Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	grace_n	young_a	youth_n	72	3	8.0077	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56305	The church of Christ in Bristol recovering her vail out of the hands of them that have smitten and wounded her, and taken it away. Being, a just and necessary vindication, from a false and scandalous imputation cast upon her by Dennis Hollister, formerly a member of her, but now an apostate from, and an opposer of those waies, truths, and people, which once he seemed zealous for. As appears by a late pamphlet put forth by him, called, The skirts of the whore discovered. With some particular words, from some particular persons whom he hath by name abused and reproached. Likewise a word by Thomas Ewen, unto what concerns him in the said pamphlet, and also to the later part of another book, called, Satan enthroned in his chair of pestilence.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666. aut	1657 (1657)	Wing P4232; ESTC R213966	65,602	90

that blessed Spirit of the Lord Jesus in any of its Offices operations effects or different administrations in and among the People or Church of God I say I should advise them to take heed lest when God sets the solitary in families the rebellious dwell in a dry land and whilst some are like trees planted by the waters never ceasing to yeild their fruit others be like the Heath in the Desart that should not see when God cometh but inhabite the parched places in the wilderness For all the Trees of the field shall know that the Lord can bring down the high Tree and exalt the low Tree he can dry up the green Tree and make the dry Tree to flourish yea and by the pouring forth of the Spirit from on high can make the Wilderness become a fruitful Field and the fruitful Field to be counted for a Forrest as Ezek. 17. 24. Isa 32. 15. He layes it upon some as a reproach page 62. That we teach by the Spirit c. I desire humbly to acknowledge and attribute it unto the blessed Spirit of Christ that I have at any time been or now am enabled in any measure to speak or publish any truth of God either to the conversion of sinners or to the edification or consolation of the Saints and People of God and truly if this man do not lean and depend upon the help of the Spirit in his work of preaching I shall not much wonder if his Ministry prove as I have sometimes said or feared many mens have done as a miscarrying Womb and dry breasts notwithstanding all their great learning of which they seem to boast He further demands page 62. whether all that have the Spirit can teach publickly c. First if by teaching publickly he mean preaching and publishing what God hath done for them and likewise declaring to others what the Lord hath taught them c. Then I answer it is the duty of all Christians so to do 1 Pet. 4. 10. As every man hath received the gift so let him minister the same c. as Eldad and Medad did Numb 11. though one man envitd and another complained as some do now yet Moses the man of God he approved of it c. But secondly if by preaching publickly he mean a publick and solemn undertaking the work of preaching c. Then I answer I do not think that every one that hath the Spirit of Christ in him or the work of grace in his soul is fit to be a publick Preacher for there are diversities of gifts and differences of administrations as appears 1 Cor. 12. 4. to the 11. Yet where the Spirit of God hath fitted any and the People of God that know them well do see them fit and judge them fit and approve of them publickly calling them thereunto these may be fit to teach publickly at lest to their own Nation as the 70 Disciples were Luke 10. 1. though they had no gifts of Tongues as we read of no more than the twelve Apostles had during the time of their preaching to their own Nation before the Assention of Christ and that they were to preach to all Nations according to their second Commission Matt. 28. Mark 16. yet I do not in the least slight despise or undervalue learning nor learned men that have grace with it and do not scornfully trample upon them that want it but to say that no man may preach without it is to make a law where Christ hath made none for the seventy Disciples and twelve Apostles did preach long before the day of Pentecost c. He likewise demands who will step forth and tell him and not lie that the Spirit doth teach them to understand the meaning of the word Justification or Adoption c. I answer if none but such as can speak Greek and Latin can understand what Justification and Adoption is c. how then can any that have not Greek or Latin believe they are justified or adopted seeing that it is another Maxim in the Schools that no man can believe more than he doth understand But surely those Souls that have been first enlightened by the Word and Spirit of Christ to see and know their lost condition while under sense of condemnation and hath also been led by the same Spirit through the Word of grace to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ with all ther hearts and by his pretious blood to see themselves freed from condemnation and in his righteousness to be made righteous aod so to find the comfort of it in some measure in their own souls they can speak of it to the praise of God and to the edification of others and that by the help and assistance of the same blessed Spirit yea perhaps more sensibly feelingly plainly and profitably than the most learned Doctor in the world that knows it onely speculatively by learning reading and studying As for that scornful word unlettered which he doth so often use and cast as a reproach upon some men c. I answer truly some of us do know our Letters as well and can put them together into Syllables and Sentences as right and pronounce them as distinct and plain perhaps as himself but I shall not ad to this onely conclude with Prov. 3. 