the Scribes and Pharisees that these things ye ought to have done Nay that the morality ceased and a grieving part of our substance according to Gods ordination unto those that attend upon the preaching of the Gospel this thou findest to the contrary too 1 Cor. 9. 7. to 15. here then is an approbation and an ordination and yet both not sufficient to satisfie men unreasonable Further after a little more prattle thou criest out thou dark minde in the time of the first Priest-hood Tyth was not payed nor received as by any command from Caesar or from any man whatsoever but by commandment from the Lord and in this time who payed not Tythes robbed God Mal. 3. 8 9 10. here is no telling of Caesar nor any man but God himself whose the earth is and the fulnesse thereof Repl. Here thou seekest to perswade the Magistrate not to meddle with Tythes intimating he had no finger in it under the Law indeed I know that the most high ruleth in the Kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he pleaseth but by whom do's he give out Laws rule and govern the world but by his own will in Magistrates and so in all ages there has been polity and government in all Nations and Magistrates chosen by men according to Gods secret instinct and direction in the hearts of men and this choice cloathed with Majesty and Authority from the Lord to maintain Laws and peace in the earth and this power under the Law was for the punishment of all offenders of the Law and so surely for the punishment of those who robbed God in any thing but what this robbing is thou canst not tell and that the Magistrate had no hand in requiring obedience to and observance of the Laws statutes and judgements of God this lies upon thee to prove which because thou canst not do therefore thou must deny the Scripture and say all the complaint was to be made to God in case of injury and oppression under the Law and so none at all unto the Magistrate yet in case of injury the Magistrate is set up thou seest for a refuge to fly unto in the earth and whereas thou sayest he who payed not Tythes robbed God the same may be said of every other command he who kept it not robbed God and the Magistrate was to require recompence or to punish for all this robbery but thy drift is fain thou wouldst have the Magistrates stand for a Cypher and take no eognizance of all the robbery that is done unto God in the Nation of all the blasphemies and unrighteousnesses of men men are not to complain to men but God and so the powers of the Nation must stand still and let all the Laws of God and man be levelled and every one ride upon the Throne of his own will this is the worlds desire indeed because they love not to be governed but all must be governours and the rule and Law must be their own will and power see here where thou art friend in the midst of the vilest and worst of the sons of men fain thou wouldst have none but God to meddle with men and with their actions dreaming though foolishly that if thou couldst escape the authority and punishment of the Laws and of the Magistrates thou couldst easily escape the authority and punishment of God but God sees what every one do's in the dark in the Chamber of his imagery and what are we or what are the Magistrates your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord he sees all the pining and fretting of every one in all this untoward generation and how 't is his goverment they shake of and a King they must have to govern them like all other Nations which is their own dream and will see where thou art and remember thou owe no man any thing but love no Rent no Custome no Tribute no Tythes love will teach thee these things are due therefore cover not anothers portion owe him nothing but love for the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Quest 4. What is that double honour which is due unto the Elder that rules well and what is the Elder and his ruling well 1 Tim. 5. 17. Answ The Elder that rules well is he that rules in the authority of God over his own will in that spirit which is contrary unto the will of the flesh and that spirit is honoured of God and all good men to whom its due and double Repl. Here 's a Christian Elder a spiritual Elder and I like him and his ruling well as one who begins in the spirit and ends in the spirit and thus the Saints are called Elders Rev. 4. 4. and 5. 5. 8 and these I finde resigning up themselves and all they have unto the Lord falling down and vvorshipping him that lives for ever casting their Crowns and all their choicest Jewels at his feet saying thou art worthy to receive glory honour and power but besides these there is a preaching Elder one anointed to be an officer and servant of the vvord of God in the Lords house and unto this Elder all both high and low that will not rebell against Christ the master must yield obedience and this Elder is mentioned and what his ruling ought to be 1 Pet. 5. 1. 2 3. and 1 Tim. 5. 17 19. and such Titus was to ordain in every City Tit. 1. 5. and this Elder is called a Bishop or Overseer Tit. 1. 7 8. how he must be qualified we there read 1 Tim. 3. 1. to 8. and thus its usual with the Apostle to call such who were to rule over the spirits of men by the power of the Word Bishops Overseers Preachers Elders those were the rulers well that laboured and took pains in the Word and Doctrine not giving heed to fables and Genealogies which minister questions doting much upon their questions and answers to their doubtfull questions whereof comes envy strife railings and evil surmisings the Elders of the Lord must be of another spirit than this questioning generation sober grave wise apt to teach nourished up in the words of faith and of good Doctrine and of good life the Elder that thus rules well though the world own him not love him not rob him accuse him condemne him yet he 's worthy of all due respect and maintenance this Elder thou art willingly ignorant of and no such thing canst thou finde in Scripture because against him and his maintenance thou art filled with indignation as being some stop to thy Kingdom and reign in the dark world Answ The rest of the answer unto this query is like the former all overspread with accusations telling me I am none of the Elders he has mentioned who am covetous conforming to the world its wayes fashions customes inventions abusing my body with cuffs ribbons unnecessaries at which my high big ranting minde may scorn c. Repl. But stay friend whence comes all this from the
