Merchants of the Earth shall weep and mourn over her for no Man buyeth her Merchandize any more Rev. 18.11 And every Ship-Master and all the Company in Ships and Sailers and as many as trade by Sea stood afar off and they cast Dust on their Heads and cryed weeping and wailing saying Alas alas that great City wherein were made rich all that had Ships on the Sea for in one Hour she is made desolate Rev. 18.17 19. Mystery Babylon THE Mother of Harlots DISCOVERED Her RISE and when With many of Her SORCERIES IN the End of the primitive Times when the Apostles had finished their Testimony committed unto them and had gathered many out of the World and converted many unto God and many were established in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ which purifieth the Heart and giveth Victory over the World and were led to the Beginning before the World was made and the Churches which were in God which had received the Anointing by which they knew all things even the invisible things of God and the Mysteries of his glorious Kingdom which God through the Spirit did reveal unto them which Spirit they had received being begotten of God by which Spirit they called him Father and by which Spirit of Truth which was manifest from the God of Truth in their Hearts they were led into all Truth and became Sons of God and Heirs of the Promise and this Spirit was their Direction and led them to worship God aright to obey and glorifie him and his Name which brought Salvation unto them and into this Spirit they were all baptized by the one Spirit into one Body and in this one Spirit they met and worshipped God and were of one Heart and of one Mind and did know their Director near them and in them and the Time did come when they worshipped neither at Jerusalem nor at Samaria but in the Spirit and in the Truth wherein the Father was glorified and came to see that fulfilled which the Prophets bore Witness of even him in whom all the Prophets end in Christ made manifest in them the Hope of Glory whose Voice they heard from Heaven by which they were quickened and raised from Death to Life by the effectual working of the mighty Power of God which wrought in them that did believe and they were in the Unity of the Faith by which all their Hearts were purified who held it which is a Mystery held in a pure Conscience by which they received an Assurance and were made Partakers of the Promises and became Inheritors of Life Light and Immortality and Heirs of the Promise and Joynt-heirs with Christ and they sate together with him in Heavenly Places and eat with him and drank with him in the Kingdom of God which stood in Power and in Righteousness Joy and Peace and did not look like the Pharisees lo here or there but first felt it as a Grain of Mustard-seed in themselves or as a Corn of Wheat which afterwards springs up as a Blade or as a Ear of Wheat to Ripeness to a full Corn and they did walk from Faith to Faith from Strength to Strength and did appear before God in Sion and the Hebrews were come to Mount Sion from whence God shined out in perfect Beauty who became their Satisfaction and Peace who had revealed his Son in them whom God had made unto them Justification Sanctification and Wisdom and so they knew one God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and one Faith one Hope one Baptism the one Spirit into which they were all baptized into which they all did drink by which all that did believe were sanctified and did receive the Inheritance among the Saints in Light and this was the Church that was in God which was begotten by God the Father and preserved in Christ Jesus in the lively Faith and in the lively Hope by which their Souls were anchored and they established in the Truth that made free and they had received the Spirit of Prophecy and did speak one by one according to the Revelation of the Spirit which led out of Confusion into Order and they being in the Power of God did walk by its Order in the Order of the Gospel And now was the Woman cloathed with the Sun who had the Crown of twelve Stars upon her Head and the Moon under her Feet who stood in that which was unchangeable and immutable and now was the Man-child brought forth which was to rule the Nations and was revealed to the Church which was in God and he was the Head by which all the Members of the Body were united together in one and reconciled to the Father in one and by his Obedience Justification did come upon all that did believe But since the Woman fled into the Wilderness and the Man-child was caught up unto God the Midnight of Darkness came upon the whole World and the Sincerity was lost and the Image of God lost the Heir caught up out of the World's Sight Faith was lost Hope lost the Spirit lost the Saints Rule and Direction and then the Whore appeared and made all Nations drunk with the Wine of her Fornication and they staggered and reeled to and fro hither and thither having lost the Spirit became all Waters and unstable and all the World wondered after the Beast which then arose after the primitive Times and after the Apostles Dayes and admired him and worshipped him who killed the Woman's Seed and made War against it And then the Whore made Decrees who was gone from the Law-giver and she made Confessions of Faith and Articles of Faith being out of the Power of God who is the Author of true Faith being guided by the Power of the Dragon she made Orders of Worship and gave Directions for Worship having gotten on the free Womans Attire the Outside the Scriptures the Form of Godliness but afterwards became more abominable having both lost the Power and the Form worshipped the Devil's Power and the Dragon's Power and came forth in the Image of him and reached out the Cup of Fornication and made the Nations drunk with her Inchantments and Sorceries and she drunk the Blood of the Martyrs the Blood of the Prophets and them that kept the Testimony of Jesus the Spirit of Prophecy and then prescribed Forms of Worship Forms of Prayer and made Creeds and Faiths and Articles of Faith and many Faiths having lost the Order of the Gospel she made many Orders and sent out many Merchants to carry abroad her Traffick and her Merchandize to the Nations and whole Ships were filled full of it Vessels full of it which went upon the Sea and rode upon the Waters upon Kindreds Tongues Nations and Peoples who received of her Merchandize and bought of several Sorts of Merchandize which the several Merchants traded with who had several Orders prescribed then as Popes Cardinals Jesuites Fryars of many Orders and Monks of many Orders Jesuites of many Orders and all these
were good as they stood related to the end wherefore they were commanded instance the Worship at Jerusalem and the Service there and the place where God had promis'd to place his Name yet Christ said as foreknowing the End of all the aforesaid Worship which appertained to that Covenant and therefore he said to the Woman Joh. 4.23 but the Hour cometh and now is when the true Worshipers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and Truth for the Father seeks such to Worship him and 24. vers God is a Spirit and they that Worship him must Worship him in Spirit and Truth 2. Cor. 3.17 From hence it is clearly evident for this was before he was offered up that then was the time that neither at Jerusalem nor in the Mountain of Samaria it shall be only said they worship the Father though at Jerusalem was the place Deut. 1.1 2 5. of Worship formerly and the Jews held it then and the Worship was that which was commanded to wit Sacrifices and Offerings and many other legal Services which belonged to them to perform according to the command of God and if Swearing or Oaths was any part of the Service of God as in that Covenant as we with A. S. do grant Deut. 10.20 You shall fear the Lord and serve him and Swear by his Name then I say that Swearing amongst the rest of the Worship is included but saith Christ neither at Jerusalem nor this Mountain but they that worship shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth so that the time was then but came on more afterwards to be fulfilled that both the place and the worship and Service that belonged to the place they should no more Worship the Father with and in but in the Spirit and in the Truth and this may be in Answer to that which A. S. makes a great adoe with in his Book how that Christ said Swear not at all it was before his Death and therefore they that Argue saith he That swearing was prohibited only and ended in Christ's death cannot plead that all Oaths were prohibited but that command of Christ Mat. 5. because he spake this in his Life time I say â—o did he this Jo. 20.21 22 23. And he may as well Argue that Christ destroyed the place of Worship at Jerusalem and the Worship also and came not to fulfill it as he saith he did and why but because he spoke this before he was Crucified and so did he Swear not at all and why may not A.S. conclude with us that this is a commodious place to interpret and explain Christ's meaning in those words in the 5 th Mat. 23 and 24. and so the Words may truly be understood thus ye have heard that it hath been said of old time thou shalt not forswear thy sâ—lf but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths Exod 20.7 and Deut. 5.11 but the Hour cometh and now is when I say unto you that say more then the Law hath said Swear not at all neither â—y Heaven nor by the Earth but let your Yea be yea and your Nay nay for whatsoever is more then these cometh of Evil and yet whatever may or can be said A. S. will needs conclude That all Swearing is not forbidden and why because it hath been the praâ—â—ice of holy Men and also an Angel this Argument is of little force so was it the practice of holy Men to offer Sacrifice and burn Incense and as for the Swearing of the Angel Dan. 12. and Revel 10.6 to prove the lawfulness of some Swearing these have been answered over and over and over again though A. S. will take no notice of it though I perceive he hath read the Arguments that have been used as Answers to these things though he will not seem to take notice nor to reply to confute the Arguments but rather minds his own and to assert what may seem to mâ—ke for his purpose as to the matter he hath taken in Hand but as for good Men's Swearing and the Angel's Swearing if their Example would â—uâ—tifie the lawfulness of Swearing yet they could not be any president to us who are under the Gospel of the Son that is greater then the Angels by the dispensation of whom the Law for Oaths Tythes offerings oblations and other legal Rights and Rudiments were given which Son also all the Angels of God are bid to Worship for the Apostle saith Hebr. 2.5 For unto the Angels hath he not put into subjection the World to come but that is committed unto the Son under whose Ministration and subjection we are who said Let your Yea be yea and you nay nay and speak the Truth and do the Truth and bear witness to the Truth who said Learn of me and these things we have learned of him unto whom all Power is committed for he is counted Hebr. 3.3 more worthy of Glory then Moses though Moses was faithful in his House as a Servant but Christ as a Son which is that great Prophet that Moses Prophesied of which all are to hearken unto with whom the Father is well pleased being made so much better then the Angels Hebr. 1.4 as he hath â—y Inheritance obtained a more Excellent Name then they vers 5. for unto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day I have begotten thee vers 6. Again when he bringeth the first â—egotten into the World he saith let all the Angels of God Worship him of the Angels he saith he makes them minâ—strâ—ng Spirits and a Flame of Fire but unto the Son he saith thy Throne oh God is forever and ever the Scepter of Righteousness is the Scepter of thy Kingdom for if the Words spoken by Angels wer stedfast and every Transgression received a just recompence of reward how shall they escape Hebr. 2.3 who do not only neglect the command of Christ but labour to pervert through their Strengâ—h of their own reason the ministration of the Son who is the sum and substance of all Shadowy and Typical Ministrations and therefore A. S. and all concerned look â—o it who would introduce Judaism and the Mosaical Observations upon the Neck of Christs Disciples and as Laws in his Kingdom and whether would not this prefer the Servant before the Son yea or nay and his Ministration before the Ministration of the Son though the one is not against the other but the one pointing at the other and in the latter the first is fulfilled the Truth declared the Truth spoken the Truth lived in and the Truth confessed in every matter wherein any Christian is concerned which is the sum and the matter which all Oaths in their highest and greatest Ordination could or can effect In the 40 th page of his Book he saith our Saviour saith Amen Amen 24. times in John's Gospel which he saith St. Ambrose will needs have to amount unto an Oath and he cites Apoc. 3. These things saith the Amen compares it with Isa.
ye high Cedars and mighty men put on your Strength and gather together all your Forces which you have trusted in call upon your Gods and all your Southsayers and Diviners together for now he is come and the Daughter of Sion now laughs you to scorn and Jerusalem the free Citizens do wagg their Heads at you for he will now plead the Cause of the Poor against you who have been too strong for them and now all that hear this shall tremble For he will make Jerusalem a Praise in the Earth and from it do the Law and the Prophets come forth Awake Oh Arm of the Lord and put on Strength as in the dayes of old to redeem thine own Inheritance which hath long been by the Heathen laid waste and hath been trampled upon by the Uncircumcised art not thou he which was and is and is to come who wilt not give thy Glory to another Arise and shine forth in thy Brightness thou Star of Jacob and Sun of Righteousness and let the Earth be filled with thy Light and Glory that Generations to come may call thee blessed Dry up the Tongue of the Egyptian Sea confound the Wisdom of this World which never knew thee neither would own nor receive thee make the Diviners and Sorcerers mad who have scattered thy Sheep from the everlasting Fold and have healed the Hurts of thy People deceitfully and have caused them to err in telling them thy Power nor thy Arm was not to be looked for now as in the Dayes of old nor thy immediate voice nor word was to be looked or waited for now in the Earth and so have deceived the People with their lying Divinations which they have spoken from the Imaginations of their own Hearts and have laid a stumbling-block in the Way as the Son of Nebat did who made Israel to sin But Oh Lord thou seest how thy own Seed lyeth scattered and ravenous Beasts make a Prey upon it and the Devourers swallow it up therefore hast thou appeared in thy Love and Power for thine own Name 's sake and wilt not suffer thy Seed to be trodden upon any longer by the Prince of Darkness nor his Children whom he hath begotten in his own Image Arise shine forth thou everlasting Covenant of Light and Peace by which and in which all our Fathers believed and so obtained a good Report and were redeemed out of Captivity to serve the Lord forever with one Heart and Mind and worshipped in one Spirit in which Faith they laid hold upon the Perfect Righteousness of Christ made manifest in them and were justified but hath been hid for many Generations in the time of Anti-christ's Reign and all the world hath wondered after the Beast and hath received his Mark but now is the Night far spent and the Day is at hand wherein all that hath been hid shall be made manifest and the Number of the Beast is read and known by all that are redeemed from under his Power and now the Beast and the False Prophet is seen and the Man of sin is made manifest in this the day of his everlasting Power and the brightness of the Sun of Righteousness who is the Light of the world hath made him manifest who is come and coming Glory unto him for evermore who alone is worthy to take the Kingdom Wherefore all honest-hearted in and under all Forms of Professions who have travailed and are weary and all you that have kindled a Fire and have warmed your selves at the Sparks thereof and yet still you lye in Sorrow Oh all ye that have panted and thirsted after Righteousness who have wearied your selves in seeking among the dead Graves and Tombs for a Saviour but have found no Rest and who have followed Lo here and there in this Grave and the other Sepulchre builded on this and that Sand and still swept away your State I know you have no Peace in the eternal Rest I say unto you while you look without you your Eyes may consume in your Holes and your Expectation fail and you will be still complaining For your sakes who are weary and have found none to direct your Way a few Lines I am moved in Compassion to write unto you and if you will not receive it you will not believe if one should rise from the dead for I have obtained Mercy from Christ through his free Grace who is risen from the Dead and saw no Corruption by which Grace I am saved from Sin and cleansed from Unrighteousness after long and sore Labour and Travail under Pharaoh the Oppressour from under whose Dominion I am brought to worship the living God in Spirit and Truth in his Temple where he dwells in Righteousness forever And for the simples sake who have erred for Lack of true Knowledge as I did in Times past I shall declare unto you a little in short of my Travails in Egypt's Land where Darkness is so thick that â—f ye wait but diligently to see your selves you will fell it also From twelve Years old I set my Heart to know that God which the World professed and which I did read of in the Scripture which Abraham Noah Moses and the Prophets and the rest of the Fathers worshipped and I did fall into the strictest Worship that was in that Part wherein I lived and often I desired to be alone and attended much to reading and Meditation and then as I was sober and serious alone I began to see that all the Sports and Pastimes and such as Youth delight in naturally were Vanity and they lasted but for a Moment and while I was in Folly and Wantonness doing of them the Nature which was run into Transgression had Pleasure in them but as soon as I was come from among them I was judged in my self for what I had done and often made me weep then I resolved in my Will that I would never do so again and for some time did restrain from the common Practice of those things that I had walked in but as soon as I came amongst those again I acted those things again which before I did see to be Vanity but long before that I was checked for many things and so I walked often condemned in my self when I was serious and had no Peace and then not knowing what to do in much Sorrow when I was alone I had a Desire to be alone where I might not hear nor see any Folly acted and did not go to the former Exercises although something in me hankered after it but when I yielded not unto it I was glad and had Peace and then I began to oppose my Fellows with whom I had walked in Wantonness and then they began to revile me and hate me and scorn me yet notwithstanding I mattered not then I read much and prayed in Words often three or four times a day but I knew not where God was but in my Imagination imagined a God at a Distance and so went on and then
he will manifest his day and his Power in his day in thee as thou keepest in thy Mind to that which manifests unto thee Evil and shews thee Good thou wilt see how it appears Even as the Light shineth from the East unto the West so is the coming of the day of the Lord and the Eye which is spiritual â—eâ—s it and the Power the Glory of the Lord comes to be seen in the day which is pure and spiritual in the Heart and the Eye which is pure doth behold when it comes where it comes and how it comes and it 's hid from vulturous Eyes and from their Eyes which are fall of Adultery and cannot cease from Sin Now the day of the Lord cometh not where the carnal Mind may imagine nor when Man will neither according to the carnal Desire of the carnal Heart neither according to the evil Eye that looks out can it be seen but is seen in God's own Light and by the Measure of God's holy Spirit And as the day of the Lord is a Mystery the Spirit of the Lord is the only Discoverer of it None know the Things of God but by the Spirit of God and the day of the Lord and his bright shining forth in the Heart of Man is one of the glorious Things of God which only the Spirit of God doth give the Knowledge of to Man and in Man and not the Letter nor the Scripture for the Jews had the Letter and they had neither heard God's Voice at any Time neither ever did they see his Shape neither did they see the day of the Lord nor the Power neither in a Word did see or perceive God or any of the Mysteries of God's Kingdom at all but dreamed imagined thought and conceived of Things in their Minds their foolish Hearts being darkened for the further a Man draws from the Light his Heart comes to be more dark and their Understanding closed up and shut up that they cannot behold the Lord neither his Glory which is revealed only by God's holy Spirit which Spirit is near Man though he see is not What the Spirit of the Lord is and how it comes to be received which discovers the Things of God THE Spirit of the Lord is pure holy equal Purity it self Holiness it self Equity it self and is one with the Father and the Son the Father Word and Spirit are one it 's Life it 's pure Power â—ure Strength Purity it self which mixeth not neither joyneth to any Thing but that which is of its own Nature it 's an immeasurable pure Substance it 's Life issued forth an active living Power and is everlasting alters not changeth not keeps its Holiness its Purity forever it is unsearcheable unfathomable undeclarable Words are all too short too narrow to declare its Excellency and Glory but only as it makes it self out to them that believe and opens it self and sheds it self abroad in them that wait upon it it is revealed in its own Purity manifest in its own Power and received in its own Light felt in its own Virtue the living Father of Life himself is manifest by it and appears in his Power Majesty and Excellency through it to man and to the Sons of men to the righteous and unrighteous to godly and ungodly to the upright and to the deceitful to the Children of Darkness and to the Children of Light that which searcheth the Heart of man and sees through all things and maketh manifest all Things even the hidden Things of God and the secret Works of Darkness and reproveth for all Evil all Iniquity that is the pure Act of the Spirit which convinceth every man and as the Creature comes to joyn to it it ariseth and shines forth more clearly and maketh it self known in its Power and Operation its Power comes to be felt it checks and reproveth judgeth and condemneth all Actions which are done and past and brings them to the Creature 's Remembrance and as it is waited upon and hearkened unto it sheds it self abroad in its own pure Brightness and â—ringeth all things to Light even all the Deeds of Darkness and maketh manifest the Intents of the Mind and manifesteth all things reproveable Now as there is a waiting upon the pure Appearance of it and the Mind be still and quiet and calm the Creature comes to feel and sensibly know his own Condition he sees his Mind is alive to other Things and other Lovers and not to God and so he sees himself dead to the Things of God's Kingdom and in the Loss and in the Fall and in the Transgression now this which shews the vain Motions and vain Thoughts and checketh them is an Operation of the Spirit and Purity comes to be felt working in the Heart and as it is loved and obeyed it leadeth and converteth the Heart to the Lord and draweth towards it self out of Unholiness and from under the dark Power and brings that under and so it ariseth in its Strength as it is believed in and waited upon and judgeth and condemns for all Evil for it is the Discoverer of the Mind of the Lord to the Sons of Men or the Father by it makes known his Mind to and in the Creature and doth discover the Things that be eternal in their true Property and Nature which only they that have the Spirit and have received it and are brought out of the Sensuality come to discern him who is invisible and the things that belong to everlasting Happiness which are not seen by a natural Eye neither received by the Spirit of the World who never received the things of God neither the Testimony of them who were in the Life Now all that come to receive it that is to say the Spirit of Truth must wait in that which is pure unto which it joyns it joyns not to the corrupt Man neither to the sensual Heart neither to the vile Affections neither unto them whose Eyes are full of Adultery which cannot cease from Sin neither to the Seed of Falshood neither to the corruptible Birth neither unto that which is born of the Flesh nor unto the Will of the Creature yet notwithstanding though it joyn not to these yet it is near man even the natural man its Manifestation or the shining forth of its Brightness maketh all these things manifest before-mentioned to be evil and thus far the Spirit of God hath appeared to the World and all Mankind as to convince the World of Sin yet still it remains in its own Purity and while the Heart of any man is taken up with that and joyned unto that which the Light reproves that is to say the Worker of Iniquity that man hath not received the Spirit neither is made Possessor of it nor enjoyes it but it stands off man and from man at a Distance shewing the Worker of Iniquity and the Works of Darkness and manifesting to the Creature in its Light and letting him see unto whom he is
forth Fruit unto God and the cursed Ground out of which Bryars and Thorns do arise it kindles a Fire in that shall not be quenched but as there is a Submission unto its pure Operation it burns up and destroyes that which hinders the Growth of the Seed and it purgeth the Hearts of them that have Confidence in it from all Filthiness both of Flesh and spirit and worketh up the Creature into its own Frame and Nature and fashions and makes and moulds all that are in the Faith into the Image of the Father and so the Father's Love comes to be shed abroad in the Heart and as Wrath was revealed through the Spirit and Condemnation so now the PEACE of God comes to be enjoyed and his CONSOLATION shed abroad largely in which there is pure Rejoycing forever Unto whom the Spirit of the Father bears witness and seals Assurance of the Father's Love and of Justification with God declared None have the Witness of God's Spirit bearing witness to them and in them who have not believed in the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World by whom alone Life is begotten by the powerful Operation of Christ in them that believe in him who is eternal Light it self whose Word is Spirit and Life by which the new Creature is framed and formed in them that believe unto whom he maketh manifest his Power for unto him who is the Life of men is all Power committed both in Heaven and Earth for nothing was made or created but by him neither is any turned from Sin but by him and by his mighty Power without him is Death in him is Life and the Life is the Light of men So that none but they that are born of the Light and are begotten by him who is Light can have the Spirit of Christ who is Light to bear Witness unto them neither the Assurance of the Father's Love for only they that are born of the spirit and walk after the Spirit are justified by the Spirit of the Lord for the Assurance of his Love is not made manifest to his Enemies but unto them that are born and brought forth in his own Image in his own Likeness and Nature which is pure and incorruptible without Stain or Defilement the holy Seed which is Heir of the Promise who know the living Hope which purifies the Heart and bringeth the Answer of a good Conscience unto them that feel and witness the washing of Regeneration and have known in themselves the clean Water poured forth upon them which hath taken away the Stains Spots and Blemishes and the Defilements for where these are not washed out and the Heart cleansed from them and that believed in wherein God's All sufficiency is felt and his Power made manifest there cannot be Assurance of the Father's Love in the Heart nor in the Soul neither doth the Spirit of the Father bear witness unto such nor assure their Justification but on the contrary where Sin remains unsubdued and not taken away the Spirit of the Father condemneth the Sin and the Creature now is joyned to it and is become one with it for no Sin is brought forth but there is a Consent and an Assenting to the Instigation of the Devil although when a Temptation ariseth either within or without there may be a resisting and a striving against it for a little but the Heart not being kept close to the Spirit the Enemy often enters and so captivates the Understanding then there is an Agreement and a joyning to the Adversary and so the spirit pronounceth the sentence of Condemnation upon him who is joyned to the Harlot and becomes one Flesh and joyned unto strange Flesh which is not the Flesh of Christ the Seed and that which joyned and consented to drink of the Cup of Fornication must drink of the Cup of Indignation and Terror and bear the stroke of divine Justice and lye in Patience under it till that be cut down which hath joyned to Deceit before there can be the Remission of the Transgression or the Creature justified in the sight of God for sin is not blotted out of the Book of God's Remembrance till it be turned from and repented of neither doth the Creature stand clear in the sight of God when God judges in righteous Judgment which the Light in every ones Conscience shall answer Now he that is born of God sins not for the Seed of God remains in him which is Life And as the Creature joyns to that seed which is Heir of the Kingdom and of the Crown Immortal he comes to be made Partaker of its Virtue and Operation which seed is Christ and by his Power by which he limiteth the seed of the serpent and weakens his strength in the Creature as man cometh to believe in his strength unto whom all Power is committed the Covenant with Death is broken and that Agreement that the Creature hath made with Death comes to be disanulled by the Arm and Power of the Lord and so the Creature comes to be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption and the new man comes to live or the new Creature which is born of God which sins not comes to be framed and fashioned in the Image of the Father and the Father's Love is manifest unto him and in him and he hath the Assurance in himself The Babe that is born from above of the Spirit which is from above of which he is born and brought forth of the Just by the Just he is justified by the just God and the just Witness of the Spirit sealeth this in him and he hath the Record of his Justification For there are three that bear Record in the Earth the Water the Blood and the Spirit and he that is born of that which is pure in it self hath the Witness of all these three in himself for they agree in one that which one beareth Witness to and for the other doth the same and the Record Testimony and Witness of all these three hath he that is born from above Moreover there are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one So he that is born of the Father and begotten of the Father in Christ the Seed through the Spirit he and he alone comes to feel the Father's Love made manifest in him and is justified in the Sight of the Father and hath the Record of all these Witnesses before-mentioâ—ed in himself so that he hath his Assurance and Evidence near him and in him the seal of the Father the seal of the Spirit And so when the Adversary comes to tempt and to assault and would raise up Doubts in the Mind the Evidence is near which puts him out of all Doubt that he is in the Love of God and blessed forever and happy are all they who have waited for these Things and have felt these Things and are Witnesses of these Things for Flesh and Blood hath not
Tribute of the Nation And for Heresie both in Doctrine and Worship none are to be compared unto you for Unsoundneâ—s ignorance for I look upon you as the Tail of all the People in the Nation And the Vineyard of God that thou speakst on is no where laid waste so much as among you Mass-house Worshippers for you are like Bryars and Thorns Scratching Rending tearing and hailing and are as a Field untilled and as a waste howling Wilderness that knows not when good comes and that your Ministers are those proud Phantastick Spirits that have taken up them to preach who deny an immediate Call Neither are they approved of his Church which is in God the Pillar and Ground of Truth but only they are approved by man and by the Colledges which were invented by the Pope where more Deceit and foolish Fopperies are practised then in any Society in the Nation besides for them that deny an immediate Call and an infallible Spirit I deny them to be any Ministers of Christ and so doth the Church of Christ who meet in his Name but such are your Ministers therefore we have turned from them many Years ago And the next thing thou art offended at is that a Woman spoke in a meeting near Conil what if ten had spoke if they had spoke by the Spirit of the Lord what offence had it been Did not God promise by Joel that he would pour forth his Spirit upon his Daughters and they should Prophesie and wouldest thou stop them And Priscilla instructed a Minister better then any of your Parish Tything Priests to wit Apollo And had not Philip three Daughters did Prophesie And were there not Women with Clement that were fellow-Labourers in the Gospel And what though she that was in the Transgression was to keep silent in the Church Doth it therefore follow that they are come out of the Transgression are to be silent in the Church Is this good Logick Edward If Christ be in male and in the female may he speak in the male but not in the female Doth not the Apostle say The Man is not without the Woman nor the Woman without the man but both in the Lord And if the Woman be in the Lord as well as the man may not the Lord speak in her Art thou one of them that wilt Limit the Holy one What if he speak in a dumb Ass and reprove the Madness of the Prophet Balaam And if he should do so now to reprove the mad Prophets that are in Balaam's Way loving the Wages of Unrighteousness now as he did then will you reprove God He that reproves him shall answer it and he that Gain-sayes either Son or Daughter shall Perish in the Gain-saying And now I come to thy third Observation The third Observation Thy Eye being evil thou canst not see when good cometh and thou art one of them who watchest for Iniquity that thereby thou mayest Blasspheme the Name of God and his Truth which thou art out of And as for our Tenets which thou sayest thou hast named and shamed thou no more knows us nor our Tenets then thou knowest from whence the Wind comes and whither it goes For all our words are as a Parable to thee and thou knowest not what we say although thou hast Catched and Snatched up some of our words brokenly to quarel with yet we are hidden from thee and a Gulf is between thee and us that as thou canst not apprehend nor Comprehend but first a terrible Day must come upon thee and those things which thou hast laid down to be our tenets thou doubtst whether they be or no manifest by thy own words If we say so and if hold so thou hadst better have been certain before thou hadst shewed thy self too Imperious and arrogant of shaming them when thou knowest not whether we hold them as thou hâ—st laid them down in thy own words the shame at last will come upon thy self and that Rash hasty Raging Spirit by which thou utterest fâ—rth all this Mudd and Dirt every one may see in this Observation thy deceit manifest And the first thing that thy dark Mind Stumbles at is that some have said That they that have the Spirit of God are equal with God He that hath the Spirit of God is in thaâ— which is equal as God is equal and his wayes equal And he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit there is unity and the unity stands in equality it self He that is born from above is the Son of God and he said I and my Father are one And when the Son is revealed and speaks the Father speaks in him and dwells in him and he in the Father In that which is equal in equality it self there is equality in Nature though not in Stature Go learn what these things mean the understanding and Learned will know what I say and this is neither damnable nor Blasphemous but on the contrary it is saving and Precious to them that believe And thou concludest Though they be glorified in Heaven yet are not equal with God Here thou Blasphemest the Son is glorified with the Father in the same Glory he had with him before the World began the Glory is in Purity equality Immortality and eternity but for thy proof thou bringst Pâ—al 86 8. For who among the Gods is like unto our God And again There is none like unto thee O Lord Here thou hast gone about to prove more Gods then one in Heaven Were the Gods glorified in Heaven which were not like the living God Or were they in heaven which were not like the Lord What Blasphemy is this They that are in heaven are like him in his Image and not like any other but in the World there are Gods many and Lords many but that is not in heaven there are no Gods nor Lords in the World nor in the Earth that is like the living God and living Lord of Heaven and Earth And many such non-sensical Phrases hast thou uttered and foolish Impertinences and thou hast scarce cited one Scripture but thou hast either misapplyed or wrested and perverted being very ignorant and unlearned and thy Masters for whom thou contend'st will never receive much Honour nor credit by thy writing or Vindication of them But to the second Particular which thou calls our tenet is That Christ Jesus is not glorified in his human Nature and that he hath no real Body but hâ—s Mystâ—cal Body and this thou sayest is contray to Scripture Luke 24.3 9. and Aâ—â—s 3.20 John 17. And in this thou sayest we are shamed I say thou hast shamed thy self and hast cited those Scriptures to no purpose at all none of all these speak of human Nature or Mystical body but this I say he is glorified with the Father in a spiritual Body in the same Glory he had with the Father before the world began And the same Jesus which was of the Seed of Abraham according to the Flesh
