for want of power laying to our charge his spirit which we have deny'd ten years ago O ye Fools so soon as ever the King gives you a little Liberty to meet where you were afraid of man to meet but a little time since and so crept into Corâ—ers is this the glorious beautifullest Fruit you have to appear with surely this is not the Wisdom which is from Above which is â—irst Pure then Peaceable and easie to be entreated but that wisdom which is from Beneath where the Serpent's life is which is earthly sensual and devilish which bites at the Heel Surely Dust is and shall â—e the Serpents meat and upon his Belly shall he go all the days of his life â—ere read your selves if you can understand what it means saith â—e who is a true Friend to all mens Eternal Peace Dover the 9th day of the 5th Moneth 1672. Luke Howard A Postscript This Baptist Pastor and as many of his Flock as are of his mind would have all people to believe That the spirit by which C. B. was acted when he hâ—d err'd in his heart from God was and is the spirit by which all the Quakers are led by as the very Principle of their Religion This is the thing which his printing is for to possess people with a Belief of and he thinks in his Serpent's Wisdom that he hath made it sure enough in saying That he was owned an eminent Quaker at the time of his Imprisenment and running out to which I have Answered already how he was then looked upon by Friends whom he reputes to be a Poor Misâ—led and Deluded People but in that Way which he accounts Delusion to wâ—t Believing in the Light of Jesus which shines in the Heart and 〈◊〉 manifest in every mans Conscience do we worship God in even in thâ—â—â—pâ—â—it and in the Truth which the Devilis out of and all which do his works of Envy And therefore something is yet in my Heart to sâ—eâ—k t◠〈◊〉 spirit of Envy in the Baptist Pastor as he stiles himself and that on thâ— wise Christ Jesus was glorified with the Father before the World was and in time manifested to the World in that Body which the Father had prepared him to do his Will in whose Name is call'd the Word of God by which the World was made who took upon him the Seed of 〈◊〉 and declar'd to be the Son of David according to the Flesh but â—he Son of God according to the Spirit by the Resurrection from the deaâ— who had all Power in Heaven and Earth given to him by which he gave Commission to his Apostles or Messengers to Baptize into the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost which is into the Nature and Life of each which is one divine Nature and these three being one in Nature and Beeing and every one which is herein baptized knows the Father and the Son bâ— the Spirit which to know is eternal Life which is to increase in which they also know John's Ministry and Baptism which was to decrease else there must be two perpetual Baptisms but there is one Lord one Faith and one Baptism which is to be contended for and lived in by all who are of the true Church which is in God the Father of Spirits and of our Lord Jesus Christ the second Adam the Quickning Spirit the Lord from Heaven who in his Body prepared him to do the Will of God in went up and down doing good and chose Twelve and one of them was a Devil not a Devil when he chose him Mark that for when he had part of the Ministry then a Servant of God but he erred in his heart and fell away and it was said Let his Habitation be desolate and let no man dwell therein and his Charge let another take What now Baptist Pastor wouldst thou not here have judged all because he walked and professed among the rest of the Disciples and yet afterwards in eating and drinking with them was called a Devil by him that had chosen him into his Service before in which he had so walked that each Disciple was ready to question himself Is it I and Is it I here would not thy spirit have said Ah! you are all alike led by one spirit here see thy spirit and face thou blind Pastor And Peter he deny'd his Master and cursed and swore he knew him not would not thy enviâ—us spirit have said Ah! they are all alike and led by one spirit for all â—hey have been a preaching up the Light yet would not thy Pharisaical â—pirit have condemned all for Peter and though he found a place of Repentance what is that to thee and thy judgment against the Truth in this â—ase for Judas found no more place then C. B hath yet found and â—et he had a part and might be and was reckoned a Disciple as well by â—he rest of the Disciples as C. B. was reckened a Quaker by some of the Quakers for to some he was manifest as I said before though you Baptists knew is not And then Demas he forsook Paul and embraced â—he present World what wouldst thou have said less then Ah! they are â—ll alike led by one spirit let them profess what they will for those â—hich said the Apostles turn'd a the World up-side down and contradicted â—nd blasphemed their Doctrine What do you Baptists in this your Work â—iffer from them And those which had the Form and not the Power â—hich were to be turned away from what would thy Jewish spirit â—ave said Ah! they are all alike led by one spirit for they speak â—like and act alike as this blind Pastor said Charles Baily did â—â—st as the Quakers in all things both in Words and Actions â—herefore all one spirit said he And then John said They went â—ut from us because they were not of us that it might be made â—anifest they were not all of Us He doth not say They had never â—een among them Mark that but They were not of them â—ere wouldst not thou have been the Accuser of the Brethren and in â—nvy have been ready to have â—rinted against them and have â—aked Ten Years back to have proved them that went out from them to have been of them at such a time and at such a time and especially at that time when they held out their Golden Cup of Profession in good words as you do Here may you see your selves if the God of this World hath not blinded your Eyes And then in the Churches there was some Fault found with the most of them in some things if thou Pastor of Dover-Baptists hadst been in those dayes and heard of it would not this thy spirit have said It is all their Principles and one spirit leads them all as thou dost say concerning the Quakers against whom thou watchest for Evil both in words and action and then bringst it forth Ten Years after it is done so much out of Time that it
