but why doth he call it his Lecture but because for hire he preacheth it and so the hire of about 24 l. a year being his he calls it his Lecture But was it not good counsel she gave the people namely to beware of him that by him they might not be deceived Let the Reader but consider and justly weigh what himself gives forth from pag. 51. to pag. 55. and he may easily see how needful and necessary it was for her that knew him well to give such warning being thereunto moved for if a man will take upon him to be a Preacher and a leader of others who hath not received the Spirit of God to open and reveal the mysteries of the kingdom of God nor to comfort refresh drooping souls nor to strengthen and encourage them with boldness to do and suffer for God to purge purifie cleanse sanctifie and make them holy and fruitful and grow in grace and fill them with meekness and love and make them spiritual and unite them together and to adorn them with spiritual gifts and grace nor to fill them with a spirit of faith and prayer yea if he hath not received that spirit without which he can do nothing well how exceeding needful is it that people be warned thereof and how great is the love of the Lord in giving them warning in time for what can any soul receive from such a blind unholy unsanctified Ministry that can do nothing well except it be by it to be led into the ditch and caused to wander in the dark and blind paths of deceit and delusion towards death and destruction which is your own words to the Reader And if Thomas Ewins be not the man whose condition this is and hath published himself so under his own hand let the sober Reader judg and so Mary Prince is clear of the blood of them that received not warning and Thomas Ewins his accusations turn heavily on his own head but her they cannot reach who hath delivered her own soul by giving them warning And whereas he saith I tell in my Letter I was warned from invisible lights to beware of him and that by visible light he discerned his speaking was but little acceptable to me and others after he began to oppose though before he was the excellentest man that ever I met with I say what high and excellent thoughts he had of himself may be perceived and because he accounted himself so excellent 't is like he perswades himself that I accounted him so too in which he is mistaken for I was so far from it that himself declares that his speaking had so little acceptation with me and others that we were observed often to go out of the meeting when he was to speak which is an absolute lye too though by reason of his flattering daubing and deceit there might be cause enough and grief it is to see men of corrupt minds to oppose the truth And for several years his preaching and devining to me appeared so dry and empty like other of the worlds Teachers that is was truly a grief and burthen to me to sit under it And for what he speaks of my saying I was warned from invisible lights to beware of him it is a visible lye in which he is too much exercised and no such word was published by me but that I was long since warned from invisible sights or manifestations to beware of him is true something of whose woful condition was then manifested and may be accomplished towards which he hastens apace But his enmity and hatred against the light which is the glory of Gods Israel is such that he cannot but belye it And to him I say that which God hath prepared before the face of all people a light to lighten the Gentiles hath discovered and manifested him no Preacher nor Minister of Christ but a persecutor of the life and power of God And in the day of his distress and anguish which is coming from afar in which the men of war shall not find their hands but weep bitterly in which the strong shall be as tow and all hands be weak and all knees be feeble and all faces gather paleness in which our God shall roar out of Sion and utter his terrible voice from his holy Temple before which all the earth shall tremble in which the Lords salvation shall be manifested for his people in the destruction of all his enemies I say in that day which is at hand and as a destruction from the Almighty cometh shall he see and know that by the same spirit of Prophesie which was of old in the Prophets and holy men and promised in this day to be poured out upon sons and daughters is hiâ— condition seen and known and of it hath he been truly warned And that it is not for nought that the Lord hath sent his servants in his dread and power to warn the wicked though they turn not from their wicked wayes And also that it is not for nought that those servants of the Lord that stands in his counsel and receive his will from whom God hides not the things he is about to do in the world have not loved their lives unto the death but given their backs to the smiters and their cheeks to them that pull of the hair nor hid themselves from shame and suffering for their reward is before them and their God is with them whose acceptable day to them is manifested though the Aegyptians cannot see it glory to his name for evermore And whereas he tells of his success and prosperousness in his work and the large room he hath got in the peoples hearts since I left him and the use he is of to the desolate Church I say in his work of deceiving souls doth he prosper among you more then whilst I was there to withstand his daubing work who now leads captive a company of silly people laden with sins and lusts enough who hath none to withstand him or tell how long and woe for you was the day in which the Lord left you to such a guide in whose hearts that which makes desolate hath room enough and is of use to lead on towards perdition which is the work of that which is neither called constituted nor ordained to minister for God And now Thomas Ewins whereas in thy conclusion thou sayest thou expectest many sharp arrows of bitter words to be shot at thee both by me and others and that thou matterest it not much having written in plainness words of truth and soberness rather for vindication of the truth then of thy self c. I say Thou hast sorely mist in both and hast written lyes falshood and confusion as is plainly proved to thy own shame and for it must thou come to judgement and no veil of deceit can hide or cover thee And that which I do is plainly to lay it open and manifest it that thou mayest blush and be ashaâ—ed without shooting