in the Life thereof they are judged though the Truth in it self stands clear and so whâ—t as they were in their Principles Practiâ—e in Life or in Doctrine must they give Account for But thou like the rest of the Hireling Priests of England use alwayes to be confuting your Adversaries when they were at a great Distance when they were dead and could not reply or at such a Distance that they could not hear and you are such valiant Champions for the most Part as to Disputation except you have Club-men and Prison-doors standing open to fight or to shut them in you will hardly enter into a Dispute publickly or it may be if they be afraid that they shall be worsted and their Deceit laid open put a Key in the Mouth of one as some did in the Mouth of Humphrey Norton when he was with one of thy Brethren and then cry The Opposite or Quaker hath nothing to say for himself and such dark muddy Stories you used to fill up your Hour with as to confute Arrius and Pelagius men that were Hundreds of Years dead and no such Principles holden in a Nation and such dead Stories you fill Peoples Minds with and confute the Pope when your Elbows were leaning upon the soft Cushions on the Pulpit and twenty or thirty Shillings for such a dead Story as you told People but when have you gone amongst them and reasoned of the Things of the Kingdom of God into their Dominions and convinced them by sound Doctrine and yet you will say Christ said Go into all Nations and preach and plead that for your Commission and it may be stay fourty Years over an hundred Families As for the Heterodoxes of the Quakers concerning the Heads of Religion as thou hast set down this I say to thee and to all the World we do not hold them because any Man before did hold them or may hold them after but because God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit which also may be confirmed by the Testimony of the Scripture of Truth As to those which thou settest down as our Tenets I shall answer on the Lord's Behalf for Truth 's sake and for the rest thou may'st take them home to thy self First Concerning the Trinity thou say'st The confess the Father Son and holy Ghost and yet they deny the Trinity and those to be three distinct Persons for Confutation of this thou bringest Heb. 1. 3. He is the express Image of his Father's Person Thy Trinity is an old Popish Term and we love to keep to sound Words but by Trinity I suppose thou meanest three and thy own Words shall confute thee thou confessest we say there is Father Son and Hâ—ly Ghost and yet but one God or one Eternal Being or Substance in which they all subsist but thy Word distinct is thy own and not the Spirit 's yet to distinguish betwixt Father Son and Spirit we deny not and as for Heb. 1. it is in another Translation rendered The express Image of his Suâ—stance for Perâ—on is too gross a Word as to express an Eternal and Divine Being in and if thou dost hâ—lâ—l three distinct Substances thou errest in they Judgment for that were to make three Gods Secondly They deny Christ to be God and Man in one Person and Christ to be a distinct Person from the Father and they acknowledge such a Christ as unchrists Christ and when they say Christ manifest in the Flesh they mean not as the Scripture but fallaciously Answ. We say according to the Scripture of Truth and not according to thy Fallacy that In the man Christ did the fulness of the God-head dwell and God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself and he saith I and my Father are one and the Father the Son and the Spirit subsist in one Eternal Power Life and Glory which thou with all thy stupid Generation are Ignorant of and that Christ we acknowledge is such a Christ as is able to save to the utmost them that come unto him and receive him and believe in him and is such a Christ as is able to raise them that have been Dead and such a Christ giveth eternal Life to them that believe And so that Christ that we own doth not un-christ Christ but by your Doctrine who plead Imperfection and the continuation thereof and a continuation in Sin for term of Life as one of thy own said Sin will dwell in the House till the House he pull'd down speaking of the natural Body which some other of thy own Generation have called the Body of Sin and so it is you that hold such a Christ as un-christ's the true Christ in thy own Words and when didst thou enter into our Thoughts and into our Heart or with what dost thou search that thou sitst as Judge over the Heart who knowest not Judgment in thy self nor what Spirit thou art of and so thy lyes and deceit are turned upon thee when we say Christ manifest in the Flesh we say that Holy thing which was brought forth and born of a Virgin and Conceived of the Holy Ghost in whom the fulness of the God-head dwells in whom the Eternal Power of the Father was manifested that he was the Christ which was manifested in the Flesh and Justified in the Spirit Preached among the Gentiles seen of Angels and received up into Glory and this is according to the Scripture of Truth and thy Judgment must be judged Thirdly Concerning the Scripture considered as the Rule of Life They deny the Scripture or written word to be the rule of Life and they make the Spirit without the Scripture to be their guide they account Church instituted Worship and waiting upon God for the Efficacious presence and Operation of the Spirit of Grace in the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament for Conversion and Edâ—fication to be Idolatry and the Political order of Church Officers and Members they affirm to be an Image Answ. Concerning the Scripture we say they are Scriptures of Truth and words of Truth spoken from the Spirit of Truth that which gave them a being is greater then they as he that Creates is greater then they that are Created which is perferred above and before and yet no Diminishing or Detracting from the Creature so the Spirit is greater above and before the words and yet this doth not Diminish neither Derogate from the Scripture these and the like sound Words we have spoken to thy deaf Generation yet a Spirit of slumber being upon them all they could not hear that which gives Life and bringeth to Life and preserves in the Life is a rule and a Guide to them that are enlightned the Sons of God who were quickned by the Eternal Spirit of their Father and of Christ and raised from Death to Life this was their rule as it is written as many as are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God and we say it is a sufficient rule of
up for all your Weapons are but carnal and that which wrestles with Flesh and Blood which the true Church wrestles not with nor with Creatures but with spiritual wickedness and Principalities and powers of Darkness in the Creature and threw that down and saved the Creature alive and redeemed it who was in Captivity Oh sottish Children when will you learn Wisdom and when will you hearken to reproof of Instruction which is the way to Life but remember this the Beast shall be taken alive with the false Prophet and them that have wrought Miracles before him and then shall be cast into the Lake of Fire They pretend to act from an Infallible Light within them and profess Perfection in Degrees in this Life and publish smart Invectives against Ministers who teach the contrary Answ. We pretend to nothing but to that which God hath given us through his free Mercy which we have a true Right unto having received him as the Father hath tendered him to be a Light to open our Eyes and to be a Leader unto us and all his People and to be God's Salvation even to the Ends of the Earth to them that receive him and he is that infallible Light which the Father sent into the World that all men through him might believe and he is the true Light that lightneth every man though every man hath not received him the Fault is not in the Giver nor in the Gift but in them that will not receive and he that is the Life of all men hath lighted every Man that cometh into the World and he is in us our Hope and our Glory the Riches of the Gentiles and the Riches of all them that do believe he is our VVay and our Life and Peace I say all Glory unto him forever though thou debasest him and settest him thus at nought and for his sake we can bear Reproaches and become Fools in that we have obtained that in which true VVisdom stands and Life eternal And what is this Heterodox to profess Perfection of Degrees in this Life is not this Orthodox Used not you and do not you generally hold Perfection in Part or Parts and is not that which is perfect in Parts perfect in Degrees He that feels Victory over one Sin by Christ the Power of God hath not he some Part in that which is perfect and of that which is perfect And if he witnesses Victory over more is not he come to a greater Degree or Degrees of the Life which is perfect And he that knows the Blood that cleanseth from all Sin is not he perfect and compleat in him who hath made him so But art thou so offended at Perfection that thou dost not admit of any Part or Parts Degree or Degrees thereof that thou set'st this down as a Blasphemy And it 's time indeed to reprove you sharply who are puffed up in Pride and know nothing who teach contrary to the perfect Life of Christ or any Degree or Degrees thereof to be attained unto thou art perfect in VVickedness and a perfect Minister of Anti-Christ a perfect Heathen and it's time to bear Testimony against you lay you open your Deceit in the Sight of the Sun that them that have but the least glimering of the Light may behold you a pitiful Church is that like to be which thou art Pastor of by Appointment of the General Court who cryest out against any Degree of the perfect Life of Christ in this Life to be obtained or enjoyed a Minister of Sin a Minister of Satan and Unrighteousness that is thy Name own it In the ninth page thou art going about to prove thy Trinity as thou callest it and thou say'st The Father is a distinct suâ—sistance and the Son is a distinct Subsistance and the Holy Ghost is a distinct Subsistance and thou bringest John 5. There is another bears Witness likewise speaking of the Holy Ghost he calls him another and this another thou say'st is intelligible of the Essence and then say'st What is more manifest then another Subsiâ—tance and another Subsistance speaks distinct Subsistances and thou say'st The Spirit is called the Band of Trinity Answ. Another is not understood of another being of another Life or another Substance but is understood of another Manifestation or Operation of the same God who subsists in the same Power in which the Father the Son and the Spirit subsist as I said unto thee before another as to distinguish of the Operation and Work of the Spirit and of the Son we do not refuse but to make three distinct Essences and Beings is Ignorance and Error as thou say'st Another is intelligible of the Essence and so thou hast made three Essences three Subsistances three Persons and three Gods but we say there is but one God and there are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one Now as for Subsistance and Essence they are unsound Words coined of your selves from your dark Imaginations in which there is no Truth at all but to cast a Mist Now where the Holy Ghost is called a Person in the Scripture I have never read and where it is called The Band of Trinity I have never heard of before thee and so thy blind ignorant Conclusions and Sophistical arguing will have little Place with them that are come to know the Teachings with the Spirit and also keep to a Form of sound Words which thou canst not And thou say'st He that sendeth and he that is sent are distinct and so the Father sending the Son and the Son sent of the Father and the Father and the Son sending the Spirit and the Spirit sent by the Father and tho Son are distinct Subsistances and not the same He that sends and he that is sent may be distinguished but he that sendeth and him that is sent are not so distinct and afar off one another but that him that sendeth is with him that is sent and so God was in Christ reconciling the World and then how were they distinct one from the other and by him were all things made and Christ was not so distinct or afar off at a distance when the Heavens and the Earth were made so that it is truly said without him nothing was made that was made and the Spirit of God which may be distinguished in Regard of its Operation yet it was not absent or distinct from the Father and the Son in the Creation neither is absent from the Son in the Regeneration or Work of Redemption And then in thy Answer to an Objection which thou makest thy self How the Doctrine of Life was communicated vocally by the Patriarchs but it is not so now and in thy Answer thou say'st The Scripture is not necessary absolutely but it being God's Will to communicate Life through the Scripture hence the Scripture is necessary and then thou say'st Not the Letter without the Mind of the Author nor the
Spirit without the Scripture and that the Words in the 17th of John 22. That they may be one as we are one these Words give an uncertain Sound thou say'st and further thou say'st Surely they are under â— Rule of Lâ—fe who have not the Spirit since the Canon of the Scripture is closeâ— so far is the Spirit from being a Rule of Life that to us it is not the Spirit except 〈◊〉 move in the written Word Answ. Gross Darkness is thy dwelling Place and out of thiâ—k Darkneâ—s all this pitiful Confusion cometh the Doctrine of Life was communicated according to the VVill and Mind of God sometime by Dream sometime by Vision sometime by Revelation to the Patriarchs and Believers from Abel till Moses and by Faith they were Followers of Christ and doubtless they did communicate in their Generation those â—hings that were â—â—nifest unto them by the Spirit which was the then Rule and Guide to the Feet of the upright in the way of Peace before any Scripture was writtâ—â— and if the Scripture be not necessary absolutely thou hast said as much as we say therefore we speak of a Rule and a Way which is absolute necessary without which no man can know the Father or the Son nor the Way of Peace but by the Spirit of Truth which gave â—orth the VVords of Truth which may manifest and doth maniâ—est it self as it will when where and how it will for it is unlimited and it will not be limited by its own VVords as to Sound but may speak VVords which it never spoke before as for instance Paul by the Spirit said The second Adam the Lord from Heaven is a Quickening Spirit which none of the Scriptures before-written speak in these very VVords and if the Spirit be not Spirit without the Letter then where the Letter is wanting the Spirit is wanting and consequently them that have the Scripture have the Spirit which were no less then Ignorance and Darkness to say and what Rule are they under who have not the Spirit or no Measure of it there is but the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error and they that are not ruled by the Spirit of Truth they are ruled by the Spirit of Error though they may have the words to fight with and quarrel about without the Life but last of all thou hast in plain words set the dead Letter before the living Spirit and say'st That the Spirit is no Spirit except it speak by the Scripture and if the words of Christ in John 17. give an uncertain Sound it is but to thy deaf Ear and to thy blind Understanding for he spoak soundly and certainly and prayed to the Father that as the Father and he were one so they alsâ— might be one being guided by the one Spirit of the Father in the Son and that they might live in the Unity of it and have Unity with one another in it and with the Father and the Son In thy 15th page though thou hast set up the Letter for a perfect Rule of Life yet here thou throwest it down again and say'st It is to be unâ—erstood as including Consequences for the greatest Part of Scripture is Conâ—equences and the Scripture cannot be true without Consequences for Thomas and Mary are neither câ—mmanded Obedience or forbidden Diâ—obedience for we no where read thou Thomas or thou Mary are therein commanded Obedience or forbidden Disobedience such an one by Name do this or that Answ. I told thee the Spirit of God is unlimited and whether it speaks of Degrees or Measures of a greater or less thing or whether it speaks the greater first and the lesser after whether it speaks from Major to Minor or from Minor to Major or what may truly follow either from the greater to the less or from the less to the greater it is all Truth but thy Consequences are no Part of this the Spirit still demonstrates its own Mind by what words and Terms and Expressions it pleaseth and will not be limitâ—ed or confined to this or that Form of words and thou errest grosly neither knowing the Scripture nor the Power of God and thy Consequences are false for there are the individual Persons or Names of Thomas and Mary both commanded Obedience and forbidden Disobedience and if thou hast never read this in Scripture I inform thee and instruct thee thou may'st read John 20.16 17. where Jesus saith unto Mary she turned her self and said unto him Rabboni which is to say Master Jesus said unto her Touch me not for I am not yet ascended here is a Prohibition and forbidding that she should not touch him Secondly here is a Command of Obedience But go unto my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father to my God and your God and in the same Chapter thou may'st read in ver 27. where Christ spoke unto Thomas by Name after his Resurrection Then said he to Thomas reach hither thy Finger and behold my Hands and reach hither thy Hand and thrust it into my Side here was a Command to be obeyed and be not faithless there is a Prohibition or a forbidding of Unbelief and so thy Foolishness is manifest and Ignorance of the Scripture some of it thou sayest is an uncertain Sound and the Scriptures fore-mentioned thou hast denyed or else never hast read it and so art unacquainted with thy Rule which thou quarrellest and fightest so much about And then thou comest and say'st Thou wilt vindicate some Scriptures and citest 1 John 9. That this was the true Light which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World hence they affirm that there is a Light in every man which being followed is an infallible Guide and that this Light which lighteth every man is the Rule of Life and not the written Word thy Answer is The Sense of the Text is notoriously false and thy Reason is If Christ the true Light that liâ—hteth every man be the Rule then Righteousness should be by the Law for the Light which is in every Man is not Gospel-Light but there is a natural Light or the Light of Nature which is to be construed in Opposition to spiritual and the Light of Nature and the Light of the Spirit are contra-distinct and by this Light of Nature there is a Difference put betwixt that which is good and bad and it will teach us not to lye nor steal and it will lead to the Knowledge of one God and yet it is in Opposition to one Spirit and it will lead to know Eternity Omnipotency and it will lead to know the Creator yet it is contra-distinct to the Spirit Answ. The Scripture needs none of thy Vindication for thou hast defamed it and sayest Christ's Words are an uncertain Sound and thou hast said that neither Mary nor Thomas was commanded Obedience thou may'st look back of thy Lyes and repent of them and why is the Sense of the Text utterly false that Christ was the
not believing but Hereticks turbulent Hereticks we believe belong unto him to punish and who must be Judge of turbulent Hereticks is not an Heretick an Unbeliever and if the Magistrate ought not to punish an Unbeliever then not a Heretick for a Heretick is an Unbeliever and they who are in the Power Authority of God can deny such a one and judge him out by the Power of God there is his Punishment according to that which thou callst Gospel-institution and beyond that or any further Act upon such a one we do not read of in all that which is call'd the New Testament neither that Christ his Apostles or any of the true Churches or Officers or Believers ever commanded or commended or exhorted any to stretch forth their Hand against the Person of any who were Hereticks really so and Blasphemers really so and therefore see there â—s neither Command Precept nor Example doest not thou wretchedly err in pressing on them which thou callest Believers to act such wretched Acts of Cruelty as you have done and thou vindicaâ—est them in tast â—ir Duty It 's true we read of the Beast and of the Dragon whâ— mâ—de Wâ—r against the Saints and killed them and of Mystery Bâ—bylon and of Sodom and Egypt where Christ was slain and the Witnesses slain now if thou wilt take these for Proofs and for a Ground thou mâ—yest and so all thy twisting and twining and vain Arguments fall to the Ground and doth not the Church of Rome account all you as Hereticks and is not their Judgement that they ought to punish you wiâ—h corporal Punishment and is not this your Judgement also page 78. that the Magistrate ought to proceed gradually That is to inflict Punishment by Degrees with lingring Tortures like their Inquisitions and wherein doth thy Doctrine differ from theirs in this take them to thee and thy Doctrine for thou art but a Stem sprung out of the same Root and actest from the same Principle and yet I tell thee and all the World I am not pleading for any matter of Fact or for Breakers of the Law that is righteous for the Law is good if a Man use it lawfully it is against Murderers Man-stealers and Stealers of the Creatures for Idolaters and Defrauders and Cheaters and every Act or Fact deserves punishment suitable to the Transgression now had it not been more reasonably done of thee to have produced the Fact of the Quakers in New-England which hath deserved all these bâ—rbarous Tortures then to declare them and publish them as Offenders in Matters of Fact and have none to lay to their charge and I challenge thee and the rest of thy Adherents to produce some matters of fact which the Quakers have done which is contrary to any righteous Law of God or else own your Condemnation and repent and thou must not think that this poor Tract of thine which is full of Deceit and Confusion Error Blasphemy and Madness though thou publish it by the Appointment of the General Court that it will cover your Wickedness or hide you from being discovered to moderate People neither will shelter you in the Day of the Lord. And thou say'st It concerneth New-England alwayes to remember that originally they are a Plantation Religious the Profession of Purity of Doctrine Worship and Discipline is written upon your Fore-heads that after New-England hath now shined Twenty Years should now go out in the Snuff of Moralianism Answ. There was something amongst some of you but you fled the Cross as I told you before and so that Spirit which persecuted you in the Bishops Time got up in your selves and that which once you had while you were under Affliction here you have lost not only the Pâ—wer of Godliness but the Form thereof and also of sound Words and now as to matter of Religion it is rather become a Place of Ostridges Owles and Satyrs and for Purity of Doctrine Worship and Discipline written in your Fore-heads if it must be tried by your Rule and if it be the same Twenty Years that it is now I have not heard more of Unsoundness in Doctrine Worship and Discipline which I have read on in many Ages but especially in the Scripture and truly your shining now is turned into Blackness and your Sun is set and your day is darkness and your Light is gone out as the Snuff of a Candle because this man boasts of their Doctrine Worship and Discipline take a few things out of many and behold them in the Light of the Lord and compare them with the Scripture and so I leave them to thy Judgment 1. First speaking of the Trinity he saith God is a distinct Subsistance from the Son and the Spirit and that the Son is distinct Subsistance from the Father and the Spirit in the nineth Page and because it is said The Father shall give you another Comforter this another he saith is intelligible of the Essence so then the Son is a distinct Subsistance and Essence from the Father and the Spirit is a distinct Subsistance and Essence from the Father and the Son so here are three distinct Essences 2. And that the Spirit of God without the Letter is no Spirit that which obligeth a Man to obey a Command of God is one Power and that which strengthens him and enables him to obey is aâ—othâ—r Power page 12. and that Christs Words in Joh. 17.22 give an uncertain Sound which are these That they may be one as we are one 3. That Scripture is a perfect Rule of Life but not without Consequences 4. That Thomas and Mary are no where mentioned in Scripture neither are commanded Obedience nor forbidden Disobedience contrary to Joh. 20.16 17.27 5. That that Light which teacheth a Man there is a God and to worship God and that Parents are to be honoured and that a Man shall not lye nor steal and that which discovers the Creator his Eternity and Omnipotency is to be construed in Opposition to spiritual Light and contra-distinct to the Light of the Spirit pag. 16. 6. That the Light which is in every Man hath much miscarried whilest that it is mannaged by the reigning Power of Darkness pag. 17. 7. That that which lets a Man see that he should not do to others what he would not have others do unto him and shews a Man ought not to steal nor to lye and that which discovers Eternity and Omâ—ipotency this iâ—deed saith he is Darkness it is worse then gross Darkness pag. 18. 8. Christ enlightens no Man wâ—th the Light of Life but them that are so and so qualified 9. That the Gospel is a Constitution or Effect tempered of the Grace of God and the Blood of Christ. 10. That the visible Political Churches Political Officers Political Worship and Administrations are Gospel-Institutions or appointed by Christ pag. 41. 11. That there is Policy in Heaven pag. 42. 12. Pastors and Teachers are Political Church-Officers 13. That the Lord's Supper is
I said unto E. D. that Christ was the Seed of David according 〈◊〉 the Flesh and according to the Spirit the Son of God And furthermore said and now say that Christ is glorified in a spiritual Body an incorruptible Body and so by incorruptible Bâ—dy and spiritual Body according to R. I. his dark understanding must also be understood human Nature and again human Nature may be understood of the Soul O dark and Sottish man what art thou like to confute who saith The human Nature may be taken for the Soul and also it may be taken for Flesh and also it may be taken for the Regenerate part and thus like a blind man hast lost all aim thou runnest-Rambling up and down in every by-Path but how shouldst thou do otherwise seeing thou hast denyed that Spirit that doth not Err and all wouldst have all others to deny it and saist that none may lay claim to it although God hath Promised it to give the Spirit of Truth to lead his People into all Truth and if into all Truth then out of all Error but this Doctrine of Christ comes too near Perfection for R. I. to own which is a Doctrine so offensive to him that he cannot endure to hear of it or that ought should be Perfect and therefore he hath condemned the Law of the Spirit of Life and saith it is Imperfect as may be seen in the 55th page of his Book and if Flesh and the Regenerate part of man and the Soul may all be understood by human Nature then they are all one and then the Soul is Human and earthly but the Soul is spiritual and immortal and Flesh and Blood inherits not the Kingdom of God and the Regenerate part is that which is begotten and brought forth by the Immortal word of Life and that which born of the Spirit is Spirit and so the ignorance of this man is made manifest and so R. I. may take his lye home unto himself as that F. H. deny real Body of Christ for F. H. hath said and now saith again and that according to Knowledge that Christ hath an incorruptible Body and a Glorious Body and a spiritual Body and in this Body is Christ glorified with the Father and human Nature is no where taken for a spiritual and incorruptible Bâ—dy in the Scripture's account as this R. I. and his blind Tribe do imagine and yet the Flesh of Christ is owned and the Word that was made Flesh the Saints know and do feed on by which they are nourished up into everlasting Life and so I say unto thee as I did to E. D. when thou writes again speak plainly if by Human Nature thou intendst a carnal Body or the same Flesh thou art on and thou wouldst divide the Flesh of Christ from the Spirit wouldst divide Christ and Christ is not divided and thus he goes Quarreling on and heaps Lye upon Lye and saith that F. H. saith Christ hath no real Body but hâ—s Mystical Body which Thing is thy own and never affirmed by me either in Word or Writing and so repent of thy Lyes and for shame call in thy Book lest the Judgments and Plagues of God be multiplyed upon thee And further saith R. I. How do the Quakers condemn themselves when they so proudly boast themselves as the Pharisees did to be clear from Sin who need not Christ's Righteousness for their Justification how then can they say that Christ's righteousness is their Justification when they are so Righteous in their own Eyes for Christ hath not Promised to Justâ—fie any but those that confess their Sins Answ. We have confest our Sins and also departed from them and not like you feigned Hypocrites who are confessing from Year to Year with your feigned Lips and your Hearts never turned to the Lord from Iniquity and takest the Name of Christ's righteousness to be a Cloak to cover your Iniquity withal and we do not say that we have no need of Christ's righteousness for our Justification for if we should say so we should be Lyars like thy self for we have need of Christ's righteousness for he is our Life who is called The Lord our Righteousness he is our Justifier and who art thou that condemns any but the false accuser of the Brethren for Christ's righteousness is our covering and we are not righteous in our own Eyes but in the Eyes of him who hath made us so and we never said that we have not Sinned and so we have not made God a Lyar as this vile Slanderer would make men believe through his false Aspersions for we say we were once Darkness but now are we Light in the Lord and he who is our Light and Life is our Justification and Righteousness and his Blood cleanseth from all sin and the Power of God keepeth us That the Evil one toucheth us not and yet all Boasting excluded And the further R. I goes on the lower he sinks towards the bottomless Pit and there we shall find him at last before we have done with his Book and speaks out of thick Darkness like a Man that never saw the Sun who hath altogether taken up his dwelling Place in Death's Region and as though that were the Land of his Nativity as thou shalt see Reader by what ensues R. I. saith Though it be said he that commits Sin is of the Devil not that the Devil can claim him for his own or that he is in his Possession but he is Captivated of the Devil and over-Powered And for his proof he brings Peter was cryed up to be a Saint and at that same time when he was Cryed up to be a Saint Christ called Peter a Devil and that must be understood a Saint hath Sinned Answ. He that is Captivated by the Devil hath gone from the Power of God and he that commits Sin doth the Devil's Work and he may claim him for his Work-man and he that is over-powered is brought into Captivity and he that carryes into Captivity hath the Captive in his Possession as it is written his Servants you are to whom you obey and he that commits Sin is the Servant of Sin And these black confused Distinctions R. I. maketh to make People believe that they are Saints of God when they are the Devil 's Captives and that they are in the Possession of Christ who yet do the Works of the Devil who is an Enemy to Christ thou know'st no more for Saint then thou know'st of a Devil who saith that Peter at the same time that Christ called him a Saint called him a Devil for thou must know that Matthew recorded many things it may be in one Chapter which were acted and done and spoken in many Dayes and Weeks for when Peter confessed Christ to be the Son of God he was in the Faith and Christ said Flesh and Blood had not revealed that to him but at this time had spoken little of his Sufferings and it is written Mat. 16.21
from that time forward began Jesus to shew unto his Disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many Things and be Kill'd and rise again the third Day So that it is manifest that here was distance of time and space betwixt Peter Confession of Christ and of his rebuking of him however the Unbelief was gotten up in Peter and he that had need to be taught came to be a Rebuker of him who was a Teacher this was another State then the former but of these things R. I. is ignorant and let the Serpent feed upon Dust for I desire to give him no other food And further R. I. saith Though Saints Sin not Devil-like unto Death yet if any man say he hath not sinned after the Similitude of Adam ' s Transgression he saith John is a Lyar and the Truth is not in him for when all is done the best men are Men still and the best Earth is Earth ever and will bear Nettles and Brambles and if these things were well considered by F. H. he would not accuse me and E. D. for pleading for Sin or Satan for we plead against those who say they have no Sin Answ. This R. I. is so in love with Sin that by his Arguments which he makes one would judge that he accounts it as necessary as his 〈◊〉 food and these are strange kind of Saints that R. I. would make at the best they are still but sinners and unsanctified but they that are called to be Saints who are begotten by God the Father and preserved in Christ Jesus they are sanctified and made clean through the washing of Regeneration and through the Sanctification of God's holy Spirit which dwelleth in them by which they have Power to mortifie the Deeds of the Flesh and to overcome and to be made Partakers of the Promises but here lies the difference in R. I. his Account betwixt his Saints and his Sinners The Sinners sin Devil-like yet the Saints sin not Devil-like I say they that sin are in one Nature notwithstanding R. I. his blind Distinctions for they that sin are liker the Devil then God and liker his Image then God's Image for God's Image consisteth in Righteousness and true Holiness and the Devil's Image consisteth in Unrighteousness Sin and Unholiness and now Reader thou mayest judge whose Image R. I. his Saints bear and if thou be one that canst plead against them who are born of God and sin not and who are cleansed from all sin by the Blood of Christ then R. I. will ranck thee with E. D. and himself in his Bead-row of Saints as he calls it And if any man say he hath not sinned after the Similitude of Adam 's transgression he is saith John a Lyar Nay it is R. I. that saith it and not John and so R. I. is the Lyar for the Scripture saith on this wise Rom. 5.14 Death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the Similitude of Adam 's Transgression so that it is manifest that there were many that Death reigned over and yet they sinned not after the similitude of Adam's Transgression but this R. I. will accuse every man with whom he hath a mind to quarrel and will not only teâ—l Lyes himself but publish false Doctrine but he will bring the Saints for his Author and John saith not if any man say he hath no Sin And thou that saeyst when all is done the best men and the best Earth will bear Nettles and Brambles and Pricks as I said to E. D. so I may to thee thou hast given thy Verdict for the Devil and not for God and his Saints for They that are born of God sin not and they that are cleansed by the Blood of Christ from all Sin and are clear in his Sight and are kept by his immortal Word which dwells in them that the Evil one touch them not but have overcome the Wicked one and the best Earth is that wherein righteousness dwells which R. I. is altogether a Stranger to and that brings forth no Bryars nor Brambles Nettles nor Pricks for that Grâ—und is curst so this man by his devilish Doctrine hath made the coming of Christ of none effect and the Blood of Christ of none effect and so hath denied the Work of Redemption to the best of Men and Deliverance to the Creature who hath travailed in pain This Dreamer is far contrary to the Prophet Danâ—â— who saw by the Spirit of prophecy which this R. I so deadly hates both in men and Women that if it be not allowed of by such as he iâ— mâ—st 〈◊〉 speak nor they by it this Prophet I say testified of the coming of the just one and of his Work that he should make an End of â—in 〈…〉 Tâ—anâ—gression and bring in everlasting righteousness but saith R. I. Thâ— best Men are Men still and the best Earth Earth ever and the best Saints Sinners though they siâ— not Devil-like and Nettles and Brambles and Pricks they 〈◊〉 all bring forth Now if this Doctrine be true how is the Soul 〈…〉 of Death and where is the restauration of the Creature from under the Bondage of Corruption and where is the redemption of the Seed which is Heir of the Promise Nettles Brambles and Bryars cumber the ground and choak the Seed and these things F. H. hath well considered and I see more and more that thou art a Pleader for Sin and Satâ—n and imperfection for a Spirit of Error for Images Pictures and Crosses for Cuffs Ribbons and Lace for Nettles Brambles and Bryâ—rs and art a Man that doth lay claim to the utmost Borders of the Devils Kingdom and a greater Servant of his Master I have not met with long whose Reward will be according to his Works And the Lye being the cheif cognisance of his Master in which he greatly glories in he goes on and saith Another Error of the Quakers is they do not believe the Scriptures to be true because they deny them to be the Word of God for if they believe what the Scriptures say of themselves and they say of themselves that they are the Word of God and for his proof he cites Mark 7.13 Rom. 10.8 2. Câ—r 2.17 1 Pet. 1.25 Answ. The Scripture we own to be true and whatsoever the Scriptures say of themselves that we own them to be to wit a Declaration Scriptures of Truth holy Scriptures the Words of God of Christ and of his Apostles a Treatise and for his proofs I could whâ—lly refer them to the reader to examine them himself and to discover the ignorance of this R. I. who tenders these Scriptures aforementioned for sufficient proof as that the Scriptures call themselves the Word of God as for Mark 7.13 making the Word of God of none effect by your Tradition he doth not say of making the Word of God the Scriptures of none effect neither doth he sâ—y you make the Scriptures which is the word of
