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A89845 A publike discovery, of the open blindness of Babels builders, and their confused language, who have been building without, till they deny faith, knowledge and the Gospel light within, the law of the new covenant, and matter of the new creature. Plainly laid open in an answer to a book intituled A publike discovery of a secret deceipt, subscribed John Deacon, in behalf of some who pretend a call to the ministry. Wherein their first queries their replyes; their answers to my queries, and their last queries is answered, and their whole work laid open, and the end thereof with queries sent back, by them to be answered, that their boasting spirit may be farther revealed, & its blindness. Here is also some of their confusions taken out of the heap, and set by themselves to be seen, how they will stand in the eye of truth, where but the least measure of God is known. / By an enemy to deceit, but a friend to the creation, called James Naylor. Naylor, James, 1617?-1660. 1656 (1656) Wing N305; Thomason E870_2; ESTC R204793 29,385 50

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We teach to turn peoples mindes to the light and word which is the one thing needful to be minded 2 Pet. 1. 19. 2 Cor. 4. 1. 10 8. And the Apostle preacht that word to the people which was in their hearts Rom. 10. 6 7 8. And their preaching was to open the blinde eyes and to turn from darkness to light and so from the power of Satan unto God the Father of the light Acts 26. 18. And the Scripture serveth for declaring and testifying that th●s Christ is he that is the light of the world and lighteneth every one that commeth into the world and the Saviour of all that believe John 12. 46. John 1. 9. 1 Tim. 4. 10. Reply answered As you made up your last with lyes so you begin this saying that I grant that all external things are useless none excepted when I speak not a word to that purpose but witness the word and the light thereof to be the one thing needful nor doth confessing this make useless any thing that God made onely it makes the hirelings and false Prophets useless as to teaching who have not the word and light in them Another lye is that I say the light in every man is not sufficient to lead out of all the ways of the dark world And a third is that I grant the Scriptures to be useless A fourth is that we cry that down in others that we preach up in our selves And a fifth is that I once denied preaching So these five feet being struck off the Reply falls to naught and my Answer stands as it was at the first onely some rambling words nothing to the purpose which I forbear to mention lest I should be as vainly imployed in repeating as you in raising them 5. Quer. And if that the external means be useless to what end were those most sacred gifts bestowed upon men Eph. 4. 10 11 12. And how the end and intent for which they were given became void Answ 5. The end of those gifts was for perfecting the Saints and bringing all into one faith unto a perfect man which they that teach that none can be perfect by those gifts while they live do set up a faith in people contrary to the end of those gifts and by setting up external things in stead of these spiritual gifts have you lost the gifts and have made them void and so are become enemies to the end and intent of them in others who have them and believe the end of them And thus the end and intent for which they were given are become void to you Eph. 4. 10 11 12. Reply answered This also is made up of great swelling words and challenges and charges which are false as you charge them upon me as that I said in my Answer that thou John Deacon had set up external things and so made void the end of the spiritual gifts and this you make into three or four lyes to father upon me when my words are They that teach that none can be perfect do so but did not mention thee John Deacon nor intend it for I never looked upon thee as one of those Teachers thou never had that wit though malice enough to make a cover for one who dare not be seen lest his works be brought to light So these boults turn back upon the makers with the rest in the former and the Secret Deceipt is seen you tell on But the word perfecting the Saints sticks much on your stomack and so I am charged to produce a President of one person in all the Scripture that ever was perfect by any means and your penalty is else yeild my selfe a lyar but why a lyar because I say the end of those gifts was for perfecting the Saints and must not Paul be a lyar with you also who said so before me Eph. 4. 10 11 12. And can you believe if I produce a President in Scripture however since I am charged therewith and you ignorant of it I shall set you where you may find more then one Job 1. 8. Prov. 11. 5. Psal 37. 37. 1 Cor. 2. 6. Phil. 3. 15. Colos 1. 28. 4. 12. Jam. 3. 2. Gen. 6. 9. Luk. 6. 40. Heb. 10. 14. 1. Thes 5. 2. Search these Scriptures over before you conclude me a lvar so shall I not be alone herein But now what Reply to my Answer further then a lyer to wit that I do wrest the Scripture and your meaning which I quote as it is without the least meaning or wresting at all Quer. 6. If natural light be sufficient without the help of the means what then is become of the work of grace Eph. 2. 