vindicate or cover himself from what was truly laid upon him yet from it hath he not delivered himselfe but the charge stands good in sound and sober words in the power of truth and whiles he covereth his sin be cannot prosper And whiles he addeth one iniquity to another he cannot come into Gods righteousnesse And oh that he would consider it and lay it to heart whiles he hath time that in the day of the Lords anger which is at hand and as a destruction from the Almighty shall come he might be hid and find mercy of the Lord with whom his vain speaking of a witnesse he hath in heaven brought from thence into his heart and confirmed by the Spirit of Truth and of his being taken up into the Mount to confer with him who hath all power given him and of a Warrant sealed and given forth from him that hath al power c. is of little accompt whiles he understands not what he speaks For the Kingdom of God cometh not with observation but the kingdome of God is within and in his Kingdom he is who dwells in heaven where the Father the Word and Spirit agree of which all blind Pharisaical Professors are ignorant and cannot know it till in the light and by the spirit it be revealed and made manifest And whereas he saith All that he with the rest laid at my door was to a tittle true and that neither he nor his brethren have any reluctance for it This is all fals for I have before proved it lies and deceit and themselves have confest they found that which boiled like a furnace and scalded all that stand near it and they were near it and so resolved not to stay another time And judgement is now laid to the line and righteousness to the plummet and all refuges of lies and deceit are to be swept away and by truth and soberness such hiding places are overflown and in soberness do I stand and so much to my self am I come that I see many of his words there mentioned to veil and cover himself to be light and vain and not worth answering and that what I writ was both sober and true without fawning and flattery in which many among you are too much exercised who love to have smooth not true things spoken and would have me peaceable gentle and full of mercy to hypocrisie deceit and wickedness all which is for judgement and no peace from God is spoken to it And therefore without partiality do I declare against it in him and you as well as in others and to my self am I not a stranger And this is pure wisdom from above and moderation known unto all that receive and believe in the light by which that spirit appearing in my former book is justified though to you that hate the light and by the light are condemned it is as gall and worm-word And for sporting my self and insulting over him I did it not but it is another refuge of lies for I told him before I did not insult over him nor delight in his wo and misery but was sorely grieved as still I am to see how the wicked one whom the Lord would destroy was exalted in him and you and what I writ is true And whereas he saith I was not a in a sober mind but at a distance from it and true speaking when I mentioned to him the portion of lyars and that not any thing he said was a lie but what he said I had not his hand to as his particular affirmation and so goes on speaking many words but to what purpose I cannot see except it be by words to darken the Readers understanding But if I mistake not that which he would do is to vindicate himself from being a lyar with what else I charged upon him in my former Letter by telling me he said I had not his hand to it as his particular accusation And if this be his meaning then is it gross deceit for I never said or thought it was his particular accusation but a general accusation delivered by him in which himself and each other particular was included and so I spake to him in soberness and pitty my very howels moving towards him knowing my self innocent and that it was a dreadful thing for him in the Name or the Lord to speak a false vision or thing I asked him how he durst come to me and in the name of the Lord tell me I said the Scriptures of truth were one of the greatest plagues of the land when I never spake nor thought such a thing To which he replyed he never spake it nor laid it to my charge though out of his own mouth it came and when I told him I had it under his hand he denyed it When I told him I could shew it him he replied if I could he would acknowledge himself a lyar upon which ground I charged him for it as before and so I do still and good were it for him if he owned the judgement and repented for otherwise he cannot escape But if he forgeting that his hand was to his paper did run himself into the evil of denying it as is before exprest yet if when he came to the sight of his error he had clearly acknowledged it and owned his condemnation and repented to which in love he was advised there had been mercy for him but being convinced and reproved of the evil hardened his neck and labours to hide and cover his sin adding one iniquity unto another here he cannot prosper but brings himself justly under not onely the judgement and condemnation mentioned in my former Letter but more and more misery due to those that rebel against the light by which they are reproved and to those that add iniquity unto iniquity and must not come into Gods righteousness And from it all the waters in Jordan can never wash him not the Rocks and Mountains cover him nor all your outward observations imaginations and will-worships preserve him till he own the light by which he is convinced and reproved and the just condemnation thereof pass upon the rebellious and the transgressor which hath sinned and he brought to repentance and the acknowledgement of the truth and so his soul come to be saved in this mighty day of the Lords power And this is not from a violent heat of wild-fire as he calls it but from a spirit of soberness soundness and truth and is true love to his soul and the time is near in which he that rebuketh plainly shall find more favour then he that flattereth with his lips and my end is not to make him a transgressor before all as he supposeth but according to my measure to advise him into the way the light the life and the truth which leadeth out of transgression into the inheritance of the Saints in light and in this I do not equivocate nor evade as he falsely chargeth me but do speak plainly and truly though at
up to the commandments of Christ in obedience and conscience and yet be found so rebellious and stiff necked neglecting and disobeying that which themselves have published to be the institutions of Christ Yea those institutions which are blessed which he in his own person practiced and left as a standing ordinance of the New Testament to all Generations c. Know ye not that rebellion is as the sin of witch-craft and to hearken is more acceptable than sacrifice and if he that knowes not his Masters will is worthy of stripes what will your portion be who profess ye know it and can admonish others for neglecting it and yet your selves be found in the utter disobedience I know in this ye will need a vail but it will never hide nor cover your shame And for me to tell such a people they are not a Church of Christ but a harlot a Synagogue of Satan c. is not to blaspheme God and his Tabernacle of both which ye are ignorant and in your blindness worship ye know not what neither is it a writing contemptuously as ye say against any who in conscience are obedient to Christ but it is for your advantage and profit if to it ye give ear And for the accompt ye can give of your faith of which ye boast I say that where true faith is it purifies the heart from lying hipocrisie and deceit and is a mistery held in a pure conscience And Thomas Ewine acknowledgeth in the 52 53 54 pages he doth very much question as I know he hath cause whether ever himself or many of you have received the spirit to establish and confirm or to open and reveal the misteries of the Kingdom or to beautifie and adorn you with gifts and grace to purge purifie cleanse and sanctifie and make you holy or to fill you with the spirit of faith and prayer and when all this is wanting amongst you ye are sure in a very