for the Lake I think you are for the Lake more likely But prethee Friend let me ask thee one Question more Qua. Speak on Mu. Doth not the Scripture say I will have mercy and not sacrifice Qua. Yea and it is a precious saying happy are they that can receive it and understand what it means Mu. Then truly if I had been your Counsellour you should never have burnt your Books nor brake and burnt your Instruments for if you could not for conscience sake have followed this Calling then I should have advised you to sell them and to have given the money to the Poor How say you Sir had not that been better Bap. Yes truly in my judgement it had for then some body would have been the better for it Qu. To obey the Lord. is better than to give all my goods to the poor and my body to be burned yet to let thee know the Truth of this thing when I came to be convinced of this everlasting truth I saw my Calling would not stand before it I went but not in the Counsel of the Lord and sold most of my Instruments howbeit that would not cover me for the Lord met with me and as I was learning to sew for I had formerly some insight of a Tailors Trade but I was too high to bow to it till the Truth came and that is of power to make the strong man bow and I sitting alone with my mind turned in the Voice of the Lord said Go thy way and buy those Instruments again thou lately soldest and carry them and the rest thou hast in thy house to Tower Hill and burn them there as a Testimony against that Calling So I obeyed the Lord and bought them again and carried them and all I had in my house to Tower Hill and burnt them there according to the uprightness of my heart before the Lord which Books and Instruments did amount to more than four and twenty pound and I had great peace Glory be to God for ever Amen Mu. But might it not be a delusion and false motion were you never sorry for what you have done in this thing Qu. Yes I was very sorry that when I had brought them to Tower Hill and had begun to set them on fire and when the fire flamed upon them the rude multitude would not suffer me to burn them but put the fire out so I was forced to stamp upon them and break them to pieces for I did it with much indignation though my Father and Grandfather and Great-grandfather were Mufitians yet he that was before sin was taught me to do as I did but I was sorry that I could not be avenged on them as I would but the Lord did accept of it and I had great peace And if at this time I had as many as would amount to a thousand pound of Instruments and Books for that purpose to the fire they should all go for the same indignation is with me still against that practice as against lying and stealing and committing adultery yet there is something in Musick but there is a difference between the Harps of God and the Harps of Men as there is a difference between the Natural man and the Spiritual 1 Cor. 2. 14. Mu. Well but my Friend I must tell you what the Judgement of wise men hath been in this your perverse proceedings for you were then distracted sure enough and it was a very great delusion of the enemy to perswade you from so good a Calling and this they say further That if the truth were known you have been sufficiently sorry for it since and some do verily believe that you will be glad to follow it again if you can but get an opportunity and truly as my old acquaintance I could wish that you would follow it again with all my heart What say you Sir Qu. God forbid that ever such a motion should enter my heart it never did nor never shall What go back and build again the things I have destroyed I have had opportunity sufficient to go back again into Egypt But to answer the thing thou spakest that if the truth were known some say that I have been sufficiently sorry Well both thou and they shall know the truth in this thing Indeed I was sorry at my very heart and to this hour it troubles me That ever I should spend so much of my pretious time so idely in such a cursed practice Acts 11. 17. Mu. But was not David a man after Gods own heart and he played before the Lord and danced before the Ark. And in Solomons day there was Musick in the Temple Qu. What hast thou to do with David or with Solomon or the Temple Where are your Burnt-offerings and Sacrifices you that plead for your Musick Dancing and instance David Solomon Ye filthy hypocrites would you have David and Solomon and the Temple to cover you Behold Nebuchadnezzar that old Idolater who ordained That at the sound of the Cornet Sackbut Dulcimer and all his gang of Fidlers men must bow to his Idol And for this thousand years his Brother the Pope hath set up Mass-houses and Musick and Organs and Bells and Queristers in Idol Temples For Pauls Church was called The Temple of Diana And Peters Church at Westminster The Temple of Apollo And in Rome they had the great God Jupiter and in Florence The Temple of Mars And in other places to other Idols Now Jupiter Mars Apollo and Diana were unclean Spirits and filthy Devils See Bishop Jewel of Salisbury in his Treatise of the holy Scriptures Pag. 30. And in Englands Idol Temples they sing Davids Lamentations but never follow his Practice Psal 6. Prov. 14. 9. Dan. 3. 