34. Surely the Lord scorneth the scorner and giveth grace to the lowly And I desire seriously to weigh and to commend to all sober Christians those words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. from 19. to 29. and Chap. 2. from 1. to 15. and Chap. 3. 18 19 20. by all which it appears the great Apostle of Christ was of another mind than this man seems to be He demands page 65. what an unlettered Teacher or Ignoramus would say if he were to discourse with a Papist or an Adversary about Justification c. Truly I would say this if any should out of pride curiosity and vain confidence run without a call to discourse with an Adversary Papists or others about that or any other point of Christianity c. he might expect that the Lord might justly leave him to himself and so he might betray or shame the truth and so might it be with the most learned Teacher in the world But secondly if a godly man were providentially or clearly called to maintain or defend that or any other truth of God against an Adversary Papist or others he going in the fear of the Lord and in a sense of self-insufficiency in faith and hope of the presence and assistance of the grace and Spirit of Christ he might expect according to his promise Matt. 10. 9. Take no thought for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak And verse 20. For it is not ye which speak but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you And how truly was this fulfilled in the Martyrs both in plain Country-men and also Women yea young Youths and Mayds who discoursing about points of Christian Religion

and stiled them so though they had many miscarriages but those that were stiled of the Synagogue of Satan were a company of proud boasters that said they were Jews and Apostles but did lie and were not so now consider who are those at this day that call themselves Apostles and boast of perfection do any of us do so or do not they that ye own do so and hath not the Church of Bristol tryed them and their Doctrins and found them lyars and their Doctrins false as the Church of Ephesus did Rev. ● 2. witness James Naylor Christopher Atkinson and others whose Books some of us have read and tryed and have found them to be contrary to the glorious Gospel of the grace of God which was preached by the true Servants of God and therefore have upon a good ground rejected them according to the counsel of the Spirit of God Gal. 1. 8 9. 2 John 10 vers But you say possitively that we are found to be a Synagogue of Satan was it ever heard that any man either Prophets or Apostles or any that feared God or expected to give an account of his words and actions did assume that boldness as thus to judge a people professing godliness every one of which are able to give a good account of their faith in Jesus and that do strive to walk up to what they know c. Is not this to take the place of Jesus Christ whose prerogative alone it is to try hearts and judge persons c. Did you not say truly when you said you did not know Christ and might you not have said as truly you did not acknowledg him for certainly did you ever think to stand before him to give an account of your hard speeches you could never speak and write thus Oh that you would consider what you have spoken and written to the grief of Christs wounded ones Psal 69. 26 If it were better that a milstone were hanged about a mans neck and he cast into the Sea than that he should offend one of Christs little ones Matt. 18. 6. How sad is it then for you to offend and grieve judge and condemn near 60 persons calling them a Synagogue of Satan c. and that for no other cause but that after praying for you and mourning over you we sent three times in love and pity to admonish you of the evil of your way you should now break out thus violently against us O blush and roul your self in the dust that if yet the day of Grace and door of Mercy be not shut against you You say it is in answer to a charge brought against you by some of the Members c. Truly we could have been glad that you had spared us that pains and had not conscience of our duty and love to the name of the Lord and to your soul prevailed with us more than any delight we had in that work you had never heard of us in that kind You say it is by you for the sake of the simple hearted among us published blessed be the Lord there are some simple plain honest hearted amongst us had you and the rest been so no doubt you would have stayed with us and thus much for the first branch of your Title page We observe that you begin your Epistle to the Reader as likewise your Book with the word outward fellowship c. Truly we shall easily grant that your fellowship in the things of God was but outward for