Corner-Stone the Foundation of the Prophets Apostles and us as is said in John and we are those who have obeythe Commands of Christ who enlightens every Man that cometh into the World that all through it might believe who said Believe in the Light this is his Command that they may become Children of the Light John 12.36 So we know That as many as receives him to wit Christ the Light that enlighteneth every one that cometh into the World to them gives he Power to become the Sons of God John 1.12 And this we Witness and can say Behold what manner of Love is this that we should be called the Sons of God and Heirs of Christ who makes us sit together in the Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus who formerly were dead in Sins and Trespasses Eph. 2. And we have received the Unction from the Holy One through which we come to know all things The Anointing which we have received of him abides in us and we need not any ones Teaching us but as the same Anointing does teach us all thengs and is true and is no Lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him 1 John 2.27 It taught the Saints in the Apostles dayes and us in ours therefore we must abide in him as they did to wit in Jesus And the Light of Christ which shines in our Hearts which God hath commanded to shine out of Darkness doth give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus And this is the Heavenly Treasure we have in our Earthen Vessels that the Excellency of the Power may be of God and not of us 2 Cor. 4.6 7. So as we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Christ the Son of God which sprinkles our Hearts and Consciences cleanseth us from all Sin 1 Joh. 1.7 And whereas many Lyes and Scandals you have cast upon us to wit our Denying of God Christ and the Scriptures c. They are all False For Christ we know own and believe his Incarnation Passion Death Resurrection Ascension and Glorification And the Scriptures we own to be the Scriptures of Truth And Scriptures signifie Writings and we own the Scriptures to contain the Words of God which we learn of God and given forth by the Holy Men of God and are profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction and Instruction in Righteousness 2 Tim. 3.16 17. And whereas we have been accused for Denying Original Sin and Owning Perfection here in this Life To which we answer That there is an Original of Sin we deny not but your Doctrine of Original Sin we do deny as you state it For doth not Original signifie the Beginning and the beginning of Sin was it not the Devil For we do affirm it was neither God nor Christ And did not Christ come to destroy the Devil and his Works and so destroy the Original So we must tell you we hold Christ and not the Devil who was and is the Original of Sin and Imperfection I say again Christ who was before the Devil was who was glorified with the Father before the World began who bruises the Serpents Head and the Heads of all Deceivers Lyars and Slanderers and False Prophets and Anti-Christs And in him we are to wit Christ Jesus who is our Salvation Mediator and Redeemer And as for your Accusing us for holding Perfection Answ What must we not hold God who is Perfect and must we not hold Christ who is Perfect and his Work and Worship which is Perfect and his Religion which is Perfect that comes from himself and the Gifts of his Spirit and Grace and Faith which are Perfect Are not all his Gifts Perfect and must we not receive them in this Life yea must not our Bodies be the Temple of God and of Christ and of his Holy Ghost And then must we not hold them who are Perfect and own Perfection And is not the Command of Christ to us to be Perfect as our Heavenly Father is Perfect And was it ever the work of the Prophets and Apostles to preach up Imperfection for Term of Life but always both the Prophets Christ and the Apostles pressed and presseth us to Perfection and what do they press us to that which is Impossible to be attain'd unto What will you say that their Words were of no Value What will you liken Christ and his Apostles words unto For were there any that ever denied the Doctrine of Perfection saving only Presbyterians Independants and Baptists and you who have got the Forme of Godliness but deny the Power thereof which brings out of Imperfection to the perfect Head Christ Jesus who is the way to God And therefore you do not only deny the perfect Power but also are short of having the Form of Godliness And will not Christ present his Church Perfect that is without Spot or Wrinkle unto God the Father who is the pure Head of it And how will you present your Church to God What will you present it to God with a Body of Death and a Body of Sin Do not you deny Circumcision in this namely the Circumcision of the Spirit that is made without Hands by putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh by the Circumcision of Christ And do not you deny Christ's Baptism who came with his Fan in his Hand to purge his Floor thoroughly whom We see is come and doth increase and do see the decrease of John I say He is come with his Fan in his Hand who will thoroughly purge his Floor and burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire and gather his Wheat into his Garner a safe place And this We witness and so must all People before they go to their Graves For this is the Baptism that the Devil would fain have People to deny and his Ministers and Messengers and then he fils them with Chaff For as the Apostle saith to the Church By one Spirit we are all baptised into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles Bond or Free He doth not say that by Water we were all baptised into one Body For we see many Bodies baptised with Elementary Water and yet do destroy one another Now mark the Words We are all baptised into one Body that is the Church of the First-born and Christ is the Head of this Body 1 Cor. 12.13 So this is the One Baptism spoken of Ephes 4.4 5. There is one Body and one Spirit even as you are called into one Hope of your Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Mark that Through all and in you all Unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ praised be his Name forever Grace and Truth is come by Jesus Christ yea that Grace which brings Salvation which hath appeared
you And did not the Apostle speak of a company that were Heady High-minded and Lovers of Pleasures more then Lovers of God Self-willed and Covetous that had got a Form of Godliness but denyed the Power thereof from whom he commandeth to turn away read your selves in 2 Tim. 3.3 4 5. And truly Friends I must needs say to you I never heard so much debauch'd Language and Hellish Lyes as has been cast unjustly and wickedly upon me since I came into this Island which grieves my Soul that ever such should be in Peoples Mouthes and that you Ministers should gladly be Entertainers if not the Fomenters and Preachers of them where-with you have filled and poysoned Peoples minds with wicked Lyes I say and false and filthy Slanders and so corrupted them O! how can ye be otherwise called then Teachers of Lyes and Lyars even such as love and make a Lye Rev. 22.15 and such as are given up to believe Lyes see their sad End in Rev. 21.27 And when you cannot with all your Lyes provoke and stir up the Magistrate to Persecution then you persecute us with your Tongues But I hope that many of the Magistrates will come to see you so as that you shall not get to ride on them and spur them on for if you should you would make them your Drudges just as the Priests of old spurred up Pilate when they got over him to Persecute and Crucifie our Lord and Saviour But consider it well the same spirit and nature is in you that would Crucifie Christ who is revealed now in his People For have there not been Sauls among you with their Packet of Letters to Persecute the People of God in this Island of late read but Priest Lessley's and some other Priests Petition which they sent or delivered to the Governour and Council here a Copy whereof is hereunto annexed And what hath he and others done this last Assembly convened 't is well known Were not the Chief Priests the Authors of Saul's Packet for had he not a Packet from them But now it seems you Chief Priests are grown more bold for you can go your selves with your Packets to this last Assembly I say O! is it not a Shame that you who call your selves Ministers of the Gospel should go to the Magistrate to perswade them to persecute Christians And do you think that the Magistrates have no other Work to do in this Island even to do Justly and to love Mercy and walk Humbly with God and to take Care of the Preservation and Right Governing of the people in Righteousness and in Holiness and that every man may be preserved in their respective Estates and to see that all do to others as they would have others do unto them and to see that the Island may be preserved in Peace and to take Care of that which is for the Good of this Island and Property of its Inhabitants As for Religion that belongeth to God for it came from God and Christ Jesus who is the Author of every mans Faith and sets up his Worship which is in the Spirit and in the Truth and is to rule in the Hearts of his People who receive that Religion from above that is pure and undefiled in God's Sight and so God and Christ must have a place in man to dwell in to wit the Heart that so he may have his Due his Worship and Honour from and by them But to return to your Slandâ—â—â— namely that I should hang ribbons upon peoples arms and that I brought a young Women from England to be nought