaks to us is thy own condition and that which shall come upon thine own head for a child of disobedience thou art and thy eye is blinded by the god of this world And whereas thou sayest we are spiritually proud that give forth our selves to be some great ones and we say we are Apostles and are not but are found Lyars proud Pharisees Hypocrites that say we are Iust Holy Humble and the poor sinful Publicans are more justified then we I answer proud we are not our God shall judge between thee and us in this thing for we have nothing but what we have freely received from him and that we give forth our selves to be great ones here thou art a Lyer and a false Accuser again this we have said and do yet again declare that we were moved of the Lord of Heaven and Earth to come to declare his mind and his Truth in this City but this is no boasting and by that same spirit which was in the Apostles were we moved and are guided and by no other but who hath found us Lyers since we came I challenge you and all thy Sect to prove one lye that we have uttered or else let shame cover thee and let thy mouth be stopped and let thy own heart condemn thee to be
found the lyer thy self and this we testifie against thee and all the world that by Jesus and in him are we made Holy Just and Humble he is made these things in us and for us and the Publican state is witnessed by us who have passed through the figure and parable into the life and substance And whereas thou sayst we that boast of our light within and faith thus saith the Lord and brings Christs words I answer this is another lye we do not boast of our Light within but we witness it to be within us and to have enlightned every one that comes into the world which thou and thy Generation denies and so would make Christ a Lyer and the Scripture a Lye but against you all with all the world we bear testimony the Father bears witness with us that every man that comes into the world is enlightned by the Light of Christ which teacheth righteousness unto all that loves it but condemn them that hate it whereof thou art one who utters forth thy lyes and Slanders and false Accusations against the Innocent and that Scripture Ioh. 9. we own and do witness to be fulfilled in us by the coming of Christ he which did see is Blind and he which was Blind now sees and while we did see our sin remained but being Blind we have no sin but this to thee and to thy spirit is a mystery sealed and never to be known in that nature and wisdom and here again thou hast used thy tongue false Prophet like and must receive a false Prophets reward And whereas thou sayst if Christ had not spoke to us in his word we had no sin but now we have no cloak for our sin I answer Christs words we own but here thou art made manifest to all to add to the Scripture in his word this thou hast added false Prophet like and therefore the Lord will add his plagues unto thee as the Scripture saith be ashamed and blush thy folly and wickednesse is made manifest who is not ashamed to carry on thy designe to add to Christs words And whereas thou sayest we do not only neglect the weightier matters of the law but tâ—… law it self teaching men so to do for we said that the Scripture is not the rule of faith and conversation as one of us taught Sept. 27. in thy hearing and many others that will witness it I answer here I challenge thee to prove that thou hast spoken and all thy witnesses which thou speakes of oh thou Lyer be ashamed to forge such Lyes and declare them in writing for Truth we neglect not the weightier matters of the Law nor the Law nor teach any so to do all that ever heard us will bear witness against thee and they though our Enemies shall witness for us and against thee in this thing for we declare the Everlasting Gospel which is the fulfilling of the Law and this we declare that the Law must have its thorow operation before the Gospel be witnessed and one of thy own society said to us we had preached the Law and brought men to understand 〈◊〉 from Grace now let all take notice of the confusion you live in and let your own hearts condemn you and the light in your own consciences convince you that you are in Babylon and in confusion and are no true Church of Christ where all are oâ— one heart and one mind and this again I affirm as before I did in thy hearing that the Scripture is not the Saints rule but the Spirit which gave forth the Scripture as the Scripture it self witnesses Rom. 8. Faith was before the Scripture was and therefore the Scripture is not the ground of it but a Declaration of it and no other faith we own but the faith which Abel had and which Moâ—â—â— had which was when no Scripture was written and that we own to be the Rule of our Conversation which they walked by the immediate Spirit of God which was before the Scripture was written and all you who profess the Scripture to be your rule your own rule shall testifie against you when the eternal God judges you and they who witness that to be their rule which gave forth the Scripture walkes up in the life of the Sdripture more then you all and you are proved to be but the Iew outward who boasts of the Ordinances from the Letter but persecutes them by slanders and false reproaches who witness the Substance and your praise is only of men and not of God and the same woe which thou pronounces upon us will fall upon thy own head for this thy grievous slander that we neglect the Law and teach men so to do And whereas thou brings many Scriptures and saith thus saith the Lord. I answer the Scriptures we own and by that spirit which speaks them forth we witness them to be true and they are ours and though you say they are the savour of death to us that perish yet thou art found a Lyer for we are saved out of the perishing state and death is destroyed through death through faith and thou hast diminished from that Scripture 2 Tim. 3. 15. false Prophet like again and so art both an adder and a diminisher and thou mayst read thy portion in Rev. 22. 18 19. And whereas thou sayest know this thou perverter of the right way of God thou shalt be judged by the word that Christ spake I answer here thou sets the Scripture in the room of Christ and art the perverter of the right way of God thy self for the Scripture saith all judgement is commited to the Son and the Scripture is not the Son and thou didst say and now again writes that the Scripture shall judge the world and so I charge it upon thee that thou art a Blasphemer who exalts the Scripture above the Son of God and shalt be judged by the Son into utter darkness and into the pit from whence thou art come yet this I testifie he that receives the Son rejecteth not those words which was spoken by him though thou and thy Generation Pharisee-like may make a profession of the words which Christ spoke and yet reject the Son and all to whom Christ speaks which receives him not shall be judged by the word which he speaks for he speaks eternally which shall stand eternally but when did he speak to thee For this I do declare thou mayst have those words which he spoke and yet never have heard his word nor voice as the Pharisees had those words which God spake by the Prophets but never had heard his word nor seen his shape Iohn 5. And thou sayst quake and tremble at this that word which you reject and dispise shaâ—â— judge you at the last day and sayst thus saith the Lord and bringst Christs words and the Apostles words I Answer The Lord rebuke thee thou Scorner here thou hast made the filthiness of thy heart known for out of the abundance thereof
shake terribly the Earth shall give us our Portion in the Lake that burns I answer Let all the World here take notice of thy confusion and ignorance which utters forth it self through thee thou before wast scorning of trembling and now thou art approving of it and if it be they that tremple which serve the Lord here be a Witness against thy self thou servest him not who art not yet come to tremble but art in thy high nature above the fear of the Lord and here again thou art found a false Accuser for we reject not the Law of the Lord nor the Word which he hath spoken but live in it and rejoyce in it daily for in it is our hearts delight And here again as thou hast measured to us it shall be measured unto thee when the Lord God arises to recompence his Enemies thy Portion will be the same as thou hast said in the Lake which burns with Fire and Brimstone And now a few words in answer to that which thou calls A Caution to all that are called Saints in the Nation which may concern all people I answer They who are Saints who dwell in the Light and walks in the Light do discern thee to be no Saint neither will receive any caution from thee but will testifie against thee for thy Lyes slanders and false accusations which thy Book is filled with and herein it may concern all people that thy Lyes and Slanders be reproved and laid open lest they receive thy Lyes for the Truth and be deceived by thy subtil Speeches who brings the Prophets words and the Apostles words wrest ing them and falsly applying them to make thy Lyes to be received but all people who love the Light wherewith Christ hath enlightened them will see thee and deny thee and turn away from thee as having the Form of Godliness without the Power And whereas thou sayst Ye may rejoyce that you live to sâ—e not only the mystery of Godliness but also the working of iniquity in the fleshly corrupt and sensual minded men calâ—d Quakers I answer That name Quakers was cast upon us by the Heathen through their scorn and derision as the name Christians was upon the Disciples though quaking we own for all the Holy Men of God witnessed it and the Holy Scriptures declares of it and here again thou enviously and maliciously castest a Slander upon us Fleshly Corrupt and Sensual-mindedness and the working of the mystery of Iniquity is destroyed in us by the mighty Power of God made manifest in Jesus Christ which takes away sin to the praise of the living God I speak in clearing the Innocent from thy false Slanders and it shall stand for thy own condition fleshly corrupt and sensual-minded and the working of the mystery of iniquity And herein I prove thee to be so by thy Fruits thy Lyes and false Reproaches and envious false Accusations which is the fruits of the flesh and of corrupt sensual-mindedness which fruits do appear in this thy Writing and as for the Mystery of Godliness it is hidden from thee and in that mind and nature thou shalt never know it for thou livest in the sight of thy own Pollution and of thy carnal Ordinances and not in the injoyment of the Mystery of Christ which is Godliness And whereas thou sayest Ye may rejoyce and in nothing be terrified because the Scriptures did foretel of such and is fulfilled in these men And thou bringest many Scriptures where Christ and the Apostles prophesied of the coming in of false Prophets and Teachers I Answer Though ye do now rejoyce yet your joy shall be turned into sorrow and howling and the Lord hath said it and the day of terror will overtake you wherein your hearts shall fail you for fear and your foundation shall be removed and its true that the Scripture doth foretel of us and is witnessed in us That all the Lord's Children should be taught of the Lord And that the Lord would gather his Flock out of the mouths of all dumb Shepherds c. and according to our growth up in the Life of the Scriptures they are fulfilled in us but false Prophets we do deny though all those Scriptures which thou hast set down we own to be prophesies of false Prophets those false prophets which Christ prophesied of came in the Apostles dayes they saw them comming in then 1 Iohn 2. 18. And as all these Scriptures testifies which thou hast cited and since the Apostles dayes hath been a great Apostacy and not a true Church of Christ could be found and ever since hath the same Generation of false Prophets stood under several forms and appearances deceiving the Nations But now the pure Light of Christ shines discovering to them who walk in the Light who they are and daily more and more clearly shall they be seen and thou wilt be found in their number who art a cursed child in whom the son of perdition is exalted which utters forth thy Lyes and Slanders sensually and make it manifest to all that thou hast not the Spirit of God but are separated from it in self-seperation which is abomination unto God and must be scattered by him And whereas thou sayest Seeing it is so let you be filled with boldness and let you contend against those ungodly Ones which are now risen I answer ungodliness we deny and your boldness shall the Lord turn into weakness and faintness and your contendings against us shall not prosper for this is our heritage every Tongue that riseth up in judgment shall be condemned you shall all be scattered and driven away as Chaff before the Wind who sets yourselves to contend against the Truth for that which is now risen shall confound you all And whereas thou bringest many Scriptures which were Exhortations of the Apostle to the Saints with exhorting thy Brethren I answer The Scriptures I do own and that Spirit which spake them forth I witness but thou art an Enemy to the Power of them though thou hast the Form of Truth thy lying and false accusing hath made thee appear to be an Enemy to the Life which the holy Men of God lived in and so hast cleared thy self from those Scriptures which were written to the Saints and must own those which were written to the World The Lyar must be cast into the Lake the Wicked must be turned into Hell and such as these thou must own to belong unto thee and these are thy Scriptures which thou hast right unto And whereas thou sayest We talk of high enjoyments and great revelations without above and beyond the Scripture and that we talk of a Light which is besides the Scripture but its deep and thick darkness and what hath such lights led men unto even contempt of God and of all Righteousness I answer Here again thou art found a Lyar and an Accuser of the Brethren for what we do declare the Scripture witnesseth to the same and we speak of nothing
false Accusers and to proud Men and Oppressors this 〈◊〉 are Friends unto but to such as act by their own wills in corrupt Laws and 〈◊〉 thereby violence to the Innocent and strengthen the hands of Evil-doers we cannot be subject but choose rather then to transgress the Law of God whiâ—â— is written in our hearts by submitting to such mens wills and laws to suffer by the corrupt wills of men under corrupt laws for a moment And thus I have answered those false Accusations which are cast upon us and 〈◊〉 declare it to be the same spirit in the Teachers and People of this Generatioâ—… which accuseth us as it was in the Scribes and Pharisees which accused Chrâ—… and his Disciple and this the Scripture witnesseth unto as they did unto him 〈◊〉 would they do unto us A further Answer to that Accusation of being false Prophets and Deceivers JEsus Christ prophesied and said That in the last dayes should many false prophets arise which should deceive many and if it were possible the very Elect. Now the Teachers and People of this Generation do say That we who by the World are called Quakers are those false Prophets and Deceivers which Christ prophesied of Of this their false accusation have they Drunkards Lyars Swearers and all the ungodly People in every profession to witness them but their Accusation and their Witnesses we do deny though they preach it among the People for doctrine And now in answer to this false Accusation and Slander I am moved to write a little and shall to that Principle of God in every mans Conscience clear my Conscience and declare what I know from God concerning those false Prophets who they are when they came in and how they may be known and shall leave it to every honest heart to consider of The Apostles and Ministers of Jesus Christ saw the same false Prophets which Christ prophesied of to be come and coming in their dayes before a Quaker waâ— heard of Iohn said By that they knew that it was the last time for said he Even now are there many Antichrists and false Prophets gone out into the World such werâ— they who confessed not Christ to be come in the Flesh and they were of the World and spoke of the World and the World heard them Now here I charge it upon the Teachers of the World that they are of that Generation which went out into the World then for as they then confessed not Christ to be come in the Flesh so these uphold those things which were under the Law which was before Christ came in the Flesh outwardly and so confess Christ not to be come in the Flesh and so they are Antichrist They uphold an outward Temple and an outward Worship and take tythes as the Priests under the Law did as a Type and Figure of Christ but when he was come and sacrificed these things which were to stand for a time were put to an end and none who witnessed Christ come and were sent by him to preach the Gospel did uphold those things but witnessed forth the Substance and denied the figure they denied the outward Temple and witnessed they were the Temples of God and that God dwelt in them and denied the outward worship and witnessed the Worship of God in Spirit and in Truth within them for they who worshipped without worshipped they knew not what as they do now and they denied to take Tythes but lived of the Gospel and said They that preached it should live of it but the Teachers of this Generation are of the World living in its pride lusts and vanities and they who live in the same worldly nature uphold them and hear them Iohn also said Every spirit that confesseth not Christ to be come in the Flesh is Antichrist And here I charge it upon the Teachers of the World that their Spirit of Pride and Covetousness and Envy and Hypocrisie which rules in them is the Spirit of Antichrist and confesseth not Christ to be come in the Flesh for where he is made manifest and come in the Flesh this spirit is destroyed For as saith the Scripture he was made manifest to destroy the works of the Devil Paul was also a Witness of the false Prophets and Deceivers which Christ prophesied of in his time for he gave warning to beware of such and to turn away from such whom he saw then come and coming in but came more fully in after his dayes he said of this sort They were lovers of themselves covetous proud heady high-minded fierce men and dispisers of those that were good given to filthy lucre and to pleasure and were false-Accusers and Blasphemers and without natural affection and unthankfull and unholy and taught silly women who were led with divers lusts but were not able to come to the knowledge of the Truth by their Teaching they were men of corrupt minds and reprobatâ— concerning Faith And here again I charge it upon the Teachers of the World that they are of that Generation which came in then for they are Lovers of themselves they take money of poor people to whom they are more able to give and they are proud and covetous men that go in their Ribbons and Cuffs and gaudy attire and they preach to them where they can get most money and some takes money of them and sues them at the Law to whom they preach not at all they are heady and high-minded men for poor people bow to them in the Streets and call them Masters They are fierce men and dispise those that are good if any speak against them of the truth they are fierce against and despise such and they are given to filthy lucre and are lovers of pleasure for where they can have most money there they will abide and they live in pleasure in idleness and lust and vanity they are flase-Accusers they will call them Deceivers which are not and that Blasphemy which is not and they are Blasphemers and without natural affection They say the Letter is the Word and the Scripture the Light which is contrary to Scripture for God is the Word and Christ is the Light and they will suffer the rude multitude and some will set them upon it to hale beat and strike out of their Assemblies which is without natural affection They are unthankful and unholy they have great sums of money from the people and are not thankful but compel them by a Law to pay them and herein they are unholy by their actions which are declared which is oppression and they teach always but men and women are ignorant still and none able to come to the knowledge of the Truth by them and they have a Form of godliness they profess the Scriptures That the Children of the Lord are to be taught of the Lord and that Christ said Take no thought what to eat nor what to drink nor wherewith to be cloathed but who witness themselves taught of God and that they need no
to Salvation or condemnation even that Light of which we declare so that thou hast said no less hitherto then we in this particular and the Scriptures say They saw the Eternal Power and Godhead by that which was made manifest of God in them mind in them which once they knew of God but turned from it and the Scripture saith That which reproves of sin is the gift of the Spirit of God John 16. and also the Scripture saith That which makes manifest sin is Light and whatsoever is reproved is made manifest by the Light even the true Light the Apostle speaks of Ephes. And the sum of all this which thou wouldst reprove in us is no more then the Scriptures bare witness of and which thy self hath uttered and confessed And Friend dost thou know this Light that is given of Christ and God unto every man is sufficient in it self for Life and Salvation unto every one that believes if thou say it is not wherein is the blame in God or in this Light or in the Creature shew if thou canst Then thou again sayst This light surely is that wherewith Christ as he is God hath enlightned every one that comes unto the Word which doth convince of sin Answ. Thus far thou art forced to confess Truth I think against thy mind and thus far in words only we agree as in this particular then why dost thou say By wresting that Scripture John 1. 9. we split our selves and endeavour to split others seeing thou thy self hast confessed no less then thou callst wresting in us I reckon up thy confusion and leave it for thee to read and them to whom this may come Then thou sayst The neglect of this Light will be sure to damn though the obedience to the Law will not save them c. Answ. Here again thou hast confessed truth If the neglect of the Light will be sure to damn as thou confessest then I say surely it is not good to neglect it that must needs follow deny it if thou canst therefore the sum of thy words is the same with us that every one mind the Light of Christ Jesus least they be damned for the neglect of it And Friend to the second part of the clause I say the Law must be obeyed and the righteousness of it fulfilled within thee if ever thou come to Eternal Life if it be not thou cannot escape damnation Learn what this means Then further thou sayst Though Christ doth give a Light to every one that comes into the World yet it doth not therefore follow that this Conscience or Light is the Spirit of Christ or the work of Grace wrought in the heart c. Here thy confusion is seen at large who wouldst seem to divide between the Light of Christ which thou confessest is given to every man and the Spirit of Christ and the Grace of God However thus far I say the Light of Christ given to every man is not contrary to the Spirit of Christ nor to the Grace of God but one in their nature and a man cannot possibly love one of them and hate another neither can any obey one of these and disobey the other therefore are they one in the union leading in the same way unto the same end And where doth the Spirit of Christ give light or the Grace of God work or lead if not in the Conscience And can there be any surer thing for the Creature to look to to walk to Life or to come to God by then the Light of Christ in the Conscience which thou confessest every man hath that cometh into the World Then thou sayst Heathens Turks Iews Athiest c. have that that doth convince them of sin yet are so far from having the Spirit of Christ in them that they delight to serve their lust c. Answ. This Query I ask of thee Do they or thou or any man serve sin or your lusts because Christ hath not given you light to discover your sin or because you hate that Light that is given answer me And surely by this which doth convince of sin is every man in the world inexcusable so it works for God in all men either to justifie or condemn And tell me is not the Spirit or Light of Christ the only thing which doth convince of sin Or doth any thing convince of sin contrary or besides or without the Spirit of Christ if nay then it must needs be that it is from or by or something of the nature of the Spirit of Christ which is in the Heathens And the sum of thy doctrine is no less in the profession of thy words then what we say then why dost thou condemn us But it seems thy tongue speaks one thing and another thing is in thy heart and this is Hypocrisie Then thou sayest Those that are alive to sin have not the Spirit of Christ c. But I say it is given to every man though every man receives it not and it strives with the wicked man though he follows it not And some other vain Arguments thou usest to prove That every man hath not the Spirit of Christ which I pass by only thus much I leave with thee till thou provest the Light of Christ which thou confessest every may hath to be contrary to the Spirit of Christ I shall say every man hath that which is one in union and like the Spirit of Christ even as good as the Spirit of Christ according to its measure Then thou goest on and sayest That the Devil might be sure to deceive or to that purpose he saith Turn thy mind inward and listen within and see if there be not that within thee that doth convince of sin c. Answ. Thou hast confessed that the Light within which convinces of sin is the Light of God and Christ and now thou sayest the Divil to deceive souls bids turn to mind the Light within which doth convince of sin thou hast lyed of the Devil Oh thou blind Priest whom God hath confounded in thy language Was ever such a thing spoken That the Devil can deceive any by the Light of Christ or that he uses any such doctrine Friend it is the Voice of the Gospel to bid listen within to the Light even to the Word of Faith within the heart as Paul preached But thou further sayst They are ignorant of the Gospel who clasp in with these Motions of the Light within or Conscience which doth command to abstain from the evil and to practice good And here thou hast shewed thy blindness and ignorance more then can be uttered as though the motions of the Light of Christ in the Conscience which command to abstain from evil and to practice good were another thing then the Light of the Gospel what and how doth the Light of the Gospel work if not in the Conscience and to command from evil and to practice good Surely thou preachest another Gospel then Paul preached for his Doctrine was
Abstain from all evil and follow that which is good and listen to the word within in the heart but this Gospel thou deniest and so must needst preach another Gospel and so art the accursed as Paul saith Then thou sayst Thus the poor Soul is most horribly carried away head-long c. into the belly of Hell c. thus much is the sum by turning the mind within to the Light which doth convince of sin and listning thereto and clapsing with the motions in the Conscience which do command to abstain from evil and to practice good and closing with something within which thou hast confessed is the Light of Christ hereby or thus is the poor Soul carried headlong and at the end of its life doth fall into the belly of Hell as thou sayst Let shame cover thee if thy heart be not altogether hardned was ever such Doctrine preached surely malice hath carried thee out of sence else thou wouldst not have uttered these things but it is answer enough to reckon thy confusion up into a sum and I leave it to every honest heart to read and judge thereof Then thou further sayst The Devil counterfeits the works of Grace and makes the Soul believe if it will be led by what is made known unto it by the Light or Conscience within it shall do well Answ. Wo unto thee that callst good evil and evil good Art thou not ashamed to utter thy mind so wickedly and impudently doth the Light of Christ within deceive or is not this Christs Doctrine I am the Light of the World he that follows me shall have the Light of Life and he that walks in the Light stumbles not and this shamelesly hast thou called the Doctrine of the Devil but if ever thou knowst God it must be by following and by being led with the Light within which God hath made known unto thee else the Light is thy condemnation eternally Then thou sayst The Devil counterfeits the new birth by perswading it is wrought by following the Light of the World c. Answ. This Doctrine is as wicked as the former and from as lying a spirit but answer me By what is the New-birth wrought and how if not by following the Light of Christ in the Conscience is there any other way to God but Christ Jesus who hath lighted every man that comes into the World and whereas thou beginst to scorn in thy vain mind at living upon Bread and Water and wearing no Hatbands and not speaking except the Spirit moves c. The Scorner and the Lyar go together the Lord rebuke thee thou false deceitfull heart and lying tongue it grieves thy lust to know any to live upon bread and water and it torments thy pride that any should forsake their pride and it is easily known of what spirit thou art and that thou goest on in thy own will before God leads thee and scornst to wait till the Spirit of God moves upon thee or scornst them that do wait but thou runst and art not sent like unto thy Fore-fathers and therefore thou dost not profit people at all Then thou accusest us of sad Blasphemies and horrible Doctrines but namest nothing and so slanderst without witness and take back thy own words for they belong to thee as is sufficiently proved in this Answer to thy Book let the wise in heart judge And thou hast said Thou wonderst that the ground do not open and swallow us up or else the Devil fetch us away alive c. And this most fully discovers thy spirit to be without the fear of God in any measure who utterst such wicked Language for which thou hast no example among all the Children of God and is not this horrible Doctrine and little less then sad Blasphemies It is answer sufficient to gather up thy confusion and send it thee to read if there be any honesty in thy heart repent and cease thy wickedness lest God smite thee with a Curse and make thee an Example of Destruction Then thou goest on and hast asked thy self a Question Is it not the Spirit of Christ that doth make manifest or convince of Sin The Question is good but thou hast consounded it in thy Answer and not answered plainly but hast covered Truth under the vail of thy many words Thou sayst There are two things that do make manifest and convince of Sin first the Law and secondly the Spirit of Christ. I query further Doth any thing convince of sin contrary to the Spirit of Christ if not then that which doth convince of sin is like unto or one in the Union or something as good in its Nature as the Spirit of Christ and thou instancest in Iudas whom thou sayst was convinced of sin by the Law without the Spirit of Christ to which I say the Law of God is spiritual and is not contrary but one with the Spirit of Christ in its union at least and that which let him see Christ to be innocent was not words syllables without him but must needs be within him so if I should say the Spirit of Christ was not in him yet was the Work of the righteous Law of God written in his heart which is spiritual and Christ Jesus was not without his own testimony in Iudas which is Light by which Iudas was and is condemned eternally And though Iudas was at the same time possessed of the Devil as thou sayest yet there was that within him also which disquieted and tormented the Devil which discovered the Devil with his works by which he saw his murderous mind and the Blood of the Just One I say it needs must be contrary to the Devil and to his works which condemned him I call it the Light of God which is spiritual call it what thou canst Then thou goest on and seems to shew a difference betwixt being convinced by the Law without the Spirit of Christ and the convincement by the Spirit of Christ but art confounded in thy discourse I say the power of the Law of God is spiritual and though thou make a little thing of it to be convinced by the Law of sins against the Law yet I make it a thing of weight And this is the condemnation that Light is come into the World and men love darkness rather then Light because their deeds are evil and the Law is Light as saith the Scripture and Christ is come to discover and reprove sin and I put thee to prove in all the Scripture where any such thing ever was distinguished as something to convince of sin without and besides or contrary to the Spirit of God and till thou provest it thus far I have answered thee concerning it Then thou sayst Though some say they are not only convinced of Sin but have gotten some power over it to abstain from those things forbidden in the Law yet thou further sayst This may be done as those blind Pharisees called Quakers think they do and be but natural men
