the spirit of love is thy generation tried for when the servants of the Lord have been moved to come into your Synagogues some hast beene stockt and wounded and imprisoned and hailed out of your synagogues And is this the fruits of your spirit Que. Whether they be not seducers that draw people from the annointing which is in them and tell them they must be taught of a man whereas the anoynting teacheth them they need no man teach them but as the annointing teacheth them and the promise is to him that doth abide in it eternally Pr. Many false prophets are gone forth Rep. Here thou hast proved thy self to be a false prophet who denies immediate revelation for whom the Lord sent forth he spoke to them immediately which thou deniest and there thou art one of the false prophets which thou speakest of and knowes nothing of the annointing who deceives the simple and ignorant the world may wonder after such but who are in the light and receive any thing immediate will see thee in the dark to be a deceiver for none in thy generation can witness that you need no man teach you but the annointing for who doth are come out from your teaching and you both And as touching Sects them we deny as thou speakest in thy answer to the fifteenth querie therefore do we see thee with that which is no Sect to be colouring and deluding people telling them thy error is truth who quotes and misapplies the Scripture to maintain thy falshood Pr. The flesh is quickened with the spirit of life to bring forth some kind of fleshly fruits 1 King 8.46 Iohâ— 14.4 Prov. 20.9 1 Ioh. 1.8 10. Eccles. 7.22 Rep. Here I charge thee to be a lier and a blasphemer in the presence of the living God let all people read these scriptures and see if there be any such thing in them and whether thou hast not misapplied these scriptures when the spirit saith it crucifieth the deeds of the flesh and walking in the spirit the lusts of the flesh is not fulfilled and here I charge thee to be a lier and of the Devill who was a lier from the beginning and in his generation thou art Qu. 17. Whether they do not bewitch the people who withdraw them from the spirit within to observe the ordinances of the world and traditionâ— of men without as the Galatians were bewitched Gal. 3.1 Pr. I must tell you that there is not only a holy and good spirit within and that in too few but there 's also an evil and seducing spirit within and that in too many even the spirit that doth bewitch men and draw them aside from the doctrines and commands of the spirit of truth and to strive by all means to draw the people off from giving heed to seducing spirits it is not to observe the ordinances of the world and traditions of men as you pervert the text but to obey the command of Gods true spirit who foretelling of false prophets and false spirits often in the word commands exhorts and admonishes to beware of such not to give heed to such and not to believe every spirit but to trie them Rep. Here in this answer thy spirit is tried which I have given to all people to read with a single eye that all may see what confusion here is in it First thou sayest that the seducing spirit drawes from the seducing spirit and in the seducing spirit thou art and from the spirit of life with the spirit of life thou art judged to be out of the doctrine of Christ nor is not guided by the holy spirit Que. 18. Whether they be not seducers which tell people these are the ordinances of God which God never commanded as sprinkling infants telling people of a sacrament which there is no scripture for and draw them from the spirit within to follow your imaginations and inventions Pr. But for sprinkling infants I have already given you the grounds of it out of scripture Rep. Here again I charge thee in the presence of the living God to be a lyar there is not such a word in the scripture to bear it out nor a word of a sacrament which there is no scripture for let all read the scripture throughout and see if they can find such a word in the scripture so let all people judge thee to be a liar and a sâ—ducer and in the devils invention which calls that an ordinance of God which is invention and imagination Pr. We are not blind-folded to follow the dictates of the spirit within Rep. Here J charge thee in the presence of the Lord to be in the flesh and to follow the flesh for who are led by the spirit of God are the sons of God and thou that dost not follow the dictates of the spirit thou dost not follow the commands of God and what hast thou to do to talk of clearing it by the scripture when there is no scripture for it and when the scripture witnesses against the works of the flesh which thy spirit stirs up Quâ— Whether you have the same spirit which was in Christ the Apostles and Prophets which gave forth the scripture seeing you act contrary to the scripâ—ures and follow your own inventions and