with her And that I should lie with my Sister and such-like stinking and filthy Lyes have you and your Auditors reported of me which no sober man I am sure will give Credit to being full well known that I was never tainted or blamisht with any such Uncleanness So that with David I may say False Witnesses did rise up they laid to my Charge things that I knew not Psal 35.11 Certainly many of you are and have been naught your selves this way else you would have vertue in your mouthes rather then have such things as a modest Ear abhors yea such filthy stuff and wicked Lyes as these which came from the Devil who is the Father of them are your Parishes fill'd with For I would have you know that I abhor detest and scorn such things it being well known in England I say that I was never tainted with the least Unclean action nor thus taxed till I came here amongst you but what is in your own Hearts that you cast upon me so that ye fulfil Christs Words who foretold They should speak all manner of Evil against you falsly for my Name 's sake And indeed it is for Christ's sake that you do it So that we can be exceeding glad and rejoyce in Christ Jesus in that it is for his sake that we are thus evil spoken of But know this and be assured of it the time will come that he will appear for our glory and to your shame and confusion For We would have you to understand that we have an esteem of our Bodies for our Bodies the Lord hath honoured with his mercies and they are Vessels of his honour and Temples of Christ and of God and of the Holy Ghost and not for Adultery and Fornication Truly I could not but wonder and stand amazed to hear of such soul beastly and unmannerly and uncivil Language as I have heard since I came here What is this Gospel Teaching O but consider what the Scriptures speak concerning slanderous Tongues and of lying Lips and of such as have Venom under their Tongues and the Poyson of Asps What do you not believe that God will judge for these things and sweep away the Refuge of Lyes and take the Reproach from off his People Would you have the same Measure measured to you as you have done to me and the rest of us Surely you have not had so much as Common Civility or Humanity much less Christianity for if you had had either you would have come and spoken to me when I was in the Island and not have railed against me behind my back and incensed others against me Was this Humane or Christianly or Neighbourly done Judge ye But alas what shall I say I do very much fear that the Hand of the Lord God will suddenly come upon many of you with his swift Destruction The Lord did visit and that not very long since this Island with two sore Judgments the one of Fire the other of the Plague but alas what Repentance what Change have they wrought in you and upon you What saith the Prophet of the Lord in Isa 26.9 When thy Judgments are on the Earth the Inhabitants of the World will learn Righteousness But alas are you not rather worse then you were before and hardened more then you were before Pharoah-like as it is in the 10th verse Let Favour be shewn to the Wicked yet
things cometh the Wrath of God upon the Children of Disobedience Now consider all you that call your selves Ministers and others in Christendom so called Christ Jesus is the Seed's-Man and he sows the good Seed which is in Man's Heart now some Hearts be a High-Way and those Fowls in them that are bred by the foul spirit take it away and some is sown upon Stony Ground where 's not much Earth but is scorch't by the heat of Persecution and some again is sown upon the Thorny Ground Thorny Hearts where it grows a while and then the Thornes the Cares of the World choaks it but that which is sown upon Good Ground brings forth good Fruit abundantly to the Glory of God and Christ the Seed's-Man Now Christ in a Parable 〈◊〉 speaks of a Housholder that sowed good Seed in his Field and his Servants said Didst thou not sow good Seed whence then hath it Tares He answered An Enemy hath done this They replyed Wilt thou that we go and gather them up Nay saith he lest ye gather the Wheat also let both grow together till the Harvest The Field is the World the Good Seed are the Children of the Kingdom of Christ the Tares are the Children of the Wicked One the Enemy that sowed them is the Devil the Harvest is the end of the World and the Reapers are the Angels So Christ he would not suffer his Disciples to gather the Tares lest c. Now what 's the matter with you and others who will be Gatherers when Christ hath forbidden you lest you pluck up Wheat instead of Tares seeing it is the Angels Work to sever the Wheat from the Tares and the Wicked from the Just And therefore whose Servants have you been in all Christendom who will venture the gathering of the Tares and instead of them have been plucking