Scripture mentions I own knowing that the body is destroyed and dead and my Soul as a bird delivered from the snare Answ Further the second birth sins not 1 Joh. 3. 9. and 1 Joh. 5. 18. the second birth is without guile and spot Rev. 14. 5. and Christ is manifest to take away sin and he that abides in him sins not 1 Joh. 3. 5 6. Repl. All this I own rightly understood but 't is much besides the question for the question is not whether the new man sin but whether the man in whom this new man is manifested sin or not seeing that which is born of the spirit is spirit and that which is born of the flesh is flesh the spirit cannot sin but the flesh can do nothing but sin Rom. 7. 17 to the end and Gal. 5. 17. there you may see the two births the two men flesh and spirit and what their actions are and yet I own a taking away both of the guilt and power of sin where Christ is manifested in the new birth Answ Further but thou takest Tythes and so deniest Christ who takes away sin Repl. By the same argument thou mayest say to a Magistrate Souldier Landlord Labourer thou takest custome pay rent wages therefore thou deniest Christ who takes away sin Answ Further but Christ thou sayest has as much power to cleanse man as the first Adam to defile man Repl. Christ has more and greater Rom. 5. 15 to the end That which defiles do's not come from power properly but from weaknesse or want of power but that which cleanseth comes from the mighty power of God and yet though man be not cleansed God is not to be blamed for who art thou repliest shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Rom. 9. 18 19 20 c. Answ Further I who lived in the wayes customes fashions pastimes and vain recreations of the world it is high time for thee to plead for sin in this life Repl. This is but thy clamour neither do I plead for sin but for the truth of God witnessed both by the Letter and spirit unto all that are not fools and blinde and thy denial of sin Satan and Antichrist to be where they are either in power or part is the old trick of the evil one to hide himself where he is and that too many have drunk in this poison and say with their hearts and practice though not with their tongues Stand by I am holier than thou thou art a sinner a Satan an Antichrist I am none that many are under this sad delusion it appears by their clamouring and condemning all that worship not under their green Tree and whether thou and they are not greater friends to the beast and sin that dream in your hearts you have no sin and so are lifted up than those who confesse they have sin and so are kept humble meek and low which of these are the greatest friends to sin I leave to the light to judge Answ Further if all have remnants of sin when then must man be cleansed seeing as the Tree falls so it lies and no unclean person no unclean thing must enter into the Kingdom when is the time of cleansing is there a purgatory after man be turned into the dust Repl. The time of cleansing is here here we are not in the flesh but in the spirit that we may be comforted and yet in the flesh as well as in the spirit that we may be humbled God beholds no iniquity in Jacob and yet Jacob sees iniquity in himself all his iniquities are covered that he may be blessed and yet his iniquities sometimes appear that he may be lesse than the least of all his mercies Friend there is a purging here a real total thorow eternal purging in Gods account who reckons Saints by his grace and yet whilest the flesh remains it will hanker after the flesh and beget such breathings after self and things below that many times the best will see cause enough to mourn and to long after a dissolution when they shall see their enemies again no more for ever so that here needs no Purgatory after this life sin is here condemned destroyed and in part executed and when the dissolution comes 't is bid farewell to all the Saints of God and left to inhabite here below something here of this thou mayest call a contradiction 't is so unto the blinde 't is not so unto the wise Answ Further all who are led by the light of Christ into his life as they come and abide so are they totally freed from the worlds life and power of sin and darknesse and to lead up to this was the Saints exhortation into the Unity out of the woe into him who is but one in whom is all truth and no sin nor self nor deceivings Repl. All who are led by the light of Christ so far as they come and abide in his life spirit through his light and leading so far no farther are they freed from the life of worldlings and the power of sin and darknesse and the end of the Lords spirit by his exhortations unto others in his messengers and Saints was and is to perswade them more into the Unity of the spirit through the bond of peace that so they might be kept from the woe of sin and darknesse through a dividing from this spirit and might learn to live in him whose light and life is one in nature though not in measure in all the sons of God and he who walks and lives in Christ and Christ in him is so far delivered from sin and self and deceit into all light and truth as he walks and abides lesse or more in a sweet manifestation of his life in Christ so that Christ manifested is still the standard and measure of all our light and truth and redemption from sin and darknesse and if this manifestation were full and compleat in this earthly house what need the Saints groan and wait for a dissolution 2 Cor. 5. 1. to 10. and for the appearance and coming of Christ in glorie 1 Joh. 3. 1 2. and through hope of this endeavour still after the Lords purity verse 3. waiting for a full enojyment and discovery of their adoption or of that unto which they are adopted Rom. 8. 23. Answ Further Paul saith we know but in part we Prophesie but in part 1 Cor. 13. 9. and so say I in the time of Prophesie man sees but in part and knows but it part Repl. Friend why doest thou here in thine ignorance like others to cover their ignorance wrest the Scriptures Paul sayes we know in part and we Prophesie in part and thou turnest it thus In the time of Prophesie indeed man sees but in part and knows but in part Paul do's not say in the time of Prophesie we know but in part but according as our Prophesie or Vision is so is our knowledge both but in