15. Mu. Truly me thinks when I go to Church and hear the Organs and Voyces and the Discords and Concords I am even ravished to hear and I can praise the Lord with them and t is to me as the joys of Heaven Qu. That Heaven will be shaken and thy Song will be turned into howling for such Musick and Singing was never set up of God but of men and it takes with that part in man that serves not God aright but is for wrath and judgement Hos 12. 26. 1 Cor. 2. 24. Mu. Marry God forbid Friend be advised what you say and take heed for our most learned Divines and reverend Fathers in God that we have in England do highly approve of Musick Qu. T is never the better for that nor they are never the better for being called of men Divines and Reverend Fathers in God when they Persecute the Saints God is highly displeased with them and will give them blood to drink But what effects hath Musick brought forth that men so highly esteem it What fruit did Nebuchadnezzars Musick bring forth in his day was it not to murder But the three servants of the Lord would not bow to his Image at the sound of his Pipes and his Fiddles though others did
that they are the true Ministers of Christ that turn people from darkness to Light and from the power of Satan to God Act. 26. 28. Mu. I must confess our Ministers are great Scholars as Oxford and Cambridge can afford and we look upon such to be the Ministers of the Gospel and none else but yet I cannot say they turn people from their sins But pray are there no true Ministers of Christ but they Qua. Nay none can be said to be Ministers of Christ but such as turn people to the Lord. Mu. Why who then did send them came they of themselves Qu. I never sent them saith the Lord yet they run but they shall not profit the people at all Jer. 23. 22. Mu. Truly I think they have been much better than they are now Qua. Yea they have lost their Courage their Faith and their Zeal and some of them have spued up the Common-Prayer-Book in their Zeal but now they have many of them lickt it up again See what the Prophet calls such Isa 56. 10. Mu. Indeed our Ministers do love their bellies too well to be the Ministers of Christ Truly Friend I cannot speak much for them I see they feed their flock but sparingly but themselves they feed without fear I think for they grow in belly amain but what shall I say when such men as they go wrong what shall become of me that am a sinner Qua. Believe in the Light that shines in thy heart for that Teacher will never deceive thee but will make thee wiser than all thy Teachers Psal 119. 99 100. Mu. Your counsel is good but me-thoughts you were a very honest man and strict before you were a Quaker if I were so I should desire no more Qu. I had a Zeal but not according to Knowledge and all that I have given up to the Bats and to the Moles such as come not forth to look on the Sun for fear of persecution Joh. 10. 1. 1 Tim. 2. 3 12. Isa 2. 20. Mu. 'T is good to avoid Persecution as near as we can for the Scriptures advise us so to do Qu. The Thief and the Robber would climb up some other way but all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer Persecution 2 Tim. 3. 12. Mu. But Christ sayes If they persecute you in one City flee into another Qu. Before the Holy Ghost was given which was the promise of the Father they were more in fear and in the Childs state till our Lord and Master was offered up for a pattern to them then the same Spirit of Christ came into them and made them of the same mind for holy boldness and courage and they loved not their lives to the death and as Christ suffered in the flesh they do arm themselves with the same mind 1 Pet. 4. 1. Mu. Well but my Friend I have something else to say to you and I will leave these things to my Friend here who is better able to answer you than I can But pray let me ask you one question Qua. Use thy freedom Mu. Why did you forsake and dispise so harmless a Calling and Practice in the Art of Musick as you have done Besides you burnt and brake many good Instruments of Musick and burnt your Books of great price and value and why did you burn and break them at Tower-Hill I thought to tell you of it for it was an injurious thing to make our Calling contemptible And it is well known that Musick is the gift of God and an honourable practice I wonder you were not ashamed a man that lived so well and civilly to go and cast off such a Livelihood who maintained your Wife and Family very well and in good order and it is very probable if you had continued you had been of great esteem at this day Qua. I have found out the true Teacher who teaches the best Musick that ever any did learn who for rarity and skill out-strips all that ever had a name and such Musick as takes in the ears of God himself Jer. 9. 