the end and numbred thy work into a total sum which is a secret smiting and obscure shooting against the Manifestation or Belief of Christ within which there can be no Salvation without as I have proved and in words only I find thee exalting Christ without and worshipping the name of Mary like the Pope I have good ground so to judge And whereas thou callest the Doctrine of Christ within false Opinions and takeâ—â— in hand to discover it as in Page 203. I say to all honest men who have but any knowledge of the Letter of the Scripture thou art hereby sufficiently discovered who callst the chief thing which is the chief unto Salvation and without which can be none false Opinions God shall judge thee thou wicked heart and much more I need not say but shall leave this to the view of any that are honest to judge so have gone through thy Book and passed by many things only I have spoken to that in which thou hast treated any thing upon us and the Truth I have cleared from many Lyes and Slanders and thy Vail of false Reproaches is rent and our Innocency doth partly appear and thy vail of Hypocrisie is a little removed and thy deceitfull heart weighed and seen And as for the rest of thy Book whicg I have not medled with thus much I say of it I suppose you will confess it was all given forth by one spirit and it is proved some of it is given forth by a lying spirit then let the Reader judge what the rest of it can be though the words be true yet is thy spirit false and at the best what thou hast said is but bearing false witness as to thy self of a true thing I own the words and I deny the voice and here I deal plainly with thee Thou then askst a Question Doth not the Scripture speak of Christ within unto which I further add answer it as thou canst Doth not the Scripture say Christ is within except you be Reprobates And is not this thus much all are reprobate but they in whom Christ is within Answer iâ— plainness and darken not knowledge by words without wisdom And towards the end I find thee making up the sum of thy wickedness with this numbring the Quakers with Ranters Sin Death and the Devil I will not bring a railing Accusation against thee but the Lord rebuke thee thou unclean spirit who hast falsly accused the Innocent to clear thy self from guilt but at thy door guilt lodges and I leave it with thee clear thy self if thou art able And thy wicked Reproaches we patiently bear till the Lord appear for us and we are not greater then our Lord who was said to have a Devil by thy Generation and their measure of wickedness thou fulfils and art one of the Dragons Army against the Lamb and his Followers and thy Weapons are Slanders and thy Refuge is Lyes and thy work is confused and hath hardly gained a name in Babylons Record and by us so much of it at least as is against us is cast by as our spoiled prey and trampled upon in all thy reproachfull speeches who art unclean and of more price to us is thy hatred and envy then thy love can be except the gâ—und were better in which you stand Now a few words I may write in Answer to the Queries in the end of thy Book which thou directst thus Some Questions to the Quakers or a few Queries to those possessed with a Spirit of delusion in this Generation Question 1. If sayst thou that every man hath a measure of the Spirit of Christ within him why say the Scriptures That some are sensual having not the Spirit aâ—â— Christ saith The World cannot receive it John 14. Answ. Some men are sensual and have not the Spirit because they received it not some cannot receive it because they believe not in him from whence it comes yet is the measure of the Spirit given unto every man to profit withal as the Scripture saith And it is given to within him to reprove him of sin but few do receive it and when thou canst learn to distinguish between a thing being given and a receiving of such a thing then thou mayst be answered in thy self It is one thing in God to give the Spirit and another thing in the Creature to receive it He gives it to many that receive it not to follow it and to be guided by it thus far I answer and let them that are led with a spirit of Delusion answer thee further Qu. 2. What is the Church of God redeemed by from under the Law is it by something that is done within them or by something done without them If it be redeemed by something that worketh in them then why did the man Christ Iesus hang upon the Cross in Mount Calvery without the Gates of Jerusalem for the sins of his People and why do the Scriptures say That through this man is preached unto us forgiveness of sins c. Answ. The Church of God is redeemed by Christ Jesus which is revealed within all that believe and Christ Jesus wrought in them mightily and it was he that wrought in them to will and to do this is plain according to Scripture And the man Christ Jesus was hanged upon the Cross on Mount Calvery because they wickedly judged him to be a Blasphemer and through their envy persecuted him to death because he bore witness against them and as in their account he died and hanged upon the Cross for an Evil-doer and this is one ground at least why he hanged upon the Cross and the Scriptures say That through this man is preached the forgiveness of sins because there is no other that can forgive sin nor the blood of any other thing that can take away sin but the Blood of God as it is written And thus far I answer If thou wilt have more seek it from them who are led with a spirit of Delusion Qu. 3. What Scripture have you to prove that Christ is or was crucified within you risen within you ascended within you Answ. There is no Scriptures that mention any one of our particular names and thy Query is raised from thy mis-understanding of us so I judge but Christ is within us that we dare not deny and he is the Lamb that was slain in the streets of the great City which is spiritually called Sodom and Aegypt mind spiritually and he is now risen and ascended this we know through Faith in his Name And I leave thee to receive a fuller Answer from them that are led with a spirit of Delusion if they will give it thee Qu. 4. Is that very man that was crucified on Mount Calvery between two Thieves whose Name is Iesus the Son of Mary is he the very Christ of God ye or nay Answ. Yea he is the very Christ of God which was before the World was by whom the World was made who was made
manifest from Mary's womb and was persecuted to death by the Scribes and Pharisees in whose steps thou treadst in asking subtil Queries to insnare the Innocent as they did read thy Example and thy self to be an Enemy to the Christ of God Qu. 5. Is that very Man with that very Body within you yea or nay Answ. The very Christ of God is within us we dare not deny him and we are Members of his Body and of his Flesh and of his Bone as the Ephesians were They that are led by a spirit of Delusion shall answer the rest of this thy Query if they will Qu. 6. Was that very Iesus that was born of the Virgin Mary a real man of Flesh and Bones after his Resurrection from the dead out of Josephs Sepulchre ye or nay for the Scrpiture saith he was and if so then did that Man go away from his Disciples and not into them in his Body as the Scriptures declare or did he with that Body of Flesh go into his Disciples as some fond Dreamers think Answ. What the Scriptures speak of Christ we own to be truth and own him to be what the Scriptures speak of him and all mens imaginations of him we deny and their falsâ— interpretations of the Scriptures concerning him and let the fond Dreamers who are in their thoughts be reproved for we dare own nothing to be truth but what the Spirit of the Lord bearâ— witness of according to the Scripture thus far I anwer in behalf of the Quakers let them who are led with the spirit of Delusion answer the rest which concerns themselves Qu. 7. Hath that Christ that was with God the Father before the World was no other Body but his Church if you say no as it is your wonted course Then again I aske you What was that in which he did bear the sins of his Chrildren if you say it was his own Body on the Tree then I ask you whether that Body in which he did bear our sins was or is the Church of God yea or nay Again if you say he hath no Body but his Church then I ask what that was that was taken down from the Cross c Answ. In this thou hast not only queried but Slandered therefore first thy Slander I do remove It is not our wonted course to say that Christ hath no other Body but his Church thou art herein as in other things a false Accuser but we say the Church is Christ's Body And it is sufficient for Salvation to know Christ Jesus to be head in us and over us and our selves to be Members of his Body and what thou intendst by making so many foldings in one Query it may be judged is to insnare and in that thou answerest thy self for us in somthing that thou mayst have a further ground to lay a deeper snare we do deny thee and thy spirit and see thee to be only feeding in thy imaginations upon the report of things without the Life and thy religion stands in disputes and controversies and querying and many words but our Religion stands in the exercise of a pure Conscience towards God and towards man whether we speak or be silent Thus I have answered thy Queries or so much of them as concerns us and as I have said if thou wilt be further answered go seek an Answer from them who are led with a spirit of Delusion and let them answer their part or else be thou unsatisfied for I shall not answer them to satisfie thee nor I may not feed thy Serpents wisdom nor subtilty which cannot receive of the things of God not understand a reason of the Hope of Christ in us if we declare it to thee For all throughout thy Book I do observe it is that which thou strikest against even Christ within which is our Hope of Glory And it is that Mystery which long hath been hid from Ages and Generations but now is made manifest and declared And though the wise of the World cannot receive it but speak evil against it yet is it dear unto us and so much more precious because despised by such as thee and thy Generation And such things are a testimony to us and against you and go thou with them that are led with a spirit of Delusion for you are one in Nature and the Children of God who are redeemed cannot but deny you together Some few Queries propounded for John Bunyan to answer Query 1. Whether is any man justified by Christ Jesus in the sight of God but he that follows Christ and is it not a work to follow him yea or nay and what is the sight of God Qu. 2. Whether will that Faith justifie a man which hath no works seeing the Apostle saith Faith without works is dead and what is that which works Faith and where is it within or without Qu. 3. Whether any man is justified but he who is born of God and whether doth he that is born of God commit sin and is that within the Creature or without him which works the new Birth Qu. 4. If Christ hath lightened all men as he is God as thou confessest then whether hath he not lighted all men as he is the Son of God and is not the Light of God sufficient in it self to lead unto God all that follow it yea or nay Qu. 5. Whether it is not the same Light in him that hates it as it is in him that loves it Iohn 3. if there be a difference in the Light shew it wherein it lies whether in its nature or otherwise Qu. 6. Whether it is possible that any can be saved without Christ manifest within if no then whether it is not the Doctrine of Salvation which is only necessary to preach Christ within and it is not the whole Mystery of Salvation God manifest in the flesh Qu. 7. Whether is it not possible that many may profess as much of Christ without as thou hast said of him and yet be damned and if this be the faith to profess him born dead risen and ascended without then is there any Unbeliever in England seeing all in the outward sound believe and professe as much as thou hast said yea or nay Quer. 8. Whether hath that man faith in Christ who is not changed in the Nature and is not the Lyar and Slanderer an Unbeliever and of the cursed Nature yea or nay Quer. 9. Whether doth any man receive Christ who receives him not into him if not shew how Christ can be received and whether many do not profess him which never received him Quer. 10. Whether to preach for Hire for Gifts and Rewards and to Divine for Money and to make Merchandise of People for so much a year for preaching to them is not true Marks and Signs of a false Prophet or can any give truer Signs of the false Prophets then Isaiah and Micah gave yea or nay Quer. 11. Whether must not the Devil be chained before Christ reign
and in the fulfilling of them by the Spirit or he that talks in words of them and makes a trade thereof but lives in Lying and false Accusing and Pride and vain Glory and tâ—e filthiness of the Flesh This Question being answered will open the understanding of the simple and our innocency thereby will appear from all thy grievous slanders and wicked wrestings of our words As in Page twenty five in thy false conclusioâ—… of this particular thou sayest The Quakers divide the Spirit from the Scripture c. Yea the Spirit and the Scriptures are low things though they bear witâ—… to the truth of each other thus are they divided That every one that hath the Scriptures hath not the Spirit and this is no error nor from a Light of Satan but thy Lyes are from the Darkness of Satan and not from the Ligâ—â— of Christ. Thy fourth Argument is Such is the Quakers Light viz. which makes the Scripture cross it self and that in things known by the Light of nature therefore the light of Satan c. Answ. This is also false in the foundation and thy Arguments and Confusions made without effect Friend whilst thy foundation is a Lye thy Building wiâ—… not endure be sure of that the Scripture was given forth by one Spirit and bears witness unto one thing and doth not cross it self in the Light of the Spirit that gave it forth though to thy carnal wisdom it may seem so And for the proof of thy minor proposition thou sayst we quote that Scripture Iames 2. Have not the Faith of our Lord Iesus with respect of Persons c. to overthrow all respect of Persons c. Doth this at all prove that our Light makes the Scripture to cross it self Where is it said in the Scripture Have the Faith of our Lord Jesus with respect of Persons Such a one thou must bring or else thou hast said nothing to this purpose And thy second Scripture is That we say as Christ said Swear not at all Will this Scripture being quoted by us prove that our Light makes the Scripture cross it self What blind confused stuff is this which proceeds from thee thinking to make us odious and vile but thou hast the rather made thy self ignorant and blind in the sight of all the Children of Light who comprehend thee in thy subtilty and as to that of Swearing which thou hast strived in thy Argument to prove the Lawfulness of it thou hast thereby made thy Argument against Christ's own words who saith Swear not at all and thou art he whose Light or rather whose Darkness would confound the Scriptures to blind the eye of the Simple and thy conclusion stands true upon thy self hence thy light is the light of Satan not of Christ. And thou sayest The Quakers bid men be guided by the Light of God within c. How doth this contradict thy own words page twenty second where thou sayest The Quakers Light puts out this light the inward Law set up in the heart c. when wilt thou be ashamed of thy ignorance and stop thy mouth in the dust Thy fifth Argument is Such is the Quakers Light viz. which takes men off from that Rule which is perfect and cannot err and sends them to be guided by a Light which is imperfect and may and doth err therefore the Light of Satan c. Answ. Hast thou given up thy self wholly to lyes and to make them thy refuge thy work is to make a Lye and then to confound it this is an easie way to prove us Deceivers as I said and in the proof of thy minor Proposition thou hast fallen short of proving what thou takest in hand and sayst The Word of God is perfect but the Quakers do not send men to the Word c. This is false we preach the Word and send men to it even that Word of Faith which the Apostle preached which is in the heart and in the mouth and that Word is perfect and errs not and this we send men too to be guided by it and to receive faith in it then thou sayest The light of Conscience is imperfect and may err and takes accasion to speak of that Scripture 1 Ioh. 8. but to what purpose I know not except thou wouldst prove that Light of Christ to be imperfect and err which we say hath lightened every mans Conscience in the World and is a perfect Rule in the Conscience where man is guided by it and this Light leads up unto Christ to exercise the Conscience and he to rule King and Lord in the Conscience and so to make Conscience one with him in the unity and this is true wisdom and no folly as thou accountst it in thy blindness page twenty nine Then thou goest on and hast intimated a falsity from I. Ps Query and then confutes thy own Lye I. P. doth not say every man is lightned with a saving Light but asks the Question to be answered which for the simple sake here I do answer Christ hath lighted every man in the World with the true Light which is saving Light to every one that believes therein and condemning Light to him that believes not yet is the Light true Light and no error nor imperfection in it and they that hate it are such as know nothing of Redemption Justification c. and a great part of England is in that conditin though they have heard the report yet they know it not in truth and righteousness and this Light is in the World and the World knows it not yet doth not this confute that he hath lightned every man that comes into the World as thou wouldst ignorantly make it appear in the same page Then thou sayest If you speak of reason and understanding so Christ lighteth every one c. Here thou hast confessed Truth with thy lying Spirit it is the purest reason that every man should serve his Maker and act nothing contrary to his Maker this the â—ight of Christ lights unto and leads unto and it is the best understanding that gives a man to understand the Way of eternal Peace and Rest for his Soul if he love the Light and lets him understand when he acts against his Maker c. and this hath Christ lighted every man unto Then thou sayest Conscience may err and provest it from Paul's example of persecuting If Conscience be not guided by the Light of Christ it erreth but it was not the Light of Christ in Pauls Conscience which led him to persecute but his thoughts and imaginations which were in the high mind above the Light in the Conscience then many false conclusions from our words hast thou drawn through thy wresting of them thou sayest as in all our books the word of God written is made of no account c. thy lying tongue will God rebuke the Scriptures we account of and set them in their Authority and bring them as a Witness against thee and all thy wayes who art
from the committing of sin And the sum of thy doctrine is no more then that which thou wouldst make error in us though sometimes thou art railing against Perfection and sometimes owning it under some particular accounts not under all and so one while builds up and another while throwest down and so art in Babylon Thou sayest There are thousands of perfect men in England c. yet thy false conclusion is because we hold Perfection Therefore is our Light the light of Satan c. I leave it to the simple minde to read thy confusion and shall rake no longer in it Thy Tenth Argument is Such is the Quakers Light viz. Which teacheth men to revile and throw filth upon the true Ministers and true Churches of Christ therefore it is the light of Satan c. Answ. This Foundation is another Lye and thy Arguments are to no purpose We revile not neither do throw filth upon the true Ministers and Churches of Christ Thy proof of thy minor position gives not evidence of thy assertion let the wise in Heart judge So much need not be said because both thy proposition and thy proof is false Doth I. Parnel telling Of the Churches being in God c. prove that we revile throw filth upon Ministers c. What blindness is this but yet this will be the Question Who the true Ministers and Churches of Christ are for we judge it not neither doth the Lord to be reviling and throwing filth upon the true Ministers and Churches to call you greedy dumb Dogs that seek for your Gain from your Quarter and can never have enough and Hirelings that preach for Hire and divine for Money and Devourers of the Flock who feed your selves with the Fat and make a Prey through Covetousness upon the People acting the horrible filthy thing which Ieremiah cried against and to call you evil Beasts and Slow-bellies which teach for filthy Lucre as â—â—â—l did And much more such like may truly be spoken of you by the Spirit of the Lord and no railing against the Ministers of Christ no more then the true Prophets which spoke the same Language for who act those things which the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles declared against are no Ministers of Christ and here we find you in the steps of the false Prophets and Scribes and Pharisees and false Apostles if any ask the particulars I can give testimony hereof so that we make a great difference between reproving and condemning false Teachers and Hirelings and reviling the true Ministers of Christ prove your selves to be true Ministers of Christ and we shall joyn with you otherwise we must set to our seal against you for your abominations and shall as justly deny your Idol Temples and Worship therein to be the true Churches of Christ as we deny you to be Ministers for your works do make you manifest even your wickedness is discovered what rudeness and wildness and pride and vain glory is among you and Christ never had such a Body who were made up of such Members but I do the rather pitty your blind People than you for you are the blind Leaders of the Blind and shut the Kingdom of Heaven against men and enter not your selves nor will suffer others This is true upon you and so are proved to be the Generation of Vipers and Serpents and Hipocrites This is no reviling but the Language of the Spirir of God which Christ once spoke to such as you I speak of thee and thy Generation and we own and honour the true Ministers and Churches of Christ and revile them not but deny you and bear our witness against you Then thou sayest See what is required by the Apostles Example to bring you into the Ministry and prove you have it not To which I answer You have not the call of the Apostles who were called by the imediate Spirit none of you dare own this that I have yet heard of neither have you received your Gospel as they did by the Revelation of Jesus Christ and thou hast confessed it In Page fifty one thou sayst plainly You own no such Revelation and so hast manifested thy selfe to be without the abillities of the true Ministers in these two particulars and many more which might be mentioned and also in that which the Apostle saith He that preaches the Gospel shall live of the Gospel Now by an outward Law you are maintained through oppression of the Innocent as before I have proved for if you had not a Law to defend you in your Maintenance you might starve or beg So your gospel doth not maintain you but the Law of the Nation through oppression of the People And the Apostle preached Christ Jesus to be the Light which hath Lightened every man that cometh into the World and this you deny And much more migh be testified against you wherein you are not only short but contrary to the true Ministers of Christ. Thâ—â— thou shamelesly pleadst for the ordination by the Bishops which I shall pass by as not worth minding to set pen to paper about it and in conclusion thou sayest Thâ—… pleadst not for every particular Minister c. neither do I plead against any one Minister of Christ but against hirelings for which thou pleadst and so thy darkness is of Satan and not the Light of Christ take thy Conclusion to thy self for unto thee it belongs Thy eleventh Argument is Such is the Quakers light viz. which brags of the infallible Spirit and yet cannot speak good sence or reason therefore is the light of Satan c. Answ. This is also false and a Lye whom hast thou heard brag by word or writing of an infallible Spirit but the Spirit of God we say is infallible and that Spirit we have received in its measure but thy Lye I bear witness against and thee the father of it And thou sayst the Spirit of God speaks rationally and sence and thou sayst Satan also can speak likewise then that can be no clear discovery or difference betwixt them if they speak alike And thou sayst further Seeing the witty Jesuits cannot do the business now try if foolish Quakers can do it c. Thou art herein divided from some of thy Brethren who hath as unjustly as thoâ— accused us to be Jesuits but any thing you will say which may make for your turn to uphold the Kingdom of Satan but your Lyes and Reproaches are unto us great riches and our innocency will the Lord bring forth in his time and your wickedness shall fall upon your own heads in a moment but thy proof of thy minor position testifies no such thing against us as speaking rational or non-sence so thy position is false that we brag c. And thy proof is not for thy purpose thâ—â— we cannot speak good sence or reason so in thy whole business thou art found a Lyar and the Lyars Portion is the Lake this is truth and no reviling only
I perceive thou hast got a catch by some Scriptures being misplaced and not truly quoted which may be the Printers fault for ought I know But all that ever thou hast spoken proves not the truth of what thou hast asserted let shame cover thy face Thy twelfth Argument is Such is the Quakers light viz. which affirms sound Believers walking Evangelically in obedience to Gods Commandments to be in a state of Condemnation therefore it is the Light of Satan c. Answ. Thou being neer at an end hast left the greatest Lye to the last When wilt thou be ashamed and stop thy mouth thy testimony of Lyes is well nigh finished and thou bindest up the sum with an abominable one yet thou confessest in thy Margent We do not say thi◠in many words but by consequence c. Here let all men take notice of thee who hast accused us with a thing and yet confessest we say not the thing thou hast fully manifested thy self we need go no further to lay thee open but thou sayest By consequence c. Friend if thou mighttest be the Interpreter of our Books its like thou wouldest deal deceifully as thy Generation hath done with the Scripture but we write not our Books and leave them for to be expounded by thee but they are as they speak simple plain Language to the ignorant that thy may be instructed thou hast manifested thy skil in wresting our words sufficiently we allow thee not to be our Interpreter we testifie he who is a sound Believer and walks in obedience to the commands of God is in a justified state in the sight of God but we put a difference betwixt condemning sound Believers and speaking plainly in reproof of sin as if we tell the Lyar his portion will be the Lake and the Proud he shall be as stubble before the fire and the Wicked shall be cast into Hell and that no Coveteous Unclean Whoremongers Drunkards c. shall never enter into the Kingdom of God This Language is not a condemning of the sound Believers neither is it so accounted in the Sight of God though falsly judged by thee and we stand to the Judgment of him and not unto thy false Slanders And thou further sayest and desirest the Quakers But to tell thee of one man in the Word of God meaning the Scriptures who was Holy who embraced the Quakers Doctrines Principle and Practises c. David was holy Moses was holy Ieremiak was holy with many more testified of in the Scripture that were of the same Faith with us and of the same Doctrines and Principles and Practices for themselves were Quakers as their own Writings make manifest and hadst thou been in their dayes thou wouldst have spoken no less evil of them then of us for it was such as thou who spoke evil of them and persecuted them and hence I do conclude thy spirit to be the spirit of Satan and not the Spirit of God Thy thirteenth and last Argument is against our Shaking as thou callest it and it is manifest to every one thou sayest whence it comes c. And railest much against it and shufflest off and kicks against the testimony we give out of the Scripture bringing the like examples of the Servants of the Lord. And thou sayest We abuse the examples of Daniel Moses and David to defend these diabolical actings c. God shall reprove thy lying Tongue and rebuke thee with the reproof of his Judgments yea many more than these named can we bring to witness for us in the same actings of the Power of God which thou most wickedly callest Diabolical and leavest the Reader to observe thy foolish Story to which in its place I may answer Then thou goest on and ramblest over a great deal of stuff from an Author like thy self who wrote a Book against us also and whose testimony is no better then thine as being of the same spirit against the Seed of God with thee and his testimony and thine are both for condemnation thou quotest his Lyes to prove thine as though his words were of authority with the Scripture but wrechedness and subtilty lodges under your tongues and though you be of several Opinions and Judgments in your Worships and Ministries yet are you joyned and against us as Herod and Pilato and if it was not such a things as would make for thy wicked purpose thou wouldest scorn to make use of his words to prove thine but the shift of the subtil Fox which would devour the Lamb is taken notice of in all his actings Then thou sayest No you own no such revolation viz by the foregoing words 〈◊〉 you were taught the Gospel by the revolation of Iesus Christ. And here let all men take notice of thee to be one that was never sent of Christ but one who knows not God for as Christ Jesus saith No man knows the Father nor the Son but he to whom the Son reveals him And thou having denied the Revelation of the Son of God hast shut out thy self from his Knowledge For shame talk no more of the things of God but let thy mouth be stopped from making mention of his Name especially on the account of being a Minister all that know God or the Gospel are ashamed of thee some of thy own Brethren will not own thee herein some of this I have laid open before Then thou goest on saying The pretended revelation of the Quakers do cross an Article of Faith and Rule of Obedience in Scripture This is not the least of thy Lyes I deny the Slander the same Truth and Faith and Obedience as ever was witnessed in the Holy men of God which declared forth the Scripture we own and bear witness of and no other The Revelation of Christ in us in Faith and Obedience is witnessed by Paul who is our Example and thou art the man whose spirit is contrary to Scripture as is clearly made manifest and in thee the man of sin is revealed and the Light which should discover him is vailed and I may truly say of thee as thou falsly hast said of us Surely the Devil is the Authour of thy work Then in thy conclusion thou sayst Much more might be gathered out of their Books whereby it may appear by what spirit these Quakers are led by the spirit of Satan scarce trasnformed into an Angel of Light Now to all the honest hearted unto whom this and thine may come even to thy own Hearers at least unto such who have but moderation in their spirits and to that measure of God in their Consciences I do appeal that they by it may judge whether thou hast more discovered the spirit of Satan in us by any thing which thou hast in all thy Books justly proved against us to be evil or sin or error except thy Lyes and Slanders may stand for a testimony or in thy self who hast slandered us unjustly and wrested our words deceitfully and spoken many 〈◊〉 grievous
Leaf and as an ungirded Vessel full of strife and distraction fears and jealousies eveâ— among your own selves unsetled in your Wayes and Thoughts in Truth Mercy and Peace but in Gainsayings and Oppositions and Confusions stand tottering like a rotten Hedge and the Proud are exalted and the poor are despised and they that love Sion are set at nought and verily you go not the way to settle the Nations upon the true Foundation but backslides from the Way of Truth Which is the Foundation upholding of iniquity and establishing the false Prophets and Diviners by a Law and such whom the Lords wrath is against who upholds the horrible filthy thing and abominations of the Earth and confusion is upon them till they be overthrown never to deceive the Nations more Therefore hear ye Deaf and look ye Blind and understand ye Hard-hearted love Truth and Mercy and Peace in your own hearts and and depart from Iniquity and cast away your Idols and cease from evil and learn to do well and put away the evil of own doings and turn to the Lord in this the day of your Visitation and to the Light of Christ Jesus wherewith he hath lightened you take heed thereby to be guided every one in particular in fear and tenderness towards God and towards man not ruling in Tyranny and Oppression nor making Laws in your own wills according to your own thoughts as some that went before you have done till they were cut off as you are Witnesses who were made in the Hand of the Lord their Executioners and if you follow in any measure their Example of Wickedness take them for an Example in a cursed end in love to all your Souls this I write and not to shame you in your wickedness but rather that you may repent and that you may know how to exercise your selves in the Law of God towards the Nations and that every Burden may be removed and the Oppressed may go free and the Bands of Iniquity may be broken and this is the Fast accepted of the Lord required of him from you which if you observe with your whole hearts a Blessing will the Lord made you unto the Nations in this present Age and unto your selves for evermore but if you hearden your hearts against the Lord and tread in the steps of your fore-fathers and seek to limit the Holy One or to bind the tender Consciences of the People of God then shall you fall into their perdition and be swallowed up in everlasting confusion and your Memorial shall stink in Generations to come and shall be a hissing among the Heathen Kingdoms and deliverance will God bring another way unto his People to your overthrow if you walk not in the Counsel of the Lord. And whereas upon the considerations and purposes aforesaid you have ordered that a Day be observed and kept for solemn Humiliation and seeking the Face of God through the mediation of Christ in England Scotland and Ireland To which in much tenderness of spirit I desire to say That if you seek his Face in the hardness of your hearts and in the way of your own precepts while the yoke of the great Oppressions in the Nations are not broken from off the neck of the Poor his Face you shall not behold though you seek it but in vain shall you weary your selves and shall travel without issue as to that which you desire and his Countenance shall be hid from you till he shew his Face for evil against you and not for good and to you it shall be said To what purpose are your Oblations and your solemn Meeting Who hath required it at your hands even your own doings and appointed Altars of Inventions which the Lord cannot accept from you Therefore give ear ye Mountains and listen ye tall Cedars if you establish the false Prophets which makes a prey upon the people through covetousness and which acteth the abominations of Israel in preaching for Hire and divining for Money and in crying peace to the wicked by a Law and maintain them through the oppression of the Poor in the crying Oppression of Tythes or otherwise imposing such things upon the tender Consciences by any Act or Statute made or allowed by you God shall not hear your cry nor answer your request nor ever establish you in peace nor the Nations over which you are set likewise if you make a Law or allow such a one to be acted which any way may tye or limit the Spirit of the Lord in any of his Servants from reproving the abominations of the Times in Rulers Teachers or People in your Streets or Temples or places otherwise at any time whatsoever the Lord will not hold you guiltless nay assuredly if you do but hide your face from the Suffering of such who through the wickedness of some under you may be afflicted upon such an account you shall not be altogether Innocent but Gods hand shall be upon you likewise If any for Conscience sake deny to Swear upon any account according to the former vain Customs of the Nations trained up thereto in ignorance and blindness in humane traditions and thereupon suffer Imprisonment or Fining or otherwise howsoever by any Order from you or any subordinate Powers you shall be guilty in the sight of God of that suffering the Innocent in such a cause much more shall you be guilty if by any means in any cause upon any condition men be compelled by any Authority of this Nation to swear likewise if any suffer for not bowing the Hat or Knee to any of you or any of your Judges or under Officers and thereupon be accounted Transgressors the Lord shall account such things Oppression from your hands and Tyranny and Cruelty and you shall not escape unpunished as the Lord lives these and many more Abominations cries for Vengeance against some of you who have had your hands deeply dipped in such Oppression and therefore to you this is a Warning to break off these sins by righteousness and these evils by true repentance lest your Fasts prove only for Strife and to smite with the fist of Wickedness Clear your selves and wash you hands from these Abominations lest the fruit of them be given you to eat for Food and let this oh ye Rulers be acceptable councel unto you that the dayes of Happiness may appear and the long expected and waited for day of Liberty may yet dawn through this dark night of Bondage which overshadows your heads that you cannot behold the glory of the Son and herein shall you be established and we shall have cause to bless the Lord for you and with you otherwise you shall never be renowned but all your counsels and purposes shall fail and be cursed of the Lord and evil shall be upon you and upon the Nation for your sakes And all you that fear God listen and give audience and let the fear of the Lord be before your eyes and keep your selves pure from