traditionâ— and so erre from them Pr. Our ministeriall actions are agreeable to the scripture Rep. Here J charge thee to be a lyar for in thy answer to the former Quere thou sayest you do not follow the dictates of the spirit within and art holding up sprinkling infants which there is no scripture for and so walk contrary to the scripture and to them that were led by the spirit which gave them forth Que. 2â— Whether ever Christ and his Apostles did first baptize and then preach faith and repentance twenty or thirty years afterwards Pr. Christ himself waâ— not capable of faith and repentance Rep. Here J charge thee to be a lier and a slanderer for he was capable of faith and repentance and the baptisme which the Apostles baptized withall what hast thou to do with it who art holding up sprinkling infants which there is no example for in the scriptures nor in all the Apostles practises Therefore silence flesh for thou knowest nothing of the wisdome of God which the Apostle speaks of but art in the state of Simon Magus who art buying and selling the letter worse then he for he would have bought the spirit which the Apostles denied so thou art denied with the same spirit but the saints baptisme we owne and the beleevers and the promises which is to the seed thou hast cleared thy selfe from who saith Christ was not capable of faith how could he be above it and not capable of it and the life that I live is by faith of the Son of God saith the Apostle which thou hast cleared thy selfe from Que. 21. Whether ever Christ and his Apostles received 100. or 200. pounds a yeare for preaching the Gospel Pr. Many of the Apostles converts
leâ— all who are in the light see if it be not natural then and if thou be not him that study a difinition of thy ovvne braine and instead of the blessing the curse of God comes upon it for how many is there that was Preists as you are that now cries against you which is come out of your generation and sees the curse of God upon all your practices Pr. And thou saiest the flesh which is quickened with the spirit of life brings forth some kinde of fleshly fâ—uits or other Rep. Here thou hast shewed thy selfe to be death indeed doth the spirit cause fruits of the flesh or is the fruits of the spirit the fruits of the flesh O thou lier and high blasphemer which thou saiest is cleare from manifold texts of Scripture all the Scriptures will wittnesse thee to be a lier and these Scriptures thou brings to maintaine the spirit of life to bring forth some kinde of fleshly fruits and the fruits of the spirit to be the fruits of the flesh Here all who are in the spirit will judge thee to be a blasphemer of the holy spirit of God for the spirit brings forth no fruits of the flesh Pr And thou saiest in thy Answer to the first querie you do â—ot go to Oxford and Cambridge to learne the Gospel you preach but to learne the knowledge of tongues and languages arts and sciences Rep. O for shame stop thy mouth here thou hast shamed thy selfe and all your Schooles with an external meanes to open the Gospell people are blind indeed that do follow thee but thy bottle is open and what is within powres out And the fountaine runs and thy external stuffe powres out which hath poisoned many people which thou saiest thou shouldest open the Gospel withall All that have the least convincement may see thee to be a seducer for what is external is natural and what is natural knowes not the things of God but the Lord be praised thou hast declaired thy selfe abroad Que. 12. Whether that any ministers of God were made ministers by the will of man yea or no shew it me by the Scripture Pr. And in thy answer to this querie thou saiest there is no minister of God made by the will of man only but by man in subordination Rep. Here thou crossest the scripture Paul an Apostle not of man nor by man and here the lying spirit hath shewed it selfe indeed Pr. And thou saiest there is no such hope of any such calling as was in the time of the Apostles Rep. And here thou hast câ—st thy selfe and thy fellows and all thy study to be without the Doctrine life of the Apostles for thou concludest there is no such calling yet thou talkest of laying on hands there thou and you are making likenesses which is forbidden and to be confounded and so we conclude and all the children of light shall judge that your hope and your calling and your Ministery made by the will of man and not only by God to be without God and contrary to the Apostles Que. 13. Shew mee by the scripture whether a man shall grow up to that condition that he need no man teach him but the Lord or no Pr. We must not looke for any immediate extraordinary miraculous teaching by revelation from the Lord and yet all men are taught of God too Rep. What confused stuffe is this and blasphemy that comes out of thy bottle thou wouldest make God not an immediate doth not