Uncircumcised over the Nations again for the 〈…〉 re more justifiable in the sight of God then these who Profess him in Words and yet are Reprobate unto every good VVork Therefore come out of Babylon all People and Potentates of the Earth and drink no more of her Cup of Fornication and receive no more of her Traditions nor inventions for the Ordinances of Christ and partake no more of the Sins of this false Church which hath drunk the Blood of the Prophets and slew the Saints under the Name of Blasphemers and under the Name of Hereticks as the Jews of old did who had the Words of the Prophets without the Life and were in Error themselves and in the Blasphemies who killed the just One and Crucified Christ as a Blasphemer and the Members of his Body as Hereticks Plagues and Woes are prepared of the Lord God and Thunders Storms and Tempests are to be poured upon the Seat of this Whore and the Seat of the Beast for dreadful is the day of the Lord which is coming upon all Flesh which shall wither as Grass and the hâ—lls shall melt and the Rocks shall cleave the high and lofty shall bow the strong Men shall be afraid Terror shall come upon all Hypocrites and fearfulness and weakness upon all the Mighty and Valiant and upon all that have Warred and striven with carnal weapons and all Worshippers in the Flesh the Sword of the Lord shall come over all which is ready furbished and brandished which shall be soaked in the Blood of Bulls and the strong and the Fat and the Mighty and the slain of the Lord shall be many for the notable Day of the Lord God is appearing such a day as hath not appeared since the Apostacy for God's Controversie shall be with all the Inhabitants of the Earth at the Sound thereof the Nations shall be afraid and the Isles shall Shreek and the Mighty men shall fail for God hath determined to cleanse the Earth of all the fruitless Trees that cumber the Ground and to makeâ—h overflowing Scourge pass throw the Nations to sweep away the Refuge of Lyes Idolatry and Superstition Will-worship vain Human Traditions of men and to make all Flesh to bow before him Therefore all People who look to escape the Judgement of the Lord God which is coming upon the Nations flee flee for your lives out of Babylon out of Sodom and Egypt spiritually so called hasten and come out to meet the Lord God lest you be overthrown in those cursed Cities whose Sins have reached up to Heaven make haste and come out and be not upon your reserves and consult not with Flesh and Blood partake no more of her Sins lest you partake of her dreadful Plagues and of the Cup of the Lord 's fiery Indignation which is the Portion of all the Inhabitants of that City for they shall drink it And all ye Princes and People in Germany who are called reformed who have denyed the Church of Rome in some things and who judge you are come to a good Degree of Reformation I must needs say unto you that the Reformation your Departure from her is yet but weak poor and feeble and you are come but a little way I may say unto you as the Prophet said you must rise and go from that which you are now in which you judge to be the Worship of the true God for it is not your Rest indeed you have departed and cast off some things which are but circumstances you stick still in the old Ground and if you take not heed the Leaven of the Whore's Sorceries which is yet among you may quickly leaven you all again into one Lump and bring you back again within the Walls of that bloody City and you that are Princes will not want Temptations to draw you back to associate your selves again with the Church of Rome that now thereby you may be strengthned against the heathen for if you should enter into any Association with them or give any consent unto such Temptations you do but go down into Egypt for Help then will your latter End be worse then your Beginning and your Bondage and Thraldom will be greater then it was before and I must tell you plainly the Lord will pare the Heathen and exalt their Horn and they shall be as a Scourge and as the Lord's Battle-axe to bring down the Pride and Haughtiness of that blâ—ody City which hâ—th drunk the Blood of the Saints and they that have yoaked others shall now be yoaked and they that have cruelly tyrannized over others shall be tyrannized over and that which hath led others into Captivity Bondage and Thraldom shall go into captivity bondage and thraldom and the Heathen shall rule over it Therefore ye that are called Protestant Princes or Reformed and to all People within your Dominions look not back for help from spiritual Sodom Oh let it never enter into your Hearts you are yet in the Suburbs of that City therefore come further off and out from it for you still retain too much of the Government of that City and too much of their Form Ordinances Institution and Doctrine and judge them to be Apostolick and Catholick but wait you to know the Power of God in your Assemblies which changes the Mind and Heart within for bodily exercises profiteth little you have had Tryal enough of that but what Life and Power do you enjoy which was from the Beginning before the World began Is there no forcing and compelling amongst you about Religion and Hire for your Ministers And do you not limit and stop that which the generality cannot agree unto and brand it for Error and Heresie and is there no killing about Religion nor making men suffer about matters in Religion may every one speak freely of the things of God what he hath received freely of the Lord as they did in the Primitive Times when the Church was in Purity Forcing ought not to be amongst you and you put too great a Price upon outside things which at the best are but Shadows of spiritual things which are to be revealed in the Heart and know you this that they that worship the Lord aright worship him in Spirit and in Truth and they who come to witness the New Covenant come to know the Law of the Spirit of God and the Life revealed in their Hearts by which the Sons of God are led into all Truth and they need not go back to the Tables of Stone nor to literal Precepts for a Rule for their Rule is within to wit the Spirit of God which the Father hath promised to pour forth upon his Sons and Daughters by the Mouth of his Prophets and that they need not say know the Lord for all shall be taught of him from the least to the greatest who are come to the everlasting Covenant and to the Blood of sprinkling which purifies the Heart and sprinkleth the Consciences which speaks better things to all
Forms by number and Tale they are as much Idiots as the rest are who know not the Spirit to pray by And so this is no Authority to prove your Practice Apostolical and holy as for variety of Prayers and Worships it delighteth the carnal mind indeed but they that worship God in Spirit and Truth they Pray by the Spirit and in it as David and Christ prayed whether seven times five times or three times and with understanding and that which they prayed in was not various but one and it 's by that one Spirit which is not various by which the Sons of God cry Abba Father and the variety of your formed charms Bablings upon your Beads God hath no regard unto but is a Smoke in his Nostrills all day And they that have exercised themselves in these things have not the Witness of God in their own consciences that they are accepted of God and so I shall proceed to another Doctrine called Apostolical and Holy and that is about Meats whether they may be lawfully eaten at all time The Author confesseth they forbid certain kinds of Meats but it is but aâ— certain times and they are forbidden not as they are Evil and the Creatures of God but because they are forbidden by the Church and his proof is the Apple which Eve and Adam eat was not Evil in it self but being prohibited so to eat that which is good of it self is not ill but to eat contrary to the Superiors mind and order this is Evil. The Bible and Scriptures ought not to be read but leave is to be asked of the Superior because there are many hard Passages which they which have little or no learning as Peter testifies in hâ—s second Epistle chap. 3. some â—nderstands it one way and some another and therefore it is the fittest for Learned men to judge of them and they must judge whether People be in a capacity to read them Answ. And why are Meats forbidden aâ— certain â—imes is this like Apostolick Doctrine are not all Times and Seasons in the Hand of the Lord and are all good to them that believe and to the pure all Things are pure all Times and Seasons all Meats and Drinks being sanctified by the Word which made them all holy unto all that do believe And if you forbid them not as they are Creatures of God but because they are forbidden I say who did forbid them or when were they forbidden by Christ his Apostles or the true Church of Christ in their Dâ—y but on the contrary Christ taught That which goeth in at the Mouth and â—n at the Belly doth not defile the Man but that which proceedeth out of the Heart which is corrupted And Paul said What is sold at the Shambles may be eaten and no Question made for Conscience sake for to the clean all Things are clean and to the believing all Things are pure and who hath limited such Meats for such Dayes and such Times the true Church No but the Church of Rome â—ho are going on in that Doctrine the Apostle spoke of 1 Tim. 4. which he reckoned a Doctrine of Devils but here is your Argument that must bring you off because you forbid it not at all Times I say if it be a Doctrine of Devils to forbid at all Times then it is some Part of the Doctrine of Devils to forbid at any Time seeing Time and Things are all good in the Hâ—nd of the Lord but if this Doctrine should hold what would become of your Dog-dayes and of your Lent which has been patched up Week by Week by divers Popes and of your Wednesday Friday and Saturday Fast so by this Account of yours half of the Year is either unholy or else some Meat is unholy for half of the Year but there are few but see your Blindness that in this much need not be said but only thus that which may lawful in it self when it is prohibited by the Lord unto any particular then it becomes evil for whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin But Christ alone unto whom all Power is committed hath the sole Power over the Heart and Conscience and for any to make Injunctions and Prohibitions contrary to him the same is Anti-christ and so the Practice which your Church commands is not Apostolical but you bring Yoaks upon the true Disciples Necks which they that are made free by the Son cannot stoop unto neither joyn with for whosoever doth goes into Bondage And Christ is the supream Power unto whom all Power is committed and when he justifies what superior can condemn And there is no need of asking leave of them that are Superiors which reckon themselves as so seeing every man stands clear in the Sight of God when he transgresses not against the Supream Law of Christ in his Conscience and to offend any Superiors who lay any Injunction contrary to the Command of God is not to offend God neither to break his Command 2 dly It seems all Parts of Religion are monopolized by Mystery-Babylon in which Rome is comprized not only Patents and Pardons sold for eating of Meat but Authority and License must be given to every one that reâ—ds Scripture a Thing which the Apostolick Church before the Pope had a Being knew nothing of but on the contrary some were exhorted to read the Scriptures and some were commended for reading of the Scriptures and for searching whether the Things were so as Paul testified and in this they were counted more Noble then they â—t Thessalonica but now it is become an ignoble Thing and not at all to be 〈◊〉 to read the Scriptures without Patent or Licence in the Church of Rome's Account who have laid down Ignorance to be the Mother of Devotion but the Danger is because there are hard Passages which are not understood when the People have little or no Learning as the Author saith was it for Want of natural Learning that Peter complained they wrested the Scriptures and therefore is it for Want of Natural Learning that the Scriptures are not understood and for Want of this they must not be read as the Author saith Ignorant Man what was Peter such a great learned Man a poor Boat-man of Fisher-man whom the Scripture saith was illiterate in the Acts When they beheld Peter and John and that they were illiterate Men and saw their Boldness and took Notice they had been with Jesus What! was it Want of Natural Learning that Peter spoke of then he spoke against himself for he was illiterate but it was such a Learning that they wanted as this Author wants who is untaught by the Spirit and unlearned in the Doctrine of Christ and such wrest the Scriptures and do not understand hard Sayings because the deep Things of God are revealed through the Spirit of God and not by natural Learning as this Author who would sell Licences and Pardons for reading the Scriptures as they have done for eating Flesh in Lent but a Story
had not that Sufficiency which many look upon now they have to wit natural Tongues and Languages yet it was sufficient in them to give them Wisdom to declare the things of the Kingdom of God to the Salvation of many that did believe through their Words it was sufficient to comfort Paul and Silas when they were shut in the inner Room and their Feet fast in the Stocks when there was no outward Cause of Joy but rather of Sorrow yet they were made to sing and rejoyce because of the great Comfort and Joy that the Spirit of God filled their Hearts with again it was sufficient in the midst of great Conflicts and Tribulations which Paul and the rest suffered for the Gospel's sake and for Christ's sake and yet as Suffering did abound it was sufficient to make Consolation to super-abound to ballance the Suffering and to make it easie Fifthly It is that everlasting Covenant which the Lord promised by the Mouth of his Prophets in â—ormer Dayes that he would fulfil in the latter Dayes or after times That he would write his Law in their Hearts and put his Spirit in their inward Parts and that they should not teach every Man his Neighbour saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest and again in another Place I will pour upon them the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication and they shall see him whom they have pierced and again I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and my Sons and my Daughters shall prophecy c. And this was fulfilled at Pentecost in Jerusalem when the Disciples met together and the Promise of the Father came to be fulfilled and the Unbelievers said They were filled with new VVine and the Lord hath a Care of his People through Ages and hath not left them comfortless not without a Guide and a certain and sure one too which Spirit is manifest among some Non-conformists whom thou takest Liberty to call Sects and the Sufficiency of it is witnessed praised be the Lord in our Assemblies both as to convince to convert to save to judge to guide to instruct to comfort and is that alone in which all true Christian Men can worship God in the Silence of all Flesh fleshly Motions Thoughts it 's that that giveth Assurance also of Acceptation with God and is that which makes the Prayers of the Saints as sweet Incense in the Nostrils of the Lord it is that which makes the Words of him like Butter as pleasant as Hony or sweet Oyl who speaks by it through it and from it whereby the Hearts of many have been pricked and the Thoughts of many have been revealed and many have been comforted with Joy unspeakable and filled with pure Love from the sensible Feeling of the Sufficiency of its Power operating in the inward Man even as when the Harvest had been gathered in and the Press been full of Grapes and the Fat 's had overflown with Abundance so that they could have rejoyced and sung and danced for Joy as sometimes David did when the Ark of God was brought from the House of Obed-Edom and placed in Jerusalem when David danced for Joy and all Israel was filled with Gladness what might I say for the Certainty Sufficiency and All-sufficiency of this holy Spirit of God I might fill my Mouth with Arguments and time might fail me in Speech to speak of the Excellency Certainty and Infallibility thereof against all Opposers and Quarellers In a Word it is that alone means through which God conveys Eternal Life to all Man-kind and it is that Rule by which all the Sons of God were led Rom. 8.14 It is that only sure Guide Judge Way Rule in which there is Certainty and Assurance of the Love of God to Man-kind it is that by which the Deeds of the Flesh are mortified and men quickened and enlivened unto God in their Hearts in which the Saints are accepted by which they are regenerated and through which they become Heirs of the Promise what shall I say but this let all Flesh be confounded before it and all Deceit stop its Mouth and all the Sons of Men bow before it all Councils and Churches all Rulers and Elders all Reason and Comprehension all Words and Writings of Men and holy Men yea of the Scriptures of Truth it gave them all a Being it was and is and is to come and will remain when all visible things are past away it is that by which God will plead with all Flesh and bring a Consumption upon all the honourable of the Earth and burn up the Mountains and make the Hills to melt and make all a Plain before him therefore make room make room make way ye Potsherds and cease all your contending and babling and bow to it and learn of it in your Hearts which R. E. like an ignorant Man calls a private Spirit that your Souls may be saved in the Day of the Lord and you may escape his Wrath which is to come against all Resisters of it Sixthly Your Catholick Church falsely so called who hath Erred from the Spirit the infallible Guide though you much boast of it both in Doctrine and Practise abundantly insomuch that your Faces seem altogether to look another way and your course to arrive at another Haven then the Apostles and all the Primitive Christians attained unto to wit everlasting Happiness and Rest of their Souls and acceptation with God in their performances and Sacrifices which they offered unto him in the Spirit of which they and all that believe in it and have received it received perfect assurance in their Hearts by the immediate Spirit of God and likewise the Protestants in general whether Lutherans or Calvinists or other Sects known by denomination are of so narrow and a pinching Spirit as that you would Pinch and shut up the Universal love of God unto all Mankind in a narrow Corner and monopolize the free Grace of God that hath appeared unto all Men that teaches all Men that receive it to deny all Heresie Falshood Opinions and Humours private Spirits and Spirits of Error which leadeth from all these and is sufficient to lead out of all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to do that which is acceptable in the sight of God and this all Sects since the Woman cloathed with the Sun fled into the Wilderness viz. the true Church and all parties have laid claim to and excluded all other that were not of the Opinion as from having any share in it as though it were given only to such a company of Men that succeeded the Apostles and by Arts and parts and Natural Language in the Course and Term or Years and at such such places as the Apostles were sometime conversant at and other Sects besides you who have kept more nearer in Conformity in Doctrine and Worship and unto the Apostles then you have done they have laid claim to the Spirit of God and to
them that bring them forth like them in Bedlam and what though Turks Jews Pagans Mahomet and the false Christians do pretend to the Spirit and guidance by it and yet bring forth the Fruits of the Flesh doth this make the Spirit of God void or the certainty of it to them that believe or do make their Fruits of none effect God forbid thy Ignorance is manifest but here thou ceasest not thy Tongue being thy own and thou being at liberty and speakest thy own words which in the end shall become thy Burden Thou vapours and vants over them to wit all the Nonconformists and saist What can you say for your selves any of you which these Enthusiasts who have gone before you to maintain their Errours but the Rule and judge and then thou concludes That which God hath appointed to be rule and judge to all the World and capable of being known and heard by all and cannot contradict it self nor must be contradicted by any under pain of Damnation if you cannot shew it to have been your Rule you ought to lay aside your Folly as destructive to human Society and them that have pretended the Spirit the strongest party and Sword upon the vote will prove it self the most convincing Spirit and force the weaker Spirits to submit or cry for thou concludes the Nonconformists have no other Testimony to try your contradicting Spirits in matters of greatest moment but force and success if you have I pray you inform me what it is Answ. If the Wind had not turned into another door divers Non-conformists believe we should have had another Song from thee if time had but favoured thee so far as to have granted thee priviledge of thy Troop to be Captain which Name thou holds up yet in the pride of thy Heart though thou hast lost thy force success and Pay which was the greatest plea when time was with thee and not long since too which makest thee measure every Man's Foot by thy Last and thou might receive information before thou hadst made a Conclusion had been the part of a Wise man before thou hadst set thy self as Judge over all thy former Fellowships which thou fianedly pretends so great love to and before thou hadst discovered their nakedness if it be nakedness to all the World in such a publick insulting bravado as this like Goliah of Gath and as for whatsome Non-conformists both of the Church of Rome and to the Church of England to which thou creeping and sneakingly flatters and saist it 's established and therefore thou will not meddle thou might have said dare not for thy Spirit is well enough seen by them only to have the Spirit of a Slave and not a free Member of the true Church of God and it 's no part of a Vertue nor Honour for thee to insult and glory over them who are in suffering and Adversity whenas thou darest not meddle with them who are as contrary to thee as the former this is but the Spirit of a Coward and is ignoble and base and ever so to be accounted by all the Children of Light who dare put all to venture which they do enjoy on this side of Immortality and to suffer the loss of all visible things for their Testimony and the Truth which they believe and for bearing witness against that which is contrary unto their Faith as did the valiant Primitive Christians of old and that which some Non-conformists can say is more then thou canst believe although demonstrated in the evidence of the Spirit of God with sound reason and evident Example from the Scriptures of Truth and though thou and thy former fellowships then and thy new fellowships now have made this vapour which for ought I know might lay your Hands upon your Mouths all considering what contradictory Doctrines and Fruits have been brought forth since the Night of Apostacy entred in and all the World wondered after the Beast some have this to say He that pretends to the Spirit and the thing cometh not to pass that they speak or Prophesie let him be accounted a false Prophet again they that pretend guidance of the Spirit as some formerly have done and yet bring forth the Fruits of the Flesh as variance Hatred Emulation Strife Contention Heresie false Doctrine Persecution force and violence let them be counted as truly they are Deceivers and Delâ—ders which have gone out into the World and deceived a great part of Mankind of which Rome hath not had the least share clear it when thou canst Morever he that pretends to have the Spirit of God and layes down another Foundation to build upon in matter of Faith in matter of Rule in matter of Judgment in matter of Doctrine then that which the Lord of Life and Glory hath laid down he is a Deceiver and an Anti-christ but R. E. hath laid down another Rule another way another Judge another Foundation for Faith and let himself make the Conclusion if he once dare joyn to true Judgment other Foundation can none lay then that which is â—lready laid to wiâ— Christ Jesus the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and of the Church of God by which they were all builded up as a holy Habitation for God to dwell in through the Spirit Again the Apostle saith All Judgment is committed to the Son both in Heaven and Earth and again he saith himself I am the Way the Truth and the Life and none can come to the Father but by me and again the Spirit of Truth shall lead and direct hâ—â— Disciples into all Truth and sealeth unto them their Justification Redemption and Salvation And this R. E. would lay all waste and void and why because many have pretended to it and have fallen short therefore all the aforesaid things must be laid aside as uncertain and not to be trusted unto and a certain sort of Men called the Apostles Successors who have sought their gain and worldly Interest and to enlarge their Dominions and to make themselves Lords over mens Faith and over mens Consciences whatsoever they say though never so contradictory to the Primitive Doctrine delivered in Christ and the Apostles dayes yet all must be received upon pain of Damnation as R. E. saith and this he calls the Visible Church and the infallible Judge and Rule and Director and hath laid waste the Office of Christ and turned the Spirit out of doors and made it ineffectual and would perswade all others to look to this from the Foundation and so is a deceiver and an Anti-christ Again we have this to say he that teacheth a contrary Doctrine then that which was once delivered unto the Saints is a Deceiver and deceived and this was Christ's Doctrine once delivered unto the Saints Swear not at all and love your Enemies pray for them that Persecute you do good to them that hate you And many more precepts which this visible Guide to wit the Roman Church holds not but hath made void
of Faith for that had been contrary to the Apostles Commission and their Doctrine for saith the Apostle We have not preached our selves but Christ the Lord and our selves your Servants for his sake And I may say to thee R. E. as Paul said to the Corinthians when they were striving about Men Cor. 3.21 Therefore let no Man glory in Men for all Things are yours or as he saith in Chap. 1. Ver. 13. was Paul crucified for you or were you baptized in the Name of Paul were they not carnal that so glorified was Peter crucified for us or were we baptized in the Name of Peter is not your visible Church carnal who thus judgeth that Christ intended Peter to be the Foundation of his Chruch for what was he or the rest of the Apostles but Ministers by which many believed 〈◊〉 and if thou hadst been present it is very like would have instructed Christ what to have said and bidden him have spoken after the Grammer Rule and Construction upon that Rock I will build my Church for Peter 's Faith in Christ is too mediate it seems and his Confession too remote and antecedent to be the Rock meant in Mat. 16.18 and therefore Peter must be immediate and the Rock upon which Christ hath doth and will build his Church but as immediate as he was and as sure a Rock as he was when he began to rebuke Christ he turned him about and said unto Peter Ver. 23. Get thee behind me Satan thou art an Offence unto me for thou savours not the Things of God and so say I to R. E. and his Catholicks they savour not the things of God but it is thy private Spirit and your own Interpretations and not the Mind of Christ and how far antecedent is Peter's Confession of Christ the Son of the living God is it not in Vers. 16. and wherein was Peter blessed but in this that it was revealed to him that Christ was the Son of the living God the Rock of Ages and the Foundation of his Church and as for thy visible Church with its two Heads independent Head and dependent Head which sure must have two Bodies where they can be found but that I shall leave to R. E. and I hope from the Grounds that thou hast here laid which did appear so clear to thee that none will be afraid nor judge that such a visible Church with two Heads is to be Rule and Guide to all to whom all are to submit under Pain of Damnation which is to have Peter for its Rock which if he had been living he would have denyed you all as Setters up of Men and Slighters of Jesus Christ the Rock of Ages the Foundation of the Church the Head of the Body the Rule of Life the Judge of Quick and the Dead the Law-giver Director Instructer and Preserver of his Church forever but R. E. goes on and saith It only remains that we consider which among all these Congregations now on Earth which pretend themselves to be this Church of Christ for having once found her and knowing that she is so assisted with the holy Ghost that she cannot teach us an Error we shall no more dispute the Verity of her Doctrine then we would have questioned the Articles of Faith taught by the holy Apostles or the Words of Christ himself wherefore if this Church this infallible Guide shall teach us that Infants ought to be baptized and that it is as lawful to desire the Saints departed to pray for us as to desire the Prayers of them that are alive and that the Body of Christ our Saviour is really and truly present in the Sacrament of the Altar or any other Article of Faith we shall no more doubt it then the first Christians did the Verity of what the Apostles taught them Among all those Congregations on Earth that look upon themselves to be the Church and Spouse of Christ there is one if thy Eye could behold or if thou could'st discern it but before thou canst there is an Eye in thee must be put out and there is a Wisdom in thee that must be confounded and turned into Foolishness before thou canst discern it in its Glory as it is but however that is it undoubtedly which is begotten into the Faith through the Publication of the immortal Word of Life and who are translated from Death unto Life and who have received the Power and Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ and meet in his Name and Power and do witness his Presence among them and have received a Measure of that infallible Spirit of Truth which leadeth into all Truth and out of the Pollutions of the World and are dead unto the World and baptized into the Sufferings of Christ and are crucified with him who keep unviolated his Statutes and Commands without adding to or diminishing from who walk in the Order of the Gospel and are not conformable to the World nor to that which fallen Men set up but to the Power of God that worketh in the Hearts of all that believe to the framing of them a meet Habitation for God to dwell in and abide in the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and are Sayers and Doers speak the Truth and do the Truth and hold the Truth in Righteousness and the Faith once delivered to the Saints in a pure Heart and a pure Conscience who pray in the Spirit and with Understanding who publish the Truth and declare it in the Spirit reaching to the Consciences and to the Witness of God in all that hear who rejoyce only in Christ Jesus the great Power of God and the Wisdom of God and have no Confidence in the Flesh nor fleshly Performances whose Faith stands not in Words but in the mighty Power of God which she hath received according unto the Promise of God this Congregation or Congregations which is one and doth hold the one Head by which all the Members of Christ are knit together in the one Faith by which they overcame the World this undoubtedly is the Church of Christ and the Spouse of Christ But whether R. E. will not dispute against the Verity of her Doctrine I question notwithstanding all his Submission in Words and if this Church should teach that Infants are to be baptized with Cream and Spittle and signed with the Cross as absolutely necessary to Salvation or that it is the Duty of the Saints alive to pray to the Saints departed this World or to teach that Christ's Body which was broken for us and hanged upon the Tree at Mount Calvary that this should now be in a Morsel of Bread and a Sup of Wine and conveyed thither by the Priest and this to be really the Body of Christ if this Church should teach any such Doctrine there were good and weighty Reason to Question seeing that R. E. before hath said that they cannot be infallible who contradict one another and teach two contrary Doctrines and yet say they are both
THE DAWNINGS OF THE Gospel-Day AND ITS LIGHT and GLORY DISCOVERED By a Faithful and Valiant Follower of the Lamb and Labourer in the VVork and Service of God and a Sufferer for the TESTIMONY of JESUS Francis Howgil Who Dyed a Prisoner for the Truth in Appleby Goal in the County of Westmerland the Twentieth Day of the Eleaventh Moneth One Thousand Six Hundred Sixty Eight And the Dragon was Wroth with the Woman and went to make War with the Remnant of her Seed which keep the Commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus Christ Rev. 12.17 And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony and they loved not their Lives unto Death Rev. 12.11 Printed in the Year 1670. To all the faithful Friends and Followers of Christ Jesus in Scorn call'd Quakers Dear Friends THE Remembrance of the Author of these Books is fresh upon me as I believe it is upon many more that knew him and indeed he can never be forgotten by us whose blameless and innocent Life and Conversation when amongst us was a good Pattern unto us for he was a Man of a meek and gentle Spirit and was very careful and tender to all in whom the least Appearance of Truth manifested it self and his Travails and Labours were great for the Truth 's sake to beget People to the Lord being not satisfied to eat his Bread alone as many yet living in England Scotland and Ireland can testifie where he laboured and suffered and he was a Man of a tender and broken Spirit and constant in his Love to all his Brethren and a great Care he had over all the Flock of God and his Faithfulness to the Truth was a Crown unto him unto his latter End and his Name for his Constancy to the Lord and his Truth shall be had in Remembrance by Generations to come I have here drawn up a short Relation of his last Tryals and Sufferings at Appleby which being not heretofore published I thought meet to incert them before his Books as followeth and remain A Friend to all that love the Lord Jesus Ellis Hooks London the 3d Day of the 5th Moneth 1676. A true Relation of the Tryals Sufferings and Death of Francis Howgil who dyed a Prisoner for the Testimony of Jesus in Appleby in the County of VVestmorland the 10th Day of the 11th Moneth 1668. in the 50th Year of his Age. THE said Francis Howgil about the latter End of the 5th Moneth 1663. being in the Market in Kendal about his ordinary Occasions was summoned by the high Constable to appear before the Justices of Peace then present at a Tavern who tendred him the Oath of Allegiance as they said and committed him to Prison till the Assizes at Appleby so at Appleby he appeared and had the same Oath tendered in the Court by the Judges and for not taking it was indicted only he had Liberty to answer to the Indictment the next Assizes in the mean Time a Goal Delivery being at Appleby he was required again to enter into Bond for the good Behaviour only to ensnare and to bring him into further Bonds and for denying was committed Prisoner A further Relation of his Tryal at two several Assizes is as followeth Being at the Assizes he had free Liberty of Speech and good Audience before the Judges and great Men of the Country and many others and indeed the Lord made him without Fear and girded his Heart with Strength and opened his Mouth in Wisdom so that he gained upon his Adversaries for which Glory is given to God who was a present Help to him in the time of Need. Before the Judges sate F. H. spoke to the Clerk of the Assizes and told him he did not know whether they expected his Appearance then or not the Clerk said You have done well and that he would acquaint the Judge and he should only engage to him to appear the next Assizes to answer the Indictment against him and that he should not appear in Court Francis bid do what he would In the mean time Sir Philip Musgrave so called a great Adversary to the Truth and the great and chief Prosecutor of Francis had informed the Judges against him As that he was a dangerous Person a Ringleader and a Keeper up of Meetings of dangerous Consequence and destructive to the Peace of the Nation so then they concluded he should appear in Court and so the Clerk informed him and told him about what time he should be called So the Court began Judge Twisden gave the Charge to the grand Jury in which he said There was a Sort of People who under Pretence of Conscience and Religion who seemed to build upon the King's Declarations from Breda and under Colour of this hatched Treasons and Rebellions and gave the Jury Charge to enquire and present such that the Peace of the Nation might be preserved so they impaneled the Jury and Francis was called to the Bar and the Judge spake as Followeth Judge speaking calmly to him said The Face of things was much altered since the last Assizes made a large Speech to him and the Country telling him That all Sects under Pretence of Conscience did violate the Laws and hatched Rebellions not saith he that I have any thing to charge you with but seeing the Oath of Allegiance was tendered to you the last Assizes and you refused to take it it was looked upon that such Persons were Enemies to the King and Government and said I will not trouble you now to answer to your Indictment but I must do that the next Assizes in the mean time you must enter into Recognizance for the good Behaviour To which F. H. answered I desire Liberty to Speak which he had without Interruption and said as followeth F. H. Judge Twisden thou very well knowest upon how slender an Account or none I was brought before thee the last Assizes where thou were pleased to tender me the Oath of Allegiance though I believe both thee and the rest of the Court did know it was a received Principle amongst us not to swear at all many Reasons I gave thee then many more I have to add if I may have Audience for it may appear to you an absurd thing and Obstinacy in me to refuse it if I should not render a Reason I am said he none of those that make Religion a Cloak of Maliciousness nor Conscience a Cloak to carry on Plots or Conspiracies the Lord hath redeemed me and many more out of such things and seeing I am engaged to appear at the next Assizes I desire no further thing may be required of me Judge You must enter into Bond this dangerous time and therefore consider of it and tell me now or before the Assizes end The second Day of the Assizes he was called again F. H. Seeing thou art pleased to let me answer to my Indictment which I am willing to do I have been of