faith whereby they may continue boldly witnessing to the end And this is a true Testimony of the Father and of the Son witnessed by us who are called of God in whom his Power is made manifest TO all the Children of Light every where who fear and love the Lord who are begotten of God and unto whom he is known in the Spirit and in the Truth this is a Testimony of the Fathers love unto you Grace Mercy and Peace from him that lives for ever the God of Light and Life be multiplied in you all that you may daily be renewed in strength and girded with Truth and armed with the whole Armour of God and may be kept by his Power until the day of Salvation to walk in the Government and subjection to Jesus Christ witnessing the Power and Presence of God in you and amongst you giving you power to fulfil his Will in all things and that in all righteousness and out of all evil you may be led and preserved unto the end and in the end to shew forth the praises of God in this Generation as a people called of him and redeemed by him for his great glories sake even so Amen and Amen Dearly beloved be not ignorant but this know This is the Message which came unto you which is true and faithfull and everlasting That the true God is Light and in him is no darkness at all and this is the Message of Peace and Reconciliation and of glad Tidings unto all that have sought the Lord which we received of him and you have heard and there is not another to be declared and all that have received it are gathered up to God and are in Covenant with him and one with another and are in that which reconcileth and joyneth unto Christ Jesus the Husband and second Adam who is the Lord from Heaven the Prince of Peace the Saviour and the Deliverer who is made manifest in power and condemneth the Transgressor and slayeth the Enmity and raiseth the Life out of death and this is he who kills and makes alive even the God who is Light who brings down one and sets up another who makes war against the mighty and gives peace to the pooâ— and besides him there is none he searcheth mans heart and trieth the reins and â—noâ— the thoughts and every Creature is manifest in his sight who gives to every one according to his doings and this is he who standeth in the Congregation of the Righteous even in the midst of us and sitteth Judge among the gods unto him must all the gods of the Earth bow and the Inhabitants of the Earth must tremble before him and unto him every Tongue shall confess and the Light in every man shall answer when he ariseth to Judgment who is a swift Witness to condemn or justifie all the children of men upon the face of the Earth This is the God of Truth whom we worship and who will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth who is the God of Abraham and his Seed for ever and with him there is no change nor shadow of turning and he hath made known his Name and his Power and his wonderful Works in this his Day and hath caused his Voice to be heard in the Earth and the Dead hath heard and now liveth And his Name is exalted on high amongst all that fear him and obey his Voice and he hath given his Son a Covenant of Light who lighteth every man that cometh into the World with the true Light of Life or Condemnation that all who receive him may come to the knowledge of the Father whom to know is Life eternal And this is the Christ the Saviour in whom we have believed and whom we preach who is the Way the Truth and the Life the Foundation of God which cannot be moved the Word of God is his Name and there is no other Name given for Salvation This is he who was dead and is alive and lives for evermore and there is no other to be looked for if any preach any other let them be accursed and if any bring any other Message let them not be received And all you who have believed in this Christ Jesus who is the Light of the World and who have received the knowledge of this God who is Light himself and that searcheth your hearts I exhort you and warn you all in his Presence that lives forever to wait upon him and to fear before him and to walk with him for ever in uprightness of heart which is of great price in his Sight and forget not his righteous Judgments which he hath made known least you wax fat through Mercies and rebel against him and become disobedient and gainsaying and so be destroyed from being a People but be stayed upon the Lord and let your hearts be established with Grace and be not tossed nor shaken with any wind of Doctrines of men which is not from the Life of God nor reacheth to the Life in you but begets into Idolatry to worship other gods then he who is Light and be not troubled at Temptations nor at Sufferings nor at Reproaches nor any other thing but stand in the Counsel of God and in his Long-suffering and wait patiently upon him in your own measure of the Grace of God received which is sufficient for you to preserve you that Victory over Death and over him that hath the power over it you may receive to trample upon all that which is contrary to the Life of God within you and without you neither be you troubled nor offended in Christ if any among you deny the Lord and backslide from his pure Way through an evil heart of unbelief and so become disobedient Children and vex the righteous Soul such shall bear their own burthen and condemnation in the day of the Lord and shall know that Truth changes not but is the same for ever though the Deceitful-hearted through unbelief depart from it and choose their own wayes and despise the Counsel of the Lord to their own destruction but be ye more watchful and faithful and valiant for the Truth upon Earth unto the end that you may be found faithful Witnesses unto the Name of the Lord in this crooked Generation and may receive the fulfilling of the Promise of God and may witness God within you the Emanuel the Saviour God with us and this is the whole Salvation and there is no other to be expected or witnessed then this That God dwells in us and walks in us according to his Promise and all that know this need nor go forth to the right hand or to the left but Salvation is come unto us he that taks away sin and saves from it and from condemnation and who witnesseth this are begotten by the Word of God and born of the immortal Seed and are new creatures but now there is no condemnation but the reward of righteousness and peace to us who are not in the Flesh but in
then come and so they did deceive many as these do deceive many in the same way as them that went before them And so let it not be a thing incredible to the people of these Nations that many of these Teachers which are called Ministers are Deceivers generally bâ—â— if there be any one that â—ears God among them or loves Truth and Sincerity it will be made manifest and such I spare and they shall be spared in the day 〈◊〉 the Lord but yet I say generally and the main part of them even they 〈◊〉 bring forth these fruits before mentioned which the false Prophets brought forth are not the Ministers of Christ but Deceivers the Scripture their own professed Rule doth prove them so for it must needs be that they must be the same men that they were whose spirit they walk by and whose fruits they bring forth and this cannot be avoided they are the same trees that brings forth the same fruits and let no man blame me for saying such are Deceivers that preach for hire and divine for money and goes for giâ—ts and rewards and that are called oâ— men Master and have the chief place in the Assemblies and are covetous and high-minded and seeks for their gain from their Quarter with those things which I have mentioned which are the same things which the false Prophets acted in Ages past I am not now to be blamed for saying These are Deceivers who are acting such things now in this Age as they acted then that were Deceivers but if you blame any begin with Isaiah and Micah and Ezekiel and Christ and his Apostles and the rest of the holy men of God for they are my examples in this who did declare against them that brought forth such works as these do that I have declared against and I have done the Teachers of this Age no wrong for judging them by their own Line and laying them to their own professed Rule therefore do not rage at me nor do not be offended aâ— this for I have but compared them with the Ministers of Christ and with the Ministers of Antichrist and shewed wherein they do agree to the one and disagree to the other and all People may see and the Light in all Consciences may judge of what I have said so that as I said at the first I may again say What think you Was there ever such a Generation of Teachers I now answer Yea There was in the dayes of the true Prophets and in the dayes of the Apostles there were such as these are which were Deceivers and in the times of Christ there were such a Generation as these are who acted the same things by the same spirit as these do at this day Let them reply to this that will my Question is sober and my Answer is just and right and I have dealt faithfully and you may read the Scriptures that I have quoted for your own satisfaction for though they falsly say the Scripture is their Rule and accuse us falsly that we deny the Scripture yet the Scripture shall be Judge between us in this matter and what I have done is not in envy to any mans person neither in upbraiding them in their wickedness but I do it rather to shew them all their iniquities that they may repent and this I have done in perfect love to all people for the Day is come that hath brought hidden things to Light and Deceit and Hypocrisie which hath lain hid is now fully made manifest as at Noon-day But again secondly I answer In some respects I do believe there was never such a Generation of Teachers as these are for we do not read in all the Scriptures concerning the false Prophets that they were so extreamly covetous and greedy of gain as these are or that ever they took such desperate wicked unlawful courses to get their maintenance and compel people to pay them as these Teachers do a very shame to rehearse it and to their shame I do rehearse it many a poor man in this Nation hath been sued by them at the LAW and put in PRISON by their means and had their Goods spoiled in a woful manner for to maintain them and to uphold them yea some hundreds of poor people in this Nation have been dealt cruelly by and unjustly with because for Conscience sake they have denied to maintain them to pay them Tythes and such like this may be proved that for five Shillings unjustly claimed by them they have taken Goods by Distraint to the value of five times so much as Cumberland and Westmerland can witness and many at this very day lie in Holes and Prisons by the means of the Priests who tear the People as Wolves do the Sheep it s even woful to be considered what havock is made of some mens persons and some mens GOODS and all to maintain the Teachers The like never was in any Generation as it is brought forth in this Generation in this particular And again their exceeding covetousness and greediness of Lucre doth appear in that they claim Wages of People and do compel People to pay them Wages after this manner as I have said for which people they do no work neither do these people receive any work done by them with whom they thus deal What thing can be more unjust under Heaven that they should compel people by a Law to pay them and thus punish them if they will not who set them not on work and for whom they do no work neither do the people like their work or love it but know it to be deceitful and yet are compelled by a Law to pay them they have such a way to get money that no Trades-man hath the like of it besides themselves for they cause People and compel people to buy their Wares and they compel people to pay for their Commodity which have none of it nor love it and this is more unjust then may be spoken Are they like Ministers of Christ Or do they follow their example in these practises What do you judge All people bring in your Verdict or are they not like Deceivers herein even exceeding all that ever went before It is true They which preach the Gospel should live on the Gospel this Argument we do own but let these men be tryed and see if by their preaching their Gospel they have gained so much love in people as to maintain them without the Law and without compelling of Maintenance Lively-hood from them by a Law let but the Law cease to compel Tythes and other things from people to maintain them see whether their Gospel will maintain them or not let but the Magistrates hold up their hands from causing people to pay them Tythes by their orders writs and I 'le undertake as I do believe they must either beg or work or a worse thing for a lively-hood or else perish so little love is there in their own People towards them nor have
coming to take an account Your sins cry for vengeance against you and though your hands and tongues have been strengthened to speak and act ungodliness by the evil example of your Rulers yet your own iniquity shall you bear in the day of the Lord and though your Rulers and Judges have been strengthened in their unjustness and mercilesness by the false lying Teachers and Diviners of false visions which have seen vanity yet their own iniquity shall they bear and every man shall die for his own sin Wo unto your Teachers they have eaten up the sin of Rulers and people and covered iniquity and transgression by flattering and lying words they have daubed with untempered morter and healed up the wound deceitfully and cryed peace peace to the wicked that have walked in the imaginations of their own hearts when unto such the Lord never spake peace And now whereas the Rulers and people have stretched forth their hands to vex the Lords people have through unjust judgment and grievous oppressions and unmercifull dealings troden the Innocent under foot and made them a prey to their mouth and divers ways have persecuted in cruel manner the Followers of the Lamb yet also have the wise men of this World even the Priests and Teachers who have led the people and have caused them to err and have set themselves as in battel array against the Lord and his way and people How have you hardened your hearts and made your fore-head as brass against the Word of the Lord and you have been as the fountain of all this wickedness acted against the Just and strengtheners of the hands of ungodly men the Heads and Rulers you have strengthened in their cruelty of false judgments by your arguments of strife in subtilty you have been as nursers of all this Persecution and Wickedness and have interceded for oppression to cause the Just to groan whom the Lord hath raised to testifie against you the Judges they have given regard unto you and the people they have taken you for examples who have been cursed presidents to the Rulers and people who have followed your cruel steps of malice and envy and from the head to the tail they have drunk in your poysonous Doctrines and made themselves drunk therewith and out of reason in their furious zeal of madness and all have taken council together to slay the harmless from off the face of the Earth some by false judgment and oppression and others by cruel abusings as beatings and stonings unheard of or unequalized in Generations of late O ye Priests and Teachers and Wise-men and Scribes how many of you in this Nation joyned hand in hand to betray the Innocent by your false Doctrines and lying Divinations and have filled and sought to do so the mind of the people with slanders and false reproaches lying imaginations and many conceptions and jealousies against the people of God many of you have made it your study-work to bring forth evil by cunning Arguments to suggest into the hearts of people that they might not enter the Kingdom and even so have you been shutters of the Kingdom of Heaven against men and would not enter your selves nor suffer others that would Wo unto you you have taken away the Key of Knowledge and lost it and multitudes of false Aspersions and lying Assertions have you brought forth without fear by wicked consequence and lying productions that you might take away the key of knowledge thereby and hide it from men and lay stumbling-blocks of Iniquity before the people to stop the way of the Upright and you have travelled to seek occasions of evil against the Just and watched for the halting of the Innocent that you might glory and rejoyce in their fall and without any occasion by words or actious you have taken offence and made offences by evil surmisings to blind the eyes of people that your Idolatry might not be discovered nor the Way of Righteousness shine forth O be ashamed and repent for to account must you Come and the sin of Rulers and people whom you have blindy led will be charged against you who have given them wicked examples of cruelty in your Pulpits you have spent time in Railing and Slandering and Lying to infuse evil into the minds of men against the Truth and many books have you given forth and sent abroad from your lying Pens outof your vain studies of false prophesie and mens hearts have been filled with your damnable Doctrines of Devils wherewith the Simple have been poysoned and the Innocent betrayed even great numbers of Books and lying Scroules have gone through the Nation from some of you filled with false Divination and intents of evil against the Way of the Lord and his people and worse than Balaam and far exceeding him have you been you have sought eâ—chantments to curse the people whom God hath blessed altogether and some of you have done it to your evil reward of your evil work and you have not known that there is no divination against the holy Seed Oâ— what will become of you when the Lord is arisen to plead with you 〈◊〉 these things the cruelty and oppression of the Rulers shall be added 〈◊〉 your account and the sin of the people which you have swallowed down it shall be laid to your charge for you have strengthened the hands of Evil-doers so that none could turn from his evil way but have by yâ—… been hardened therein and from you prophaness have gone forth to the ends of the Earth Woe woe is approaching what account will yoâ— render in the day of the Lord you will all be speechless in that day whâ—… the swift Witness doth arise therefore to all you I am moved to write who have set your selves to gain-say the Truth and to write against the people of the Lord whom you call Quakers who walk in the Truth and have received the Truth from the Lord whom you have reproached and slandered in secret and also in open print in the face of the World and have laid many cruel and false Charges and Accusations against them and to all that hath or ever shall hereafter bend your tongues and pens to utter wickedness and falshood by writing or otherwise Repent and cease your wickedness for the wrath of the Lord is kindled against you and take this for an answer in full to all your Books and false reproaches we are of God and he that is of God heareth us and the whole World lies in wickedness and we have the Testimony that we please God and he is our God and we are his People and he hath Chosen us and we have Chosen him and the Name of the Lord is our strength and his Covenant of Life is with us and among us hath he fullfilled his promise and his Spirit is poured forth and sons and daughters do Prophesie and one King reigns upon mount Sion and the night to us is far spent and the day is
whereas I said Christ is a mystery and unto hiâ—… he is Light and shall be Salvation where his person supposed son of Ioseph never came which words are true not gain-sayed by thee though thou ask Did he obtain salvation for any without that body which he took of 〈◊〉 Virgin Answ. That body which was begotten by the holy Ghost is not so carnal 〈◊〉 thou supposest and that spiritual Rock which followed them saved them aâ—… the same Son of God the Saviour who was born a Child to them was the Priâ—… of peace yea the everlasting Father but thy eye sees not this and therefore thâ—… sayst Here 's the place where he is not and the place where he hath not been Now thâ—… sayst Thou passes by many things which thou mightst justly examine and also many unseemly expressions O thou deceitful heart and tongue is this thy excuse when my words are Consider of this when thou hast a better understanding for its yet hidden from thee then when thou hast thus cried out against my just Answer thou tells me what I should have said Alas poor man thou reaches not what the knowledge of things eternal is by that wisdom in which thou art I need no man to teach me but the Lord. Then thou sayst Iesus Christ hath obeyed the Law and justified thee c. Reply Nay hold repent first and be turned from thy iniquities and believe in him and boast not thy self so proudly thou art in the transgressions of the Law in disobedience to it a Lyar Slanderer and Scorner one that the Prince of the power of the Air rules in a Child of Wrath and every one shall dye for his own iniquity and the soul that sins shall dye and wrath to every one that doth evil and the revelation of the Judgements of God Learn what this meanes or ask them that are of a better understanding then thy self Then thou seemst to minde me of some weakness and cries out Wonderful foolishness c. Because I said the Light of Christ given to every man Ioh. 1. 9. as thou confessest is not contrary to the Spirit of Christ and to the Grace of God but is one in their nature Mark and a man cannot possibly love one of them and hate another therefore one they are in the union leading in the same way unto the same End and where doth the Spirit of Christ give light or the Grace of God work or lead if not in the Conscience c. These are my words Now let honest men consider and Iohn Bunnion be silent what foolishness or wonderful weakness is in these words but only to the wisdom which is devillish which despiseth truth or what cause was there to blush when I wrote them as he impudently saith who cannot contradict them nor reprove them and yet railes upon them no marvel that thou wouldst pass them as thou sayst with such a poor shift to evade with a Lye that thou hast spoken to it already when as thou hast not medled of these things O let not thy impudency so sottishly carry thee for thy shame is seen and laid open its good in thy light to pass that which confounds thee which is past answering so to save thy credit among thy fellows the cause to blush is in thy self and it s brought to thy own door Then thou pleads for the Scripture to be the Rule in opposition to my Question which is not answered which was can there be any surer thing for the Creature to look to to walk to Life or to come to God by then the Light of Christ which every man hath given him c. But thou mayst for shame cease pleading for Scripture rule being thy self art so far contrary to it for he that walks in the Life of the Scripture I have union with him and the Light of Christ is a more surer Testimony either to witness Justification or Condemnation then any mans words without whatsoever then my other Question was whether the Turks Iewes and thee and others do serve sin and lust because Christ hath not given you Light to discover your sins or because you hate that Light that is given and much to this thou speakest not pertinent nor answerest in plainness I leave it to the Reader to judge and to read my answer Page 17. of my first which clears truth from all what thou hast said against it in this particular Now I come to the next thing where thou Foolishly chargest me That my Doctrine is not according to Truth but a Lye Charging me to affirm that which the Apostle doth deny Because I said the Spirit is given to every man though every man receives it not and it strives with the wicked though he follow it not c. My words herein are Truth and no Lye neither contrary to the Scripture â—…nd let the Reader be judge betwixt us the Apostle saith the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal and some of these to whom he writes thus were wicked given to incest and idolatry and other sins here I prove it was given to the wicked and thou confesses the Righteous had it and there is but these two on the face of the Earth Now if thou canst find a man that is neither wicked nor righteous then thou hast advantage then some hath not the manifestation of the Spirit the Saints had the Comforter the Spirit of Truth and he the Spirit of Truth convinced or reproved the World of sin they that were not Saints but wicked had it reproving them Mark these things and let honest men judge while both thou and I am silent whether thy Doctrine which denyes that which the Scripture affirms or miâ—… which bears witness to the same thing which the Scriptures speaks be to be disowned let an equal Line measure the shame and false Doctrine is fallen upon thee and thou art offended that I should say thou bringst other vain Arguments with a vapour saying Neither I nor my fellows are able to answer c. But I say true the Arguments are vain one is The Devils are convinced but have not the Spirit or such like Now what is this to the purpose that thou contendst in that wherein no body strives with thee nor none affirms against thee and it is a vain Argument to parallel the Devil in such a case as having the Spirit but thou art so blind it s hardly possible to let thee see thy ignorance herein I may not much strive with thee onely I le tell thee of those thingâ—… and the sober Reader shall judge to instance a thing impossible to proâ—… things possible are vain Arguments so that I have herein done thee no wroâ—… Then thou cries out of my weakness and that I Blaspheme and of a great 〈◊〉 of ignorance discovered in me and bidst me be silent and falsly charges me with Presumption and such like c. Because I said thus much I leave with thee 〈◊〉 thou
Spirit is given to eveâ—… man this thou hast catched at and wouldst prove it unsound but truth is oâ—… thee and both these are true and further I say that Christ is given unto 〈◊〉 World yea to all but all receives him not and they that do not receive him 〈◊〉 Reprobates though he be given but not received and the folly and figâ—… against truth is in thy self who says it is contrary to the Scriptures to say 〈◊〉 Spirit is given to every one thou here lyest of the Scripture as it s proved 〈◊〉 I do not befool my self in saying the words or some of them I own in 〈◊〉 Book though I have written against the Book for though thou speak Châ—… words and the Apostles words yet thy voice is the strangers and thy 〈◊〉 I deny what ever words thou speakst and is not bafooling my self and 〈◊〉 I could justly end my discourse and what is said is sufficient to manifest thee and me to the honest Reader And thus far thy weapons of Slanders are broken and thy refuge of Lyes are layd waste and this also is cast by as our spoyled prey of Babylâ—â—s treasure and trampled upon and know that we are of God and be that is of God heareth us and to our God shall all bow and before him tremble And whereas thou seemest to be greatly offended and stumbling very much at my answers to thy Queries because thy carnall conceptions is not satisfied nor thy vain minde gratified having as thou thinkst great occasion against me thereby which causes thy mouth to be opened in vapouring words aloft against the simplicity of the Gospel not understanding my words for the things of the Kingdom of God is a parable to thee and sealed from thee never to be known in the reason in which thou judgest But in short thus I Reply I did not purpose to answer fully to them to feed any mans wisdom with my knowledge of the things of Gods Kingdom for the Queries were not fully directed to the Quakers so that quench thy anger and according to my answer go seek a further answer or else be thou still unsatisfied from them who are led with a spirit of delusion for such a direction requires no full answer from me nor any of us who are in the truth and not in the delusion neither did I purpose nor do I at any time to answer fully to such things as are directed in a great part to others I am not a servant especially to them that are led with a spirit of delusion to fufil thy will But yet the short answers that I gave which was not in the behalf of delusion but for the truths sake I still own though thou cannot understand them but products many bad lying wicked consequences from them and my purpose was not to feed thy foolish wisdom in answering nor to satisfie thy reason to receive praise from thee or any man for so I know it must be in hearing and seeing thou must not perceive nor understand who art of the Generation hardened and in parable is the Kingdom of Heaven unto thee and I rejoyce the rather in being a stumbling to thee in that state wherein thou standed then that I should have gratified thee for I seek not nor receives honour from man in what I do but is covered from the Worlds knowledge and know this if thou cannot receive the Kingdom of Heaven as a little leaven thou shalt never know it But yet how wicked art thou in this also though not understanding me in what I said yet so fouly wronging me with above 30. false charges and slanders from my words which thou reaches not the knowledge of so it will be enough Reply to sum up thy Lyes and send them back to thee to seek them out and an evidence for them and the Querys and my Answers shall stand as they are to be judged of by honest men while we are both silent in our own cause they are to be seen at large in my first Book The true faith of the Gospel contended for c. in the 26 27 28 pages And whereas further I speak at the end of my Answers of Christ within the hope of glory and said it is that mystery which long hath been hid from Ages but now is made manifest and declared and though the wise of this World cannot receive it but speaks evil against it yet it is dear unto us and so much more precious because despised by such as him and such things are a testimony to us and against you viz. our Enemies c. As in my 29. Page of my first may be sâ—en and most wickedly this or part of it he calls babling and says he passes by it O horrible impudency What marvel that he should so belye me when as he hath called the very Scripture truth spoken forth in righteousness bablings and these things I leave the Reader to Judge of and all his Lyes thrown upon 〈◊〉 â—â—pudently and consider what ground this man hath from my answers to be seen in my first Book to broach out and belch out such a number of Lyes and Slanders in five sides of paper not any one of them charged against me falsly were spoken by me or ever in my thoughts to speak or ground given by any of my words for such productions as it is seen what lodges in the heart of such a Fellow even desperate wickedness who is without any 〈◊〉 or honesty who dare utter such things against the upright who hates not his Enemies but while I am clear in the sight of God from all his false Slanders I matter not what Iohn Bunion says of me who is as a man given up to wickedness who in less then a sheet of paper hath uttered thirty Lyes or more which I may particularly manifest before he can find evidence a great wickedness 〈◊〉 this mans Converts be good while himself is unconverted is he a Minister of Christ for shame let it not be told so well I beg not vengeance against him he leaves my answers to be read who will clear me from his lying consequences 〈◊〉 wickedly conceived and as wickedly uttered By one of Gogs Army against a Member of Jesus Now I come to reckon up his damnable Doctrines and errors which are contrary to the truth as will manifestly appear to him that is spiritual some of thâ—â— damnable without comparison Iohn Bunion said That Christs second coming is not his coming in Spirit for 〈◊〉 coming in Spirit is no coming He saith this or part of it is a lye made of hiâ— by me when as several Witnesses doth testifie in righteousness that those very words were spoken by him in Pauls steeple-house in Bedford Town Mâ— 23. 1656. as is witnessed and yet this man is so impudent that he deâ—â—â— what he spake or is ashamed of his words and so would cast the Lye upâ—â— me who is clear and the wickedness lies at his door and whereas he