and misery and translated me into the Kingdom of his dear Son where I have righteousnesse peace and joy and that in power which makes these things in me unspeakable and full of glorie Quest Who baptized John the Baptist Answ Even he baptized him by his Spirit into his administration who sent him first forth to baptize with water he being the first who was called to that baptisme of water had no need of the baptisme of any other but of him who sent him Quest. Whether is Jesus Christ the end of all figures Answ Yea I look upon Jesus Christ as the end and fulfilling of all types and shadows he being the substance for whose sake all figures were ordained and when he is come the figure disappears or the shadow flies away Quest Whether Jesus Christ baptized any with outward water yea or nay Answ We read that Christ was baptized himself with water by John who was the Minister of water but Jesus Christ himself never baptized or administred water in his own person John 4. 1 2. Quest Whether John was a Prophet And whether Iesus Christ be the end of the Prophets and prophetical figures yea or nay Answ Iohn was a Prophet nearer the more clear Revelation of Iesus Christ than the rest and therefore more in the light for a greater Prophet than Iohn hath not risen and yet as other Prophets he was one rather upon the account of the Law than the Gospel For he who was least in the Kingdom of God or administration of the Gospel was greater than he Matt. 11. 11. Now Christ is the end or fulfilling of Iohn and the rest of the Prophets and their shadowish ministrations and all the Lords people under the ministration of Christs reign within are made Kings and Priests and Prophets unto God in their own persons Quest Whether he whose Commission is in Ink and Paper without him be not a Minister of the Letter and not of the Spirit one that walks by tradition and imitation and not by command and so shut out of the true ministerie Answ Such an one I look upon as a Thief and Robber because not entring in by the door of the Spirit within into the sheepfold And though these men speak the words of Moses of Christ and other holy men of God yet having no experience of the truth and enjoyment of what they speak within hence they can be but Lip-Ministers and make but Lip-Christians being rather mockers of Christ and his Spirit in the Saints than Ambassadours from Heaven to awaken Christ in mens consciences and to set him up to reign as King and Lord in mens Spirits which is the end of the Lord by the Ministery of those whom he sends Quest Whether Iesus Christ who sent forth Disciples sent them to spread abroad Iohn and his Ministery who was a Prophet or himself who was the end of the Prophets greater than Iohn who baptizeth with the holy Ghost in whom alone is salvation yea or nay yet who owns him sets every thing in its place time and season Answ The end of Christs sending out to preach was that thereby the Nations might be baptized not into the name of Iohn or Peter or Iames or Paul but into the name of God that they might understand and know God and Iesus Christ whom he hath sent that men might become the Lords Disciples and not the Disciples of men and so we finde the Apostles not preaching up themselves but Iesus Christ the Lord and themselves servants Apostles men sent to minister as they had received And the main drift of their preaching we finde was to declare the Gospel glad tidings of grace and peace through Christ unto the Sons of men to open the mystery of Christ which was hidden from former ages and to entreat men through Christ to be reconciled unto God to bring to a receiving all from Christ and to a placing all in Christ who of God is made unto all his wisdom righteousnesse and redemption and that by way of Spirit and power working all these in their Souls In brief Christ sent out his Disciples to declare himself to preach salvation in his name and to perswade the vvorld to faith and meeknesse and love and self-denial c. through their taking in Christ to work all these in their Souls And yet they were to give every outward person and ordinance God was to make use of or had made use of before its due respect plate and season Quest Whether the baptisme unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea was outward yea or nay Answ The baptisme unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea I take not to be literal but metaphorical and a typical baptisme The Cloud typically holds forth the presence of God overshadowing protecting and defending them from their enemies And their passing through the Sea on dry ground when their enemies were overwhelmed and drowned holds forth the wonderfull power of God in their deliverance and defence These were two great Declarations of Gods power and providence towards that people by which they were baptized unto Moses that is confirmed in the truth of his administration and so taught to believe God and his servant Moses whom he had sent by a strong hand to bring them out of Egypt into Canaan Quest. Whether the one baptisme which Paul spake of who was not sent to baptize was with outward water or with the baptisme of Christ who is greater than John Answ The baptisme which Paul cals one is the baptisme of Christ upon all his whereby they are baptized spiritually into an onenesse of nature with himself as their faith is one so their baptisme one Quest Whether that baptisme which Peter witnesseth to have which was not the putting away this filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ was with outward water yea or nay Answ This baptisme the Apostle here speaks of must needs be an inward thing wrought in the soul by the resurrection or appearing of Christ there in spirit through whose coming the conscience comes to be cleansed from guilt shame and fear and so the soul can go unto God cheerfully and safely as one saved through the baptisme or spiritual work of the Son of God within Quest Whether that cup of which Jesus Christ sayd that henceforth he would not drink of the fruit of the wine till he did drink it new with them in his Fathers kingdom was an outward cup yea or nay Answ This cup and drinking in the Fathers kingdom must needs be a spiritual cup and drinking for in the Kingdom of God there 's no eating and drinking of earthly fruit all is heavenly and Paradisicall there 's no eating and drinking of any thing but what flowes from the nature and spirit and fulnes of the Father Quest Whether any outward cup be drunk in the Kingdom of God yea or nay Answ There 's no carnal sensual cup