for if thou dost thou shalt be as Dust before the Wind the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it and he will perform his Promise For this is that I look for at thy Hands saith the Lord that thou shouldst undo the heavy Burdens and let the oppressed go free are not many shut up in prison and some stocked some stoned some shamefully intreated and some are judged Blasphemers by those who know not the Lord and by those Laws which have been made by the VVill of man and stand not in the Will of God and some suffer now because they cannot hold up the types and so deny Christ come in the flesh and some have been shut up in Prison because they could not swear and because they abide in the Doctrine of Christ and some for declaring against Sin openly in Markets have suffered as evil-doers and now if thou let them suffer in this Nature by those Laws and count it just I will visit for those things saith the Lord and I vvill break the Yoke from off their necks and I vvill bring Deliverance another VVay and thou shalt knovv that I am the Lord. Moved of the Lord to declare and write this by a Servant of the Truth for Jesus's sake and a Lover of thy Soul called Francis Howgil AN ANSVVER TO A PAPER CALLED A Petition of one Thomas Ellyson late Shepherd of Easington in the County of Durham to his Highness the Lord Protector of England Scotland and Ireland and to all Emperors Kings and Princes through the World THere are many in the County of Durham that knovv that thou hast been a Shepherd lately enough and see thee vvhat thou hast been and vvhere thou hast been and vvhere thou art novv and knovv thee to be one in Nature vvith those Shepherds vvhich the Lord sent Ezekiel Isaiah and Jeremiah to cry against vvho feed themselves vvith the Fat and clothe themselves vvith the Wooll and that thou art one of those Shepherds that cares not for the Sheep and art in the Nature of one of those Shepherds vvhich the true Prophets cryed against vvhich vvere as Evening Wolves and as Foxes in the Desart And for the simples sake I am moved to lay open thy Deceit that thou art one of those Foxes thou speakest of vvhich hath Fire in their Tails and thou art made manifest to be of old Cain's Nature that old murthering Spirit and vvith thy flattering Titles which thou givest unto Men and hast Mens Persons in Admiration because of Advantage and thou art born after the Flesh the Son of the bond-vvoman vvho art petitioning to me that they may abuse their Povver and exalt themselves over the Heritage of God and thou that vvouldst have Lavvs to bind the Consciences of men to walk after thy Will thou art Anti-christ vvho art petitioning the Povvers of the Earth to make Lavvs to limit the Holy One of Israel But blessed be the Lord the Day is come that thou and all Deceivers Persecutors and Flatterers are discovered and many see thee among Magistrates that thy Spirit is the same that vvould command Fire to come dovvn from Heaven to have destroyed them vvho vvould not receive them First Thou sayest That Moses who was a Commander over all Israel that he was appointed to bear the People in his Bosome as a nursing Father and thou say'st thou art a Cryer for the Remembrance of those things that all might be carryed in their Arms now and thou goest on and tellest them that God will require the Government of his Church at their Hands Rep. Moses vvho vvas faithful and true over the House of God vvho vvas a Figure of Christ he did receive the Lavv from the mouth of the Lord he acted in Righteousness and vvhen Eldad and Madad prophesied he vvas not angry as thou art but desired that all the Lord's People vvere Prophets and all vvho vvait upon the Lord to receive the Lavv of God from his mouth novv and vvalk in the same they have the same Spirit and they vvill not limit the holy One But thy Cry that thou callest for is that thou would'st have them who are in Moses 's stead as thou say'st they are for to limit the Holy One and thou art the Deceiver the Apostle speaks of vvhich art gone into the World vvho vvould'st persvvade the Magistrates that they must govern the Church and so thou vvould'st have this Generation of Rulers to be dashed in Pieces as all the Generations have been before them in exalting themselves in the Seat of Christ when as the Prophet saith The Government is upon Christ's Shoulders and the Scripture saith He alone treads the Wine-press And therefore whosoever will assume unto themselves to govern the Church by an outward visible carnal Law shall be as sure to be broken as all the rest The Church is in God and is invisible and that which is visible and natural cannot make any Law to bind that which is unlimited but they if they do go about to limit the Holy One of Israel and would set themselves in his Seat of Judgment and take away his Glory which he will not give to any and all such as have made any Laws in their own Wills to limit Sons and Daughters they have all been broken as the Scripture witnesseth every where and therefore let all Governours in England Scotland and Ireland and all the World to whom thou writest take heed how they set themselves in the room of God and lay Yoaks upon the Necks of them who are free by the Son and are brought by the Power of the Lord from under the Breach of all righteous Laws or transgressing any which are holy and just for the Law is for the lawless the Law is not for them who are in Righteousness but the Law is for the Transgressors who are in Unrighteousness and they are those that act by that Spirit which dwells in thee who would levy Troops for the Innocent and art vvroth and thy Countenance falls like Cain and hates thy Brethren and would have a Lavv made over the Conscience and vvould have the Povvers of the Earth to abuse their Povver in turning their Svvords against them vvho live in Righteousness and declare against Unrighteousness And further thou goest on and tellest them This was a Law given to Adam and so thou pervertest the Scripture by thy Imaginations Where readest thou of such a Lavv given to Adam that he compelled his Family to Religion And further thou sayest Which Care of Government is in great neglect in this Nation upon respect to tender Consciences sundry Sects and Sorts of Schismaticks are suffered unsuppressed and they sacrifice to Dan and Bethel And thou goest on and tellest the Nobles that it lies upon their score that they should suppress them Answ. That vvhich vvas given to a particular Family or People vvhich vvas for its time is not everlasting So any that take up any Rule vvithout them to act by act not by Precept but
are subject to every Ordinance of man for the Lord's sake but vve cannot flatter nor respect mens Persons and deny the Faith of Christ but are brought from under the Povver of Unrighteousness by the mighty Povver of God and are subject to all just Lavvs vvhich stand not nor vvere made in man's Will but obey them for Conscience sake and if any Lavv vvhich is not just and equal be required upon us that vve cannot do vve suffer for Conscience sake and resist not at all as many of our Enemies vvill vvitness for us and therefore you false Accusers be silent they that are subject to Israel's Common Wealth are righteous and vvalk in Righteousness in that vvhich is just good and holy and vve vvitness against all the Cananites vvho vvalk in Unrighteousness and all vvho are Enemies to the Common Wealth of Israel must be broken to Pieces and them that strive and contend against the Faith vvhich vvas once delivered to the Saints and is novv witnessed praised be the Lord all such must be disturbed and broken to Pieces by the just even all the unjust shall be broken And as for that vvhich thou say'st vve say We ought not to be subject to any Civil Government but that which is within us Oh thou Lyar vvhen vvilt thou cease thy Lying vvhere is that I charge thee to prove vvhere that is spoken yet this I say unto all Moses received the Lavv from the Mouth of the Lord and it vvas revealed to him and in him and then he vvought it vvithout and vvas subject to it And all vvho make Lavvs novv and do not receive them from God they make them in their ovvn Wills and such as do act contrary to the Lavv of God but that Lavv vvhich is righteous vvhich is according to that in the Conscience vvhich is holy good and civil vve are subject both vvithin and vvithout to it And all your Subjection which is not from a Principle vvithin is not in Truth nor Singleness of Heart but vvith Flattery and your Eye-Service and your bovving dovvn in Hypocrisie and saying you are subject vvhen there is no Truth in the Heart and so you are not subject for Conscience sake And further you say In Farnsworth's General Good to all People Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers by Powers is meant God the Father of Jesus Christ and by King the Lord of Hosts and that is another Blasphemy Wo unto filthy Lyars I challenge you that you have perverted his Words and would give Meanings upon them as you do upon the Scriptures and your own dark sottish Minds cannot comprehend and therefore you give your own Imaginations and then call it Blasphemy and 〈◊〉 all that read that Book see if you have not belyed the Truth and perverted his Words Another Thing you set down for Blasphemy That none are Ministers of God and called by him who are sent forth by Authority of Man and that he that is not infallible in his Judgment is no Minister of Christ. Answ. You might have said Paul's Words were Blasphemy he was made a Minister not by mens Will and all the holy men of God and Apostles were not Ministers by the Will of man but contrary to the Will of Man and all who are made Ministers of man and by man we deny and the Scripture denies them for what they preached they neither received it of Man nor from Man but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ and all who have and are made Ministers by Hear-say and what they have form'd up in their Imaginations from the Scripture with their Points and their Doctrines which they raise in their Carnal Minds all such we declare against and all such who abide not in the Doctrine of Christ and all who were made Ministers of Christ were Spiritual and infallible that which is not infallible is carnal and all who are guided by the Spirit of Christ are infallible and they that are not guided by it are none of his nor the Sons of God nor Ministers of Christ and therefore all that such can judge of is nothing but imaginary and all you who have subscribed this Book and all such Ministers I deny Ye shameless men would you be trying and prescribing and set down what is Heresie and Blasphemy and cry out of that for Heresie and Blasphemy which you should try withall Your Shame is laid open to all and now your Shame I hope will appear to the Parliament whom you petition what cry you out against Books and printing and Blasphemy that cannot distinguish a Lamb from a Dog would you judge Truth by Darkness And you are offended that there are so many Quakers met in the North Parts lately Two Thousand yea blessed be the Lord there are many Thousands that see you and never will bow to Baal nor worship in the House of Rimmon more and many shall not only come from the North but also from the South yea in London that now see all your Deceit and they shall enter and you shall be shut out and what Truth is this that cannot defend it self and what Religion is that vvhich cannot defend it self but you must have all bend to your Image that you vvould set up And now unto you who are petitioned unto I say unto you take heed and beware how you call or suppress any thing as Error or how you meddle in the prescribing God a Way to walk in for he cannot he will not be limited and I say unto you it were better a Milstone were hanged about your Necks then to hinder stop or make any Law to hinder the Passage of the Truth which is arising and consider the Lord hath thrown out all Powers before this because they would needs limit the Holy One of Israel and prescribe him a Way and a Goverment how he should be worshipped and many have suffered and what hath all come to all the Rules that men have laid down have they not been as the Untimely Fruit of a VVoman and as Corn upon the House top and for that all have been thrown down and broken and the Jealousie of the Lord is broken forth as Fire and wo to them that withstand them in his Way And now I say unto you if you now prescribe God a VVay and if that in the Conscience have not Liberty but you will go about to set Bounds to him and his People in the Worship of God you shall be broken as a Potter's Vessel for the Government is upon his Shoulders and he will not give his Glory to any other the Lord hath spoken it And for the rest of the Books in the Beacon fired we disown them but I believe you have belyed them as you have done ours By one who is a Witness for the Truth against Gog and Magog called after the Flesh Francis Howgil A WARNING TO All the RULERS in these English Nations OH ye Judges Rulers and Heads of the People in these Nations you may
are like to be tryed Your Armour is Righteousness on the right hand and on the left your City is free The Gates stand open Day and Night a VVolf Lyon nor any Beast cannot enter no not so much as a flying-Fowl Oh how goodly are thy Tents O thou Seed of Jacob the Elect whom he hath chosen O how pleasant is your scituation The Tower of David Mount Sion stands sure and cannot be moved O! who is a People like unto you saved by our God that lives forever His Love is large he is kind he is long-suffering he is faithful and keeps Covenant and his Promises are Yea Yea He is the Amen the first and the last Come forth my dear Brethren set forth his Praise declare his Name among the Heathen publish his Name among the Congregations let the Earth be filled with his Love and power that his Judgments may be declared and his Statutes that they sound in the Ears of Generations to come O ye that are convinced of the Truth of our God wait in that which doth convince and keep your Minds to it and love it and follow it whither it leads you and it will lead you to know the Gift of God which leads to Repentance from dead VVorks to serve the living God who dwells in the Immortal Light and take heed of looking back at the Pleasures of Sin you have formerly lived in but wait upon the pure Light of Christ Jesus in Patience that so you may see the Enmity which is against God and it slain in you daily that so you may see him that is the Saviour of the Soul and take heed of rebelling against the Lord who hath given you a measure of his true Light to lead you from Sin if you love it unto Righteousness from whence it comes even from the righteous Judge of all the VVorld who judgeth every man ouâ— of the Book of his Conscience and so prize the everlasting Love of God to your Souls that you may see him who lives forever And all Babes who are born again who have suffered and Pangs of Death and know the Indignation of the Lord against Sin and the Terrour of the Lord against the man of Sin who have roared for the Disquietness of your Hearts who have born the Indignation of the Lord and are come to the giving forth of the Law where there is Thundring and Earth-quakes and Terrour and great Hail and Fire and Smoke even such as was not since the Beginning insomuch that you could not bear his Voice and live nor see his Face and live Stand still in Patience and let it have its perfect Work in you and hear the Indignation ye that are in it if you endure the Tribulation with Patience Hope you will see and a Time of Refreshment will come endure the Cross that the mortal and earthly and carnal may be judged and the bad ground shaken and taken away and that you may see the living Hope to stay your Minds upon And ye who are enlivened and do witness the Law of Righteousness set up in you which is a School-master and keeps in the Fear stand in it and keep in the Fear low in Soberness and Calmness and then you will see your Hearts purified daily and the cursed Nature judged which is out of its Course and it bridled and subjected and the Law which is pure and holy and eternal which stands forever in Power and force against the Transgressor to judge all Unrighteousness And so wait that you may see the Lyon tamed and the wild Heifer yoked and the Yoke of Christ born and the wild Colt tamed by him upon which never man sate before then and not till then is Hosanna sung And all wait in your Measures dear Babes that the Milk of the Word you may see and be nourished by it and grow up as living Branches about the Table of the Lord. And all you young men and Virgins that know Virginity keep your Virginity you in whom the Prince of this world is judged and cast out and the righteous Law of God revealed and given forth in which you stand and walk and have Peace from him who is the Law-giver and Judge who hath saved you from your Iniquities and blotted out your Sins for his own Name 's sake you who know the living Water and Spirit of which you are born again and witness the Birth which enters into the Kingdom of God where no mortal or unclean Beast can come Keep in the Life and Power of God which limits all and chains all under that the Life of the Son of God may live and speak in you and be bold In the dread of God stand and that which leads into Slavery keep out And now being made Partakers of his everlasting Love walk worthy of his Love and of the high Calling whereunto you are called who hath created you in Christ Jesus unto Holiness and Righteousness forever that to the praise of his Grace which you are saved by by which you have obtained the Remission of Sins and an Inheritance amongst them that are sanctified So wait in the living Hope and the living Faith in which God is well pleased in which you ask and receive of him and are accepted of our heavenly Father And this Faith ye know which is a present Power and a Shield against all Temptations and a Helmet and as a Fortress by which you are preserved safe standing in it and putting it on in the Day of Tryal My dear Brethren of the everlasting Kindred and Heirs of the everlasting Promise wait all in Patience having received an earnest of the Inheritance that never fades away to the End abide in the Father's Counsel and at Wisdom's Gate Ye know what I say I write not unto you because you know not the Truth but because you know and are made free in your Measures by him who is the Truth and the Way in which all our Fathers and you also have obtained a good Report even of all the Houshold of Faith and take heed of the Glory of the World and look not at Hardship for verily all the Suffering is not worthy to be Compared to that Glory which is revealed and to be revealed unto all that wait and abide in Patience and Faithfulness unto the end but be ye as good Souldiers endure hardship that you may receive the End of your Hope and the everlasting Price and the purchased Possession and the Crown of Glory which God will give unto you in his own Day which is coming on towards you if you continue in the Hope in the Faith and in the Love unfeigned which thinks no ill by which and in which Love we have Victory over the Grave Sin and Death which he hath freely shed abroad in our Hearts unto whom be everlasting Praise forever and ever to him which was dead and is alive and lives for evermore the Mediator of the new Covenant of Life and Peace in which we have Access
witness they had in them that they pleased God and were accepted of God and this Righteousness was wrought in them and is now the same which is wrought in the Saints by him who is their Light and Life and this was the Righteousness of Faith and that which was wrought by Christ in the Saints as they believed in him and in the Measure of Grace received from him which saâ—ed them from Sin which was not of themselves he perfected his own VVork in them through and by Faith and justified them and sanctified them and became their VVisdom by which they were led into all Truth out of Failings and Imperfections and VVeaknesses and he became their Strength and Rock and they were builded upon him and as they stood upon him the Rock they were preserved when the VVaves did beat and when Temptations came and were sure and stedfast and immoveable and so overcame the Armies of Aliens and quenched the Violence of Fire and resisted the Devil and quenched his fiery Darts and had Victory over the Heathen and reigned as Kings over the Beasts of the Field and over the Deceit and by the receiving and believing of the VVord of him who was and is called Jesus by which Faith came by the hearing of they overcame the Enemies of their Souls and him who hath the Power of Death by the Blood of him who is eternal who is Jesus the Mediator of the new and Living VVay they overcame the Dragon even by the VVord of his Testimony which was revealed in them which Word of Faith Paul who was a Minister preached unto them even to them who had the Word in them and turned them to it and as they believed in it they were sanctifâ—ed by it and cleansed by it made perfect and then they witnessed the bringing in of a better Hope which perfects and makes perfect as pertaining to the Conscience which while they stood without looking at Elementary things and divers VVashings and those things which were Figures of the true Tabernacle made without Hands which stood until the time of Reformation and then done away to wit the Hand-writings and them that witness the new Covenant now they see them done away and the time of Reformation is come the same which they witnessed Glory for evermore And therefore all you Professors who have builded high Towers and Castles in your Imaginations and have told of Reformation these many Years but you have nothing but a Hand-writing to establish your Building upon and all your Reformation hath been but the washing of Cups and pulling down one Thing and set up another beggarly elementary Image and do not witness the better Hope brought in nor the time of Reformation nor cannot abide that any should declare it unto you nor believe it nor hear it nor while your Eyes are without and not in the Head you cannot see when Good comes but are as Heathens in the Desart and although you are among the Brambles and Bryars yet you would be counted Kings and Heads over others and one making an Image in this Manner and another in that of all Sorts high and low but all stand in the Earth and all in one Ground and what do they avail you for they cannot save for your highest Enjoyment is imperfect you say what then serve these for only for you to talk on and this is all they serve for and to contend and strive about one with another and all in your Wills while the Will of God in you is not hearkened unto but cast behind your Backs and so the Way of true Peace you never come to attain unto Oh when will you be weary of feeding upon the Wind and of Husks among Swine and upon that which dyes of it self and when will you enquire after the living God who is Power how long have you talked of his Power to come many Years and you are still as far of if not further then you were before and have told of the Glory of the Lord to be revealed and of his Law being written in the Heart and of God teaching his People himself and of his Spirit being poured out upon his Sons and Daughters and you cannot see that you have obtained nothing and you have prayed and what have you obtained nothing for you have asked amiss and one comes hungry and is still complaining and then you that are full feed them with the old Dregs and Lees which you are setled upon and the old Leaven of airy Notions and Conceptions and Wine of the sour Grape which sets on Edge the Childrens Teeth and fills them too full that when the living Bread is broken they cannot eat nor relish it nor taste and so cannot enter your selves nor suffer others to enter and when these things are witnessed in the Life which you have talked on so long you cannot own them that do declare it and when the Power of God is declared unto you what it is and where it is to be waited for you cannot own it this is too low for you and except the Lord will come in your VVay that you prescribe unto him you will not look upon him but as the Jews did whose Eyes were without and your fallen VVisdom cannot receive him nor compass his eternal VVisdom And yet you will say The Jews did require a Sign and were in the Adultery and the Greeks sought after Wisdom and they stumbled and yet you cannot see your selves in the same State Did ever God reveal himself to the fallen VVisdom which is learned from that Principle which is erred and gone out from God or to the VVill of Man which is at Enmity against God Nay nay he never did nor will reveal his Counsel but to that which is of himself which is the least of all Seeds in the VVorld and it is he that is born of God that heareth God's VVord and what is born of the Spirit is Spirit and is nourished by the Spirit and led by it and so the spiritual God reveals his Law and his Statutes to him and his Testimony which is sure How long have you talked of the Spirit and worshipping in Spirit and yet indeed deny its leading and teaching and live in the Oldness of the Letter and crying up and setting up things that are carnal visible and elementary and VVashing is not known from Sin nor cleansing and so you may see what Operation your Spirit you have talked on hath when you are still what you were Now the Spirit of God is operative and works a Change in the Ground and translateth all that follow and hearken unto it into its own Nature when all those things you so much strive about were but a Shadow for the Word was in the Beginning and gave Life and is spiritual and when it 's known and witnessed within in the Heart it separates from Death and gives Life to all that hear and believe in it What Christ what Gospel is this you preach
turned from dead VVorks unto the Measure of the living God and they separated from the Temple and left Circumcision and all those things of the first Priest-hood which were commanded by God and out of the VVorld's VVayes Fashions Customs and VVorships and came to see the worshipping in Spirit and in Truth was that worship God required and the Ground of their Separation was not from any literal Command or Precept for all that was written there was flat against it but they which were Ministers of Christ which had believed in him preached him the Substance and the Measure of him and of his Grace which was in them unto whom they preached and this was the Apostles Witness in their Hearts unto which they did commend themselves in the Sight of God which is a great Mystery and they are not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit Now in these few words before written with much more I could write compare your Ministry and your Members gathered and you will see you differ in the Ground in the first for your Command you take from the Letter and so are Ministers of the Letter and not of the Spirit 2. Ye preach the Letter for the Word of Faith which they did not as is plain in their own Writings without adding 3. Them whom you gather it 's but into Conformity to the Letter and to that which is visible which all may be done in the Will of man which is fallen from God and see if it be not so with you both Pastors and Members not witnesses of that VVord which they preached which did beget Faith in them that received it and believed in it which Faith was in them wrought by the Power of God which gave them Assurance and their Assurance was in them and their Hope in them brought in and wrought by the Operation of the Spirit which the preaching of the Letter Sound or Declaration only of that which was in them never works Assurance nor true Faith nor Hope And now consider where had your Ground of the Knowledge of God been and your Gospel and your Faith and Hope if you had not had the Letter I speak not to upbraid you but to the Light of Christ Jesus I speak which will let you see how far short you are and that you must come back again to the first Principle and now you may see if it had been the same Word or Command it would have the same Effects as it had and Change into its own Nature all that received it now see whether a Change be wrought in you or not some of you yea many running back after the Foot-steps of the Priests preaching for Hire and upholding the Idols Temple if you can get into them and in the Customs of the World nay most of you not come to yea and nay in your Communication but one with the world in all or most of things differ only in Words and Names and your Gospel you have preached hath not begotten such a Faith as was in them that had the Gospel not to respect Persons nor none dare own cleansing from Sin in the Body but call that a Delusion but the Word and Faith which they preached and received gave them Victory over the World Sin and Death and by its Power made them more then Conquerors and their Hope purified their Hearts but you cannot believe that ever you shall be made free from Sin nor have not hope in that and therefore are ignorant of the Body of Christ you so much talk of which made them clean and free from Sin Secondly your Doctrine is the same with the World your Hope your Faith your justification is all at a Distance grounded upon the Report of Christ dying at Jerusalem and of their Report that knew him and believing this you call it Faith and so are one with the Faith and Hope which the World hath for the Report of Christ's Righteousness what he did suffer and wrought in the Saints if this be the Ground of Salvation then why have you separated from the World If you say Because the world hath not right to the Ordinances I say Doth not Faith in Christ give Interest to all his Ordinances And if this be onely your Faith the World hath as good an Interest as you so why do you separate from them And so you shall see the Matter is the same with the VVorld of which your Fellowships consist and the Name of Christ is a great Mystery which they were sent to baptize in who knew his Name his name is not Letters and Syllables and using these this with the lips speaking over is not to baptize into his Name And so Friends in Love I speâ—k unto you There was such as separated themselves and were sensual and had not the Spirit and so there was no Difference betwixt them and the World for they are Clouds without Rain appeared VVells but hâ—d no VVater in them seemed something but were but a Shew Friends your foot-steps I know your ground I know and your Compass and your Measure yet I shall not glory over you nor boast my self against you but rather to inform your Minds that you may not build upon a Foundation which will moulder away And now boast not your selves in your Ordinances as VVater bread and Wine which is but elementary and was never but a Sign and in the Day of Appearance of Christ the Elements shall melt with servent Heat and while you stand here and have Confidence in these things your Sun will set in Obscurity and you shall know the old Heavens and Earth will pass away with a Noise which when you come to know and hear your Hearts will fail for Fear for this I say to the highest of you If you build upon any thing or have Confidence in any thing which stands in time and is on this side Eternity and Being of Beings your Foundation will be swept away and Night will come upon you and all your gathered in things and taken on and imitated will all fail you Many more things I might write time would fail me to utter but these few among many I have written that you may compare your selves with the Ministers of Christ then and the Gospel which they preached which were separate from the World in the Ground and Nature and if you see your selves in the Light of Christ in your Consciences not to be the same neither in Matter nor Manner let not a deceived Heart lead you aside any longer Further I say they were sent out for the gathering in of the Saints some Apostles some Prophets some Pastors and Teachers yet all was by the Spirit Now if you deny the Command of the Spirit or cannot witness it but from the Letter take it up and talk of it because the Scripture speaks of it then your Ministry is not that Ministry Again this End was the Ministry sent forth for for the perfecting of the Saints which it did which not
for it is not dead but the Just Man lives by it and his Works appear in the World and is as a Light but your Faith which is dead talks of it and when you are vewed in the Light no Fruits of Righteousness grow in you your Hope and Faith is vain and it will not save you from Condemnation in the Day of the Lord and because you find written in the Scriptures That by the Deeds of the Law no Flesh can be justified therefore you would exclude the Work of Grace and the Righteousness of Faith and the Life of Christ which brings forth Fruits and all Faith is dead without VVorks for as the Body lives not but it moves and acts no more is Faith living except it move and so you whose Faith stands in VVords and in things taken up in the Fallen VVisdom which you read without you that Faith is reprobate unto every good VVork and is vain for the living is not witnessed nor the dead raised in you to Life nor the lost Sheep found nor that which hath been driven away brought back but the Earth yet closeth the Blood and the Earth in you covers the slain and the Grave you see not opened nor the dead raised incorruptible and so you are unchanged but the corruptible lives and the mortal and draws you after it and is exalted and the Head not known who is the Life of men nor exalted and so he draws you not nor leads you not but you are led by your own wills and another girds you not nor the Gird of Strength is not at all known but in words and so the old man is alive uncrucified with his Deeds but his Deeds are brought forth and so by your Fruits you are known Concerning Hope and the Difference betwixt true and false Hope AND to all Sorts of Professors I shall clear my Conscience to you all and finish my Testimony that I may dwell in Peace with the Lord who hath commanded me to bear witness to his Name and his Love also constrains me and in Love to the Seed of Israel who are Bone of my Bone and Flesh of my Flesh who are of the true Circumcision that they may come out of Captivity from among the lying Inchanters Sorcerers and Diviners where they have been long held Captive and the Heritage of the Lord laid waste and therefore you whose Hope is without you it 's vain whose Hope stands without in these Things which are week as the Apostle said of the Law which made nothing perfect because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it which stood in washings and Signs of the true Tabernacle they were yet they did not make perfect so I say unto you your Bread VVine and Water which were Figures of a more Heavenly Thing they do make nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope Heb. 7.18 19. And so while you have Hope in any thing without you you stand in that which is imperfect and contend about that but look not for the Hope to be brought in by which you might draw near unto God Christ the Hope the Light and while this you own not to lead you the Light you cannot draw near unto God but he will slay you and kill you notwithstanding all your Words and all that walk in the Light come to see the Hope brought in and this Hope purifies the Heart as Christ is pure and then by it and through it there is a drawing near unto God and an Access to him with Boldness for where the lively Hope is there is no Guilt then there is Boldness and so you whose Hope is in Words without and not in you you forget God all that forget the Light forget God your Hope is the Hope of the Hypocrite which shall perish whose Hope shall be cut off as a Spiders Web Job 8.14 And all your Hope which doth not purifie the Heart and give you Victory over Sin daily is the Hope of the wicked Job 11.20 But the Eyes of the wicked shall fail and they shall not escape and their Hope shall be as the giving up of the Ghost True Faith how it is wrought and what it is in its Effects and Operations Now concerning Faith it is begotten in the Heart of man by preaching of the eternal Word which Word is nigh in the Mouth and in the Heart and all that come to hearken to the Word which is pure and receive it and believe in it come to see Faith revealed by which they draw near unto God and this is begotten by the Word of Faith which is the Word of Christ which Word is Spirit and Life to all that receive it and by it are the Mountains removed and Sin overcome and Victory witnessed over Sin Mat. 17.20 and this Faith is pure and leads into Purity it is the Gift of God and leads all towards God that have it and it is perfect and all that stand in it come to have the Will of God perfected in them and that which is imperfect comes to be done away and the Just live by it Heb. 2.4 and in it and by it and through it is the Righousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith Rom. 1.17 and all that do witness the Birth which is from above which is born of God which sins not Faith is the Life of this Birth which is just and the Son of God lives by it who doth the Will of God as it is written The Life that I now live is by the Faith of the Son of God and all who have it and believe in this shall never dye for by it is Translation witnessed from Sin Death and Condemnation into the immortal Life and by it is God's Righteousness revealed and well-pleased is he with all who walk in it and where this is not his Wrath and Displeasure arises and all who stand in the least Measure of it are perfect and come to be free from Sin for it brings and reveals the Righteousness of God which justifies sanctifies and mortifies even the Righteousness of God which takes away Sin and purges the Heart from all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and thus Remission of Sins comes to be witnessed and man justified by the Rightâ—ousness of Christ which is the Righteousness of Faith wrought in the Creature by the eternal Spirit and VVord which are one and thus Assurance comes to be made manifest for it bears witness and is the true Evidence of the everlasting Substance which is brought in and Sin and Self and all Iniquity come to be seen revealed judged condemned and cast out and God's Righteousness comes to be the Life of a Believer even the Life of Christ which is immortal by which man comes to be redeemed and purchased unto God and not his own but becomes Servant to him and obedient to him whose Life is given and laid down and revealed to redeem his own Seed and all that come to see this come to prize his Love