Letter and no Rule of faith and so do we The Papist cryâ—… down our Church and Ministers saith he The Iesuits cryes up free-will and sufficieâ—â— Grace to all and a common sufficient Light to all and so do we saith he The Papiâ—â— extenuate imputed righteousness in setting up inherent righteousness and the Papist plâ—…e most in external abstenances and observances and so do we saith he c. To all this I answer what is truth we hold and maintain in the power of God and may not deny it though the Papists may hold the same in words which seldom they do for we hold the truth for the truths sake and dare not deny the truth though the Devil confess it in words but he hath falsly compared us with the Papists and Jesuites for we do not hold free-will in the creature neither do we extenuate imputed righteousness neither do we place most in external â—bstenances and observances herein Richard Baxter hath belyed us But whâ—… I should measure him by his own rule and should say that the Jesuites and â—…yars are his Leaders Why because the Papists say Christ was born of Mary and did many Miracles and dyed being Crucified of the Iew and was buryed and rose again and so doth Richard Baxter say and all the Presâ—…t â—…ians in England and therefore may we conjecture they do buâ—…sts or open Infidels as he saith concerning us But furâ—… sprinkling Infants is baptizing into the faith of Châ—… be free from sin while they are upon Earth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agaâ—… error and thus doth Richard Baxter and his â—…ny and therefore by his own Arguments he may be judged that the Jesuitâ—…s and â—…yars are 〈◊〉 Leaders and that he prepares people to be Papists but I will not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uncharâ—… 〈◊〉 judge him so by this rule as he hath falsly done us though 〈◊〉 do know in the Light of God there is a greater concurrence in Doctrine and â—…cticeâ—…sation between many of our Accusers and the Papists then there is between Papists and us and the Light of Christ in all Consciences shall answer me in the day of Gods righteous Judgements and the Papists and him we do deny and see them to be of one spirit though differing in appearances and what we are it is by Grace and not of our selves and what we do it is through Christ and not by our selves and to God we appeal for judgement and tramples upon all mens vain conceiving false judgements Lyes and Slanders and turns them back to them again where they were hatched 11. His eleventh Reason He saith Our Doctrine are self-contradictory and therefore they cannot be of God c. Ans. To this I answer This is false our Doctrines do agree in one and are not self-contradictory though falsly he may judge of this as he may judge of other things if he had been in Christs time likely he would have judged his words self-contradictory who said Except you eat my Flesh and drink my Blood you have no Life in you and yet at the same instant of time said The Flesh profiteth nothing with many other such instances as might be brought Why but Ric. Baxter tells you We say all men have a sufficient light within them and goes up down preaching it with great zeal This is no more then the Apostle Iohn did who told the Saints they needed no man to teach them but as the Anointing in them and yet preached unto them and wrote Epistles to them but bid Iohn contradict himself let wise men judge And Iohn said Christ lighteth every man that comes into the World with the true Light and no more then he did do we contradict our seves herein for we follow the same example and we say the Saints have the Anointing in them and needs no man to teach them and yet do we exhort them as the Apostle Iohn did And he asks what do we peach If darkness who would have such Teachers if light what needless labour is this when all men have sufficient light already c. To all this I answer We preach light that all should believe in it and thereby should be lead out of darkness and the light is sufficient being believed in by the Creature but all are not lead by it sufficiently neither doth receive Christ And we may ask him now and say If he preach darkness as it is likely he doth rather then the light because he smites at preaching the light that hath lighted every man that cometh into the World and so in effect denies the Lord that brought him then who would have such a Preacher but if he preach the light and not that Light which doth enlighten every one that cometh into the World which is Christ and is sufficient as it seems by his own words he doth not because he condemns us for it then is he a Minister of Antichrist according to his own confession But whatever he judges we are sent to turn people from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to the power of God and herein we do as the Ministers of Christ did but that we revile the Ministers of Christ as blind Guides as saith he this false is again but such we bear witness against who preacheth for Hire and oppresseth the Common-wealth and are in the steps of the proud Pharisees and all people that follows them are in darkness as the Pharisees were and in the way of Damnation because they are not in the truth who follows not Christ and yet such people are lightened with the light of Christ and that is their Condemnation because they believe not in it and it is sufficient to the Condmnation of all such 12. His twelfth Reason Saith he Consider also how sutable their Doctrine is 〈◊〉 the interest and pleasure both of the Papist and the Devil why saith he they damn all the Ministers and Churches of CHRIST c. To this I answer A lying Tongue is but for a moment though he makes Lyes his refuge yet they shall be sweept away Of the Ministers and Churches of Christ are we and such as are so they we own and are one with them though this man saith otherwise and it doth little appear that our Doctrine is sutable to the interest and pleasure of the Papists for we find them our Enemies and Gods Enemies and bears our witness against them as against the Devil and do say that they are his off-spring and that the Priests of England are their off-spring such as are open Lyars especially But if we should reckon we should find their Doctrine more agreeable to the Papists in many things then ours are as I have instanced concerning sprinkling of Infants and other things but doth it follow that the Papists and we agree because the Papists declare against them out of cruelty and wickednesse and out of a murderous mind to divert people into Idolatry and wicked superstition and we declare against them out of love to peoples souls
that they should not always be deceived and alwayes learning and never able to come to the knowledg of the Truth and hath no other end to our selves God is our witnesse but that people may be converted to the knowledg of God and as I said before though the Papists may hold some truth in words and cry against some sort of people out of a wicked end yet may not we therefore deny the truth as it is in Jesus neither must be silent is declaring against sin and wickednesse and let him say what he will concerting any advantage the Devil reaps by us it will but be the overthrow of his very kingdom Why but saith he If we do but unchurch all the reformed Churches the Papists will give us a fee I say it is a hard thing to unchurch them that never were truly churched and that we seek to unchurch such as are the Churches of Christ this is utterly false and the Papists fee and his reproach we trample upon them both together and let him take the Papists fee as he pleads for it for it was they first that took tythes for a fee and it is he now that strongly pleads for them to be maintained in his Ministry by them 13. His thirteenth Reason Saith he the Doctrine and practice of the Quakers is contrary to the experience and holy nature of the Saints why saith he they have sound a renewed light and life by the Scriptures and Ministry which the Quakers make so light of c. To this I answer this is as false as the rest for with all the Saints that ever were upon earth both in Doctrine and Practice we agree with them and as 〈◊〉 the peoples sakes of England I wish his words were true and that they haâ—… indeed found a renewing light and life by this Ministry but though he may boast of it now in the day of Gods righteous judgments it shall be found otherwise when it shall be tryed that the renewing hath been but in form and appearance from one likenesse to another and not a renewing from death to life and though there hath been sometimes appearing a zeal and a desire after him in the Ministry of England in times past yet from this day hath the Lord forsaken them and such as were sober and sincere in what was made manifest are now become Revilers and Reproachers Slanderers and Persecutors of the People of God and from hence-forth shall they not boast of many being Converted by them from sin unto the way of Righteousness But further he saith We tell the people that their Ministry doth the people no good and none are the better for it If we do we tell them true And though he saith The experiences of many thousands doth confute this yet say I the experiences of ten thousand times so many more shall confirm it It is true there may be thousands like himself which will not stumble to belye their own souls as he hath done of us yet betwixt him and I in this matter God shall be our Judg who hath not sent this Ministry and yet it hath run therefore it doth not nor shall not profit the people at all He saith It is quite contrary to the nature of Saints to damn and reproach the Saints and call them the children of the Devil This is true but it is not contrary to the nature of the Saints to reprove Hypocrites such as profess that which they do not enjoy and speak that which they have not received from the Lord but steal from other mens words such are many of the Teachers of England and it was the way of Christ and his Apostles soundly to reprove such And this is our way and we do not reproach the Saints nor damn them and yet to the wicked which are not Saints we dare not cry peace but do say The wicked and such who forget God shall be turned into Hell And for this David is our example 14. His fourteenth Reason He saith The Quakers are unlikely to be better then other men seeing they are so notoriously proud and thus this pride doth appear Saith he It is the supposed Spirit of God and the extraordinary holiness and inspiration and abilities that they are proud of and saith he They proclaim themselves perfect without sin And this is the pride he chargeth us with c. To which I answer We say that in Christ we are compleat as the Apostles said to the Churches and do not boast of it neither are proud of it more then the Churches were but in the Lord we will glory and in him rejoyce again and again and it is that which we press after and exhort all to press after to be perfect in him who takes away our sins and gives power over the temptations of the Devil And he saith We pretend to know mens hearts Yea we do know that the heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things and by mens words and works we do know their hearts to be evil that acts and speaks wickedness For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh And if we should say we do not know mens hearts that acts and speaks wickedness we should be Lyars but as I said What we are it is by grace in Christ and we boast not of it in the flesh but our glorying is onely in the Lord in Spirit that our names are written in the Book of life And as for our crying against Deceivers which he so much stumbles at it is but the practice of Christ and his Apostles as may be read through the Scriptures and yet we do it not no more then they did in self-exaltation though he would charge us with it 15. His fifteenth Reason Saith he They plainly discover a persecuting spirit Why saith he what man can in reason think but that they run up and down the World to bring Ministry into hatred c. To this I answer Little of this doth appear that our spirits are persecuting spirits for we pray for our Enemies and do forgive them that do evil intreat us and renders to no man evil for evil for if we had sought vengeance or prosecuted the good Laws of England against those that had wronged and robbed us and unjustly caused us to be put in Prison many might have deeply suffered by true Justice before this day if we had not forgiven our Enemies and blessed them that hated us Such hath been the cruelty acted upon us that many might have been arraigned for felony if we had sought the prosecution of the good Laws and not forgiven our Enemies Why but the main thing is because we are moved to go up and down the World and declare against the false Ministers and holding forth that Ministry and truly applying it to many of the Teachers of England But let all the World know this is not from a persecuting spirit not more then Isaiah did it and Micah and the rest of
the Saints and Churches of Christ look upon them that acted those things to be Ministers of Christ but on the contrary declared against them to be Deceivers So that all you People and you professed Ministers that act those things that the false Prophets acted and all you People that love to have it so and give Hire to your Ministers for Preaching and consent unto it none of you are of the Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures because this part of your Practice in Religion is not according but contrary to Scriptures Now substracting all these in these Nations from the whole which practiseth and professeth these things mentioned for Ordinances of God and for his Worship none of you are of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures because these things which you Practice for Religion is not held forth in all the Scriptures by any example or command likewise you are of the greatest number of people in all these Nations and that Practice and Profession of Religion which the greatest number follow and exercise themselves in cannot be the true Christian Religion because the Scripture saith Few are in the straight way that leads to Life to wit in the pure and true Religion but many are in the Broad way that leads to destruction and such that are the greatest number who are in the broad way are not in the Religion in the purity thereof as it is held forth in the Scriptures likewise many of you who Practice those things mentioned for Religion are yet unconverted to God but live in wickedness in the Pride and Vanities and in all the evil of this World in Double-dealing in Drunkenness in Whoredom and in the Works of Darkness therefore you are not of the true Christian Religion neither do your walk with God in Purity and Holiness neither are you changed by Christ into his Image nor are guided by his Spirit neither do you live to God in any thing but to this World in all things and your Religion is manifest not to be according to the Scriptures but contrary And so let all people consider whether or no you must be maintained in your Religion Come forth and plead your cause all ye that are called Presbyterians and Independants and all others stand up and prove if you can your Practice in Religion to be according to Scriptures but seeing no man is able to prove these things mentioned which is practiced by you for Religion to wit Sprinkling of Infants and singing David's experiences in Rhime and Meeter and Worshipping God in set-places as Idol-Temples and preaching for and giving great sums of Money for preaching with other things practiced by you for Religion neither were these things ever commanded in Scriptures neither is there any example for the practise of these things in Scripture by any of the Lords people and therefore you cannot justly own a Title in the Protectors Oath to be maintained and upheld by vertue thereof in these your practises of Religion for it appears he is but bound onely to uphold and maintain that Religion which is according to Scriptures and not them who practiceth those things for Religion which are not according but contrary to the Scriptures Likewise all ye that are called gathered Churches who holds sorth for Doctrine that the Scriptures are the Word by which the World was made and that the Scriptures are the Foundation and that the Scriptures are the Way to Salvation and that the Letter and the Spirit are unseparable and that the Scriptures are both the Writings and the thing fignified and that except a man be Baptized with Water he cannot be saved with such like Doctrines which have been held forth by some professing themselves to be of the Church of Christ all you are manifest not to be of the Christian Religion because those Doctrines are not according but rather contrary to the Scriptures Likewise All ye whose Practice in the Exercise of Religion is but by Imitation from the Scriptures and you are not led by the Spirit of of the Father in what you speak and practice you are not of the true Christian Religion which the Scripture speaks of for the Sons of God and who are of the true Religion are led by the Spirit of God and not by their own Thoughts and Imaginations and the Traditions of men And all that are not led by the Spirit of the Father are not of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures and not any that are such can justly own to be protected in their Religion because it is not according to the Scriptures Likewise All ye that do profess the things of God and Christ and that you are Members of the Church of Christ and profess Righteousness and Truth in words and yet live in Pride and the Vanities of this World and in Unrighteousness and the Customs of the Heathen which are vain and are not cleansed from Unrighteousness nor freed from the Body of sin and death neither do answer your Profession with a Conversation shewing that you are not guided with that Spirit whose words you do profess All you are Hypocrites and live in Hypocrisie none of you are of the true Christian Religion as it is held forth in the Scriptures For the Exercise in true Religion sheweth forth in Life what is prosessed in words Come try your selves and prove your selves all sorts of people for now your Religion is to be try'd what Name soever you go under And all you that practice and profess those things for Religion for which there is neither Command nor President in Scripture your Religion is concluded not to be according to Scriptures and so no Title or Priviledge can any of you justly own of being upheld or maintain'd by the Protector 's Oath But as I have said For sprinkling of Infants and singing of David ' s Experiences in Rhyme and Meeter c. there is neither Command nor President in Scriptures and therefore you that practice those things which I have mention'd for Religion are not of the true Christian Religion which is according to the Scriptures which is to be protected Likewise all ye that persecute by Reproaches or Revilings and Cruelty or that cause the People of God to be persecuted many of you there are in these Nations which profess Religion yet are Envious Persons and Persecutors of the Innocent Hereby it is manifest that you are not of that Religion which is according to Scriptures for the Saints never persecuted any but were themselves persecuted for Righteousness sake so you are not to be protected in such Exercise because it is not according but contrary to the Scriptures for you have no Example from the Saints for professing and practizing Religion and yet persecuting such as are of the true Religion whose Consciences are truly exercised towards God and towards all men Now seeing that it is discovered in part who it is that
them and with a good Conscience they cannot swear but do deny it upon all Conditions because Christ hath commanded not to swear at all and the Apostle doth exhort above all things not to swear and therefore it is a matter of conscience unto many and not a matter of purposed wrong towards any man and though here it may be objected But for want of an Oath a just man may loose his just Cause because Judgment depends upon witness by oath to that I answer that is because the Law is not according to Christ by which the Judgment comes but is unjustly grounded upon the breach of Christs Command viz. swearing and whether ought the man to be blamed or condemned as a Transgressor who keeps Christ's Command and cannot swear at all upon any Tearms or whether that Law ought not to be corrected and regulated to be according to the Law of Christ and all that which is contrary in the execution thereof to be condemned and removed that a just man's witness may be given and taken upon occasion without an Oath and his just cause may go on against his Enemies by just judgment grounded upon the naked truth in plainness testified without swearing this is to be considered and though it be again obiected but many say some makes more Conscience and are more afraid to testify falsly upon Oath then upon bare words without an Oath so to have the truth known wholly that is the end of the Oath to this I answer a man that truly and uprightly fears God will be as much afraid and make as much Conscience of speaking falsly as of swearing falsly and out of a good Conscience will testifie as truly as if he swore and for others who fears to swear falsly and doth not so much fear to speak falsly without Oath this is because there is a greater punishment to such and it is accounted a greater offence among men to swear falsly then to speak falsly and for the correcting of that the punishment and offence should be changed and such as testify falsly without Oath may be accounted Offenders and punished as such who swears falsly and this will bind the wicked in a sufficient fear and cause them to be afraid of testifying falsly even as much as of swearing falsly if the testimony in causes among men of such evil persons who cannot make Conscience of lying nor speak the truth without swearing it ought the rather to be had and to be done by binding by a Law and punishing if he testifie a Lye then by causing him to continue in the breach of Christs command but however still I say such who out of a good and tender Conscience do deny to swear ought not to be persecuted and punished as great Offenders for while this is done the Law and good Government is perverted and authority is greatly abused to another end then wherefore it was ordained of God and that Law and authority must needs be unjust which oppresseth or punisheth the excercise of a good Conscience as for evill doing and this shews the blindness and ignorance of men in authority to whom the Law is committed who discerns not neither makes a difference betwixt things done in the Fear of God and in the excercise of a good Conscience towards him and things done out of an evil minde to evil inteâ—ts purposely and wilfully to do wrong and injury to mens persons and estates for all Magistrates ought to learn this and to distinguish that their power and authority may justifie the one and condemn the other that true justice and sound judgement may spring forth in the Earth and in the Nations that all the Upright and Well-doers may rejoyce and live in rest and peace and all the Workers of Iniquity and such as do Evil may be afraid and fear to offend just men and just Laws and thus would the Name of the Lord be great in the Earth among men and such a Government renowned for ever and such Magistrates would be a praise to Generations after them and a blessed example to Ages to come But now some may say and object how shall this be known and who can tell and discern of such Causes and who it is that do their Works out of the exercise of a good Conscience and who do their Deeds out of an evil Minde and to an evil intent and so is wrong dealing and worthy of punishment this is a doubtful Cause may some say and difficult to be known and understood But to this I answer and say To all such as have the Spirit of the Father and are led thereby and in their Judgement guided therewith this is an easie thing to discern and an easie matter to know and find out and such as cannot discern and distingush in such Matters have not the Spirit of God nor the spirit of true and sound Judgment neither is indeed ordained of God nor fit to judge the People nor the honour of a Ruler and Judge belongs not to such a one who cannot find out a matter nor know and judge between the precious and the vile how to justifie the one and how to condemn the other and indeed this is the reason and cause of so much Injustice and Oppression brought forth at this day because the spirit of sound Judgment is wanting and such as are set to judge hath it not to try and discern and give Judgment by it and therefore Light is put for Darkness and Darkness for Light and good is called Evil and Evil Good and true Justice and Judgment is perverted and turned backward and the guiltless is condemned guilty But I say if the work be done by a man out of a good Conscience and as a matter of Conscience then he doth it in the Fear of God and in the cross to his own will and in meekness and tenderness of heart not seeking himself in what he doth but is willing to suffer for the Truth sake and for what he doth and will not resist Evil or the false Judgments of men but patiently and quietly bears all things for the Lords sake and in all what he doth or suffers he gives the glory to the Lord who works his works in him and gives him strength and patience willing to suffer for them But again I do answer by men that have the spirit of sound Judgment to rule and guide them this cause is easie to be discerned and the difference may be known betwixt a thing done out of a good Conscience and for a good Conscience sake and a thing done out of an evil mind and purpose and to an evil end to the wrong and injury of another for the ground from whence the works do proceed are contrary and the spirit by which the works are wrought are contrary and the purpose and end to which they are wrought are contrary and the spirit of God and of sound Judgment may and doth put a difference betwixt the ground acting and end of
but one the same to day yesterday and forever who is the Foundation of God and abides forever was preached unto you all to be the Way the Truth the Life and Salvation and there is none besides him why then are there Divisions amongst you and some for one and some for another And herein are you carnal and your minds abroad and not'staid upon him which gives the increase and all this is to be judged with the Life of God Wherefore I beseech you in the Fear of the Lord as you love him and his Glory yea as you love your own souls Come to the Light which lets you see all this and condemns it and strive not one with another nor exalt not your selves one above another but let all that be condemned and all your evil Surmisings and foolish Jealousies separate Worshippings Backbitings be brought to Judgment and let condemnation pass upon it all never more to appear to hinder your Fellowship with the Lord and know the Life of God in you all which is but one which is not at strife nor divided and let that arise that all Vails may be taken off and Hardness of heart judged and the Countenance of the Lord may shine upon you when that exalted spirit which has appear'd in some is brought down of which I charge you all to beware lest there be a total departing from the Lord and his Name be reproached through you among the Heathen and it had been better for such they had never been born Therefore I say unto you all lay it to heart till the Judgments of the Lord take it away and purifie your hearts from all these things which ariseth out of that which is not of the Father that my joy may be renewed who have been in travel for you tell Christ be formed in you that he alone may rule in you over all those things which are at enmity against the Life and hinders your growâ—â— And if you yet harden your heart against Reproof who are stubborn well the Lord will ease him of his Adversaries and break you as a Potter's Vessel And though you oppress the Life of God for a moment yet my Peace with him â—â—â—ll these things never take away but over all these things I tread am not offendâ—â— in him who is my Peace forever And though those things cause sadness of heart yet the Lord giveth no cause of Sorrow to them that are faitful to him but will arise to confound all Deceit and Deceitful Workers who err from his Way and count the Knowledge of his Wayes a Burden and of you all though you perish I am clear who am not hated of the Lord though falsly judged by his Enemies over whom I trample as the Dust and the Living God gives Victory over you all I am not of this World E. B. Something of TRUTH Made Manifest In Relation to a Dispute at Draton in the County of Middlesex in the first Moneth last In Opposition to the False Account given of it by one Philip Taverner in his Book stiled The QUAKERS ROUNDS OR A Faithful Account c. FOrasmuch as one who hath I suppose ambitiously stiled himself Mr. Philip Taverner hath taken in hand to set forth to the view of the World an Account and Relation of a Dispute hapning in the eleaventh Moneth last at Draton near Colebrook to which Relation I am a little engaged to write something by way of answer thereunto that all people may know the Truth and being the Truth is somewhat concerned herein that is the Reason wherefore I have taken in hand to write a little by way of answer to his Relation being without any prejudice towards the man as concerning any Wrong he hath done to me though me as well as the Truth he hath wronged as may appear to such who desire to know the Truth It 's true a publique dispute I had the time and place mentioned with a company of Priests and this same Philip Taverner was one of them and the occasion of the Dispute was thus I being a few weeks before at a Meeting with some Friends in the said Town one Richard Goodgroom in his relation mentioned was present at the hearing of what was spoken but at that time did not object any thing though afterwards in London and other places he went up and down in a backbiting manner and gave forth That I had held forth blasphemous Doctrines or the like whereupon I much desir'd a Dispute for the tryal of those things and it was accomplished and that day the Truth was much made manifest and Deceit confounded And as to all the things objected against me by Richard Goodgroom which he would have seemed to have taken great occasion thereby as if some great matter of Heresie and Error had been utter'd by me I say the very Truth of all these things was demonstrated according as I had laid them down and his Arguments against them made of none effect And though such as hardened their Hearts might go unsatisfied and in greater Unbelief then they came yet I am sure the Upright-hearted and such as desired the knowledge of the Truth were wholy satisfied and this many can give Testimony of with me And though by his Relation it may appear otherwise to some yet wherein he hath related falsly it shall fall upon his own head and his Folly shall truly more appear in the End then he would have or seem to cause any in me to appear at this present and so he might with more Credit to himself been silent then to have meddled in that wherein he hath shewed himself so imperfect For I believe That this same Philip Taverner hath given a Relation of four times as much as he did speak at that Meeting and hath related as though he spake that which he never uttered by so many times fo much as I have said and hath not related so much by many times as was spoken by me and them of my part as many may witness Which Work of his seems not to be perfect neither yet altogether honest as sober Men may judge but such a thing must redown more to his own Dishonour then to the Truth 's Disadvantage And first As to the Title of his false Relation which is stiled The Quakers Rounds or A Faithful Account c. To this I answer That the very Frontispiece and Title of his Book savours of a vain light scornful spirit and so every Spiritual Man may judge of it to be so But why dost thou Philip Taverner say A Faithful Account but that to confirm Falshood with audacious words having a shew of Confidence upon it thereby the more easily to enter ento the Hearts of the People as if it were irreprovable coming also from the hand and under the hand of a Mr. Philip c. having so stil'd thy self to make thy Fame great and to publish thy Work under a seeming Authority but hadst thou had more Humility less
any honest man that is Spiritual who hath an Understanding to judge hereof Now I suppose themselves none of them are so ignorant as they will say The Scriptures are that WORD which was in the Beginning and which shall Endure forever But say they the Scriptures are another Word a Declarative Word or such like termes Now when we dispute or contend with any about the Word of God we dispute what that Word is which the Scripture saith is the Word and do deny that Word to be the Scriptures Writings though still we do own the Scriptures a Declaration of that very WORD of GOD and that the Scriptures in any place do call themselves the Word or signifie so much I do deny it and it is left for any of our Opposers to prove it that can if they do I will confess it to be the Word and revoke all that I have spoken to the contrary And as for thy Deductions and Consequences drawn from my words I do deny them for they are not to me but will turn upon thy self for thou sayest A strange kind of Assertion as if nothing of the Mind Will and Counsel of God were declared in the Scripture And whitherto can be the tendency of such giddy Doctrines then to a weakening of the Authority of the Scriptures and begetting Slightings and undervaluing Thoughts and that the effects may be lightly esteeming the Scriptures These and such Deductions hast thou drawn through thy Ignorance from my words from all which I am clear as having no Intent to any such things nor any Intent but to testifie to the Pure Innocent TRUTH And thy Deductions are far more ignorant and impudent then my Assertion is strange and let thy Consequences be what they will from my words the truth of my words will justifie me in the Sight of God and his Saints for I do honour the Scriptures above other Writings and give them the Authority and Esteem and Respect due unto them and more I dare not And some of thy pages I pass over as not worth taking notice of only I do say Thou hast wronged me in not relating so much as was spoken by us by far and in relating more then was spoken by thee or thy Party And the next thing I note is this where R. G. said he would and went about to prove That the Letter is the Word of God but was not nor is ever able to prove and thou hast changed the words of his Argument in thy Relation from what they were as he laid them down in the Dispute from called to owned for thus his words were laid down at that time said he That which Christ and the Apostles called the Word of God is indeed the Word of God but Christ and the Apostles called the Scriptures the Word of God Ergo. Now I denied and do yet that it can be proved That ever Christ and the Apostles called the Scriptures the WORD of GOD and neither do thy Proofs now nor his then of the minor Proposition prove That the Scriptures viz. the Writing were ever called the Word although it be true that the Pharisees made the Word of God of no Authority by their Traditions But that Scripture doth not say That the Letter is the Word which thing he was to prove or else he said nothing to the purpose And as to the other Scripture 1 Thes. 1. 13. that will not prove that the Apostle called the Letter the Word for it was the Gospel which they received as the Word of God and not the Letter The Gospel is the Word of God not denied by me but sealed unto but the Gospel is not the Letter and Writings but the Gospel is the Thing written of and that is it which the Apostle means to be the Word of God for that is the Word which he preached to the Thessalonians and which they received And so thy Arguments and Proof of thy minor Position is deny'd and so the major Position falls to the Ground And by this nor any other Argument can all you Priests of England prove the Letter of the Scriptures to be the Word of God which thing R. G. took in hand to prove but could not and would have cry'd against it in me as a great deal of Heresie for denying it but Error is fallen upon his own Head The next thing I note is in pag. 13. where thou wouldst seem to cover over R. G. thou sayest his words were not That I had the thing signified in my hand when I had the Bible but that I had that which declares of it Now to justifie him in Evil thou hast wronged me and the Truth for he did say when I held up my Bible I had in my hand the thing herein signified upon this very Occasion I holding up my Bible in my hand and saying to this very effect That in my hand I had the thing which did signifie in words of such and such things but I had not the thing signified And Richard Goodgrom made answer and said But I had the Thing signified and this some can witness Whereupon I made answer and said If it be so that I have the Thing signified in my hand then I have God and Christ and the Spirit and Heaven and Hell and Men and Beasts and all things that herein are written of and then he saw the Folly of his own Ignorance I perceive And much more might be related as upon this Subject which was said on both Parties which I desire not much to recollect only what I have said I can certainly remember and can justifie it And I must confess that Philip Taverner hath done pretty fairly though in some things he hath not done so And no was to the next thing charged against me in the Relation being placed the second though it is the third That evil Motions not consented to were not sin In the first private Meeting I remember my words were laid down thus and so I own'd them in the Dispute That Temptations or Motions unto evil are not sin to any man who doth not consent and obey to serve Temptations or evil Motions and they are not sin to the man except they be consented to by the man and this was proved in the Example of Christ who was tempted of the Devil and had motions to do evil yet did not consent nor commit sin for he resisted and overcame the Tempter and so the Devil's Motions and Temptations which were sin in themselves yet they were not sin to Him And this Proof then they could not deny neither can any sober or upright Man And so in the Dispute the thing was put to a farther Question thus But are not those Motions which arise out of a Man 's own Heart Sin except they be consented to To which I was willing to speak something and to own the very TRUTH and to justifie that there is a State wherein Evil Motions may rise out of a Man 's own Heart which are