5. 8. Rom. 11. 6. and of the growth of faith Luk. 17. 5. Mark 9. 24. The practical use of Ordinances 1 Cor. 11. 2. 23. 24. As Baptism Matth. 8. 19. The Lords Supper Reading 1 Tim. 4. 13. Preaching Matth. 28. 20. and several other places Prayer 1 Thes 5. 17. Rom. 12. 12. Communion of Saints in publique Assemblies Heb. 10. 25. Answ 6. The light of Christ is the gift of the grace of God which brings salvation which teaches to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2. 11. 12. And with this light is the work of grace seen but thou that callest this natural light or wouldest make people believe it is not sufficient must needs be ignorant of that spirit whereby that work of grace and growth of faith prayer and communion of Saints Supper and Ordinances is known for without faith in the light of Christ these are not known nor accepted though dark natural imaginations may make an imitation from them in the Letter 1 Cor. 2. 14. And thus are the works of grace become to all that deny the light and spirit of Christ within and take up a tradition from the letter without sensual having not the spirit Jude 19. Reply answered The Reply to this Answer is O deceitful Sophister and so because you cannot enter upon my Answer yet to your old trade of lying your way is open that I deny the work of grace faith the growth of faith by the use of Ordinances most if not all and that I wave the Question when as I tell you what is become of the work of grace to all that deny the light and what the gift of grace is which is more rather then less then was asked me Quer. 7. Whether the Bible be the written word of God yea or no if not what means the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. 36. 37. 38. Gal. 1. 10. 11. 1 Thes 2. 13. Answ 7. That is the word which the Bible declares of which is invisible and eternal which they that received i● of God and had it in their hearts did speak or write it down which writing they called a declaration Luke 1. 1. 1 John 1. 3. But doth no where say the Bible is the word but God and Christ is the word Jeh 1.
Gal. 1. 11 12. Reply answered In this I am called blind Sophister again and you say it would be absurd to imagine that any should preach the Gospel of Christ as from themselves though say you I dare presume to say you do so that though it be absurd so to say yet you dare presume to say it for your priviledge is to speak absurd things and to presume so to do yet not see your selves herein which did you mind the light you might see the blinde Sophister at home but this is not the first absurdity by many in your Book which you have presumed to cast upon me though you have not confessed to them all as to this Also this must not be without a lye more which is that I bring the means to testifie against it selfe but cannot instance wherein and when thou hast confessed that we preach the Gospel of Christ and saies you dare presume to say we do then say you but tell me hath that man any one spark of Grace or Truth in him that cannot see you are truthless So to preach the Gospel of Christ is a truthless thing amongst you and such blind stuff as this you cast out at random nor have I denied any means in my Answer that God is free to make use on as you would accuse for I have learned otherwise then to limit him to means or from means in what he hath not declared I am silent but this I say what means soever he uses the hireling is denied and they whose worship is not according to Scripture as your high-place worship is not neither in call maintenance nor manner of worship in any one particular And this I am ready to make appear when I shall be called thereto not withstanding ●●● the filthy venomous names you have called me in your replies which shews your inside and the fruits of your Ministrie and serve most for that end for me they touch not nor hath your Replies in the least shaken my answers though your unclean languaege have shewen your own foundation and confusion thereon builded Reply to the pretended Answers subscribed John Deacon unto fourteen Queries put forth by James Naylor Quere I. NOw seeing you so much oppose the light within and spirit and set up the Letter for the Light I say seeing it is plain all the Saints had a light in Spirit to guide them in wayes accepted in all ages before the Letter was if you be spiritual men give it in writing what that Light was where it was and how they came by it when they had no Letter or was it sufficient before the Letter is it the same now or when or how was it changed and the Letter set in its stead 1. Answer and Reply In the Answer to this Quere I am charged with a lye because I say you oppose the light within and spirit and sets up the Letter for the Light yet in the Answer your great work is to deny the Law written in the heart and place it now in the Letter and sayes the Gospel is not known by being within and sayes it is one of the most principal Controversies between us Christians and the Quakers and saies that which was once written in the heart and was sufficient is now become insufficient and now since the thing you have stated that the Controversie must be betwixt the Law that was received at mount Sinai which you call a lively Oracle and that which God hath written in the heart we will search the