24. Mu. Lord bless me is there such a rare Musick-teacher among the Quakers I have heard indeed that the Quakers will come together in one place and sit an hour two or three and not speak a word one to another except sigh groan or weep do you call this good Musick Bap. Pray Friend what ground of Scripture have you to come together where some do sigh and groan and some do weep What Edification is there in this dumb show Qua. The Spirit breathes in whom it listeth and thou mayest hear the sound thereof but knowest not from whence it comes nor whither it goes John 3. Bap. Did you ever hear such Nonsense as this man speaks what strange stuff is this did I not tell you Sir what Nonsense we should have Qua. Are the Scriptures Nonsense Mu. Hold hold my Friend and be not offended at him for he hath spoke Scripture only some Translations do much differ Bap. All that I grant is true but what Scripture hath he to prove that Silent-meeting is a Worship of God Qua. The three Friends of Job when they beheld what misery he lay in they lift up their voice and wept and rent their cloaths indeed and sat down on the ground with him but spake nothing one to another for seven dayes and seven nights Job 2. last yet I do not bring this as a proof Mu. Indeed it was a long time for men to keep silence seven dayes and seven nights and not speak a word there was never such a thing done in our days I must confess but Job was a patient man Qua. I would ask thy Friend one Question and if he be free to answer me then the thing will appear more plain Mu. I 'le warrant hee 'l answer you for he is an able man and though he and I do differ I must confess in judgement yet I know he is able to answer you for he is a baptized person and stands for the vindication of Baptism and the Lord's Supper which are the Ordinances of God Qua. And I also stand in the defence of the holy Truth of God which was once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. Bap. Well Friend what 's your Question Qua. Who is it that tempts men to sin and to disobedience Bap. That is soon answered for he that tempts men to sin is the Devil Qua. Thou hast rightly answered for God tempts no man to sin neither is he tempted of any but every man when he is tempted is drawn away of his own lust and enticed and when lust hath conceived it brings forth sin and sin when it is finished brings forth death Jam. 1. 14 15. Bap. All that is true you have answered your self Qua. Then this is the Question By what means is it by a vocal voice or outward sound that he teaches men to sin Bap. Nay I do believe that the Devil is a spirit and doth not teach men to sin by
personal appearance or by a vocal voice that may be heard by the outward ear Mu. Then we must all conclude that he teacheth invisibly and in silence if not by voice nor personal appearance to the outward eye nor outward ear and by this methinks you seem to justifie the Quakers Silent-meetings Qua. We ask no favour of him nor thee nor any man living to worship our God neither any mans counsel or approbation whether we are in the right Worship or no but by way of Argument because the Worshippers in England do wonder and gaze so much at us in our Silent-meetings Now if the Devil do teach his to lye and swear by an evil spirit who is the father of all lyars how much more may the true God who is blessed for evermore teach his and lead his into all Truth as it is said and they shall all be taught of God Isa 53. 13. and in silence as to the outward ear the enemy of mans Salvation teacheth his all ungodliness may not the Lord that good Spirit teach his in silence to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts And as thou hast said and hast said true That the Devil is a spirit and comes not to man to speak to him by personal appearance or a vocal voice to mens outward ear but yet he layes baits before the eyes of their minds and snares to murder and to commit Adultery to steal and rob over-reach cheat and cozen and may not the Lord teach his to do to all men as they would be done by For where I my self had done wrong before Conversion came the Spirit of Truth brought it to my remembrance again where I had over-reacht and cheated and made me to make restitution again this teaching I witness and made me pay back again many a pound and that with advantage also Oh! I commend the teaching of the Spirit above all teachings O glory be to his Name for ever Exod. 22. 3. Numb 6. 7. Mu. Well but my Friend I cannot pass you by any longer pray let me know why you forsook so good a Calling Qua. While I was taught of men I could follow it viz. When the Church of England was govern'd by Episcopal Order I could follow it and call'd it the gift of God and when I became more strict a Presbyter I made a trade of it and never question'd it at all and after that I became an Independant I could follow it and when I came further and was baptized with water and eat Bread and Wine with them about the year 1642. they encouraged me in it and some of them had their Children taught on the Virginals but I went further and was an Antinomian so called and then I could teach mens Sons and Daughters on the Virginals and on the Viol and I got the two last years more than an hundred and thirty pounds a year with my own hands and lived very high and perceived that the longer I followed it the greater in-come I had but when Truth came I was not able to stand before it the Lord did thunder grievously against this practice and I would fain have pleaded the harmlesness of it but no pleading would serve it was nothing but vanity and vexed the good Spirit of God O it was hard to flesh and blood to give it up for it was not only my livelihood but my life was in it Now the Witness of God did often smite me for it before I could yeeld to the Lord to give up so that sometimes it put me to a stand and then reasonings arose whether it was a lawful Calling and while I with the wrong thing strove to prove it lawful that pure thing that was sent of God it took away my peace from me O the goodness and forbearance of the Lord to me for what was I that the