bad condition such as the Church of Christ under the new Testament was never in and so might forbear boasting either of your faith or obedience till another spirit from the Lord is powred upon you And ye might forbear so much washing the outside of your vessel in rivers and brooks tel your infide comes to be cleansed sanctified and made holy In your fifth page ye seem again displeased that I call you a mingled people c. and say if some with me had been faithful to their light and practized baptism they might he mingled too and that but one of those that haue practised that Ordinance as ye call it with you are fallen away Reply It seemeth then ye acknowledge there is a light which convinceth to which people ought to be faithful how dare ye then to reproach and speak evil of it and are not obedient when by it your evil deeds are reproved And if it be the light as ye grant it is that convinceth of the need of your water Baptism how comes it to pass ye were once so near casting out of Hannah Taylor as aforesaid for embracing it and what great glory is it that but one of your Baptists are convinced of truth and turned from darkness to the light c. Know ye not that Christ Jesus the light of the world said Publicans and harlots shall enter into the Kingdom before the Hypocrites And what advantage was it to the priests and their generations when Christ came a light into the world that but few of them believed in the truth and were obedient to that which the world with themselves opposed and said it was the Devil But if ye were able truly to manifest that but few of your company were proud cocovetous envious back-biters oppressors extortioners unjust dealers c. living in the customes and manner of other Heathens but by the power of God were turned from it this had been something and so had not ye been mingled as now ye are Ye say Hath not Christ called and owned you his Church and that I can testify ye were at first rightly constituted and have profest that Christ hath manifested his presence amongst you c. To which I say That ever Christ called such a surfeited bodie as yours a Church of his is denyed and testimonie is born against it But that his presence was amongst you and manifested to many who by the power of it are drawn and separated from amongst you is granted though ye have neither known nor received him but cast him off and were not obedient but have rebelled and vexed his spirit so that by the weapons of his power is he fighting against you with whom it is but the beginning of sorrowes and if ye turn not he is whetting his glittering sword and his hand takes hold of vengeance c. And if as ye say ye were at first rightly constituted then are ye your selves not I nor others with me Apostates and backslidden from that in which at first ye were gathered For then ye did disown those called Anabaptists and their practices in which ye were so zealous that ye did often admonish and reprove and were near the casting out Hanna Taylor as I have said now called Hanna Packer because she owned it But now ye do own the Anabaptists and their practices and ye your selves become Practizers thereof as ye confesse and do admonish and reprove others who in conscience and obedience to the light of Christ cannot conform to your customes and traditions but by his power reproves them standing in that by which at first they were convinced and gathered out of the world and all its pollutions so far as to them it was made manifest And therefore all your feigned words of backsliding and back-sliders Apostatizing and Apostates both in your title page and other places in your book is clearlie turned upon your selves who are the Apostates and back-sliders of which ye speak and to whom belong all the reproofes and admonitions ye pretend to others who are obedient to the light by which the deceipt of your will-worships and inventions is made manifest and denied as was that of Parishes and other assemblies before And as for the Churches of Galatia and Asia Alas what have ye to do with them in whose life ye are not and are shut and cast out an◠〈◊〉 the cursed ground where the briars and thornes grow and the beasts of prey feed and with the persecutors of the life of God which they witnessed are ye joyned against the truth and proudly have ye laboured to trample upon and cast it to the ground but all in vain for over your heads it is exalted and life and immortality is brought to light and reigns for ever more Ye say Those who were stiled a synagogue of Satan were a company of proud boasters that said they were Jewes and Apostles and were not but did lye I answer just so are ye who boast your selves the Church of Christ but are not and his commands to observe
a reason why it was not read Besides If it had been directed To the people called independants was not that a sober direction Was iâ— like deriding except ye begin to be ashamed of that by which which ye have been called and which your selves have owned But he that taught and devised for you that lie hath taught you many more in your book which in its season may be manifested Secondly ye say I refused to hear your messengers and therefore ye had no warrant to receive or hear my letter Which is another absolute lie for I heard them out patiently what they had to say and afterwards replied and theâ— themselves acknowledged some of them staid near an hour and scâ—â—lded c. And so far was I from refusing to hear vvhat they said that after they had spoken I not being able to remember the particulars desired to have it in writing that I might consider it and return an answer which accordingly was done which answer ye received not and have published this lie to the world as the reason of it Ye say some of you understood it was my main designe to draw away some more to me c. which ye give as your third reason To which I reply Who were those some that understood what my designe was in that letter which ye never read nor opened nor saw what was in it till after I published it Is there any diviner among you who by the Spirit of divination can tell what was contained in that which he neither saw nor read or is it another lie devised since my defence was published and pretended to be a reason why ye read it not above 12. moneths before or else is it Robert Simpsen and Robert Purnel to whom I read it before I sealed it that is the some among you that give those reasons If it be the latter then let all the world take notice of their falsehood and deceipt in whose hearing I read vvhat I had vvritten and afterwards demanded their freedom to communicate it to you c. Who replied they were free and saw no reason why it should not be publickly read and therefore promised to do it c. And that after all this they should to you pretend reasons why it should not be read were strange hypocrisie and wicked deceipt But however it is evident ye have been giving heed to some lying spirit in some of your members by whom ye are led which have thus distempered your humorous bodie and caused you thus to erre from the right way for which truely my Soul pitieth you and sorely do I mourn over you As for what ye tell me of jearing at your weakness and feebleness fasting dayes and prayers c. and in page 23 of scoffing scorning and deriding in which ye say I outstrip all others it returns upon your ovvn head who stand guiltie enough of such things But vvhat I writ in that particular I writ in words of soberness and not â—â—â—â—ingly as the sober Reader may perceive and Tho. Ewins confesseth pag. 62. I writ more seriously and did not jeer In pag 10. ye fall a commending your brother Simpson as ye call him for his humilitie integritie and godliness To which I mighâ— reply in the words ye mention pag 18. Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth a stranger and not thine own tips because Rob. Simpson signes this his own commendations But ye say in the margin it was inserted by some of you without his knowledge To which I reply Did he then sign that vvhich he did not know If so then let all that read consider vvhat credit may be given to that vvhich is published and comes forth under your names vvho sign and publish ye knovv not vvhat But if Rob. Simpson did know vvhat he put his hand unto but was ashamed to ovvn his ovvn commendations c. then are ye that are offended that I ovvned you not a Church taken with another lie in your mouth saying some of you inserted it without his knowledge when he did knovv it But if ye think to hide your selves by saying he might not knovv it when ye inserted it though before he put his hand to it he might know it Then I demand Is not here that equivocation evasion and mental reservation found upon your selves which ye would cast upon me because I said I owned Baptism and the Lords Supper vvhich was and is true and dearlie do I love it and long to be more a partaker therein And all your traditions and beggerly elements in which ye deceive your selves I deny and against both it and you do I bear testimonie And as for those many reproachful contemptible reviling expressions ye scatter here and there in your book calling me foolish deluded man c. Comparing me with Rabshekah Judas Ralph Farmer c. I say it s not much to me to be numbred by you amongst transgressors and the worst of men who am so much desirous and by any means pressing to know and witness him which made himself of no reputation but was obedient even him who is the light of the world and the life of men who was a man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefes and hid not his face from shame c. Who was never known to the wisedom of the world but by it in those that profest the Scriptures vvas reproched reviled persecuted and murthered and the servant must not be above his Lord And therefore from those vvho are of the World and speak of the World and the World heareth do I not expect better usage And wo were me if all men spake well of me But over it all do I rejoyce and in it do I glorie knowing that even in your own Consciences a witness I have that vindicates me and condemns you To which it were well if ye took heed before it be too late Ye say ye will not dâ—pâ—e your power but resolve to do your duty c. By which I suppose ye mean some immitation or invention which to your selves ye fancie of separating some from amongst you and the power ye have to do it ye will not dispute c. And so something ye will do and eâ—â—iâ—e God to it to whom ye say to do it and your power ye will not dispute And is not this the Harlots voice Is not here the self same spirit appearing which was and is in the Parishes and their Priests the Pope the Bishops and all that adulterous generation against which you did once bear some testimonie who when any saw the pollutions corruption and defilements that were in their waies and worships and separated from it would be offended and sometimes excommunicate them as they called it and their power they would not dispute which is the practice of the Harlot for the Churches of Christ witnessed the power of God and disputed with small and great c. But ye say ye are a Church though ye never proved it nor
and spirit of envie is pouring out of stoods of reviling bitternes not onely when she assembles in her harlots houses and Idol Temples with the rest of the proud and persecuting World where the Churches of Christ after they were gathered did never assemble but in her books and pamphlets speaking evil as she can not only of the Church ways of Christ which she understands not but of Christ Jesus himself who is come a light into the World ane is the light of the World which hath enlightned every man that cometh into the World and this is clear and plain and no studied accusation but a real thing and her proper sentence justly due is gone forth from the presence of the Lord and over her head doth stand And notvvithstanding ye say I gave no vvord or reason of my departure the sober Christian ye mention will easily perceive that this is another refuge of lies for it was reason enough of my departure to deny you to be a Church of Christ and to prove you an harlot a Synagogue of Satan a cage c. And all this I have done notwithstanding ye blush not to say I gave no reason of my departure c. But I perceive that which troubles you is that I who so well knew you and was so long as an Elder amongst you whom ye did so often chuse and elect to that employment and so highly esteemed should now so sadly apostatize as ye call it as not to acknowledge you a Church To which I reply Were ye indeed a Church of Christ how gladly would I acknowledge ye But till ye prove your selves so I may in the words of Thomas Ewins to Ralph Farmer in the 60 page of your book tell you though you be so wise to propose I cannot be so foolish as to grant it lest I make my selfe a transgressor like unto you and rebell against the light which hath manifested you But now let me demand your proof for although ye say ye would prove every tittle and had proved every tittle of what ye charged me withal yet is here no proof at all produced to prove that I drew any from the Church grieved and sadned many or opened the mouths of any to speak evill of the wayes of Christ yet is this more than a tittle or a syllable it is many words and sentences Oh foolish people and unwise how hath the Devill the god of the world and Rulers of the darknesse blinded you why is there no feare of God before your eyes who are adding one iniquity to another as drunkennesse to thirst and yet bespeak your selves a Church And because ye have recovered a veile with which your selves are blinded do think all others must be veiled too but where Christ is witnessed the veile is removed and in the light of Christ which ye have despised and set at nought are ye seen and comprehended and your hypocrisies inventions and traditions will-worships carnall ordinances together with that lying spirit to which ye give heed are in the same light judged denyed and witnessed against as that which to the Lord is abominable and burthensome in which he hath no delight but his soule hates because it is iniquity and a loathsome thing Isa 1.16 But from you whom have I drawn away Why had ye not mentioned one that some colour of truth might appear or that by it also ye might be reproved who of the strong and mighty arme and power of the Lord are ignorant by which he hath powerfully drawn and gathered many from amongst you as well as from others who in the like deceit are worshipping they know not what into his mountain of holinesse which he in this his day is setting up and establishing over your