all their blindness ever held forth such a doctrine here the Idolaters may Judge thee and thy cursed opinion yet the Spirit hath a body but according to thy own confession thou art none of the Members of it but such as are baptized with it knows his body nature vertue and life who was before man was formed Learn what that means the bodies of the Saints are the Temple of the living God 2 Cor. 6.16 and prove thy God which thou sayes is a man above the stars no where else in no Creature nor in this world by plain Scripture or confess thy gross ignorance and darkness for I utterly deny thy meanings and corrupt imaginations and if thy God be so far from thee thou hast a great way to go for Counsel but Moses said the Word was nigh in the hearts of Israels Children and likewise Paul to the Romans and the Word was God saith John so that thy doctrine and the Saints that gave forth the Scripture accord not which clearly evidenceth a contrary spirit in thee if thou hadst not confessed there were nought of God in thee so that thy commission the voice of words which thou pretendest is also judged and denied being seen by the light of devine glory in us to be deceit and hypocrisie and the delusion of Satan which thou professest who hast uttered such abhominable filthy blasphemies and railing speeches against the Lord and his onely people which will hasten thy downfal and destruction but our foundation stands sure not to be shaken or moved mark that and the sentence of eternal Condemnation which thou sayes five of us came under we stand clear from and under it thou thy self and thy Companion art and the great darkness you are in who deny and oppose the light of Jesus Christ within us in the reprobate state who know not the light Christ Jesus within you whom we confess in us as the Saints did the hope of our eternal glory and witness him against you the world and all men upon the earth who stand up against him who is our life rock refuge and the horn of our Salvation and the Condemnation of all that deny and oppose his light within L. C. Thou sayes in the 20 and 21 page Both Angel and man hath forms sutable to their natures and that it was their natures that gave them their form and after thou sayest towards the latter end of the 21 p. God created man in his own Image and likewise sayes God hath the same form that man hath and yet one is spiritual and the other natural c. Answ Mark The heap of confusion he has compacted by his confused sensual wisdom which he calls the Seed of Faith if God created man Gen. 2.7 John 1. then his nature gave him not his form but God and if by the word speaking came forth both Angel and man as thou sayes then their nature gave them not their form but God that spoke the word and if God hath the same form as man hath the not another as thou falsly affirment Is there no difference betwixt a spiritual and a natural form Herein thou hast contradicted thy self that all who have a true understanding may see thy darkness and confusion L. C. Thou also sayes When thou believest him onely an infinite Eternal spirit then thy faith is wavering like unto the God for a spirit without a body cannot be known c. p. 22. Answ The Faith God hath given me by which I see and know him to be an Eternal Spirit a devine substance is not wavering but sound and stedfast neither is God the infinite Eternal spirit wavering as thou falsly affirmeth but stands and remains in his own being nature and life for ever and the Saints knew God to be a Spirit as also Jesus Christ hath declared and confessed him John 4. and unto their Testimony I do bear witness against thy lyes and confusion and God who causeth light to shine forth of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give us the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 so that we know God to be a Spirit of infinite power by his light in us as the Saints did that gave forth the Scriptures which knowledge thou and all the world wants who contemns and opposeth his light within And is not this the blaspemy against the holy Spirit to deny God to be a Spirit hast not thou here brought thy self under Eternal Condemnation is not this the unpardonable sin But we do not deny that God was in Christ and that in his body the fulness of the Godhead dwells Joh. 16.23 Christ is the same for ever now in his Saints and God in him the Father and Son we do not deny but confess to be one and he that hath the Son hath the life the Father also but thou hast excluded him from thee who sayes there is nought of God in thee and Christ hath but one Body one Church one Temple and yet there are many Members but thy corrupt sensual wisdom cannot see into this divine Mystery though the Scripture in plain words declare it So that for ever thou may stop thy mouth for boasting of thy knowledge in the Scriptures L. C. Who sayes Because we witness Christ manifest in us that he is but in one of us unless we can make it appear that Christ hath so many bodies as there is Quakers c. p. 25. Answ We do say and testifie in the fear of the Lord with a true and perfect understanding notwithstanding thy reviling that the true light Christ the spiritual body or Divine substance is manifest in us and also do bear witness of his descending and ascending for above all heavens and it was the same which ascended Colos 1. 2 Cor. 13.5 Eph. 4.10 1 Cor. 15.50 that descended according to the Scripture and do thou prove the descending of a body of flesh blood and bones flesh and blood enters not into the Kingdom of heaven learn what this meaneth John 1 14. the word was made flesh and the flesh suffered without the gate at Jerusalem but the life God died not which was in the body of flesh but entered into glory into the same glory it was in before the world was made Eph. 4.10 whose glory and presence filleth all things and is amnifest in us his beauty his presence and power is seen known and rightly understood and his spiritual body his pure Divine presence is but one yet in thousands it is manifest glory to his eternal name Jehovah for ever but this is beyond the reach of thy devilish sensual wisdom this secret is hid from the Magicians of Egypt the worlds wise men who want the pure wisdom and reason And this I affirm 1 Cor. 1.21 he hath no true ground for his faith so out of the true faith but what hast thou to do to boast of thy faith or speak of it who denies