poor man Must I be judged upon thy own meaning nay or must thy interpretation be the judge upon my words We have no such law my words stand true as I have laid them down to be received by such as are Spiritual and such as love to raise constructions falsly where there is no just ground their judgment I do deny and Charity will teach P. T. to judge upon the best sence and so let him own my words as truth and judge himself for his false construction of true and upright words onely this I take notice of saith P. T. A perfect Conformity to the Law of God in our own Persons though not wrought in our own strength but in the Strength and Power of Grace the Spirit working all in us and for us is no other then the Righteousness of the Law I need not much strive to confound this black Doctrine by many Arguments or multitude of words for the thing as laid down in his own words is vile and abominable to the understanding of any spiritual man for say I if it be the Spirit working in us and for us not in our own strength then is it God that worketh in us both to will and to do and the fulfilling of the Righteousness of the Law in us and not the Righteousness of the Law wrought by us and if it be in the strength and power of Grace and not in our own strength then it is the work of Christ in us and the Work of God's own Righteousness in us and any man that knows the least of God in Truth will witness to this and against his imagined Doctrine held forth by P. T. I might demand a Proof of him from Scripture where it is said or signified That the working of the Spirit all in us and for us and the working of the power of Grace in the Creature is reckoned to be our own righteousness the Righteousness of the Law and my words stand true from which he draws his false Consequences and layes down his dark Assertions and my own words I do own which are Such as are taught by Christ and guided by him in all the Wayes of Righteousness are justified by him and none else not in any word or work whatsoever but in what they are led to fulfil by him and in these words there is neither Contradiction nor unsoundness though he hath ignorantly charged them with both but the words shall stand for a Testimony against him and all his false deductions and he and all shall know That God justifies the Righteous and condemns the Wicked and that it is the New Man that is justified and not the Old And let Righteous Men judge what can be in such a mans heart who can draw so bad Consequences from such upright words But further he goes on and hath transcribed more of my words as Christ Iesus the Son of God is the Light and Life of the World and hath enlightned all mankind that cometh into the World with the true Light c. now saith he How do these agree with man's State in the first Adam In transgression is a State of perfect Enmity and Death reigns in every man and he is possessed with blindness and unbelief c. I say these do very well agree and they are both true for Death reigns in every man and he is in Unbelief and Ignorance and in a State of perfect Enmity against God as he is in the first Adam yet Christ hath lightned him and the Light of Christ shines in Darkness in him and the Darkness comprehends it not and he is enlightned that he may be changed from Death to Life and from Ignorance to Knowledge and though he walk in Darkness and is in Blindness and in a State of Enmity it is because he does not walk and believe in the Light which Christ hath lightned him withal and in my words there is no disagrement nor contradiction the Darkness is in his own Mind who cannot comprehend the Light nor the words that proceed from it Further he questions upon my words of having the Witness in themselves of being restored again First whether none are restored again but such as have the Witness in themselves I answer all that are restored again and do believe hath the Witness in themselves and none do believe nor are restored but they have the Witness of it Secondly he queries whether all are restored but some want the Witness in themselves I answer All are not restored nor do believe and such want the Witness in themselves that are not restored to God but them that are restored want it not And again he queries whether the Light which is in all is sufficient without any thing of further Grace superadded to bring up every Man to believe in Christ c I answer The Light which every man is lightned withal by Christ is sufficient to bring up every man to believe in Christ that loves the Light and walks in it and unto such is Grace added and increased daily for as every man improves the Measure of the Gift of God so it is increased the Light is increased Grace is increased Faith is increased but still the Light of Christ in it self is sufficient Again from my words to wit The Spirit is given to be the Guide and Rule of Life to the Children of God from whence he queries whether the Spirit is so given to be a Guide and Rule of Life to the Saints that they have no more need to attend upon the Scriptures I answer It is promised that the Spirit shall lead into all Truth and such do own the Scriptures but not as their Teacher for the Anointing dwells in them and they need no man to teach them but as that Anointing teacheth all things and they have no need of the the Scripture to teach them for all the Children of God are taught of God and need not any other Teacher nor need not to say one to another know the Lord and yet all such do own the Scriptures to be the Testimony of that which they believe and have received Again from my words to wit The Light of Christ in every one shall give testimony to the truth of what I speak unto which I do commend my self from this he queries can these be Witnesses to me and of the Truth in me who are ignorant of the Life and Power of the Creator c. who are following the counsel of their own hearts which are evil c I answer Yes the Light of Christ in such shall judge one day and to it I commend my self and by it one day shall be approved though now the Wicked hate the Light yet doth it witness against them and for us that we are of God though its true they cannot judge between Light and Darkness between Truth and Error yet the Light in them which shines in their darkness does judge and put a difference and when the Book of Conscience is opened it
made clean unto this were they nourished and brought up out of Darkness and from under the shaddow of Death But notwithstanding this the Christians now have rebell'd against the Lord and do rebel against him And though the Lord hath been unto them as an Owner to the Ox and as a Crib to the Ass even as thus hath the Lord been unto the Christians yet they know it not neither do the Christians consider but are indeed grown sinful and laden with Iniquity and the feed of Evil-doers brings sorth its fruit through Christians being become children that are Corrupters having forsaken the Lord and his Way which was made mantfest in the dayes of the Apostles and the Lord is greatly provoked for the Christians are gone backward from what they were in their beginning as I have fully made manifest And this Vision of the Lord is unto you all ye Christians even as a 〈◊〉 that is of the most precious Seed and the most noble Vine that is planted in a good Sâ—…â—…at is digged and dressed and grown to a goodly stature and bringing â—…th some acceptable Fruit unto the good Husbandman for a season yet this Tree becomes blasted by an unwholesome Air and becomes degenerate from its vertue and property and nature and becomes a wild Vine and a Plaâ—… of great Disgrace ceasing to bring forth any good Fruit and becomes fruitful iâ— all evil and the Labour of the good Husbandman is lost for while he looâ— for good Fruit nothing appears but Fruit of an evil Taste which is altogether loathsome unto the good Husbandman This Parable is unto you Christians and this is your state and your condition Therefore behold What shall the Lord do unto this Tree Shall he nor cut it down to the ground and call it into the purging Fire Shall he not lay his Ax to the Root and cause all its Branches utterly to wither and cause it to cease in beeing even as it hath ceased in bringing forth Fruit Shall not the goâ—… Husbandman destroy this 〈◊〉 with all its corrupt fruit And shall not his own Hand accomplish the Purpose of his own Heart This Tree shall be Fuel for this Fire of his Anger he will pluck it up and not plant it again because it is degenerated Give ear all ye Christians to the Testimony which is concerning you You are fallen you are fallen and being compared to what the Christians were you are in 〈◊〉 equal but are diverted in all your Practices from that Spirit which led the Apostles 〈◊〉 Christian Churches and your works shew another Spirit then the Spirit of Iesus Wherefore great is your Fall and to be lamented and though you have the name of Christians yet you want the Life An Objection But whereas it may be objected by some and said Seeing the State of Christianity is thus descovered what it was in its beginning and purity and what it now is in its degeneration and seeing the present State of Christians is thus condemned what do I believe concerning the state of Christianity to come What shall succeed this present Degeneration And may it be expected that ever Christianity shall be restor'd to that state of Purity as it was in its beginning And whether may people expect to come into the same Life again and to know the same power and Worship and Unity which was amongst the Apostles and first Christian Churches And whether do I judge that ever the Ministry can again be receiv'd by the Gift of the holy Spirit only without natural Learning and Languages And whether the same Spirit is to be waited for and receiv'd And whether the same Anointing can be known in this Age or any Age to come as it was in and among the Apostles and Christians before the Apostacy and Degeneration Answ. To all this I answer and do say That the present state of Christianity is woful and to be condemned of the Lord as being degenerated from his Life Power and Spirit whereby all hearts are darkened and all minds estranged from the Covenant of Life and Peace and from the sence and feeling of the Life of God and now in all the Wayes and Worships and Practices of Christians they are fallen and degenerated from that Life in which the Christians once were and the Beast hath raigned over all for many Ages and because of his Power and Greatness and Dominion who hath been able to make war with him he hath killed the Saints and hath subjected all Nations under his power and every Nation hath received the Mark of the Beast and born his Image for Generations and all Flesh hath stagger'd and hath been made drunk with the cup of Fornication that hath been in the hand of the Whore who hath sate upon this Beast who hath caused both small and great to worship him and all that would not he hath had power to kill them And this Government hath ruled over the whole Christendom and the Worship practiced hath been but the Worship of the Beast while people have been err'd from the Spirit of Christ and not guided by it only And people have been compelled to Worship by Laws of Men they have been compelled to sprinkle their Infant and they have been compelled to go to Steeple-houses and compelled to keep a Sabboth and compelled to hire Priests and to pay them Wages against their wills And all this compelling by an outward Power hath not been the Worship of God but savour'd altogether of the Worship of the Beast for you may read Rev. 13. 12 15 16 17. how the Beast caused all both Small and Great to worship him and all that would not worship him by his power he hath had power to kill them And all compelling and causing to worship by an outward Power is the worship of the Beast for Christ nor his Apostles never caused any to worship God by an outward power For while Christianity kept its Purity and Authority they begot People to God and to worship him by the Word of God and by the power of the Spirit and they did not bring any into their Sect nor to worship with them by an outward Law and Authority for that is in the Government of the Beast it was he that first caused both small and great to conform to his worship and it is his power that upholds it and maintains it unto this day But now the Seed of God is arising which is able to make war with the Beast and his Kingdom and his Worship shall be thrown down to the ground and all this causing and compelling to Worship causing to keep a Day and causing to hire Teachers to maintain them and this causing to go to Steeple-houses and to maintain them and all this causing to pay Tythes it shall fall to the ground and be beat down by the Seed of God which is arising and they shall be no more found among true Christians nor the Beast shall not be worshipped nor his Authority any more of
meant not Ours by enjoyment but Ours 〈…〉 the Prophet speaks when 〈…〉 Righteousness that Christ works in us by his Spirit and the Power of his 〈◊〉 is Ours by enjoyment in the second Adam as the Gift of God to us but 〈…〉 in the first Adam in the Righteousness of the Law in the 〈…〉 and that was the strength of my Query where that Righteousness 〈…〉 us by the Spirit and Strength of Christ and not in our own is called our â—â—â—â—teousness ours as in the first Adam But I see thou hast not understood 〈…〉 of my Query for weakness of Understanding and then how should 〈◊〉 rightly answer it Also I Queried How Christ working Righteousness in us by the Power of 〈◊〉 not by our own strength can be called the Righteousness of the Law 〈…〉 Now I meant the Righteousness of the Law in the Flesh and not 〈◊〉 Spirit I know the working of Christ 〈◊〉 in us to will and 〈◊〉 do by 〈…〉 and Strength and power of Grace is the fulfilling the Righteouâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 the Law 〈◊〉 Christ in us but it is not the Righteousness of the Law in the 〈…〉 But to this thou hast not answered 〈…〉 conceiving and not the innocency of my Queries And whereas he stumbles and is offended because I said No 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 in any word or work but what they are led unto by the Spirit and those Words 〈◊〉 the Spirit leads unto 〈…〉 no other words or works And from 〈◊〉 would falsly 〈…〉 Iâ—â—â—ification by Works and by something 〈…〉 I say No 〈…〉 shall no Flesh living be justified 〈…〉 that moveth and leadeth 〈…〉 and Works of Truth and Righteousâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 Words and Works which he is 〈…〉 and this is not 〈…〉 Apostle's words which he seem◠〈…〉 against me 〈…〉 While we were sinners Christ dyed for us 〈…〉 justified by his Blood â—… This is not 〈◊〉 what I say for we do 〈◊〉 the Blood of Iesus to justifie but yet not 〈◊〉 are not cleansed by it and 〈◊〉 by the Spirit into all Truth but it is 〈◊〉 are justified only who are led into all Truth by his Spirit such are 〈◊〉 by his Blood in the Spirit and 〈◊〉 from Wâ—â—â—â— who are born of the 〈◊〉 Word but they 〈…〉 are not justified nor saved â—… Then he Querieth Whether I 〈◊〉 Pardon of Sin out of Doors 〈◊〉 I answer No for they that are 〈◊〉 into all Truth by the Spirit 〈…〉 are pardoned and forgiven and 〈◊〉 no more but blotted 〈…〉 cannot be read for they are â—leased from it and commit noâ— sin Then he asketh Whether 〈…〉 Causes of Iustification the one â—… Reâ— I say 〈…〉 and the Work of Righteousness is in God 〈◊〉 free Love and Mâ—â—â—â— which is ovâ—◠〈…〉 Works and they receive the 〈◊〉 of it and the Gift of it that are led by the Spirit as the Effect thereof 〈◊〉 none else Though he asketh Whether Forgiveness of Sin hath its rice from 〈◊〉 Christ worketh in us or from what Christ hath done and suffered for us I say 〈◊〉 soever Christ hath done and suffered with 〈…〉 while man hath not receâ—â—â—â— Christ nor the Work of Christ in him but remains in the first Adam in Traâ—â—gression the true Work and Ground of Iustification he knows not nor 〈◊〉 not neither knows the Mediator-ship between God and him Then 〈◊〉 the conclusion of this matter P.T. saith 〈◊〉 for to â—â—ow E.B. 〈◊〉 the Truth are not so 〈…〉 forsake 〈◊〉 c. Rep. Hold Friend come back again What 〈◊〉 thou proved yet any thing against me save that I hold the Tâ—â—â—â— Thou hast 〈◊〉 a Coâ—â—â—â—sion too soon without sound Evidence and thou 〈◊〉 not be Iudge in thy own Cause neither hast thou prov'd me and the Truth to disagree 〈…〉 may judge It appears thou art the man that seemest to be Righteous in thy own eye 〈◊〉 none falsly herein for who can clear themselves from the Guilt of it of that Generation if any I condemn them not but can P. T. do it ask his Neighbours Hath not he sums of Money by the Year Tythes or other Wages for preaching try him a little give him nothing for a Year or two and then if he preach to you and never complain for want of Wages and Money then I 〈◊〉 believe he is clear and then he may better boast than he can now And as for 〈◊〉 vers of that function in that Country they have casâ— men into Prison where they yet lie and taken suit of them at Law and taken their Goods because some could not for Conscience sake give you Hire and Tythes and Money and 〈◊〉 â—hese free or guilty of my Charge let the Lord judge and all his Saints He saith He doth not plead for all who go under the name of Ministers in England he fears there is many of them no better then Wolves in Sâ—â—ep's Clothing â—â—c Then why doth he not come out and cry against them but remain â—â—â—â—â—gst them 〈◊〉 their Practice For wherein can he clear himself of anyone thing which they are guilty of which he confesses are Wolves in Sheep's Clothing Was not his Call the same 〈◊〉 theirs â—â—d is not his Practice in Ministry and Maintenance genâ—rally the same with theirs If he hath ought to say to clear himself we will answer further 〈◊〉 otherâ—ise all men shall Judge That while he accuseth some of England's Ministers to be VVolves in Sheep's Clothing himself is found also guilty except I say he can make appear a perfect difference between â—his Call Practice and Maintenance and theirs which he is never able to do or to justifie that he is not of the same nature and by the same spirit but contrary to theirs that he accuses and 〈◊〉 to be â—â—lves in Shâ—â—â—â— Clothing and I have as much groâ—â—â— to suspect him to be one of the Wolves in Sheeps Clothing as he has ground to suspect his own Companions and 〈◊〉 to be such And in that he saith 〈◊〉 of the Quakers have been found guilty of Blasphemy and that some of them are found vain light Personâ— or â—eady and high-minded Rep. He doth here secretly charge and prove nothing for Blasphemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come out of and have deny'd all lightness after the Flesh and High-mi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and if any such come among us they are deny'd and are not of us till 〈◊〉 be converted to God and turned from all evil But this his secret charge against others is but that himself may seem clâ—â— Then he asks Are all guilty of preaching for Hire and divining for 〈◊〉 and â—â—ds me Not condemn the Generation of the Righteous and then â—â—nfesses 〈◊〉 take that 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that which they have given by Persons and justifies it and saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Preaching for Hire c. pag. 19. of his last Râ—p All that I 〈◊〉 to be guilty are so for I charge not the 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 the Country People ask them how many of their Teachers are 〈◊〉 and have not Money
bring People to your Way and Worship and Religion upon these Ingagements and by the Authority of the Almighty I lay it upon you to answer and for you to return your knowledge and opinions to the Particulars following which I am moved by the Lord to query and demand of you that your Doctrines Practises and Worships and whole Religion in every part thereof may be viewed and examined and measured according to the Saints and Apostles writings and may thereby be cleared or otherwise reproved and condemned And if your Profession and Practises in Religion be sprung from the true Grounds and true Spirit and your Church be indeed the true Church that can prove her pedigree truly descended from the Church of Christ before the Apostacy and clear her self from all degeneration in every degree and that she is perfect in the faith and worship and practises of the holy Church and Apostles of old then shall all that love God and fear him and hopes for life eternal separate themselves from all Sects and Apostates separated from you and come in and return again to you as to a faithful Mother and joyn with you in all things and add themselves to your Church only and renounce and deny all the contrary that is not of you and so shall your names and honour be increased through all the Earth But and if after lawful trial and just examination and searching out the matter it be proved against you that you are degenerated from what the true Church and Apostles were and are not builded upon Christ the true Rock and Foundation but diverted from the Power Life and Spirit and true Religion which the Apostles were in and that your Church is not the true Church but a false Sect and your original cannot be fetch'd from the Apostles but is of a latter and more corrupted Race then shall you deny all your Religion and Church and renounce your Profession and Practises and come to them and joyn with them that can prove their Church to be the true Church and can fetch their original from the Spirit of the Apostles and that is builded upon Christ the everlasting Foundation whoever this shall be proved to be wherefore appear and come forth to trial upon this condition joyn issue with us and answer these things in plainness and let us know your Judgements that a return you may reâ—â—ive First Whether you are indeed the only true Church of Christ his Body of 〈◊〉 Fleâ—â— and of his Bones called and gathered and united by the eterâ—… Spirit of Jesus perfect in the Faith of Christ perfect in Doctrine and perfect is â—…ip as were the Churches of Christ in the dayes of the Apostles and 〈◊〉 the Eternal Spirit dwell in every particular Member of your Church and doth lead each one of you into all Truth insomuch that you need now no 〈…〉 teach any one of you but as that same Spirit that dwells in you answer 〈◊〉 â—…inly yea oâ— nay 2. â—…ther are you not in any particular of your Faith Doctrines Praâ—… Worships in any degree degenerated nor deviated from what the 〈◊〉 â—…ne Practice and Worship were that the true Church was in in 〈…〉 the Apostles And whether will you admit of tryal in all things you pâ—… and practice by the Scriptures the Writings of the Saints yea or â—y 3. Wâ—…ther your Church of Rome doth receive the pouring-down of the Spirit upon Sons and Daughters immediately and every Member receive the Holy â—…st and is â—â—lled therewith and baptized therewith as in the true Câ—… Acts z. Anâ— whether you have received the Holy Ghost and Eveâ—… Comforter immediately as did the true Church iâ— the dayes of the Apostâ—… Answer me these things in the Truth of your Hearts that you may be own'â—… 〈◊〉 denyed 4. Wâ—…er the Faith you profess hath perfectly purified your hearts from all 〈◊〉 and hath given you Victory over the World that now the body of sin is 〈◊〉 and you are free from sin and do not commit sin but are every Memâ—… 〈◊〉 you without Spot and Wrinkle and cleansed from all Unrighteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Servants of Righteousness and not of Sin and whether you believe 〈◊〉 Condition to be attainable in this life upon Earth and to be enjoyed and â—…d for yea or nay 5. What is your ground of sprinkling Infants with Water and whether he thâ—â—â—…st instituted it had the Gift of the Eternal Spirit and was led thereby for we know it was first ordain'd at Rome in your Church and all the Protestants received it from you who are not able to give us a sufficient Reason thereof but we are not satisfied therein therefore tell us Whether are people thereby made Meâ—…rs of the Body of Christ and baptized into his true Church and is it a perfect Seal and Sign of the new Birth and Regeneration as is professed and doth that give all Children that are sprinkled a Right to the Kingdom of God and to be Members of the Church of Christ and satisfie us plainly Is the sprinkling of an Infant never having heard the Gospel but while unconverted and â—â—thanged in Nature the true Baptism into the true Faith of Christ as it is professed answer me plainly yea or nay 6. Whether the Body and Blood of Christ that is Meat indeed and Drink indeed be carnal and visible things to be seen felt and known visibly and carnally and whether Bread and Wine that is Mortal and will corrupt be the very Body and the very Blood of Christ Jesus and whether Christ hath any other Body and Blood to be known in any other way or manner then what is professed to be visibly and carnally known by you and is that Bread after Consecration the very Express Image of the Father and was with the Fatheâ— before the World began else it is not the Body of Christ answer me plainly 7. Again We are not satisfied concerning your Burning and Torturing and Imprisoning in cruel Inquisitions and Goals such as dissent from you and cannot believe in your Church which ye call Hereticks whether is not this done by your Church or any Member thereof and do you justifie the doing of it by the Authority of your Church and we demand of you to give us Example for such Practices in Scripture ever Practised by the Apostles or true Church or any Member thereof to Burn or Kill or Imprisâ—â— such as would not own them or were Hereticks otherwise we must coâ—… it and judge you eternally for it And whether such Practices done a◠〈◊〉 and in her Dominions be not Murder and Cruelty and Tyranny 〈◊〉 shedding of Innocent Blood and of the Devil the Wicked One 〈◊〉 me plainly and satisfie us herein that we may know how to deal with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 controversie 8. Again We are not satisfied concerning the abundance of 〈◊〉 of the Saints set up and bowed to amongst you and your praying 〈◊〉 them and to the Saints and by Beads and in Set-Forms such thâ—…
Joy and Pleasure of this World and in your Exercise spiritual and temporal the spirit that is of this World doth lead you and guide you the spirit of Unrighteousness that leadeth contrary to him and can you be otherwayes deceived or more deceived For you are without God already and want his Peace and the Inheritance of Life Eternal that is in him you want the possession thereof and you are following dead Idols and Vanities which steal away your minds whereby it is manifest that you are deceived For all people upon Earth that are not led by the Spirit into all Truth that have not received the Promise of the Father they are all deceived and cannot be more deceived then they are And so is the Cry in general among people if any one forsake and deny their way of Worship and Religion and Profession be it of what manner or nature soever presently there is a Cry chiefly by the Priests Take heed you be not deceived and you are in Heresie and Error and such like Thus have the Papists cryed against them that have dissented from them and the Prelates cry'd the same and now yoâ— cry the same to them that dissent from you But your Zeal is not so much against Heresie and Error simply so as it is to have your own Sect and Worship upheld and against them that do dissent from you and it hath been Antichrists way since the Apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles to cry Heresie and Error and you are deceived to all that did decline and dissent from him for you may read in the Scriptures Power was given to the Beast to compel all to worship him and all that would not he made War against and had power to kill them and 〈…〉 have the Papistâ— done 〈…〉 against 〈…〉 that denyed their church 〈…〉 the Prâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your cry 〈◊〉 Heresie and Error 〈…〉 deceived who do 〈…〉 church and your ministry and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have you learned â—f your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 church 〈…〉 â—…se all sorts of people â—… That 〈…〉 〈◊〉 and that 〈◊〉 arâ— is 〈…〉 and see how your selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit of Unrighteoâ—sness â—…ness and Ignorance and a Cloud of Error is over you and 〈◊〉 â—… and the Son of God who is â—…ring now in Majesty and Renoâ—… to 〈…〉 Name over all the Earth and Antichrist's way you have been in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have all to how under his power unto his worship But noâ—… eyes of 〈…〉 are opened and Life and Rigâ—…ness and Truth it self 〈…〉 â—…ung 〈…〉 â—…he Clouds of Dâ—…ness and 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Unknown God and him you ignorantly worship afâ—… of men 〈◊〉 not afâ—… 〈◊〉 Comâ—…s of God 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of the Fore-fathers is seated in you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Witness and â—… and quencheth the Spirit your old 〈◊〉 Traditiâ—… and 〈…〉 your Exercise therein 〈◊〉 thaâ— part which iâ— carnal and 〈◊〉 〈…〉 others and your Worship which is out of the Spirit of God 〈…〉 Spirit of God in others to 〈◊〉 â—ny truly to the Living 〈…〉 〈…〉 will destroy your Worship and confound it and no more is tâ—… 〈…〉 â—…shipped iâ— Stâ—â—ple-Houses they are left desolate of God's Preâ—… 〈◊〉 more in Dayes and Tiâ—es and Things but they that worshâ—… 〈…〉 〈◊〉 in the Spirit changed by it and led by it into the Truth So 〈…〉 doth open your Eyes you will see the Worship of God to be 〈…〉 thing then you suppose it you cannot be educated naturally in the Worship of God nor learn it by Traditions for it stands only in the Spirit and is taught by the Spirit unto all them that are born of the Spirit and who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be born of that are the true Worshippers of God in which the Father is well pleased And as for your Worship in Steeple-Houses God hath no Delight in he â—…th it not but it is an Abomination to him it is not pleasing to him beâ—…e you be out of his Spirit and worship after your own Traditions 〈…〉 after his Spirit And this worship hath stood all this long time of Anâ—… while the Whore and the Beast hath ruled over Nations and so one Tradition after another hath been brought in and one false Worship hath risen out of another and what people have had it hath been by Tradition and not from the immediate Spirit of God and so the True God hath not been woâ—…d in his Spirit And now all the World have been pleading for theâ—â— Traditions and they be in respect above the Commandments of God among ye that worship in Steeple-houses you are even mad against them that 〈…〉 â—…inst the Steeple-houses and plead the Antiquity of your Worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your Traditions and Ordinances now they are ancient even as anciâ—…â—s since the false Prophets and Antichrist came in and did put on the Shâ—… Clothing but inwardly ravening Wolves these killed the Life and slew the Prophets and they set up Inventions of their own and your Traditioâ—… and Worships are as ancient as since power was given to the Beast over Kindreds and Peoples and the Lord God is bringing down your Worship the Original of which came up when Antichrist went out into the World as you may read in Iohn's Epistle and so you may plead Antiquity yet not as ancient as the True Church is for when the truâ— Churches were apostatized then came up your Worship and your many Traditions and this hath been while the Woman hath been fled into the Wilderness and the Man-child caught up to God which when the Woman returns again your worship ordinance will be over-thrown and the True Worship again established and Liberty but first you must know the Spirit to teach you before you can worship in it and the Spirit must purifie your Hearts and make them 〈◊〉 before you can offer to God an acceptable Sacrifice for your Sacrifices are not acceptable but they are stained and polluted in the fight of the Lord who 〈◊〉 hath beheld what you are a doing and you are in that which his Soul hath no Pleasure in and in the Day of your â—…ation the Witness in your Consciences shall answer it so you are to know God by his Spirit before you can worship him the Word of the Lord must be 〈◊〉 in your Hâ—â—rtâ— as a 〈◊〉 as a Hamâ—… and 〈◊〉 muâ—â— be crâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aâ—d have 〈…〉 Spirit â—…ore ye can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So all you false Worshippers you are called that you may return and may come into the True Worship which is in tâ—â— Commandment of God and not the Traditions of 〈◊〉 and in that Law written in the Hearâ— is God knownâ— who worketh man's Salvation 〈◊〉 which leadeth in the true and perfect Worship of the True and Living God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord 〈…〉 all in aâ—… Thâ—…efâ—… retuâ—… Why wiâ—… yoâ—…ye aâ—â— perish 〈◊〉 your 〈…〉 A 〈…〉 â—…n is taâ—â—n uâ—â—… Oâ—… why 〈◊〉 you â—â—rish â—…ough 〈…〉 yoâ—◠〈◊〉 Sâ—… tiâ—… Câ—… into the Spâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Truth that you may â—…ship