God teach immediate here thou shewest that thou dost not know the living God for the teaching of God is immediate in the least degree Pr. None aimes to such a perfection of knowledge in his gifts as not to need teaching Rep. Here I charge thee to be a lier who speaks contrary to the scripture and here I charge thee in the presence of the living God to be a slanderer who speaks of being taught of the Lord Jesuâ— Christ outwardly by the spirit what confused stuffe is this And here againe I charge thee to be a lier for the words of our Lord Jesus Christ are spirit and life but such as thou who lookest upon the outward thing cannot receive his words though you have the letter of the Gospel as they had the letter of the law Que. 14. Whether they be not Antichrist and disobey Christ that have the chiefest places in the assemblies stand praying in the synagouges which Christ did forbid his disciples to act such things â—nd câ—ied woe against those that did act them In thy answer to this querie thou ramblest up and downe with many words to justifie that which Christ cried woe against to justifie the cheifest place in the Assemblies and to be called of men Master and for standing praying in the Synagouges which Christ pronounced woe against and so let all people see if thou and you be not such as are called of men Masters and stand praying in the Synagouges wâ—ich the woe was and is upon Math. 23. and there is neither shelter nor hole for thee to hide thy selfe for them that walke in the truth will find thee out and praised be the Lord God of heaven and earth who hath given us a spirit of discerning and we are able to judge you who live in deceit for the Apostle prophecied with the spirit of the Lord that such should come and we see with the same spirit you are come and with the same spirit you are judged Que. 15. Whether they be not Antichrists and of the Devill and no Ministers of Christ which do not abide in the Doctrine of Christ Pr. They that swerve from the Doctrine of Christ are of the spirit of Antichrist Rep. There thou art this is thy owne condition who deniest immediate revelation and thou that deniest immediate revelation deniest Christ for Paul said the Son was revealed in him and so all that thou speakest is with the lying spirit in the wicked generation and wherâ—aâ— thou slanderest and saiest we raile that iâ— false And againe thou speakest of love because the letter declares it but the love of God who dwells in it to such thou art an enemy and as touching using plainnesse of speech to people because we do not flatter nor use enticing words of mens wisedom which thou dost so thou hast cleared thy selfe from the children of God and to be in the generation of them that swerve from the doctrine of Christ who seekest to justifie that which he cried woe against as Math. 23. And whereas thou accusest us for railing upon people thou art a lier for love useth plainnesse of speech and love and charity is out of deceit if we should flatter we should hold it up and should be pleading for thy generation who talks of God and confesses that you have not the same knowledge and understanding that the Apostles had Therefore how can you know God then And whereas thou speakest of trying the spirits the fruits of it is love here with
of the scripture and void of the knowledge of Christ and the life of the Apostles and out of their doctrine and do not call this râ—iling which is plainnesse of speech and love to thy soul Pr. And you raile very highly in scripture terms too whereby you take the garments of Gods holy Spirit and put them upon the Devils shoulders Rep. Here thou dost accuse us for railing speeches and as we told thee before that we deny and here thou callest thy self a Devil for of him thou art which thy pretences therefore woe is thy portion and whereas thou sayest we revile and accuse the brethren this is another of thy slanders we bid thee answer the queries and thou callest them scrupulous to thee they are so and again thou sayest we â—isapply the scripture that is false and the Lord Jesus Christ thou knowest not who deniest immediate revelation and what hast thou to do to talk of him and as throwing the woes which the Scripture speaks of which is against the deceits which thou livest in they are thy portion thou canst not escape them If we should not give thee thy due and portion we should flatter thee and it would not be love and why dost thou talk of understanding and bid us weigh and consider we have considered thy way and do know it and God hath given us an understanding in all things Pr. Hebrew and Greek we do truly call the Originall Rep. Here I charge thee that thou hast no more originall then Pilate thy father had Pilate had Hebrew and Greek which câ—ucified Christ which was the originall and here I charge thee in the presence of the living God to be a lyar for the word