heads and a top of all mountains in which to his people the Lord is making a feast of fat things of which those that pour out a drink offering to that number must not eat in which mountain the Veile is removed the shadows taken away no Lyon or carnall devouring beastly thing can ever come but in it is the way of holinesse known and witnessed and life light and immortality reigns for evermore and the true and living God in spirit life and power known and worshipped who is light and in whom there is no darknesse at all And so although gross darknesse hath overspread the Aegyptian land where the Diviners the Sorcerers the Taskmasters and oppressors dwell yet in Jacobs Tent there is light by which the deeds of darknesse are seen and reproved And therefore although ye have taken liberty to vent your lies and slaunders and false accusations against the innocent over your high places when ye assemble by troops in harlots houses where the children of light dare not come to reproove and gainsay it except they are thereunto powerfully moved of the Lord to testifie against your deceipt and abhomination Yet must ye learn wisdome and take heed of printing and publishing such stuffe to the world else may ye be sure whilst ye seek to cover it with a veile your iniquities will be marked your filthy sepulchre opened which is already but badly painted your skirts more discovered so that shame and confusion will be your portion for evermore except ye repent And therefore of this be ye warned In your third branch ye lay the charge thus viz. your extream censoriousnesse and rash judging not onely of persons abroad but also of the Church c. And tell the world ye will prove yea that ye have proved every tittle and syllable of these things to be true when ye have not endeavoured so much as a shew of proof for ought ye speak touching persons abroad but past it over as if ye had never spoken it And yet this is tittles and syllables yea words c. But a bridle for your tongue ye want who have so long given heed to lying spirits that now ye appear to love lying more then to speak truth and being out of the fear of the Lord speak ye care not what I come now to your fifth branch and shall not trouble my selfe again with those many lies falshoods and contradictions which I there finde in what you say is verbatim having mentioned some of them before but shall examine your proof of that also and see if every tittle of it be proved or whether ye may not be proved lyars in this as in the rest Ye say I did at a meeting at mine house affirme the first part of this branch viz. That the Scriptures were blinde and a plague to souls And for proof ye again produce your own saying it is so and that some of you sitting over against me do well remember how I spake it Clapping my hand upon the book or table saying That Book or Scriptures was one of the greatest blindes and plagues to mens souls this day in England And that ye will again affirme and set your hands to it that I spake those very words
and of the great unworthiness and unfitness he saw in himself of so glorious an employment but saith that he hath been and is though the unworthiest upon earth a Preacher and a publisher of the glorious Gospel of the grace of God both in Wales and now in Bristol he hath no need to seek a proof of me or any other man To which I say his own proof is too light and empty to prove him a Preacher of the Gospel and in it self sufficiently discovers him no Minister of Christ but in confusion for the Ministers of Christ were called but he confesseth he was neither called constituted nor ordained a Minister in Office which I take for granted and then is he to prove that they who were no Ministers either called constituted or ordained were preachers of the glorious Gospel and likewise that they who were preachers of the Gospel were not Ministers But in this his ignorance folly and confusion are made manifest for can a man be a Preacher and publisher of the glorious Gospel and yet no Minister either called constituted or ordained and can he that is no Minister either called constituted or ordained as he hath confest he is not be a publisher and a Preacher of the glorious Gospel Was not he a Minister And did not he make full proof of his Ministry who preached the Word who did the work of an Evangelist Paul was appointed a Preacher and he was called to be an able Minister but Thomas Ewins hath not been able by the Scripture to maintain that he is a Minister but enforced to deny the same and now hath given it under his hand that he was not called constituted nor ordained therefore being no Minister he is no Preacher of the Gospel but in confusion And it is much to see what poor shifts the children of darkness are put unto now in the day of the Lords power wherein light is risen out of obscurity and they that hate it are discovered and to the least child of light made manifest and denyed Besides the Gospel is the Gospel of the kingdome and to those who were Preachers and publishers thereof it was given to know the mysteries of that kingdom which to others was in parables and dark sayings that seeing they might see and not perceive c. And the Gospel is a great mystery which hath been hid from ages and generations but is now made manifest to those to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of that mysterie which saith Paul is Christ in you the hope of glory whom we preach And by revelation saith he God made known unto me the mysterie and the hidden wisdome of God we speak in a mysterie which God ordained before the world unto our glory and that which none of the Princes of this world knew nor eye hath seen nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man hath God revealed unto them by his Spirit who were the Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the mysteries of God But Thomas Ewins hath confest that he did question whether he had received the Spirit to open and reveal the mysteries of the Kingdome unto him and so to him the vision of all is but a sealed book and to him it is but in parables and dark sayings as it was to ages and generations past to whom God revealed not the mysteries of his Spirit but seeing they did see and not perceive And how then can he be a Preacher or publisher of the Gospell yea the glorious Gospel which is the Gospel of the kingdome to whom it was never given to know it neither hath he received the Spirit to open and reveale it as is manifest under his hand Poor man were he not very blinde he might be silent and not boast to the world that he needs not a proof of any man that he is a Preacher and a Publisher of the glorious Gospel of the grace of God in Bristol who is so notoriously ignorant of it that by his own confession he hath not received the spirit to open the mysterie of it to him as the Saints had in the Primitive times and so is intruding into things he hath not seen vainly puft up with a fleshly minde and would needs be a Teacher but understands not what he saith nor whereof he affirmes but confesseth he questions whether he hath received the Spirit to open and reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom and yet saith he is a Preacher of the glorious Gospel which is a mysterie hid from all but those to whom it is revealed by the Spirit But he