judge any thing in thee but what falls under the condemnation of the light and truth of God and though thou pretendest to a fulnesse of light and knowledge yet I finde thee low and dark by thy frivolous answers which thou givest to what the Soul is what the two witnesses are what the first and second resurrection is what the day of judgement heaven and hell are and many other things propounded to thee which I finde thee unable and unwilling to make out the truth of and therefore art thou angry that thy weak building is so much as questioned And yet thou knowest the Apostles counsel is to us all that we should be alwayes ready to give answer of the hope that is in us with meeknesse and fear but thou having no hope but in this life thy heaven and happinesse here art judged of all men to be most miserable according to what the Apostle saith If in this life onely we have hope in him we are of all men most miserable And so thou miserable wretch art loath to be questioned though thou send questions by the scores to other men Repl. But thou seest mine intent thou sayest I would not have my deeds of darknesse reproved Answ If thou hast received wisdom and power to reprove in the name of the Lord do it as sharply and bitterly as thou canst for let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnesse let him reprove me it shall be an excellent Oyl which shall not break mine head But to thee I say have a care thou take not the name of God in vain for the righteous one I do not finde in thee reproving seeing thou canst not do it in the patience and meeknesse of Jesus Christ. But thou sayest Repl. Is not that the honour which is given to all the Saints to execute judgement upon the Heathen Psal 149. 6 7 8 9. And all that know not God are Heathen and he that sins hath neither seen God nor known God 1 Joh. 3. 6. That which cleanseth man leadeth man to see God The pure in heart see God and Canaan was a figure of the spiritual rest c. Answ Friend wert thou in the meaning as well as in the Letter of these Scriptures thine eyes would be in thine own head not alwayes abroad like an Heathen in the ends of the earth and so thou wouldest judge and excute vengeance upon the Heathen or carnal man in thy self and then be in a fit posture of wisdom to judge the Heathen or carnal men without bearing witnesse against all their railings and revilings both in thy words and deeds But to look a little upon the places noted by thee This honour have all the Saints to execute the Lords vengeance by the two edged sword of his Spirit upon all the Heathen But thou art found to thy dishonour judging the Sons of God and the Daughters of God to be Heathen and so thy sword is drawn against the Lords anointed ones not against the Heathen And as for the binding of their Kings with Chains and their Nobles with fetters of Iron which shall be the honour of the Saints to do I finde this Scripture not yet eminently fulfilled in spirit and power some outward binding I have seen fulfilled in our own land but the firm real strong binding and limiting that shall be by the reigning of Christ in power and great glory in his Saints this shall asswage the malice and rigour of the Kings of the earth against the Church and make them stoop and bend and be willing to bring all their glory to her because they shall see and say the Lord is in you of a truth This day of the Churches power through the presence of the Lord in her in much wisdom knowledge righteousnesse and love to binde the Heathen and their Kings I finde dawning and the desire of all Nations is not far off But yet through the Saints violence and rage one against another in their several forms and imaginations evâ—ry one making hast to have the Crown and Honour of the day to himself â—â—â—t looking so much to the coming of the Lord as to his own advancing above all others of his brethren watching rather upon one anothers infirmities than upon the appearing of the Lord in one another through this weaknesse of the Saints and too much indulgence to their forms I finde the great day of binding to be retarded and prolonged yet the Vision is for an appointed time he that shall come will come and will not tarry And had we but a little more faith patience and quietnesse in our spirits we should soon see the Lord and his salvation Therefore stand ye still and be silent O all flesh wait upon the Lord and he shall bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light and thy judgement as the noon day It is his nature his power in the Saints that must bind Satan and all the wicked ones of the earth If man onely binde and kill and slay this worketh no deliverance no settlement no peace as we see at this day But when the Lord shall binde and slay and put in prison our enemies then we shall have rest and joy and quietnesse in our habitations Therefore as Bellarmine said when he came to die after all his study and labour to advance free will and mans merits that it was the safest way onely to rely upon Christ so say I after all our vain study and labour each to draw Disciples after himself to make his name and side great and strong the best and safest way will be for every one to rely upon the Lord and to think soberly of himself according as God hath given to every man the measure of truth and faith and then we shall begin to Judge the Heathen indeed and not thus shame our selves before them by our envy and railing and evill speaking one against another Repl. Further thou sayest all that know not God are Heathen and he that sins hath neither seen God nor known God Answ And so say I all that know him not in some measure of light and love are heathens and he that is in bondage to corruption that sins freely and willingly he hath no true sense nor saving knowledge of God upon him or in him and yet through infirmity temptation and weaknesse a Saint who hath a sweet taste and sense of God may be found in that which is sinfull though this man will by no means allow or approve of sin As Paul saith the evill which I do I allow not Repl. And thou sayest that which cleanseth men leadeth man to see God the pure in heart see God Answ All this is truth That which cleanseth and purifieth and leadeth to a sight of God is one power one pure spirit and by cleansing out what is contrary unto it self and making it self plain which is pure it leads the soul according to it's discovery into the spirituall rest where it satiates and fills it self with