That the Devils Kingdom and reasons Kingdom are one 12. That God doth damn as well as save and that not for any evil thing done as he hath asserted in p. 58. 13. That we acknowledge no other God but what is within us 14. And that we conceive this God was an infinite nothing and so made all things of nothing 15. That the light in us is darkness 16. That an infinite spirit without a body is nothing 17. That we say God hath no form 18. That all the time Paul was clothed with a corrupt persecuting spirit he was a vessel of honour in the account of God 19. That God is all Faith and no Reason and that Reason is of the nature of the Devil p. 31. 20. That it was the wisdom of the flesh that made a chief Magistrate as in p. 36. This and much more of the like nature hath proceeded from the imagination of thy sensual wisdom which thou calls the Revelation of thy generated faith and many railing reviling expressions against us wch thou calls Quakers wch I shall pass by as not being worth mentioning but for all these things thou must give an account and terrible and dreadful will the day day of account be unto thee who hath uttered so many horrible blasphemies lies and false accusations against the God of life who is a spirit and against his people and also goes about in thy sensual wisdom to make a difference amongst believers as if God answered some and not others L. C. pag. 41. thou sayes that thou canst not find that ever God did hear or give an answer to any private believer Answ Which is false for God hears and answers all believers it is the lyar and unbeliever that God neither hears nor answers The whole houshold of faith who are the family of heaven of one heart one soul and one spirit in and thorow faith have all accesse to him and acceptance with him all heard and answered by the Lord God who is near unto them even in their hearts to hear their requests and to answer their demands and also to relieve their necessities and there is no difference in true believers the devisions and differences are amongst the unbelievers and the wicked it were in vain for such as thou calls private believers to pray or believe if God shall neither hear nor answer them in this all the whole houshold of faith will deny thee witnes against thee who have all been heard and answered of God in this also hast thou discovered thy folly L. C. Likewise sayes in the 42. p. I shall reveal unto you the difference of a Commissionate faith from a generated faith and how the one is ceased the other not c. Answ Where dost thou read of a commissionate or a generated Faith in the holy Scriptures here thou art not guided by the Scripture nor the Spirit that gave it forth Faith is but one Eyb 4.5 the gift of God not to be devided the Mystery held in a pure Conseience by which all Gods children had and have victory over the world John 5.4 its nature and life and in it reigned over the prince and power of darkness as all who be in the Faith will witness one Faith one Lord one Baptism and that it is not ceased nor never ceaseth but remaineth and endureth in the Church of God the Assembly of the first-born his Elect in which they have all access to and acceptance with God but this Faith and charity thou art out of which is manifested inthe Saints by which they live and please-God L.C. He saith The nature of Reason is to cheat injure and persecute his neighbour c. p. 47. Answ That is false It is the nature of Reason to do the thing which is reasonable it is contrary to Reason to cheat lye and persecute such are out of pure Reason that do such things unreasonable men like thy self L.C. Likewise saith For as the Law was made for the lawless viz. The Seed of Reason c. p. 49. Answ This is also false The law is not made for the Seed of Reason which is added because of transgression and made for the lawless the Law is grounded upon pure Reason and the lawless and transgressors are out of the Reason in the unreasonableness So the Law hath power over them to condemn them pure Reason is Law and what is contrary is no Law and in this also hast thou opened thy folly L.C. Also saith Blasphemy is matter of Conscience as you call it so in Christs Kingdom c. p. 50 51. Answ This is another of thy horrible lyes Blaspemy errour deceit lyes and iniquity is in the Devils kingdom in which thou art and not in the peaceable Kingdom of Christ into which no unclean thing can enter blaspemers are shut out of it and hath no part in it L.C. Doth likewise say The blind Quakers are labouring through the fire of their own Righteousness intending to find rest but cannot c. p. 53. Answ The fire which they have laboured in is a mystery to thee if ever thou come to know it and feel the heat of it it will be a dreadful time unto thee and our own righteousness and unrighteousness in the Lords fiery furnace is consumed and consuming and the righteousness