up the Wheat as witness all the Martyrs and Bloody Persecutions since Christ's time but these Tares at the End of the World the Angels shall cast into the Fire where shall be Weeping and Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth c. And Luke 9.55 When Christ sent to a Village of the Sameritans to make ready for him and they did not receive him his Disciples said Lord Wilt thou that we command Fire to come down from Heaven to consume them even as Elias did but Christ rebukâ—t them saying Ye know not what spirit ye are of the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Now mark If the Disciples of Jesus Christ did not know themselves what spirit they were of who would have had Fire to come down from Heaven upon such as would not receive Christ how do you know what spirit you are of and all those since the Apostles dayes that do persecute people about Religion by Imprisoning them c Now had they and you known what spirit you are of you would not Persecute but seeing you do not therefore it is you will have the People of God persecuted and so are under the Rebukes of Christ who came to Save and nor destroy And therefore since you do not know what spirit you are of your selves we cannot trust our Bodies nor our Souls nor Spirits in your hands And you see you have no Command from Christ or the Apostles to persecute for Christ saith All Power is given to me both in Heaven and Earth c. What to do To destroy the Devil and his Works the Enemy the Adversary and Destroyer of Mankind Christ he is so far from that that he commands us To love one another and to love Enemies but this Command hath been little regarded in Christendom Christ spake to such as built the Sepulchres of the Prophets and garnisht them whom their Fore-Fathers had killed and yet these Builders killed the Son Have not we the same Builders now that would kill him and persecute him where he is revealed in his People Truly ye bear witness that you allow the Deeds of your Fore-fathers who did kill them and their Children built and garnisht their Sepulchres that so all the Righteous Blood from Abel to Zacharias yea to this very day will come upon this Generation of Persecutors whereof in our dayes we have seen sad Examples how the Lord hath cut several of them suddenly off who have been found persecuting his People and Beloved Ones his dear Lambs And saith Christ The Servant that says in his Heart My Lord delays his coming and begins to smite his Fellow-Servants and Eat and be Drunken the Lord will come in a day when he looks not for him when he is not aware of it and will cut him assunder and will appoint him his Portion with Unbelievers Mat. 12. And therefore take ye heed who smite the Servants of God and Hand-Maids of God lest the Lord come in a Day or in an Hour when you are not aware and cut you assunder with his sharp two-edged Sword and appoint you your Portion with Hypocrites and Unbelievers and therefore the People of God are alwayes to be in a readiness waiting for the Appearance of the Lord Mat. 24. And Blessed is that Servant that the Lord finds so doing he will make him Ruler over his House that gives them their Meat in due season Now consider you Strikers this and all you Smiters and Persecuters you do not watch for Christ's coming no no but you put the Day and Hour afar off and you do not know how soon either of them may come of cutting assunder and of your Weeping Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth and your Portion which you are like to have with Hypocrites And Christ further saith Luke 19.27 Those mine Enemies which would not that I should Raign over them bring hither and slay them before me Now consider this you that will not have Christ to Rule and Raign in his People no nor in your selves Do you think that you shall escape the Sword of his Judgments and of his Mouth and the Wrath of the Lamb And did ever Christ though he was called a Blasphemer and as Belzebub and that he had a Devil and a Deceiver yet though he had all Power in his Hands given to him in Heaven and in Earth yet he did not persecute any of them but rebuk't his Disciples Neither did he give any such Command or Advice to his Apostles but rather the contrary viz. That they should love one another and love Enemies Now then who hath given you this Power to persecute and beat another mans Children and Servants Let us know your Original and your Antiquity Now whereas you may say That Lay-men and Mechanick Men are not to meddle with the Scriptures but you onely that have got the Original of Hebrew Greek and Latine I Answer Was not the beginning of the Originals in Babel For was not all the Earth of one Language before And had not Pilate these Originals when he crucified Christ And did he not write a Title upon his Cross in Hebrew Greek and Latine