Scripture for whom it bears testimony and with whom they side in this controversie Jer. 31. God in ●es a promise of the new Covenant after they had broken that which you call a lively Oracle and saith God this shall be my Covenant I will make with the house of Israel I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and they shall teach no more every Man his Neighbour and every Man his Brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest And Paul Heb. 8. witnesseth the same words and sayes the first Covenant was faulty And in 2 Cor. 3. he calls that which was engraven in stones the ministration of death and said he he was not a Minister of it but of the spirit for said he the Letter killeth but the spirit giveth life and saith it is done away that is in the letter And David saith of a righteous man the Law of God is in his heart so that none of his steps shall slide Psal 37. 3● and Paul saith the Law of Spirit and life in Christ Jesus made me free from the Law of Sin and Death and this Law you say is become unsufficient and yet with the same shameless mouth am I accused for a lye saying you oppose the light within and set up the l●●ter behold your work and be ashamed you blind guides who know not the light in you your states you may read Eph. 4. 18 19. and this blind work you have in hand is suitable And further to manifest your blindness you say before that law their sins were no sins so by your doctrine it were no sin for Cain to kill his Brother and Sodom and the old world suffered without sin by your Doctrine and such dark muddy stuff as this you utter but leaves the Quere wholly unanswered Quer. 2. Reeing you say the Scripture is a Rule declare in plainness is the whole Scriptures a Rule to all men and women to take up the practise thereof or how much of it is and to how many people and to whom in particular seeing the Saints in all ages had their particular commands how may weak people know which of their commands they must take up and which they must not and when they have found the commands where they must have the power and whether that which gives the commands be not the power only accepted for performance deal plain herein that people may know what to do and what they have done that they be not always learning and never able to come to the end of their labours and rest of God 2. Answer and Reply In the Answer to this Quere after you have uttered a sort of frothy words you come to lay down an impudent lye saying private Saints had never particular and peculiar commands and ere you leave the Quere you contradict your lye your selves saying Noah had a particular command to build an Ark and John to Baptize and the Apostles to Preach c. But for Answer to the Quere which asks how people may know which of these commands they must follow you send us to Reverend Pens to seek but names not where and so steals away from it Que● 3. Seeing Christ preached the Kingdom of God within unbeleevers and the Apostle saith that which may be known of God is manifest in them and that they came to the knowledge of God and his glory by the light that shone
its fruits Heresie in you If Diabollical then cease like Simon Magus to seem to be some great one to draw Disciples after you and resist this spirit in your self better repent then perish Ans The power that worketh in us is Divine Isa 26. 12. Phil. 2. 13. and the tree is known by its fruits and that is Antichrist and Heresie and Diabolical who hath no faith nor knowledg in them And such like Simon Magus would by or sell it for mony if they had it And these are Antichrists which John speaks on who cannot confess Christ in them And such we resist by the Spirit in us Quer. 21. Whether it be by the spirit of Satan or the power of God say you that worketh by Charmes whereby some of your Proselytes have been possessed with Divels as Gilpin Mary White and others And whether Peter or Simon Magus be the Apostles of Christ or whether it be the work of the spirit of God to inspire with the holy Ghost or with Satan and hereby let us know whether you be Saints or Sorcerers Make it out upon a Gospel account Ans The lyars and those that have no faith in them are possessed already but when the light of Christ is preached the Divel that hath possessed them comes therewith to be judged who then sets up his Charms to tempt them and turn them back again into his old way which if he effect it then his Ministers cryes them up for converted Christians as they did Gilpin till they were ashamed on him for his Drunkenness So they become your Proselytes for after the Divel get up with his Charmes in them they abide not with us For the spirit of God judgeth all Charmes and charming Worships and inspires with the holy Ghost But they who have no faith in them are inspired by Satan Hereby we know Saints from Sorcerers Quer. 22. And since you so much raile against Superiors and Dignities c. Ans Where the Quere is begun with a lye the intent thereof is easily seen What is the Superiors and Dignities we have railed against the latter part of your Quere makes it manifest Because we will not call your Ministers Masters as well as Rulers I say they are blinde that take them for either But since this is the thing you mean Is not Christ a Railer also with you who forbade the same before