Crosse both within and without is the same as he was hated persecuted crucified so are we according as 't is given unto us from our heavenly father as he was dead to his own will and alive to his fathers so are we according as we have power and life from the father given to us in all these and the like there is a similitude between Christ and his Church they are of his bone and flesh one every way so far as he and his father are pleased to lead them forth into it and this was that which Christ prayed for Joh. 17. 21. 22. and Paul spake of Rom. 8. 29. and desired to live in Phil. 3. 8. to 15. and this Iohn witnessed when he said as he is so are we in this world behold your likenesse friends all ye the Lords portion and challenge as much as ye will or can in this matter so as it flow from light and truth accompanied with humility and the fear of the Lord and ye cannot anger the Lord his spirit nor his son but withall be not high proud lofty there is a dissimilitude to as well as a likenesse between Christ and his Church First He 's the father of all God over all the fulnesse of the God-head dwells in him bodily This is no where said of the Saints though they partake of the nature of God and of the fulnesse of God according as their being can receive yet they are not the father they are not the God-head neither in fullnesse nor part no friends away with such blasphemies this is a Babylonian that sayes I am and there 's none else besides me a false Prophet that cries out I am Christ an Antichrist that sits in the Temple of God as God away with this conceit we are creatures still poor nothings drops of the bucket compared to the incomprehensible Majesty Further Christ was anointed with the Oyl of gladnesse above his fellows above measure but we are anointed in measure according to the gift of Christ we have no more than we receive by the grace of God I am what I am Further Christ knows our thoughts afar off and is acquainted with all our wayes there is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knowest it altogether Christ knew from the beginning who should betray him and he saw the thoughts and carnal reasonings of the carnal dark world but what do's poor man know though the Quaker is bolder then all his fore-fathers he knows a man as soon as ever he sees him and whether he be a Saint or a Devil though the man discover not himself by word or action yet the Quaker knows him and all that he may be as Christ is and yet the Apostle sayes what man knows the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him 1 Cor. 2. 11. and the Apostles knew not the Traitor but they were low then and so art thou friend in this thy dream for Christ sayes ye shall know them by their fruit and ye shall know my Disciples by their love so that our knowledge of others is by observation fruits and appearances of things in the outward man or by special revelation and discovery from God otherwise all other mens spirits are in the dark to us we have not a vision of their hearts afar off we know them not before they are born we know not the way of God in their spirits till it be written upon their fore-heads and so are not as Christ is in this respect Further Christ â—lwayes spake the truth was alwayes free from errour never in the least errour nor in the least deceived where 's the man besides that can challenge this unto himself who can understand his errours though so far as we are lighted by the Candle of the Lord so far we are led out of errour and all delusions but he 's the original truth and we receive from him as he is manifested so we have the truth no farther for he 's the truth lo still a difference which should teach us all to be humble meek and low Further Christ created all things all things were made by him and without him was nothing made that was made and Christ preserves all things by him all things consist and he upholds all by the word of his power where 's the man that can appropriate this power unto himself hast thou an arm like God canst thou make a new body or quicken an image with a Soul and make life appear canst thou retain the spirit of man or beast when the Lord commands it away I know there are that will attempt miracles and wonders but all vanishes still nothing is for ever but what the Lord do's let this teach us to fear before him knowing that 't is he who made us and not we our selves we are his off-spring and by him we have life and motion and all things Further Yet Christ was the onely begotten son of God the first-born his son by nature begotten by his power and brought forth by a Virgin but we are the sons of God by grace if we speak of the Saints nature do's not make us sons but the new birth the regeneration without which there 's no entring into the Kingdom of God Further Christ he 's the husband we the spouse and though the husband and wife be one yet the head of the woman is the man I speak of Christ and his Church he 's the man the root the head still and he 's the King we the subjects he the vine we the branches he 's the Lord and Master we the servants he 's the fountain we the streams he 's the father we the sons he 's all in all we are nothing in all this I hope I do not lessen the glory of Christ the Lord nor of his Church his Saints neither do I sad the Souls of any but such as are lifted up to forget their Saviour therefore come away friends glory as much as you will and can in your greatnesse and glory there is a likenesse between Christ and Saints that they be filled with joy and rest and abundance of consolation yet withall there 's an unlikenesse to Christ is infinitely more above us all than all the men in the world above the lowest creature therefore away away with somethingnesse self-glorying this is enough for the world to be proud and high-minded but let all the Lords people be content to lose their lives themselves their excellencies gifts Crowns throw all down at the feet of the Lambe saying thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created and thou high big flesh that sayest thou art as Christ in this present world without the least darknesse the least sin when thou knowest not the ground why he was and could not but be without sin and no man so as he whilest in this house of clay he was