had it been inward and spiritual in truth and sincerity you would no doubt have continued in it but as it is written 1 John 2 19. They went out from us because they were not of us We shall not spend time to answer every passage in your Letter lest as Solomon speaks Prov. 26 4. we should be like unto you and yet we shall answer some things lest as Prov. 26 5. you should be wise in your own conceit As for those Scripture expressions in your Book though misapplied by you yet we hope we shall consider them and examine our selves by them though not as they come from you but as they are the words of God and as for those taunts scorns false accusations judgings and condemnations of which your Pamphlet is full we hope we may as we have opportunity spread them before the Lord as Hezekiah did the Letter that he received Isa 37. 14. we being otherwise taught than to render evil for evil or railing for railing but rather to bless 1 Pet. 3. 9. having the example of Christ herein as well as a Precept hereto 1 Pet. 2. 23. Mat. 5. 44. yet we cannot but take notice of the absurdity of your arguing and proceeding wherein you first beg the question and then draw what inferences you please you first stile us a Synagogue of Satan c. and then heap up threatnings against us as such c. much like the heathen persecutors of old who would first wrap the Saints in the skins of Beasts and then set the dogs upon them to tear them c. Would you not count it an absurd thing if any man should come to you and heap up all the Scriptures that speak against murderers Adulterers Drunkards Swearers Lyers Theeves c. and apply them unto you taking it for granted that you are such a one and then ask you if this be not Scripture c. Or on the other side if one should take all the Scriptures that speak comfort to the true Saints in a suffering and persecuted condition and apply them to a common thief that is cast in prison for his wickedness or to a Malefactor that is going to suffer justly for his evil deeds c. Now this is just your way of reasoning and many others with you first to heap up multitudes of Scriptures that speak against the Whore of Babylon against Anti-christ against the Beast and the false Prophets against Hypocrites and Rejectors of the Gospel and against other ungodly and wicked persons c. and apply all this to whom you please either to the Churches of Christ or to the faithful preachers of the Gospel or to any other godly people right or wrong if they stand in your way you conclude they are such because you call them so whereas they may as soon prove the former things against you as you can prove the later against them so likewise the comforts and promises made to suffering Saints may as well be applyed to a common thief c. As to some of those that you stile the Servants and Witnesses of Jesus and this we find was Rabshaketh his way of arguing with Hezekiah 2 Kings 18. 22. Now had Hezekiah been the man and had he done the things that Rabshaketh there charged him with then he had reasoned rightly but Rabshaketh was mistaken in his foundation taking the things for granted whereas there was no such matter for godly Hezekiah had done no such thing onely Rabshaketh by his wit and subtilty framed

nor false accusers but we must turn that back again upon your self professing to all the World that you have wronged us in what you have written against us As for the other part of your Letter wherein you sometimes flatter your self and commend your self about your righteousness faithfulness diligence and deserving as likewise how freely you had served us and been a keeper of our Vineyard and that now it is time to look to your own Vineyard and to mind your eternal habitation c. We answer first as Prov. 27. 2. Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips But we never did blame you nor admonish you for any good you did among us but for your departing from that which was good Jehu was not blamed for the good he did but because he took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart neither was Amaziah blamed for any good he did but because he did it not with a perfect or upright heart and as for your gift of discerning c. most of us know it was a thing you did much pretend to and boast of c. though we could observe your gross mistake therein c. And for your now looking to your own Vineyard and minding your eternal habitation c. truly we hoped you had done that when you were among us and that your care and diligence which now you speak of had been as well about your own soul as others but if it were not we wish you may make better use of your present time than you have done of that which is past As for any manifestations of truth breaking forth in you as you say page 20. at which some of our hearts burned and others were offended c. We know not any one Truth that ever you spake in the Church but it was readily assented to and seconded by those that sate by whether you did press to believing or holy walking but for other things which were not according to Scripture nor did not tend to faith or holiness c. some of us did sometimes manifest our dissent from you yet with all tenderness as knowing your spirit and the spirits of some others now with you we were not willing to offend you or them And as for that which you so often asserted in the Church and now mention page 20 21. That you did not know Christ and that that knowledge we had of him should profit us nothing and that our habitation is in deceit and through it we refuse to know the Lord c. First we did not violently oppose you in that thing as thinking that it arose from a sight and sense of the want of the Spirit of Christ to open and reveal the glory of his person virtues Offices and Mysteries more clearly unto you according to what is written Ephes 1. 