save from Sin and the power of Darkness and Death which rules more or less in the Hearts of all the Children of Disobedience to the Light and those be they that rebel against the Light they know not the Way thereof neither do they abide in the Path thereof for to him that believes it is a Path shining more and more unto the perfect Day and in it doth the Lord meet with Man thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh Righteousness in thy Way and he that is the Light of men is the Way to the Father and he that knows him knows the Father also for he reveals the Glory which none of the Princes of this World by their earthly Wisdom can come to behold or ever could but we behold his Glory say they which had believ'd in the Light and were Children of it which by the wise Men were accounted Accursed and that they knew not the Law and so it is now To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to others in Parables To you which believe in the Light and so receive the Power to walk in it and know the Way of it the Just Man's Path which is a shining Light and rebels not against it To you is the Father become a Fountain unsealed to you iâ— the Wel-spring of eternal Life opened to you is the Power given tâ—â—ec-me the Sons of God now are we the â—on of God but it doth not yeâ—â—ppear what we shall be now can we call God Father and cry to biâ—â— in â—iving Sense of his bâ—getting Power for dayly Bread that we may be strengthened with might in the inward Man and that his Kingdom may come which comes not by Observation as lo here and lo there neither doth it stand in Words but in Power and consisteth of Righteousness Peace and Joy in the holy Spirit And that you may have Fellowship with us herein is the Travel of our Souls and that you may know him whom the Father hath given to be a Leader and a Commander to all that receive him the Light and quickning Spirit and him that hath this Hope purifies himself as God is pure and hath the Witness in himself by his continuing believing and Walking in the Light where the Spring of Eternal Power is witnessed to become the Sons of God without Rebuke and now if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light then have we Fellowship one with another mark that and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sins and this is the Fellowship which the Saints in Light have with God in the Church which is in God and one with another by one Baptism which is our entrance by the one Spirit into the one Body of which Christ Jesus is the Head World without end And this is a Plain Faithfull and True Testimony born through living Experience to the true Light of Christ Jesus which we in scorn called Quakers believe in and declare of to all men in the Love of God and of no other saith Luke Howard Here followeth a few Queries for this Night-Watch-man to Answer according to Scripture before ever he be by his Neighbour searched out the third time and found again as he hath twice been already a raking in the Bottomless Pit to fetch up Matter against the Light of Christ Jesus 1. VVHether the Light of Jesus be not the Light of Men and a Measure of the Spirit of Truth given to every Man as a Talent to profit withal and whether it doth not convince the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment and is not the Condemnation of all that believe not in it seeing that the Condemnation is that Light is come into the World and men love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are evil II. Whether ever we called Quakers ever declared of or testified to any other Light then that which John called the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World we saying with Paul That God hath shined into our Hearts with it to give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ and if we or any People else believe not in it then isâ—t not the Condemnation of all such but if we do believe in it we have the Witness in our selves even the Light Life according to the Scriptures which we do believe are to be fulfilled III. Whether all that oppose the Light in the Heart be not Opposers of the Life of Jesus seeing that in him is Life and his Life is the Light of Men and whether all that gain-say and oppose this Light of Jesus be not Fighters against God and Blasphemers against his Temple and the Worshippers therein and so have no part of the Inheritance with Saints in Light IV. What is the Word in the Heart that Man may hear it and do it and what is that Word which is said to be the Name of Christ Jesus the Power and Wisdom of God by which Word we may come to know him who is from Everlasting to Everlasting the same yesterday to day and forever V. What is the Manifestation of the Spirit which is given to every man to profit withal if it be not the Light within and what is the Light which lighteth every Man if it be not the Light within and what is the Quakers Light if it be not that which every Man is lighted with seeing thou makest a Difference crying out The Quakers Light and Wo be to him that walks by the Dark Light of the Quakers VI. What is the Grace of God and where doth it appear which brings Salvation that hath appeared unto all Men mark unto all men if it be not the Light of Christ in the Heart and whether thâ— Quakers have not a share in that Common Grace as well as others seeing it is to all