so that all light it seemes is not the same though it come from the same root 't is not the same to us in it self 't is one and the same but to us 't is called natural spiritual reason grace and so there is the natural man and the spiritual man and each one of these have their light and that is the same to it self and in it self but in the natural man 't is but reason 't is but gathering and discerning of things by discourse and arguments from things that are made and so the natural man seeks after God in this Creation Rom. 1. 19. 20. and this light of the natural man is far below the light that is in the spiritual man even as far as the light and life that is in beasts is below the light and life that is in men and so the natural man receives not the things of the spirit neither can he know them for they are beyond his principle of light but the spiritual man discerneth all thingh 1 Cor. 2. 14 15. And yet the naturall man has a light too I call him the natural man because he 's first and to us more manifest as the Apostle sayes that which is first is naturall afterwards that which is spiritual this first man according to his principle has a light and life and that flows from the root Christ in him which he sees not for the head of every man is Christ and in him all live and move and have their being and this light or Christ shines in the darknesse but the darknesse knows it not and so man has skill and understanding in things of nature and as far as this creation teaches him and this is his light and the root which is Christ he sees not and so is still in darknesse as to Christ the hidden things of God now all this light or reason sets man in a sphere above beasts which are therefore called irrational man rational and this light through low and faint yet teaches man to feel and groap after a God and to worship yet still 't is to the unknown God it shines and glimmers in the darknesse of the first man fallen and as it came from God so it returns to God feels after him in this and that without and wearies it self about the knowledge of good and evill and many times puts some faint desires in man after God enough to bear witnesse of it self unto man and to leave him inexcusable but this light is but an imperfect weak faint light as I may so call it not that any thing is so to God but to us 't is so as vailed by our fleshly minde thoughts longings so it grows weaker and weary and in the end goes out and we see it no more and so man in the first state has need of a new birth a new man that is spirit and power from God a new fountain to break up in him or rather to have that awakened which before lay dead left us in darknes man has need of this as we see in the case of Paul and our own experiences this is he whom we are to wait for the coming of Christ the new man to visit us with light and salvation and when Christ and grace and love from the father springs up in us and shews it self to be our light and guide then the true light is come it was but flesh before but reason and nature and law now 't is the truth and it brings grace and truth to us and now God is come Christ is come they were there before but now we are awakened and we see them to be there and this coming of Christ in power as to Paul is the coming of light and life indeed unto our Souls before this was revealed in Paul he knew something indeed of the Law and the Tree of knowledge of good and evil but he knew nothing of the Gospel of the Tree of life of the truth as 't is in Jesus and of his own wicked false heart but when Christ was revealed then he leaves off flesh and bloud and consults with Christ alone and he makes all things manifest and shews him what to do and thus you see a vast difference between the light that is in the first man and the light that is in the second man I mean the light that is in us whilest we are in the state of nature and the light that is in us when we come to be in the state of grace in the first 't is but reason and it tends to the building up of man and self because 't is weak and knows not the Lord in truth nor the way to him and 't is onely sufficient to witnesse there is a God and so to condemne us because we run into sin but 't is not sufficient by the highest improvement of it to bring us acquainted with Christ and salvation by him as we see in the case of Paul but as for the light which springs up in us in us through a manifestation or revelation of Christ in to our Souls this shews us the father in love and brings us reconciled and leads us to feed and live upon him for evermore and so is a bringing of us out of darknesse into his marvellous light Answ Thou sayest Christ is natural to none Repl. If thou mean that he 's not in nature as a spark under the ashes so 't is false but if thou mean that the natural man knows him not so 't is true Further Thou sayest Christ is not in their conscience but is a witnesse against all natural inclinations and works acted in the corrupt nature Repl. Here thou contradicts thy self for if Christ witnesse against natural works where do's he witnesse but in the conscience and what is the conscience but a certain witnesse within according unto the spark of Christ that is in the conscience or knowledge unto the evil or good we do and so conscience do's either excuse us or accuse us according unto our works and is not this all the light of Christ that is in the Gentiles Rom. 2. 14 15. therefore why doest thou say that Christ is not in the Gentiles conscience according to some measure of light and if he be there in light then this light is in the conscience Answ Further who are of Christ partake of the Divine nature where he 's law and life to them Repl. This is true And those thou sayest have no Letter being brought into that nature But why then doest thou so much trouble the world with the Letter when it seems to favour thy ceremonies traditions and observationss if they who partake of Christ have no use nor need of Letter Answ Thou sayest Christ is but one who is the light of the world and lighteth every man who cometh into the world Jew and Gentile and in them both this light is but one Repl. And so is thy talk still but one one in darknesse and comes