of the Lord is our covering which can stand in the everlasting burnings and in it many of us can witness true peace rest and sweet comfort which is satisfactory to our Souls notwithstanding thy lyes and false accusations which cannot touch us to hurt us glory to our God for ever but they will one day come heavy upon thee and be thy burthen L.C. Blasphemously sayes This I know God could die c. p. 58. Answ This is horrible blasphemy to say that the everliving God could die who is eternal life Gen. 21.33 remains the same in substance nature life and being to all eternity who was before death was before any thing had a form Deut. 33.27 gives every thing its form life to every thing that liveth and is the Spirit and life of all flesh never slumbers nor sleeps immortal eternal unchangeable if he dyes he changes and lives not ever Thou sottish man how doth thy sensual wisdom blind and deceive thee can the unchangeable God dye who can change all things in a moment Mal. 3.6 in the twinkling of an eye which is changeable But in this as well as before he hath largely manifested his ignorance concerning the immortal unchangeable God Jam. 1.17 in whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning but the death and suffering of Christ in the flesh we believe own and bear witness unto according to the Scripture of Truth And likewise at Richard Whitpans house in East-Cheap in London in a discourse with some of us this ensuing confusion proceeded from the mouth of this lying prophet and his companion who stiles himself the alone true and faithful messenger of Christ but the understanding Reader may easily discern whose messenger he is by his Message unto which I shall refer thee which is as followeth taken from their own mouthes as it was uttered by them at the same time 1. L.C. Said he would prove God to be a man flesh and bones as we are 2. Lodowick Mugleton his companion that he had more knowledge in the Scriptures then they that gave them forth 3. L.C. Said he had nothing of God in him 4. L.C. Said he would prove nothing and before said he would prove what their God was 5. L.C. Said The Devil was the Author of this light in the world and Christ saith I am the light of the world c 6. He said he would never eat nor drink with George Fox Ju. for he was damned to all Eternity but shortly after said he would drink with him to morrow 7. He also said he was the judge of the Scriptures and all must believe the meanings he gives unto them yet would shew no reason for it 8. L.C. Likewise said he had damned the Lord Mayor seven or eight years ago and 1000 more within this eight years and that he had justified forty or fifty 9. He pronounced damnation to George Fox Ju. and to John Harwood and said several times he would speak no more to them yet after did and said also he would answer no question but after did 10. He said his God was in heaven above the Stars and no where else a man or person 11. He said the words in the Scripture in the 4. chap. of John doth not prove God to be a Spirit where Christ said God is a spirit yet be pretended to own the Scriptures 12. One of them said that a spirit hath flesh blood and bones contrary to Christs words WE whose names are here subscribed were present in the Chamber when these last twelve Particular passages were spoken by Lawrance Claxton and Lodowick Mugleton and much more of the like nature not worth the mentioning and this is published for no other end but the manifesting of deceit and deceivers and the clearing of the innocent truth and the witnesses of it Richard Whitpain Alice Whitpain William Sympson George Fox Jun. John Harwood THE END
The Lying Prophet Discovered and Reproved In an Answer to several particulars in a book called The Quakers Downfal said to be written by Lawrence Claxton who blasphemously stiles himself the alone true and faithful Messenger of Christ Jesus but his spirit being tried by the fruits it hath brought forth he is found to be a messenger of Satan and an enemy to Christ and his people who hath confessed he hath nought of God in him With several of his damnable doctrines seldom the like ever read or heard of which he hath published in his Book returned back for him to prove by plain Scripture or to confesse his errour and blasphemy Also Twelve Particulars which he and his companion Lodowick Muggleton uttered at Richard Whitpans house in Eastcheap in a discourse with me and some others he calls Quakers Given forth for the the clearing the Truth and the Witnesses of it from his lying aspersions and the manifesting deceit and deceivers that simple hearted ignorant people through their policy may not be deceived nor deluded By a Friend to Truth John Harwood The False Prophet is made manifest by his fruits according to the Doctrine of Christ Mat. 7. LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1659. To the honest understanding Reader who readeth without Prejudice or Malice Reader A Book coming to my hands tituled the Quakers downfall said to be written by Laurence Claxton having his name at it who blasphemously styles himselfe the alone true and faithfull messenger of Christ Jesus the Lord of Glory and bath the last Revelation and Commission that ever shall be as he saith but his doctrine and Spirit being truly weighed and tried in the just and equall ballance by the Eternall Spirit of Light and Life manifest in the Royall seed of God called Quakers he is found to be lying Prophet a Messenger of Satan an enemy to truth 2 and the witnesses of it at his fruits will make it plainly appeare who goes about through his subtilty to pervert Truth and Innocency