Men then what difference between the Quakers Light and all mens in the first Gift to man VII What is that Leaven which the Woman took and hid in three Measures of Meal until the whole was leavened and what is the Grain of Mustard-Seed which a Man took and sowed in his Field the least of all Grains and grows the greatest of all Hearbs and what are the Fowls of the Air which lodge in the Branches of it And what is the Pearl hid in the Field and what and where is the Field and who is the Merchant Man and what is that he parts with for the Field and how and with what doth he dig deep to find the Pearl And what is the Groat the Woman lost and found again when she had sweeped her House and what is the House and Broom with which she sweeped And what is that Talent the Housholder gave to his Servants and then himself went into a far Country for a time and then at his return again called them to an Account And what is the Draw-Net cast into the
there was Bread enough without which I should have perisht forever yet for all this the Spirit of the World prevailed carrying me captive to the Law of Sin and Death but never into Lewd Ranting as falsly accused by this Night-Watch-man in which Day of Distress and great Loss came in the Year 1655 two of the Servants of the Lord preaching the Everlasting Gospel which was as Lightning arising out of the East and shining unto the West even through all in me to the very Thought in the Heart by the Word which is the Searcher and Discerner of them to the reaching unto the Seed of the Kingdom and declaring of a Body of Death standing notwithstanding Men's Profession of Religion unto which the Witness answered so that now I knew He that believeth the Gospel hath the Witness in himself and out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of Living Waters this spake he of the Spirit as it is written in the Scriptures of Truth which are to be read believed and fulfilled Reader this is pretious to read in the Eternal Light and Life and though this was in my Mouth sweet yet afterwards it became very bitter in the Daily Cross to my own Will and a Day of Sorrow and weeping I knew over him whom I had pierced so when it was Day I wished for Night and when it was Night I wished for Day this indeed was a Day of great Distress in which I saw the Abomination which made desolate stand where it ought not Then was I to understand what it meant what God's Will was in it in making of it manifest by his Grace the Light whose Will in the Light and Grace I saw was my Sanctification throughout in Soul Body and Spirit and here we leave the World that lies in Wickedness and the Professors of the Saints Words with all that have a Form of Godliness without the Power behind us in and amongst the many Opinions and Voices of Lo here and Lo there is Christ and so we come to know the Voice of the true Shepherd whose Voice we heard inwardly and abiding with him do forever hear in the Light the Word of Faith in the Heart that we may do it So that now I say By the Grace of God and Light within I am what I am and therefore is my Testimony amongst many Brethren to the Grace and Light within through a living Experience of the good Effects of it and against all these Baptist Watchmen of the Night who plead for Sin term of Life and are Backbiters Slanderers and Persecutors of the Innocent and there will he have his Ministers conclude their doctrine and his Servants their Work who must all be paid off with his own Reward of Torment with him and his Angels forever which will be also the State and Condition of all Hypocrites and Rebellers against the Light if they repent not And this my Testimony agrees with the Testimony of the Servants of the Lord in Ages past But to return to that which was to me bitter when the Lord had lighted my Candle and with it searched my innermost Parts then the Body of Death out of which ariseth all Unrighteousness appeared indeed like a Mountain of Blackness and Darkness So that I saw no Way how to get over it and was ready to faint in my Mind but the Lord whose Love is great and also hath Respect to the bruised Reed and smoaking Flax and will it neither break nor quench until he bring forth Judgment unto Victory supported me by the more sure Word of Prophecy unto the which I did well to take heed as to a Light which shined in my dark Heart untill the Day dawned and the day Star did arise therein and then sprung a secret Hope in God and the Word of his Grace whose promise rise in my Heart That he would cleave the Rocks and the Mountains that the Redeemed of the Lord might come to Sion and now Glory be unto his Name his Promise is fulfilled in a good Measure and all along unto this Day and still is it a support unto me in the midst of all my Troubles and Tryals in my Travels from Death to Life in which my Temptations have been many yea very many both within and without in the Daily Cross but still was and is the Lord in the Light a God at Hand making good his Promises unto his own Seed in whom they are all yea and amen saith my Soul in a living Experience in which I have a Testimony to bear for the Lord to the Grace Spirit Light and Life of Christ Jesus and that it is sufficient for me and all Men in this Age as it was for Paul in that Age and Time of his deepest Exercises for every true Believer hath the Witness in himself by a living Experience and he who hath not hath no just Claim to the Promise of God in Christ Jesus declared of in the holy Scriptures for the Scriptures were given forth in the Light by the Motion of Life in the holy Men of God as in them it moved for after Ages to read and believe and in the Light to wait for the fulfilling of them and not for Men to make a Trade and a Gain of nor yet for Men to live in the Profession of take up a Rest short of the fulfilling of them as all the Night-Watch-men and Children of the