was in the beginning before any tongue was and your Hebrew and Greek is naturall and the naturall man knows not the things of God and the world by wisdome knowes not God Pilate was a worldly man and he had this originall and the wisdome of the world and there thou art and and there the curse is upon thee so here thou preachest another originall then the Apostles did they preached Christ the fountain and â—hou preachest Hebrew and Greek that is thy originall and thy father Pilate had that originall which crucified Christ and set it over him and the scripture came not by the will of man Therefore it is not the knowing of it by Hebrew and Greek but by the spirit that gave it forth therefore all people take warning and cease from such deceivers and take heed to the light in your conscience which is the light of Christ to guide your minds up to God the Father of light and be not deceived nor wander not up and down after such who know not the truth but put Hebrew and Greek for the originall which Pilate had which crucified Christ Jesus as you may read in Luke 23. All people may see thou art brought no further yet then thy father Pilate so all thy prayers we deny for there is nothing of truth born up in thy understanding who are led with a seducing spirit into delusions who saith the spirit of life stirs up the flesh to bring forth fruits thou that art in the flesh cannot please God and there thy spirit is tried co be the spirit of error and a great deal of such stuffe thou hast in thy answers to the queries which is not worth mentioning and this thou hast written to publish thy self that them that have a love to Christ their hearts may be turned from thee to God to see how thou hast uttered forth thy folly though with many faire glosses thou and such as thou art deceives the simple but all who are is the light do see thee and comprehend thee Something in Reply to the Epistle thou wrotest to the Lady Bindlosse TO her thou speakest of the doctrine and spirit and the holy Ghost Here I charge the to be a liar who knowes nothing of them who denies immediate revelation for thou who deniest that deniest the Father and the Son as in Math. 11.27 Wherein goest thou about to exhort others who art in the condition thy selfe but art as Matthew that would be serving If she do but take heed to the light which Christ hath enlightened her withall she will quickly see thy folly for the light which Christ hath enlightened her withall shall be her condemnâ—tion if she hate it and if she love it it will guide her into the way of righteousnesse up to Christ and there O woman is thy teacher and this condemnation And the work which is brought forth in the North doth terment thee R. Sherlock and such as the Lord doth move to exhort or to speak such thou slanderest and dost accuse as tempting for the slanders and reproaches the woe wil turne upon thee from God who is the justifier of his children and with such Preists as thou art the righteous seed was ever hated as you may read throughout the Scriptures If she that thou callest a Lady be grounded upon thy doctrine and be a member with thee of thy body let her read thy answers to the queries and the replies to them to the light in her I speak which is of Christ which will witnesse mee and let her see thee and if her minde be guided by it it will condemne all her former practises of worship and let her see thy delusions And againe thou art flattering the Lady and tells her of a discourse of the spirit and these are thy unsavoury words who art discoursing of the spirit but denies it for thou that deniest immediate revelation denies the spirit â—n the Corinthians the Apostle said things were revealed to him by the spirit and all thy doctrines tâ— be denied and all that thou speakest and thou art seen to be one of the evill beasts and slow bellies whose mouth must be stopt and what dost thou tell her of growing up in the knowledg of God and stop the way for her to passe who deniest immediate revelations which the Apostle exhorted to and they Saints was to have the loines of their minds girded up as in the 1 Peter 1.13 And what hast thou to do to talk of heaven or happinesse who art a beast in thy colours And so this is the intent that I have written this reply to the Epâ—stle which thou wrote to her thou calls Lady that she might with the light of Christ in her see thy folly for to that I speake which is the light of Christ which if she hate it it will be her eternal condemnation Somthing in Rebly to thy Introduction Pr. NO age hath brought forth more pretenders to the spirit of God then this wherein we live Rep. Let all people take notice if thou be not he that pretends the spirit who hath not the same understanding and knowledg that the Apostles had and there thou art in the pretence who art blind and thy worship as thou calls it is thou dost not know what worse then