let but reasonâ—…â—en peruse the Scriptures mention'd by thee and see if there be such a thing 〈◊〉 them as held forth by thee That the New Man the Spirit or Law of the Miâ—â— is called Imperfect Sanctifiation which thou hast asserted and cited those Teâ—… to prove it but as to the thing it self I have answered before only this is to 〈◊〉 thy manner of perverting Scriptures which is the work of the evil spirit in thee and not the Work of the Spirit of God And thus I have examin'd some part of thy Principles of Religion which thâ—â— hast put forth into the world for others to learn and the Error and Falsness of them is laid open and how contrary to Scriptures they are and in haste 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were I have passed over it not willing to rake into things which gave no just occasion against Truth but have only confuted a few of thy many particulars which had I narrowly sought into other things much Unsoundness would have been discovered but what I have said is truly sufficient to discover unto 〈◊〉 persons the Error of thy Judgment and of thy Principles and Practices and 〈◊〉 thy whole Religion And before ever thou be a true Instructor of others in 〈◊〉 Way thou must first repent and believe â—nd learn the Way thy self which yet thou art ignorant of for thou hast shewed no Knowledge but what is senâ—… and devilish and from below and meerly carnal and natural and meeting wiâ—â— thy Book and enquiring what the Author was I was engaged to say something to it by way of answer and to lay it to the Line of Judgment according to the Scriptures and it hath proved very guilty of Error and perverting Scriptures The 21th of the 3d Mâ—â—eth 1659 By a Lover of thy Soul and a Sâ—eker of the Good and Peace of all men Edw. Burroughs A MESSAGE To all Kings and Rulers IN CHRISTENDOM To all called Christian Kings and Princes and to all the Parliaments and Rulers and Governours of every Degree throughout the whole Christian World A CALL unto you all by a Servant of the LORD in the Name of the Lord God Dreadful and Mighty and the Highest Power over all the World That ye take off Oppression and relieve the Oppressed and cease to grinde the Face of the Poor and from drinking the Whore's Cup and from carrying of her and from all Oppressions whatsoever lest the Lord God Almighty execute 〈◊〉 fierce Indignation upon you if ye will not turn at his Reproof 〈◊〉 hearke◠〈◊〉 his Voice when he calleth unto you FOrasmuch as it hath come to pass in the World for many Ages smâ—â— the last Glorious Appearance of Christ Jesus and the Light of his Glorious Gospel through his Servants the holy Apostles That Antichrist that Man of Sin the Enemy of Christ and his Kingdom hath ruled in the Hearts of people and throughout over the Christian World and he has been exalted within and without ever since the falling away from the true Faith which once was delivered to the Apostles and true Churches and he hath shewed himself to be God and hath sitten in the Seat of God and hath exercised Lordship over the Persons and Consciences of Men throughout Generations ever since the falling away from the Faith For the True Church the Elected Spouse the Lamb's Wife which once brought forth him that was to rule the Nations and was clothed with the Sun and had once great Beauty and Excellency hath been fled into the Wilderness and hath been desolate as without Husband and Issue but hath remained in her place prepared her of God where she hath dwelt in Mourning and been fed with the Bread of Sorrow being pursued thither by the Dragon and his Floods of Cruelty who also waited to devour the Man-child when he was born and the Martyrs Blood hath been shed and the holy Prophets and Apostles and Saints have been made War against and killed and persecuted for Righteouâ—â—ess sake and the two Witnesses have long lain slain and rejoyced over in the Streets of the great City and the Blood of the â—…cent hath â—een drâ—…k and thâ—… Lamb and his Followers have been made Waâ—…â—…inst and the Dragon the Dâ—vil and Satan hath deceived the World into the Name of Christians without the true Christian Life and Righteousness and Truth hath stood afar off and Justice and Mercy hath been wanting and the Fear of the Lord and true Obedience to him hath been in a great measure expelled out of Nations and even all that would not worship the 〈◊〉 â—nd his Images and receive his Mark the Beast hath had power to kill 〈◊〉 and he hath had power to execute his Wrath against them that have followed the Lamb even all this time of Darkness and Apostacy which hath overâ—…dowed the Christian-world since the Apostles days until this time and all this hath been since the falling away from the Life and Righteousness and Spirit of Jesus as I have said 〈◊〉 the Beast hath been great that arose out of the Sea and out of the Earâ—… when the true Faith was lost and his power mighty amongst men for he reâ—…ed power from the Dragon and made War against the true Church and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 devour the Man-child and power â—â—th been given him over Kindâ—… Tongues and Nations and all the World hath wondered and followed after the Beast and have been admiring his power and his great authority and saying Who is able to make War with him for he hath had a Mouth given that hath spoken great things and it hath been given him to war with the Saints and to overcome them by his unrighteous Laws and Decrees and all that dwelt upon the Earth have worshipped him whose Names are not written in the Book of Life and he hath had many Heads even divers sorts and changes of Government and many Horns with which he hath pushed the Innocent and ruled over the Earth and kept all under his power and he hath set up Images to worship and Likenesses without Life and he hath caused both Small and Great Rich and Poor Free and Bond to receive his Mark and be 〈◊〉 carried the Whore and she hath journeyed upon him from Nation to Nation through the Earth in the Sheep's Clothing and made all Nations drink her Cup of Fornications And the Whore the false church she hath fate as a Queen in great State and Authority upon Nations Tongues Multitudes and Peoples and throâ—… the Beast's authority which hath carried her she hath ruled in great authority over the Consciences Persons and Estates of People and she hath drunk the Saints Blood and the Martyrs Blood and in her is found even 〈◊〉 this Day the Blood of the Martyrs and the Prophets and of â—ust 〈◊〉 and of all that have been slain upon the Earth and she hath exercised Cruelty and Tyranny over the Heritage of God and she hath had the Sheep's Clothing upon her even part of the Garment of the
revile the Government it self but that you may see the Ground and true Cause of all our Sufferings and of the Suffering of the Saints in all Ages and Generations and in all Nations of the World at this day And we leave it to that of God in you all to weigh and consider whether it be not time to reform both Laws Courts and Officers From your Friends who are Lovers of Peace and Truth who wait for the coming of the Lord to establish Iustice and Righteousness in the Earth whom he hath raised up as Witnesses of his appearing and of the dawning of the Mighty and Dreadful Day of God in Life Light and Power who are hated of Men and reproached under the Name of Quakers And whereas there is a Great Cry up and down the Nation That the Quakers Meetinge must be Broken and Suppressed and that this present Parliament intends to do it And of this I have heard in divers Parts of the Nation NOw to this I shall say and answer First As I have observed the spirits of People concerning this Cry all the Rude and Ungodly People as Drunkards and the prophanest of men they glory apace at this News and rejoyce at this mightily as if some great Prize were befallen unto them and it makes them rude and violent enough to the breaking of the Peace in the Nation but thus it is but with the worst sort of People in the Nation who are rejoyced with these Tidings That the Quakers Meetings must be broken But as for the Honest People such as be sober and sincere Thousands that had a hand in chusing this present Parliament never intended to send them up to London for such a Work and the Cry is by many of the sober People If they go about such a Work they will destroy themselves undo themselves and leave their Names a Reproach why say the people we have a Testimony before us hath it not been upon that Rock of limiting tender Consciences in former dayes that hath broken many before these which might be Examples to these not to do the same things And many sober people are offended at such News and it makes their hearts sad whose Consciences and the Witness therein doth answer That we are the Lord's People and it ought not thus to be done concerning us as the News reports So that by this News of the intended Purpose to break the Lord's Peoples Meetings the Ungodly and Prophane are gratified and strengthened in their Wickedness and the Righteous are made sad And further as for us We have been trodden down and made a Prey unto our Enemies and the Gates of Death and Hell have stroven against us already but have not prevailed unto this day for the Lord is with us and who is it that shall prevail against us and I may say What is this that is reported to be done what shall Dust and Ashes do and man whose Breath is in his Nostrils And who are they that shall break down that which the Lord hath a purpose to build Who shall be able to prosper in going about it or what success shall God give to that Work I tell you nay it is the Lord that has raised us up and we have given our power to him to stand by him and to be protected defended and upheld by him alone and we cannot give our Power to any Mortal Men to seek that from them which is not in their hands to give The Power of the Lord God is over you he that is our Keeper and Preserver in whose Hands is your Breath to destroy it utterly if you do that which doth offend him for you shall know that we are the Lord's People by whom we shall stand and grow in Dominion and Authority in his Life and the Dread of the Lord shall be upon our Enemies though they one gratifie another with Intentions of Evil against us yet the Lord stoppeth the purpose of his Enâ—â—ies and turns it backwards upon their own heads And this I say from the Lord If such a thing be in your Hearts conceiving to be brought forth by you it is a Birth that will devour you erâ— ever it spring out of your Bowelâ— it will be too heavy a Burden and you shall never have strength to deliver it This is the Word of the Lord to you It shall be a Rock to overthrow you and it will be a Sâ—are to catch you and if any such thing proceeds from you it will break you and your own Wickedness will destroy you Alas Do not you see evidently the Hand of the Lord fight for us Yea we have evident Testimony of his Presence that he is and will be with us unto the end And if any will be blind let them be blind for these Tidings do not trouble us neither are we thereby moved no not to beg of any man the contrary for we cannot give our Power unto you nor come under the power of this World no not to beg of you contrary to a good Conscience that you should forbear the fulfilling your intents But this it is in the Name and Power of the Lord though he requires nothing of you to exalt his Kingdom by your power nor to prescribe him a Way how he must be worshipped yet he requires That you should do nothing against him nor his People by limiting he Spirit of the Lord. And I say The Saints of the Most High cannot give their Power to you to stand or fall thereby nor to go by the Authority thereof to exalt the Kingdom of God thereby they can beg no such thing nor desire it of you for it is not in your hands to give his Work of Salvation unto the Nations you cannot give nor lay one Stone in the building of his blessed Temple but he alone will do it and not by the Arm of Flesh Yet doth he require That you should do nothing against him nor abuse your power but and if you do he will reward you according to your Deeds and this you will find and feel in the Day of God when he brings Vengeance and Judgment upon you and when he sets his Kingdom over you all and that comes to raign over the Nations which how is a Sufferer And when I first heard the News sent abroad in the Nation of such Intentions to break the Quakers Meetings many Considerations passed through me Will these go said I in the same way that many have been destroyed in before them Will these run upon the same Rock Will these take in hand to limit God and to set him a Way And shall all these Sufferings of the Lord's People for these many years be finished by these that all the Unjust Dealingâ— and Oppressions of the Saints may be upon them Is there no Wise Man among them nor none that feareth the Lord that he may be preserved â—om â—estruction And is this their beginning in Parliament to destroy God's Heritage The Lord nor the People of
innocent Life in which they have begun and let them never forget the Mercies of the Lord and what he hath brought to pass who hath manifested great things and will do more and more to the confounding of all his Enemies and to the praise of his elect People And all ye Saints upon the Earth have ye the Lord in respect continually and turn you not unto Idols but let the Lord be your joy for evermore E. B. TO THE RULERS And to such as are in AUTHORITY A True and Faithful TESTIMONY Concerning RELIGION And the Establishment thereof and how it may be Established in PERSONS and NATIONS THere hath been a great cry of late years among the Priests and many others for the settlement of Religion and this they have sought after from the Powers of the Earth and the cry hath been to Parliaments and Rulers by the Priests and Professors for many years settle us Religion settle us Religion Now to this I answer all this cry and this desire hath been by these Priests and Professors to have Parliaments to make Laws to establish one Sect and throw down and limit all others that is the chief thing that hath been eyed in the request and not simply to have true Religion established if we come to shew what true Religion is in it self But people of divers Sects have been requiring and desiring every one to have their own Sect established and set up and all others thrown down and not to have a place nor to be tollerated so that their cry hath not risen from the Ground of true love to true Religion but their desires have chiefly risen and sprung from self love to their own Sect and from Malice and Envy against others that were not of their Way and this hath been the end of their craving the settlement of Religion and not simply for true Religions sake Now Religion in itself is this The fulfilling of the Law and the Prophets loving God with all their hearts and the Neighbour as self and doing to all men as they would have men to do to them and not otherwise doing or speaking towards any then they would that others should speak of or do to them and a walking towards God in all things as they have received of his Grace answering to the Lord in all things as his Spirit leads them and moves them this is true Religion towards God and towards man and to have the Conscience alwayes kept void of offence and that no offence lie upon it in the sight of God nor in the sight of Man and this is true Religion in it self in short declared to wit The leading of the Spirit of God into all Truth to do the Truth and speak the Truth in all things and this Religion is accepted in the sight of God and to be kept unspotted in the World from all its Pollutions But now tell me can this Religion be setled or any Nation or People or any Person in it by any external Power or outward Authority of men or can the Laws of Kings or Parliaments settle such Religion or make people truly religious or establish a Nation or People in this Religion I say no nor any thing saving the Teachings and Leadings of the holy Spirit of God being received from the Father it s that onely that makes men religious and settles a People and Nation therein Oh ye Fools and blind Priests and Professors that are doting on setling Religion among unconverted people by outward Laws and earthly Powers of men I say no this must not be for the Laws of men can but settle a Sect or some Sects and limit other Sects but true Religion can never be setled by that meanes for before any be setled in Religion they must first be changed and created a new in Christ Jesus and born again of the Seed Incorruptible and they must first be changed from Death to Life and from Satan's Power to God this must first be Witnessed before a Man or a Nation can be religious and setled in true Religion he must put off the body of Sin and be circumcised in heart and he must have a new Nature planted in him and he planted into Christ a New and Living Vine before he can love God with all his heart and his Neighbour as himself and before he can have his Conscience kept void of offence and be without stain towards God and towards man and it is onely the Word of God and his Power in the heart that works this it is onely the operation of God's Spirit in and upon a Creature that works him unto this it is not the Laws made by man that doth it nor external Powers of the Earth that can work it and therefore true Religion cannot be setled thereby nor a Nation or a People in it but onely that which changes him and makes him religious that is it onely that must settle Religion and Nations and Peoples therein and as every one is turned to that of God in him and thereby to feel the Power and Word and Spirit that doth change him and renew him as I have said by this means cometh a Man and Nations to be religious and to be setled therein and by no other way nor means and this is done through the preaching of the everlasting Gospel and through the Ministry of Christ which turneth the Mindes of People from Darkness to Light and from Satan's Power to God whereby they are changed and made religious and also setled therein and established thereby and it is not by outward Laws and Powers as I have said But what are Peoples and the Nations yet to settle in Religion And is Religion unsetled yet that you are craving Laws made by men to settle Religion What have you preached for this many years What have your preaching been all in vain And have you done no good this many years by your preaching that Religion is yet to settle Oh! blind and ignorant Men this is a shame unto you how many thousands of thousand Pounds have the Priests had out of this Nation for teaching Religion and preaching to People and yet the Nation remains unsettled in Religion and they are begging to the Powers of the Earth to constrain and compel a settlement of Religion and this shames them and shews that they are they that Paul speaks of and that the people of this Nation are them that are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth though you have been long learning you are unsetled and are not come to the knowledge of the Truth but had these Priests been such that were sent of the Lord through their Ministry would the Nations long since have been setled in Religion for they have been Teachers long enough and put the Nation to charge great enough thâ—â— people might have known ere this day the holy Anointing to dwell in them and to teach them and to settle them in Religion but it is manifest
heady and high-minded men and covetous and Proud and went in the way of Balaam for Gifts and Rewards and that through Covetousness with feigned words made Merchandize of Souls And are not you like them that Iohn saw were coming in in his dayes That went out from them and that went into the world that were of the world and spoke of the world and the world heard them and which the World went after and are not you of them that have deceived the whole World that hath been of the Whore that hath caused all Nations to drink her Cup and of them that have made War against the Saints and against the Lamb of that stock of the false Prophets that wrought Miracles in the sight of the Beast and the World wonders after the Beast and the Beast hath carried the Whore and he hath compelled and caused all to worship him and the Whore caused all to drink of the Cup of her Fornication Are not these things so may not the Witness of God in all mens Consciences truly answer hereunto and condemn you to be such as were the false Prophets and the Hirelings and the Deceivers against whom the Prophets Christ and the Apostles gave witness Yea it is manifest that you are in the same way and of the same Generation and that you follow the same spirit because you shew forth the same works And are not you like the Papists and the Iesuits was it not by the Authority of the Pope of Rome that your very way of making Ministers was ordained at Schools and Colledges and was it not the Papists and in their dayes that the general part of your Church-Discipline and Government the Call of your Ministers and Practise of them and Maintenance of them was it not first set up by the Papists Was not this way of Tythes first established by the Church of Rome and do not you follow the Papists herein in receiving Tythes and Gleab-lands and Easter-Reckonings and Midsummer-Dues which you hold up and would destroy them that will not give you such things and therefore are not you like the Papists and Jesuits yea we know that the Church of England is but newly come out of the Womb of Popery and hath the Symptoms thereof upon her at this very day in many things yea the Testimony of God in all people may witness hereunto And so it is the very trick of the Whore to cry out against others and to charge others with that which she is guilty of her self but now it will not cover them to slander others that themselves may seem clear for the Lord is opening peoples Hearts and giving them a Spirit to discern all things And whereas the Author speaks against the Quakers for crying against Cuffs Caps and for using Thee and Thou and for crying against Pulpits and Hour-Glasses and for such things and for owning Revelation and for holding the free Grace of God to be given unto all and because of Trembling and Quaking and saying Our Writings are given forth by the same infallible Spirit that the Scriptures were given out by and for crying down the Ministers Maintenance and for calling some of them Vipers and Serpents To all this I answer It is your Generation that makes a great noise about thee and thou and Cuffs and Caps for we in plainness and simplicity do speak the proper Language thee and thou to a single Person and it is the proud and exalted Minds of Men that are offended hereat which Pride and Arrogancy hath eaten out the very Sincerity and the property of Speech also and you are offended at us because of it and for crying against your Cuffs and Boot-hose-tops and Ribbands and Points we cry against all these things as not becoming the Ministers of Christ but as being of the World in the Pride and Vanity and Superfluity abusing the Creation which the Lord will judge among you And as for having an hour-Glass and preaching thereby and as for your carnal Bells which you call people by we do disown these things and say They are old popish inventions for the Ministers of Christ never limitted their spirits to an hour-Glass neither had they a carnal Bell to call people to their Worship and as for Revelation we do own that the Spirit of God doth reveal Truth to us and God hath revealed Christ in us and none ever shall know God but by Revelation For none knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him And as for Free Grace we say The Grace of God hath appeared to all men and it teacheth the Saints to deny Ungodliness but the Wicked turns it into wantonness and doth dispite unto the Spirit of Grace and we also say That who now speaks or are moved to write forth by the Spirit of God they speak and write by the same Spirit that is infallible that the Scriptures were given forth by And as for your Maintenance it is altogether Abominable and Oppression to the Nation and the Lord is against it your taking Peoples Goods and casting them into Prison that will not pay you Wages and give you Tythes against their Consciences And be not offended at being called Vipers and Serpents for these are the Works of venemous Vipers and stinging Serpents which persecute the Servants of God and cryes to the Magistrates for help against a poor People that useth no Weapons at all against you saving that of the Spirit of God and though we do thus to you to the false Ministers to cry against them and give our witness against them in the Name of the Lord yet we do not deny the true Ministers of Christ nor speak any thing against them which are the true Ministers that have received the Ministry of Righteousness by the Gift of the holy Spirit which all that are true Ministers do receive their Ministry thereby And whereas thou sayest we are bitter Enemies to the Doctrine of Iustification and agree with the Cavelierish Party and would silence godly Ministers and are Iâ—suitical and such like things thou falsly chargeth upon us and that we have a not able faculty to delude ignorant unstable Souls c. Answ. These are but the Author's Reproaches and his Slanders he hath filled his Mouth with against the Innocent and he hath set his Tongue on the Fire of Hell to slander the â—ust and the Innocent and all these things we bear in patience counting Reproaches for Christ our chiefest Riches and thus to the substance of this Paper I have given an answer whereby all that love the Lord and desire to be informed in the Truth may receive satisfaction for it is seen that that Generation of Priests are joyned with the prelatical Cavelierish Party and this is known at large in the Nation in the North especially and so as I said they would fain slander others that themselves might seem clear but the Lord will rebuke him and his lying Tongue and the Innocent shall be delivered
and sober Dealing may be amongst us and the Fear of God And to this we expect thy speedy Answer concerning Time and Place Edward Burroughs Samuel Fisher. The Propositions were writ as short as could be for to stop all Advantages against us that right be taken by our Adversary in case he had met us and agreed to dispute but upon enlargement in Discourse we might have laid open the truth of every on of these Particulars at large to the satisfaction of sober Minds that might have been doubtful hereof and sâ—ewed by the Scriptures the truth of all of them AN Epistle to Friends IN LONDON Dearly beloved Friends and Brethren WHom the Lord hath called with his Heavenly Call and made you Eye-Witnesses and Feeling-Witnesses of his Power and of his Truth my dear Love in the Lord falutes you all for the Lord's sake without respect of Persons and I Greet you with a holy Kiss Dearly Beloved I bare you witness That some of you have loved the Lord above all things and for his Truth the Glory of this World with its Vanities have been denyed by you and now I wish in the Lord the abounding and enlarging of the Love and Life of God in you and amongst you all And my Dear Friends In that the Lord hath blessed you in the Knowledge of the Truth and of his Wayes and called you to serve him and to live unto him and not unto your selves now this remains unto you all to be done by you even that you be Faithful and Careful in the Great Work of the Lord which he is doing amongst you and in the World at this day And first of all See that every one of you stand in God's Counsel and that ye do his Will in all things as the Lord maketh it manifest to you and watch over your own Hearts and keep your selves clear from the Evil of this World I am moved of the Lord to write to you in particular and to warn you in his Name who hath begotten you to himself That you be mighty careful and circumspect in all your wayes and that you walk as Patterns and Examples to all the tender Babes of God in the Flock and that by your wise Conversation and Faithfulness in the Truth the Weak may be strengthened and the Hungry may be filled and they that are of the World who thirst for the Lord may be won into the Truth My God knoweth and ye know also the Care and Burdens which I have had in that Place and seeing I am thus ordered of the Lord at this present I do beseech you all for the Truth 's sake That you unto whom God hath given Grace and Strength and Wisdom and Knowledge that you take the Care upon you to watch with the Flock and over them that are Weak And I say again You must be mighty careful in the Lord that you may walk in all things to his Glory so as there be no turnings back from the Truth by any nor no occasion given to the Heathen to Reproach Truth therefore not any Service of your own must you equal with the Lord's Service But at all times be armed with the Lords Armour to do and to suffer for the Truth And this seems Good unto me in the Fear of the Lord That you in particular do keep a Meeting among your selves once in Three Weeks or a Moneths time as ye see meet that in the Counsel of God you may consider of all things in relation to the Truth and that you may advise one with another in the Fear of the Lord of things amongst you that in good Order all things may be kept And if any Disorderly Persons who profess the Truth be known to any of you let it be presented to all and Two or Three of you as you are moved may in the Fear of the Lord and in his Wisdom reprove such Persons and Things by which in the least Truth is Dishonoured and if such resist Reproof then account them as out of the Body and the Life can have no Fellowship with such but first reprove Offences and Failings in Secret and in much Wisdom also lest you destroy the Righteous with the Wicked And I lay it upon you that you judge nothing but what is for Judgment and when any thing comes before you to be tryed or judged of be tender of the Simplicity and take heed of Rash Judgment and Forward Words be mighty considerate in the Fear of God that nothing be judged wholly in which there is any thing of God but dwell in that which doth discern and distinguish and separate the Precious from the Vile that you may divide Judgment a right in all Causes and the Pure may be Strengthened and the Deceit Confounded For such a thing may be and come to pass which cannot wholly be Justified nor altogether Condemned and in such things in Friends you had need be mighty careful that the Right Way may be spared and the Wicked cut off And if any of you be moved to Minister among the Flock let it be done in the Fear of God and in his Wisdom to the refreshing of the Weak and to the building up the Body and if you do it in the Power of God then you will be answered by the Witness of his Spirit in every one and you and they will feel an Increase from God And if any Minister amongst you with which the Spirit of the Lord hath not Fellowship but is an Offence to the Just bare such in Patience for a season and shew them in Meekness and Love their Fault that they may be restoed rather then cast out And if any amongst you be over-taken with a Fault and found faulty in the sight of the Lord in any Particular reprove and convert and instruct such privately in Meekness and if they rebel and resist then reprove them and let them be judged openly And charge all that in all things they keep to their own Measures of Christ and that they act nothing nor speak nothing without the Leading of his Spirit and that will bind under deceitful spirits And as for those Rebellious and Treacherous and Deceitful Lying spirits amongst you which may trouble you as they have formerly done to the great Dishonour of the Lord I wish they were cut off as for the Truth 's sake yet I exhort you to bear them with Patience and not to heed them nor be troubled at them but account of them as Disorderly and out of the Body and freâ— not in your selves because of the Wicked such things be but for a time but Truth is forever and they that walk therein their Fruits shall never wither And let Friends keep their private Meetings on the First-days with Diligence and none to run abroad without Foar but as they are moved of the Lord and then there will be a Service in it for the Lord and as any of you are moved be faithful to exhort Friends hereunto and with a
