A New Catechism Wherein many Truths are plainly opened by way of Question and Answer which may be a help and furtherance unto all tender hearted people who are breathing after the Lord and waits for Redemption and Salvation by Jesus Christ. ALSO Something concerning the Foundation and Principle of the poor afflicted people of God called Quakers and of their Faith and Love towards God and their good VVill unto Men being also plainly demonstrated by way of Question and Answer Given forth in the labour of Love and put to View for the Service of this present Generation and also Generations to come William Smith Printed in the Year 1665. There is also Re-printed a PRIMMER Wherein is demonstrated The New and Living Way Held forth by way of Question and Answer as from a Child's Enquiry after Truth to be informed by the Father Here being divers particulars Answer'd and plainly opened that may be profitable both in this present Age and Ages to come Published for the benefit of all sorts of people and-may be very serviceable for every Family and of great use for young Children to learn in so soon as they can understand their Language that they in the fear of God may be instructed and remember their Creator in the dayes of their Youth Other Foundations can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ Behold I write unto you both Old and Young that you may know the Truth and that the Truth may make you free For which I Travel enduring Affliction for the Truths sake WILLIAM SMITH The Primer or Catechism may be had either Bound together or a part An Epistle to the Reader Reader THou art to understand that the natural man can neither see nor receive the things of the Spirit of God for they are Spiritually discerned and it is the Spiritual minde that is onely in a capacity to receive and understand those things which by the Spirit is declared and made manifest for the Spirit is the key by which Divine truths are opened and by the intelligence of it they also come to be understood and the testimony which hath been published and held forth unto the precious truth of God in these latter dayes hath been abundantly spread abroad by the Spirits Power and demonstration through the faithfull and chosen witnessess of the New birth unto whom the Lord God everlasting hath revealed his secrets and open the mysteries of glorious kingdome and hath given unto them the tongue of the learned and the power and wisdome of his heavenly life whereby they are able to divide the word aright and to dispence the Gospel of everlasting peace and they have faithfully served the Lord in their generation and have not been negligent to run the way of his commandements but early and late have laboured in their holy calling whereunto the Lord hath called them in the work of the Gospel and their testimony doth stand for God this day and is become a sweet Savour in the hearts of many and that glorious truth which so plentifully hath been poured forth by the holy Spirit of God and so wonderfully is spread abroad through the testimony of his faithfull Servants it doth stand and remaine as a sure record which cannot be raced out though it might be sufficient to clear the Lords faithfull servants on their own behalf as also to leave all people without excuse who hitherto have shut their hearts against it yet such is Gods tender love that he continues his favours and goodness and in the openings of himselfe in the riches of his mercy he fills his children and servants with an overflowing cup of his precious virtue which yet doth constraine them to make known the true and perfect way of peace and to proclaime the word of eternal life unto the Sons and Daughters of men and though many have walked unworthily and have requited the Lord unkindly yet doth his compassion move to his own begotten that sits in desolate and sollitary places as a babe without comfort and in the vertue of his own life he keeps his testimony fresh upon the hearts of his messengers and they run in his power and are not weary and walkes in his love and are not faint but continues in their race of well doing though many faces have ever been set against them therefore whosoever thou art that reads in this booke consider the end of its manifestation for it is not published to be onely seen and read but to manifest the truth as it is in Jesus which thou art to weigh and ponder in the fear of God for the matter in this booke doth lye out of sight to the carnal eye and the matter cannot be understood by reading the words onely but by taking heed to the measure of Gods Spirit in thee for if thou doe not read with the Spirit of God in thee thou cannot understand the matter in the words though thou may read them over and over for whosoever would come to the true knowledge of God they must come to the measure of his Spirit themselves or otherwise they may read but reap no profit and so the Scriptures have been read and heard but the Spirit not being minded in those that read and hear there is not an understanding of the matter of which the words testifie and so the the book is sealed though the words be read and heard marke that for there is not another way to come to the true knowledge of God but through death to that part which would comprehend him and though a faithfull testimony may be published by words and writings yet cannot any thereby come to the knowledg of God for God is not so to be comprehended therefore it concernes every one that comes into the world to minde the light of Christ with which they are enlightened to wait in it for the Revelation of God for there is none knowes the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveales him and whosoever would compass the knowledge of God in any other way or by any other thing they can never come to a true knowledge of him for where the will and desire is let at liberty to the comprehending of God and Christ there the minde overruns the true light in which the secrets of God are opened and revealed and though words and writings may in themselves be true yet none can profit by them but as they joyn to that of God in themselves for the secrets of God cannot be any otherwise known or attained but as there is a patient waiting in that which openeth by it to be gathered into the nature of that which is opened and whosoever increass knowledg by any other way it is the vaile which spreads over their hearts and blinds their mindes for beholding the appearance of God in his light and life and though such as so gather knowledge may seem wise in what they knâ—w and in their knowledge satisfie themselves and esteeme