Night do who plead against the Light and for Sin term of Life and so can be no true Witnesses for God in their Generation though their Profession may be large of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles words with varieties of Voices and Opinions crying Lo here and Lo there is Christ but he said Believe them not for as the Lightning ariseth in the East and shineth unto the West through all even so shall be and so is the Coming of the Son of Man the Second Adam the Quickening Spirit the Lord from Heaven who according to the Flesh is declared to be the Son of David but according to the Spirit the Son of God by the Resurrection from the Dead which we called Quakers believe and live in the Hope of witness against all the Night-Watch-men and False Accusers which say we deny it and herein according to the Spirit must all come to know him yea and him worship serve fear and obey that ever receive Peace by him And this is a true and Faithful Testimony against the Watch-men of the Night and the Opposers of the Light of Jesus Christ within born through a living Experience to the Light of Jesus which we make mention of and no other in whom is Life and his Life is the Light of Men to lead all into Salvation that follow it and to condemn all the Disobedient unto it for this is the Condemnation that Light is come and Men love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are Evil and he that loves the Light brings his Deeds unto it that he may know
he writes one thing and meanes another which shews a Tongue without a Bridle and his work to be with two Faces and by the Scriptures which he calls his Rule is he found in the vain Religion My last Testimony it needed no Rubbing for I here testifie again it is clear Truth and clear enough to manifest the Deceit of him and those concerned with him in it and it is here offered again for him with other hypocrites to see their Faces in and also to the unbyassed mind and to answer both his pieces of Envy Lyes Scoffs and Mocks and were I not constrained for the Light and Truths sake I should rather chuse Silence then to Answer either of his pieces of dirt which at best is but Food for the Serpent and his Seed to feed upon Again in Page 9. he accuses me with being a lewd Ranter in Dayes past Now behold his Envy for I have believ'd in the Light of Christ and have been called a Quaker about Seventeen or Eighteen Years and known to my Neighbours from my Childhood which is above Fifty Years and therefore the less Answer may serve this Man's Envy who is a fierce Accuser and a worse Judge and my answer is by Way of Challenge to him and all his Abettors in Envy To prove in Dayes past any thing against me more then the foolish Course of the World which the Men thereof through Profession take a Liberty in yet short of bodily Vncleanness Murder and such like gross Enormities but if I had been as bad as he renders me and worse also to wit If seven Devils Mary Magdalene's State had been my Condition why should his Eye or any Man's be evil because the Lords is good She loveth much because much was forgiven her And now from sensible Experience to our own Souls we can testifie for God That his tender Mercies is over all his Works and reaches to the end of the Earth follows Man calling to him in his vile Estate yea in the high-Wayes and Hedges when the proud Pharisaical Professor refuseth the Wedding-Dinner though bidden and invited as this Nights Watch-Man with many more have been and have done Then he goes on in his former Manner in battering against his own raised up Bulwark saying I contradicted my self in the Relation of Nicholas Woodman in Page 9. because I said Many were baptized by William Kiffin This is not Contradiction at all to my saying Nicholas Woodman was the first Baptist Preacher raised up in the County of Kent and so I say again for they are my Words in my Book to which I refer the Reader and then Judge who is the Two-Fac'd Man and a Perverter of Words and compare my Testimony to his and then judge whether he hath answered singlely or may not be justly called a Watchman of the Night by his vailing of himself with his Night-Garments under a Hood with two Faces and then Harlot like wipe his Mouth as if all were well and lays his Lyes to my Charge of which I could make a large Bundle and of slanderous Aspersions and scoffing Language which his untimely Birth is filled with I have been short considering the large Advantage I might and could have taken as for Lyes I can prove at least Six or Seven more then I have answered unto And then his slanderous Words of Woodman's being my Brother and plucking out mine own Bowels to besmier them as for Woodâ— an I deâ—iâ—d him in Time past before I lest the Carnal Baptists and their Carnal Worship and beggerly Elements which he continued in long after preaching up and down so no Brother of mine but theirs Root and Branch And as for the plucking out of my Bowels an Inhuman or Unchristian like Word to besmeer them in saying That he was the first Baptist Preacher raised up in the County of Kent for they were my Words which I still affirm for Truth though by this Night-watch-Man Perverted into another Sence now wherein are they besmeered by me by calling him their Root more then they have fouled themselves by continuing in his foot-steps only in this they differ he was for the Particular Election and they for the General as more at large may be seen in my Looking-Glass And as for my being a lewd Ranter as he slanderously and maliciously accuses me if it were true as it s notoriously false that would not now help his bad cause for what saith the Apostle such were some of you but now ye are wash'd but ye are sanctified and you who were sometimes Darkness are now Light in the Lord c. Yet this blind Watch-Man thinks in his dark Heart that his accusing me for Time past for want of present