sights are not Saints neither are you of his Church which is his body neither have you eaten his flesh nor know that which is given for the life of the world but are out of the sight of the Church which is his body Pr. And thou saith they shall have a greater judgement without them then they shall have within them c. see page 48. Ans And the Scripture saith If ye judge your selves ye shall not be judged of the Lord. Pr. And that place in Jude he brings to prove that all men have not the Spirit c. See page 49. Where he saith They walke after their own ungodly lusts these be they who separate themselves being sensuall and have not the spirit who went in Balaams way Ans Who shews that they went forth from the spirit and turned the grace of God into wantonnesse And this doth not make for thee to thy purpose but rather against thee and the same spirit that reproves the world leads the Saints into all truth Pr. He saith That God did not give the Law that people should live in it c. See page 49. Answ And the Scripture saith that they that did the Law had life and were justified by it For do this and live saith God to Moses and therefore thou wouldst make God a lyar who cannot lye who saith that God did not give forth his Law that men should have life Is not the Curse and the Death in the transgression of it Christ is the end of the righteous Law who is the light that doth enlighten every man that doth come into the world which believing in it he comes to be a child of Light Which light thou blasphemously calls conscience or Naturall which is Christ the Light the foundation of God which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world that with the light they might see Christ who hath enlightned them the foundation of God from whence light comes And the Apostle saith the law is spirituall and just and good and he it was that was the carnall and so thou art the carnall not yet come to the Law which is spiritual Pr. He saith He that will but observe the motions of that light which every man hath within him say they so as to obey and close in with it to follow it shall undoubtedly save himselfe from the wrath to come Now this is clearly a great errour as thou saist See page 50. Ans Contrary to Johns doctrine and Christs who saith the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is the true light that men through the light might believe Therefore be they enlightned and he that believes in the light shall not abide in darknesse nor in errour nor in condemnation but shall have the light of life Saith Christ I am the light of the world And saith moreover believe in the light before they be children believe in the light that ye may be children of the light So every man is enlightned with a light before they be children with the true light He that believes in the light is a child of the light he that doth not believe in the light the light condemns him Pr. And whereas thou saith The Law gives not life nor justifies See page 50. Ans It is false thou art mistaken in the Scriptures and rebuked with them The Law gives life to him that obeys it and lives in it and he that doth it lives and is justified the doer of the Law and not the hearer only and it is righteous and just and good But Christ Jesus the Law and the spirit of life which is the end of Gods righteous Law is the justification to life Gods righteousnesse who is the end of the other law And the Apostle Paul saith The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death Pr. And thou would make it an errour to say the Saints are saviours of the world See page 50. Ans The Apostle said when he writ to the Saints he should save himselfe and others and this was by the power of Christ And Jude saith others saving with fear but hating the garments spotted with the flesh Now thou art a deceiver and not a Saviour both of thy selfe and others and ignorant of the power and the spirit Pr. He saith there is no such Scripture as saith the light within the conscience See page 52. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who saith the light shines in their hearts and is not there the conscience 2 Cor. 4. And Christ saith they will not come to the light lest their deeds should be by it manifested they by it reproved and this is not conscience nor nature And the Apostle Paul saith Our rejoycing is the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome but in the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world Pr. The new Covenant which God promised to write in their hearts he calls that the law by nature see page 52. Ans And thus he is stumbling at the corner stone and errs in his judgement for that which orders nature is above nature and all naturallists and transgressors do call it naturall Doctor Glisson's Paper concerning James Parnels death in prison which the Lyes that are in it are not worth mentioning but upon themselves will fall but here is one of their lying slanders taken off as followeth who strikes at the Rock splits themselves and the blood of that Innocent lies upon their heads Pr. IN the Preface he saith That the most knowing part of these Quakers have received their principles from Rome c. Ans It is false for the Instructions which they have received is from Christ who was glorified with the father before the world began and before Rome was or revilers either which makes the world to rage The corner-stone the light which lightens every man that comes into the world before it was which makes the Beast and the false Prophet and the Pope and you to arme themselves against the Lamb and his light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world withal And the Priests Instructions have been from Rome to set up their Schools to make Miinsters and Temples East and West with a Crosse at the end of them and the Tenth which they imprison men to death for and their preaching by the hour-glasse and naming their Colledges and Masse-houses by the Saints names Your Instructions have been from Rome to do these things but the Lamb shall have the victory glory to the Lord in the highest for ever George Emmot who calls himself a spirituall Quaker converted Who is turned with the Dog to the vomit and gone in the way of Core exalting himself and gain-saying Truth and gone in the way of Cain into his first birth turned against the second DId God smite thee for thy pride Did God let thee see the
that do good that beholds by faith And so what is not of faith is sinne Pr. He saith He is in heavenly places and yet in the shadow of death with the earthly See page 38. Answ He that is in heavenly places is in Christ Jesus a new creature And he that believeth in the light shall not abide in darknesse so comes out of shadows And he that believeth abideth not in the condemnation and so comes out of the shadow of death though they have sate in the shadow of death before belief and comes out of the earth and so hast proved thy self not a true believer which comes out of the shadows and death Pr. He saith To purifie the members as reckoning it our redemption our righteousnesse all such purity is sin blindness and idolatry page 40. Ans And the Apostle calls Christ our redemption and our sanctification and our righteousnesse and so we can truly say Christ is ours and no idolaters And them that cannot say Christ is their sanctification redemption righteousness and mortification is in the idolizing and sin Pr. He saith The way to attain the spirit of Christ is not by waiting on the light within c. see page 52. Answ Christ saith believe in the light that ye way be children of the light and he that is a child of the light cometh to the birth born of the spirit And Christ doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world And as many as received him he gave them power to become the sons of God And none hears faith but who hears the light within which is Christ within who is the Author of it by which the spirit is received Pr. He saith That doctrine or spirit that calls to the Light within doth but build up the worship of the world c. page 53. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who said The light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ Jesus And Christ saith they that worship God must worship him in truth And he is the light and he is the truth that doth enlighteth every man that comes into the world and this throws down all the worship of the world And I say none comes out of the worships of the world and the doctrines of the world but who comes to the light wherewith Christ hath enlightned every man c. that shines in the darkness and the darknesse comprehends it not Pr. He saith To believe in God as in the Light within men redeeming from sin is to deny the witnesse of the Son and have neither Son nor Father c. page 54. Ans Which I say none owns the witnesse of the Son but who owns the Light which comes from the Son with which he is enlightned Nor none knows the Father nor the Son nor receives them but who receives the light which Christ the Son hath enlightned them withall nor knows God to be a Saviour but by the Light within Pr. He saith They that seeke for righteousnesse by obedience to the light within differs nothing from the Jewes but onely in the copies of the Law c. See page 56. Ans None sees the obedience of Christ the second Adam the end of the Law and copies of it but with the Light within which comes from Christ Jesus that brings in righteousness and ends sin and transgression who is the end of the righteous Law with which light man sees the weakness and unprofitableness of it and the types and the shadows of it which Christ is known in the light within who ends it Pr He saith To rest in hope that I am saved from sin and wrath by the blood of Christ the head and while conscience condemns for sin this is to hope against hope c. See page 57. Ans Such as are saved from the wrath by Christ the head and his blood they are saved from their sins And then they that are saved from their sins how can conscience condemn for sin and the wrath come upon them for sin and they that are saved from the wrath they are saved from their sins But where conscience doth condemn for sin there is wrath and he cannot witnesse a cleansing nor salvation wrought out nor saved from sin but is in the false hope and not in the true hope which goes against hope for the true hope is Christ within Pr. Whereas thou speaks of Christs working and giving an example c. page 67. Ans Yet thou and the rest are offended at those people that are called Quakers who say Christ was their example And so ye can allow what ye speak your selves but if another speak the same words it is an offence to you Pr. He saith Such as preach redemption by the light in every man are not of God c. See pag. 70. Ans The redemption of Christ the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And every man that cometh into the world that seeth his redemption it is by the light which he that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world hath enlightned him with which is Christ the Redeemer the Saviour the second Adam the way to the Father who shall make every tongue to confess him to the glory of God but thou that hates the light art condemned Pr. He saith Not the light in every man but the words of the Prophets and Apostles is that which leads to the Lord Jesus c. See Page 82. Ans Many may have the words of the Prophets and the Apostles but none comes to that which leads to the Lord Jesus but who comes into the light and life that the Prophets and Apostles was in which Christ Jesus is the end of who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Therefore every man that cometh into the world must come to the light which Christ hath enlightned him withal before he come to the end of the Prophets and the Apostles Christ Jesus the Lord of life and glory Pr. He saith The Scriptures are the image of Christ and he that seeks for God out of the humanity of Christ he shall lose both God and himself c. See pag. 82. Answ The Scriptures are writings and the writings will not endure for ever and the image of Christ is the image of God And all who be in the life that gave forth Scriptures be in the image of Christ which was afore Scripture was and all that have the Scriptures out of the life that gave them forth they have not the image And he that is out of the truth may have the Scriptures but he is out of the image all are who be out of the truth but who be in the truth be in the image And God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe And who knows the Son knows the Father And he that hath found the Son hath found the Father also And he that seeks after God out of Christ shall