pure Spirit if thou waitest in the Manifestation of the Spirit these Things thou wilt see to be Truth though hid and vailed from the World that lyes in VVickedness as thou comest out of its Nature I have not written for to please Men of corrupt Minds who glory in VVords and outward Appearances and glory in natural Parts and in Sounds and are erred from the Life but to the simple-hearted and for the strengthening of the weak and for the understanding of the simple and that which thou seest in the following Discourse which thou canst not close with let it alone and judge nothing before the Time in thy Wisdom that is earthly or in thy Reason but in that and to that of God in thee I desire to be approved and to nothing else and shall be made manifest in the day of the Lord that is dawning in the world and many have seen it to appear in Power and Glory wait thou in thy own particular that thou may'st feel thy own Condition and see thy own State and that which lets thee see thy own Condition will let thee see the Lord and what I have declared of him to be true I am thy Friend in Truth and wish Good to all Men. F. H. SOME OF THE MYSTERIES OF God's Kingdom DECLARED As they have been revealed by the Spirit THROUGH FAITH THE Lord God of the whole Earth who lives forever even the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and Jacob whose Throne is established in Righteousness forever who rideth upon the Heavens and shines forth in his eternal Excellency from the Firmament of his Power he is manifesting himself in his Power as in the dayes of old and revealing his Righteousness as in the Years past and pouring forth his Spirit upon his Sons and Daughters according to his Promise and they that believe come to be made Partakers of the Blessing of the everlasting Hills even the Lord who appeared at Sinai unto Moses his Servant in the Bush who rose up from Mount Seir and shined forth in his Brightness from Mount Paran and came with ten thousands of his Saints even he from whose right Hand went a fiery Law so that the People could not behold his Glory the same is he who hath now appeared in this the Day of his Power and is appearing whose Glory shall dazel the Eyes of the World whose Brightness shall make dim all the World's Glory and stain its Wisdom and shut it up in utter Darkness that it shall not appear to have any Existence or Being and the Shadow of Death shall fly away and all the haughty and lofty Princes of this World shall be horribly afraid the Beasts shall go into their Dens when the day appears and the Lambs of the everlasting Fold shall come forth and be fed in the fat Valleys where the Springs of Life compass about all the Banks and rejoyce in their Shepherd and shall say The Lord is my Shepherd which many at this Time do admire and say What hath the Lord wrought who have seen his Wonders in the dayes of old and have seen his noble Acts which the Fathers have told of who are fallen asleep and are at Rest in the Lord and now many is God bringing to see what they witness to be true and to have the same fulfilled in themselves Honour and Praise unto him forever who is the Stay Strength of all his People forever And the day of the Lord is broken and the Light hath appeared that manifesteth all Things which are reproveable and the Day-Star is arisen in the Hearts of many and they are come to see that fulfilled in their Hearts which Peter exhorted them to wait for and to take heed unto the sure Word of Prophecy until the day appeared and did dawn in their Hearts which day when it appears and to whom it appears discovereth all things and maketh all things manifest as it is declared by the Spirit of Truth in the Scripture of Truth and every Man's Work shall be tryed of what Sort it is and of what Nature it is and this day hath appeared to many Praises to the Lord who have waited for it and now they see every thing in its Ground and Rise and every tree and fruit is seen according to its kind whether good or bad and every Man's Work is obvious to every one who are in the day and upon whom the Morning of Righteousness hath appeared and the Sun of Righteousness hath shined upon whereby that is seen in every one by the Light which is truly called day by the Lord who causeth it to spring from on high which is reproveable and condemnable and also whatever is justifiable and unreproveable is seen by the day of the Lord appearing in the Heart The Day of the Lord what it is and to whom it hath appeared discovered and how it is seen GOD is a Spirit his day is spiritual and is seen with a spiritual Eye it 's pure Light pure Brightness the pure shining forth of the Lord in his glorious Excellency the pure shining forth of Eternity Life putting forth it self in its Brightness Holiness shedding it self abroad in its Glory Purity spreading it self in its immeasurable Excellency and can only be seen as it is in it self by the Children of Light that are born of it there is a natural day there is a spiritual Day the natural day receives its Brightness from the Sun the spiritual day receives its Brightness from the Sun of Righteousness by whom it 's brought forth without whom nothing was or is made or brought forth but by him who is the Fountain of Life and as the natural day receives its Clearness from the natural Sun and is discerned by the natural Eye of a natural Man and all things natural are seen and discovered by and in the natural day and are perspicuous and obvious to him that hath his natural Sight even so from the Sun of Righteousness the Lord of Glory Light and Purity the day of God receives its Brightness and is issued out from him by the Rayes of his Brightness and is discerned and seen only by the spiritual Eye of the spiritual Man who is the Image of the Father brought forth in Life and in his own Nature and Quality that is to say from God the Father of Life by Christ Jesus the Life of men the Light of the World and this is the Birth which is born from above which is of the Nature of the Father and the Son and of the day and he only comes to behold this day and discerns all things of the Father's Kingdom by it and likewise discerns all the hidden things of Dishonesty and the Works of Darkness which are brought forth by the Prince of Darkness who is shut up in eternal utter Darkness which is his dwelling-place forever which is his Residence and shall be the Residence of all the Workers of Iniquity that bear his Image forever Object But some
Hardness of Heart will come upon thee and thou wilt be as a Stone which cannot be melted and Wo will be unto such where the Spirit of the Lord in them ceaseth to strive with them having so long rebelled against and gainsaid the pure drawing of it that so the Lord is grieved and wearied with their Impenitency that he gives them up to their vile Affection and to follow the Imaginations of their own Heart who received not the Truth in the Love of it but in the Enmity still remain obstinate doing Despight to the Spirit of Grace his long-suffering comes to an End and his fierce Wrath comes to be kindled against such and that which would have led them out of the World into true pure everlasting Peace now becomes their Tormentor and they banished from his Presence and shut up in Eternal Misery where the Fire is kindled by the Breath of the Lord that burns forever the Sentence of Condemnation being past upon them because they had Pleasure in Unrighteousness and have sold themselves to do wickedly and crucifying the Appearance of God in themselves which Appearance though it lives in the Fountain of Life yet crucified by thee who art out of the Life yet lives still forever in it self to be thy Condemnation eternally How the Spirit of the Father worketh in them who are turned to it and have taken heed unto its Manifestation and are in some Measure Partakers of its Power THere are Differences of Administration but the same Lord and there are Diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are Diversities of Operations but the same God which worketh all in all Now the Spirit of Truth which is Life in it self putteth forth its own pure Act not only to convince and detect him that transgresseth its Appearance and manifesteth Evil which hath been committed by Man but also being turned unto and waited in it shews Man when Motions and Temptations unto Sin arise and as the Creature is still and waiteth in that which manifesteth and singly keeps in his Mind to it it sheds abroad its Power and vanquisheth and subdueth those Lusts which do arise and condemns the Ground from whence they arise and it purely draweth the Mind after it and secretly worketh and breatheth forth its pure Life in him that waiteth in Patience and in Stilness not heeding the vain Thoughts and Imaginations that rise in his Heart but rather heeds the Manifestation of the Spirit at whose bright Appearance all the vain Desires come to be extinguished and there comes to be a Hunger begot within to be made Partakers of its Purity and of its Nature for God through the Operation of the eternal Spirit lets forth his Power which turneth and changeth the Heart and cuts asunder and divides betwixt a man and those Lovers that he hath joyned unto and makes a Separation within and carries a man further from those things which the Measure of the Spirit reproves and this leads nearer unto God And so they that do believe in the Measure of God's Spirit come to feel what Repentance from dead Works is and the Works and the Worker are seen and who it is that hath wrought is manifest in the Light and as there is a diligent waiting upon it there is nothing that passeth through the Mind but it discerns and gives a Discerning unto every particular Heart who singly and quietly wait upon it but yet after the Spirit of Truth in some measure be felt and its living Testimony in something yet it may be a long time before there be a clear Distinguishment in the Understanding so that one cannot clearly discern its Movings from all other false Motions and high Imaginations which are above and hence it is that the hasty and forward Minds follow their vain Motions which lead them into Deceit and then the Questioner gets up and then they question all that ever the Spirit hath made manifest unto them before a Vail then is drawn over and the Enemy lodges in the Vail and in the Darkness which is entered and then as soon as any hearken within to that which is the uppermost and doth abound the Enemy that lodges in that presents Motions as to obey this and that and all is Deceit So therefore all are to keep back that they may sensibly feel between the pure Motions and drawing of the Spirit and the vain Thoughts that arise out of the earthly Heart and when any thing doth arise which the Light doth not bear Witness to it 's not to be followed nor heeded but a quiet still waiting that things may be cleared to the understanding and for Want of this many have run out and have brought forth Satan's Work and acted things forwardly in their Will and so have clean lost the true Sence of that which should guide their Minds and have followed the Spirit of Error have caused the pure Spirit of the Lord to be evil spoken of but as there is a keeping back and a quiet waiting out of willing or running and haste it arises purely and stilly in the Heart shines forth in Brightness in the Heart so that it giveth perfect Evidence and full Testimony of it self that there will be no doubting nor questioning of its Motion for it will apparently shew forth it self in its own transparent Brightness with full Assurance of his own Will and then after it be clearly seen and its Motion then keep under all reasoning and keep out all questioning and give not Way to Temptation and that which moves of the Lord of Life will carry thee through in its own Operation and Power to accomplish the Will of God and so thou wilt have Peace being obedient and thy Strength will be renewed for as any is brought to submit unto the Will of God when it is known and comes to obey by Virtue of its own Power that which is contrary unto God's Spirit in thee comes to loose its Strength and to decay and be weakened but as any disobey the pure Motion of God's holy Spirit after it be known the Enemy is strengthned and that which is of the Flesh nourished and the Spirit comes to be quenched that which would give thee Power if thou submittest to it but yet know this the Spirit in it self never loseth its Purity neither can be quenched in it self but will bear its pure Witness against thee and none shall be able to stop its Reproof thus the Diversity of its Operation comes to be known as it is hearkened unto obeyed loved and believed in it puts forth its pure Power and gives Strength and seals Peace to the obedient but disobeyed and resisted it condemns judgeth reproves and seals Condemnation to the disobedient and yet there is no Variation in it self for it is alwayes one and the same But as it operateth upon different Natures or Objects unto which it joyns or stands at a Distance from that is to say the good Ground it causeth to bring
Height and Depth your Parts Tongues Languages and Interpretations are all but natural Words are but empty Sounds although there be many Languages and each have an Interpretation and a Signification they are all short to declare the Life the immeasurable Being of eternal Life you with all these are on Heaps disjoynted one from another your Rhetorick Philosophy your framed and despised Disputations your Tongues and the Significations of all Tongues cannot know the Mind of the Spirit neither know the Original of eternal Salvation by all these and so not knowing the Signification of the living eternal Spirit in your selves you invent study devise form and frame up things in your carnal Minds by the Strength of your learned studied devised Parts and framed Speeches and have fâ—â—led the whole World with your dark muddy Conceptions and have led all out from seeking after the living Wisdom of God which is from above which was before your Tongues and Languages were and they have sucked in your Conceptions and Distinctions and your devised Fables and your imagined Worship that many have lost the Sense of any thing of God in themselves to guide them and when you have come as far as you can in those things and have devised in your Minds by the Strength of those Parts natural you are farther from the Knowledge then before and all that hear you and suck in your Conceptions and Imaginations into their Hearts they are farther off God's true Knowledge then they were in the Day in which they came out of their Mother's Womb it 's a Lamentation to see how People are gone out of the pure Simplicity which is in Christ into Subtilty and Deceit stuffed up full brim-full of that which must be all poured out as Water before they and you all come to the least Measure of God's true and saving Knowledge Oh! a dreadful Day is come upon many and it lingers not but will come swiftly as a Thief upon you who have taken away the Key of Knowledge and give People that which will not open and tell them of a litteral carnal thing that must give them Entrance you and all they will be shut out together among the Uncircumcised as Fools though you count your selves wise Men your Wisdom will perish and your Honour will be laid in the Dust the time hastens it is the Word of Truth to you all And you litteral Professors who have got the Scripture into your Head and into the carnal Mind to talk on and are run into so many Heads you are almost past numbring and have exalted so many Horns yet the Number is read the Number of the Heads of the Beast and the Number of his Name you have taken up things and are exalting a visible shadowish Practice and neglect the Life and are making Idols of those things which were but a Figure and a Representation in their purest time now you like the Pharisees are limiting the Lord that if he will not appear unto you in those things that you have prescribed unto your selves and fetched in from the Letter and gotten it into the fleshly Part which is heaped up as a Mountain in many of you so high above God's pure Witness in you and so high above the Appearance of God in you that you have quite lost the Sight of that in your selves which should give you the Knowledge of the living God and make you sensible of his pure Presence I say if he appear not in the Way you would limit him to in those things you would confine him in you cannot receive him the Lord open your Understanding that you may see your selves and how frothy vain light and wanton you are one with the World in all things in the very Ground pretending Liberty in Christ and Priviledge in him when you may see you are Servants to Corruptions and to many noisome Lusts that make War Again what are all outward Appearances any more but as a Curtain or as a Vail and as a Shadow in Respect of Christ God's Righteousness within But you are filled so full of your Apprehensions of his Righteousness at a Distance that you have forgotten all at home and your own Conditions for his Righteousness will not be a Cloak for your Self-Righteousness and Unrighteousness and if Christ be not formed in you God's Righteousness and live in you and act in you and work his Work in you you are in the Self-Righteousness and a Talk of Imputation will not save you while you are not in that Capacity Nature and Faith unto whom his Righteousness is imputed Are you not weary with tumbling up and down among the earthly Hills among which you have situated your selves Do you not see your Land grows barren and your Possessions dry and your Worship dead Heaven rains not on you the Bottles are stopped the Dew falls not on you you wither daily as a Stick without Sap what have you found that which will last unto Perpetuity Oh! nay it 's rusted already it 's cankered already it 's moth-eaten already it 's fading the Glory is staining the Renown of all earthly things is fading and all terrestrial Appearances though never so glorious they are all to cease a Consumption is coming Blasting is near there will be no more Glory in these things they will fly away as a Shadow when the Sun arises your Riches are wasting when will ye seek after that which endures forever I pitty you who have had Breathings after God and have sate down at Ease in that which is not eternal be warned return home consider see what Corruption thou hast Power over now which had once Power over thee dost thou rest in that Faith that thou shalt never be cleansed here that Faith is curst it 's reprobate it 's rather properly Unbelief it 's not the Faith of God's Elect by which they were sanctified and overcame the wicked One in themselves by the Power of Christ who is able to save and manifest his Ability in all them that believe in the Light which they are enlightened withal through which he manifests himself to the Creature and makes known his Power in the Creature to redeem the Soul out of Death and to redeem the Creature from under the Bondage of Corruption to serve him in the free Spirit of God in which the Sons are made free from Sin from the Act and Guilt they become the Temples of the holy Ghost how far you are from this many of you consider who are yet Temples of Uncleanness and a Habitation for many noisome Lusts repent and mind that which empties you of your Thoughts and Conceitedness that you may know Poverty of Spirit that the Kingdom may come unto you and be yours in Possession else you are everlastingly miserable and this is the true State of many of you own it and repent that if it be possible you may find a Door of Mercy yet opened unto you and that you may enter in thereat for it is not
Church of God when as Christ saith He is the door none comes into the Fold but by him and none comes to the Father but by him and he is the way so who sets up another entrance unto God or into the Fold or into the Church which is the Pillar and Ground of Truth sets up an Idol and prefers an Idol above the Life and so are in the Idolatry But let none mistake that I say Water is an Idol nay it is a good Creature of God or that I say Johns Baptism with Water was an Idol nay he was in the Power and Spirit of Eliah and his Baptism a Figure of a good thing which was to come which afterward was received by the Disciples and Christ's words made good unto them John indeed Baptized you with Water unto Repentance but ye shall be Baptized with the Holy Ghost and with Fire not many dayes hence that was Christ's Baptism I am not Ignorant of the many and great Contests in this Age that have been about these things and I know many Scriptures that speak of Baptism all which I have searched narrowly with the Measure of God's Spirit given unto me into the true Ground of things and the true State of each administration and in this thing I am satisfied fully that the Baptism with Water was John's Baptism and not Christ's and the Baptism of the Spirit 〈◊〉 Christ's and now John's I have no desire to Wrangle or Jangle about words or contest about Shadows but that all may come to know him in whom all Ministrations end in and there will be Peace and Satisfaction to wit in Christ But to say something to the main Basis and Foundation which Priests and Separatists build much of their Arguments upon the last of Matthew and the last Verse Go teach and baptize all Nations in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost as for all the Priests about their baptizing of Infants here is no Ground at all for here is first teach and then baptize and here is no infants neither and so I know what Consequences have been drawn from this by the unlearned in their Imaginations but them that have the least Measure of true Light will not take a Consequence to build a Foundation on for this is contrary to their own Rule they say the Scripture is their Rule then their Consequence is not the Rule and if the Scriptures be the Rule let all People of your Parishes know if you can by the Scripture shew when John or any Disciple of his or Christ's baptized Infants and taught them Principles of Religion twenty Years after but they are willingly ignorant that see not you to be Idolaters and as for the Baptists Separates who build upon this for their Water-Baptism they are as groundless as the Priests and all their Agruments are as invalid as the rest for here is baptizing the Nations in the Name of the Father in the Name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and any who are judicious or wise and are in any Measure of God's pure Wisdom will not say that the Name of the Father is Water or the Son or holy Ghost is Water the Name of God is I am and a strong Tower and the Name of the Son is the Word and the Word is the Power but this is not Water but further they say the Disciples had received the holy Ghost and did baptize with Water after and they were baptized with Water after they had received the holy Ghost and they bring divers Scriptures to prove this I shall not deny but Peter baptized with Water and Paul two or three Families and thanks God he baptized no more and said he had declared the whole Counsel of God and he makes not mention in all his Epistles that Baptism was any Part of his Command neither in all his Counsel to the Churches any where doth he exhort either to Timothy Titus or Apollo or any of the Brethren to baptize with Water but as for Peter's baptizing with Water I know no more Command he had then Paul as for the Commission which Matthew writes of Mat. 28. 19. and that Mark mentions Mark 16.15 there is no Water and so it 's the Baptism of John I grant and Christ bearing Witness to John that he was a Prophet and did baptize many and therefore he or they in Honour to John's Ministry might baptize some as well as Paul did circumcise Titus and then in 1 Cor 7.19 said It was nothing and again in another Place Neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision did avail but a new Creature and because it was a Figure which People did not idolize so much then as they did Circumcision for the Weakness of the People for a time and the wise in Heart may understand that when any Representation or Figure outward was set up it was not easily denyed again nor an easie Thing to be laid down when the thing signified was come for many of the Jews believed in Christ and were said to be Brethren and yet they came from Jerusalem and troubled the Church of Galatia and would have brought them under the Figure Circumcision again and the Apostle in Gal. 4. asks them Now when ye know God why turn ye again to the beggarly Elements Circumcision observing Dayes Moneths Times and Years I would ask the moderate a Question whether Water be not an Element and pertains only to the elementary Part in man which is to pass away and be dissolved when the Seed is raised up whose Nature is not elementary but caelestial I shall say no more to them at this present who are contentious who are so zealous for their Water upon so weak a Ground but take heed that while you are striving about your outward Water you neglect not the washing of Regeneration and the cleansing of the Spirit many have been baptized but which of you have received the holy Ghost there is not one among you dare own or witness an infallible Spirit but count it an Error that any should speak or witness or look to enjoy any such thing in these Dayes well I say unto you your Day is a Day of Darkness and Gloominess you live in and thick Darkness covers your Tabernacle for whoever have received the holy Ghost or Spirit of Truth in any Measure are led by that which is infallible and not fallible and if you look not for this ye are no Sons notwithstanding all your washing the outside For as many as are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God and this is witnessed Praises to the Lord forever the Lord is unto his People an everlasting Light and this is the Sum that Water is owned to be a Figure of the one Baptism and was an Element and pertained to that which is elementary but the Elements shall melt with fervent Heat and be dissolved in the Day of the Lord and then the Seed comes up which is Heir of the Promise which is
for the Life of the World John 6.51 And as Godliness began to work and the Mystery thereof in the dayes of Christ and the Apostles wherein the Lord discovered much of his Wisdom and Power and manifested his pure Presence and poured out his Spirit plentifully upon Sons and Daughters and fulfilled that which Joel prophesied of Joel 2.28 which came to be fulfilled after Christ's ascension Acts 2.17 and They received the Holy Ghost and spoke the wonderful Things of God as they were revealed by the Spirit which shed it self abroad among them that waited for it so also the Mystery of Iniquity began to work even in that time and as the Apostles laid the Foundation of Truth and declared the Truth Christ to be the Foundation even so the Mystery of Iniquity did Work and a Beginning or a Foundation of error was laid by them who were gone out of the Truth the false Prophets Deceivers Anti-christs who were Professors and Preachers but they were such as were Covetous and Greedy of filthy Lucre and made Merchandize of Souls for dishonest gain and denyed the Power of God Christ and were Enemies to the Cross and gloried in the Flesh and spake Swelling words of Vanity and did all live in the Lust of the Flesh and were proud Boasters and denyed the Lord that bought them for denying the Power of God they did deny Christ though in Words they preached him as this Generation who are their Off-springs do out of Strife and Contention as the Apostles writes and they held the Form of Godliness but denyed the Power and they were they that once were Convinced of the Truth and came into the form of Truth but denyed the Power of Truth but were in Craft and Deceit and they subverted whole Houses from the Faith and led them back into the World into Unbelief in the Apostles dayes and yet had a worship and did Worship but not in the Power not the Life and this began to work and wrought more cunningly and Subtilly in the latter Times And the Apostle Paul in many of his Epistles John and Peter and Jude declare against them and Paul prophesied of them before his departure of grievous Wolves which should spring up which should not spare to make Havock of the Flock of Christ so the false Apostles Deceivers Anti-christs and deceitful Workers they went out then and did what they could to lead Disciples after them into the World inwardly they were ravened from the Spirit and were gone from it into the Earth into the world and served not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own Bellies and the God of the world which is the Devil and they went into the World and the World received them and then they and their Disciples turned against the Saints and they held Truth in Words and the Form for a wile but it was in Unrighteousness and here was the beginners and the beginning of the Apostates and of the Apostacy it was began in the Apostles dayes by them that went out of the Truth out of the Light and were ravened from the Spirit and erred from the Faith and were Enemies to the Power of God and these were the beginners and the Layers of the Foundation and then it grew that root of Wickedness faster then the Truth for the Jews resisted and the Heathens resisted and the Apostates and false Prophets resisted and they that were Apostatized they resisted and they caused many to Stumble to Err to make Ship-wrack of their Faith and so the World went after them the World the Nations the Kindreds the Tongues and the People went after Kings Princes and Potentates of the Earth and in process of time they had over-run all and Killed the Saints the Woman fled into the Wilderness and the man-Child was caught up unto God then all Nations who were gone from the Rock became as a Sea reeled to and fro Unstable Unsetled what were they like to settle in the Sea then a great beast arose with his seven Heads and ten Horns and the Whore which had Defiled the bed and She sat upon the Beast and She reached out her Cup of Fornication to the Nations and all Nations were Drunk with her Cup and then the Beast made War and the Nations were Drunk and they loved the beast and received his Mark became Cruel and pushed at the Saints and followed him and made War with them and the Whore she drank the blood of the Saints and the Dragon appeared and with his Tayl drew the third part of the Stars after him to the Earth the false Prophets they are the Tail of the Dragon who were gone from the Testimony of Jesus the Spirit of Prophecy and drew after it the third part of the Stars from the Firmament of his Power into the Earth Rev. 12.4 The man Child was caught up unto God which was to rule all Nations with a Rod of Iron and the Woman fled into the Wilderness where God hath prepared a place for her and then the Dragon went out and made War with the Remnant of her Seed to wit the Woman's Seed And so out of the Sea arose the Beast out of Nations Kindreds Tongues and Peoples which are Waters and the Dragon gave Power to the Beast and his Seat and great Authority Rev. 13.2 And all the World wondered after the beast ver 3. and ver 4. They Worshipped the Dragon which gave Power to the beast and the beast likewise and now the world cryed which wondered after the beast who is able to make War with the beast and ver 6. He opened his Mouth in Blasphemy against God to blaspheme hâ—s Name and Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven and he made War with the Saints and did overcome them and all that dwelt upon the Earth worshipped him whose Names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life And the Beast deceived the Nations and them that dwelt on the Earth and now Kindreds Tongues People and Nations and all the World which wondered after him they who had lost the Image of God now became the Image of the Beast that blasphemed God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven and now the Kings of the Earth that had drunk the Whore's Cup of Fornication and the Nations Kindreds Tongues and People who were become the Beast's Image now the Image of the Beast spoak and caused as many as would not worship the Beast and the Image should be killed take notice of that all who are called Christians it was not Godâ—s Images who compelled to worship or else be killed but it was the Beasts Image and wheresoever Compulsion â—nd killing is exercised and practised they worship the Beast Chap. 13. Ver. 16. And he causeth all both small and great rich and poor bond and free to receive a Mark in their Forehead or in their right Hand and none might buy or sell but he which had the Beast's Mark or his Name or the Number of his Name