matter to accuse me now of or ever since I have been call'd a Quaker will help his bad and dark Cause and Pharisaical Profession or crying out I thank thee O Father that I am not as this Publican is or once was c Tedious would it be to answer all at large but this day is this Scripture Isa 28.21 22. fulfilled upon this Mocker God is a doing of his Work his strange Work and bringing to pass his Act yea his strange Act now therefore be ye not Mockers lest your Bands be made strong And all whose Eyes are in their Head may clearly see this Man's Bands of Darkness made strong indeed that dares so Presumptuously Preach and Print against the Life and Light of Christ Jesus and this is all he hath to cover himself with and Hole this Fox hath to creep into to wit in calling it the Quakers Erroneous Light and the Dark Light of the Quakers but that Cover is too narrow to hide him under and that Bed is too short to stretch himself on and will be so found in the Day of the Lord when his Blasphemy shall be charg'd upon his own Head But now I shall return to his three Particulars in pag. 1. to prove C. B. in Fellowship with the Quakers and led by their Spirit saith he First Bayly Prophesied saw false Visions and pretended to Miracles 2dly He was then in Fellowship with the Quakers 3dly He was led by their Spirit Now if his last be false as it is on which his whole Building depends and by the Truth being removed then must all his Work and Labour fall as dirt cast into a Dunghil And that his last is false take this Answer as followeth Christ Jesus prophesied That false Prophets should arise and deceive many who transform themselves into many things like the true Prophets to deceive as their Father the Devil did those whose Minds are outward yea and if possible the very Elect whose Minds are inward yet who dare charge the true Apostles to be led by the same Spirit the false were except Cain and Ishmael's Off spring and the false Prophets under the Law that stole their words from their Neighbours and they ran and prophesied when the Lord never sent them and therefore they profitted
was high time it had been buried long since that it might have been rotten before now but now to Print such long-past things shews thy spirit and thy self to be but a Woolf in the Sheep's Clothing and so a very unfit Pastor to over-look a Flock and especially the Flock of Christ when thou art alwayes a snarling at our Heels as the Serpent's Nature is bringing back Blows of Ten Years old and of that which we are no more to be charged with then the Saints of old as before declared might be with the false spirits which were once amongst them and then went out into the World as C. Baily is gone Now all had a beginning of the Work in themselves before they went out from the Church and at the first appearance of that spirits working in the Mâ—stery of Iniquity and transforming of it self as an Angel of Lâ—ght for to â—udge a whole Body and Church of People to be all led by that spirit is not this to be the Accuser of the Brethren and especially when that people deny testifie against that spirit in due time as you Baptists know in your own Conscience we have done is not this Wickednesâ— and Envâ— drunk in by you as an Ox drinks in Water and surelâ— if you had not made your selves drunk with the Whore's Cup of Abominations you must needs have been Wiser Men but having drank deep the dreggs so stick in your Throats that makes you thus vomit up your own shame and that Nature nothing will clense you of short of the Divine Name of Christ Jesus which leadeth to God but you in the Old Man's Nature and Envious Holiness can get the words to talk of and profess in the Ravening Nature feâ—ching up such old Matter against the Quakers of Ten Years standing and Print it as if People should believe it were now our Principle Spirit and Practice against which with the Pastor and his Flock which have a hand or consent to it we have a Testimony for the Lord to bare in the Truth which is Christ Jesus our Light and Life For he that hath the Son hath Life and he that hath not the Son hath not Life he which hath the Son hath the Father also unto whom be Everlasting Praise And blessed are they which are not offended in Christ Jesus the Light of men who is the Foundation that God has laid and chief Corner-stone of this Age as in Ages past though the wise Master-builders refuse now to build thereon as the Generations of old did but now is the Lord a taking of the Wise in their own Craftiness with the little Foxes which destroy the Vineyard from and by whom Offences come but We be to them by whom they come because if they do not fall on this stone Christ Jesus and so be broken to pieces it will certainly fall on them and grind them to powder when there shall be none to deliver Therefore the Wise in Heart will prize their time whilst it is called to day and whilst they have the Light to believe in it that so they may be the Children of it lest darkness comes upon them and so their feet stumble upon the dark Mountains even at noon day for Light was in Goshen when Darkness was and is in Egypt even such darkness as may be felt of Sodom and Egypt spiritually so called where our Lord was and is Crucified he that can read let him understand and prize his day and live to God and not to himself that so in all things God may he glorified in all and through all and over all who is Blessed forever and forever Amen saith The 14th of the 5th Moneth 1672. Luke Howard THE Water-Baptists Reproach REPELD Being A further REPLY Answering a Defence of R. Hobbs to his pretended Impartial Narrative of one C. Bayly hereto a pretended Quaker A Story of 11 years standing IN Defence of an Answer to the said Narrative clearing the People call'd Quakers of the Water-Baptist's Calumny and Abuse blabbed out against them By T. R. Printed in the Year 1673. TO