Apostles by the Beast and the false prophets and the great whore which have been in the power of the Devil that went out of truth and that the Saints was not subject to But now Christ is come to reign the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory and the higher power is owned that is higher then all the transgressors upon earth that reaches to the soul and the transgressed principle of God in every man upon the earth for the Beasts power hath set up your Tythes Temples and Colledges and compeld men to worship which the Saints could not and therefore have suffered by it that have worshipped God in the spirit and truth that the devil is out of and such was in the higher power Pr. He saith there is a kinde of Infiniteness in the soul and it cannot be Infiniteness in it self Pag. 103. Ans Is not the soul without beginning coming from God returning into God again who hath it in his hand which hand goes against him that does evil which throwes down that which wars against it And Christ the power of God the Bishop of the soul which brings it up into God which came out from him hath this a beginning or ending And is not this infinite in it self and more then all the world Pr. He saith the soul is a creature and yet it is a noble power and an Essence and is the appetite fancy c. Again he saith he knowes that the soul is a spiritual thing and cannot be divided into parts and powers as being one single entire essence Page 107. Ans The soul being in the death in transgression so mans spirit there is not sanctified and the soul is in death And fancy and the appetite and anger and pleasure c. which thou saith is taken for the soul usually and called the soul are them that wars against it so thou divides the soul into parts which is one and art ignorant of it and yet thou said it cannot be divided So thou art in the Babylon and confusion So the living of the soul and the spirit sanctified that diligent hearkening is come to where the Counsel of God is stood in his voyce heard his hand felt that the soul comes up into that comes from him from God that 's living and Immortal and gives a Creature its feeling and sencibleness through things and so the Covenant of God comes to be received wherein the soul lives the Bishop of it which is immortal and then the new creature born is known whereby the spirit of man is sanctified whereby the God of the spirits of all flesh is known Now where the power and life guides up to God the Father of life that works down and directs the mind up to God where the soul hath the issue the immortal to the immortal whereby light springs in Christ is known the soul praiseth God the Saviour the low estate that God hath regarded and reached down to it Now where the light is hated that of God within transgressed that doth pertain to the righteous Law of God and answers it the spirit of man is not sanctified and mans understanding darkened the higher power is denyed the soul comes into death transgressing of the Law is known the witness buried which should guide the mind whereby the soul should live in the diligent hearkening thereby comes man to be defiled and his spirit and body and minde whereby he glorifies not God in his body and soul and spirit and glorifies not the God of the spirits of all flesh thereby he comes to be an alien and a stranger to the life of God and his wayes and Covenant and thou sayes the soul is a spiritual thing and yet a creature an appetite and fancy And every man that cometh into the world having a Light from Christ the second Adam though they be in the first Adam the Bishop of their souls So every one being turned to the Light which Christ the second Adam hath enlightened them withall they shall see the Bishop of their souls Christ the power of God which is immortal brings the immortal soul into the immortal God Christ their sanctification who sanctifies their spirits and bodies and brings the soul up into God from whence it came whereby they come to be one soul For in the lusts of the world and the affections of it is the war against it and there is the powers of wickedness the soul must be in the higher power higher then the flesh which stains the man spirit and body and powers of wickedness So the light being turned to he receiveth the spirit of God which sanctifies him the spirit of Sanctification in Christ Jesus the Sanctification and Redemption So every man that cometh into the world having a light from Christ Jesus the way out of the fall the second Adam receiving the light they receive their Redemption and Sanctification whereby their spirits bodies and souls are sanctified Pr. He saith The binding of Sathan shall not be by a personall reigne of Christ in a body He saith the Quaker denies the light written in Scripture And he saith when yee that pretend most love to Christ within and light within ye deny the Lord that bought yee And the high talke of a Light within goes out for ever into utter darkness Ans The Light within and Christ within who owns this and are come into it owns the Lord that bought them Christ and no other and they that receive not this within are Reprobates without him and deceives him yet talk of him as the Devils false Prophets and Deceivers And they that go from the Light within go into utter darknesse and stumble and do not know whether they go and wants the garments and the Lambs cloathing And so the Light within he that believes in it hath the witnesse in himselfe abides not in the darknesse nor in the condemnation but hath the light of life And the light within that shines in the heart gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And who knows Satan bound and false Prophets and Antichrists and Beasts and mother of Harlots taken and cast into the fire and Christ reign and know his bodily presence they know his flesh and are of his flesh and of his bone and his spirit and minde and power who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him over the Devil over the Aâ—tichrists false Prophets Beast and mother of Harlots reigns above their power triumphs tramples above their power and this is known by the Light within And now doth Christ reign in his Saints and the Paradice of God is known and Eden where all things are sanctified and blessed and good where there is no curse but blessing and he that went out of this did transgresse and disobeyed which brought the death upon all his posterity earthly Adam But who are come in through the obedience of another the second Adam Christ Jesus who
degrees of obedience and conformity to it in this life before death hath drunk Antichrists cup. page 144. Answ The Saints after they witnessed the body of sin put off and made free from sin they glorified God in their bodies souls and spirits And so the body of fin is not the creature for that causeth the creature to groan before it cometh into the liberty of the Sons of God that causeth the body of sin the cloathing that comes upon the Creature the old man which cometh by transgression the first Adam that leads out of transgression brings the creature into the liberty of the sons of God and so who is in Christ is a new creature And old things passe away and the body is the Temple of God a holy Temple And the living soule is immortall yet many of thy generation say it is humane that is earthly yea that Christs soule was humane as ye may see in this Book in the rest of your Principles of them that call themselves Teachers and Pastors whose soules are in death and life And immortality not come to the Light through the power of God which is the Gospell and so have shâ—wed your ignorance of the soule And whosoever witnesse the perfect holinesse and preacheth up that they come from under Antichrists Kingdome They that preach up Imperfection they weare Antichrists livery and his colours and sounds the Trumpet of Antichrist and who be in the righteousnesse are in the perfection it selfe without a thing meritted by man in his will And who loves God keeps his Commandements and to him and them they are not grievous And this was the seed that kept the Commandements of God that Antichrist Beast mother of Harlots and false Prophets made war against as you may read in the Revelations But this seed is a burthensome stone unto yoâ— all tâ—at keeps the commands of God that loves God and they that be born of God doth not commit sin And the naturall body which is flesh blood and bone is not the body of sin it was never read so in the Scripture that that was the body which was to be put off for the Saints had bodies after they witnessed the body of sin put off and made free from sin Pr. He saith That R. F. is against the doctrine of sin continuing in the godly till death page 148. Answ That doctrine of Sin was never preached up by the Apostle that it should continue in the godly till death I say it continues not in the godly for the godly are like God out of sin it continues in the ungodly that is not like God And he that is in Christ is at the end of the Law and the Precepts and the Statutes and the Ordinances and the Commandements and is in the substance Gods righteteousnesse Pr. He saith The Letter is no dead letter and it hath life in it selfe And if there be but this letter or Ministry it is Christs two-edged sword page 153. 155. It serves unto his designe of searching hearts And the Apostle would take people off from the conceit of perfect attainments pag. 162. And may not filthy hearts transform themselves in the fancy of perfection as the Devill into an Angell of light Answ The Devill transforming himselfe into an Angell of Light or into a similitude is like unto all the filthy hearts who fancy perfection without them not within thâ—m and speaks of Christ without them not within them as the Devill did But the Doctrine of the Apostle who preached Christ the Covenant of God and brought people off of that which made nothing perfect to that which was perfect and bid them be perfect and of one minde and he spoke wisdome among them that were perfect so he did not bring the people from it but to it And the Letter it selfe is dead as it is of paper and inke And all Ministers of Letters and Books written in paper and ink and speaks from letters of paper and inke and have not received from God what they preach are Ministers of the Letter and they are the Ministers of death though they minister all the Letters written in the Scripture and have onely but the sheeps cloathing and begets not to God but only making Proselytes as the Ministers did in old time as the Jewes did But they that were Ministers of the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures they have the sword of the Spirit which the Jewes the Ministers of the Letter had not Nor they that be out of the spirit though they have all the Scriptures given forth from it they that be out of the spirit be out of the spirituall weapons And that which searcheth the heart is that which gave forth the Scriptures which led all the holy men of God to speak them forth who is the Lord the searcher of the hearts which spirit owns all the words of the Scriptures of truth declared forth from the spirit but the spirit was before the Scripture was given forth Pr. He saith Men that are redeemed from all earthly worships perfectly justified before God sincere in their sanctification yet they are in concupiscence and blemishes and conflicts page 166. And the Word of God doth not abide in them that say they have no sinne page 179. Answ Who are redeemed out of all earthly worships and sanctified they are redeemed from the blemishes from the conflicts from the concupiscence and by their redemption they come to witnesse the Kingdome of God that stands in righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost out of the conflicts and who are in the spirit they are in that which mortifies sin And the Word of God it makes clean where it dwels they are sanctified by the Word and made clean It comes and finds the sin and takes it away and makes clean and hammers it down cuts it down burns it up reconciles to the Father which sin and iniquity separated from Pr. He saith Sacramentall water and sprinkling Baptisme and water c. shewes our being ingrafted into the body mysticall p. 176. 178. which consists of a signe of a thing signified Answ Sprinkling Infants is a signe of your own making and Sacramentall water which the Scripture doth not hold forth but it is a thing presumed above what it written And that signe a tradition doth not bring into the body mysticall but leads from it neither doth any elementary thing But that which baptizeth into the body is the spirit whereby all cometh to be one And that baptizeth not into an elementary body but into a glorious body the spirituall body For there is lying signes come since the dayes of the Apostles which is out of the Apostles practice You can shew nothing for your sprinkling with your Sacramentall water but the Baptisme that the Scripture declares of and the spirit is owned in its place Pr. He saith Bread and Wine are spirituall Institutions and is not carnall in a sense as set in opposition to spiritual Institution and that
his word we received often the pouring down of the spirit upon us and the gift of Gods holy eternal Spirit as in the dayes of old and our hearts were made glad and our tongues loosed and our mouths opened and we spake with new tongues as the Lord gave us utterance and as his spirit led us which was poured down upon us on Sons and Daughters and to us hereby was the deep things of God revealed and things unutterable was known and made manifest and the glory of the Father was revealed and then began we to sing praises to the Lord God Almighty and to the Lamb for ever who had redeemed us to God and brought us out of the captivity and bondage of the world and put an end to sin and death and all this was by and through and in the light of Christ within us and much more might be declared hereof that which could not be believed if it were spoken of the several and particular operations and manifestations of the everlasting spirit that was given us and revealed in us but this is the sum life and immortality was brought to light power from on high and wisdom was made manifest and the day everlasting appeared unto us and the joyful Sun of Righteousness did arise and shine forth unto us and in us and the holy annoynting the everlasting Comforter we received and the Babe of glory was born and the heir of the promise brought forth to Reign over the earth and over Hell and death whereby we entered into everlasting union and fellowship and Covenant with the Lord God whose mercies are sure and infinite and his promise never fales and much might be spoken but this is the sum we were raised from death to life and are changed from Satans power to God and gathered from all the dumb Shepherds and off all the barren mountains into the fold of Eternal Peace and rest and mighty and wonderful things hath the Lord wrought for us and by us by his own outstretched Army And thus we became followers of the Lamb whither soever he goes and he hath called us to make War in righteousnes for his names sake against Hell and death and all the powers of darkness and against the beast and false Prophet which hath deceived the Nations and we are of the Royal seed elect chosen and faithful and we War in truth and just judgement not with weapons that are carnal but by the sword that goes out of his mouth which shall slay the wicked and cut them them to pieces and after this manner was our birth and bringing forth and thus hath the Lord chosen us and made us as an Army dreadful and terrible before whom the wicked do fear and tremble and our standard is truth justice righteousness and equity and all that comes unto us must cleave thereunto and fight under that banner without fear and without doubting and they shall never be ashamed nor put to flight neither shall ever they be conquered by Hell or death or by the powers of darkness but the Lord shall be their armour weapon and defence for evermore and they that follow the Lamb shall overcome and get the victory over the beast and over the Dragon and over the gates of Hell for the Lord is with us and who shall be able to make us afraid Then having thus armed us with power strength and wisdom and Dominion according to his mind and we having learned of him and being taught of him in all things and he having chosen us into his work and put his sword into our hand