Lord should strive so with me lest I should have gone on to my everlasting destruction Then was I at a stand what I should do for a livelihood but the Holy-One caught hold on me and said Am not I alsufficient give up for I have a great work for thee to do But my life was so much in the thing that he made me to feel his sharp Sword which divided between me and my lovers Mu. But Friend you undervalue Musick too much 't is true that if in case you had been a Fidler it had been no great matter if you had cast it off but to teach mens sons and daughters on the Virginals and on the Viol it is as harmless a Calling as any man can follow How say you Sir Bap. Truly I do not see but he might have followed it still as he us'd it and as you say me thinks it is a very harmless Calling there is sufficient proof of Scripture for the lawfulness thereof only in this one thing the Quakers must be singular Qua. I have heard divers men and some of all Religions and almost all people especially those of the Universities do highly commend Musick but O the Truth the Spirit of Truth nor the Children of Truth can never bear it but Truth and her Children do trample it under foot 't is Babylons Musick and down it must and shall for ever And since I through the good hand of God had an eye open in me to see where I stood I soon sided with the Truth and stood off from the reasoning part and then the Zeal of God rose up as hot as fire and I greatly loathed my self to see what cursed ground I stood in and I reckon it a happy day that I was redeemed out of a vain practice Acts 19. 19. Mu. But prethee thou mad Quaker hold a little for thou wrests the Scriptures as many of you do to your own destructions for they were Magicians not Musicians that burnt their Books of great price Qua. That which taught them taught me to deny ungodliness and will teach all that will turn to it to deny ungodliness and curious Arts and is not Musick a curious Art wilt thou deny it Mu. T is true Musick is a curious Art but will you say 't is ungodliness take heed what you say lest you pull an old house upon your head for we are no Fidlers but are sober men and in a sober Calling and that which delights the ears of Kings and wise men and grave sage men and the honourablest men and women in the Nation do highly esteem of Musick Qua. That which is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination to the Lord reade Luke 16. 15. And why dost thou make such a difference between those called Fidlers and you who call your selves Musicians for my own part since I came to the Truth it self I do see indeed that I being a Teacher in Musick it might have this stile above the other for I count it was a civil Devil and the Fidler more prophane but both are for the Lake that practise it except they do repent Mat. 9. 23. Rev. 18. 22. Mu. Are they
the question now but if you will not tell me where he dwells then tell me his name that I may find him out What call you his Name Qu. His Name is called The Word of God Rev. 19. 13. Mu. What a strange man are you what an Answer is this why do you answer so crosly I took you for a wise man once but are you not now turned fool But I have heard of such a Name well if his Name be called The Word of God it is a far better Name in my opinion than Solomon the King but I hope you will not be angry for Quakers do not use to be angry Qu. Nay I am not angry with thee one whit for thou hast spoke the Truth and there is witness born both in Heaven and in Earth to this Name for he whose Name is called The Word of God is a far more excellent Name then Solomon the King for every Name and power in heaven and earth shall bow and must bow to this Name Read Acts 4. 12. Phil. 2. 4 10. Mu. But pray Friend doth he prick Plain-Song or Intableture for if he prick Plain-Song I do not fear but I shall learn it Qu. He pricks very plain for every Note is as easily seen as a white Sembrif or Minnom John 16. 15. Mu. Truly I am glad to hear that you Quakers speak comfortably sometimes though it is but seldom it joys me much for now I hope I shall learn that Lesson that God is well pleased with But where doth he prick his Notes Qu. He pricks at the Heart and brings his pure Light into the Conscience that thou and all the men and women in the world may read yea that they that run on in their wickedness may read because the Book of Conscience is open that all men may see how 't is with them and may come to see who they have pierced And thus men begin to mourn their parts and their wives apart and this takes more in the ears of the Lord than all the Babylonish Worship and Musick in the world Acts 2. 37. Zech. 12. 12. Mat. 5. 4 Mu. Now wo is me is it come to this my hopes are frustrated Is there no way but I must come in at this door Well I do perceive that the Quakers preach not for gold nor silver for if you did you would never preach after this manner for who can take any pleasure in this Doctrine I see now what you drive at for when Peter preacht to the Jewes he told them that they had murdered and betrayed him whom God had made both Lord and King And when they heard this they were pricked at their hearts crying out Men and Brethren what shall we do Truly I do believe there be but few Musitians that ever learnt this Lesson Qu. Mind the gift of God in thy heart Christ Jesus the true Teacher and prize thy pretious time that it may be blessed to thee remember how that he hath waited on thee long O prize the long-suffering of the Lord for it is high time for thee now to return Rom. 2. 