17 18. Col. 2. 2. John 16. 14 15. and herein we could and did joyn with you in complaining of the littleness or smalness of our knowledg of Christ yet some of us did often tell you that our comfort stood not so much in a speculative knowing as in a believing acknowledgment of Christ to be that which he is said to be in the Scriptures and so to own him believe on him love him and obey him and therefore we did then and have since and do now declare that we owned no other Christ but that one annointed glorious person who was born of the Virgin and who is made both Lord and Christ who died rose and ascended and is now sitting at the right hand of God and is the Mediator between God and man who shall one day come again according to the Scriptures Secondly we do own no other knowing of Christ but that which is according to the Scripture namely understandingly to know him in his person without us and experimentally to know him in his Virtues or by his Spirit within us and so through grace we do know him in our measure and are waiting and praying daily for a further and clearer knowledge of him in his Virtues and powers by the revelation of his glorious Spirit according to the Scripture in the mean time we desire to acknowledge him believe on him love and reverence him as our Lord and King and do submit to his Laws and Commands lest in his Word but we did little think that your meaning had been as now you declare both in your Book and by your practice that you and we should take up that kind of notion of Christ as to call that light that is in every man both Heathens and others Christ and so to slight and nullifie that glorious person now in heaven from being the object of Faith c. as many of your way do and have done to some of our faces scoffing and jeering at us for speaking of the person of Christ and for thinking to be saved by the blood of him that died at Jerusalem and as you your self did jeeringly ask one of this Congregation to this effect whether we did believe Christ to be an old man sitting in a chair in heaven c. You further tell us page 21. That many who desired to see Christs first Appearance in the flesh became his betrayers and murderers so now in his second Appearances in life power and spirit would be found the greatest enemies to him and that some of us would betray him and then appeal to all that have any discerning to judge how sadly this is already fulfilled in us c. We grant that many did stumble at Christ when he came in the flesh and that many in all ages have stumbled at the truth and waies of Christ as likewise many do now at his person his Gospel his waies and his Ordinances c. which might put you to consider two things First whether you be not one that do so and secondly whether you be not one that have caused many to do so c. But you seem to beg the question and take it for granted that Christ is now come in life power and spirit in you and your party but truly you must give better demonstrations of it before we or any other judicious Christians will believe you for we have read much and know something by experience through grace what the sweet gentle dove-like spirit of Christ is we have seen and known by sad experience how unlike your spirit is to that Secondly how can you call this a murdering and betraying of Christ namely our sending brethren three times in love and pitie to enquire after and admonish you and the rest that departed from us we shall leave this to the Lord to determine c. As for those strange and unchristian expressions page 21. of our sporting our selves and making a wide mouth and drawing out the tongue and the hand against you c. and then calling us children of transgression a seed of falshood

godly men I did sometimes hear expressions to this effect That there was a two-fold coming of the Spirit of Christ into the hearts of Believers The first was that by which the eyes of mens understandings are opened and they turned from darkness to light Faith and Repentance wrought in the Soul conversion regeneration or the new birth effected and so he that was once a dead sinner becomes a living Saint or Believer though as yet but weak a babe in Christ c. The Second work or coming of the Spirit is that by which the Soul is sealed confirmed established filled with joy and peace in believing and fitted and furnished to every good work that God calls them whether doing or suffering c. Now this put me upon the search of the Scripture as first Ephes 1. 13. After you believed you were sealed which Scripture relates to that Acts 19. 2. Have you received the holy Spirit since you believed c. So Acts 8. 