and given us perfect Commission to go forth in his Name and Authority having the word from his mouth what to cut down and what to preserve and having the everlasting Gospel to Preach to the inhabitants of the earth and being commanded in spirit to leave all and follow him and go forth in his work yea an absolute necessity was laid upon us and wo unto us if we Preached not the Gospel for when we looked abroad and beheld the world behold it was altogether darkness and even as a wilderness and desolate and barren of good fruit and death reigned over men and no good fruit was brought forth to God but leaves we beheld upon every soul and all men and peoples were made drunk with the wine of whoredoms and the Whores cup they had drunk and was committing fornication with the great Whore and she reigned over the Kings and peoples of the earth and the Antichrist was set up in the Temple of God ruling over all and having brought Nations under his power and set up his Government over all for many ages even since the dayes of the Apostles and true Churches hath he reigned while the woman hath been fled into the wilderness and the man child caught up to God Christ said Antichrist should come and put on the sheepes cloathing and be inwardly a ravening Wolfe and John saw that Antichrist was come in his dayes and he went forth then from the true Church and went into the world and deceived the world and ever since his Kingdom hath reigned over Nations for then he begun to exalt himself and it is sixteen hundred years since all which time Antichrist that hath had the sheepes cloathing but inwardly a ravener and hath ruled and reigned and this we saw and perceived in the very time of our birth and bringing forth and we beheld Nations as a wilderness untilled and mens hearts as the fallow ground unbroken up and not plowed nor sown with the good seed of Gods Kingdom so that we saw all states and orders of men corrupted and degenerated from what they ought to be and from what God had once ordained them As for the Ministry first we looking upon it with a single eye in the light of the Spirit of God which had annointed us we beheld it clearly which formerly we had been stumbling at and much doubting of that it was not the perfect Ministry of Christ for many years before not to be of Christ nor sent of him nor having the Commission power and Authority of Christ as his Ministry had in the dayes of the true Churches but in all things as in Call practice maintenance and in every thing else in fruits and effects we found it disagree and be wholly contrary to the true Minstry of Christ in the dayes of the Apostles and likewise we truely beheld it to be in Call practice and maintenance and all things the very same in fruits and effects with the false Ministry and false Prophets and false Apostles and deceivers of old and this I do testifie and am able to prove in the spirit and Authority of the Lord that the publike Ministry as now it stands generally is wholly degenerated from what the true Ministry of Christ once was and differeth and is contrary in all things to what Christs Ministers were and agreeth and is equal in all things with what the false prophets
fully desires we might be brought to the Barr of true Justice together and in every particular of Principles and practices examined and tryed to the full and each of us judged in truth and equity whither it be they or us that are of the true Religion and true faith and true worship of God that the Apostles were in and which of us it is that are in a wrong way and in a false Religion and false faith and worship and in this we will joyn issue with them in the sight of the whole Nation if they will come forth to triall if what already is brought forth by them against us and by us against them for this seven years in disputes and in printing and otherwise be not sufficient for all people to try us in and judge us by whether they or we be in the right and whether in the wrong And now to all people in the Nation I do appeal to that of God in all their consciences to judge between the Priests and Professors and all the Sects and us ye have heard their Doctrines and ye have heard something of ours ye have seen their conversation and ye have seen something of ours ye have heard them long and something of us ye have heard for a little season and now give your evidence is it not with them as we have said are not your Priests in the steps of the false prophets and of the deceivers and do not they seek for their gain from their quarter as they did that Isaiah cryed against do not they Preach for hire and Divine for money as they did which Micah cryed against are not they such by whom you have not been profited as Jeremiah cryed against let that of God in you answer to these things and are they not proud men and covetous men and envious men and heady high-minded men and given to filthy lucre and are they not such as through covetousnesse makes merchandize of souls and that by good words and fair speeches deceives the hearts of the simple such as Paul and Peter declares against And are they not such as the true Prophets Christ and his Apostles cried against and doe they not bring forth the same fruits as did the false Prophets and fâ—lse Apostles I leave it to your consciences to be the judge compare them and lay them to the line of true judgement if you shut not your eyes you may see it is thus and have we charged them falsly or have not we spoken the truth concerning them we have said they are false ministers and deceivers and not true Ministers of Christ and is it not so let the light in your consciences answer we have said they have run and never was sent and that they have not profited the people at all and is it not so to the witness of God in you I do appeal and let that justifie that we have spoken nothing but the truth examine and try in all things that we have charged them with and are they not guilty in all things that we have charged upon them let the witness of God in you testifie to this and what do you judge of them are they not of that stock which Christ said should come and should be wolves in sheepes cloathing and should deceive many and which John saw was come in his dayes and which the world went after and the whole world run after them are not they in the nature of wolves devouring and tearing the Lambs of Christ and do they not tear people by causing their bodies to be imprisoned and their goods to be spoiled and do they not deceive many and yet they have the sheepes cloathing the Saints words and their practices but inwardly are they not ravening and doth not the world go after them and hath not the world run after them for many ages and is it not thus with them And have they received the gift of the holy Ghost or are they not made Ministers by the will of man and not by the will of God do they not differ and are contrary in call in practice in maintenance and in fruits and effects to the true Ministers and true Apostles and do they not agree and are they not according to the false Prophets and false Ministers and deceivers in their call practice maintenance fruits and effects search the Scriptures and lay them to that line and then let the witness in your consciences judge and answer and do not they prepare War against such as doth not put into their mouths and do not they feed with the fat and cloath with the wool do not they oppresse the Nation and the Creation and are not they such whose Call and practices and maintenance and whole Ministry hath a dependance upon Popery and doth it not all savour of Popery and in the main and Principal parts thereof were ordained by the Pope this may be fully made manifest And are not all Professors and Sects of people such as have the form but are without the power of godliness are not people still covetous and earthly minded and given to the world and proud and vain even such as professe Religion and to a seperated people is not Professors as covetous and proud as such as doth not professe and are not they given to the world and doth it not shew that they are unchanged nor translated but death Reigns among them and is it not manifest that they have taken up the form of the Apostles and Christs words and practices and are without the life and not guided by the spirit of Christ and the Apostles in their praying and Preaching and are not your souls lean and starved to the witness of God in you all I speak which may testifie that many people have a shew of Religion without life and therefore have not we spoken the truth of them in what we have said in the day of Judgement you shall answer it And as concerning the Quakers what do you say of them you have seen their conversation few Towns but some of them have been and are amongst you do not they fear God and do not they walk justly and truly among their neighbours and speakes the truth and doth the truth in all things doing to all no otherwise then they would be done unto and are they not meek and humble and sober and do not they take much wrong rather then give wrong to any and are they not such as delights in the ways of the Lord and do not they deny the world and its pleasures and forsakes all iniquity more then your selves and do not they take up the daily Crosse of Christ to all its wayes and earthly glories and do not they Preach in the power of God and reacheth to your consciences when you hear them and doth not the light in you answer that they speak the truth and is not their Call and practice and maintenance the same as was the Apostles and faithful Ministers compare them with the
nor imprison persons nor stock and whip creatures and make them to suffer but let us thresh deceit and whip and beat that and all false opinions let us throw them down where they are found whether in them or in us and let us fight with the weapons of the spirit that are spiritual let them sight no longer with such cruel carnal weapons and then let such as get the victory and overcomes appear to be in the truth of the Church and such as falls and is overcome be manifest to be in the error and of the false Church and Religion and let us love one anothers persons and let them act no otherwise towards our persons then we do upon theirs and towards them and let them take the liberty to deal with us and our persons as we deale with them and their persons and no otherwise And let such whether them or us that cannot prove ourselves to be the true Church of Christ nor of the true worship and true Religion nor in the truth but is found to be in the error and out of the truth let such deny their worship and Church and renounce all their Religion and confesse to all the world under their hands that they are and have been deceived and for ever hereafter stop their mouthes and never professe nor practice any more what they have done in such Religion And freely upon these Issues and conditions we will joine trial with them let them appoint time place and profer terms at their own pleasure and then to all the world it shall be manifest and to all people discovered whether we have not good ground and sufficient reason to war against these Priests and it may perfectly appear that what we have said and written against them these divers yeares have been upon a good foundation and we have had sufficient cause to speak and write against them as we have done and none thenceforth shall have cause to say or doubt that what we have spoken and written against them hath been out of malice or envy and without cause and good reason but on the contrary all shall know the ground of quarrel is sufficient and full of equity on our part And upon these or any equal tearms and conditions would we and are we willing to engage with these Priests and all or any one of these Sects in a lawful tryal in disputes or writings for the tryal and searching out of the truth and the true Religion And were it not equal reasonable that we had the same liberty among all these Priests and in their Church and Assemblies freely to declare our minds and to let forth our selves in what we hold and profess without being violently haled and beat and whipped and sent to prison as we have been this many years which liberty we do freely grant and allow among us to all to query or declare what is upon them without such violent dealing or whipping or sending them to prisons and houses of correction and the same and no other do we desire of others in this particular of freedom to declare the truth and what we hold then what we do and would allow to others and that no weapon be used by them against us nor dealing towards us but the weapons of the spirit the best they have or can bring forth against us and let them let creatures alone and not hurt nor do violence to them and no other weapons shall we use against them nor deal with them by any other thing but the weapons of the Spirit of God which is powerful and will bring down strong holds and as for creatures we shall not hurt nor do violence nor imprison them and whose weapons are the strongest let such overcome And such as are overcome is not the true Church for the true Church of Christ which is builded upon the Rock the gates of hell cannot prevail against and who doth overcome with such let it be manifest that God of a truth is with them and let them all cease to defend their Church and Ministry and Religion with prisons and whips and houses of correction for by such things was never the true Church Ministry and Religion defended but onely the power and Authority of God preserved them and resisted all their enemies and so it is at this day and let all cease to cry deceivers and being afraid to be deceived for if they be the true Church all or any of these Sects and Professions of Religions then if we be deceivers and come among them they cannot be deceived if they be in the election for no deceivers nor the gates of hell cannot prevail against the true Church of Christ nor against them that are elect which the Devil hath nothing in And if we be the true Church of Christ and in the election then if all the deceivers upon earth come among us they cannot prevail against us nor deceive us for the elect cannot be deceived and upon these tearms we may engage with any people and Sect upon earth therefore come to this and joyn with us take you the liberty to declare in soberness what you own and profess you shall not be persecuted nor your bodies nor persons harmed by violence and let us have that liberty to deelare in meekness and soberness and in Gods Authority amongst you what we hold and professe and let us not be persecuted and dealt violently withall and then let it appear whether we or our enemies hath a greater testimony and more powerful in the hearts of people And were not this a way full of equity for the tryal of all things But doing contrary as you have done these many years against us by violence and whipping and persecuting it shewes you have not the spirituall weapons nor the Authority of God with you nor among you and that is the cause of running to Magistrates and putting in Goals and whippings and all violence because the Authority of Gods spirit is wanting amongst you which all the false Sects and false Churches since the dayes of the Apostles have wanted to defend themselves and resist their enemies and so all sects have been fighting one with another and killing persons and creatures and defended themselves by prisons and inquisitions and destroying of lives and all this have been out of the power of God and not in it but by the power of the Dragon and of the Beast who hath caused all to worship and them that would not he hath had power to kill and hath killed them by fires and tortures and cruel deaths and all these have lost the spiritual weapons and been without the power and Spirit of God And what a Church is this of yours which hath need to be defended by Goals and prisons and whips and stocks and violent dealing this Church is not the Church of Christ for the power and Spirit of God defends her alwayes and not inquisitions and prisons and whips these are Cains weapons and