4. Mu. Would to God I were of any other Calling for I verily believe that God will overthrow all pleasant things and all false Worship I am sorry I have lived so vainly Bap. I could like the Quakers well if they did not despise the Ordinances as Water-Baptisme and Bread and Wine which are the two Sacraments Qu. Who gave you Baptists Commission to Baptize men and women with Water God never sent you yet you run but God sent John to Baptize with Water and some of his Apostles did it in their freedom and who gave you Commission to eat Bread and to drink Wine The Lord Jesus gave it to his Disciples but whose Disciples are you Ye please your belly and your Faith is of things that are seen but we look not at the things that are seen for they are Carnal but the things that are not seen are Eternal But Bread Wine and Water are seen No marvel that you love good Bread and good Wine and cry them up for Ordinances but if in its place you would put bread of Affliction and water of Affliction till he came and come every First Day to eat this bread of affliction and water of affliction you would not cry up your Ordinances so much as you do neither would you have the tenth part of Communicants as you have Are you not ashamed to intrude into those things you have no Commission for Poor David would not meddle with things that were too high for him Psal 131. 1. But when did you Baptists witness Davids state My tears have been my meat day and night Psal 42. 3. And again I have eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping Psal 102. 9. And when did you Baptists fast till men might tell your bones as some of the Quakers have done Are you any better than Queen Elizabeths Fidlers that turned the holy sayings of David into Meeter Hymn and Verse O be ashamed and come to the Light and that will let you see how you have lept above the Life of Christ and his Disciples Come down ye exalted Spirits to the lowly Seed and Learn of him that is meek and low in heart Bap. Did not the Lord command his Apostles to Baptize all Nations in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Qu. Yea that he did But who gave you Commission to Baptize any Besides you are blind Guides indeed to go and Baptize with Water and bring the Apostles Commission for it and there was no Water at all in it And Christ himself Baptized none with Water for he was not sent to Baptize with Water but with the Holy Ghost And Paul was not sent to Baptize with Water but to Preach the Gospel But you Baptists were never yet slain you never yet put on the Lord Jesus Christ When did you put on his Sufferings and Sorrows and how are you killed all the day For if you were slain with Christ from the Rudiments of the World why as living in the World are ye subject to Ordinances Surely you do not believe that Christ is come Gal. 3. 27. Bap. Nay We do not believe that Christ is come though we do believe he did once come but we look for him to come the second time Qu. He that believeth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is Antichrist and thou sayest thou dost not believe that Christ is come because thou lookest not where he is manifest in the flesh but thou lookest for him without And Is not Christ in thee except thou be a Reprobate 1 John 4. 3. Col. 1. 27. Bap. Doth not the Text say Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up to Heaven this same Jesus which you now see go into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye see him Qu. Friend Leave off thy gazing for they were reproved that gazed But come
thou and learn of that Woman and go sweep the house and light the Candle that thou mayest find the lost Groat or Pearl Christ Jesus in thy heart and be not faithless but believe This is in love to you Baptists who are loytering away your precious time for that which never did nor can make perfect Acts 1. 11. Luke 15. 9. Bap. Perfect Why it is a very great question to me whether ever any man was perfect in this Life saving Christ himself nay or ever can be 'T is true indeed you Quakers do hold such Tenets but I do not believe it therefore prove it me by Scripture if you can from Genesis to the end of the Revelations See I have given thee the whole Bible to prove it but you Quakers deny the Scripture Qu. Thou hast given me Scripture room sufficient that 's true but to say the Quakers deny the Scripture in that thou beliest the Innocent Job 4. 7. Bap. Well I have given you Scripture-room enough but I believe you cannot do it for I have searched the Scriptures as well as any of you Qua. But thou mayest erre not knowing the Scriptures nor yet the Power of God Noah was a Just man and Perfect in his Generation Gen. 6. 9. Here was a Just and Perfect man approved of God himself And again God gave testimony of Enoch That he pleased God for he walked with God and was not for God took him and before his translation he had this testimony That he pleased God Gen. 5. 24. Heb. 11. 5. And again the Lord justified Abraham after he had said unto him Walk before me and be thou perfect and Abraham did so for God bore testimony of him and said Abraham obeyed my Voice and kept my Charge my Commandments my Statutes and my Laws Gen. 26. 