saith his reward is on high and that God hath given him a seale of his Ministry in Bristol and he trusts hundreds can say the Lord hath been and still is with his Ministry quickning comforting teaching c. To which I say whose work is this or of what is it a seale In page 52. he confesseth he questions whether he had received the spirit to seale c. and yet here saith God gave him a seale of his Ministry c. He hath before denied himselfe a Minister and now given it under his hand that he was neither called constituted nor ordained c. and yet saith his Record is on high and that God hath given him a seale of his Ministry Is he no Minister and yet hath God given him a seal of his Ministry What Babylonish confusision is here Hath he a seale of nothing or of a lye Can he have a seale of that which is not Or hath he a seale and not of the Spirit Is not the Record he saith he hath of this on high even with principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses where the powers of darknesse rule But how shall one trust or in what can one believe such a man who would seem to speak with so much solemnesse and seriousnesse when he speaks so much confusion contradiction and falshood And well were it that not not onely he but ye all would learn to dread the name of God and feare to take it so commonly as ye do into your mouths in vain to veile and cover your deceitfull pretences lest by him ye be not held guiltlesse But he saith It is true I am no preacher of that which you and some of your way call the Gospell namely to bid every man turn to the light within neither did I ever read or heare that any of the Prophets Apostles or holy men of God did preach such a Gospel To which I say he being no Preacher of that thing as he terms it which my selfe and some of our way call the Gospel he is no Preacher of the Truth of God nor the Gospel of God which is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes And so out of his own mouth let him be judged that he is no Preacher nor Minister either by call or practice who doth not preach that which we call the Gospel which is
it he may once finde it a swift witnesse against him it may prove as a fire in his bowels and as a candle to search his in most parts and the condemnation it is of all those that hate it as the Scripture witnesseth And Christ exhorts to believe in it and in it did the Saints walke and in it had they fellowship which condemns the unbeliever But of it he is no Preacher and therefore do we confess he is no Minister for God for though in words he seems to confesse something of the light yet like a man filled with confusion speaks he knows not what but uttereth his owne folly and speaks of a two-fold coming of the Spirit into the hearts of believers The first is that by which the eyes of mens understandings are opened and they turne from darknesse to light faith and repentance wrought in the soul c. Upon which I demand were they believers before they were turned unto the light in which they were to believe or had their eyes opened If yea prove it If nay then by his own confession there were eyes of mens understandings to be opened and light to be turned unto and yet he saith he never read nor heard that the Prophets Apostles or holy men of God preached such a Gospel namely to bid people turn to the light c. Now how shall we trust him or which of his words shall we believe who confesseth he is no Minister but uncal'd unconstituted unordained c. No Preacher of that thing we call the Gospel namely to bid men turn to a light within them and yet the eyes of mens understandings must be opened and they turned to the light and yet saith he to bid men turn to the light within takes them off from believing on the person of Jesus Christ He saith He administers the Lords Supper to this people in Bristol as they are a Church of godly sober Christians believing in Christ though some of them mis-baptized not having light to see right Administrations but reckon infant-baptisme sufficient yet as further light comes in they are willing to walke up in it In the meane time we can beare with them in love as we desire them and others to leave with us in other things But to it I say Though ye be joyned hand in hand in darknesse and deceit agreeing to bear with one another therein Yet the children of light plainly and clearly see your folly and confusion and bear witnesse against it Tho Ewins declares himselfe against bidding turn to the light within yet his mis-baptized people as he calls them have not light to see the right Administrations of Baptisme but reckon Infant-baptisme sufficient yet as further light comes in saith he they are willing to walke up in it So then he acknowledgeth they want light to see And that as light comes in I say as it comes in they are willing to walk up in it yet he says he is no Preacher of this thing to wit the light within It is pernitious doctrine It shuts up the Kingdome against men and takes them off from believing on the person of Christ Poor blind man how is he made to condemn himselfe in that which he in words is forced to allow But these mis-baptized people who have not light to see right Administrations but reckon Infant-baptisme sufficient are his believers and with one another can ye beare in love in your darknesse It is like he knows in his own conscience that infant-baptisme is not sufficient being neither he nor you can prove it an Ordinance of Christ and so follow traditions for Doctrines And it s no wonder that they want light who follow such a guide who hath so plainly denyed the same and would fain be a Teacher but understands neither what he saith nor whereof he affirmeth But he saith truly I know no thorough-paced godly man Anabaptist or others in Bristol but do shew love and respect to me in their way onely in this they walke according to their light and so do I but they thinke I am too large in my principles and I thinke them too streight in theirs Yet saith he we doe not differ but can beare with each other in love Reply Here again is his confusion manifest He denies them who bid turne to the light and he is no Preacher of that and yet his mis-baptized people want light and those he calls thorough-paced Anabaptist or others who shew respect to him in their way They walk in their light and he in his and yet to bid turn to the light is to deny believing in the person of Christ Now let all who feare the Lord consider his words who saith he is no Preacher of that we call Gospel namely to bid every man turn to the light in him And the Quakers doctrine is pernicious they shut the kingdome of Heaven from men they take people off from believing in the person of Christ by bidding them turn to the light in them saith he and yet himselfe acknowledgeth the first coming of the Spirit is to open the eyes of mens understandings and to turne them from darknesse to light and to work faith and repentance in the soule Now according to his own words are not they in darknesse and unconverted who are not turned to the light And is it not good to turn to the light that the eyes may be opened and the soul converted And yet he is no Preacher of this Again he saith the mis-baptized people want light but as further light comes in they are willing to walk up in it Here is want of light confessed