Christ and the Apostles and the Scriptures are owned by them in scorn called Quakers and the light it speaks of who out of the apostacy are come and so from among the apostates And as for the lyes and slanders in his Book that are not worth mentioning but they shall turn upon his own head whose immodesty hath discovered them Pr. In his Preface to the Reader He saith It is an expression of a darke deluded minde to say that God is not distinguished from the Saints Ans But God and Christ is in the Saints and dwell in them and walk in them and he is a Reprobate and out of the Apostles doctrine Pr He saith We have broken the everlasting Covenant of God Answ Because we own the teaching of God by his spirit and the light which doth enlighten every one that that cometh into the world which is the covenant of God Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the rule of life See page 4. Answ Contrary to Christ who said the spirit should lead them into all truth And they that are the sons of God are led by the spirit of God And the Churches was to hear what the spirit saith for the spirit led them to speak forth Scripture Pr. Again he saith It is a contradiction and a confused sencelesse thing to preach the word of faith in the mouth and in the heart see page 6. Again he saith Most senseless is this profession of Christ in the mouth and believing in him with the heart God that made all things These are his words page 8. Ans It is not a senselesse profession to preach the word of Faith in the heart and in the mouth and to say God will dwell in you and the word is in the heart and in the mouth The word is God and thou art senselesse and fallen in confusion in the contradiction out of the Apostles doctrine and the Apostle saith Christ in you and with the mouth confession is made to salvation Pr. And he calls it a Notion to say that Christ lighteth all and therefore the light is Christ. Ans So here he is kicking and spurning against the light Christ that lighteth every man that cometh into the world which is the Rock the foundation of God the corner-stone which is fallen upon thy head and all be in the notion that be out of it Pr. He scoffs at the Quakers because they say they have the word of God in them Ans Christ his name is called the word of God Pr. He saith God blessing or blasting his owne Word to some according to the different ends intended by himselfe see page 9. Ans Now the Word of God is not blasted God never blasts his own Word but it is they that are blasted that disobey the Word For the Word of God doth its service and accomplisheth the end which it goeth forth for and doth not return in vain And it is the sword of the spirit and that is not blasted It is a hammer and a fire and it lives and doth endure for ever So thou art blasted who saith the Word of God he blasts and art to be cut down by the word of God for thy blasphemy Pr. He saith the Quakers are deceivers because we say that Christ is not in outward observations and formes And John Bunyan saith that he is distinct from the Saints and would have him in the forms c. see page 13. Ans And we say he hath triumphed over the Ordinances and blotted them out and they are not to be touched and the Saints have Christ in them who is the end of outward forms and thou art deceived who thinks to finde the living among the dead and Bunyan is deceived who said he is distinct from the Saints and so you are a company of pittiful Teachers Pr. He saith Every true Christian doth believe that the holy Scriptures alone is to be the object of faith c. page 17. Ans So he hath thrown out God the giver of it and Christ the Author of it for many have the Scriptures and deny Christ the Author of faith and object Pr. He asketh Did you ever read of law and testimony in the heart c see page 18. Ans Yea God saith I will write my law in their hearts The law was in Davids heart the law was in the Apostles heart The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy and that is in the heart See Heb. 8. Rev. Pr. He saith The covenant of God is not to all in the Church of Christ see page 19. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures for where the Church is there is the Covenant the head Christ Jesus And God saith I will give him for a covenant to the Gentiles those are the heathen And I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah and these are called the people of God And therefore thou art in the fall in ignorance and a man without understanding and affirms thou dost not know what and silence would become thee better then to publish thy shame in print for they are not in the Church of God that be not in the covenant of God Pr. And he saith The Scriptures is the sure and perfect rule page 20. Ans And the Scripture saith Christ is the Bishop of the soule and God hath all souls in his hand And many have Scriptures but their soules the Bishop of them they know not but they remain in death and the life they want that gave it forth and so are all on heaps about the Scripture one with another and calling them the rule and the spirit And the spirit of God that led them forth to speak forth the Scripture was the rule to the Saints and holy men of God but they that be in the transgression will kill one another about their words and the spirit leads to see them again and brings them into unity with them and God Pr. He saith It is blasphemy to say that Christ is in them as God and man c. see page 23. Ans How are they of his flesh and bone And doth not the Scripture say Christ in you and God will dwell in you and walk in you And are not the Saints of his flesh and of his bone And are they not partakers of the divine nature Pr. He saith It is a fancy to say the eternall word of God is in them see page 26. Ans Thou art in the fancy that the eternal word is not in and witnessed and under the fire and sword and hammer to be hammered down And so art corrected by the Apostle who saith Let the word of God dwell in you richly The ingrafted word which is able to save your souls and immortal word which is immortal Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the only rule of knowing God c. See page 26. Ans Christ saith none knoweth the father but the Son who spoke among them that had the Scripture and so he
every man that cometh into the world is to bring them from the Mediator and to draw men from eying his death resurrection and intercession c. as these men say see page 7. Ans Here they are corrected for none knows these things but who come to the light Christ who hath enlightned them for with the light they see their Mediator and see his death and resurrection And they that come not to the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world may speak of these things but cannot know them the witnesse in the conscience shall answer in all men for the light that shines in the heart gives them the knowledge of them of the Mediator death and resurrection of Christ And they say not every man in the world is enlightned and John saith every man is and so here their spirits are corrected again And I will give him for a covenant to the Gentiles and for a new covenant to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah And they bring these words Christ in you the hope of glory to oppose Johns words Pr. You say none comes to God but by Christ and yet doth not own him that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world Ans And so are not like ever to come to him though you may talk of him in words as the Pharisees and Devils did as all the apostate Christians doth now and yet not own his light with it you are all to be condemned Ministers of Satan which are out of the light Pr. And you say Far be it from you to say that Christ is equally God c. See page 8. Ans And the Scriptures saith He is the everlasting Father and his name is called the Emanuel God with us and his name is called the word which is God John 1. Pr. And ye say Whereby man sees the God-head of God but nothing of the mystery of the Father and Christ as Mediator See page 9. Ans Can man see the god-head of God and nothing of the mystery of the Father and Christ the Mediator Doth not he that knows the Son know the Father also And hath not he that hath seen God seen the Son Is not the Son in the Father Here your spirits are corrected For the light that enlightens every man that comes into the world le ts see the one le ts see the other Pr. You say For a man to say the light Christ which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world is pure and justifies them that obey it he justifies that which God condemns c. See page 9. Ans As you say who are with it condemned for the light is that which doth condemn and justifie both and God doth not condemn it for it brings into unity with him and peace and all be condemn'd that be out of it and none be justified but them that be in it Christ that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which is the justification of life to every one that believeth in it and every man receiving the light receives his justification and hating of it receives his condemnation to death Pr. Again Ye conclude the light of Christ is not pure before faith See page 9. Ans So have concluded you seven Joseph Kellet John Pomroy Paul Glisson Christopher Feak John Simpson George Cocken Lawrence Wise that ye never knew Law nor Gospel nor Faith from Christ nor God For the law is light saith Solomon Prov. 6. and that is the Schoolmaster untill faith And the Law of God is pure and the Law is just holy and good and perfect and what is just holy and good is pure And this ye seven have concluded not pure the light in the conscience before faith And the Law is the Light and Schoolmaster untill faith And the Light is given to every man to believe and while ye have the light believe in it And so men have this light before they believe in it and are children And this ye conclude is not pure so goes about to take away that men should believe in they having the Light and then afterwards to believe in it and with that they see the Author of their faith Christ Jesus from whence it comes and so would destroy the foundation of God the Prophets and Apostles which standeth sure and so are yee found in the spirit of errour and corrected knowing neither law nor faith Pr. Again they say the Light which is Christ with which every man is enlightned that cometh into the world withall they say doth not discover the sinne of unbeliefe See page 10. Ans And did not Christ marvell at their unbelief and see and discovered the unbelief of the Jewes of whose Father are ye And doth not Christ the Light which doth enlighten every man withal discover unbelief And doth not the unbelievers hate the light and know the light will reprove them which they should believe in that manifests their sin and yet you say doth not discover unbelief which is their condemnation not believing in it because their deeds be evill hating it Pr. And further ye say That the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world bringeth in a legal righteousnesse c. Ans Doth not the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world bring in the righteousnesse of God and is it not the righteousness of God So it corrects you that be in the legall righteousness and out of Christ which enlightneth nevery man that cometh into the world Pr. Again you say The righteousnesse performed by the grace of Christ the Gospel teacheth to deny it See page 10. Ans Now is there any righteousnesse wrought by the grace of Christ but what is by Christ who is the covenant of grace and the power of God which is the Gospel which lighteth every man that comes into the world Pr. They call it conscience or a natural light c. page 11. Answ Which light was before the word conscience was or a naturall light the Sun Moon and Stars either for all things that was made was made by it The natural light or made light are created lights He made the Sun the Moon and the Stars they were made And here is the naturall lights to the natural eye And the light that every man is enlightned with that cometh into the word was before these were made glorified with the Father before the world began and before the name Conscience was or things was made and then they was named and the light doth exercise the conscience towards God and towards man which light cometh from Christ the Author of faith which is held in the pure conscience who before the world began was glorified with the Father Pr. Again the light which cometh from Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which discovers the evill which will give thee power against it man walking in it and yet brings to the rest to the Father this they