and the Son of God according to the Spirit is glorified with the Father the man Christ Jesus he is sate down at the right Hand of God But if tho meanest by Human a carnal Body or the same Flesh that thou hast on deal plainly with us and nakedly the next time thou or any of thy Teachers write and prove us by Scripture where the Church is called his mystical Body or where hast thou got these new coyned words as Human Nature and mystical Body Correct thy Pen and let no such Popish Phrases come in Print again lest thou shamest thy self more instead of shaming of us And thou concludest If any say here he is or there he is on Earth believe them not Where learnedst thou this Article of Faith I pray thee shew me Is he not both in Heaven and Earth How should he restore the Earth and all things into their purity if he must not be manifest in the Earth What! wilt thou confine him to or in a place Doth not his Presence fill Heaven and Earth Is he divided from his Presence But may be thou wilt say as thy Generation doth that he is in the Earth by his Spirit and in Heaven in his Body or Person distinct from his Spirit If so then you divide Christ and a Person without a Spirit and not Christ. I will aske thee a Question No man hath Ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven the Son of man which is in heaven Where was the Son of man or the Man Christ when this was spoken If thou canst see this thou mayst be ashamed to shut Christ out of the Earth or from among his Saints where his Presence his Arm his hand and his Power is which is not divided from his Body but I know thou art deaf and canst not hear what I say and thou bringst Heb. 10 12. After he had offered one Sacrifice sate down at the right hand of God that is saist thou In his human Nature The shame is come upon thy self who hast added thy own Imagination and let all see whether the Scriptures speak of Human Nature but thy folly must be manifest to all Thy third Particular that thou namest and as thou sayest shamest is If we say we are without Sin we deceive our Selves Thou hadst better have enquired perfectly whether we said so or no before thou hadst undertook to reprove upon so doubtfull terms and thou bringst Prov. 20.9 For who can say my Heart is clean He can say so and speak Truth whose Heart God hath cleansed by the Blood of Christ from all Sin And then thou bringst Job 9.20 If I justifie my self my own Mouth shall condemn me That 's true we justifie not our selves neither self but deny self and self is condemned and Christ God's Righteousness is become our Justification And then thou bringest Paul Phil. 3. Not as though I had already attained but follow after that I may apprehend What of that he was in his growth and was come to that which was perfect and did believe to attain to the Stature of a perfect man And then thou saist I tell you you are not perfect your contempt of the Ministers of Christ and perverting the Doctrine of Christ are characters of Sin That shall stand for thy self and thy Masters whom thou art joyned with who set up Popish trumpery instead of the Ordinance of Christ and set up the precepts of men introduced in the Apostacy for the Doctrine of Christ And then thou concludest the Scripture hath concluded all under Sin all in the first Adam but I hope the Scripture doth not conclude all under Sin in the second Adam neither doth conclude him under Sin that 's born of God who Sins not And if thou makest any such conclusion thou givest thy verdict for the Devil and not for God then thou sayest I am not pleading for Sin Thou art pleading for nothing else but for Sin and Imperfection in which the Devil's Kingdom stands and thou sayest thou hast cause to cry out O wretched man that I am So thou hast indeed hast thou repented of thy Drunkenness How long is it since thou fell'st off a Bridge being Drunk and broke thy Leg but it is like for thy good Service done to thy Master in writing this lying scrole he will give thee an Absolution for that Transgression The fourth Particular which thou call'st our Tenet is That we deny the Scripture to be the Word of God And thou hast brought many Scriptures to prove that they are but they are as impertinent to the thing as thy former about the Steeple-house or Mass-house Thou hast brought many Scriptures Jer. 37.8 how they are called the words of the Lord who ever denyed that but the Word spoke the words and the Word is greater 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by divine Inâ—piration I deny that some was spoken by the Devil and some by wicked Men and I hope thou wilt not call that divine Inspiration Then thou may be wilt conclude I deny the words of Paul to Timothy I deny the Word Is it is an Addition of the TRANSLATOR which Word alters and varies in the true sense of that Scripture but all Scripture given by Inspiration of God is profitable for Doctrine c. But knowest thou no dinstinction between Inspiration and Tradition You have it by Tradition the Saints by Inspiration It 's a dead Letter in it self and as it is spoken from your Mouthes who speak of it by tradition but from them that were Inspired the living Spirit uttered forth living Words But what is all this to prove the Scripture or writings to be the Word of God And then thou cites 2 Cor. 2.4.7 Not handling the Worâ— deceitfully What doth this prove nothing at all and all the rest that thou hast ciâ—ed is nothing at all but what we have answered over and over many times wherein all that have any understanding in the Knowledge of God are satisfied That which thou shouldst have proved by the Scripture is where the Scripture or writings or Letter doth title it self the Word of God It is granted they are the words of God and the Words of Holy men Inspired So in thy own words I say take thou notice though thou art confident and presumtuous in this thou hast shamed thy self and not us the Word was before either Scripture Writings or Bible was which Word is greater and gave them a Being And thou that wouldst set that which is brought forth by the Father above the Father art out of the Apostles wisdom speaking a similitude He that builds a House receives more Honour then the House Now to call the Scripture the Word is to give as much honour to the House as to him that builded it but in a word this I say whatever the Scripture doth testifie of it self or call it self that I own it to be And if any man call it another thing it shall testifie against him and
due time was made manifest by what means the Father pleased who is that unlimited Spirit which cannot or will not be confined to this or that thing for Moses was a Believer and a Follower of Christ and Christ was revealed to him that through Faith he saw him that is invisible Heb. 11.27 And then was there no Scripture and the Shepherds and the wise men of the East they were directed by the Star And lo the Star which they saw in the East went before them till it came and stood over where the young Child was when they saw the Star they rejoyced with exceeding great Joy Mat. 2.2 9 10. And here is no mention made of Scripture so to confine the Lord to this or that Way to this or that Form to this or that Appearance as John VVells would do is to limit the holy One of Israel and the Scripture saith As the living Father hath Life in himself so the Son hath also Life in himself to give to whâ—msoeâ—er he will and the Scripture saith further none know God nor the Things of God save by the Spirit of God so that this is a true Saying and worthy of Acceptation that eternal Life can be found no where but where it is and eternal Life is in the Son of God and thou and the rest of you Professors who look for eternal Life in the Letter you are seeking the living among the dead for the Scripture saith he that hath the Son hath Life but not he that hath the Scripture hath Life for there are many which have the Scripture the Writings or written Words and have not the Son neither eternal Life for the Pharisees had the Words and the Scriptures and never heard the Voice of God at any time neither had they the VVord of God abiding in their Hearts and yet they had the Scriptures and Writings of Moses and the Prophets in their Minds so that it is manifest they had neither found God Christ nor eternal Life notwithstanding though they had Moses and the Prophetâ— And as for the Apostle's Words in the Romans it 's manifest that they might hear the Scriptures and the Writings of the Law and Prophets and yet not believe in Christ who is eternal Life neither hear the Word of Faith which the Apostle preached and exhorted all to attend unto which was nigh in their Hearts and in their Mouth which Word discovereth the Intents of the Heart and separateth betwixt good and evil Thoughts of the Heart and good and evil Words in the Mouth which Word they that had the Scriptures who have thought as thou dost to find eternal Life in the Scriptures did not listen neither hearken unto and so eternal Life was vailed from them and not revealed in them and yet I say unto thee we are not vilifying the Scriptures as thou falsly judgest for if the Spirit of Truth through which God and the deep things of God are discovered if it pleâ—se to manifest eternal Life or any thing that pertains thereunto through the Words which have been spoken before by it sâ—lf and now brings in thoâ—e VVords again and opens them in any Believer's Heart and gives him to â—nderstand them and the things of God through any of the VVords of the Scripture this is not excluded but to limit Life or the Spirit to this or that or the other thing true Believers dare not do For God who is eternal Life manifesteth his Mind to the Creature how when where and by what he will who art thou that would'st limit him and thou that know'st Christ no other VVay then by the VVords without thee know'st him not at all no more then the Pharisees who had the Words and yet were ignorant of the Life Then thou to confute thy former Words say'st That we must not think that thou judgest that eternal Life lyeth in Words or Sentences but eternal Life is found in or by the Scriptures What reasonable or understanding man can judge or think of thee otherwise is not the Scripture Writings and do not Writings consist of Syllables VVords and Sentences And if thou lookest not â—hat eternal Life is found in the Scriptures VVords and Sentences thâ—u thy Assertion is made void and false for eternal 〈◊〉 is in the Life that spoke forth the VVords and those VVords are a certain Sound or a Declaration of that Life but not the Life it self And thus having laid down the Meaning of thy VVords thou sayest Thou wilt draw an Argument of the Truth of them from Joh. 5.39 where thou sayest Christ brings an Argument from his VVords in ver 37. who produceth the witness of hâ—s Father that he was sent of God And ver 3â— thou sayest That Christ saith Go and search the Scriptures for in them you think to have eternal Life for they are they that testifie of me So thy Conclusion is That by the Scriptures eternal Life is to be found because by them Christ is to be found In Joh. 5.31 33 36 37. he produceth Testimonies that he was sent of the Father and saith If I bear witness of my self my witness is true likewise he produceth the Father and John for his Testimony and in ver 39. to the End of the Chapter he saith Moses and the Prophets 〈◊〉 of him but in ver 46. he saith unto the Pharisees Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me for he wrote of me but he doth not say that eternal Life was found in Moses's VVritings or VVords now the 39 th Verse thoâ— hast perverted and thy Argument falleth into the Pit from whence it arose for the Pharisees thinking to have eternal Life in the Scriptures doth no more prove that eternal Life is to be found in the Scriptures then Paul when he made havock of the Church of God and persecuted the Believers from City to City and thought he did God good Service dâ—th prove thâ—t he was doing the VVork of God and therefore thy Ignorance is manifest The words in the Greek Copy are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendered on this wise You do search the Scriptures because in them yâ—u think â—o have eternal Life and they are they that testifie of me This was spoken to the Pharisees and Unâ—â—lievers and Christ did neither approve of their sâ—arching with that Mâ—nd which envied the Life therefore he reprehends them for their Thoughts which were gazing at the words and looked not at the Life which the words testified of and therefore they were reproved in ver 40. Ye will not come unto me that ye may have Life And so thy Affirmation from thâ—se words and also thy Conclusion is false and denyed and so the Charge stands stilâ— good against thee Further thou goest on and sayest That neither I nor you nâ—r any man could ever have found Christ or come to him but by the Scriptures and then milâ—eâ—t this the Conclusion That the Scriptures are the VVay for the obtaining Life Both thy Assertion and Conclusion are
false for Christ was discovered to Moses by Faith and Abraham saw Christ and his Dâ—y by Faith and the Shepherds by the Star which led them where the Child was and so for thee to conclude all like thy self is Presumption without Knowledge and Christ was revealed by and through his Spirit to the Saints in Light and yet the words testifie of him and many have the words and yet they are a sealed Book and are not any way or means unto them as to the Discovery of Christ so that Christ said unto a learned Generation You err not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God and yet they were frequent Readers of the Scriptures yet ignorant of the Spirit through which God maketh manifest his Mind and maketh known his will by what way and means he pleaseth to the Sons of Men Yet this we say that God may make manifest his Son by his Spirit what way he will and yet the Scripture is not excluded for the things of God are spiritually discerned and the natural man may have the words as the Pharisees had without the Spirit But this is the Sum all this striving is to set up the words above the Spirit and the Scripture above the Life And thou goest on and sayest That thou wonderest that men should not be able to distinguish Christ to be the way and the Scriptures to be the way I say there are not two wayes but one way and one Life and none comes to the Father but by the way and he is the way and the means too for he is said to be the Leader of his Flock and of the Sheep of his Pasture unto whom he giveth eternal Life eternal Life is found in him out of him there is none and them that seek without him shall never find the way to Rest and thy many Distinctions of way and way do cast a Mist before Peoples Eyes and do darken their Understandings and would lead them from the one way of Life And thou askest how those Scriptures can be reconciled Cor. 1.11 Other Foundation can no Man lay then that which is laid Jesus Christ. Ephes. 2.20 And are built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ himself being chief corner-Stone ver 22. in whom ye also are builded These two Scriptures are reconciled already and were never at Enmity nor at Discord for he which had the word of Reconciliation committed unto him write them both dost thou think he laid one Foundation to the Corinthians and another to the Ephesians Christ was the Foundation to the Corinthians and no other could be laid and were not all the Saints Citizens of the Houshold of God builded upon this Foundation and so became a Habitation of God through the Spirit But thou would'st have two Foundations as thou hast laboured to prove two Wayes and eternal Life to be found in two distinct things as that eternal Life is found in Christ and that eternal Life is found in the Scriptures and then hast brought all this striving to nothing and say'st That we must not imagine that eternal Life lyeth in Words or Sentences I say if thou had'st not imagined so thy self thou would'st not have made all this Contest for Scripture or Writings consisting of Words and Sentences except thou judgest as some of thy ignorant Brethren have done that eternal Life and the Scripture is inseparable or that the Scripture and the Spirit cannot be separated And if thou judgest so then these that have the Words and Sentence of the Scripture have eternal Life and the Spirit and such dark Doctrines the Land hath been filled with thou wouldst make Distinctions betwixt way and way Light and Light and put Distinctions where there are none and yet where the Spirit distinguisheth thou either cannot or wilt not that doth not distinguish betwixt a visible an invisible betwixt that which is given forth in time and that which gave forth the words which is Life it self which was before all time Next thing thou comest unto The Scripture is the Gospel and the Scripture is the Word of God and this thou countest great Ignorance for any to oppose and thou sayest Thou supposest that we do not know what the word Scripture meaneth is it not the Gospel that thou say'st was preached by Christ and his Apostles and what they preached was written and may be called the Word of God for it is full of Power It may more then be supposed that thou art ignorant for thou hast really manifested it that gross Darkness covereth thee and Blindness hath happened to thee through thy Unbelief and it 's really apparent that thou knowest not what the Word Scripture meaneth who callest it the Gospel and the Word hast thou not learned to distinguish betwixt the Subject declared of and the Declaration betwixt a man which speaks and the Words which come from a man betwixt that which is visible and that which is invisible betwixt that which may be seen which is temporal and that which is everlasting and eternal The Scriptures are writings which may be seen and read with a natural Eye or Ear but that which the Scripture declares of cannot be seen with a Natural Eye neither heard with a Natural Ear Knowest thou no difference betwixt a Creator and a Creature Is not that which createth greater then that which is Created And was it not the eternal Power that gave the words a being or thou hadst never had them And were it not ignorance for any man to say that the Creature were the Creator Judge in thy self For thee to call that which is brought forth by the Name of that which brought it forth is great Ignorance And is it any Derogation unto the Creature to call it by its own Name But it is derogation to the Creator to call the Creature by the Creator's Name so for thee to call the writings the Power of God or the Gospel or word is to attribute that to the Declaration which properly belongs to the thing declared of which is far greater in Magnitude in Glory and Excellency in Power and Virtue insomuch that the Apostle said when he had spoken largely of the Power of God and of his unsearchable Riches he cryed O the Height and the Breadth and the Length and the Depth thereof was to speakable or could not be spoken which was unsearchable and past finding out The Declaration or the Scripture may be enjoyed and not the Power of God which is the Gospel of Christ. That the Holy Scriptures were given by Inspiration and thou sayest It is full of Power and therefore sayest It is the Power of God and that it 's able to make wise unto Salvation and thou hast done well that thou hast not left out through Faith in Christ Jesus as some of thy Brethren used to do And thou sayest It 's a sad Argument against the Scripture to say that the Gospel was preached to Abraham before Matthew Mark Luke and John
understand that here was seventeen years that he preached publickly before that and where was his Ordination Many of the Brethren who were scattered abroad in the Persecution that was at Jerusalem went every where preaching the Word of God and when or where were these ordained And who ordained the Brethren that were persecuted after Steven's being put to death who travailed as far as Phenicia and Cyprus and Antioch preaching the Word and the Hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and were turned unto the Lord Acts 11.19 20 21. yet these things I bring not as to deny but that many went out with the consent of the Church and many were ordained and many were ordained Elders who were grown up in the Truth and established who had received the holy Ghost by whom many were confirmed and strengthned in the Faith but what is all this R. I. to your Ordination and who ordained you the Pope a Bishop or a Council or a Parliament and what are they you ordain Such as learn the Art of Speech seven years at Oxford who have read Homer and Aristotle Plato and Diogenes and learn to play on a Fiddle these are no Mechanicks but gifted Men indeed and qualified and fit to be ordained and made Ministers Pastors and Elders to carry abroad the Traffick of Mystery-Babylon but this R. I. is very peremptory and saith it is utterly unlawful for any that are gifted to preach the Word contrary to the Apostle's Doctrine who saith as every one hath received the Gift so let him administer and not such as R. I. would have to be Ministers who have learned an Art to speak and this must be called a Gift and a Qualification and a fit Man to be a Pastor and thus they have ordained one another and have set up a Trade of preaching and with their confused Stories have filled the World with Darkness And as concerning an infallible Spirit saith R. I. None except Christ who was without sin can challenge it or lay claim to it and I may say of such Runnagates and wandering Stars as this F. H. and the Quakers are as John did 1 John 2.9 They are gone out from us because they were not of us Answ. However this R. I. hath cleared himself and the rest of his Brethren for being Ministers of Christ for they do not only deny an infallible Spirit neither look to be made Partakers thereof but quite shut out all the Saints from enjoying it and though in Christ the fulness of the Godhead dwelt who was full of Grace and Truth he is the Root from whence all that believe come to be made partakers of his Virtue and so many of his Members may lay claim to it as they have received it by a free Gift according to the Promise of Christ I will send you the Spirit of Truth whâ—ch shall lead you into all Truth and the Apostle had received the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus who had freed him from the Law of Sin and Death and the Sons of God had received it and they were led by it and the Ministers of Christ were made Ministers of it who hath made us able Ministers as it is written not of the Letter but of the Spirit and that Spirit was infallible and true and that Spirit which they declared of was an unerring Spirit and as they were led by it they erred not but were kept by it that the Evil one touched them not and they spoke from it and ordered the Church in it in the wisdom of God But what do these Men minister from who wait not to be made Partakers of this but deny that ever any had it or ever shall have so are but a company of Dreamers and tell their dream that they dreamed in the Night or at best steal the Words from their Neighbour and say Thus saith the Lord when God hath never spoken to them And though thou mayest say we are Runnagates because we sit not dreaming over thirty or forty Families twenty years but travail from City from Country to Country to publish the Word of Truth freely as the Apostles Ministers of Christ did we must by such as this R. I. and his Brethren who have gotten Holes and Nests in the Earth to creep into be counted as Runnagates though John said They are gone out from us because they were not of us this he spoke of them who went out of the Light in which he and the rest of the Disciples had Fellowship with God and one with another and they that went out from this went into the Spirit of the World and you are such as they that are gone out already and blasphemously call the Light of Christ Ignis fatuâ—â— and so all that fear the Lord will come out from you and out from Babylon where the Blood of the Prophets hath been shed and the Witnesses killed you who deny an infallible Spirit are like to be in blindness and follow the Spirit of Error for you have nought else to cleave unto And further R I. saith when the Lord said by Joel that he would pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh and his Sons and his Daughters should prophesie the Prophet speaks not of a ghostly Power to open the Kingdom of Heaven given by Christ to his Apostles and Successors but of an extraordinary Measure of enlightning Grace and a more copious effusion of the Spirit and also to Pastors to whom more is given more is required and this Text doth not prove that all Sheep shall be Pastors and all Schollars Teachers An. Nay this Text doth not prove all Sheep to be Pastors neither all that are taught to be Teachers for all are not Prophets neither Pastors nor Teachers for as Christ said the Labourers are but few but this Man 's afraid that there should be too many indeed there are too many hireling Loiterers that are ready to supplant one another for filthy Lucre though many may be said to believe yet all have not received the Spirit of prophecy or a Gift to be Pastors but only they to whom it is given of the Lord for the Work sake yet notwithstanding they who have received it ought not to be limited either Son or Daughter for they who do quench the Spirit and dâ—â—pise Prophecy as this R. I. doth and how should he do otherwise seeing he hath denyed the infallible Spirit from which all the Ministers ministred and all the Prophets prohesied and spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost but R. I. saith the Prophet spoke not of a Ghostly Power to open the Kingdom of Heaven if by ghostly Power he means the Spirit 's Power as I believe he will not deny then was it not by a spiritual Power Sons Daughters prophesied and did not this Power open the Kingdom of Heaven and if it be a more copious Effusion of the Spirit which is given under the Gospel then the Law
none effect by your Traditions and as for Rom. 10.8 The Word is nigh thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart and this is the Word of Faith which we preach here the Apostle saith the word is nigh thee in thy Heart but he doth not say the Scriptures is nigh thee in thy Heart which is the Word of God And 2 Cor. 2.17 For we are not as many which corrupt the Word of God he doth not say we are not as many that corrupt the Scriptures which are the Word of God or the Word of God which is the Scriptures And as for 1 Pet. 1.25 But the Word of the Lâ—rd endures forever and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto yâ—u he doth not say the Scriptures endures forever or this is the Word the Scriptures which by the Gospel is preached unto you And as for 1 Thes. 4.15 For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord that we whâ—ch ar◠〈◊〉 and remain unto the coming of the Lord shâ—ll not prevent them which are asleep he did not say this we say unto you by the Scriptures for there was not such a Scripture written before and therefore we sâ—y this unto you by the Word of the Lord And what a foolish Mâ—n is this to assert his own Imaginations and then imagines the Scriptures will prove it and what â—n improper speech were this to call twenty â—housâ—â—d Sentences one word and it is called a Declaration and what a Declâ—â—ation would that be thâ—t consisteth but of one word but enough of this hath been published before concerning the particular by divers hands so I shall be brief however R. I doubts his proof already that it will not satisfie F. H. and therefore he thought good to make this Conclusion upon him That he doth not believe the Scripture at all and though F. H say that these Sciptures are nothing at all to prove that thing to deny his Imaginations is not to deny the Scripture but F. H. believes what the Scriptures say of themselves and doth not deny the Scriptures at all but R. I. his Lye and also his false Conclusion And further saith R. I. The Scripture was delivered to the Church in writing that it might be an infallible Standard of true Dâ—ctrine and a determiner of Controversies and the Saints rule of knowing God and living to him Answer Reader take notice here is no room for the Spirit at all the Scriptures and writings have taken up the room of it in R. I. his account for it hath lost its Office if his Doctrine be true the Letter is become the infallible Judge and standard to try Doctrine and a Determiner of all controversies and of the Saints Rule of knowing God and living to him and indeed is become all in this man's Account then what doth R. I. bring Esop's Fables Oviâ—'s fictions Plato's and Diogenes Stories in this Controversie to joyne with this infallible rule and because he hath the Scriptures so high to be a tryer of Doctrines without the Spirit doubtless is the Cause here is no mention made of it and so he shall be Judged by his Rule in the 42th page take his Exposition upon the Words of Joel I will pour out of my Spirit upon Sons and Daughters and they shall Prophesie This is not meant of a ghostly Power but of an extraordinary measure of enlighting Grace Ignorant man is not Ghostly Power or spiritual Power an Extraordinary measure of enlightning Grace and was it not a spiritual Power and an extraordinary Light the Prophets Prophesied by But it is this Mans meaning that must be the Standard when all comes to all and the Determiner of Cases and he speaks contrary unto his own Rule as may be seen through his whole Book who hath either added to the Scriptures or perverted them or otherwise given his false Interpretations or Villified them in calling them the True Cards and so though he extolled them in Words he denyes them in Practice The Jews tryed Christ's Doctrine by the Scriptures and â—udged him a Blasphemer and a breaker of the Law and the Apostles Seditious and so though a man have the Scripture and have not the Spirit it is all as a sealed Book wherein such Unlearned men as this R. I is cannot read and therefore he saith in his 55th page That it is a great fault in us because we say the Law of the Spirit of Life is the Rule and so like him will not say it is imperfect as he doth and so saith R. I. it is not fit to be a rule so Blasphemously he detracts from the Authority and Power of the Spirit and like Anti-christ and his Ministers sets the Letter above it and calls it Living and an infallible standard and saith Thâ— Scripture inclines the Heart unto obedience and like a Drunken man this R I. reels up and down and contradicts himself Before he said The Law of the Spirit chiefly gave Power to conform to the Rule and wiâ—hin four Liâ—â—s Contradicts himself and saith The Scriptures incline our Hearts to the Oâ—edience of the Rule and the Scripâ—ures it self hath caused us to know it as we have it from the Church it is a probable aid and yet giveth but a confused Belief with a light Impression Answ. It is probable enough indeed that thy Faith is confused and the Faith of your Church and that makes thee utter forth all this confused Heap but in what hath been said the Spirit of this man and his Doctrines will be manifest to all whose Eyes God hath opened and so will depart out of his Paths and not give heed to his fabulous Stories It is true saith R. I. There iâ— an inward Law written in our Hearts called the Law of the Spirit of Life Rom. 8.2 And there is the outward Law written in the Scriptures now the outward and external Law is properly the rule of a christian Life and not the inward and internal Law for the outward is perfect in that it declares in what is the Will of God and in what it is not but the inward Law received and written on the Heart is imperfect and therefore unfit to be our rule the Law within is that thing that is to be ruled Psal. 17.4 The outward Law is therefore the rule Answ. This Man would set the sun by his Dial as it might be said although he confess in the very same page that the Law of the spirit of Life giveth Power to the Creature yet now it is become imperfect and not fit to be a rule this man like one unlearned sets the Law which was written in Tables of stone which the Apostle calls the Ministration of Condemnation and was glorious this he sets above the Ministration of the spirit of Life which the Apostle saith is much more glorious but nay saith R. I. the Law written in the Heart is iâ—perfect and not fit to be a rule but to be ruled contrary to
the Apostle's Doctrine and so this R. I. is tryed by his own infallible standard to be a Deceiver who teaches contrary to that which he calls his Law and Testimony and the Law which is outward is the Law of the first Covenant which made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope did by which we draw nigh unto God Heb. 7.19 Therefore the Lord sâ—â—d by the Mouth of the Prophet Behold the Dayes come that I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel not according to the Covenant I made with them when I brought them out of the Land of Egypt when I was as a Husband and unto them which Covenant they brake but I will write my Law in their Heart and put my spirit in their inward Parts I will be to them a God and they shall be unto me a People Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.9 10. Now this blind man who gropes as at noon-day saith This is imperfect which is written in the heart and so faulty with him and therefore to be ruled over and the other which is outward is perfect and faultless and so ought to be a rule but saith the Apostle contrary to R. I. If the first covenant had been faultless there had been no place for the second which second the Apostle saith is a better Covenant and stands upon better Promises but yet saith R I. this is not the rule nor fit to be a rule And furthermore the Apostle said as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God and this was their Rule and the Law of the Spirit of Life made the Apostle free from the Law of Sin and Death and the new Creatures Rule by which they were led into all Truth and as many as did walk in it out of all Sin But nay saith R. I. It is not fit to be a Rule for this is imperfect and is that thing to be ruled and for his Proof brings Psal. 17.4 By the Word of thy Lips I have kept me frâ—m the Path of the Destroyer and how doth this prove that the Law in the Heart is to be ruled thou ignorant man who utterest forth nothing but Deceit and Error and so the Scriptures declare against thee for they say The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul The Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the Eyes Psal. 19.7 8. For the Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is Light Prov. 6.23 and the Commands of the new Covenant are spiritual and not carnal and they are perfect and fit to be a Rule Guide to all them that believe in a perfect Way and not as this R. I. saith unfit to be a rule because of their imperfection and would in his blind Distinctions cast a mist before Peoples Eyes And all may judge not only of this R. I. his Mistake but of his wilful Impudence in preferring that which is visible and outward and may be seen which was given forth in time viz. the Commands outward and the Letter outward above the Law of the Spirit of Life which is invisible spiritual and eternal And as I said to S. S. so I may say to thee Lean Souls are they like to be who receive such damnable Doctrine as this for Atticles of Faith but however Reader thou mayest take notice of R. I. in his Epistle to the Reader he saith the Quakers Money is counterfeit Coin which he hath nailed on the market-post and instead thereof hath tendred other Money and that thou mayest see what kind of other Money the Priests is and what Image it bears by the Principles here discovered which is altogether Tin and Dross and reprobate Silver which will be received by none but them whom the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of that they should not see the things that belong unto their Peace And Edward Dod being sensible that he and all his Stuff or he and all his Arguments were carried captive and became a Booty and a Prey he is glad that any will step in and rescue him and flattereth R. I. and saith I am engaged to you to imbrace you as a precious Friend that of so weak Principles as mine have raised so perfect a Structure so absolute rational and demonstrative that more need not to be done Answ. R. I. his Vindication hath not redeemed E. D. his Principles at all but rather hath laboured in vain and spent his Strength for naught and hath brought forth such a Birth as sober men will blush at made up of Ignorance Blasphemy Derision and Lyes which they that have the least Moderation will abhor and detest and the Principles of E. D. and R. I. are not only weak and feeble but wicked and impious as is manifest in what hath been declared and the Structure that R. I. hath made is but builded with untempered Mortar Lyes Falshood Error false Doctrine which the stormy Wind of the Lord will rent and scatter and confound and exalt his Truth above it all But Edward Dod saith What can be said to reduce such a People I know not since so many convincing Arguments cannot prevail alas poor Men whether would you reduce us or bring us back to the slime Pits of Sodom where Edward Dod fell with his Stuff or turn us back again to Images Pictures and Crosses to Mass-houses Hirelings and Tythes to Lace Ribbons and Cuffs which both E. D. and R. I. have strongly pleaded for as faithful Servants to their Master who would not have him loose a Foot of his Territories however Edward Dod hath resolved to continue one in Life and death with R. I. who hath shaken Hands with the Prince of darkness and made a Covenant with death which must be broken and though S. S. E. D. and R. I. joyn Hand in Hand yet the wicked shall not go unpunished fore-very one shall receive a Reward according to their Works And so I have done with R. I. his Book called Ignis fatuus whose Arguments false doctrines errors and lyes are disolved into nothing his 〈◊〉 made void his Ignorance made manifest his false doctrine brought to Light and reproved by the Word of Truth only I shall return him a few of his Lyes back again for him 〈…〉 the second time and repent of them and remember the Sentence for all Lyars is The Lake that burneth Rev. 22.15 First That their Worship differs not in whole nor in Part in Matter nor in Manner from the Churches in the Primitive Times Secondly According to the Scriptures their whole Worship is framed Thirdly That Jezabel was never more madder against the Prophets then these Quakers are against Christ's Ministers Fourthly The Quakers contemn Magistracy and infect the Common-wealth with Faction Fifthly That the Quakers burnt some Houses at Oxford Sixthly That Timothy and Titus were setled in a Parochial Way in their Quarters Seventhly That F. H. complains of the Darkness of the Sun when the Fault is in his own Eyes Eighthly