and the coming in of light acknowledge and the turning to the light was before granted and yet to bid people turn to the light within is pernicious doctrine By this is the Kingdome shut Oh miserable blinde guide and Idoll shepherd how hath grosse darknesse overspread thy face and thy Sun gone downe at noon-day Again Them he calls thorough-paced Anabaptists they walke according to their light and he walks according to his they think his principles too large and he thinks theirs too streight Here is acknowledged their light and his light and before want of light and coming in of light And yet Quakers have done mischief in Bristol and their doctrine saith he is pernitious how so why they bid men turn to the light within them Poor man what is become of his rule now for turning to the light that is pernicious doctrine To try things by the light were to deny Scripture to be the rule But now with him here is their light and his light streight and large principles and mis-baptized ones that want light to see right administrations c. But now by what are ye guided and where and what is your rule Have ye not all lost it and are all gone out of the right way wandring ye know not where in your imaginations who rebell against the light and know not the way thereof nor
for religious meetings which they called Conventicles and for opening shops upon Popish Holy-dayes which themselves popishly idolized and suffered Ryots Tumults and Insurrections to be made upon the people who then were up stirred to bear testimony against those abhominations And how wickedly fierce and cruell they were in the time of the late Wars persecuting imprisoning and destroying the lives liberties and estates or those called flound-heads contriving and imposing pernicious oaths upon the people to ensnare the innocent as by their own Record it may appear which if any through tendernesse refused how crully they were persecuted and tormented is not easily forgotten And although for a season the people of God were delivered from the jawes of the oppressorâ— and the oppressed ruled over them yet since by the change of times wickednesse is exalted and opportunity is administred for the oppressors to appear how soon and how zealously are they acting as before against an innocent people who feare the Lord and in obedience to him cannot how to their wills and lusts but as they are moved of the Lord do declare his Counsell and assured judgements against false worships and worshippers and other abhominations bearing true testimony for the name of the Lord against it â—â—ld the world that the works thereof are evill yet how cruelly they have for this persecuted them under the name of Quakers as formerly they did under the name of Round-heads Puritans and Sectaries is not forgotten nor the numbers that have been imprisoned to satisfie their wills and lusts when no lavv of the Nation vvas broken nay nor the shedding the righteous blood of severall of them by cruel whippings in their Prison houses c. like the enemies of God in former ages Who eate up the Lords people as bread and accounted them as sheep for the slaughter And whose Minister then is he like to be who by such a generation is sent to preach a Gospel And whose servant is he like to prove that glories in his Call by such a people And where is his rule or example for this except in Balaam the false Prophet and Diviner vvho erring from the Spirit by vvhich he savv the goodly Tents of Jacob and blessed Israel being sent for by the Rulers of Moab the enemy of God for the love of promotion the revvard of divination and the vvages of iniquiry out of severall high places endeavoured to curse the people vvhom God had blessed And vvhereas he declares his consenting to and helping on the accusations vvhich he cals admonitions sent to me and others I say Alas poor man hovv vvilling is Diotrephes to have prâ—-eminence and therefore meddles in things in vvhich he is not concerned prating against us vvith malicious vvords not receiving the Saints but forbidding them that vvould And according to your ovvn principles vvhat hath he to do in consenting to or helping on admonitions in the Independent Church so called in Bristoll vvho is himself an Anabaptist and a member as he saith of another Church in London and vvas never admitted a member by those of Bristoll onely by them vvas sent for to preach for hire And by the Mayor some Aldermen Councellors Gentlemen and Commissioners as he calls them had the revvard of Divination promised vvhich as I remember vvas a 100 l. or 120 l. a year vvith promotion to the honour of a publique Lecture so called in the middle of the City But I say what hath this man to do being a meer hireling and never admitted nor received a member to trouble himself in helping on accusations against â—hose who have denyed him and never approved his carnall observations nor large principles only like Balaam his elder brother being sent for as aforesaid hath a minde to comply with the Rulers of Moab in cursing those whom God hath altogether blessed And blessed shall they be of the Lord whose living presence they know and feel in the midst of them And neither the Rulers of Moab nor all the false Prophets in Bristoll nor England shall be able to reverse it and this may you all know in the day wherein ye will desive to ayâ— the death of the righteous and that your latter end may be like thens And whereas he tells of many who can say the Lord is with his Ministry comforting refreshings and quickning their souls c. I say the blinde may lead the blinde till they all fall into the ditch But how can it be that the Lord is with his Ministry who himself is no Minister as he hath confest And how can there be comforting and refreshing administred from him who hath not received the Spirit to comfort and chear drooping souls and fill them with refreshment as he gives it under his hand But this I say I knew many poor souls who before he came had some sensibleness of their conditions moving in them by which they began to be awakened out of that security and deceit in which they had been aâ— ease who after they had suckt in and embraced his deceit he dawbing them with untempered motter strengthning the hands of evill doers by promising them peace healing the hurt of the people lightly crying peace peace to them while they walk in the imaginations of their hearts perswading them to believe lyes and that their sins are pardoned forgiven and blotted out when their lives and conversations declare the contrary quenching and grieving the good spirit of God and crucifying afresh the Son of God who is the faithfull and true witnesse who is come and doth convince the world of sin and bears true testimony within against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousness of men which by him was called the temptations of Satan I say after this wofull Doctrine came to be received and embraced they again fell asleep in ignorance and security and now live in pleasure and much wantonnesse whose last estate is worse then the first And this is for some amongst you to observe for your good And how well might he save his labour in many pages in which he so vainly boasts and commends himselfe for a Preacher and publisher of the glorious Gospel that needs no proof of man c. And the many hundreds that can say the Lord is with his Ministry c. I say how well might he be silent in this his own commendations who presently gives it under his hand that he much questions whether he hath received the Spirit of the New Testament to open and reveal the mysteries of the Kingdome which to the Saints is given to know For that Gospel which the Ministers of Christ did and do preach and is indeed glorious is the Gospel of the Kingdom and that Gospel was and is a mystery hid from ages and generations but was and is manifested and revealed to them by the Spirit which Spirit he having not received the mysteries of the Kingdome and of the Gospel thereof to him are not opened but are hid as it was from ages and