See pag. 16. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who said the Light that shined in their hearts should give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and the Light within comes from the mystery and is of the mystery it self and le ts see the precious mystery which none knowes but with the Light within and so the God of the world hath blinded thy mind and hath shewed thy self that thou art of them that hates the Light and shewes that thou comes not to it for he that comes to it comes to the mystery for the least Light of Christ in man is of the mystery and comes from the mystery Pr. He saith to say Christ came to Redeem the Israel from the Law without to establish the work within and law in the conscience in obedience unto which men come to be Redeemed and the Law in the heart thus to say he saith is an errour c. See page 16. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who Preached the redemption established the Law in the heart and Christ within who redeemes men from under the Law who is the end of it and the word of Faith in the heart and they that have not this be in the errour though they may talk of Christ Pr. He saith it is the Divinity of Sophisters and a blotting out of the glory of the grace of Christ to set forth Christ as a law-giver and worker in us c. See page 17. Ans Which I say none knowes him as a Mediator and a law-giver nor an offering nor his blood that cleanseth them but as they know him working in them and they be in the Sophistery of their Divinity that knowes not the glory of the grace of Christ working in them Pr. He saith a man shall not see himself dead and buried with Christ and raised up with Christ by any work or obedience to Christ within c. See page 18. Ans He that believes hath the witness in himself and there is the work within and that is the work of God and Faith is wrought within And this is contrary to self for over it it gives victory and teacheth to deny himself So see how thou confounds thy self and he that believes is past from death to life and they that are dead with Christ seekes those things that are from above Pr. He saith again the Light within is the spirit of the world c. See page 18. Ans Contrary to Johns doctrine who saith he was in the world and the world knew him not neither doth your spirits of the world know him now and the worlds Spirit knew him not and the world hates the Light and darkness cannot comprehend it though it shines in darkness And here thou art medling with things that are too heavy for thee and the corner stone falls a top of thee and the Light that enlighteneth every one that cometh into the world was before the spirit of the world was Pr. He saith that they that affirm the light in every man that condemnes for sin to he Christ the Redeemer have set up an Idol c. See page 19. Ans Doth not Christ say I am the Light of the world which is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world who is the Redeemer and the Salvation to the ends of the earth and he that receiveth it receiveth Christ And is not this it that brings off of all Idols And are not they setting up Idols that are from the Light And doth not Christ the Light come to condemn sin in the flesh and is that the Idoll How dare thou say so he was manifest in the flesh to condemn sin in the flesh and he saith I am the light and that is not an Idoll Pr. He saith Christ comes not down in spirit into our persons to redeem but to manifest the redemption and saith he cometh the second time without sinne unto salvation c. See page 21. Answ The Apostle bids them worke out their salvation with fear and trembling And Christ brings not peace on earth but a sword and judgment and comes to make blind who is the redemption and makes it manifest by his spirit and whose light doth condemn him that hates it for he will not have that which manifests salvation And whosoever knoweth redemption knoweth it to be manifest in him from Christ Pr. He saith They who had the light within and pierced into the invisible things and eternall power and God-head had but the wisdome of this world c. page 23. Ans And so he would make the light of Christ the wisdome of this world which light cometh from Christ the wisdome of God the wisdome of the world cannot pierce into the eternall power and God-head Pr. He saith The light within denies all things that God hath done for us in Christ which hath no glory but spreads a veil over c. page 25. Ans Which none knows what God hath done for us nor sees the glory in Christ but by the light which comes from him who works all both in us and for us according to his good will and pleasure and brings not to deny what God worketh in us and they nullifie it that are against his light and are against his glorious person for the light that 's within le ts see his glory Pr. He saith Obedience to the light within is another atonement and a denying the atonement of Christ and calls it a mystery of iniquity See page 28. Answ VVhich none knows the attonement of Christ but by the light within and all be in the mystery of iniquity that be out of the Light which cometh from Christ the covenant of God to Jewes and Gentiles and that gives them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus Mark he saith the light is that which gives the knowledge and the Light within doth not set up another atonement but they do that do deny the light within set up another atonement then Christ Pr. He saith To obey the Law within which we say is the law of the spirit of life which makes free from sin and death in this he saith we agree with the Papists and Pagans See page 30. Answ Now in this thou may see where thou art out of the Apostles doctrine And neither thee nor the Papists nor Pagans own us in this that we should be made free from the Law of sin and death while we be upon the earth And here the blood of Jesus is witnessed and the attonement and the Father and the Son and this is all seen with the Light within Pr. He saiâ—h He began by faith to behold the love joy and redemption prepared for him before any evill or good was done by him c. page 37. Answ Dost not thou say thou beheld it by faith And now is not the work good to behold by faith And doth not that give victory over the evill And doth not
of Harlots And so they served their bellies when they went from the immediate teaching into the strong delusion as since the dayes of the Apostles it hath discoverâ—d it How are people all on heaps out of the life and spirit and power of God And so all that perish in the deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse they are from the light which Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world withall for none perisheth who be in the Light And the Saints witnessed they were risen with Christ and them that were risen sought the things that were above and not the things upon the earth And they that know the first Resurrection and are in it are blessed the second death hath no power on them and they are a top of Adam and they are in Christ the resurrection and the life And such as be in the first Adam drove from God and loveth to live in the Fall looks not after the first Resurrection neither desire to come into it Pr. He saith The glorious bringing down of the Kingdome and glory is yet to be waited for even by the Disciples all the time of this mortality page 54. All believers are personally from Christ in their mortall bodies and none of the Fathers saw the day of Christ as actually revealed accomplished in their time Ans He that believes is born of God and overcomes the world and abides in the doctrine of Christ and hath the Son and the Father and the spirit of Christ the life of Christ in the mortall flesh And the Kingdome of heaven Christ said was in the Pharisees and the Saints comes to and possesseth the Kingdome And the Kingdome of heaven is within them is in righteousnesse in peace in joy in the holy Ghost and in power and they were changed from glory to glory and they rejoyced with joy unspeakable and full of glory and that was in the Kingdome and this was while they were upon the earth And Enoch and Abraham saw the day of Christ and David saw the betrayer and whose feet should be snared whose eyes should be blinded and whose back should bow down and he saw Judas that betrayed Christ And Isaiah saw the suffering of Christ and how God laid the iniquity upon him And Isaiah saw his name and made his soule an offering for sin And Daniel said the Messiah should be cut off but not for himselfe which the Apostles witnessed fulfilled Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the power of God unto salvation page 59. Answ Many may have the forme but deny the power of God which is the Gospell And the Letter doth not give life neither is it the power of God unto salvation Pr. He saith That Christ is distinct from every one of us and without us in our particular persons page 61. Answ The Apostle said Christ was in them except they were reprobates and they were of his flesh and of his bone and they eate his flesh and drank his blood then it was within them and he is distinct from none but Reprobates who hates the Light Pr. Nor are we to wait for a further Revelation to us to be given forth then the Scriptures For the Word of GOD came not first to the Gentiles immediately but to the Apostles page 77. Answ The Apostles that preached the Word of God it was immediate to whomsoever they preached it for they had received it immediately For the Word it selfe is immediate for it is the savour of death to the death and of life to the life and none knows the Scriptures but by the spirit that doth reveal them So all that witnesse the spirit of God witnesse the Revelation and the revealing of the Scriptures to them by it and the things of God layd up for them that love God which the eye hath not seen which the eye may see the Scriptures outwardly And none knows the Son of God neither knows any man the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveales him And so people may have the Scriptures but not the revâ—lation of the Son of God by them For the Pharisees had the Scriptures but not the thing they testified of Pr. He saith The Scriptures are the Word of God and the key of knowledge page 79. and the opening of all things contained in the Scriptures Answ The Scriptures are the words of God and that is his Word who fulfils them Christ Jesus whose name is called the Word of God And that which opens the Scriptures is the spirit that gave them forth that is the key of David who in the light saw more light For the Pharisees who crucified Christ had that which testified of Christ the Scriptures And you that be in the apostacy since the days of the Apostles but ye want the key and have taken away the key of knowledge And all that dwells upon the earth that stops their eares and closeth their eyes against that of God in them that doth deny the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world wants the key of knowledge Pr. He saith He gives gifts unto men for the work of the Ministery some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ untill all come into the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man Page 81. Answ And yet he said before Perfection was a devillish Doctrine and a fancy so out of this work and this Ministry thou hast thrown thy self For this work and this Ministery hath been lost since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy but now is appearing in the end of Babylon the knowledge of the Son of God people are coming to and the unity of the faith from among the Apostates who have had the sheeps cloathing but all on heaps about it being ravened from the spirit of God inwardly Among whom the Proclamation hath been in the Steeple-houses and Pulpits in Markets Towns Disputes No perfection no overcoming of sin Perfection is a Doctrine of Devils a devillish Doctrine and a fancy c. And this hath been proclaimed among the Apostates in the apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles by the Beasts authority under Satans power the deceiver of the Nations where the mother of Harlots is But I will reward her double and shall take the Devill and with him the Beast and false Prophet and cast them alive into the fire Rejoyce ye holy Prophets over her and Saints who are come into the unity of the Faith and to a perfect man and to the knowledge of the Son of God And the everlasting Gospel shall be preached to them that dwell upon the earth and God shall be feared and glory given to him And none comes to the knowledge of the Son of God the salvation to the ends of the earth the Covenant of Jewes and Gentiles untill they come into the light which Christ doth enlighten every one withall that