14. to 17. Samaria having received the Word of God and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ were baptized by Philip the Deacon the Church at Jerusalem or rather the Apostles sent forth Peter and John that they should pray that they might receive the holy Ghost for as yet he was not fallen upon any of them c. Another Scripture I find Joh. 7. 37 38 39. In the last day the great day of the feast Jesus stood and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink he that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water but this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified So Luke 11. 9. to 13. such as God is a Father unto are bid to pray to ask to seek and to knock c. with assurance by many Arguments that they should receive the holy Spirit So in the 14 15 16 Chapters of John our Saviour speaking to such as did believe in him love him and keep his Commandments c. he promiseth to send the Comforter unto them even the holy Spirit which the world could not receive c and to this agree many of the Prophecies both in Isa Jer. Ezek. Joel Zach. and others Now then as to the first work or coming of the Spirit namely to make a man to become a Saint a Christian a Believer a new Creature c. I never denied but alwayes affirmed that whosoever did believe in the Lord Jesus Christ or had the least beginning of a work of Grace in their Souls it was by the Spirit of God and they had the Spirit of Christ in the first sense according to Rom. 8. 9. now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his c. But in the second or latter sense namely to seal stablish fill with joy and comfort c. with many other glorious effects which the Scripture speaks of and which the Saints in the primative times did enjoy in this sense I have often said that I did question Whether I then had or whether many others in the Church had received the Spirit and to this you did then assent c. And therefore I did often press it in the Church that we might pray more for that blessed Spirit according to the command and promise of Christ Luke 11. 9. 13. as before and this is that which I have often called the great legacie of the new Testament and as Jesus Christ was the great promise of the first or old Testament so this blessed Spirit is the great promise of the second or new Testament which all believers are to wait pray and long for as the believers under the first Testament were to wait and long for the Messiah and this was my meaning when I have sometimes said That a man may be a Christian a Believer a converted Soul or a babe in Christ and not as yet have received the Spirit I mean still in this latter sense in respect of sealing establishing c. yet I neither did nor do expect the Gift of tongues or working Miracles c. neither do I find that the great promise of the Spirit was principally to that end though that was accomplished by it when and how the Lord pleased as Heb. 2. 4. with divers miracles and gifts or distributions of the holy Ghost according to his own will but I find rather that the great promise of the Spirit is for such glorious ends as these c. 1. To open and reveal the hidden Mysteries of the kingdome of heaven as Matth. 13. 11. to you it is given to know the Mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven c. So 1 Cor. 2. 9. to the 14. we read that those things which the eyes of men as men have not seen neither can the natural man perceive yet God doth reveal by his Spirit c. So it is promised in John to lead and guide into all truth therefore Eph. 1. 17. the Apostle prayes for believers that they might receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation c. 2. To comfort and chear up poor drooping believers filling them with all joy and peace consolation and refreshment which is one main end for which it is promised as in 14 15 16 Chapters of John to which agree many of the sayings of the Prophets c. 3. To heighten and strengthen the Saints with boldness courage constancy and resolution in their Spirits to do or to suffer for God as Acts 4 8. Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost said c. so to the 19. vers So Acts 5. 41. And they rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer c. which thing neither they nor Peter could do a little before as Mark 14. 50 66 to 71. But observe they had not then received the Spirit so Acts 16. 25. Paul and Silas sang in prison 4. To purge and purifie clense and sanctifie believers and make them holy as Isa 4. 3 4. so Ezek. 36. 25. to 29. Joel 3. 17. then shall Jerusalem be holy that is when the Mountains shall drop new wine and the hills flow with milk as vers 18. And the fountain come forth of the house of the Lord to water the valley of Shittim 5. To make poor dry barren empty souls to become fruitful to God and to grow in grace Isa 32. 5. until the Spirit be poured from on high and the wilderness become a fruitful field Isa 44. 3 4. I will pour my Spirt upon thy seed c. and they shall spring up c. so Hos 14. 5. I will be as the dew unto Israel and he shall grow c. 6. To fill the Saints with meekness and love yea with end cared love towards Christ and bowels of pity towards men as we see it was with the Saints in the primitive times but is much wanting now 7. To unite