to Lighc in the Hearts of the Sons of Men that they may see his saving Health and feel him and have Union with him who is the Author of Eternal Salvation in all that believe which Salvation God hath shed abroad richly in the Hearts of his People and his plenteous Redemption which many are made Partakers of and therein their Souls are satisfied and their Flesh rests in Hope and their Hearts are filled with Joy and Gladness and he which hath revealed this will perfect his own Work which he hath begun in them that believe and keep the Faith unto the End shall see the Top-Stone brought forth with Shouting and Victory with Joy Therefore Dear Friends and Brethren look not out neither faint when you are tempted and tryed but eye the Lord who is near to deliver and to administer Strength in Weakness of which I do not doubt but you have felt whose Arm is made bare to save and to defend all the upright in Heart in the Hour of Tryal and in the Time of Temptation and your Work shall not be in Vain for that whâ—ch is ministred from the Life shall not pass away unfulfilled but every one shall answer and bear Witness unto it in the Day of the Lord So in the Long-suffering and in the Patience and Meekness all dwell and in Love with one another and bear with one another and strengthen one another and be subject one to another in the Truth knowing your Works are one and the Message one which you have all to bear Witness of impose not upon one another but leave every one free to the free Spirit of the Lord in himself to be directed and guided in his Service and judge all that down which would beget into Strife for that Spirit will not gather unto God but scatter there hath been Hurt done already in that Place in striving and Contention which hath done Hurt for they that should be Builders should not bite one another and devour one another and so come to destroy them selves and others for that which would be greatest must be least and he which is least and Servant of all shall be exalted for with the humble God dwells and the lowly he leads in the Way of Peace for we are not sent to preach our selves neither to set up our selves but the Lord 's Christ who humbled himself to the Death of the Cross and gave his Life a Ransom for many and he is our Example and he alone is to be exalted and to have the Preeminence and they that exalt him he will exalt and they that honour him he will honour and self is excluded and glorying and boasting excluded by all the Children of Wisdom and that alone to be gloryed in which crucifies to the World and leads to Unity with God and Fellowship with Christ in the Eternal Rest. The Arm of the Lord be wâ—th you all and keep you in hâ—s Wisdom that you may finish your Testimony in Faithfulness and be clear of the Blood of all Men and so lay down your Heads in Peace when the Work is finished which the Lord hath appointed unto you that you may come to inherit the Crown of Glory which fadeth not away and be Partakers of God's eternal Excellency which doth excel eternally all the Glory of the World and the Renown thereof which fadeth away We have received divers Letters from divers of you and also we have heard how two dear Brethren have given up their Lives as a Sacrifice unto the Lord whose Life and Death was precious in his Sight in which I heartily rejoyce that they suffered so valiantly and boldly for his Names sake who laid down his Life for them and by it they are redeemed up unto God to live with him in that Life and Love which is everlastingly pure and satisfactory of which I am most certainly perswaded they had an Enjoyment of and Assurance and thereby had Joy and Peace and strong Consolation in him who hath reconciled all Things unto himself in one who is the Head of the Body which he hath redeemed which is his Church by the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant by which every Member thereof is compleated and presented Perfeâ—â— in Jesus Christ our Light and Life our Crown and Rejoycing to whom be Glory forever and ever Amen And be tender and watchful over them that are convinced and let all your Lives preach before them and be their Example in all Things and keep them all down to their own that they may feel the Power of the Life immortal which you have born Witness of and exhort all to Stedfastness and not to look out at the Rage of the Enemy for that hath appeared which must conquer which cannot be subject to the Wills of corrupt Men Christopher Hâ—lder is arived here who declared unto us the Affairs of the Gospel in those Parts and all the Letters which came over unto our Hands will be sent carefully as they were directed So the everlasting God of Life Power be with you all is the Prayer of him whom God heareth Who is your dear Brother in the Suffering and Long-Suffering of God and in the Fellowship of the Gspel of Peace F. H. THE DECEIVER OF THE NATIONS DISCOVERED AND HIS CRUELTY Made manifest How he hath deceived the Nations and wrought his Works of Darkness more hiddenly under the Mask of Higher Power Holy Church and so persecutes the Righteous Seed and makes them suffer under the Name of Evil-doers in these latter Dayes More especially his Cruel Works of Darkness laid open reprov'd in Mariland in Virginia and the Sad Sufferings of the Servants of the Lord there by his Cruel Instruments Sent back unto them again that they may view their Work again and repent and be ashamed lest the Wrath of God sink them into the Pit as it hath done many before them who have opposed the Lord. GReat and many have the Tryals and Sufferings been of the Faithful Witnesses of God in all Generations by the Seed of Evil-doers who would not that Righteousness should reign and Truth have the Dominion because then the Glory of their Kingdom that standeth in Falshood and Deceit would be stained and blasted and not be had in Honour and Admiration Therefore the Devil who was a Lyar and a Murderer and an Oppressor from the Beginning hath labour'd by all his Power to deceive Mankind that he might exalt his Throne and Kingdom which consisteth wholely of Iniquity in the Hearts of the Sons of Men that so he might be honoured and worshipped and his Unrighteous Decrees fulfilled and himself admired above the true God which made both Heaven and Earth and all things that are therein who alone ought to be worshipped and honoured above all who is blessed forever whose Kingdom stands in Righteousness Equity Truth and Peace forever Therefore Satan being cursed and banished from the Presence of the Lord forever being full of Enmity Wrath and Rage Murder
Whoremongers Adulterers Cozeners Cheaters Defrauders and Violent-doers and the Sword is to be turned against all these things and to keep down such things in every Nation and Government and that every Punishment be in Equality sutable to the crime and Fault not exceeding it and thus Princes and Rulers whoso rule rule for God and this is an Ordinance of God but Mysteryâ—Babylon the false church is far from these things who hath perswaded Rulers Princes and Nobles that they must rule as Magistrates in the Church of God and in Christ's Government in things appertaining to the Conscience hath taught them to usurp Authority in those things but God hath anointed Christ to be Lord and King and hath given him to be Head of the body which is his Church and to rule in the Hearts and Consciences of the Sons of Men and he is the alone Lord and King there and no outward King nor Prince nor Governour upon the Face of the Earth hath any thing to do there Object But some may say Ought not they who denyed Christ's Commands be compelled to worship and obey according aâ— he taught Answ. As Salvation belongs to him alone so Vengeance belongs to him also and as he communicates Power to them which believe and obey the Gospel so also by the Breath of his Mouth will he slay the Wicked and Vengeance is his and he will repay it and all they who will not have him to rule in their Hearts and unto the disobedient it shall be said and shall be done they shall be brought before him and slain and that by which he slayes the Disobedient is by the Breath of his Mouth which is sharper then any two-edged Sword which reacheth to that which the outward Sword and forcing Power cannot reach unto Object But farther it may be objected Were not the Kings of Israel and Judah to compel Men to keep the Commandments and Statutes of the true God and to restrain them from worshipping of false Gods and to stone to Death false Prâ—phets and Blasphemers and may not the Kings and Princes of the Earth do the same now Answ. To which I answer it is true the Kings of Israel and Judah were to do so under the first Covenant which made nothing perfect who did not see to the End of Things that were to be abolished and as the first Priesthood and Sacrifices and Offerings were Figures and Shadows of the good Things to come even of the everlasting Sacrifice and of the everlasting Offering so the Kings of Israel and their Governments were Types and Figures and Shadows of the King of Kings and King of Saints and their Government a Shadow of the Government which was to be without End and their compelling outward and punishing outward of Christ subduing all his Enemies and killing Blasphemers and stoning of them and slaying of them with his spiritual Sword that would not have him to rule over them but now the King of Righteousness being come his Law is inward his Kingdom is spiritual his Service spiritual his worship spiritual his Weapons spiritual with which he slayes his Enemies the Glory which the Father hath given to him he will not give to another and herein the Kingdom the Power the Authority the Weapons are of a more excellent Nature then the others were and his Soveraignity and Greatness excelleth the other and it is Truth as it is in Jesus and so all Kings and Princes now are in another State then the Kings of Israel and Judah were for the Substance is come and the King of eternal Glory the true Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World hath all Power committed to him so for any to intrude or take upon them to do that which the Father hath committed unto him is absolute Usurpation and though the false Church and the Merchants thereof and many which would be counted Rabbies in it have spurred on and pressed on Princes to their Hurt as to usurp Authority over mens Consciences in Faith and Doctrine this will be their Reward certainly from the Hand of the Lord at the last VVho hath required this at your Hands For Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ whose Power and Authority was great as to the Things of God went far beyond any temporal Prince who had begotten many to the Faith who said that he and some others were not Lords over their Faith nor over mens Consciences but as it is said left every Man to be fully perswaded in his own Mind by God's Spirit him which he had testified of which he said God had given a Measure of to profit withal and none knows the Things of God but by the Spirit of God then good Reason it is that all should be left to that which is the absolute and only means by which God and the Things of God and the Worship of God comes to be known what will the Church of Rome say to this or the Pope say unto this who sayes that he is Peter's Successsor Are not Things imposed upon People as to be believed which are contrary to the Scriptures for which there is no Scripture nor Example but only because Peter's Successor hath said so and the Church said so and if another believe not so he is then counted an Heretick and hath been proceeded against as an Heretick instance that one thing about Bread and VVine which is called a Sacrament which the Church of Rome hath held for Doctrine these many hundred Years to wit That after VVords of Consecration by a Priest the natural Bread and VVine becomes substantially the real Body and Blood of Christ which Doctrine is so inconsistent with the Faith of God's Elect and so contrary to the Scriptures and also to sound Reason that none but they who are wilfully ignorant can believe and yet because many could not believe this Doctrine of Transubstantiation many have been racked tortured burned and put to cruel Deaths and is not this to be Lords over mens Faith and to Lord it over mens Consciences and so intrude and rule in mens Hearts and regulate mens Judgments which only belongs to God the Judge of Heaven and Earth And therefore all Princes Governours and Rulers learn Wisdom and Understanding to rule with the Wisdom of God which comes from above and cumber not your selves with that which God expects not from you neither doth he require of you to be Lords over his Heritage neither do you meddle nor intrude into those Things which he would not have you to meddle withal neither let any perswade you under any Colour to drive on their own Deceit promising to you in so doing therein you do God good Service or press you on to persecute any about spiritual Matters Now I say unto you in the Name and Power and Authority of God's Spirit they that compel to any Worship or force to any Worship whether true or false or punish and put to Death any for not worshipping truly or for
now mark this that by which the Apostle gathered them from the Jewish Temples and Priest-hood and the Gentiles from their Idols Temples was by the Preaching of the everlasting Gospel to wit not the Law nor the Ordinances of the first Covenant but the Power of God and the word of Reconciliation for the first Covenant of the Jews made not the Comers thereunto perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Neither the Gentiles Idols Temples nor Worships made them perfect as pertaining to the Conscience but rather made them worse and more corrupted Heb. 9.9 But the Preaching and publishing of the Word of Reconciliation that did it was committed to the Disciples it was received and believed in by many both Jews and Gentiles as at Ephesus and elsewhere and they were made a Habitation of God through the Spirit Ephes. 2.22 Now mark this they preached not up the Letâ—er of the Law nor that which was written in Tables of Stone for the first Priest-hood that was ended and the Ministry of that and the Vail was over their Hearts while Moses was read and their ability stood not in the Litteral knowledge or in that which was written But they were able Ministers of the New-Testament of the Spirit and so all that did believe both Jews and Gentiles who received the word of Faith which was nigh in the Mâ—uth and in the Heart Rom. 10.8 they grew up in the Knowledge of God and of his holy Spirit and great Gifts grew amongst them as of Prophecy of speaking with Tongues of Interpretation and there was diversity of gifts and diversity of Operations yet all by the same Spirit which the Apostles were made Ministers of and which they that did believe and receive and received gifts from it and knew the Operation of it which wrought in them mightily to the throwing down the strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 And the principalities and Powers of Darkness and to the Translating and changing of them from Darkness to Light and from Satans Power to the Power of God even into the Kinâ—dom of his dear Son Col. 1.13 And several Congregations in divers Places were all one Body whereof Christ the Life was the Head in which they had believed and of whose Power they had tasted grew up in Knowledge and Wisdom and gifts and the Day of Christ approached which Abraham saw And they exhorted one another and admonished one another and when they met together at several Places every one according to the Gift of God as he had received not from the Letterâ— but from the Spirit did and might administer to the Edification one of another and to the building up and comforting one another in the most holy Faith which gave them Victory over Sin which Faith was wrought in them by hearing of the Word that was nigh them in the Mouth and in the Heart which was the Word of Consolation which was in the Beginning Moreover when they met together they might Prophesie one by one and every one Exercise his own gift to the edification and Comfort of the Body as the Spirit did lead them in Order and if any went out from his Measure he was judged by them that were in the Spirit Furthermore they that had believed the Gospel which was published to them for remission of Sin they grew up into great Enjoyments and Attainments in the righteous Life of Christ which was manifest in them And though first they knew the Ministration of Condemnation and the sentence of Death yet afterwards came to know the Ministration of the Spirit and the sweet Assurance and Testimony of it bearing Witness to the Spirit that they were the Sons of God and they were made Heirs according to the Promise Heb. 6.17 and were made joynt-heirs and co-heirs with Christ in the Kingdom which is Immortal which faâ—es not away and did dome to know Mount Sion and the City of the living God Heb. 12.22 and it were large to speak of the Glory and the Transcendent Excellency of the Church of Christ which became a purchased Possession to him in the Primitive Times or the first hundred Years after the manifestation of Christ in the Flesh. But take notice of this that they that were sent out who had received freely of the Father of Christ and of the Spirit Ministred freely as they had received freely without making any Covenants or enquiries after worldly revenews but went from City to City Preaching the Gâ—spel of Christ freely as they hâ—d received without any conditionâ— frâ—m the People And as many as believed and received the Gospel did Minister freely their Hearts being open unto them who had declared unto them spiritual Things Acts 4.34 Mat. 10.8 c. So that we read of no compulsion or forcing Maintenance from any of the Cities whether they believed or not believed the Father took care of such Harvest-men and and what they received was given freely and there was no Complaint though often they denyed that which was proferred to them and thâ—ir Câ—re was to make the Gospel of Christ not Burdensome or chargeable but rather their Hands should Minister unto their Necessities Acts 18.3 Again though divers gifts were given unto the Disciples before and after Christ's Ascension as some to be Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors some Teachers and some Elders or Bishops yet they were all made Ministers by the holy Ghost yet it were large to speak of the Power and of the Wisdom and of the Enjoyments of God in that day and time and of the Gifts and of the order which was in the Church at that time But in a Word the Son of God was made manifest and gave them an Understanding and they knew him that was true Truth it self and Christ was revealed in them and manifested to them the Hope of their Glory Col. 1.27 Furthermore they come to see over the new Moons and Fâ—sts and Feasts and Dayes and Times and Meats and Drinks and none could judge of them or ought to judge of them in those Cases for they saw the Body Christ for the man-Child was brought forth and the Woman was Cloathed with the Sun who had the Crowd of twelve Stars upon her head who brought forth the holy Child Jesus who saves his People from their Sins In whom all Shadows Types Figures Representations end This in short was part of the Glory of the Primitive Church which would be large to speak of as it was in the first State of its Purity But hereafter some fuller thing the Lord may bring forth in his own time and day CHAP. II. Concerning the entring in of the Apostacy and the Declination from the Purity of Doctrine Worship and Practice and when it began downwards from the entring of it in until this present Age and Time CHrist the true Prophet which Moses spake of whom the Lord raised up and manifested in the Fulness of time he prohesied and declared of false Prophets that should arise Mat. 7.15 Beware of
practices in the first hundred Years after Christ and if these things be found invented and without footing or Ground then let them that are informed depart from them CHAP III. But now to descend a little further nearer unto our own Age to speak something to them which I believe look upon themselves to be Catholick and Apostolick in Doctrine and Practice according to the Primitive Time and Order and that they are totally come out of the Apostacy THis I have to say to you which is my Judgment and Belief and that upon good Ground that you are in many things in the Apostacy as hereafter I shall demonstrate and to tell you nakedly and plainly we look upon the Reformation which was made in denying the Church of Rome to be but very weak and poor and feeble and imperfect comparatively with the Doctrine and Practice and Order in the primitive times insomuch that we judge upon good Grounds that it cannot be parallel'd with the Church in the primitive Times which I have spoken of before in that you have denyed the Pope to be the Head of the Church and so are called Protestants so am I knowing that Christ is the Head of the Church and ought to rule by his spiritual Scepter and his eternal Power in the Hearts and Consciences of People and in and over the true Church which is his Body whereof he is the Head and let all take heed who do intrude and take upon them that which belongeth to the King of Kings and King of Saints as to matter of Headship Regulation or Government for all power is committed unto him in Heaven and Earth and the Father hath given it to him and will not have any other have that Glory but whosoever seeks it must be condemned and his Glory he will not give to another for the Lamb is worthy of Glory and Strength And though the Church of Rome be generally acknowledged to be in the Apostacy by them that are separated from them and that upon good Ground yet I say the Separation is in some little or small part more in Name then Nature more in Form then in power more in some circumstantial things then in the very Ground it self and very many of these Doctrines practices Diâ—cipline and Order as they call it I find to be upholden practised and contended for which are found in the former I have mentioned First of all to instance that which is generally holden out by the reformed Protestants is that the Writings of Matthew Mark Luke and John and several Epistles is the Gospel which the primitive Disciples and Ministers preached and published and which people did receive and by believing the Sound thereof were accounted Christians and Believers We would have all to know the Gospel was preached to Abraham before Matthew or Mark or any of the Apostles writ a Word Moreover we would have all to know that Christ had preached glad tidings to the captives and some of the Disciples had preached the Word of the Kingdom before Matthew or Mark or Luke or John had wrote a Word my Reasons are divers Matthew Mark Luke and John must needs hear and see that done which they testified of before they writ and if Matthew Mark Luke and John be the Gospel the Writings of them I intend then the Disciples could not preach it before it was given forth and if the Epistles be a part of the Gospel this the Disciples could not preach before it was written for Paul succeeded and was converted after divers of the Apostles had preached the Gospel so then doubtless the Disciples and Apostles had something to say and declare and publish before any of the New-Testament was written and it is manifested that they were not sent out to preach the Law nor the Ordinances of the first Covenant after Christ was offered up the End of the first So then there was something and is something which was preached by them and is to be published now to all that are made Ministers by the holy Ghost and that is in few Words the Power of God which was before the New Testament so called though the Words declare of it but is not it Now they went and discipled in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost which is a Ministry far beyond the written or declarative Sound or indeed is a spiritual and invisible Thing which the Apostle Acts 26.18 declaring his Message which he had received by the holy Ghost saith I was sent to turn them viz. the Gentiles and Jews and them of Arabia and else where he soiourned from Darkness to Light and from Satan's Power unto God's Power that they that believed in the Light and received the Power of God which he preached to them might receive Remission of Sins for Remission of Sin was only preached in his Name and there is no Name under Heaven by which Men can be saved but by the Name of Jesus though the Apostles spoke according to the Motion of the Spirit in divers Words calling him the Gift of God the free Gift of Righteousness the unspeakable Gift the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World the Power of God and the Wisdom of God which Wisdom and Power they had received and because the Son of God was revealed in them the Apostle said I am a Debtor to the Jews and the Greeks Rom. 1.14 And he having received 〈◊〉 freely of the Father he went to the Jews and went to the Greeks to the Gentiles and Heathen where the Name of this Gift and Power and Jesus had not been named and published freely without Gifts and Rewards and the Necessity did lye upon him 1 Cor. 9.16 and the Love of Chrâ—st which was shed abroad in his Heart constrained him and made him reckon himself as a Debtor unto all because of the abundant Loving Kindness and Riches of God's Love and Grace and spiritual Gifts which he had received he longed and thirsted and travailed to communicate it unto others Largely I might speak of this hidden Mystery as to demonstrate what the Gospel of Christ was and is but in what I have already said they that are any thing spiritual minded will judge that the Law and the Prophets Matthew Mark Luke and John and the Epistles were not the everlasting Gospel but it was a thing beyond and above and before any of these writings were although they all in their several Ages bore Testimony of it viz. the Power of God which condemns Sin in the Flesh and mortifies the Deeds thereof and gives Victory over it and taketh up all that believe in it into one Life Power and Virtue into pure Peace and heavenly Contentment and perfect Satisfaction So you who are calling the Letter the Gospel or the New Testament writings the Gospel I would ask you a Question also When was there a time since the first hundred Years after Christ or in that time till now that these Words and Writings have
not been spoken and preached bought and sold as a Gospel not only in the church of Rome but also among them that are separated from her even until now this hath been preacht to Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and if the writings be the everlasting Gospel then how doth John say or why did he so say that the everlasting Gospel should go forth again and be preacht again after the Apostacy or to bring out of the Apostacy But it clearly implies the Word had been preached and published and the temporary Writings which were given forth at divers times had been preached up for Gospel these many Hundred Years which many have received by tradition but the Power of God and the Gift of God by which and from which the Ministers of Christ in all Ages ministred hath been wanting if not altogether lost for the most part among them that are called Christians then what is the Quarrel betwixt you and the Romanists it is but in translation at the most and while words translations and Versions have been contented about the everlasting Gospel hath been hid therefore all People are upon heaps and the Nations like waters rowling up and down in Instability now the reformed Ministry so called are in many things in the same practice with the former You deny an immediate Call and set up an outward Ordinatiâ—n and a Form of laying on of Hands without the holy Ghost ordaining such and such who have some Skill in natural Tongues or some Words of Oratory to be a subject matter to make Ministers upon and that which they preach in Words which hath been long held in the Form without the Life you call the Gospel and these are confined to a Parish as the former to such a Cloyster and such a Monastery and these preach for hire and Gifts and Rewards and for Maintenance and kept up all the aforesaid Wayes and maintenance as lawful and will make People believe it is according to Gospel-Institution when alas it is but the Pope's Tythes Oblations Obventions Mortuaries and Prayers for the dead keeping up the Wages but deny the Work And Tythe of all things as Pigs and Geese Hens and Egs Apples and Cherries and Turnips and all nothing excepted this is a feeble thing as to hold out to People for Gospel-maâ—ntenance and the Preachers of the Gospel are ashamed of it Furthermore they that will not give it sue them at Law throw them into holes till they dye take away ten-fold that which is claimed say the man is not subject to Gospel order denieth Ministers Maintenance this hath been Crime enough to take away the Estates and Lives of Men all this is in the Apostacy And seeing it is said we are under a Gospel Administration and Ordinances what do you wiâ—h Organs Whistlers and Pipes in any part of your Services this pertained to the Jews and not to the primitive Church and what do you do with Surplices Tippets and Hoods and other strange kind of Garments it may be the high-Priest's Garments or the Priest's Linnen Ephod or linnen Breeches must be brought in for a Gospel-proof and for an Apostolick Ordinance and what do you with the Pope's Lent and why should the Pope's Lent be among the reformed Protestants churches forbidding Meats and Drinks and why forbidding Marriage in Lent and who ordained these Dayes what have they been borrowed from the Heathen or are they looked upon to be such Dayes as used to be cited in the Calender for the Dog-dayes which have been brought from the Heathen stand to this Day in too much credit among Believer so called And why is one Day preferred before and above another and some counted holy-Dayes as though some others were unholy-dayes and why such a Collect and such a Gospel and such a Chapter and such a Psalm mincing and cutting and severing the Scripture in Pieces and Shreds Is this like Apostolick Doctrine truly Friends many things we have to say if you had an Ear to hear and that upon good Ground we can speak that we look upon all these things to be feeble and poor and beggerly things and have no agreement or congruity with the primitive times And should People be limited or stinted to such a certain Form of words called Service or Prayer and divine Worship was that ever reckoned divine Worship that was not from the divine Spirit But it may be you will say the Words are good or some of them I am not speaking about Words but the Spirit from which every Service ought to be performed to the Lord God and the primitive Christians prayed in the Spirit and with Understanding and sung with the Spirit and with Understanding 1 Câ—r 14.15 And there were some that knew not what to pray for as they ought but the Spirit helped their Infirmities Rom. 8.26 But you know what to pray for and how much must be said on such a Day or such a time and if there be a Homily or a Sermon Letany must be missed Now I say if it be divine Worship or any thing wherein God is honoured and the People bettered nothing of it ought to be wanting But these things the primitive times do not countenance but when the power was lost and the Life gone from and the Spirit erred from these things have come into the latter dayes which have been very perillous times as to them who have kept the Apostolick Faith and in the Order of the Primitive Church Many more things we could instance which are practised as for Discipline and Order and some for Necessity which have no Affinity or union at all with the primitive Churches but rather are things which are too near of kin unto her that sits as a Queen upon the Waters whose Flesh must be burnt with Fire who hath drunk the Blood of the Saints and how many of the Lord's servants have suffered in and about these things not only in the Church of Rome but also by them which have been called reformed many have known and are living Witnesses thereof And all these Temples Bells Hour-glasses Pulpits and Cushions Altars Tables and Fonts which are things that pertain not to them that look they are come out of the Apostacy but the spiritual minded see over them and beyond them and before these things and also see through the Spirit of prophecy the time when they shall be no more adored worshipped and honoured but God shall be feared in the hearts of the Sons of men and Glory shall be given to him and he shall be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth as he was in the Primitive Times when the Beast and the false Prophet and they that wrought Miracles before him and all they that have cryed who is able to make War with the Beast and have cryed worship him all must be taken alive remember that alive in their Strength and cast into the Lake and the Mother of Harlots shall be made desolate her Cup of Fornication thrown
of Men and sport themselves over the Heritage of God what doth he that sits in Heaven and they that are in the heavenly Places in Christ Jesus and will not the Lord have them in Derision who mâ—ke a Mock of Sin and rejoyce in Iniquity as though it were the high Way to Felicity Well though the Archers have shot hard at you and hâ—ve come in their Strength against you yet the Lâ—rd hath preserved you that you do not break your Ranks and I feel the Lâ—rd hath put Courâ—ge in you and Wisdom in your Mouthes to withstand yâ—ur Adversaries and the Lord is on your Side the Cause is his the Worship is his the Glory is his you suffer for and be assured he suffers with you and so are his People afflicted with you and in this be comforted that you are not alone though you be counted Fools it 's for Christ's sake though reckoned disobedient it 's because you keep his Commâ—nds and though you be represented as vile and evil and as Transgressors so was Christ so have his Saints been in every Generation since the Devil hath had Dominion in the Hearâ—â— of the fallen Sons of Adam What should you be troubled at thiâ— nâ—y rather rejoyce that the Scripture is fulfilled of you in our â—ge as Christ prophesied unto his Disciples That they should speak all manner of Evil falsely for my Names sake and be 〈◊〉 out of their Assembly and hailed before Rulers and Judgment-Seats for my Names sake but rejoyce and be exceeding glad And also it cannot but appear unto all People who are moderate that it 's only his Names sake you suffer for yea even the Lips of your Adversaries and the Words of your Judges do demonstrate no less that it 's not for any Evil at such a Meeting then it must needs be for your good doing there and to worship God any where but where they would have you is reckoned Crime enough to banish you Oh have not they bewrayed themselves and will not this enter into other Hearts not yet concerned to consider O surely yea and the Devil and his persecuting Enemies shall loose by it and the Truth shall be a Gainer Well Dearly Beloved you know even as the Gospel was preached to others before and as it came unto us and as we did receive it so it was declared unto you in all Simplicity and you have not been beguiled by it nor the Messengers of it of whom some are at Rest and fallen asleep and their Life and Spirit is with you and among you It hath been told you that all must be given up and all must be denyed and the Cross must be born and all must dye to the World before they could receive Christ or be made alive unto him and before the Enmity could be slain or the Peace witnessed which you have found true and happy are you that have believed and keep in the Faith And now beloved though our Adversaries think this is a loosing time and this is the Way to bring us and Truth in which we have believed into Disesteem I tell you the Truth in the Word of God unto you this is the Time of gaining unto many and shall be unto more and this is the Way the Lord hath suffered to come pass Persecution that your Faith and Hope may be tryed from Hypocrites and that it may be made known unto others that you possess something that others possess not that makes you willingly and cheerfully deny that which otherwise might be precious unto you if could be enjoyed in the Truth and them that have lifted up themselves against us may see and be convinced of their Weakness and that they overprized that which now in this Day stands in no stead and have undervalued that which is able to carry them that truly believe through all Difficulties and Distresses as it hath done you hitherto blessed be the Lord and will confirm you and establish you forever When they had crucified the Lord of Life they thought they had brought all to an End but then his Life Power and Glory was more and more manifest and Thousands more did believe and they thought to have stiffled all in Jerusalem and then it came to be preached to all Nations though they think to dam up the Way of Truth and stiffle it here and us I tell you nay the Fame thereof shall reach to the Ends of the Earth and the Sound thereof unto the VVorld's End and Salvation through it shall be known from Sea to Sea we have a glorious Effect thereof in our own Day as ever was in any Age and in so short a Time as I may truly say as the Prophet said The Lord hath wrought a Work upon the Wheels and hath done it through weak poor Instruments that his Arm and Power might only appear and that he alone might have the Glory and therefore be of believing Hearts and look not at the Blackness and Darkness of the present Time but before it and let none trouble you neither be ye troubled at the Words or VVritings of any evil Spies or discontented Minds for that would weaken some Papers I have seen of that Nature abroad which the Life of God judgeth And moreover if any come unto you with any new Doctrine try it in the Light your selves before you joyn to it or if any come with a Shew of Humility and tell you of another Appearance or in another Way then through the Light of the World and gather not to you but seek to make Dissension and Discord and to beget a Dislike in you either of the Truth or Persons of any who have believed receive not that into your Hearts Moreover you know how many have doted about needless Disputes and have busied Friends Minds about Trifles and have begot a Heat in them and have been hurried up and down in the Wind a while and all hath erâ—ed in nothing Moreover if any come and tell you that they who have preached the Word of Truth among you would reign over you and usurp Authority over you and seek Dominion mark for such are unsubjected Spirits for I know the Lord bears Record and be you also Record that they which have laboured among you have not preached themselves But Christ and have not sought yours but you and the Good of all your Souls I have heard such Murmuring sometimes of the Sons of Corah against some who were faithful Men who are fallen asleep and against some living who so have done their End hath not been good But I can say unto you with a clear Conscience and of them who are deceased and them that are living as Gideon said to the Men of Ephraim when they said he should reign over them he answered and said The Lord shall reign over you even I speak of all the ancient Brethren who have laboured and suffered in the Work of the Lord until now I know they only sought that the Lord might reign in