us if the Follower be guilty surely the Leader cannot be free And whereas you ask if Stewards of the Mysteries of God be inferior to the Word Master I say he may well be said to have no faith or knowledge in him that calls them either for there was never any of the Ministers of Christ who were Stewards of his Mysteries that were called of men Masters Neither will all your pleading for it obtain it from any who know the one Master Quer. 23. Did not your spirit speak in Korah Dathan and Abiram and their adherents c. Ans I say no Our spirit was opposed there as it is now by you And the spirit of Diatrophes you tell on is that which loved the preheminenee and is now pleading for Mastership which we oppose with its Doctrine by which the holy Men of God ever suffered and now suffers even unto blood for the testimony thereof even for the Lord Christ within us which you render as a reproach so to say which we count great riches and the hope of glory which you who deny faith and knowledge within oppose in a spirit of presumption and abomination Quer. 24. Is a lye the fruit of an in falliable or falliable spirit and may not a true Church erre and so be falliable Or may it erre and yet still be infallible or is pretence of infallibility or assurance that that Church so pretending is a true Church or did any of the Apostles boast of infallibility c. Ans A lye is the fruit of a fallible spirit Therefore is there so many heapt up in your Book who deny the infallible spirit and faith within For he that hath not an infallible spirit hath a lying spirit as you have sufficiently manifested And the true Church is in God the Father and in Christ Jesus his Son which is infallible But neither the Church of Rome nor yours is it who are without God in the world who scoff at the Lord Christ within us and render it as the sin of Korah for us to confess him How should there be ought else in you but a lying spirit And the Apostles boasted of an infallible spirit from which nothing could separate them with which they were sealed to the day of Redemption after they believed in the light which you that deny faith within have little knowledge of and so oppose you know not what and therefore are looking for miracles for your adulterous spirit and sayes is not the spirit fallible I say stop your mouths you lying spirits The spirit of God is not fallible nor did you ever know it who would so render it which spirit you that have not you speak of your selves and judge with a lye and the pure light you know not but are in the hellish darkness you tell of As these errors following which are gathered out of the heap of your confusion may witness That the new birth is a Remission of sin That the new birth is nothing else but a sanctified mind and will That the mind and will of man is the matter whereof the new Creature or Image of God is made That the new birth is the work of the spirit the ministery of man as the matter That he that knows the new birth by the letter of Scripture knows it not without the light and yet saith closing with the law written in the heart is contrary to the Gospel and that the Gospel is not made known by seeing within That their sins was no sins before the Letter of the Law was given That the Saints before the Letter was given had immediate Revelations of Gods vvill but since as Israel did in Canaan so lie at Rack and M●nger That if the Lavv vvhich God hath vvritten in the heart be novv sufficient then God vvrought a work in vain in giving the Law at mount Sinai That the Gospel is not made known by seeing within That the faith and knovvledge of the Disciples of Ephesus was not within That private Saints had never particular and peculiar commands That the Apostles was to plant but not to keep in order the Vineyards That as Satan is a Serpent so is Christ That closing with the Law written in the heart is contrary to the Gospel That the Law written in mans heart were not sufficient to its proper end Many more such blind confusions I might have gathered out of the heap but these may serve to shew what you know of the new Birth The new Covenant or Christ whom it is The Apostles Ministry or the Saints commands The Gospel light The knovvledge of sin or your selves but
Christ sprinkle Infants turn the Scriptures into rhimes to sing Worship and pray in the Idols Temple br●ng a book and from a verse raile Points and Reasons and Uses live upon Tythes or set Wages sue their heares for money And all the rest of your Worship is also questioned by the Apostles practise to which you are contrary and do you think words will prove it and answer it So did your Fathers the Bishops and the Pope and them and you we deny and all your proofe that stands in words while you uphold another practise Whereof I say again and yet no lye that none of Christs Ministers worshipped so So your boast of a curb be to your selves till you prove your practi●e Quer. 14. Are you wiser then the Jews was or stricter in yo●r profession or more able to search the Scriptures or are you f●●●er in your wisdome and prudence for that work any of you who deny the light of Christ And was not they ignorant of the voices of the Prophets though they was read every Sabb●th day and ●o fulfilled in condemning him and are not you in the same work as to the word of Christ though you have them every first day beating in your Synagogues and haling before Rulers and think that you do God the best service when you are greatest opposers and so fulfilling the measure of wickedness as they did and how can you escape their end Mark 13. 