the Saints more together in judgement and affection into one heart and one way as the Scripture speaks 8. To make them more exact and spiritual in the use and practise of all Gospel Ordinances as Acts 2. 41. to 47. 9. To beautifie and adorn Christians with every spiritual gift and grace as Gall. 5. 22. Ezek 16. 10 11 12 13. 10. To fill them with a mighty Spirit of Faith and Prayer as the Saints in the primitive times after the pouring forth of the Spirit had In a word it is a Christians All for by it he can do all things as Phil. 1. 19. 4. 13. and without it he can do nothing well as John 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing And thus I have declared my judgment fully about this blessed truth and what I mean by the pouring forth of the glorious Spirit which I so often mention in prayer and preaching as the great legacy privilege and portion of the Saints or believers in the New Testament c. Now then let me ask you this Question Whether it had not been better for you and those that are gone away with you that you had set your selves solemnly to seek the Lord by Supplication and Prayer and so have continued in the wayes and under the Ordinances of Christ waiting for that blessed spirit as many of the Servants of God have done and still do c. rather than to have taken up a Notion of a Light in every man and call that the eternal Spirit as some of your way do and then jeer and scoff at them that pray for the Spirit and reproach them which complain out of their sense of the want of it as poor Mris. Prince did when she came to revile me at my Lecture c. But blessed be the Lord there are many Churches in England and Wales that are now wrestling with the Lord day after day joyntly and day and night singly in the deep sense of their wants for the accomplishment of that glorious new-Testament promise and such an Answer is already given to some both Independant and Baptized as you call them that they have no cause to repent of the time they have set apart for that work and I verily believe That if the people whom you and others so much despise go on and continue praying as now they do for the pouring forth of the blessed Spirit there will shortly be such a breaking forth of the day of Christ that all the antichristian foggs of false doctrins and false worships will flie and fall as the darkness before the rising Sun And Oh that some men in England and Bristol that are now wrangling and quarrelling about their humane learning and scoffing and envying those that have it not would seriously consider this thing before their lamp go out in obscurity and their feet stumble upon the dark mountains before their arm be dried up and their eye utterly darkned c. Now before I part with this I will also clear my self about another expression that I have sometimes used and at which many have been offended and that is about an old and a new Testament Spirit though of late to avoid offence have forbore it now by those expressions I did not mean nor intend the Spirit of God so as to call that an old Testament Spirit for I know that Spirit was one and the same from everlasting but by an old or new-Testament Spirit 1. I mean the frame and temper of a mans own Spirit and so by an old-Testament Spirit I alwayes mean that dark weak childish and low frame and temper of Spirit which professors generally had in the time of the old Testament while under the Mosaical administration with that bondage and fear that weakness and sadness that did accompany it c. 2. By a new-Testament Spirit I alwayes mean that lively chearful active joyful bold son-like frame and temper of Spirit which the Saints generally in the primitive times under the new Testament did enjoy which is called a Spirit of Adoption as the other is called a Spirit of Bondage a full description of what I mean is set forth in two Scriptures as namely Gal. 4. from the 1. to the 7. and Heb. 12. from 18 to 24. In which two Scriptures is set forth First The weakness darkness childishness fear bondage c. of the old-Testament state which is that that I call the frame temper or spirit of the old-Testament And Secondly There is set forth the light life strength boldness comfort courage joy rejoycing of the new-Testament state which is that that I call the frame temper or Spirit of the new Testament c. And whether Christians be not generally more under the old-Testament frame than under the new I leave to their experiences and thus I have fully declared my self as to these two particulars and if any sober Christian into whose hands this may come shall apprehend that I am mistaken in either of them I shall be glad to receive a word from them in love but I do not expect it from you to whom I now write c. You farther tell me in your Letter that you were warned from invisible lights some months past to beware of me which you could not believe till now it breaks out like fire c. I conceive those invisible lights were some secret whisperers that did bring you many stories both of me and others c. but truly I could discern by visible light long before you left us that my speaking was but little acceptable to you and some others especially after I did begin to oppose your spleen and passion though whilst I sate still and silently approved of what you spake then I was the excellentest man that ever you met with you would often both to my face and behind my back applaud and extol me but when once I began a little to cross you as many others of the Brethren