the Father is one the Father is in him and he is in the Father and the Father and the Son dwells in the Saints who are out of the transgression of his Doctrine and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life and he that hath the Son of God hath life eternall really in possession and such perverts not the right way of the Lord but such as have not the Son of God they are all in the first Adam in the crooked wayes and crooked by-paths in the world nâ— witnessing life but standing against the Light which shineth in the Darknesse which their darknesse cannot comprehend which are all the inwardly raveners since the dayes of the Apostles among whom hath been the apostacy and the Apostates from wâ—om the light of life hath been hid But he that followeth the Light he cometh to have the light of life And he that receiveth the light receiveth life eternall and to receive the Son of God And he that receiveth the Son of God hath eternall life in substance and possession Prin. He saith Death which hath passed over all men is not a spirituall Death page 51. Answ Thou and all you shall feel it as a spiritual Death before ye know life and immortality come to light and the spirituall wickedness wrestled against whose weapons are spirituall and not carnall that wrestles not against flesh and blood but spirituall wickeâ—nesses in high places And that is it which causeth the life of all creatures to groan and oppresseth it whereby life and immortality is hid from the eyes and the power transgressed whereby the spirit and soule of man must be sanctified before he witnesse thorow purification before he come from under the death and spirituall wickednesses For sin brings death and that is the spirituall wickednesses that is to be wrestled against and transgressing the pure Law of God the commands of God brings death And so he entertains the spirituall wickednesse which brings death upon his life so comes oppression on his body and on his spirit and his soule burthened and wearyed and unsanctified and polluted which Christ gives rest to who is the Sanctification and Redemption and Justification which the Law goes upon man agreeable to that of God in him but Christs body makes free from the Law and redeemes from under it So as the power of God the Gospel is known and Christ known the creature comes from under the bondage of corruption and life and immortality comes to the light through the Gospell whereby the death is known which who believes shall never dye and the life is known which shall never dye Pr. The Quakers deny Water-baptisme and slight it and call it a carnall thing Answ Outward water is not spirituall but it is a carnall thing as it is in it selfe and it is the spirit alone that baptizeth into the body which brings off of things that are seen which are temporall as the Apostle said while we look not at things that are seen for the things that are seen are temporall c. and water is seen Pr. He saith False Prophets and Antichrists should come in sheeps cloathing Answ These Christ said should come to his Apostles And before the Apostles decease they saw they were come And the Apostles saw before their decease the Devill transform himselfe into an Angell of light and Satans Messengers and Ministers come up such as had a feigned humility and will-worship got up and the abstaining from meats neglecting the body and such as Jannes and Jambres that crept into houses which had the sheeps cloathing the form of godlinesse and such were the seducing spirits the doctrine of Devills which ran into the strange delusions bringing in the damnable heresies which went in Cains Cores and Balaams way and they saw the coming of the man of sin and the Apostles all saw by the spirit of God before their decease which Christ said should come which inwardly ravened which since the dayes of the Apostles the world hath gone after them All this which Christ said should come which the Apostles saw was come and coming before the coming of the just One But the Just One now is come who hath revealed it the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Cain Core Balaam false Prophets Antichrists such as goes into strong delusions and brings in the damnable heresies and forbidding the eating of meats and Marriage these all inwardly ravened anâ— these all have been up since the dayes of the Apostles and these have been covered with the sheeps cloathing and the false Prophets and Antichrists they inwardly ravened and the Devill the man of sin he went out of the Truth and abode not in it which Truth which he went out of all they that have the sheeps cloathing and he and they all can get Scriptures but inwardly ravened and gone from the spirit of Truth in their own particulars such are the destroyers of the creatures and of the Creation But with that which they all ravened from are they all manifest and discovered which to that are now people come and coming which these inwardly raveners have had the sheeps cloathing which have been the Beast and false Prophets Devills messengers and Ministers out of the truth which have reigned since the dayes of the Apostles having had the sheeps cloathing which have long deceived the Nations But now the Devill Beast Antichrist and false Prophets are all discovered with the light and life which they all went from and the truth And the place is seen where there is no Curse and the Beast and the false Prophet is taken that they shall deceive the Nations no longer and is cast into the lake of fire under whose dominion thou art whose words shall be thy burthen Pr. He saith Let us minde the Law and Testimony Answ Then ye must all minde the Light for the law is light saith Solomon then ye must all minde the spirit for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy which many may have the Old and New Testament yet be from the Law and Testimony for the Law and Testimony was before Matthew Marke Luke John the Acts Epistles and Revelations was written as in the 8. of Isaiah which the Prophet minded And they that say the Old and new Testament is it shews themselves to be ignorant of the spirit and ignorant of the Law and Testimony And the Law and Testimony doth not deny the Scriptures but owns them in their place and sees the fulfilling of them with the Testimony of Jesus they see Jesus who was afore Scripture was and comes to fulfill it William Jefferies his Booke called ANTICHRIST made known In which these PRINCIPLES are following c. Pr. HE saith Men are mistaken in saying the Romish Whore of Babylon is Anti-christ And the chiefe City of this great Whore the mother of Harlots is the City of Rome the Pope Cardinals Bishops and Clergy And the spirit of Antichrist denies
the Father of spirits So who have not it the spirit have but Letters and are Ministers of the Letters and not of the Spirit And the Kingdome of heaven is within you saith Christ in Luke 17. to the Pharisees and thou saith with or among them And I say that is the Kingdome within them which never consented to sin and in you all which one day ye shall witnesse which the gazer and observer abroad his eye and eare is closed and stopt too which he must come to before he be as a little child and know the leven that levens up the new lump and knows the Kingdom which is like unto a grain of mustard-seed and where the diligent waiting is the soule comes to live and the everlasting Covenant felt And thou that brings souls to be prepared for death thou art more like to do that then to present them to God a slayer and executioner so not a servant to the Bishop of soules where the soule liveth and rejoyceth and comes out of death and magnifies God the Saviour And so all the Ministers of Christ their work is to prepare souls out of death for life Pr. He saith The Bible is the soules physick And people must depend upon the spirits speaking in the Scriptures He saith the person of Christ is not his man-hood and the naturall light the Quakers call Christ within and nature grace And he saith The body of sinne is in the believer till he lay down the body Epistle Answ The souls refreshment is Christ and Physitian Christ Many may have the Bible and not know it and the Scriptures as the Pharisees had The soules Physitian is that which the Scriptures speaks of which many may have the words the Bible and yet have not the thing it speaks of and they that have the thing it speaks of have both And many holy men had their souls Physitian before the Scriptures was written and printed and they that had the spirit that gave forth Scriptures they had the souls Physick and they know all the springs is in God and the Lord who in his hand was the souls And such as are in the spirit they depend upon that and they come to see the Scriptures by the spirit given forth from it and such comes into the unity of the spirit and the light which is Christ within by which all things was made and created was before the naturall Lights was and Nature For all the Naturalls that was made was made by the Light Christ Jesus the wisdome who is the wisdome of God by which all things was made with which wisdome we see over the naturall Lights and over Nature And the grace that comes from the Throne that brings salvation which is the Saints Teacher teacheth not to call Nature grace And he that believeth is borne of God and he overcometh the world and entereth into his rest and shall never dye And he that believeth hath victory yea while he is upon the earth he cometh to witnesse the Circumcision that puts off the body of sin and makes free from it which the synagogue of Satan cannot witnesse Pr. He saith The Scriptures are the Word of God page 4. And the Spirit is given by the Letter And he saith the spirit proceeds from that which is put within the Book or Bible page 5. And I judge them that pretend the spirit without the Scriptures And the Scripture is a more sure rule then visions and revelations pag. 7. And God that gave the letter gives the spirit with it and by it page 9. Answ God gave the spirit before he gave forth Scriptures And the Devill and wicked men may get Scriptures but they have not the spirit nor none have it but as they come to feel it given from God as it was given to them that gave forth Scriptures And so people are to finde the spirit of the Father speaking in them as it did in them that gave forth Scriptures then the spirit answers to the spirit that gave forth Scriptures then there is an unity with the words and with God of whom they learned which many may have the Bible and not know the spirit that spoke it forth but be erred from it And the Scriptures are the words of God of truth God spake all these words He that adds to these words the words of God is pure Christ is the Word his name is called the Word of God who was before the words were spoken forth who comes in the volume of the Booke to fulfill the words And the spirit was before the Scripture was given forth for it led them to speak it all forth the words of God as they had learned of God So the spirit comes not by the Letter but the Letter comes forth from the spirit And many had the Scriptures and knew not the Revelation and judged the Revelation of the Son of God and judged Christ who was come the end of the vision which was for an appointed time So therein thou hast concluded thy selfe to be among them that have the Scriptures and sets up that beyond the Revelation of the Son of God which is the end of Scriptures which none knows the father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him though they may have all the Scriptures And the things of God is revealed by the spirit of God Pr. And he saith The Scriptures is the rule and the guide of Saints And saith the old administration of the Covenant of grace is abolished page 13. He that understands Matth. 11.2 27. of immediate revelations onely shuts out all mediate revelation by the Scriptures and falsely accuseth the Lord of the Scripture page 14. And the Apostle saith not that the spirit reveals the deep things of God If we should deny the Scriptures to be the rule we should deny the Scriptures of God page 18. Answ The Saints rule was the spirit that gave forth Scriptures and the Word of God which fulfills the Scriptures without him they can do nothing if they have all Scriptures And the spirit of truth shall lead into all truth And none knows the Scriptures nor God nor can be a Minister of the spirit by a mediate Revelation but a Minister of the Letter for who are Ministers of the spirit are immediate and are in the immediate revelation of the Scriptures to them by the spirit that gave them forth and these ministers to the spirit and brings people to God the Father of spirits that they may know what to reveal to others they minister to And all they that have the Scriptures and not the spirit that gave them forth they are on heaps about words and wants the rule And the Covenant of grace which is the end of the old Covenant is witnessed and stablished and cannot be abolished which ends the decaying Covenant And as for abolishing the Covenant of grace thou dost not know what thou speaks of And the Apostle said the deep things of God was revealed
the word but the Scripture is the word and so these poor creatures erre not knowing the Scripture to speak in the singular number is non-sence and they that translated the words thee and thou might have translâ—ted them you Answ The spirit gave to speak the proper Language singular and plural and spake such words as cannot be condemned And if translators that be out of that translate the words given forth from the spirit into what form soever they will yet the spirit will finde it out and the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world by which all things were made made lights and created lights Christ Jesus the light whiâ—h doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world need not have these outward lights or discoveries they were all made by the light which light was before these were made and they which are come into the reconciliation with God are in perfection out of the imperfection from under the wrath and the Word reconciles hammers down cuts down and burns up that which is contrary and sanctifies and makes clean and Christ Jesuâ— his name is called the word of God the Scripture saith so and they say that the Scriptures are the words of God which in Christ the word which was before they were given forth comes to fulfill them and that which is imperfect is done away Pr. To say that God is substantially in man as Essentially one with him can be no other but the man of sin the Devil himself having transformed himself into an Angel of Light and if it were possihle would â—â—â—â—â—ve the very Elect. Answ The Scripture saith that God will dwell in man and walk in him and the Saints had unitie with the Father and the Son and all that hates the Light which Christ the Light hath enlightened them withall hath not the Father and the Son in such the man of sin reigns and in such the Devil may transform but the Elect he cannot deceive the Elect hath the victory and Dominion which were elected in him before the foundation of the world glory for ever and as for all the other words in thy book they are not worth mentioning they will be thy own burthen they will fall heavy upon thee in this day when thou shalt shalt give an accompt to God James Brown His Book called Antichrist in spirit His expressions and Principles as followeth Pr. THat the light in every man is a certain guide and rule in all things this is the means whereby Scriptures are slighted Answ No one knows nor owns the Scriptures but as the light of Christ that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world doth guide and teach them the light of Christ within which gives them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and Scriptures and to see the Scriptures and doth not slight them Pr. To witnesse God and Christs glorious resurrection and heaven and the happinesse of new Jerusalem this is lookt upon as an errour Answ Christ within who is the resurrection the glory the kingdome of heaven is there and David who witnessed him was in hell he was upon the earth too and he that witnessed the new Jerusalem and that happinesse was upon the earth And they that have all these words not possessing the life they have no comfort in what they speak nor in what they professe and the babes and the children that are free knows their mother that is from above Pr. If there be no outward meanes but light within what need of the Scriptures Answ The light Christ within was in the Saints before the Scriptures was given forth and that was it which was their guide to give forth the Scriptures wherein they walked and did not