hands are strengthened then any dislike shewed by thee in bearing thy Witness as thou oughtest to do against them For thou knowest of some 〈◊〉 this City and else-where whom we know to be just Men who suffer Impriâ—â—â—â—â—nt and the loss of their Liberties because for Conscience sake they canâ—â—â— Swear and many others in this Nation suffering cruel things upon the like or same ground even for Well-doing and not for Evil which Oppression might be removed and their unjust Sufferings taken off by thee by a word from thy Mouth or Pen and this makes thee that thou canst not be clear in the sight of God in these things because not helped by thee who hath the Power to help it and this in true Love I give thee to understand in the Day of Recompence shalt thou know the Lord will not clear thee except thou repentest and â—â—sest the Oppressed Other things thou speakest about the Light of Christ which lighteneth every man that cometh into the World with the Light of Life or with the Light of Condemnation and about the Ministry of this Nation wiâ—â— some other things which I had a desire to have answered if time had been seasonable and thou willing to have heard but thou shouldst not have appeared in such lightness especially when speaking of the Things of God which did grieve the Spirit of the Lord and vex the Righteous Soul which Behaviour with some words which thou utteredst by the Light of Christ is to be condemned and which I do judge with the Life of God and yet doth tender and preserve the measure of Justness and Honesty which is in thee but thou art high above the Principle of God and cannot receive the Teachings of the Father into that mind which is light and unstable for the Counsel of God is manifest to the Meek and the Lowly but there is much in thee to be judged when thou comest to the Witness of God in thee And as concerning the Light of Christ at which thou stumblest by which every man that comes into the World is enlightened in short this I say The Light to thee is given of God and it must thou own to be thy onely Teacher to receive by it from the Father and to be guided by it in all things if ever thou inheritest God's Kingdom of Righteousness and Peace and this is the Word of the Lord to thee And as concerning the Ministry of England for which in part thou seemest to plead thus I say in Plainness Generally it is not of God but of Antichrist and the Lord is against it for it is the Ground of the greatest Oppression of the Poor in its Maintenance as any one particular Abomination which this day is in the Nation and this is the Truth from the Lord and if thou settest thy self to uphold them by any Law made or to make against such whom God hath raised to bear Witness against them their Wayes and Idolatries thou â—â—alt fall with them into Perdition and be overthrown amongst them in the Just and Righteous Judgments and this is the Word of the Lord to thee For God is risen of a Truth to make War against the Beast which long hath reigned and against the False Prophets which have long deceived the World and I warn thee with-hold thy hand from helping them if thou meanest to be preserved or blessed in thy Person in thy Family and in thy Armies for as I said to thee The Kingdom of Christ is setting up by his own Power and all must â—ow and become subject thereunto he needeth none of thy Policy nor the strength of thy Arm to advance him yet would he have thee not to prove thy self an open Enemy thereof by doing or suffering to be done Cruelty and Injustice against them whom the Lord is redeeming out of this World into subjection unto that Kingdom lest thou be such a one as wilt not enter thy self nor suffer others to enter and so Destruction come upon thee Wherefore arise as out of Sleep and Slumber not in this World's Glory and Honour come away and appear for the Lord rather then against him be not overcome by the Pleasures of this World nor the Fattering Titles of Men winâ— not at the Cruelty and Oppression acted by some who shelter under thee and make thy Name a Cloak for Mischief against the Upright but let the Testimony of God in thee answer for his People this Law is not just by which many suffer because they cannot swear and because they cannot cease to declare against Sin and Iniquity let that of God in thee bear Witness and thou and thy name being chief in the Execution of this Law what will thy account be to the Lord in his Day Consider I say consider and be thou changed in thy mind and heart lest thou having forgotten God and his many Deliverances be shut up and numbred for Destruction and I say and desire the Lord give thee a more perfect Understanding of his Wayes and Judgments and that the Crown Immortal thou mayst strive for by Meekness and Righteousness through relieving the Oppressed and shewing Mercy to the Poor and removing every Burden which lies upon the Innocent and this is the Desire of him who is thy Friend and would not have thee crowned with Dishonour through suffering the People of God to be oppressed in thy Name which will be thy Overthrow absolutely if thou removest it not by turning and easing the Oppressed Edw. Burroughs This was delivered to his hands about the beginning of the Fourth Moneth 1657. For the hands of the Protector FRIEND THou oughtest to stand in the Counsel of God in all things and not to follow the Counsel of thy own heart nor to act things in thine own will neither shouldst thou suffer others to act under thee and in thy name that which is Unjust and Unrighteous Much Unrighteousness and great Oppression is acted in thy name by which the good name PROTECTOR is abused and subverted and instead of Protection by it great Unjustice is acted under it and covered with it and this one thing I am moved to lay before thee which hath been acted by thee or under thee not without thy knowledge in which thou hast done Evil in the Sight of the Lord and one day thou wilt know it Several in these Nations Justices of the Peace and other Officers who have been in trust under thee when they have owned the People of God in scorn called Quakers have been cast out of their Places though they have not denyed to serve thee and the Common-Wealth neither hath Unfaithfulness to their Trust been proved against them and also several Souldiers now of late in Scotland and else-where have been turned out of their Places because of the same thing viz. For owning the People of God and these things are not right in the Sight of the Lord that such who have been for many years Faithful in the Service and in their Trust
bring your fear upon you to your utter confusion though you are making defences all that you can for your selves and your Kingdom and this seems to be 〈…〉 â—â—y wherein every mans heart is tryed and every man and sort of People is pouring forth the Maliciousness of their Hearts against the poor People in scorn called Quakers What say the Papists and Episcopal men Quakers are 〈◊〉 New Sect and Deceivers c. And what say the Presbyterians and the Independanâ—â— of them Oh! they are Seducers they are Witches they are false Prophets they are Vagabonds not worthy of Countenance c. nor any Place of Trust in the Nation c. What say the Anabaptists of them O! they are Blasphemers and Hereticks and Irregular Persons and distructive to Gospel c. This and such like is the Cry of these and all sorts of people against a poor despised People whom the Eternal God hath made dreadful unto them all who shall be a Rod in his Hand to break them and confound them and utterly to destroy their Antichristian kingdom for they are beloved of the Lord though hated of all men and though the whole Body of the Beast and Antichrist and every Horn of his head do set themselves to War against the Lamb and his Followers and though all these sorts of people mentioned and some others do at this day pour out their Fury and Malice against this People yet shall they not be confounded for their Trust is in the Living God and as sure as the Lord lives The Fear that People have of the Prosperity of this People shall come upon them and without Weapon or Arm of Flesh or the Multitude of an Host of Men will their God dash their Enemies to pieces And all ye Sects whatsoever that are risen in Opposition against us what do we regard your Fury and Madness against us What do we fear your Reviling you uncircumcised Philistines We mock at your Terror and we reject your Strength as the Strength of a Straw we despise your Authority which is not of God as the Authority of so many Bryars and Thornes we can glory over you in the Lord What are you and from whence did you come is not Babylon your City and is not the great Whore your Mother and the Mother of Harlots your Nurse and what is your growth but even like the Grass of a Summer's growth that 's soon cut down and withered and like the Leaf of a Summer Tree that utterly perisheth in Winter The Mighty Day of the Lord is at your Door Confusion is begun amongst you and the Sword of one may destroy another and the Strength of one shall tear another and the Remnant that is left shall be destroyed and we must overcome them without Sword or Carnal Weapon and this shall come to pass in a day and the Eye that is yet blind shall see it and the Child that is yet undelivered shall be a Conqueror over the Beast and over his Image and over all your false Sects and over every Horn that is risen up against the Lamb and his Followers the time of the Lamb's Kingdom is at hand Behold behold ye Mountains of the Earth The Sentence of Eternal Vengeance will pass upon you ye Hypocritical Professors ye Pastors Elders Members and Ministers of Churches so called the Decree of the Almighty is coming out against you you have provoked him by your Wickedness towards him and his People even to the Destruction of your own selves wherefore Tremble before the Lord for his Dread and the weight of his Hand shall be upon your Consciences Oh Nation mourn over thy iniquities which have provoked God against thee and if men turn not unto him his sore Judgment will be upon thee we are not for this Party or the other neither do we justifie one side in opposition to another for we see the Earth is corrupted and all sorts of men that are this day striving one sort against another are in a wrong way and in a wrong spirit and we cannot side with any of them but we rather mourn over the Nation who is torn in pieces by the ambitious spirit of her pretended Rulers and we desire the repentance of all and not the destruction of any and we are for Gods part and not for men E. B. AN ANSWER TO THE Great Cry The QUAKERS will soon FALL A Great Cry in the World hath been by many people of all sorts As for the Quakers they will soon fall and come to nothing they will stand but for a while as other Sects have done before them For many Sects that have â—â—de a great stir for a time they have come to nought and so will these they will fall and â—â—â—e to nought in a Year or two or the like and they will forsake this Way And this Noise and Stir about them will come to an end and they will have a Fall And thus and after this manner do the People of the World Cry and say one to another To this I answer O ye Fools and Blind that thus do judge and say ye are ignorant and sottish Children and know not the Way of the Lord nor his Judgments neither do ye know his Secrets nor have entred into his Counsel who told you thus or by what spirit have you received it and do ye not speak as ye would have it and because you would have it so do ye not therefore speak it Ye Fools and Blind whose Hearts are hardened I tell you nay your words shall never come to pass but you and all our Enemies shall be found Lyars and as you say of others so shall it come to pass upon your selves and that which you desire for others it shall fall upon your own heads Again I tell you nay we shall not fall nor be decreased nor come to â—â—â—ght but the Truth shall stand forever and we shall be encreased through the World and shall be the Renowned People of the whole Earth For we are of them whom the Lord is gathering from off the barren Mountains and out of the Mouthes of all dumb Shepherds whom the Lord will feed and keep as the Sheep of his own Pasture over whom the Seed of David Christ the Heir of Heaven and Earth is chief Shepherd and he is set over us and he rules in Equity and Righteousness And them we are spoken of Ezekiel 34. which are the Sheep of God's Pasture and the Lord hath sought us out even as a Shepherd his Sheep and we shall not fall as ye suppose And we are them spoken of in the Revelations whom the Lord is bringing through great Tribulations and making us white in the Blood of the Lamb and redeeming us through his Sufferings And we are of that Numberless Number spoken of which shall stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion for we are of the Seed which is coming up out of Egypt and shall replenish the whole Earth And ye Fools and Blind will
been answered and said if patience or any moderation had ruled over your despiteful spirits but because I could not to satisfy your wills and to fulfil your purpose answer yea or nay and thereby make my self a Transgressor Therefore hardly would you suffer me to say any thing in any manner of arguing but by wickedness endeavoured to stop my Mouth My answer was and is the Scriptures the Writings which are one are but a declaration and witness of the Word of God which Word was in the beginning and endures for ever as Iohn and Peter testifies and the Scriptures which are Writings were not in the beginning but began to be written by Moses many hundred years after the beginning Therefore the Scriptures which were not in the beginning are not the Word of God which Word was in the beginning further the Scripture saith the Worlds â—â—â—e made and framed by the Word of God but the Scriptures made not the Worlds therefore the Scriptures are not the Word of God which as the Scripâ—â—â—e it self saith made the Worlds many such like witnesses might be alledged from the Scriptures to prove the Scriptures are not the Word God 〈◊〉 a Declaration of the Word of God and cannot endure for ever then 〈◊〉 said he would prove the Scriptures should endure for ever but could not bring any plain Scriptures as I demanded of him to prove the assertion but went about in Logick to prove it and could prove no more then that the truth written of in the Scripture should endure for ever which thing I never did or shall deny and so needed not to be contended against by any sober men but unreasonable men who have not Faith will say any thing for Advantage to themselves and Disadvantage to the Truth which they are set to oppose And he instanced and said It is written Christ is God Blessed forever 〈◊〉 then shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and said this should endure fâ—â—â—â—er To which I answered That which is written of only shall endure forever but the Scriptures and Writings should not endure forever And further instanced God was written and was Scripture and should not endure â—â—â—ever though God should endure forever and he could not be written nor â—â—â—â—ained in a Book and through your Vanity in Scorning and Hooting 〈◊〉 Unreasonableness according to your own purpose lest your Deceiver â—â—â—â—ld be made manifest you prevented me and would not suffer me to speak in what much more I had to say in this particular and I observed that in all the Questions and Arguments against me were hatched secretly a Snare to 〈◊〉 me into Suffering and to this purpose some of you said wickedly I â—â—â—ld presently dispute my self into Prison and further he instanced Thou 〈◊〉 â—…r thy Father and thy Mother it is so written and said he This is a Command of God and the Word of God and shall endure for ever with presumptuous boasts and scornfull invented terms not beseeming any 〈◊〉 much less a Minister and that he could prove this to be the Word of God against all the Quakers in the World and against all the Fiends in Hell and against all the Jesuits at Rome or filthly words to this purpose and much I desired moderation from you with diligence to hear my defence and thereupon many times desired the Mayor who was present to command silence but I could hardly obtain any from you you were so generally rude and rash and unreasonable and to him I replyed that to honour Father and Mother in the Lord was a Command of God and the Word of God and should endure for ever but Luke's Writings the Scripture were but a Declaration of this Command and not the Command it self nor the Word of God and would perish and not endure for ever and bid you read Luke 1. 1. There Luke calls his Writings which are Scripture a Declaration and much more might I have spoken to this thing if I had been yoaked against a reasonable man or if the Auditors had been but civil but you could not endure to hear but said I subtilly insinuated into their People and thereupon several times some of you spake to the Mayor to dismiss the people I think lest your Hirelings should be discovered and your Wickedness reproved and thus the thing came near an end he not being able to prove by any Scripture or right Argument the Scripture to be the Word of God which shall endure for ever but must if his and your eye ever be opened confess to what I held forth that onely that which is written of in the Scripture or which the Scriptures declare of shall endure for ever to be the Word of God and not the Scripture or Writings then presumtuously he said prove him if I could to be a false Prophet to which I answered and desired much your moderation but could not obtain it as though you had set your selves to be rude and vain to prove a false Prophet was either by Conversation or Doctrine or both and by his Fruits he was known to preach for Hire and to divine for Money is fruits and signs of a false Prophet as the Scripture testified which should be my rule to try him by if he durst stand to it and they that preached for hire were false Prophets and he preached for hire and therefore was a false Prophet according to the Scripture rule then he said he preached not for hire yet he had hire for preaching a poor shift to cover the Devils Deceits but it will not hide his Shame and it was proved that he preached for hire to all but such who stopped their Ears and it was manifest in his face that he sued some at the Law which would not pay him Tythes And then I asked him to give any Examples from the Ministers of Christ where ever they took Tythes or sued Men at the Law who would not pay them Wages but to this he gave no answer at all and thereby he was proved to be a false Prophet and a Deceiver and much more might have been said as to this to prove him and his Generation to be false Prophets as may be done at any time but such was the unreasonableness at this passage that you were nigh to lay violent hands upon me some of you and lest your Deceiver should be made manifest you would not suffer me to speak what I had to say but cried Away with me And tell me any of you when he preached any year or time at this Town when he had no hire and therefore he is a Hireling because he preacheth not without it but for it and so is a false Prophet and he being I judge sorely afraid lest he should be discovered went out of his Pulpit door two or three times till I called him back again and charged him to stay if he was a man and I would prove him to be a preacher of false Doctrine who in my hearing said
and thou of the Divel Seeing they that abide not in the Doctrine of Christ have not God hence I query of thee XII Whether by this rule thou art not proved to be without Christ and without God who abides not in Christ's Doctrine but are called of men Master and stand Praying in the Synagogue and hast the chief Seat in the Assembly and contrary to Christ's Command Answer these Queries with the Spirit of Soberness if thou hast it and shew thy self a man if thou hast the Heart of a man and Repent of thy Wickedness and own thy Condemnation upon thy Former Words and Works I am a Friend unto thy Soul but a witness against thy Deceits E. B. And after which time for the space of two years I had no Communication with Christopher Fowler till this last nineth Moneth at a place called East-Hâ—â—sted where a Meeting of Dispute was appointed and challenged by some of his Brethren at which place again I met with this my Adversary where we had some hours Discourse and many particulars of False Doctrine fell from Fowler 's mouth some few of which hereafter follow First one of his brethren in his prayer before the dispute prayed to God to forgive them the Atheism that were in their hearts of him and his Brethrens Answer now an Atheist is one that denies God and Atheism is denying of God according to common reputation Atheism is so taken so that how shall such a Generation of men bring people to the Knowledge of God by their Ministry or how should they ever convert people to profit them who yet in their own Hearts denyed God as the man acknowledged in his prayer before the Lord and many witnesses the Poor People of England had thought that the Spirit of God had been in your Hearts but now we know that you deny God in your Hearts and you have confessed it to your own shame are you Ministers of Christ and yet denies God in your hearts and in whose hearts lodges Atheism Oh! let not people be deceived by you but repent ye that know not God but with your Mouthes confess him and with your hearts do deny him Christopher Fowler also affirmed that day That the Scriptures are the Glorious everlasing Foundation of Foundations Answ. And hereby it is made manifest that he hath totally denyed Christ and so proved with his brother confest in his prayer that indeed Atheism is in their Hearts and so he hath denyed Christ whom the Scriptures say is the Foundation and no other Foundation can any man lay and upon him were the Saints builded in their Faith and all their Practices of Religion for he is the corner Stone as it is Written and thus he hath dishonoured Christ in setting the Scriptures above him and taking the Honour from him and giving it to the Scriptures and I shall leave this his Doctrine to be considered with a query to these people of his Church in Reading whether he is worth hearing or giving Money to for preaching that holds forth such Doctrine and whether it is possible he should bring them to Christ who hath in effect denied him to be the Foundation and held forth that the Scriptures are the glorious everlasting Foundation of Foundations Much I need not say to uncover the error of sucâ— a Doctrine Again he affirmed That a man at one and the same time might be a Minister of Christ and a Deceiver Answ. And here all may see the weakness and Ignorance of this strange Paradox and indeed which is contrary to the Scriptures which saith No man can serve two Masters and it s very certain that he that serves the Devil doth â—ot serve Christ at the same time and he that serves Christ doth not serve the Devil and so his Doctrine is Antichristian which would make People believe that though they serve the Devil yet they are the Servants of God and this is as much as he hath said that one may be a Minister of Christ and yet a Deceiver now a Deceiver is one that follows the Spirit of the Devil and a Minister of Christ is one that followes the Spirit of Christ and these two Spirits are contrary and not both ruling in one man at one time But then to help the matter he said a man might serve Christ in Office but not in Love to which my answer was let him say whether he and the Priests of England did serve Christ by way of Office or Love both or either and I should prove the contrary but that we prosecuted no further Some other things were affirmed by him that day not now remembred He said That Christ was a Sinner from this Argument laid down by him all that dies â—â—e Sinners Christ died therefore c. These and such things he held forth all that day besides the unsoberness of his words and carriages towards me who called me a Dog divers times and did use very ridiculous jestures and words towards me even to his own shame in the sight of many people and the people of that County do yet well remember his unchristian-like proceedings and were ashamed of him but at last went his way and all his brethen and I was left among the people and I need not now mention for many even themselves know it what loss and disadvantage they sustained that day and Gods loving Truth was advanced and the advantage of it that was obtained on the Lords behalf but I being not yet as it were wholly satisfied but would endeavour further to the laying open deceit and to invade Antichrists kingdom the next morning after the dispute it was upon me to write forth and to send him this paper of Propositions following whereunto is annexed his Answer C. Fowler FRiend seeing thou art so high in thy spirit against us and against the truth which we profess and from time to time dost open thy Mouth so wide in Justification of thy self and thy Practices and in false charges against us and though we have had divers Meetings and the differences between us alwayes appeared greater and greater therefore this I propound unto thee Whether thou wilt give another Meeting of open dispute for the tryal of thee and thy wayes and of us and the truths which we hold forth for the satisfaction of the people and these things following I propound as the subject matter worthy to be handled which may discover thee and us to the satisfaction of all that desires in that case First What be the evident signes and tokens of a Wolf in sheeps clothing and whether thou or we in the sight of the people and of the Lord God can clear our selves to be clear and free from the marks and signs of such aforesaid Secondly Whether wilt thou stand to be tried in thy Ministry in thy Call to it Practice in it and Maintenance of it by and according to the Scriptures of the old and new Testament and wilt thou admit of tryal of thy Church and
more clear opportunity for I cannot be at Okingâ—â—â— the day mentioned by thee because my service is already determined for that day and for some other reasons also in my own breast Let me have a plain answer from thee that I may dispose of my self is the Lord guides me for his service This is all for present I do desire who am a Friend to all that love the Lord. Reading the 19th of the 10th Moneth 1659 E. Burroughs But to this Letter his Answer was he would not meet me at Reading for there was no need of Dispute there and therefore it is my present work at this time for to answer his ten Particulars in writing and to make them publick to â—ll that all may judge of this matter And indeed but that for these teâ— particulrs Charges and that truth may be clear from those Charges in his ten Particulars I believe I had not thus proceeded in this publick manner but because â—e ceaseth not to speak evil of the Truth and yet will not come forth fairly to Tryal neither will answer me any Queries in publick but keeps a secret reviling and reproaching therefore do I thus proceed Answer to the first Position Thy Major and thy Minor are both lame and both false and thy so conclusion falls to the Ground for the Quakers do not pernitiously deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God but they in sincerity say that Christ is the Word of God Io. 1. 1. Rev. 19. 13. and the Scriptures are the Words of God and a Declaration and a Treatise and this Testimony is according to the Scriptures Luke 1. 1 Acts 1. And it is not Heresie nor Blasphemy to deny the Scriptures to wit the writings to be the Word of God but the truth written of and those things declared of in the Scriptures 〈◊〉 â—he Word of God and not the writings which are Scriptures But this iâ—â—â—â—the◠〈◊〉 to before mâ— so I pass it Answer to the second Position Thy Major Position is uâ—â—â—â—ly 〈◊〉 and not grounded upon any part of the Scriptures so that the Niâ—… and the Concluâ—â—â—â— are both denied and cast out for a man mâ—y sâ—y That Chrisâ—â—â—e Foundation of Faith and the Spirit of God is the Rule of Life for thus the Scriptures say and a man may lawfull deny the Scriptures to be the Foundation of Faâ—â—â— and Rule of Life and neither be Heretick nor Blasphemer was the Apoâ—â—â—e a Blasphemer and a Heretick who said No other Foundation could be laid but thâ—â— which was laid already which was Christ And was he a Heretick and a Blasphemer that said The Sons of God were led by the Spirit of God and exhorted to walk â—y the Rule of the Spirit and are the Quakars Blasphemers and Heretiâ—â—s who â—old forth that Truth the Apostles held forth and who walk by the Spirit wâ—… according and not contrary to the Scriptures O thoâ— Perverter of the right way of God who hast falsly accused the Innocent in thy illiterate Logick Answer to the third Position In this thou hast falsly accused but yet let us câ—â—sider thy words There was a Nature in that Maâ— Iesus Christ that was born of tâ—e â—â—â—gin that was subject to cold heat thirst and hunger and subject to be tempted of the Devil and this nature was not God whose nature is Infinite Eternal Unmeasurable me sâ—bject to hunger nor thirst nor to heat and cold nor subject to temptations so that a man may say lawfully and be no Blasphemer that there was a Nature in him which was â—ot God and yet the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him too and he is the Everlasting Father and the Father is in him and he in the Father and thus by a sound interpretation of the Word God by Nature thy Major and Minor and Conclusion are all made void Answer to the fourth The good works of the Saints are wrought in God and by his Spirit and its God that works in them to will and to do and all such Works are worthy Works glorious Works and blessed Works even unto Eternal Life as the Scripture saith Glory Honour and Peace be unto every man that â—orketh good Rom. 2. 7 10. And no man by Faith without Works is justified for Faith without Works is dead and a dead Faith doth not justifie This is our Faith and the Faith which the Apostles were of and we are neither Hereticks nor Papists no more then were the Apostles and thy argument is vain and falls to the ground and hath no weight in it unto sober Minds though Self-righteousness is altogether Abomination to the Lord and justifieth not any man Answer to the fifth Position A man may deny the Sprinkling of Infants and the administration of Bread and Wine as is held forth in your Assemblies and be neither Antichristian nor a Heretick for the Institution of sprinkling Infants and administring of Bread and Wine among unconverted people was never ordained of God nor practised amongst the Apostles if thou sayst it was prove it out of the Scriptures or else stop thy Mouth and to deny such Ordinances and Practices which God never commanded nor the Saints of forâ—er Ages ever practiced is not Antichristian nor Heresie but thu do the Qakers and tâ—â—â—â—fore they are not Antichristian nor Hereticks upon this accompâ— and tâ—â—â— thy Position is not worth any thing for the end proposed by thee but thy Weakness and Folly is made manifest and thy idolatâ—ous Prâ—ctices so much plâ—â—â—ed for by thee are denied and opposed by the Spirit of the Lord. Answer to the sixth Position As for the sin of Infants we do not say That Infants in general that is to say every particular Infant that is 〈◊〉 hath been horn into the World has Sin for some were fillen with the holy Ghost and some were â—â—â—ctified from their Mother Womb and what Sin had such And the Scriptâ—re speaks That the Unbelieving Wife is sanctified by the Beliâ—ving Hâ—… eâ—se 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Câ—ildrâ—â— unclean but now are they holy And what sin had these So that â—â—y maâ—… is proved defective and so thy minor and thy conclusion is worth nothing though as to the general part we do believe there is a nature whereby all are Children of Wrath in Degeneration Answer to the seventh This is a false Accusation thy minor Proposition and is a Lye and so thy Conclusion is utterly false Answer to the eighth As for the Christian-Sabbath we do not deny that for Christ is the Saints Rest and the Seventh day of the Week is the Iews Sabboth and not the Christian-Sabbath and so this is but a false Accusation as the rest And as for the first day of the Week which you observe for Sabboth you have neither binding Example nor express Command in Scripture for that practice Answer to the ninth As for the singing of David's Psalms in Rhime and Meeter and in the Custom as practised amongst you we do utterly deny to be any Ordinance of
God or any part of his Worship though you say it is yet we never had other proof of you then Tradition of time and long Custom and by this you would seem to plead the practice to be a Duty But this satisfies not us though we do not quarrel nor deride at your practice in this particular as thou groundst thy Argument but this we do we freely give our Testimony against your practice from time to time in the Fear and Power of the Lord yet not as quarrelling and deriding after the Flesh though we do say they were composed in Rhime and Meeter by Sternhold and Hopkins and others which were Musitioners to the Queen and in this we say true and are neither ignorant foolish nor prophane as thou sayst and we give witness against such your practice to be Antichristian and you Deceivers of the People thereby so hereby is thy Conclusion made void and a place is brought in for another They that act such things and observe such practices in pretence of Honour and Worship to God which is not commanded nor instituted of God nor which his Spirits leads unto They are Idolaters and their Worship and their Practice is Abomination unto the Lord But thus do the Ministers and People of the Church of England and therefore the Ministers and People of the Church of England are Idolaters and their Practices Abomination unto the Lord. Answer to the tenth Thy minor Proposition I do deny for we do not charge the Office and Call of the Ministers of the Church of England with Lies and Calumnies but this we say their Office and their Call is not from the Lord nor by the Authority of his Spirit neither is their Office and Call according to the Scriptures but it is different and contrary both to the Spirit of God and the Scriptures and is not from Heaven but rather from the Whore of Rome And though we do affirm these things concerning the Ministry of England yet we do not charge it with Lyes and Calumnies but we speak the Truth in righteousness And what would C. Fowler and his Brethren have said of the true Prophets that called the Priests and Watchmen of Israel that were made by Divine Institution which the Office and Call of England's Ministry never was that called them blind Watchmen and greedy dumb Dogs and devourers of Souls Might not they have said to the true Prophets you charge the Office and Call of the Priests of the Lord with Lyes and Slanders And this is like the case between us and the Priests of England And did not Christ call the chief Priests Serpents Vipers and Hypocrites and those Priests were in their Office and Call of Gods Institution but might not they have said that he charged the Office and Call of the Priesthood with Calumnies c. and the case is the same with us and it is accounted no sin by the Lord for us to give our witness against the Wayes and Practices of the Priests of England and utterly to deny both its Office and Call for they that do profess their Office and Call to be of God and from him and yet can give no true Testimony thereof by the Spirit of God and according to the Scriptures such are deceived and Deceivers of others but such are the Priests of England and therefore c. And thus I have returned Answer to his Ten Propositions and laid down some others in their place his being confounded and I must leave it to be judged of by the Witness in every mans Conscience whether he hath not shewed his madness and folly in his matter and in the way of his proceedings as for the matter he charges us withal it s wholy invalid as for the end propoâ—ed by hâ—â— and we account of his Work as but the malice of an Antichristian spirit And as for his proceedings they are inconsistent with a Minister of Christ for him and his Brethren to fly from me at his Dispute at East-Hamsted as before mentioned as being not able to defend their Cause this he and they did as many in that Country knows â—â—d then for him the next morning when I did invite him to meet again upon sober reasons which he also denied and refused to meet me any more and yet afterwards when I was gone out of the Country to go and hatch such mischief in his mind as to invent ten such rain Arguments and cause them to be set up on the Steeple-house-door oâ— purpose to villifie and reproach the Innocent People of God this was his Wickedness as all upright men may see And further for him to challenge to dispute these Particulars and leave time and place to our appointing which when time and place was appointed sutable and equitable on all parts and yet for him to refuse to meet at that time and place this was his fâ—dy and madness as understanding men may discern And further for him yet to rail behind our backs against us in his Pulpit and to charge us as if we refused to meet him this is his hypocrisie and the deceitfulness of his heart whereby he thinks to keep the People in blindness but the Light is now arising in the Hearts of People whereby such Deceits and Deceivers are fully discovered and they cannot now be hid And though for many Ages Deceivers and false Prophets have hid themselves under the Profession of Ministers and fine names yet the Day of the Lord is dawned which hath made them fully manifest and now their Sheeps cloathing will not hide them though they cover themselves therewith and have deceived the World thereby and these Babylons Merchants they have made great gain upon people and traded with the Souls of men and Souls have been murdered even for dishonest gain but the Plagues of God is coming upon the Earth which the Whore the false Church hath corrupted through her Sorceries and Witchcrafts and as she hath done unto others in causing them to drink her Cup of Abominations and false Principles Doctrines and Practices which the Beast and his Power hath imposed upon the Nations and Nations have been made drunk thereby and in particular this C. Fowler with whom I am now dealing is made manifest to be one of these Merchants of Babylon who hath made Merchandize of people for gain to himself and such are his covetous cursed Practices having a heart exercised with Covetousness and Oppression as is well known in the Town of Reading as for instance First It was charged upon him and confessed by him that he sued at Law twelve poor men of Reading for the Tythe of their Turnips and with much malice and greediness did prosecute the twelve poor men and put himself and them to great Charges and Trouble onely he confessed he took but twenty Nobles of them and thought he did favourably with them Now this was acknowledged by his own Mouth which is a clear demonstration of the Coveâ—ousness and Oppression of this man