did and as some godly men had formerly done as they saw cause enough then you and your partie began to fume and fret and as it was often observed to go out of the Meetings when I had been to speak though I did oppose you with all the tenderness that possibly I could as knowing what a partie you had in the Church and what influence you had upon them but now you say the fruits doth appear and break out like fire c. Q. And what is it But that I should say That such an idle Huswife as is before mentioned should be sent to Bridwel rather than to go rayling about as she did Now I appeal to all Christians upon the face of the earth what hurt this was to this poor rayling cursing fierce creature c. Q. And was this the ground upon which some of your company spread it about the Country and place of my nativity what a persecutor I was become so that the good people there that had known me to be of another temper did wonder

and were troubled until they understood what you and your company meant by such things and that it was because I would not joyn with you and your new Religion and with the people that call themselves Quakers Again Was this the ground upon which you did so often cry out against Judases in the Church a little before you left us but blessed be the Lord we can now rejoice that the innocencie of the upright is cleared and the Judases are discovered c. and whether I or you have betraied and crucified the Lord Jesus in his Saints in his waies in his name and in his truth I shall humbly leave c. I do not boast but desire with all humilitie and reverence to acknowledge and admire the power grace mercy and goodness of him by whom I a poor worm have been preserved whilst such a Cedar or Star as you were taken to be is so sadlie fallen but it is no more than what some have thought and said long ago That pride and arrogancie would have a fall as Prov. 29. 23. But let him that thinketh he stands take heed lest he fall c. 1 Cor. 10. 12. But now you say I openly oppose the appearance of Christ where it is found in life and power c. What because I said of that poor deluded Creature It were fitter she were sent to Bridwel O poor deceived man that you should be a professor of Religion so long and now come to publish such a piece of folly to the world as to call the Since this I have been three times disturbed for which one is now imprisoned fierce raylings c. of these people the appearances of Christ in life and power and my speaking that one word to her once an opposing of Christ c. whereas she had no hurt done her not a word spoken to any Magistrate against her nay though she and others of your way have 16 or 17 times opposed me and rayled at me yet never but one and that but once was questioned or imprisoned for it and yet I am cried out against in word and writing by you and your companie as the great persecutor which now you tell the world you have been warned by invisible lights some months past to beware of me But how can you call Sarah Latchet the Servants of God and Witnesses of Jesus in the plural number whereas it was but to she only and that but once I spake those words though she rayled at me many times but ask your own heart whether your Design were not to draw out my supposed Offence to the world and then consider whether instead thereof you have not let out your own folly envie and hypocrisi But where is that meekness and bearing that some of you boast of that you would not return evil for evil but being cursed you bless c. poor-creatures it is an easie thing to flatter your selves and speak words c. but let any one touch you though but in a word and they shall find you as rough both in rayling and writing as any But what would you have done unto me if I should have come into your Meetings and disturbed you and railed at you c. as she and others have done at me you would have sent me not to Bridwel but to the bottomless pit if words could have done it You close your Letter with many seeming expressions of love and pity as 1. That I might see the sandiness of my foundation 2. Know the things that belong to my peace 3. Escape the pit 4. Not shut up the kingdom of Heaven against my self and others c. 1. As for my foundation I know no other nor preach no other than that foundation and Corner stone which is laid in Sion even Jesus Christ the Son of God and Son of man in one person upon whom through grace I have cast my soul for eternity and other foundations I look not for c. 2. As to my knowing the things that belong to my peace c. I bless the Lord it is the groaning of my soul to him for that blessed Spirit of revelation in the knowledge of the Mysterie of God and of the Father and of Christ that I may believe more love more and obey more c. 3. As for my escaping the Pit I desire the like for you and in order to that I have consented to and helped on the Admonitions that have been sent by the Church to you and the other poor souls that are with you c. 4. But fourthly As for my shutting up the kingdom against my self and others c. I can say through grace it hath been and is daily my great care and work to preach the kingdom of God freely to sinners and to set forth the Lord Jesus Christ as the way to that kingdom and to invite and encourage all poor souls to come into that kingdom by Jesus