THE Impartial Reader HAving lately read a Pamphlet whose Epistle to his Reader is subscribed Richard Hobbs weighed the Arguments and consider'd the Tendency of that Discourse I could do no less then write a few Lines as reasonâ—ble Remarks upon it The Piece is averred by the Author to be a Sober Reply to Luke Howard which had the Author perform'd he neither had thus abused thee nor occasion'd me this Trouble And truly Reader I must tell thee I have not often met with more Impertinency or Abuse wrapt up in so small a Fardle which confirms me that the Promise of a Sober Reply in the Front of his Pamphlet was to Gild the Poyson-Pill to swallow the more glib without which Artifice I doubt not but he 's sufficiently sensible the Palate of this Age would not easily touch much less take his Potion How considerable Richard Hobbs is amongst his Brethren I determine not but as a Prâ—acher and Water dipper at Dover amongst them of his Perswasiâ—n he is exercised and has been for some years past and writ a Supplement to a strange Prodigy or Miracle pretended to be wrought by his brother R. James a Preaching Dipper or Water-Baptist in Lincolnshire The first piece of Abuse I mean that out of Lincoloâ—shire presentâ— the World with a Miracle and I must say a strange one too a Leprosie and diseased Family miraculously cured by them whose known and owned Belief and Principle are that Miracles are ceased which exceeds the very Power of Christ's Apostles that could not so much as cure the Lunatick having not Faith Mat. 17.16 17. And gain that they should he so kind to a Quaker and his Family as to cure them whom of all Persons they hate and which of all Persons they say have not Faith is beyond all Bounds of Romance And this usher'd in as a late piece of strange Providence and Finger of Heaven of few days or weeks standing before publication although the Cheat was Eight or Nine some say Twelve Years past acted by those Water-Baptists and now brought to light to their Shame and their Sophistry discovered by W. S. in Answer to Ralph James his Subterfuge c. to which I refer the Enquirer But to return to R. H. whose Sober piece as he would insinuate it to be I have now under hand and shall as a Friendly Reader to whom he directs his Defence of a pretended Narrative formerly publish'd concerning Charles Bayly sometimes a Prisoner in Dover make such reasonable Remarks and Observations as may give thee to understand the Author's Drift and Depth in his former and renewed appearing in Print against us and by which the Impartial and Vnprejudiced may judge Whether it be a Sober Râ—ply or an Envious Retort to his Opponent whether writ in Love or in â—â—â—roach whether in solid and sound Judgment or an airy and corrupt Mina And I affirm the Matter will
Certainly had R. Hobbs taken a dose of Opium he could not have more intoxicated his Brains then he has by this Occasion of Contest And to see an instance hereof take his own Words 3. In pag. 1. of his Reply speaking of his Antagonist we know not saith he but that he owned Bayly as much as the Rest did well them where 's the Owning Said R. Hobbs pag. 1. It appears by their then affirming and justifying him to be led by the True Light as they did by their hearing him preach and devoutly joyning with him in prayer Is this proof sufficient Said R. Hobbs pursuing the Question If this be not a sufficient proof they own'd him I know not what is or can be sufficient nor do I know any Rule the Quakers have by which I shall know when they own one another Here our water-Baptist tells us if this be not the Quakers Rule â—o own one another he 's at 's wits end for he knows no other But what will not he turn back and shew us his other side yes after R. Hobbs has told his Reader this fair Tale that L. Howard own'd C. Bayly as much as any and the only proof of owning him was by joyning in Prayer c. and if that was not sufficient Proof he knew not what was he bringing again an Objection of L. Howard that he and some more were in Prison did not own him so much observe L. Howard uses not that Expression of so much but its Hobbs his Forgery which Negation of L. Howard the Author thus answers If by so much you mean you did not joyn with him in his Devotion I grant it for your Restraint from him hindered you in that What 's now become of the only owning all this so much faln in the Dirt by a down-right contradiction How well then our Water-Baptist has proved his Charge upon his Antagonist I leave it to the Considerate Reader But more of Confusion I have not often found in so brief a Writer And I cannot but take notice of this Impostors Confidence that in despight of all his forgeries and lying Citations of L. Howard's Answer to his first confused Relation yet he 's so audacious to affirm that he says no more of Luke then he himself confesseth when Luke Howard's words sentences and expressions are as opposite to the Water-Baptist's protests and averments of them as Light to Darkness it self R. Hobbs let me advise thee as a Friend to receive Luke Howard's Book and thy own Reply and pass Just Judgment upon thy own Work if not give me thy Reason Let not thy Zeal and rage against us so blind thy understanding to produce such monstrous effects and after thou hast inspected thy own untimely Birth and seen as well as thy Reader of how little weight thy way of Argument is to rectifie the mistakes or resolve the Doubts of the unprejudiced and unbyassed Inquirer at this day Answer me whether if thy old piece of envy and new-vampt story of C Baily were really true as to him-wards what do's it more concern us then the many hundreds that about the year 1660. and since Apostatized from you yea many of your Pastors and Teachers that have Revolted and some to that Perswasion you frequently stigmatize us with all as being most obnoxious to the Gust of the people We have