Christ and his sake we bear all things having Prophesie and Example before us of the same things that came to pass between the Men of this World and the People and Saints of the Most High And for as much as one that subscribes himself George Willington of Bristol City hath publickly appeared in Print even in the Work aforesaid with his Accusations and Reproaches against the People of God whom he in scorn calls Quakers in his Book called The thrice Welcome of King CHARLES the Second c. Because of which his Accusations are the very present Occasion of this my present Work and that his Accusations may be turned backward and the minds of Men even of King Charles may be better informed for he hath accused us to the King and being we are somewhat concerned in this matter being thus reproached and that to the King who hath yet little knowledge of us and our Principles therefore it is upon me to give reasonable Answers to that Part of his Book wherein we are concerned and accused lest that the King to his own hurt should receive such Accusations for Truth when as they are otherwise and so be induced to proceed upon Reports if the Charge should not be answered And first I shall affirm and prove it in its season That this same Man whose Accusations I am now going to answer hath proceeded in the same spirit of all the false Accusers beforementioned and he hath lifted up his voyce in contempt of the Lord's People and hath rendered an evil Report of the Lord's Elect and though we forgive our Enemies him and such as he yet will the Lord plead with and give unto them according to their Deeds and we only may reprove them and leave Vengeance to the LORD our GOD unto whom it belongs Now though we are and have been thus proceeded against ever since we were a People even falsly reproached and all manner of evil spoken against us foâ— the Name of Christ by them whose Hearts are filled with Fury and Rage against us yet we are known in our integrity unto the Lord who hath placed his Nâ—me with us and we know one another in Faithfulness and Truth and Righteousness and I hope we have a Witness in many Consciences even of our Enemies and also of many in Bristol that as to our Doctrines Practises and Conversations they are according to the Truth and answerable to the Scriptures and justifiable even of the Witness of God in all sober-minded People even of them that have not yet joyned themselves to us and we are known to that in many even to the Witness of God in their Consciences to which in all we daily commend our selves in Doctrine Practise and Conversation that thereby onely we may be known and approved and we praise not our selves neither do we boast of what we are sâ—ving in the Lord yet from time to time we do and can make our Appeal in the sight of God to the just Principle of Him in all Men and even to the King before whom we now stand accused by this our Enemy do I make this desire though yet we are in a great measure Strangers to him in Doctrine Practises and Conversation that he may in all Cases of this and other Matters shew Moderation and the Spirit of Meekness and may first try all things and then he may judge the more justly for we are not afraid to be tryed before him and all the World in any Matter of Doctrine or in any Part of our Religion and we should judge it greatly honourable in the King to hear our Answers as well as our Enemies Accusations and to the Witness of God in him we can appeal for determination in any matter that is or may hereafter come in controversie before him concerning us And it is most certain that the proceedings of George Willington in this case of his accusing us to the King is not in love to Us nor to the King and his Government but altogether contrary as upon divers found Reasons I might â—emonstrate and may in its season and his present work against us is from old in-bred Enmity and Malice against us who would have us destroyed if it were in his Power for he hath formerly manifested himself in writing Reproaches and Slanders against us which were sufficiently answered and hereproved and refuted to his great shame among all sober People to which he never yet replied as being too Ignorant and too weak ever to clear himself from what is charged against him in the Answer given to his former Book but now as I have said out of and from that bitter old long-seated Enmity and devouring Malice he hath again appeared in Print against us supposing himself to have so excellent opertunity more then ever before to have his devouring mind satisfied of us and therefore hath he in haste presented the King with a Welcome partly of Reproaches and Accusations against the People of God but his Heart hath deceived him in this case for we shall live and not die God will preserve us and no man shall destroy us Now it had been a Welcome of love far more to the King to have sought his Mercy and Meekness towards all at his first enterance into the Government and the rather to have stirred him up thereunto then to seek to provoke him to rigour and wrath against any to destroy them as this Welcome of Willinton's tends unto which is not true love to the King but rather a preparing a Net for to entangle him and to lay stumbling Blocks of Iniquity before the Feet of the King that he might be destroyed and fall and never rise And let the King consider this for if he be provoked by any means to dâ—stroy or seek to overthrow the Innocent People of God that same shall be a Net to entangle him to destruction and a stumbling Block to fall upon and be everlastingly broken So that hereby the Welcome of Geo. Willington doth appear to be not of love but of ignorant hatred to the King and indeed it is such especially that part of it now under hand that it deserves reproof more then acceptation even from the King if he rightly consider the ground and end of the Author in his Accusations against us notwithstanding his seeming fawning and Flatteries by which he appears to be some Pick-thank or some News-teller or rather Tale-carrier for some hope of Promotion or Reward But I wish better to the King then that he receive or accept of the false Informations of this Author our Accuser or of any such like lest that he ensnare himself and be taken and stumble and fall in receiving mis-Informations instead of Truth and thereupon proceed in judgement or censure unjustly which is a way to destroy himself Let him take heed to himself I desire better for him and that he may shut his Ear against evil Informations and may never have his Heart opened to the sheding of Blood
the Church of ROME who are in the said Book Villified and Reproached by the Name and Term of Antient Phanaticks And this is sent forth as an Answer thereunto to Pursue it Apprehend it and Condemn it as a Pamphlet of Calumnies and Slanders against the Protestants both of former and present Dayes who are all of them Scorned in the said Book the one as Ancient the other as Modern PHANATICKS Which is sent abroad as a Warning to ENGLAND to beware of the spirit of the Church of ROME lest it Exalt it self in Cruel Persecution against the PROTESTANTS and all that differ from it HOW Great and Miserable hath been that Darkness and Ignorance which hath over-spread the Nations and Kingdoms of the World since the Apostles dayes And how manifold is that Error into which many have been fallen even as into a Snare of Destruction And how woful is that Strife Division and Contention about Religion that hath highly abounded among the Christian People so called For the whole Christendom have been divided and in Opposition one part against another about the True God and his Worship and concerning the knowledge of Salvation by Jesus Christ And divers kinds of Religion Church-Government and Practices of Ordinances of Faith Worship have been extant in the World and Nations Countries have been all in Division Strife and Contention about these Matters and have been also persecuting one another violently unto Bonds and Death for and because difference in Judgment and Practices concerning Spiritual Things Papists against Protestants and Protestants against Papists and one sort of Christians so called against another and the men of such a Judgment and Faiâ—â— and Way of Religion have been persecuting and seeking to destroy all that have been contrary minded to them And thus have been the woful Divisions and evil Effects thereof in the World among Christians about Faith and Worship and Religious matters this has come to pass because of the spirit of Error Darkness that hath possessed the minds of men since the falling away from the Truth as it was once manifest among the Apostles And thus it s come to pass because of the erring from the Spirit of God and because that hath been wanting amongst men therefore have People been divers and divided about Matters of Religion each one sort following their own Invention and Traditions of men and also persecuting one another and killing and imprisoning one another because of the same and all this because the Spirit of Truth hath not dwelt in the Hearts of Christians as it did in the Apostles not led guided and taught them in true Unity and Fellowship as it did the true Christians in the dayes of old And while the Spirit of Christ hath been wanting and is not received into the Heart to mortifie guide rule and teach in all the Wayes of God and the whole exercise of Religion and Duty towards Him and while there is any kind of imposing and forceing of Religion by Laws of men upon Penalties and Forfeitures and setting up Worship and Church Government by that means and in that way without the immâ—… Teaching of the Spirit of Christ in the Conscience I say while this hath been and is continued nothing but Division Strife Contention Persecution and Nations and Peoples destroying one another about Religion hath been is or can be in the World amongst Christians And of this same to wit of Division and Contention about Religion with the Enmity of such as are so divided one against another to the persecuting and killing one of another that are contrary minded as it hath been brought forth in the World for Generations past we have here a sufficient large Testimony lately published in a Book called Semper Iidem or A Paralel of Phanaticks c. wherein is made mention of what Strife and Contention there hath been in former dayes among the false Christians and how they have cruelly Persecuted Burned and Destroyed one another in this Cause only for and because of the difference in Maters of Judgment and Religious Things and these Persecutions and Cruelties effected contrary to the Example of Christ and his Doctrine who hath exhorted to Love and Peace and not to Kill and Destroy and that a man should love his Enemies and not Kill and Destroy them contrary to which Doctrine the false Christians of all kinds have walked and acted since the dayes of the Apoâ—… who have been Apostatized and fallen from the very Life and Power of Godliness as held amongst the primitive Saints into Forms and empty Shadows being all in strife one with another about such things and have wanted the Spirit of Christ which should have led and guided into all Truth and exercised them in the true Worship of the true and living God who is a Spirit and is only truly worshipped in Spirit and in Truth but out of this Spirit and spiritual Worship the false Christians have been erred and so all divided and in Centention aâ— aforesaid and persecuting one another because thereof each one sort justifying their own Way 〈◊〉 Right and condemning that which hath differed as the Wrong and all as Hereticks that have been otherwise minded But as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Book Semper Iidem c. I would gladly animadâ—… 〈◊〉 conâ—…ing it and do intend to write a few things by way of anâ—â—er thereunto and this is the present Occasion of my present work for having met with the said Pamphlet and perusing of it I found divers Considerations on my spirit to send forth in Answer to pursue the said Semper Iidem up and down the World till it returns again unto the place from whence it came to wit Unto the bottomless Pit out of which it lately arose and in reading the same Book I have principally observed the Mischievout End and secret Evil Intents of the Nameless Author more than the Matter it self contained and though the Author be Nameless yet is his nature and spirit known by his Book and for what end he hath concealed his Name I know not except he was ashamed of his Work and durst not Authorize his Matter by his Name but however the spirit end and intent of the said Nameless Person is perceived and known as much as any Tree can be distinguished by its Fruit and he is of an Envious Disposition of Heart and of Malicious Countenance and in nature and stock of the descent of Cain for his spirit is of an evil constitution hot and fiery and enclinable to destroy all that are not like-minded with himself in the Iudgment of Religious Matters and his proceedings and the end of his work is of an Intent and Purpose wicked enough if every Effect answers the Cause appearing and be not diverted from the End proposed by the Author and this I find by Calculation of his Birth and the Temper of his spirit and of the Time wherein his Book is published and by the Cause and End and Intent of the
Matter and Manner of it and by the Effect that would follow if the Author's Aim and Purpose were fulfilled By all which I must in true Judgment conclude from the Appearance Disposition Temper and Constitution of the spirit of the man and from all Causes and Effects pertaining to the said Semper Iidem That the Author thereof is indeed chiefly a Member of the Church of Rome to wit mostly a down-right Papist holding forth the Principles of Antichrist in perfect form and manner for the perfect End and Cause of Persecution even Burning again in Smithfield and else-where and killing and destroying even all sorts of people under the scurrilous reproachful name of Phanaticks that are in Iudgment and practice of Profession contrary to this man's Way and differing from the Papists Religion This I say I truly find to be the current and disposition of the Nameless Author and his Proceedings in his Method and Matter of his Semper Iidem c. and I have taken in hand at this time to answer him a little and to unfold some of the dangerous Intents towards England which may inhabit and secretly lodge in that spirit of the Church of Rome according to the current of the said Book and from which I have just cause to suppose the thing that I partly assert even that the spirit which hath Indicted the said Book waits its Opportunity to effect its end and to revive and renew Fire and Faggot again to the extinquishing and destruction of all that differ and are contrary minded in Principles and Practices of Religion and Worship from themselves for the Fury and Reproach of the said spirit that indicted and published Semper Iidem reacheth not only to others whom they call more Phanatical as Quakers Anabaptists c. but to the very Protestants themselves even to all whatsoever that differ from the Church of Rome for such by the Nameless Author are no less termed and vilified by that scornful term PHANATICKS distinguished by the Name of Ancient and Modern as hereafter I shall make it appear And First I shall shew a little concerning the Signification of the Term Phanatick as of late used and the first use of it in these late Dayes and the exchange of the word from one Sort to another and in whose mouthes it now remains and who are now so accounted 1. NOt to discuss the Etimology and signification of the word Phanatick in it self and what its Original is and from whence derived this I shall not now proceed to do as being not needful to my Occasion though there is difference of Judgment amongst some in this matter and some say the original and root of the word is from Phanos a false Godd and some say otherwise and they are not in unity among themselves that do most of all use the word concerning the Derivation and Signification of the word in it self Neither shall I spend time to seek out a Judgment and to give it in this case as counting the recompence that can be obtained not answerable to such a work but the signification of it as now used at this day among People is this All that differ in Iudgment and Practice of Religion and Worship from the generality of People and cannot conform unto such Way of Religion as generally practiced in the Land such are called PHANATICKS and this Signification the word beareth among People as now practiced Such as meet together to Preach and Pray out of Publick Places and cannot either out of Knowledge or Conscience conform to the Publick Way of Worship held forth such are called Phanaticks and Reproached by that Name from the Mouthes of Scorners and Revilers of the Wayes of God Numbers of whom do now abound and also Such who make Conscience of their Wayes and cannot run on in the Wayes of Iniquity in Lying and Drunkenness and such like but have been and are more sober and do walk more in Meekness and the Fear of God and have separated themselves from the Evil Company of men and from all Evil Wayes and could not run into the same excess of Riot with the Multitude such have been called of these late dayes Phanaticks by the Scorners Generation And thus much in brief of the signification of the word as used of these late dayes 2. As for the first use of the word Phanatick in this Age it is but of very late use for till within these two Years or less we had very little or no use of the word Phanatick until about the time of then General Monk's Army coming out of Scotland to London when the Army was new model'd and many of the Sectaries so called were turned out of Places about the Eleaventh Moneth 1659. then began the common use of this word Phanatick and the Anabaptists and such as were turn'd out of the Army and called all by the Name of Sectaries that were different from the publick Way of Worship then held out which was for the most part of it Presbyterians these were called Phanaticks and then the use of the word so common began about this time as I have said as now practiced in our dayes For the Rage and Indignation of the then Presbyterians so called and that Party was such against the Anabaptists and such as differed in Iudgment and Practice from them that scornfully they called them in Derision Phanaticks And so far as I know this was the Time and Occasion of the first use of this word as of late Practiced or at least it was the first Time and Occasion of my Observation of the common use of the word Phanatick 3. And now as concerning the exchange of the word from one sort of People to another and how it hath been used by divers sorts of People against others that have differed from themselves this is also observable That the word Phanatick hath not so much proper relation to any one sort of People as that it is only perfectly true to one sort of People more than to others but the properness of the word Phanatick is only as Scorners and Revilers will wickedly use it and as they will turn it to this sort of People or to the other to scorn them by it whom they have an Emnity against and whom they list to abuseby reproaching And this is the end of the use of the word to this day and not of any truth or verity in it to any People but only it s used as a Term of Reproach and Scorning by the Mouthes of ungodly men against such as differ from them and their Wayes though they are better in Practice of Life and Conversation than themselves And the Term hath been changed divers times and divers sorts of People reproached by it by others since its first use as first The People called Presbyterians as aforesaid they used it towards such as were otherwise-minded than themselves and reproached the Anabaptists and others that differed from them in Iudgment and Practice of Religion by the
but it was not according to True Knowledge And thus the Iews were zealously performing that as their Duty and as out of a Good Conscience which the Lord required not at their hands and so they made Conscience to do that which the Lord required not and their Consciences were mis-led and not righly informed and as it was amongst the Iews in this case in the dayes of old so now is it amongst the Christians in the Apostacy their Consciences being mis-guided by a false spirit they are doing and performing the things in great Zeal and for the exercise of their Consciences which the Lord doth not require of them Thus do the Papists they do and practise the things in great Zeal and through a false Fear in their blind Consciences which things are in themselves Idolatry and not commanded nor required of the Lord as in many particulars I might shew even in many parts of their Worship and Religion which out of a Fear and blind Zeal and mis-guided Conscience they practise which is in it self but Idolatry and not required nor accepted of the Lord. And many things in relation to the Protestants Worship and amongst all the several false Sects upon Earth which are done and practised in great Zeal and out of a false Fear and as in pretence of a good Conscience and yet are things in themselves Idolatrous as done and practised by them And this comes to passe as I have said because the Conscience is mis-informed and a false spirit guides and rules in the exercise of Conscience and the understanding of the People is blinded and they know not but they do well though their minds are captivated and their minds and judgments in error and though there be a sincerity to God-wards and a desire of Him in the bottom among some People of all Forms and Sects and some of all are zealous towards God in their practices in their Religion and Worship yet among all People and the Churches that have been for many Generations there hath been great Error in Judgment and much blindness in mind and the Conscience falsly exercised towards God and the Superscription hath been To the Unknown God and He hath been ignorantly worshipped and the Spirit of the Lord hath not truly exercised Peoples Consciences nor guided their Zeal nor been Ruler in the Judgment And by this means the sincerity and humility towards God hath been eaten out and always quenched and the bare practice of things and profession of Religion in the outward appearance hath been more lookt at than the presence of God felt in the Practices and the Zeal hath been more for the performance of such things than for God purely enjoyed through them And thus it hath been through Christendom in the Apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles and true Churches Many have erred in their Judgments and the Zeal for God hath proceeded out of the error of Iudgments and out of mis-information of Conscience some other things than only the Spirit of God hath ruled in the Iudgment and been the exercise of Peoples Consciences And this is a hint of things about true Liberty of Conscience and about the Error in Iudgment and the blind Zeal in captivated sincerity Now it may be objected What is the only absolute Rule of the right Exercise of Conscience and when are Mens Consciences truly guided To this I answer The only chief and perfect Rule of the right Exercise of Conscience both to God and all men is The Spirit of Christ for it is only that which can truly guide the Conscience in Faith Doctrine and Worship and in all things towards God even the Spirit of Christ which is the gift of the Father it only leadeth into all Truth as it is written and all whose Consciences are guided and exercised by it are in unity and Peace in their Worship Doctrine and Religion for the Spirit of Christ is but one in it self and guideth the Conscience into the exercise of one Truth and Faith and in this same Spirit is true â—nion and Communion of SAINTS in Religion and Worship and this is manifest through the Scriptures for the Apostle exhorted To walk in the Spirit and by it and as many as walked by the Rule of the Spirit Peace be upon them and it is the Spirit of Christ the Everlasting Comforter that teacheth all Truth and the Holy Anointing of the Spirit that dwelt in the Saints taught them all things and they need no man to teach them but as the Anointing that dwelt in them And then are mens Consciences truly guided in all the Ways of Righteousness when the Spirit of God guides the Conscience and is the Rule of all Faith Doctrine and Practices So that Traditions of Men Prescriptions of Councils Antiquity of Time Commandments of Men nor Example of others without the Spirit of Christ cannot be the only true Rule of the Exercise of Conscience for all these things are changeable alterable and subject to variations and therefore cannot infallibly guide the Conscience in the Duty towards God nor rightly exercise the Conscience in Unity and Peace but while a Nation or Kingdom or People walk by the Rule of Traditions Prescriptions Commandments of Men Example of others or the like they err in Judgment in Faith Doctrine and Worship and are all divided in Contention about these matters because their Rule of Conscience and Judgment is doubtful and alterable and not infallible and therefore they have no perfect assurance of Gods acceptation to them in their Faith and Religion nor perfect Peace and Unity in their Faith and Worship But as the Rule of their Consciences in their Duty towards God is divers some make one thing and some another their Rule so are they divers and divided in what they hold profess and practice and are but of great Babylon in their Religion And because that something besides the Spirit of God exercises the Conscience therefore it is that here are so many Wayes and Sects of Religigion and kinds of Worship in Christendom and amongst Christians while the Spirit of Christ only is not the Rule of Iudgement and Exercise of Conscience to God and Man for the only perfect Rule of Conscience in the Exercise to God is the Spirit of Christ and not any other thing And now Whosoever shall persecute the Exercise of Conscience when guided by the Spirit of Christ such persecute Christ Jesus And this is Persecution for the Name of Christ when Sufferings are inflicted as Reproaches Imprisonment or whatsoever for the Exercise of Conscience towards God by his Spirit but and if any are persecuted for Religion-sake only so if that in such their Exercise of Religion they are not guided by the Spirit of Christ yet that suffering is a kind of Persecution also if I say the Suffering be only for and because of their Religions-sake and they walk Justly and Righteously as men so that as is signified about the middle of this Chapter
thou and thine too light and the 〈◊〉 the Lord will scatter them And P. T. confesses Every Real-hearted Christian may be and is in 〈◊〉 called Perfect Rep. Then wherefore doth he oppose me who testifieth the same thing and he now confesseth even That every Real-hearted Christian may be and is called Perfect in Scripture And is not he here guilty in that he charged me falsly in pag. 21. of his last With going Rounds like unto a Horse in a Mill who sometimes denies Perfection and sometimes confesses it to be attained in this life but he is forced in the end to confess to the Truth and to iustifie me And also the Scripture doth testifie The Saints were already perfect and compleat in Christ while they were in the Life upon Earth Col. 1. though there be a time wherein all the Saints do complain of the Body of Sin in their Warfare and Travel yet there is a state also wherein they have put off the â—…doy of Sin and are the Servants of Righteousness and free from Sin Rom. 〈◊〉 22. But P. T. shews little Experience in those states as of the Travel under the Body of Death and also of the Victory over it and so what he speâ—… is but by guess from other mens words and then it is no marvel if he errs in â—udgment and bring one Scripture to contradict another not having the infâ—… Spirit that gave it forth nor feeling the States nor the passing thorow these Conditions declared therein for there is a time of Travelling and complaining under the Body of Sin and its Burden and a time of Freedom from it and Victory over it yea even in this life upon Earth And whereas I said in my last Many of the Saints daily received more and 〈◊〉 of God's Wisdom and of his Power and Life revealed in them wherein they grow in to God from strength to strength Now saith he But whether he doth not own some to have attained so high that there can be no Addition is a Query my soul saith he 〈◊〉 not been able to enter into his secrets in this thing because my words were Mary of the Saints c. Rep. My first words it seems he cannot contradict but owns them to be the so I need not defend them only he supposeth a Question in which there is not much Edification to be answered and I have no secrets in what I speak for to the the Children of Light my words are plain though to P. T. and such they may be Parables and Secrets But as for my own particular I now here answer 〈◊〉 Question and further reply I do grow up in Wisdom and Knowledge daily and never knew so much of T 's Deceit as now I do since and at the Dispute the Ground of this our Debate so I thought good to let him know that I do grow in Truth which doth daily discover more and more Deceit in him and them that oppose Truth and so also grow in the Knowledge of his Error of Judgment and Ignorance that I may condemn it and judge it And whereas I said The Light which everyman is lightned withal by Christ is sufficient to bring up every man to believe in Christ that loves the Light and walks in it and unto such is Grace added and encreased daily as in page 16 of my first more appeareth In opposition to this to overthrow it as he supposeth he hath nominated that Scripture 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of â—… 〈◊〉 Now my words are true and no Contradiction to the Apostle's words 〈◊〉 to such as are blind that cannot discern between Light and Darkness 〈◊〉 will judge falsly and out of an evil mind make an appearance of seeming 〈◊〉 where there is none for the Light that lighteth every man that 〈◊〉 the World is Christ Iohn â— 9 and that Christ the Light that 〈◊〉 every 〈◊〉 that comes into the World is sufficient to bring every man 〈◊〉 loves the Light and walks in it to believe in Christ these are my words 〈…〉 mind and would any man that were not stark blind make 〈…〉 this Doctrine or bring a Scripture to prove the contrary 〈…〉 I own and do no way contradict For the 〈◊〉 Man doth 〈◊〉 the things of God nor know 〈◊〉 yet this is not Contrary to what I say 〈◊〉 Christ Jesus lighteth every man that comes into the World 〈◊〉 Light 〈◊〉 is sufficient and he changeth men from Natural to 〈◊〉 so they 〈◊〉 to believe in Christ that hath lightened 〈…〉 say or hold forth That the natural man 〈…〉 God and that the natural man hath Faith 〈◊〉 never 〈…〉 to my mind to say so he hath drawn 〈◊〉 evil Consequence 〈…〉 and then confounded his own 〈…〉 for my saying and intent is that 〈…〉 the World and his Light is 〈…〉 natural to spiritual and to give 〈…〉 things of God and of his Spiri◠〈…〉 is no Contradiction to the Apostles worâ—â— though 〈…〉 understanding I suppose rather than 〈…〉 Principle is proved sound and the Title of the 〈◊〉 a Lye And whereas I said That Christ wrought Righteousness perfectly 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Righteousness in all that believe and 〈…〉 or that hath not the other pag. 12. of my first He saith Whâ—ther I do 〈◊〉 Iustification and Sanctification he leaves all rational men to judge c. 〈◊〉 That Christ wrought Righteousness without us is not denyed by him 〈…〉 the Righteousness of the Law in the 〈◊〉 he cannot well deny 〈◊〉 read Rom. 8. 4. and that no man is justified by the Righteousness that 〈◊〉 wrought without who believes not nor is converted to God but in the 〈◊〉 of Satan This all the Children of God believe and know That none 〈◊〉 justified by Christ's Righteousness without 〈◊〉 who are convertâ—â— to God 〈◊〉 received Christ and he is in them 〈◊〉 else they are 〈◊〉 and not justified And so I am not ashamed of my Principle 〈…〉 to be too light for he that hath not Christ 〈…〉 is a Reprobate and not justified by anâ— Righteousness without Neither 〈◊〉 found Iustification and Sanctification which be 〈…〉 are one in Christ for he is made unto us Sanctification and Iustification and 〈…〉 that is in the Pollutions of the World unsanctified is not justified 〈◊〉 condemned so none are justified by a Righteousness without them but 〈◊〉 in the same corrupt 〈◊〉 with him must not I be judged 〈…〉 justifie If any Work be 〈…〉 in the Strength and Power of 〈…〉 strength then 〈…〉 and that no Work or Word is justified but what the â—… And though P.T. ignorantly commenceth 〈◊〉 these words yet are they words of 〈◊〉 and Righteousness and all that he saith 〈◊〉 nothing to the 〈◊〉 And whereas I did ask him which he had Ignorantly affirmed in his 〈…〉 that Righteousness which Christ works â—… in his Strength and 〈…〉 is called Our Righteousness which he seeâ—â— to answer but 〈…〉 my words for I