suffered thy self to be made blind and carried Captive with another Man's Judgment neglected the measure of God's Spirit in thy self at home through which alone the secret things of God are Revealed in which true certainty and infallibility is Witnessed and not in Men who are fallible and changeable If an Arian Jew or Turk should urge their own interpertation of Scriptures which is of no private interpretation contrary to the mind of him that gave it forth I would say he perverted the Words of the Scripture which 〈◊〉 in Harmony Unity one with another as to the states and conditions they were spâ—ken to and are plain and are only read by that Spirit that gave them forth except it be in some Historical or Chronology or Genealogy of Names and Generâ—tions which might be some gathered from anothers Hands and different hands taking notice of them as to Record them there might be some variation yet the substance of the report is true but what is Calculation of Years or Dayes or reckoning up of Genealogies as to the matter of Salvation and what if we had never had them no more then we have other Histories and things that fell out among the Jews but if there be any contradiction for ought I know we may blame the Church of Rome the most of any who will needs affirm they received all or most of the things from the Apostles and if the Translations differ or be some-what uncertain what have they been doing this fifteen hundred Years with their infallible Spirit that they could not have rectified them according to their first Original and if any the foresaid Sects should pretend the certainty of the Spirit and yet not have it I should answer the Spirit is known by its Fruits and the Fruits of the Spirit are manifest and they that pretend to it and bring forth contrary Fruits are manifest to be Deceivers and deceived but their States are different and therefore require different Answers which time will not now permit to insist upon but over and beside all other Arguments perswade any man to or from any thing the witness of God in the party unto whom he speaketh is to be reached and that is beyond the understanding of Man and greater then it and more convincing then any Arguments that can be used without and he that cannot speak to this is not skilful in the Word of Righteousness That Christ was an infallible Guide who is the way the Truth and the Life is granted by all Christians and that the Apostles received the Promise of the Father and the infallible Spirit of God which led them into all Truth and this infallible assurance the Christians had that lived in the Apostles time thuâ— iâ— granted and the Apostles were infallible Guides not as Men meerly but as Men full of the Holy Ghost as Men who were filled with the Spirit of God and therefore the Apostle said be Followers of us as we are Fâ—llowers of Christ and if any controversie did arise as some there did and doubts among the then Christians the Apostles and Elders meeting together in the Power of the Holy Ghost did write their minds and Letters to the Christians to pacifie all and good Reason that they that had believed through their Word should Suâ—miâ— unto the Holy Ghost and unto them by whom they were begotten unto God by the word of Life for the ending of strife about Words and Shadows and outward things and they whose minds were outward then in Ages since and now ran into contention about outward things and such for the most part do Err from the Spirit of God in themselves But I would have thee to take notice of this and all you Catholick Members so called The Apostles of Christ only did exhort and did not force their Decrees by Penal Statutes and to be observed under the penalty of loosing Life and Limbs as since their pretended Successors have done who have Erred from the Spirit and have goâ— the Saints Words and turned against the Life and Power but the Decrees as you call them are not many nor burdensome which the Apostles wrote at Jerusalem as the many Counsels since have made they are so endless and numberless and burdensome and so contradictory one to another in divers things who will but look into the Decrees of the Counsels since the Apostles dayes that we can find little certainty in any of their Decrees but rather as thy Instructer saith the Sword of the Flesh and not the Spirit hath been the Rule and Law to Christianity but the Masters of great wit and Power and Interest have framed and made parties unto themselves and have Wars been raised among your selves about deciding your Controversies hath not the Pope Warred against the Emperour and the Emperour against the Pope were noâ— Wars raised about the Decrees when Pope Eugenius was deposed as a Heretick by the Council of Bazell and one while the Pope must be infallible as Peter's Successor and above all Councils and Churches another while the Council is above the Pope Excommunicates him as a Heretick and excludes his Infallibility and now where is the certainty and whether should one go or appeal for true Judgment so though the Church of Rome boast of Unity yet how hath one Nation made War against another and yet Professing the same Faith at divers times and in sundry Ages And to tell thee plainly and to speak the naked Truth according to the Apostles Prophecy after their Departure there was a great Apostacy and a great Falling away from the Faith and a giving heed to Lying Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils and many were suhverted from the Faith by them that spake Lyes in Hypocrisie and took up the Priests Office for filthy Lucre and they went out into the World and the World wondred after them and they had the Form and the Sheeps Cloathing and the Saints Words but were Enemies to the Cross of Christ and to the Power of Godliness and the Kings of the Earth were bewitched with her Sorceries and then forced all and compelled all to receive and believe such Decrees and such Articles as were then set forth by a Pack of those Hirelings who minded their own Profit and their own Bellies who mingled their own Inventions and Traditions with the Doctrine of Christ and brought the Scripture for a Cloak and the Apostles Practice for a President and could â—ay falsly as the Apostles said in Truth It seems good to us and the holy Ghost that these our Decrees be observed for God hath placed us as Judges and directors as them that are appointed of God himself to which all Christians are to submit and none to question and if any do question and will not obey it is the Kings and Princes Duty in all Countries to cause all to submit to these our Decrees and Orders or else to be punished as Hereticks with Death for we are the Apostles Successors and
Spirit a Spirit of Error is not a sufficient Guide and Judge and in this he fights without an Adversary and fills the World with Noise and Darkness and the Air with Smoak and would cloud Peoples Understandings with Multitudes of Words that tend not to Edification with a quarreling wrangling Spirit which is not for Peace but I see he hath delighted in Contention and sported himself in Variance and like the Son of the Bond-Woman his Hand against every Man Secondly â— wonder why R. E. quotâ—s so much Scripture for the Proof of his Matter in Hand seeing that it is one of his great Pleas that it is insufficient to be a Rule or a Guide or a Judge as to answer any Doubts or give any satisfactory Solution to him that is enquiring and seeing he hath given in so many Reasons against it as insufficient and as much as in him lay to invalidate and set it at nought and hath laboured to set it at Odds and to make Contradictions in it as to render it insufficient for Matter of Probation in any thing which is in Controversie or how he can judge that others should receive them and his sometimes false rendering of them or his own Interpretations upon them seeing he denyes them as uncertain as they are translated and insufficient and not fit to be a Rule and who this man hath conversed with I know not that should ever affirm a private Spirit or their own Spirits to be a sufficient Rule or Guide to walk by such I deny and leave them and thee to quarrel together about your Imaginations Thoughts and Conceptions or else the Conceptions of other Men who are as uncertain and fallible as the first and shall assert the Sufficiency of the Spirit of God teaching ruling guiding and judging all true Christian Men in that certain everlasting infallible Truth which is necessary and satisfactory to the Souls of all them that do believe in it and shall deny all the Pretenders to it who run into Heaps and Heads and quarrel and fight one with another about Shadows and can give no other Account or Manifestation then I am sure I have the Spirit of God and I ought to be believed and I am a good Man and the like which thou say'st thou could'st never receive any other Evidence or Testimony and what though many have pretended to the Spirit and the Guidance thereof and in the mean while have brought forth the Fruits of the Flesh and their own imaginary false Conceptions and have put on Confidence enough to say so as thou thy self it may be hast had a Share in times past shall this make the Spirit of God insufficient and uncertain in its Teachings to them that believe in it and have received and bring forth the Fruits of it and have the Deeds of the Flesh mortified by it God forbid Thirdly Why hast thou perverted the Scripture as I said at the first Onset Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self bears Witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God and this thou hast put in in a distinct Character to be taken Notice of as though it were Scripture and render'st it thus The Spirit being Witness in secret with our Spirits or in plainer Terms the private Spirit thou must repent of this and take Heed how thou callest the Spirit of God a private Spirit for it was that publick Spirit which manifested it self among all the Patriarchs and Prophets and by which they spoke forth the Words and Mind of God unto the People and prophesied of things to come and through it alone is the deep and weighty things of God revealed and was and is the only Way and Means by which Christ promised after his Ascension to lead guide instruct and comfort his Disciples in all Truth and that it should bring to their Memory whatsoever he had spoken and that they were to be without Care or Thought for through it the Father should give them what to speak and what to answer before Rulers and Council for his Name 's sake And here the Sufficiency of it is proved to any reâ—sonable Man who hath the least Savour or Discerning of the things â—f God and this is that publick Spirit by which the Apostles published the Everlasting Gospel of Peace and which Christ the Head of the Body his Church had received without Measure and this is a private tâ—â—ining creeping Spirit of thine who hath been lost in thy own Imaginations and following thy own forward rash Spirit and hast found no Certainty in thy self of God's Spirit to stay thy Mind upon nor no Patience to wait upon it but reaching 〈…〉 at things in thy dark Mind and last of all hast brought in thy 〈◊〉 for the Devil against the Sufficiency of the holy Spirit of God 〈◊〉 Guidance amongst his People in the latter Dayes and that is thy fond Conception to say that the Spirit of God is expresly against 2 Pet. 1.20 which thou callest a private Spirit all along 't is true no Prophecy of Scripture is of private Interpretation but the holy men of God spoke it forth as they were moved by the holy Spirit which was publick and conversant among them with them and in them and they that have it can receive them as they are written and can read them and understand them as they were spoken and do see the Intent of the Holy Ghost in so speaking unto different States and Conditions notwithstanding the many Copies thou tellest on and Diversions and different Translations which thou would'st make a great Mountain on and raise it up so high to make the Scripture uncertain and low as not fit to be taken Notice on as to answer any Doubt or to be any Rule and Guide or any Example or President for any thing that I can perceive by the Courâ—e of thy Spirit which in the Truth is fathomed and comprehended though it is as uncertain as the Way of a Serpent upon a Rock yet they that have the Spirit of God see beyond all and have Unity with the Words and Mind of the Spirit of God notwithstanding the many Corruptions and Defects in Translations and the many foul Hands it hath passed through Fourthly The Spirit of Christ is the Gift of God which he giveth unto all that wait for his Appearance and his Sheep have it they that are Christ's have it for they that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his it is that which is every Way sufficient no Way insufficient it is every Way sufficient to lead into all Truth according unto Christ's Promise and to convince the VVorld of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment again it is that which Christ promised for a Director which was with them when they healed the sick and cast out Devils and which was in them to consolate them and comfort them in the midst of Affliction as it did Peter and John and made them bold who were yet illiterate Men and
his Term is all along without questioning at all either their Doctrine or Principles or comparing them with the Doctrine of Christ or Primitive Christians whether they be true or false whether they be with or against but all is to be received by an implicite Faith Hand over Head and by whole sale for it will admit of no Examination or Doubt but all must be received of Necessity as infallible and upon so great a Necessity too as R. E. saith if you will believe him would make it so that all forfeit eternal Salvation for not receiving all the Doctrines of this Church and consequently procure eternal Damnation unto themselves who refuse it so that if I should say no more but even lay down his Assertions which are scattered up and down his Book called An Epistle to all Non-conformists it were Answer enough I hope to many whose Mouths I hope would be filled with Arguments and sound and grounded Ones too or at least with Faith in their Hearts to oppugn and not receive all these bold Assertions without Examination or Tryal only upon the Account of Infallibility from the universal Church of Rome falsly so called but R. E. having removed away all the stumbling Blocks which are in his Way as he judges the private Spirit he hath concluded not to be this Rule and Judge which I judge he hath no Opposers in though he hath spent much Paper and Time in his scribling Humor which hath been his manner in former Dayes as he confesseth in the first Page neither Reason nor the Scriptures are this Rule and Judge but he hath concluded the Catholick Church is but all along he hath waved that which indeed is the only and alone Rule and Judge infallible viz. the Spirit of God but either calls it the private Spirit or concludes it is intail'd upon the Church so that she cannot err Page 54. which I shall say something further unto That there hath been a Church of God and a peculiar People whom God hath singled out as to be Objects of his Love which feared him in their Hearts and bore a Testimony of him and worshipped him according to the Manifestation of his Spirit unto them whether by Word or Revelation which was certain and infallible unto them that received it is granted and this was alwayes but little in Comparison of the Multitude of the fallen Sons of Adam and the rest of the Nations and People that served and worshipped strange Gods and never made such a Boast of Universality and Visibility as this supposed Catholick Church hath done sincâ— the Apostacy entered in which the Apostles fore-saw and prophesied of before their Departure out of this Tabernacle and since many have believed in Christ and the Worship of the Jews extinguished and a fatal Overthrow of their Civil Government and Kingdom are two main Reasons of extinguishing their Worship and hath been no Invitation to any to turn Jews or hold in their Worship seeing they have lost their Government and Dominion and are as scattered People without Priviledge and is no Inducement for the World to joyn to them therefore seeing the Face of that Government was demolished and their Worship ended but only as to themselves who remained in their Unbelief and seeing that the Doctrine of Christ did so far prevail as to extinguish it and put out the Glory thereof in the Apostles Dayes and sometime afterwards and also the Gentiles Worship and their false Gods and dumb Idols which they were led after the Power of God prevailing through the Apostles the Ministers of Righteousness by whom many were converted unto the Faith of Christ the Sum and Substance of all Shadows many being converted to the Faith did hold forth a publick Testimony and it became in some Reputation and many preached him of Envy Contention and Strife and for filthy Lucre Covetousness and Self-Ends and many followed their pernicious Wayes and yet held the Name of Christ and Christianity and thus began the Mystery of Iniquity to work and the Devil to turn so far Christian in Name only because it was in vain among many to hold forth the Jews Worship or the Gentiles Worship because they had an Inclination another Way after Christianity that came into more Repute with the World and therefore suffered the Name or many to profess it and under this Name and under this Cover to bring forth his Work of Darkness and the Fruits of the Flesh and the Nature of Christ wanting and here was the Beginning and Rise of your universal visible Church Secondly For the first two Thousand Years before the Scriptures were written R. E. saith the Church of God was this Rule and Judge and infalliâ—le Director which might to some indifferent men have been granted but that I see which Way his Course bends viz. to the setting up of men as Judge and Rule and Guide and detracts from the Spirit and Power of God in which the Ability and Power of the Church of God stood and from which alone they received this proper Power and Right because their Understandings were enlightened and their Judgments informed to declare the Mind of God freely according as it was revealed and to give true Judgment why is not this attributed rather to the Spirit and Power of God that was manifest in them rather then to Persons seeing their Ability stood and their Power only as they kept in Covenant with God as any erred from that in any Age or fell from that they came to be blind Guides and to give false Judgment as some such there were in all Ages Thirdly R. E. saith That after the Scripture was written the Church of the Jews was Rule and Judge unto the Jews and cites Deut. 17.8 Thou shalt come unto the Priests Levites and unto the Judge and enquire and they shall shew thee the Sentence of Judgment and according to that which they shall tell thee thou shalt do And likewise he quotes Mat. 23.2 3. The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses 's Chair whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do c. And from thence he infers would God direct them unto and punish with Death for not obeying an Authority which might deceive them and was this Authority committed to them that were capable of mistaking Answ. It seems R. E. would narrow and pinch up the Church of God among the Jews in a straight Compass when he would confine it only to the Priests and Levites and to the Judges in those Dayes whenas all the Tribes were called the Church as well as Levi again it is said Jacob is my Portion and Israel is the Lot of my Inheritance comprising the whole Tribes and Families of the Jews but it seems these must be no Part of the Church with R. E. he pinches narrower now then he will do when he tells us of the Vastness of the Universal Church but let that pass as by the Way and to come to the Matter in Hand
say That Christ did often Swear because he said Verily we judge you have concluded upon too slender a Ground And as for Psal. 110. The Lord hath Sworn and will not Repent It is not denyed though the Lord Swore once yea more then once by himself this was in condescension to the State of Man in weakness and unbelief and as to the State of the Jews Gal. 3.19 before the Seed was revealed which was the Substance of all Figures and Gods Example of Swearing is no example for us now to imitate and was in no wise a confirming of that old legal Ceremony of Oaths as a practice legimate to his Saints forever as A. S. would make us believe it was for his Oath viz. God's ended in Christ in whom all the Promises confirmed by Oath were yea and in him Amen was also to end all Strife between him and Men and to put an end to all Strife and Oaths also that are among Men to end Strife Ambrose saith upon that 110. Psal. Let him then swear who cannot Repent of his Oaths a little aftter the same Ambrose saith Do not imitate him in swearing whom you cannot imitate in performing and indeed the principal solution he gives is not to Swear at all And Theophilus upon the place in Controversie whom A. S. says was not cautelous enough and it seems among the rest of the Fathers that A. S. sets as judge of he saith Learn hence that under the Law it was not Evil for one to swear but since the coming of Christ it is Evil as is Circumcision and in sum what ever is Judaical for it becomes a Child to suck but not a man So that it appears he amongst the rest of the Fathers did not only declare against Oaths in general or private Communication but also distinguishes betwixt the first Covenant and the second and the Ordinances thereof and though the holy Ghost bear witness that both Angels and Men yea and good Men and the Creator himself in that first Covenant did Swear so that A. S. concludes That is not morally Evil of its own Nature In the first we shall not much quarrel nor dispute as under the Law but that which was obliging then as by command it is not always obliging but Christ the end of the Law for Righteousness said Let your yea be yea and your nay nay for whatsoever is more under the Gospel then amounts to this comes of Evil therefore there is no necessity to put any other sence of Christ's Words then this Universal prohibition of all Swearing as under the Gospel seeing that speaking the Truth confessing the Truth declaring the Truth and nothing but the Truth in any matter wherein any Christian is concerned either in respect of God or a man's Neighbour this Answers the very Substance of the Law and the very end purpose thereof as ever an Oath did among the Jews in the first Institution forasmuch as speaking the Truth acknowledgeth God's Omnisciency and presence and Power and Wisdom secondly it doth any Office to any Neighbour as in bearing witness to any Truth and again to find out any Transgressour or Transgression and this is done may be done and ought to be done by all true Christians and therefore no necessity of that formal Ceremonious way of Swearing as under the Law neither is there any necessity for seeking any other sence of Christ's Words and the Apostles Words Swear not at all by Heaven or Earth or any other seeing all the main ends and good ends good purposes are Answered in the full which the Law in the full Latitude and morality thereof did require or for which it was given His sixth Argument is That either these Words Swear not at all must be interpreted as not to forbid any Oath though taken upon just accasion or else Paul never knew the meaning of this Text or else contrary to his knowledge and that upon good deliberation he acted against it and that in theâ—e very writings wherein we all believe that he was infallibly assisted by the Holy Ghost for his Oaths saith A. S. are upon record 1. Thes. 2.5 God is Witness see Rom. 1.9 Now to call God to Witness is the very substance of an Oath saith A. S. and as Austin tells him and he sayes He hath not read of any of a contrary opinion except some Phanaticks which if they would yield to 〈◊〉 much as Paul saith God is Witness of the Truth of their assertions it might be wished out of condescension to their weakness that they might be dispensed withal if the Law would give leave as to the external formality of an Oath Answ. What A. S. will call a just occasion I know not it appears to me he would have a large compass and a larger then the most contenders against Christ's Doctrine that we have met with or what he will account a just occasion I know not though otherwise he seems to condemn sometime needless and vain Oaths in ordinary Communication though I know some without reflection upon A. S. who use them too to frequently and are not only Members but Pastours so called of the Church of England and though he seems in his Discourse here there to be against customary and vain Oaths yet for all that what he calls a â—ust occasion upon some Ground some calls it a needful occasion when they are called before a Magistrate and some when any business is in Controversie betwixt man and Man câ—lls it a just occasion where sometimes I have seen a Curate administer that which he called an Oath upon a Book what Ground hâ— had I suspect either from Commandment or example of Primitive Ministers is certain he had none but it may be A. S. will conclude it was upon just occasion but what COMPASS he will have for his jâ—st Occasion is doubtful seeing he hath put no Termination or end to it but for ought I can perceive would leave liberty for every Man to exact an Oath upon another when he would and call it a just occasion and account it a point of duty in the other to obey even in ordinary Communication And as for St. Paul we deny thy Argument as that he never knew the meaning of this Text of Christ's prohibition secondly that in his Writings he acted contrary to his knowledge and upon set deliberation for though God was his Witness whom he served with his Spirit in the Gospel of his Son that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my Prayers Also that which A. S. calls an Oath 1 Thes. 2.5 For neither at any time used we flattering Words as ye know for a Cloak of Coâ—etouâ—ness God is witness Though we know and infallibly believe with A. S. that he was infallibly assisted by the Holy Ghost when he published the Gospel of Christ among the Gentiles and wrote both unto the Jews and to the Gentiles who believed that his calling God to witness was not any Oath
it self and thou may'st as well count the rule of the Sons of God Heterodox and Heretical and the Apostles Position who said as many as are the Sons of God are led by it and Christ promised unto Believers the Spirit of Truth to lead them into all Truth and to bring things to their remembrance and to guide them in the Path of Righteousness what has Envy and Madness eaten all the good out of your Hearts yet the Scripture is not so excluded by us as thou Judgest though we say the Spirit may lead and direct with it or without it yet not contrary to it for the Spirit doth will and may take up what thing it pleaseth to manifest it self and its mind unto the Creature and who art thou and what art thou any thing but an Egyptian who wouldst limit it and tie it to Paper and Ink to words and Syllables sounded and written in diverse Tongues Languages and Characters they that appointed thee for a Minister never knew God's Work and we know that there are several Ministrations and several Operations yet the same God and the same Spirit who manifested it self and formeth and Ordaineth things according to its Heavenly will to represent its Heavenly mind to the Creature and that which Christ hath Ordained and Instituted to be Worshipped in waited in and his presence seen in and the Operation of the Spirit of Grace in the work of the Ministry which is for Conversion and Edification is dearly owned by us as that whereby we have found the Lord and his pure Presence through this or that thing and without and beyond all Creatures or visible Appearances and this is not accounted Idolatry by us as thou falsly say'st which God will Judge thee for in the day when he appears to take Vengeance upon his Enemies in flames of Fire and thou that talkes of trying the Spirit by the Letter knowest no more of God then a Horse but what thou knowest naturally the Jews had it and they tryed and Condemned him for a Blasphemer and the Apostles for breakers of the Law and makers of it void and so condemned the Lord of Life and the Spirit by which the Prophets and Apostles were led even as thou dost with us and I never heard of any Political order of Church Ordinance or Officers or Ordinances not of the most dark and Sottishest Merchants of Babylon that ever spoke or wrote yet there was sundry Gifts given and sundry Institutions in the Primitive times which were single things of things of a more Heavenly and Coelestial Nature which were to be made manifest He gave some gifts to be Prophets some Evangelists some Apostles some Pastors some Teachers but these were Ministerial for the Work and Service which he had appointed but this was all by one and the same Spirit but I never heard of any Political order of the Officers or Political Ordinances ordained in the Primitive Churches but it seems you have got such in New-England in the Church of Rome so called I have heard of the order of Benedict of Francis and Austin and the like and of several Ordinances Instituted by their Mother to perform but I never heard of any such as a Political order of Officers and Ordinances before and this may be called an Image indeed and nothing in the world but deceit and is no Heâ—rodoxy that ever such a Blind fellow as thou should put Pen to Paper who hast crept so into the Mudd and Dirt that gross Ignorance and Darkness is in all thy words But the least of the Children of Light will see thy Ignorance so that I need not say much Concerning the Magistrate they own none are lawful Magistrates who are not of their Way their non-acknowledgement of the Magistrate as now established in all Christian States is more then manifest Answ. If thy Aspersion were full proof no more need be said but the Judicious will not easily believe thee that there is a State of Magistracy is granted by us and that a true Magistrate that Rules well and Rules in the Power of God and is a Terror to evil-doers and a Praise to them that do well and are as nursing Fathers who preserve mens Persons and Estates from devourers as a Father preserves a Child from injury these are Ordained of God and such we are subject unto for the Lord's sake and for Conscience sake and to every Ordinance of man which is consistent with the Honour of God and a pure Conscience but I believe you have few of them in New-England who are rather like Bears and Lyons tearing and rending their Estates and rend and Tear their Flesh and gnaw it like evening Wolves that the Prophet speaks of and wouldst thou have this counted as God's Authority and we tell thee and all the World in singleness of Heart and unfeignedness that our way is Christ the way to the Father the Truth and the Life the Power of God and the Wisdom of God and all that Rule not in his Power Rule in the Devil's Power in the Dragon's Power in the Beast's power who made War with the Lamb and killed the Saints and compelled them to Worship and herein they that Rule in the Power of God and for God are manifest and them that rule in the Dragon and Beast's power for they that Rule in the Power of God answer God's witness in every man and reach to that by his Act of Justice in the Transgressor and he restraineth the Evil-doer within and limiteth that and preserves the Creature as much as in him lies from harm and his Estate from destruction and also saveth the Innocent Meck and Harmless from the violence and from beating and fighting and from them that would Destroy their Persons and Estates and herein the Magistrate that Rules in the Dragon's Power and in the Beast's power he is also made manifest he reacheth not God's witness by his Governing he lets the Transgressor live and is not a Terror to evil Works and workers but a Terrour to them that do well exercise a pure Conscience towards God and man and it may be cannot go into the House of Rimmon neither can bow to Baal nor be subject to that which another may set up in his will and in his Pride then he afflicts the Body the Creature and mars God's workmanship and defaces it and doth Violence to the Creature and rends away his outward substance and saith for his Authority It was so ordered at our General Court I must tell the the false Church the Mother of Harlots has ridden long upon the Scarlet-coloured Beast which has been made drunk with the Blood of the Saints whose Garments have been red with Scarlet colour and I know no where in any Christian State so called where he reigns in more Power then in New-England and you ride upon the Beast which hath risen out of the Sea which is amongst you and the Beast carries you your Church on his back bears it
then how is it that R. I. would straiten or lessen the effusion thereof under the Gospel for there were Daughters that prophesied under the Law and many Sons that spoke by the Spirit of God but now all must be confined to the Letter and your Pastors now have far less of the Spirit if any at all who speak from the Strength of natural Parts and deny the unerring Spirit and so shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men. And R. I. is so grieved at this infallible Spirit or this Spirit of Prophecy that he cannot endure that a Daughter should prophesie or speak by the Spirit of God in the Assembly of the Saints and the main stress of his or their Argument is 1 Cor. 14.34 Let your Women keep Silence in the Church for it is not permitted for them to speak and if any Woman speaks in the Church it contradicts the Spirit and though they have a Gift they ought not to improve it in a disorderly Way Aosw That which hath been said in this particular unto E. D. is sufficient to them whose Eyes God hath opened but this R. I is one of the Evil Beasts that the Apostle speaks of whose Mouth must be stopt And so I further say that the Apostle writ to the Church of Corinth which were Believers which few will deny but that it consisted both of Men and Women and he expresly saith Ye may all prophesie one by one and furthermore if a Woman prophesie with her Head uncovered dishonoureth her Head so that it is manifest that there were Women did prophesie and also laboured in the Gospel but saith R. I. That was but in a private Way or amongst some few this had been lawful or orderly in R. I. his account and if she might speak to two or three or twice two or three it may be as there is in many houses is not this called a Church and doth not Christ say Where two or three are gathered together in my Name I will be in the midst of them Moreover was not that a Church which was in Aquilla and Priscilla's House 1 Cor. 16.19 and was not Priscilla a Daughter that did prophesie What must Priscilla go out of her House in which was the Church if she had any thing to speak by the Spirit was it lawful to speak without doors and not in the House and if she might speak in her House then she spoke in the Church and R. I. would have said she contradicted the Spirit of God and is not Christ one in the Male and in the Female and is not male and female both one in Christ Jesus is Christ's Power the Spirit 's Authority any whit less efficacious or powerful when he speaks in the female or is it the Sex only that addeth or diminisheth from the authority of the Spirit thou ignorant man who art void of the Knowledge of God was not Mary a Woman and did not she preach Christ's Resurrection to the Disciples and were not they the church but this it is like will not satisfie R. I. his unreasonable mind who doth not believe that a woman may prophesie or speak in the church for this would contradict Paul's saying not at all I grant Paul's words to be true this was spoke occasionally to one church concerning them that were unlearn'd untaught of the Spirit that usurped Authority over the man and such as were disorderly whose Spirit was not subject to the Prophet and what must this be a binding Example as to quench the Spirit and limit the Lord from Generation to Generation as to bind or limit them who are in subjection to their Husband and who usurped not Authority for it is one thing to have Authority and another thing to usurp Authority now they that are come to feel the Power of God and thereby be moved to speak the Power gives her Authority to speak but she that is not in the Power neither doth feel the Motion of the Spirit such a one Usurps Authority and is unlearned and such and they only were prohibited by Paul and no other for if it had been extended unto all then the Women before mentioned had been Transgressors and likewise further for the satisfaction of all Anna a Prophetess the Daughter of Phanuel of the Tribe of 〈…〉 coming into the Temple gave thanks unto the Lord and spake of Christ unto all them that looked for Redemption in Jerusalem and that was in a publick Place and in a publick Congregation Luke 2.36 37 38. And last of all if E. D. and R. I. will not confess that the Meeting near Cond in which the Women spake was a Church which F. H. justifies then E. D. and R. I. have lost their Cause and wrangled about nothing and the thing proved against them both viz. That a Woman declaring speaking or prophesying by the Spirit of the Lord and in the Authority of God is a lawful and a commendable and a justifiable Act in the Sight of God and all the Children of Light and therefore cease your foolish clamour and let no such ignorant stuff come in Print again lest your Folly be more and more made manifest and the Stone fall upon you which will grind you to Powder The next thing which R. I. quarrels about is a Lye which Ed. Dod asserted that some of the Quakers should say they were equal with God unto which F. H. replied and said he that hath the Spirit of God is in that which is equal and he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit there is Unity and that Unity stands in Equality and these Expressions saith R. I. offer Violence to God and his Glory Answ. This R. I. is so in Love with the Spirit of Error for he hath denyed the infallible Spirit and is in such Love with an unequal Spirit that he cannot endure to hear that any should be joyned to the Lord in an equal Spirit and so quarrels with plain Scripture and saith it doth Violence to the Majesty of God the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of Truth is an equal Spirit and they that are led by it and are in it are in that which is Equal and so are joyned to the Lord and are nearly related to him but that I said or any other that the Creature is Equal to the Creator in Power or in Glory is false and a Lye and let E. D. and R. I. know that Lyars are for the Lake R I. saith Chrâ—st is glorified in 〈◊〉 human Nature and human Nature and Flesh may be understood â—f the regenerate Part and human Nature may be understood both of Soul and Body and this may confute F. H. that doth contend against human Nature and goes and tells another lye as every pâ—ge is filled with some and saith F. H. saith Christ hath no real Body Answ. This man speaks out of thick Darkness and intrudes into those things he hath not seen being vainly puft up in his fleshly mind