and hath is a high manner blasphemed against God and his people so that in pure love to the Eternal Truth for the clearing of it from lying Aspersions cast upon it and the faithfull witnesses of it by this unreasonable man I am moved to write something in Answer to severall particulars in his book that his deceitfull lying spirit in some measure may be made manifest that the simple hearted ignorant people may not be deluded through his subtilty or by them who are of the same minde which he calls the last Commissioners the third Writers of the Scriptures in page marked for the twelfth in his book And in the fifteenth page he blasphemously sayes they are the last Commissioners that ever shall appeare in this unbelieving world that is to say John Reeve and Lodowick Muggleton so would limit the holy One the unlimited God which he knowes not as his fruits of darknesse makes appear who gives gifts and Commission unto many of his dear servants and children in this the day of his glorious and bright appearance in and amongst the sonnes and daughters of men who are his true and faithful Messengers who have manifested the truth of their message the Lords gift thorow many tryals and cruel sufferings whom he sends forth into many Nations and Islands freely to preach glad tidings the Gospel of peace the power of God unto salvation which is a mysterie hid from that spirit and power of darknesse in L. C. and the other he calls the last Commissioners who said he had nought of God in him and also he denies the light of Christ within people Gods pure witnesse which the Apostles bore testimony unto and John the Baptist as all the faithful messengers of God doth which in scorne he calls Quakers which true Light with which Christ enlighteneth every man is the onely way of Life Peace and everlasting salvation which he and all such high Ranting spirits are shut out of and into the true knowledge of it cannot enter with all their Serpents policy which L. C. would cover with the naiue of divine knowledge but with the eternal light which he despises he is discerned his Covers are too narrow to hide him from the pure eye which the eternal God by his power hath opened in his innocent babes and children he calls in derision quaking Ranters but by them he is seen and comprehended and by the Life of God who is a Spirit of Glory Light Life Power and Infinite wisdom is judged to be an instrument of Satan an enemy of God the Spirit of all flesh and an unreasonable man according to his own confession who saith there is no pure reason in man nor in God which is high blasphemy For pure wisdome and pure reason is one in nature and substance and neither God the infinite being of Wisdome Glory and Life is without it nor man in the Image of God unto whom the Light Christ is made Wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption but the understanding Reader may easily perceive by what spirit this man is acted who would have all men to be like him whithout pure reason and also the Living God the Eternal Spirit of Glory which he denies to be a Spirit he would have to be without Reason and so have him unreasonable who is the Eternal Fountain of Wisdome Knowledge and pure Reason for from his pure presence all the pure streames of divine Wisdom Knowledge and Reason hath ever flowed and doth ever flow which clearly evidenceth that this man is possessed with and acted by the same lying spirit and power of darknesse which hath acted all the false Prophets and deceivers in all ages as in this age so not to be believed but denied whose mindes hath been and are blinded and hearts hardened against the truth of God acting to the utmost of their strength against it but with it L. C. and his Companions and all the deceivers in all Nations under what Name or Title soever are comprehended condemned and shut out of the knowledge of the mystery of Life out of the light and knowledge of God out of his kingdome in the pit of grosse darknesse and there are to remain untill the Judgement of the great day and then shall receive the reward of their doings Oh how he rages against us in his book and scoffes and reviles us because we will not deny the Light Christ Jesus in us as he doth who saith he is in no creature but only in heaven above the Stars as a man or person what cursed doctrine and blasphemy is this which this wicked man hath published who would limit and confine the Lord of Glory the unlimited God unto a certain place and exclude him from his people which the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain who fills Heaven and Earth with his Glory yet this unreasonable man pretends to own Scripture though he publish such things as these which are quite contrary to
it for the Saints in Light that gave forth the Scriptures denied not as he doth but witnessed as we do Chrict Jesus in them the hope of glory as in the first Chapter of the Colossians verse 27 as also in the second of the Corinthians 13.5 Christ in you except you be Reprobates and likewise in Galathians 2.20 saith Paul I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me c. and many other Scriptures might be brought to prove the true Light Christ to be in his people which this wicked deceiver denies but the wise in heart may see by this that the life of the Scripture judges his doctrine to be contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles and his faith to be contrary to the faith of Gods elect so out of the doctrine and faith of Gods Elect in the state of Reprobacy not to be owned nor credited but to be denied and sharply reproved by all that fear the Lord. Now I know