revealed them unto babes and the election has obtained the promise but the rest are hardned this is an hard saying who can bear it but the true seed and yet foolish wise man will teach God what to do thou hast indeed power to lose thy Soul but power to save it without grace and the new birth thou hast none and thou vain man who art loth to fell all away to lose that part of thy life and self which lies in the dream of thine own power to believe and freedom to embrace grace as well as to deny them now thou art in the way to lose thy life and Soul for evermore and yet still I say there 's so much power given the Creature as shall leave him inexcusable I know he who believes is led to Christ his Redeemer and the saving of his Soul is by the springing up of his life and grace in his Soul who is a vvell of water springing up into eternal life and he who believes not is a stranger to Christ the Redeemer of his Soul and this saving and losing is everlasting but still the power to believe and be saved is of God Eph. 2. 8. by grace are ye saved through faith and not of your selves it is the gift of God and as for the saving and losing of the Soul for ever if it be thy faith and thou canst bear witnesse to it as a truth thou hast seen of God why then doest thou hide thy self and mince the truth as if it were not a thing to be owned by the sons of men the rest of that answer is spent after the old form in accusations by the accuser thy father Quest 17. What is the difference between the Soul and the spirit which Paul prayes may be sanctified Answ As the spirit is received which sanctifies the difference is brought into unity and they are perfected to serve the Lord in one with the whole heart and Paul was a Minister of the word which pierceth even to the dividing asunder of Soul and spirit Heb. 4. 12. Repl. Still thou art dark about the soul or unwilling to discover thy darknesse and so thou canst say nothing or that which is little unto the question when the spirit is received which sanctifies thou sayest the difference is brought into Unity and they are perfect in one yet still to us there 's soul and spirit and this spirit in us is not the spirit of God which sanctifies as thou dreamest as if the spirit Paul speaks of were the spirit of God which sanctifies the soul of man and so brings the soul into Unity with it self no friend Paul speaks not of Gods spirit which is holinesse it self but of a spirit which needs sanctification and between this spirit in man and the soul of man it seems there is a difference and therefore he prayes that both may be sanctified but this difference thou knowest not I know the soul is a spiritual thing and cannot be divided into parts and powers as being one single entire essence but unto us there 's the understanding part the minde the eye of the soul the seat of reason and light and the will which is the observer of the minde looking to be taught by it as a power obedient and willing to act as it directs counsels and commands and there 's the inferior parts the appetite desire affections which are as perturbations and motions in the soul leading it out into love joy anger peace fear or the like all these as sanctified by the Lords spirit are brought into this Unity to be all servants unto his minde and will and this spirit of the Lord as 't is received more or lesse so it more or lesse ends the quarrel between God and us in the lusting of our spirits and souls against God and makes peace and brings all into Unity and so is that word which pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit this drives away the ignorance vanity weaknesse and enmity which is in the highest and purest part of mans soul his minde which is usually taken for the spirit called the spirit of the minde Eph. 4. 23. and called the eye and light of man the spirit of the Lord opens and heals this of all its blemishes and distempers and so gives an eye to see and an heart to understand by enlightning the eye of the minde which is called the spirit as that which looks over all and over-rules all in the soul of man Further the word or spirit of God takes away the stubbornesse frowardnesse and hardnesse of the will and bowes this to follow the light sprung up in the minde and so heales that power too which I look upon as belonging still to the spirit of the Soul Further the Lord likewise rectifies the judgement and the conscience and takes away by degrees all erroneousnesse wandring and fear and guilt here too and so gives a sound judgement and a clear conscience and the Lord takes away the sottishnesse foolishnesse sinfulnesse and manifold distempers of the thoughts and imaginations that spring up in the fancie of man and of the desires and longing after earthly vanities that spring up in the appetite which is an inferior power in the Soul and of the affections which are the motions and goings out of the Soul into love hatred delight sadnesse pleasure grief hope despair fear boldnesse anger and the like all which as common to man and beasts more sensible unto us are usually called the Soul and taken for the Soul I say these inferior faculties which are usually taken for the Soul as being the discoverers of the Soul more sensibly unto us all these these the Lord heales makes holy and pure for himself by his word and so separating things that differ and uniting all in an onenesse with himself he makes unity peace and harmony in all the higher and lower powers of the Soul and so to summe up things and a little farther to discover this noble power of the Soul 1. There 's the mind that 's the seat of light reason and understanding 2. There 's the will that 's the seat of action obedience and doing either good or evil 3. There 's the judgement that 's the seat of discerning and trying things 4. There 's the conscience that 's the book of all the good and evil we do 5. There 's the memory that 's the seat of Arts and Sciences of all that we so discern feel and know 6. There 's that which they call the common sense as a power which has an influence upon all the outward senses and carries as it were from the Soul seeing hearing tasting smelling and touching into all the five senses 7. There 's the fancie that 's the seat of all the innumerable thoughts and imaginations that spring up in the heart of man and this is the seat of all the Quakers dreams and high thoughts of themselves and mean thoughts of others and of many the precious