that I durst never trust him since but have declared against him and to severall of his acquaintance manifested much of the substance of what is here published But whether Ralph Farmer knowing himselfe in comparison of Constant Jessop so inconsiderable that till he was removed himselfe had no hopes of preferment by that generation did more secretly endeavour his casting out and when it was done declared against it that he might not be suspected by his friends and people but with the more ease might obtain his place I shall not determine but leave it to the witnesse of God to manifest though time hath pretty well manifested him to all that are not blinde And so far was it seen before that Constant Jessop himselfe before he was cast out being in company with some of the Parish and speaking of the businesse in hand told them he feared that his place would be farmed over his head meaning as he exprest himselfe that Farmer would get it from him And of this his friend Thomas Bub among others may inform him and all this I suppose was about the time in which he tells the world some of our powers were so great that the life and death of mens preferments lay in our hands And so it 's like for preferment sake he did it for which also whiles he thought our power so great he had a minde to be one with us then called Independents And therefore at another time applyed himselfe to me telling me he was convinced of the necessity of being in a Church-way and propounded his desire both for himselfe and his people which to himselfe he had gathered to joyne with us and make but one Church provided as he said that we would consent to the compleating it with officers in which he spake so much that I perceived he sought for preferment among us after which he had laboured else-where in vain And therefore told him how vain it was for him to effect such a thing from us who I thought vvere so far from it that before he could be accepted as a member satisfaction would be required touching his leaving a Church so called in Canterbury c. By which its like he saw such little hopes of preferment for him through my hands that I heard no more of him about the business But having obtained the end of his sollicitation in his brothers remove he applyes himselfe both to his place and people and when by the change of times vile men were exalted he rode over both and conquered it as his own and now calls it his and so is become a blinde guide to those called Presbyterians and an enraged enemy to those with whom under a cloak of Religion for the sake of preferment he assayed to joyn whiles as he saith the life and death of it lay in their hands But saith he one of the Congregation told him if he would be one of the Congregation he might be chosen Pastor and that she was told if he might be chosen Pastor he would joyn with them which it's like made the man very confident of the business and was the end of his foresaid proposition to me notwithstandinng all his feigned deceitfull pretences to the contrary a thing so common and usual with that generation of hirelings that who is it that may not see it But were they not wofully blinde that could entertain the least thought of choosing so pittifull a piece of ignorance confusion ambition as Ralph Farmer to be their guide who had before proclaimed himself not able to preach for want of Books told the people he could but expound till they came And was it not my crossing of him in his ambitious thoughts and desires that filled his heart vvith poyson and rage vvhich he poureth forth in so many corners though in neither of his books hath he found vvherevvith to hit me But all his lyes slanders and false accusations being as light as vanity and not vvorth the mentioning do I trample upon And surely woe were me if such a man as he a worse than which is rarely found spake well of me But why doth he so much reproach belye and abuse me for being a member of the little Parliament Doth he not know how honourably Oliver Cromwell declared them in his speech in the Councel Chamber And why is he so envious that my self with others were so truly serviceable there to our generation according to the will of God with our Bibles in our hands and were willing to spend and be spent in the service of our Countrey not seeking our selves but the ease and profit of the people and did not like other Governours eate the bread of the people nor were at all chargeable unto them read Neh. 5.14 15. For he might know that the memory of the just will be blessed when the name of the wicked hireling Priesthood shall rot For a spirit of Justice and Government was God powring sorth upon that Assembly which made unclean spirits and devouring beasts that live upon the prey and spoyl of others to tremble of which he its like was not unsensible And had they sate but a little longer it 's like the Land had been cleansed of such and the people delivered from many sore and heavy yokes of bondage and slavery under which they have been held for ages and generations past by Popes Bishops proud domineering Priests and other Tyrants and England had known a day in which there had not been a Diviner a false Trophet a parish Priest a Hireling Shepherd a cruell Beast a devouring Wolfe nor an unclean spirit left in the Land guarded with a law to destroy souls for dishonest gain to rob the poor the widow and the fatherlesse and fill the prisons with innocent men as they do at this day But a howling of the Shepheards had been heard whose pride and glory had been spoyled and a year of rejoycing to the people had it been in which no devouring beast had been permitted to live by the sweat of their brows not to devour the fruit of their labours but every man in quietnesse peace preserved under his onw Vine and Fig-tree to fit without feare of imprisoning their persons and ruinating their families and estates to satisfie the beastly lust of the devouring Priests who like greedy Dogs can never have enough But to the everlasting shame of their profession to all generations for ever have occasioned more just and innocent men to suffer and to be cast into prisons and holes for not satisfying their filthy desires than is by all the rest of the Parish besides To whom be it known that though Joseph liberties and priviledges by the unrighteous are betrayed and he through envy be sold into Aegypt and by the Aegyptians be falsely accused imprisoned and abused yet is he a fruitful bough by the Well his branches run on the wall his enemies must serve him and all his brethren how before him and over all the Aegyptian