none of Gods people that love him and fear him will believe the Lies slanders and false aspersions which this unreasonable man in his book hath cast upon us he calls Quakers but will discern it to be written from an envious wicked heart and spirit because his will hath been crossed by us and will judge his lying malicious spirit and not entertain any hard thoughts against us through his Lies and false Accusations but the ignorant and such as have an enmity against the truth and the witnesses of it who are given up to believe lies may be ready to believe his blasphemous Lying Aspersions which he hath cast upon God and his people but however we are clear in the sight of the Lord and his people and the truth is over him and all the world and whosoever stand up to oppose it or in any manner appears against it must bow before it and come under it and the witnesses of it for all Nations must bow before the power of Truth manifest in Gods Elect The Royall seed called Quakers I. H. The Lying Prophet Discovered and Reproved Lawrence Claxton BOasteth and saith If I had not the spirit of Inspiration or Revelation in my own Soul not any part or portion of the Scripture would belong unto me pag. 1. Ans It is the Spirit of God with which the Saints were Inspired which unto them revealed the Mysteries and secrets of God who as they were moved spoke and writ forth the Scriptures which thou dost not rightly understand who wants the same Spirit and Life for thy lying and boasting manifesteth thy spirit to be none of the true Spirit with which the Saints were and are Inspired so ignorant of the Mystery and Life of them but that part or portion of Scripture belongs unto thee which is against blasphemers lyars boasters and ungodly deceivers and to be applied to thy present condition but the blessings and promises which appertaineth to the Elect Seed thou hast nothing to do with And what hast thou to do to speak of the Spirit of Inspiration or Revelation in thy Soul who said thou hast nought of God in thee L. C. Also boasteth of the Spirit To be more fully manifested in him then it was in the Saints that gave forth the Scriptures pag. 1. Answ The lying spirit which was cast out of the Saints by the power of the Spirit of truth in a large manner is manifest in thee as thy fruits makes it appear and thou may be ashamed to boast thus of thy spirit who said in the hearing of séveral honest people Thou had nought of God in thee it is the lying imagination of thy corrupt fleshly wisdom which thou calls the Inspiration of the Spirit by which thou art deceived and deluded and seeks to deceive and delude others but the Elect are out of thy reach and fathomes thee L. C. Saith Moses the Prophets and Apostles never rightly understood neither was required of them to know Christ in their Commission any other but God the Father P. 4. Answ That is false Moses knew a Prophet should arise like unto him which the people should hear which was Christ the Son of God the Prophet knew a Virgin should conceive and bear a Son and call his Name Emanuel and said Unto us a Son is given c. and the Apostles knew the Father Word and Spirit to be one and there was them that were witnesses of his birth Acts 3.15 sufferings and Resurrection which thou knows nothing of but by tradition the Apostles were eye-witnesses of him who was born of the Virgin and knew him in the flesh a single person and after his death and Resurrection were to know him no more 2 Cor. 5. Let him that readeth understand for here hast thou manifested thy lyes and confusion thou hast lyed of Moses the Prophets and Apostles and of the Scriptures their writings as the Scripture will make plainly appear read Deut. 18.18 Isa 9.6 Isa 7.14 L. C. Affirmeth That the wisdom of Solomon was but natural P. 5. and in the 6. p. saith Solomons writings were no Scripture nor the writings of Job p. 7. Answ The wisdom God gave unto Solomon was pure and spiritual it is contrary to the disposition and nature of God to give gifts unto his people 1 Kings 3.12 contrary to himself that is natural in thee which wrongs the Lord and calls Solomons wisdom Gods gift natural 1 Kings 3.28 it is manifest thou sees not with the eye of Faith as thou conceives but art deceived by the prince of darkness the old serpent who goes about through thy policy to turn the truth into a lye but the serpent with all his subtilty cannot prove the writings of Solomon to be no Scripture nor perswade such as fear the Lord to any such thing none but such as are given up to believe lyes will credit thee for his writings are truth and the other Scripture is no more And as for the writings of Righteous Job whom thou confessest Righteous who saw the Lord of Glory Job 42.5 they are also to be believed and not scrupled to be truth given forth from the Spirit of truth and to be as true as the writings of the Prophets and Apostles and thou art Judged out of the truth in the lye by the Righteous Spirit which was manifest in Job who Judges with thy lying spirit all the translaters and composers of the Scriptures who put Job Solomons writings amongst the Prophets and Apostles L. C. Likewise affirmeth That the Scriptures were written for our learning to know God c. p. 11. Answ The Jews and Pharisees which Christ reproved had the Scriptures the writings of Moses and the Prophets yet knew not Christ nor God the Father and thou and many other have the Scriptures and yet wants the knowledge of God none knows God the Father but such as the light Christ reveals him unto here thou contradicts the Doctrine of Christ and seeking with the unbelieving Jews for the knowledge