generally forborn to put them and their Miscarriages in Print as being weak Arguments to found Religion knowing that as well in the primitive times and the first Apostolick dayes as in these Latter Ages there were still such who made Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and caused the Name of God and his Truth to be blasphemed and evil spoken of and so it is now But why dost thou quarrel that an Account of our Friends dealing with C. B. was not daily brought to thee It s more then the Roman Priest's themselves desire of persons not nearer related then thou and us Must thou be a Confessor else no plain dealing must we acknowledge to thee all passages of Christian Care to one or other else justifie an Evil-doer strange Inference It s scarce that time of Day when thou hast power command it till then thou and thy Calumny rest together I cannot but observe how natural it is for this water-Baptist to correct his Antagonist yet himself double guilty of being more like a Scold then a sober Christian truly next after a personal knowledge of both I recommend their Books to the Considerate Reader who may with ease determine where the fault lies besides Luke Howard's solid behaviour in Dover has not bespoke him the scurrilous term of wanton and lewd Ranter as this wicked water-Baptist most falsly insinuates whose upright Life and sober Conversation never merited such unjust dealing from this Traducer or any other And so I Justly Charge it upon him as a false Accusation And to evidence what spirit he is of the very dialect he writes in and his own Work will easily Discover Have we more Modest Expression from him then the vilest or debauchest of men canting at us as if meer Lascivious and wanton It he mentions the Women of our Friends guibing at them thus Their Female Companions and such like airy Epithetes if Sufferers upon the quaking account and quaking Principles with many more out of that Treasury of Envy and Hatred which in store he has long horded up against us and now belches it out as an unsavoury stink in the Nation I have read over the whole Discourse of two Sheets and truly I think the Press is not very often troubled to so little or so ill purpose and did not the Covetousness of the Printer exceed the Ingenuity of the Writer I Judge he had never passed hâ—â— pittiful Pamphlet As to what is more in his piece it s either such as falls under the apparent nullity of the Forgers Arguments or with the confused heaps of his meer Imposturs and Abuse And if any thing else remains deserving Regard 't is in the Knowledge of such whose personal acquaintance with the Forger and Fact can more properly answer if not stop the Mouth of this envious and confused Babler with whom I leave him and his Piece as they see cause for further Reproof and Examination London the 1st Mon. 1673. Thomas Rudyard A Postscript THe Word of the Lord came unto the true Prophet Ezekiel against the false and foolish Prophets who followed their own Spirits and therein prophesied Lyes and false Divinations and caused people to Err And he said Wo unto the Foolish Prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing And God said Mine Hand shall be upon the Prophets that see Vanity and that divine Lyes they shall not be in the Assembly of my People Ezek. 13.1 2 3 6 7 8 9. And hath raised True Prophets in this Age to cry against the False Prophets and particularly against Charles Bayly who was many Years ago judged and denyed by the Prophets and Servants of the Lord because he prophesied Lyes and false Divinations by the Leadings of his own unclean spirit which ruled in his deceitful Heart and because of these things he hath been shut out of the Assemblies of God's People in Scorn called Quakers for many years although he sometimes appeared amongst them as the false Apostles and deceitful Workers did in the dayes of the true Prophets and Apostles appear amongst them and as the true then judged and denyed the false so have we done unto C. B. in and with the Light Life and Spirit of God and of his beloved Son Jesus Christ and in and with the same we do and shall judge all Dreamers and Prophesiers of Lyes and false Divinations who follow their own corrupt sinful and unclean spirits from which the Mysteries and Secrets of the holy pure God lie hid And now Richard Hobbs who sayst That C. B. was led by the Quakers Spirit in that Delusion which he was given up to If by the Quakers Spirit thou dost mean the Quakers Light which thou so much scoffest at which I have cause to believe by thy own words in thy Book thou dost mean then I do tell thee thou dost speak Blasphemy against God who is Light and against his beloved Son who is the express Image of his Substance Brightness of his Glory For I do tell thee and all others unto whom these Lines may come That we the People of God called Quakers have never preached up or directed any man or woman unto any other Spirit or Light wherein and whereby Salvation is brought unto the Immortal Souls of Men and Women but the Spiritual Light of God and Christ who is that Light who lights every man that comes into the World John 1.9 and 8.12 1 John 1.5 6 7. God who commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ and his Treasure have we in Earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us 2 Cor. 4.6 7. W. G. THE END