or liquor to be drunk in this Kingdom but spiritual liquor onely poured out of a spiritual cup into a spiritual body Quest What is the flesh and bloud of Christ which except a man eat and drink he hath no life in him which eating and drinking he that doth it knows he dwels in Christ and Christ in him Whether this be outward bread and wine yea or nay And whether his flesh and bloud can be carried about in baskets and bottles yea or nay seeing at Christs preaching of this the Jewes which had the letter strove about that saying And many of the Disciples murmured and said it was an hard saying who could heare it and turned away and walked no more with Jesus Answ That flesh and bloud of Christ which gives life to Saints must needs be spiritual this is that which quickens when the outward Sacramentall profits little this spiritual flesh and bloud of Christ is his pure nature and vertue which creates life quickens nourishes and feeds the soul of the Christian up in his spiritual life and union with the Father And when this spiritual nature vertue or body of Christ in spirit is given into the soul then the soul can say in truth I know the Son of God is come and hath given me an understanding to know him that is true and I am in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ And this Iesus Christ is the true God unto the Saint and the eternall life of the Saint and in this day the Christian knows that Christ is his by being in him and he is Christs by dwelling in him and he who knows not this hath no true Christ nor life This the Jews of old and the Jews in spirit still looke upon as an hard saying that the very body and bloud of Christ must thus be eaten in spirit otherwise no eternal life give them the flesh that they may be sensible of as for this Jesus in spirit they cannot receive him because they see him not neither know him Quest The cup of blessing which Paul spake of to the Corinthians who were the Temples of the holy Ghost which they blessed which was the Communion of the bloud of Christ and the bread which they brake which was the â—ommunion of the body of Christ whether was this an outward cup and outward bread yea or nay Was that oâ—â— bread which they were all partakers of outward yea or nay The Cup of the Lord and the Table of the Lord which Paul spake of to the Corinthians was they an outward Cup and Table yea or nay The Cup of Devils and the Table of Devils was they an outward Cup and Table yea or nay Answ I answer in brief they are all to be understood of inward and spiritual things though the outward figures and things are not to be contemned so long as the Lord makes them a Table for his weak children to sit with him at to give them out refreshing and comforts in their weaknesse But when the Lord is clearly gone out of an administration then that becomes through Satans getting into it a Table of the Devil which he sets his dark children at to cozen them with a shew and shadow when the truth and life and substance is gone Quest What is the beast which Iohn saw was like unto a Leopard Answ The beast is the wisdom and understanding of the flesh or spirit of man which in the various turnings windings appearances and comings of it forth according to the reason and wisdom and apprehensions of men in the dark world of flesh and bloud is like unto a party coloured or spotted beast such as the Leopard is Hence it 's written can the Leopard change his spots Can the wisdom of the flesh and the bestial man change his fowl and beastly abominations of all sorts which stick and grow up in his nature Besides I have read of the Leopard that it is an exceeding wilde beast that cannot be tamed very furious and malicious against the very image of a man and very cunning and crafty in catching of his prey Such is the nature of fleshly wisdom and fleshly men they cannot be tamed but are still full of fury against the image or true appearances of God in man and very cunning to prey upon the righteous seed seeking to devour the man-childe as soon as ever he appears to be born in the vvorld This is the beast which is like unto a Leopard Quest What is the beast all the vvorld wonders after Answ Some make him the Pope but I never yet found all the vvorld wondring after him though he be the beast in an outward eminent figure and have many vvorshippers and followers in the vvorld But the beast is the fleshly wisdom or spirit of man which is alwayes setting up a false Christ or anointed one in the place and office of Christ unto us either our own righteousnesse or our own wit and carnal reason which teacheth us to depart from God and to subsist of our selves live of our selves be wise of our selves vvorship of our selves So that flesh with all the wisdom and power of it is the beast that all the vvorld willingly wonders after insomuch that they are naturally constrained compelled and overcome to its obedience which is their wondering after the beast Quest What is the beast and what is the number of his name whose name is 666 Answ The number of the beast is the number of a man though to those who are deceived by him he appears as a God that cannot erre yet to the man that hath understanding or his eyes opened through the anointing of God he hath but the perfection and compleatnesse of a man who in the height of all his imaginary compleatnesse and fulnesse in himself and of himself is but a poor empty miserable shadow altogether lighter than vanity This is the number or summe of all the power and wisdom of the flesh It is but an imagination of compleatnesse and fulnesse it is not perfection and fulnesse it self and so it leaves a man where it findes him in a poor miserable imperfect and undone estate And therefore the number of the beast is but 666. it reaches not to the bringing of a man to the number seven or to a state of perfection rest and fulnesse but still leaves in the number 6. or in a state of weaknesse bondage miserie even like a poor wretched sinfull man Quest What is the woman which Iohn saw sit upon a Scarlet coloured beast full of names of blasphemy Answ The woman is the false Antichristian Cainish Church which rides in Pomp and Triumph upon the stately wisdom and power of the flesh and here cries out what wisdom is like unto mine What power able to make war with mine And in this state and Pomp she rides on crucifying to her utmost skill all the appearances of Christ in the glory and Kingdom of his father or all higher and lower discoveries of