9. Act. 13. 27. Mat. 24. 9. Joh. 16. 2 3. And are not they who are in envy in Cains way out of Christ Hath God any respect to their Sacrifice yea or no 1. Answer and Reply This you answer with You care not and so go on to a peece of railing your old practise And you say Christ hath opened your eyes with your eye-salve of Grace But what eye or where is that Grace seeing you say faith and knowledge is not within So you say you have accomplished an Answer to our Queres which when viewed is no more but a piece of vain babling railing and lying which you would have us take for an Answer but the Queres yet stand a witness against you and all your Generation and are still unanswered And if you read them over again you may see you have scarcely spoken to any one particular Now to the rabble of the confused Queres take an Answer thus Quere I. WHether your quaking and trembling be not the effects and tokens of those curses 1 Sam 14. 15. Deut. 28. 65. Psal 69. 23. And whether the Lord hath not given you eyes that you should not se● c. Answ For Answer to this Quere I say no. But the curses therein belong to such who deny knowledge and faith within as you do So take it back and apply it at home Yet trembling and quaking we own else should we deny the Saints conditions Que. 2. Whether there ought not to be a special distinction made betwixt the dictates of the Spirit of God and the spirit of man c. Answ 2. I say yea But they who have no faith and knowledge in them cannot make it All that proceeds from such is the Dictates of their own spirit if not worse and for a pretence use the name of Christ But who have the●r light faith and knowledge from Christ within lay nothing on Christ but what i● his own Quere 3 4. and Answer To your third and fourth Quere which are about the call to the Ministery wherein you would thrust in your Presbytery under the pretence of ordaining Elders and chusing Apostles I say those whom ever Christ called into his Ministery were called by his Spirit out of the world out of its glory and worships which yours are none of as all your manner of worship makes it manifest So shelter not your selves in the world and the false worships thereof with their Scriptures who were called out of the world and never worshipped in your manner call nor maintenante And for Timothy's gift your hands are poluted and have not that gift as is manifest by your fruits you are of those who lay on hands to beat in the Synagogues such never had the gift of the holy Ghost Quere 5. and Answer For your fifth Quere which is about the light of Christ being insufficient You ●●y if it be sufficient is not this a leading to perfection I say yea it is and will lead all to perfection that follow it which is the light of life Joh. 8. 12. Yet is no means needless which God appoints to direct to that light neither doth their message make the light insufficient Yet doth not this make way for your blind guides and your false worship whose message is to oppose this light and prove it insufficient though formerly in your Book you say you do not and so prove your selves lyars Quer. 6. And if Christ preached the Kingdom of God within unbeleevers as you say he did what then is the difference between the faithful and the faithless c. Answ Were you not blind you might see you have answered the Quere you ask to wit the one believes the other believes not And therein doth the difference consist and the latter of these you are who cannot believe the light is sufficient which is one in all though some will not believe and follow it and so though the Kingdom of God be preached within unbelievers Luk. 17. ●● Yet saith Christ of such ye will not come to me that you may have life So the Gospel of the Kingdom preached doth not profit not being mixed with faith Heb. 4. 2. Quer. 7. And whether is not your spirit a lying one which saith the Scriptures are not the words of God but of men c. Answ I do not say the Scriptures are not the words of God but of men So the lying spirit is your own Yet I say in the Bible there are words of men yea and of the divel also which God never commanded and this is truth without equivocation Quer. 8. Whether it be any better then Hypocrisie to prate of and call for Scripture and yet deny the Prerogative of Scripture c. Answ Prove that I have denied the Prerogative of Scripture or else thy Question is no better then a lye And whereas you say if the commands are the words of God why are not other Scriptures the same I say if it be the Bible you call the Scripture my answer is because there be many words declared of which God never commanded them that spoke them yet the Daclaration I own to be true And whereas you ask how it is that some of us say the word of God cannot be contained in Ink and Paper I say because the word of God fills Heaven and Earth and contains all things but cannot be contrined in any place Quer. 9. And since you say that Christ onely is the word of God I Quere whether he be meet to be a teacher of others nay hath he not need himselfe