stumble and that is it which gives to see the Scriptures again to what condition they are spoken and the use of them Pr. The day is not yet dawned nor the day-star the bright and morning Answ The Apostle tells the Saints of the Day-star and they were children of the day and the night was over the true light shined and the darknesse past Though some indeed were not come to the day-star and the light shined in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not Where darknesse rules there be the works that are out of the light and among such as have apostatized since the dayes of the Apostles the day-star is not risen to them they see it not but amongst the children of light it is seen and they that see it not are comprehended The day-star is risen and they are children of the day Pr. And them that bring people to looke at the light within them are as Corah Dathan and Abiram Ans All that go from the light within them are as Corah Dathan and Abiram amongst the Lords Prophets exalting themselves and persecuting Pr. All men are not so taught of God as they shall be at Israels return Answ All men are taught of God that be in the Covenant whether Israel heare or not Pr. I know that many of the Quakers are temperate sober self-denying people but this is but the tything of hearbs Answ It was the Doctrine of the Apostle who preached Christ the end of tything and hearbs and self-denyall sobernesse temperance was not called the tything of hearbs for the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures brought to this Pr. And the light within is darkness and I never read of the Churches of the Saints that spoke by two Answ The Apostles doctrine to the Corinthians was that they might speak by two or three And the light within which is the light of Christ which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world the darknesse cannot comprehend it though it shine in it till it shine forth in the heart to give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Pr. And that the Kingdome that is in the Saints is in the Pharisees I deny Answ The same that is in the Saints is in the Pharisees in the measure though it be but as a grain of mustard-seed which is like to the leaven little Pr. The state of arising from sin to grace is never called a resurrection Answ They that arise from sin to grace out of the first Adam into the second Adam comes into the resurrection the second death shall have no power over them and the Saints comes to judge the world Pr. Such as trust to a light within them forsake the holy oyle the Lords spirit that speaks in the Scriptures Answ The Lords spirit spoke in them that gave forth the Scriptures who had the holy oyle the light within them And the spirit speaks not from the Scripture but by that which gave it forth which is the Author of it Pr. I deny that any have a light within them to attain to the measure of God and Christ as they that have the writings Ans None attains to the mystery of God but by the light
not the Apostles but rebuked such And so you are corrected by the Scriptures and you are judged with the life of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles and both Church and Ministers are departed from it The agreement and resolution of severall of the associated Ministers in the County of CORKE for the ordination of MINISTERS Their principles in it as followeth Pr. TO minister the spirit it is not promised to teach any thing but what Christ hath spoken John makes it an infallible tryall of spirits to convince gainsayers and stop their mouths Answ Many may have Christs words all that ever he hath spoken and if he hath not the spirit of Christ he is none of his And gainsayers may have Christs words that gainsays the spirit and the light that comes from them So the spirit tries spirits that gave forth Scriptures and lets men see whether they pervert Christs words for Christ saith the false Prophets would get the sheeps cloathing therefore could Antichrist and the false Prophets try spirits Nay they put them to death that were in the spirit they did that had the sheeps cloathing and the spirit of Christ who hath it can tell who wrongs Christs words And why did not the Ministers of Ireland which had Christs words Prophets Apostles stop the mouth of Edward Burrough and Francis Howgill but suffered them to be banished out of the Nation or caused them You looked upon them to be gainsayers which be the servants ot the Lord and yet you were not able to stop their mouths though you had all the sheeps cloathing neither were able to resist their spirit which shews your spirit And that you are not fit to send forth Ministers nor make Ministers nor try Ministers and the Apostle doth not say that the Letter is the onely rule or tryall but if people have not the spirit of Christ they are none of his and have not Christ in them they are reprobates And we do witnesse the spirit is come whereby we are Ministers of that not of the Letter For the spirit that once established Circumcision the same spirit ended it again Now the Jewes that tryed by the Letter judged the Apostle to be a deceiver And those that have the sheeps cloathing and have not the spirit of Christ Jesus they are crying loe he is here and loe he is there Pr. You tell us of a Sacrament and that the world lies in wickedness in grosse Aegyptian darknesse and false Apostles and Jezebel making her selfe a Prophetess to teach and seduce and men loving preheminence and to be called Masters Answ In this state you are called of men Masters loving preheminence Jezebel-like usurpt authority setting up your selves to teach keeping your fasts persecuting and banishing the righteous in the steps of the false Apostles spirituall Aegypt in grosse thick darknesse rejoycing with the world that lyes in wickednesse telling people of your Sacraments which you had from your Father the Pope and the false Apostles your fore-fathers who were got up before the Apostles decease and so you are judged with the life of the Apostles and Christ and them that be in it which shall answer the witnesse of God in you all And the wickednesse of the world declares your fruits that you have not profitted the people at all And your Iezebels doings hath declared it selfe and your loving preheminence being called of men masters which the Apostle judged and Christ cryed woe against These marks are found in your fore-heads that all may read you to be out of the life of Christ and the Apostles that can read Scripture Pr. Vnlesse some Preacher of righteousnesse be then living to warne the sinfull world of their wickednesse Answ Such as warne you and the sinfull world of their wickednesse who are the Preachers of righteousnes you banish there is your fruits Pr. The purest grain hath its chaffe the best needs a fan to cleanse them the best needs a Nathan all flesh is liable to flie-blows To runne without office and power argues presumption Ans The wheat that is gotten out of the chaffe hath not its chaffe that comes into his Garner And such as are cleansed need not the Fan to cleanse them Them that are borne of God they do not commit sinne for the seed of God remains in them that they cannot And all need not a Nathan all are not adulterers and the flesh of Christ is not fly-blown which sees not corruption And the Saints of Christ are of his flesh and his bone and you run without the power that the Apostles were in so you judge your selves to be the presumptuous ones Pr. The keep are apt to wander ordinary Ministers receive their Ministery from the Lord. Paul chosen immediately by God Stephen mediately Answ In the cloudy dark day the sheep wandered who were made a prey of by you who seek for the fleece Ezek. 34. But the Lord will seek them and gather them and feed them a top of the mountains And the sheep of Christ heares his voyce and follows him so saith Christ so they do not wander And they that receive their Ministery from the Lord are above all you ordinary Ministers of the world made by men And Paul was made immediately and all the Ministers of Christ and God that be in the spirit it makes them immediately But all you since the dayes of the Apostles that have got the sheeps cloathing and ravened from the spirit of God are mediate Pr. Such be in the selfe-conceit that are against Ordinances and Sabbaths Answ Every one that is in the spirit of Christ sees him who hath blotted out the hand writing of Ordinances and triumphed over them cannot touch them and such as are come to the body of Christ sees the end of new Moons and Sabbaths And such as be out of the body and doth not see that are crying up their Ordinances and Sabbath which the body of Christ comes to end who is the substance and end of them and before they were Now Antichrist cries up that which the Apostle preached down who be blinde and sees not the body and sets up Sabbaths of their own making and keeps Markets and Fayrs on that day which the Lord commanded and call it Saturns day which was the Iewes Sabbath which was given to them as a signe but the body is Christ Pr. Vice may be nourished with the milke of vertue the Gospell Ministers and we finde that the harvest is great and the labourers are few We conclude with a few words to the readers of our principles and intended practices Ans The Readers have viewed your practices and principles both and tell you that they are corrupt the milke of vertue doth not nourish vice This was not the Ministers of Christs language the milke of vertue nourisheth the babes and the Labourers that have been sent amongst you from the Lord God you have banished out of your Nation But if one come in his own name him you will
was to bring them in the end to work all manner of uncleanness I now judge they be carryed from one degree to another to act righteousness Answ Here thou confounds thy imagination and hath shewed thou hast followed thy own spirit and thy false prophesie is come to an end and proved thy self to be a dreamer for they are in the righteousness which comprehends thee Pr. Thou sayest The Lord doth not regain any of our age to walk so they that are called the Anibaptists and yet thou ownest them Answ Dost thou own that which the Lord doth not require and do they practise that which the Lord doth not require and so thou hast given Judgement upon tny self and them both Pr. I having also Communion with my former societie which is broken of through the mysterious working of Antichrist I would have spared my pen for a few lines but for the sake of a very few in the Nation and I have not time to write one line from first to last twice expect not from me an army of reasons and arguments Answ Thou hadst been better spared thy pen and tongue both then have written from that which thou hast written whose Communion is with the mysterious working of Antichrist and there is but a few in the Nation but will see thy work is but fuel for the fire and abundance of stuff thou hast in thy book which is not worth mentioning but will fall upon thy head In the day of thy judgement the witness shall answer Priest Tombes Baptist of Leo-Minster His Principles as FOLLOWETH Pr. THe words Joh. 1.9 enlighteneth every man are meant of a natural life or light Answ Christ that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world this light is not natural neither is he natural that is called the power of God who was before all natural light was made Sun Moon and Stars and so this light that doth enlighten every man that believes in it and is their condemnation that doth not believe in it that is above all natural for the light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the world is that all men might believe that is not natural life or light but of the Divine nature which is above nature for in him was life and the life was the light of men and is the salvation to the ends of the earth and in this thou hast shewed thy ignorance and dost not Preach that which people are to believe in Pr. Thou sayes the Ministers of Christ may seek what they shall have by the year and are not to go up and down to Towns and eat and drink what is set before them as those did Luke 10.7 Answ We do believe such Apostate Ministers from the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles as you are who have thrown aside the Doctrine of Christ trampled it under your feet and sees up your selves in great Benefices which lives in a Town doth not go up and down to eat and drink such things as are set before them but how are you then those that Christ said he would be with to the end of the world and how do you then observe all things that he hath commanded for lo I am with you to the end of the world and they were to observe all things that were commanded and how are you here out of Christs doctrine and are you not the wolves among the sheep with sheepes cloathing deceiving the world but not the sheep And how are you them that Christ said was to go into all nations and Io I am with you to the end of the world and this is not your work as you say and so judged out of the Apostles practices and Christs Doctrine Pr. Thou sayes That in the 1 Cor. 9.14 is meant of natural food which is to be obtained by civil Lawes and our declaring against such Shepherds as in Isai 56. doth not touch thee and that thou hast received the Gospel from the Epistles of Paul and that thou ownes not Revelations tremblings and quakings Answ The Saints did not by civil lawes or the Lawes of the Nation nor the Ministers of Christ get maintenance neither doth the Scripture then brings speak they did read it over again and let all sober people read it the Gospel thou hast received from the Epistles the Epistles doth not give thee the power of God and the Gospel is the power of God here thou hast shewed thy Ministry is of the Letter and of man and not from God for the Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes Preached to Abraham before the Epistles was written and that 's everlasting not received from Epistles and Paul an Apostle not of men nor by men but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ and thou that denyes Revelation denyes the Son of God and the grace that was brought by Revelation and denyes knowing the Father for none knowes the Father but whom the Son reveals him and thou hast denyed the â—ear of God and the Lords secrets for the secrets of the Lord are with them that fear â—im they are revealed to them and thou that denyes trembling and Quaking hath denyed thy salvation and the Apostles Doctrine and denyed thy self to be a Minister of Christ for the Apostle sayes work out your salvation with fear and trembling and thou that denyes trembling denyes salvation as is wrought out by it And Esa 56. doth judge thee for thou art one that seekes thy gain from thy Quarter a greedy dumb dog can never have enough as witness thy Eggs and how thou didst hale before the Justice for not paying of them Pr. Thou sayes Thou dost not uphold such as Mic. 3. speakes of Ans Art not thou one that Divines tor money and prophecies for money Preaches for money and if people will not put into thy mouth thou prepares War against them as I said before witness thy Eggs and give thee Eggs thou wilt say they are good Church-men and stop thy mouth with Eggs but if not thou hast them before Magistrates Pr. Thou sayes If any of the Church joyned to me leave me because I take maintenance it will be their sin Answ The true Prophets left the false prophets and the true Apostles did the false as taught for covetousness and means and declared against them and such as goes out from the spirit goes into the earth and such as comes to the spirit comes from the earth and teaching for gifts rewards and hire as thou Tombes dost upon whom is thy old garment Pr. Thou sayes Thou denies an absolute perfection of degrees in this life Ans In this thou hast denyed the work of the Ministry which is for the perfecting and doth none come to perfection in a degree of perfection doth none come to Christ who is perfect doth none come to the spirit who comes to the spirit comes to be perfect for who comes to the spirit and to Christ comes to that which is perfect