Christ the true door or way and by the strait gate of believing which the Scribes and Pharisees by putting men upon working for life did shut up against themselves and others and who doth so now but those that bid all men turn to a Light within them and so take them off from believing on the person of Jesus Christ or looking to be saved by what he hath done and suffered wrought and accomplished for man c. But I suppose your meaning is That I should give over preaching and come to you and your way I know this hath been the longing desire of many of you a great while for these were the words of one of your way the last time I was in your house That I kept many from receiving or embracing the Light but I desire to bless the Lord that through the riches of his grace to my soul I have been hitherto preserved and I have seen my Call to and Work in this City clearer since you left us than ever I did before both as to this poor desolate Church and likewise to many precious souls in Bristol among both of which I trust I may say with humility and comfort that God hath made me of some use though I be as nothing c. And truly I do hope that God who chuseth the things that are not to confound the things that are c. wil yet use me as an instrument for good unto his people in this City and the rather because both you with them of your way and others that are of other waies do so violently and causelesly set against me which makes me sometimes take up the complaint of the Prophet Jeremiah Jer. 15. 10. Wo is me c. I have neither lent upon usury nor have men lent me upon usury and yet every one of them doth curse me or speak evil upon me as some translations read it but blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that yet my lamp is not gone forth in obscure darkness c. And thus I have

by Iames Naylor a man then highly admired and cried up by you or those of your way as a man of great infallibility which perhaps might help to puff him up with pride by which he came to fall into this fad condemnation c. Now whereas some of your way boast much of your being all led by one and the same Spirit so that though they were at a great distance yet they all speak but one thing c. Now let any man read and compare your answers with Iames Naylors and see how near they come together unless it be in railing judging and censuring though therein I must needs say his answers are more moderate than yours And whereas a late Writer for your way puts it by way of derision to the Preachers in England that if six of the most able Doctors should have a portion of Scripture given them to interpret and they shut up in six several rooms c. that perhaps not two of the six agree in their interpretation Now suppose you had taken four more of your Teachers such as some of you had challenged the whole world to accuse of sin and made them six in number and have given them these sixteen Quaeries apart to answer perhaps they would have come as rear as you and Naylor do in your answers or as six of the weakest Preachers in England might have done in their interpreting a place of Scripture As for your word to England I shall say little to that but desire rather to mourn for the evils and abominations therein as I know it is my duty and yours also if you knew how to do it and so I conclude expecting that I shall have many sharp Arrows of bitter words shot at me both by you and others but for that I matter not much being conscious to my self that I have written in plainness words of truth and soberness and that I have been pressed by others to do what I have done and that rather for the vindication of truth than of my self and rather for the sakes of some godly people who may read it than for your sakes to whom I direct it and if you or others shall dip your pens in Vineger or Gall to write again I hope I shall bear it or modestly reply to it though my thoughts are rather to suffer my self to be trampled upon then again to answer a word seeing that of making many Books there is no end and much study is a weariness of the flesh Eccles 12. 12. And knowing also that neither you nor others can speak or write me so vile as I can and do see and acknowledge my self to be as in my self yet is my perfection and compleatness in another even in Christ Jesus my Lord in whom is all righteousness all strength and all fulness laid up for all those that sensibly see and feel that in them that is in their flesh dwelleth no good thing c. and thereupon do look unto him to receive of his fulness grace for grace in which glorious person all that do believe are justified and by whose grace and blessed Spirit they are in a measure sanctified and through whose pretious blood and perfect righteousness mediation and intercession they shall be eternally saved and in whose way I could as gladly now as ever subscribe my self Your Friend T. E. FINIS There is now in the Press a Book written by Robert Purnel entituled A little Cabbinet richly stored with all sorts of heavenly varieties wherein there is a Remedy for every Malady viz. Milk for Babes and Meat for strong Men and the ready way for both to obtain and retain assurance of Salvation being an Abridgment of the sum and substance of the true Christian Religion and to be fold at the Three Bibles in Paul's Church-yard