5. Yea verily and Abraham was called The Friend of God And again God bore testimony of Job That he was a perfect man that did fear God and eschewed evil Job 1. Now Friend Here are four men whom God bore witness off What hast thou against them And David was a man after Gods own heart and God bore witness of him that he failed in nothing saving in the matter of Uriah the Hittite 1 Kings 15. 5. And who did ever go beyond him in his repentance Yet after this he did witness a perfect state For said he God is my strength he maketh my way perfect 2 Sam. 22. 33. And again I will walk within my house with a perfect heart Psal 101. 2. And King Hezekiah said Lord remember now I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in Truth and with a perfect heart Isa 38. 3. And saith David Mark the Perfect man behold the Vpright the End of that man is Peace Psal 37. 37. And again The Lord hath not seen Iniquity in Jacob nor Perversness in Israel as thou mayest read Numb 23. 21. And again They that are in Christ Jesus are New Creatures I in them and they in me perfect in one John 17. And Be you Perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect Mat. 5. And saith the Apostle We speak wisdom to them that are Perfect 1 Cor. 2. 6. 2 Cor. 2. 11. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Rom. 8. And saith Paul That we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1. 28. Ephes 4. 12. Col. 4. 12. 1 Thes 3. 10. 2 Thes 3. 17. Heb. 7. 19. Heb. 10. 14. Heb. 12. 23. Heb. 13. 21. Jam. 2. 22. Jam. 3. 2. 1 Pet. 5. 10. 1 John 4. 18. Rev. 14. 5. Mu. Truly Friend Baptist we are all out of the way we have spoke too much by hearsay of them that they do deny the Scriptures I would you had not said so But I see the poor Quakers put up much wrong for we have had very hard thoughts of them and they have been derided and mocked and hated of many insomuch that they have been punished to death many of them but for my part I shall be silent hereafter for I see they have been misrepresented And although we have said No man can be Perfect in this Life yet who is able to withstand these sound Scriptures and I have heard many say That a man may come to be as wicked as the Devil himself but tâ—uly I do believe that God is above the Devil yet I do not excuse my self for I am a grievous sinner and never look to come to such a state as to be Perfect in this Life Bap. Why no. For the righteousest man that is sins seven times a day Yea John himself said he was a sinner or else he would not have said We for the word we implies himself as well as they But if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Qu. Do not bely the Scripture nor the Spirit that gave it forth for holy men wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and it no where saith That the righteousest man that is sins seven times a day But Stand in awe and sin not And as for John he was a holy man a Divine and could not sin but he wrote to Children first that they might have fellowship with them who were Apostles But they being Children had not fellowship with them who had fellowship with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ because they were subject to sin And besides Children are apt to sin and to think themselves better than they are which made the Apostle say this If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth Mark For this I do affirm That if John had said he had been a sinner he had lyed for no sinner hath fellowship with God For He that commits sin is of the Devil and God hath no fellowship with Devils But he that is born of God doth not commit sin And John was born of God as he said though he came to his own yet his own received him not but to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God and John did receive him who were born mark not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Yet the Apostle did use a condescending word to the Children in saying We. But let all men take heed how they call that common which God hath cleansed Yet this I say in the truth of God That if any shall say they have no sin when Gods Witness in them doth condemn them for sin they then make God a lyar and we are all sensible that God will not clear the guilty But if we confess our sâ—ns he is just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness And again If we shall say that we have not sinned we lye and do not the truth But he that is born of God sinneth not for his sâ—ed remaineth in him and he cannot
sin because he is born of God And John said he should have boldness in the Day of Judgement because as he is so are we saith he in this Life Bap. But doth not the Apostle say We and others speak after the same manner Qu. Yea for instance James said We as well as John In many things WE sin all But James was not in the many things but in the one Seed the Anointing and could sin no more than John And again he said We For saith he with the tongue we bless God and with the tongue we curse men made after the Image of God But did James Curse men Mu. God forbid For I believe that James was a very honest man and would not Curse men Jam. 3. 9. But pray Friend why did Paul say The good that I would do I do not and the evil that I would not do that do I Qu. Truly Friend that was a good state to cry out being under the sense of a body of sin and to feel sin exceeding sinful I verily believe there was such a day with Paul but the Lord brought him out of that state as he said For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath set me free from the Law of sin and death 'T is so Rom. 7. 