THE SEAT OF THE SCORNER Thrown Down OR Richard Hobbs his Folly Envy and Lyes in his late Reply to my Book called A Looking-Glass c. Manifested and Rebuked Whereunto is annexed my Call from the BAPTISTS to walk in the True LIGHT And a True Testimony to the Light and Power of Christ in the Heart With a few QUERIES to the said R. Hobbs By Luke Howard To which is added a further Answer by T. R. He that is first in his own Cause seemeth Just but his Neighbour cometh after and searcheth him out Prov. 18.17 The Lip of Truth shall be established forever but a Lying Tongue is but for a Moment Prov. 12.19 Printed in the Year 1673. TO THE READER Reader INto whose hands this may come for your sakes who are so much troubled that there should be so much contending and as you say striving betwixt People professing Religion this know that we called Quakers are forced thereunto and that for Righteousness sake for the Lord knows it is so because the Baptists began first with us as soon as the King gave Liberty they fell on us as David said laying to our Charge things we knew not of Lying Stories of seven Years old out of Lincolnshire of one Richard Anderson of Panton which never was at a Quakers Meeting in his Life but at many Baptists Meetings as appears by their own Writing and so in Hypocrisie would cloath him with a Quaker by Name who was rather a Baptist and only because he at some times after his own manner would speak of the Light Within against them which Light these Men so hate that for a little spoken from a Man which was never one of us neither in Reality nor yet in Formality they should make so much a do and such a Cry of to the World as they have done and would have the World judge of the Light of Christ which we say every Man is lighted with by the Carriage of him who was so near themselves And now mark because our Friends gave an Answer in plain Truth to their false Charge Richard Hobbs Pastor of the Baptists in Dover as he calls himself in Envy undertook to write a Relation of one Charles Bayly of his Miscarriages Ten or Eleaven Years old and because a deal of his Mad Actions were true for which he must bear his own Burden therefore they thought that that should crown their Lyes in their former Story from Lincolnshire and so they Printed them together but his spirit to wit C. B. and his Work we did and do deny as by the Looking-Glass for Baptists doth at large appear unto which I refer the Reader So that I am thus constrained for Righteousness sake to appear in Print once more by way of Reply unto this Scoffer's Night-Labour a Work which he hath been Sixteen Years exercising in and of late he hath began in Print to shew the Fruit of his Labour against the Light Within and snarling at the Heels of those who believe in it and although he reads in the Scriptures which he calls his Rule That many are Called and few Chosen yet is his Eye so watching for Evil that the Fall of one Called and not Chosen is to him a rich Feast as appears by his first and second Printing of the Miscarriages of one Charles Bayly and if his last had not been redoubling of his Evil in Envy in his first by Lying Scoffing and Mocking I might have rested at this time in Silence knowing right well that my first Answer to his Envious Charge against the Light of Christ Jesus is clear enough without Rubbing as he scoffingly calls it to his first and might have served for this second also to all Impartial Minds Luke Howard THE Seat of the Scorner Thrown Down c. ANd now Reader because I am accused in pag. 9. of this Night-Watch-man's Labour of my leaving the Ordinances of God as he calls them I shall here give a brief Account of my leaving the People called Anabaptists in their carnal Water-dipping and elementary Worship where I with many more were as now many are looking for the Living among the Dead and in our meeting in those dayes and performing our Work and Duty as we then thought in that which we call'd Gospel-Faith even then would God's Witness the Light arise and shew me that we were not in the Gospel-Faith which we so much professed and that we were not Baptized by the One Spirit into the One Body Here the Lord in the Light put me to a stand and set me spiritually to commune with my own Heart in a weighty Sense of my own Condition and then in the Light I saw That we were all ignorant of the One Baptism and One Faith as well as of the One Lord and one Body into which that Baptism gives an enterance It is true we were dipped in Water in Hope of Life and Peace and call'd Brothers and Sisters by Water-dipping but that Formality satisfied not the Cry of my Soul which was still in me after spiritual Knowledge and Acquaintance with the Lord which by the Light shining in my Heart I saw was not to be had in carnal Water notwithstanding Men do so much quote Mat. 28. for Water-dipping unto which in the Baptists Looking-Glass I have spoken fully in pag. 12 13. unto which I refer the Reader But to return Then I became very much dissatisfied and constrain'd to for sake those things People in their Observations and that for good Conscience sake which I once practiced while the Vail was over my Heart in a Day of great Reproach here I was willing to forget those that things were behind in the Death and press forward after Life which they in their dayes were Shaddows of and that is all they ever were but now there is but one Lord one Faith and one Baptism At that time one of the Preachers asked me when separated Why I would not walk with them My Answer was Because neither they nor I was in the Gospel Faith and that if ever I should know it that it would be as plain to me as I saw the Door with my Natural Eye And now hath the Lord sealed that Faith unto me in the Light by which I then saw my self out of it everlasting Praises be unto his Name forever Then my Life became as it were alone and like a Wanderer seeking Rest for the Cry continued and the Witness attended but I knew it not to be the Gift of God's Grace and that the Reproof of Instruction given by it was the Way to Life and so took little Warning by it more then to live a kind of a desolate Life for want of Peace of Conscience with the Lord and in this State would I Weep and Cry in secret for want of true Bread to give Life to my Soul which lay in Death yet would I not return again to those empty Shaddows though importuned thereunto but the Father's House I sought where