Matthew Markell and the rest of the Priests present with him did Excommunicate those people called Quakers in the prâ—â—ence of many witnesses and he required his hearers to say Amen to every particulâ—r sentence JOHN HVMES Priest Pr. THey who have not the Scriptures knowes not the Attributes of God by the light of nature but the Scriptures declare the great mystery of the three persons in Trinity which they who want the Scriptures knowes not Answ Thy Principle is a lie and who had not the Scriptures knew God and Christ as Abraham and Enoch and the Scripture doth not declare of the three persons nor of the Trinity and the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God Pr. That the Scriptures reveal the great mystery of Election the great works of the Creation and the work of Redemption Answ There thou hast set up the Scripture in stead of God and before God and the Son for it is God that doth reveal to babes and sucklings Mat. 11.25 and God did reveal by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.10 and God shall reveal Phil. 3.15 and the things of God are hid from the wise and prudent Mat. 11.25 that have the Scriptures the Jews had the Scriptures and God reveals his secrets to the Prophets his servants Amos 3.7 no man knows the Father saving to whom the Son shall reveal him Mat. 11.17 now the Son reveals and the Father reveals and the things of God are revealed by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.10 the Jewes had the Scriptures and knew not the Son 1 Cor. 2.8 nor the Father as in John nor the things of God by a natural light as they call it the Iews had the Scriptures and did not know the Election Isa 24. because they were from the Spirit So it is God that reveals the Son and Redemption and Election and not the Scripture the Scripture was given forth from them that had the Revelation from God Pr. That we and the Papists and Jesuites and Priests do agree all together that the Scripture is the word of God that liveth and endureth for ever Ans I do believe that you and the Papists and Jesuits agree all in one but ye did not agree with the Apostles and Ministers of the word for the Ministers of the word calls the Scripture a Declaration as ye may read Luke 1. and ye do not agree with them that set forth the Acts that called it a Treatise Acts 1. likewise ye do not agree with some of your own who say the Scriptures signifies writings and writings will not endure for ever so ye are Babylon and do not agree with Christ and ye do not agree with Iohn Rev. 22. who saith the words nor with Moses nor God who spake all these words Exod. 20. In the beginning was the word and the word is God and the word liveth and abideth for ever but the Scripture is words and the Scripture cannot be broken John Nasmith Priest of Hambleton his Principles Pr. THat the soul of man is a reasonable sinful substance Ans How can that which is sinful be reasonable and if that which is unsinful be reasonable and sinful be reasonable both then they are one in unity The Lord will take the soul for an offering for sin doth the Lord take that which is sinfull for an offering Isai 53. see how thou and the Prophet agrees here But what is that soul that the wicked is not able to kill is it not that which God hath in his hand and this is a lie to say that which is reasonable is sinful of one that puts light for darkness God breathed into man the breath of life and he became a living soul who hath all souls in his hand and the soul is immortal and Christ the Bishop of it is immortal and God hath it in his hand which goeth against him that doth evil whose hand is immortal but man transgressing the commands of God the soul lies in death so Christ is the Bishop of the souls so they that came to know Christ their souls rejoyced in God their Saviour Luke 1. Pr. That the evil Spirits are both sinfull and reasonable Answ This is a lie for reasonable is not sinful and unreasonable is sinful 2 Thes 3. they have not the faith and if the evil Spirit be reasonable and the good reasonable they are both one who then is unreasonable If the evil Spirit be reasonable thou puts no difference between the precious and the vile thou hast the Mark of a blinde guide and a false Prophet in thy forehead Pr. That one of them Quakers is worse then the Devil This is a lie with his strange wonder for there is nothing worse then the Devil whose children you are for when he speaks a lie he speaks of himself and he is the Father of it Henry Foreside Priest of Lingiah in Dunbarton-shire His Doctrine and PRINCIPLES Pr. THat God commands all every where to repent to the end that they should not have it to say but they were warned but not that he would give them grace to repent Ans Here thou makes God that he does not intend that he speaks and so thou would make him unrighteous though the Lord commands all men every where to repent Acts 17.30 who hath made all Nations of men of one blood to dwell upon the Earth and all being concluded under sin and unbelief that he might have mercy upon all Rom. 3.9 For both Jews and Gentiles all were under sin and none of them did good no not one And Gods intent is that when he calls men to repentance they should repent when he calls them and many did repent and you are not fit men to be Ministers of Christ or God Now if God command all men every where to Repent and as thou sayst does not intend they should Repent thou and you go about to make God unjust First the Lord he desireth not the death of a sinner but that he should turn from his wickedness and live Exod. 33.11 Now in the turning from his wickedness he lives but in going on in his wickedness he dies so Repentance was Preached from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 6.1 and Christ came to call sinners to Repentance not the righteous for the whole needs not the Physitian but the sick Mat. 9.12 13. And as for saying God did not intend to give them grace though he calls them to repentance That is a lie and unrighteous doctrine for the grace of God hath appeared to all men which brings Salvation Titus 2.11 and so as he calls them to repentance he gives them grace that grace which brings salvation which men are justified by so it is saving grace that brings salvation and teacheth to deny ungodlinesse Now they that live ungodly turns the grace of God into wantonnes Jud. 4. and these are the wells without water in Cains way Balaams way Cores way Jud. 11. speaks the high words in hypocrisie and these are
the deceivers of the Nations that say so Now are people but coming from them and now is the judgement of the great whore come and now is the vials of wrath to be powred upon her that hath corrupted the earth and now shall they go into captivity Rev 13. Rev. 1.4 and 18. And now shall people come to that which the false Prophets the beast and the Mother of Harlots went from all these heads and horns and Crowns will turn against others with their tongues Language and Babylon that hath been amongst them and now is the seed of God risen which overthrows all the excomunicators upon the earth both beast and false Prophets and Jews both which seed of God brings to see to the beginning Glory to the highest for ever and Jewes and Gentiles beasts and false Prophets and is at the top of them all and the corner stone is laid John Castairs and James Durram Priests of Glasgow when the Fast was appointed by the English they kept their Houses and caused their servants to work and took notice of all those that countenanced the English Fast and the first day they preached then after they said it was necessary that a day of Humiliation should be and that all people should be humbled for the powers they saw now ruling in the land for they were giving liberty and tolleration to all sects and blasphemies as Anabaptists Independants and said that the Baptists denyed all worship and Ordinances as they were and ought to be according to the Ecclesiastical Government which Government is the true hedge of the Church of Christ Lodowick Simerell Priest of Munkland he said before several persons that no true Justice had been or was since those enemies came to this Nation neither would be until the Lord remove them in his own time Henry Foreside Priest of Lenyey and if Paul had been alive he would have stoned the Quakers and it was Christian zeal to stone them and many friends are stoned and beat and blood is shed those that stoned the Apostles and Saints and haled them before jâ—dgement-seats and Magistrates and the chief Priests had a hand in putting Christ to death perswaded them so to do and the chief Priests had a hand in stoning of Stephen to death and the Priest had a hand in casting Jeremy into the dungeon and into the stocks and said he was worthy of death and the high Priest Ananias was examined of Paul and Peter and John was examined by the Priest was put out of the Temple by the Priests and Rulers charged no more to speak in that name and such were these who had a form of godliness but denyed the power and such ever stirred up the people to blood and tumults against the harmless and innocent in the truth Therefore come to the light you that have tasted of the power of the Lord God that with it you may see and judge how the Priests blinded the Magistrates by flattery and so truth came to be their enemies How do you receive strangers ye Presbyterians of Scotland and obey the commands of God and the Apostles commands which was be not forgetful to entertain strangers for some have entertained Angels unawares when as ye would have the servants of the Lord prisoned and stocked and stoned to death or their heads chopped off so you are them that be in Cains way vagabonds from the Spirit of God now a vagabond hath not a habitation in God but wanders from the witness of God in him like Cain who built a City and called it after his Sons name Heb. 13.2 Gen. 4. I am the light of the world that lighteth every one that cometh into the world saith Christ the Saviour of your souls every one going from the light ye be enlightned withall ye are vagabonds and have not a habitation in God and so goes into Cains way envious and would slay Balaams and Cores way which are with the light condemned and like unto those Jewes That haled out of the Synagogues That Christ spake of that goes in long Robes and are called of men Master but Christ saith be ye not called of men Master for one is your Master even Christ Mat. 23. Christ said they that went in long Robes loved the chiefest places in the assemblies should hale out of the Synagogues and they that do these things be gone from the light Joh. 3.19 Joh. 16.2 All this perswading of corrupt Magistrates to persecute them that reprove sin in the gates in the Steeple-houses streets and high wayes is because men have a selfish end and a private interest to themselves both professors of Scriptures and teachers and them that doth persecute hath a selfish honour and an interest to themselves and so the selfish Professors teachers Magistrates that persecutes for them they have a form of godliness but the witness lies slain in them and they matter not for that rising for in that rising all the deeds words and actions comes to light and then if the witness of God arise in them they will not be offended at such as reproves sin in their gates Markets Steeple-houses and Streets for all upon the earth while they are from the witness of God in them they are corrupted and they may get the form of godliness the form of Christs the Prophets and Apostles words and live out of the power and be in the Religion that is vain for none upon the earth comes to the power of godliness but first they must come to the witness of God in them and there is none upon the earth that ever comes to the first principle of the pure Religion but first they must come to the witness of God in them There 's none knows the Scriptures given forth from the power and Spirit of God which was in the Saints but first they are brought to the Spirit of God in their own perticulars Come all you officers and Souldiers now after ye have ease and have overcome your enemies without take heed least you sit down in your ease and fulness and fall down into the earth and flesh and feastings and fulness and pride and so corrupts the earth and your selves and not come down to the witness of God in you whereby the enemy of God and of your own souls might be slain that you might come to find rest and peace in God after your outward wars and so come to the inward wars which takes away the cause of the outward whereby you may all come into true understanding to answer that of God in every one for them that do evil act contrary that of God in them to such the sword is a terror and a praise to them that do well which is led by the Spirit of God up to God who is pure out of the evil and all Magistrates swords upon the earth should reach to that which is pure in every one to the soul so it takes away that which wars against it that breaks the outward so