24. 8. 2. Bap. Why do you Quakers hold falling away For once in Christ and ever in Christ and so sin past and present and to come is done away Qu. How can Baptists fall away from the Truth that are not come to it or fall from Christ who are not in Christ For I testifie in the Spirit of Truth that there is as great a gulfe between you Baptists that are not in Christ and those that are in the Truth as there was between Abraham and Dives But they that are in Christ and do abide in Christ are his Disciples But they that are in him and do not abide in him they will be cast forth as a branch and so it withereth and men cast it into the fire saith Christ Jesus John 15. But if thou couldest make that good That sin past present and to come is put away thou wouldest be a friend to the Ranters and to the old Apostates and so make the sayings of Christ and the Prophets of none effect But thou and they will find it otherwise except ye repent And I know also though I bear you no malice but wish that you may be delivered from wrath to come and that you may come to the Righteousness of Christ by true repentance towards God and faith through our Lord Jesus Christ there is an antipathy in you against the truth of God and Gods friends called Quakers For in times past I had been delivered out of Prison had it not been for a Baptist-Chair-Man But Paul was in the same condition when he was Saul for he thought verily that he must do many things against Jesus of Nazareth which thing I did in Jerusalem and many of the Saints did I shut up in Prison and when they were to be put to death I gave my voice against them Acts 16. 6 10. And this I say in the fear of the Lord not sparing any whoever they are that are and shall be found workers of Iniquity they must depart from him although they may be called Quakers yet if they go from their stedfastness and from the Truth and become such as forsake the assemblings of themselves together as some do and have done such are gone from their first Love and have damnation Yea and if such do not speedily return and witness repentance they are in danger to sin against the holy Ghost for such Crucify unto themselves the Son of God and put him to open shame yea such trample under foot the Son of God and count the blood of the New Covenant an unholy thing by which they were sanctified Notwithstanding such did taste of the heavenly gift and of the power of the world to come Such were in the dayes of Old who were called The Sons of God And the Sons of God went in to the Daughters of men and were drowned with the wicked Gen. 8. 2. Ezek. 16. 22. and 34. 7. Heb. 6. 6. and 10. 25 26. Mu. But truly Friend 't is pitty that so many good men that are in England and other parts who fear God for I am perswaded that there are some good men among the Baptists and Independants the Presbyters and Episcopal yea and Papists too that are very strict men and serve God instantly and what are they all cast away because they are not Quakers Qu. Why call'st thou them good there is none good but God and they that are taught of God and do hear what the Spirit of Truth doth say to them and obey it and such their praise is not of men but of God But as to the fear of the Lord that is very precious God will bring such to the Truth from out of all the barren places For God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feares God and works Righteousness is accepted of him I say such will God bring to his Everlasting Truth as he did Cornelius But as for the generality of those men thou spakest of They have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge For there is one thing that God doth require and they despite that one thing so their Prayers cannot be heard Rom. 10. 2 3. Mu. Pray what is that One thing which makes them uncapable of acceptation for methinks 't is great pitty that so many good men as I call them should not be accepted Surely you judge too hardly Qu. I dare not daube with untempred morter for where they are I was viz. in Performances in Ordinances in Family Duties in Hearing in Reading in Prayers in Fastings in my own Will and all this was Will-Worship but when that One thing came which is needful I became very poor and needy and I do find and therefore do testifie for God that while men are in their natural state they cannot please God nay all men rather are displeased at that of God in their own hearts though they may think themselves never so Religious For Paul said That he thought verily that he was to do many things contrary to Jesus of Nazareth Well but when I came to bend my mind to that of God in me which is Christ his pure Law in my heart shewed sin to be exceeding sinful and then I began to learn to be a fool insomuch that I durst not give thanks for the Victuals that were set before me Psal 39. 2. Rom. 7. 13. Mu. Truly then you were unworthy of it in my judgement for we must give thanks and praise God for all his Benefits Lord what sad People are you Quakers I did never hear such a word before Qu. Ah Friend Gods wayes are not like mans wayes neither are mans teachings like unto God's teachings for when the Lord comes his Commandment is