action before life thereby to attain life and so we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them and this is ordained of God to be the fruit of our life and faith and in these good works we walk to his glory and depends upon him alone for the renewing of our strength to continue in them unto the end Q. But how do you manifest your good works which you say are ordained of God for you to walk in A. By our faith we manifest them and the manifestation doth clearly demonstrate the nature and root to be of God in which they are created and the nature and root in which they are created being of God they must needs be good and so they are good works as being of God and of God ordained that we should walk in them and that of God in every conscience bears witness to the same so that we know all our works to be wrought by him in us and for us and we do walk in them who are born of him and he alone hath the glory though the natural man perceiveth not from whence they are nor whither they goe Q. And is it your faith and love towards God that makes you such a willing people to serve God and to do his will A. Yes it is so for the day of his power hath overcome us and therein he hath begotten us unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and in him our faith and love is encreased and strengthened to run without weariness for in his life we have motion and action whereby we are willingly disposed to serve him and to do his will Q. But how do you know all these things you act and do are the commands of God and according to his will A. By the word of his power in us through which we are made sensible of all his commands unto us for as we are born of him so we know his voice and by his word we are instructed in his commands and thereby put upon motion to act and do them and in our duty he gives us his peace by which we know that all those things which we act and do are his commands unto us and according to his will Q. But are you so constrained through your faith and love towards God as to answer him in all things that he commands you A. Yes for if we should say we love him and do not keep his commands we should be lyars but we do so love him and our faith is so stedfast in him as that we are thereby constrained to keep his commands in all things for it is natural unto his own birth to delight to do his will and to do whatsoever he commandeth and hereby we know that his love is perfected in us and our faith and love is single unto him and as his good will is manifested unto ns even so is our hearts disposed in good will towards all men Q. What good will have you to such as you judge and condemn because they are not like-minded with you A. Much every way for that which we judge and condemn in any is only that spirit which wrongs them by which our good will is manifested unto that which suffers wrong and this is our judgment according to truth and knowing that the judgment of the Lord is according to truth and having felt it so in our selves through the condemnation of sin in the flesh we judg sin in the flesh in whomsoever it reigns that sin in the flesh may be condemned and they in the spirit may be justified and herein we manifest the universal love of God to be shed abroad in our hearts in which our good will extendeth unto all men Q. And is that the love with which you love your enemies A. Yes for as God had pity upon us in the day of our alienation from him and followed us with many tender visitations and also many righteous judgments even so we know that he would not have a sinner to perish and in this love we labour for the good of all people and it is the greatest manifestation of love to an enemy when his destruction is not sought but rather a condescending to recover him out of the state of his enmity into a state of reconciliation and peace and we know that there is none that are enemies unto us but they are enemies unto God and crucifies his life in themselves and therefore our love is in pity towards them though they be enemies unto us knowing that they cannot have peace with God whilst in that state they remain Q. And are you so disposed towards your enemies as that you cannot seek rerevenge when they do you wrong A. Yes that is the disposition of our nature not to seek revenge though we do suffer wrong for the revenging nature is in the fall in which people are enemies unto God and one to another but it is not so with us whom God hath redeemed for though we may have many enemies yet we are not enemies unto any though in the power of God by which we are redeemed we do bear testimony against the evil and the sin and that spirit in us doth not seek after revenge but in all long-suffering and patience we bear the enmity of our enemies and waits to see their conversion out of the enmity whereby our good will is manifested in love to their souls Q. But are you not the cause of the sufferings that comes upon you as being contrary minded unto all other people and so are enemies to your selves A. Nay the cause of our sufferings are not from our selves but from that spirit which cannot bear our testimony which God hath given us which testimony being contrary unto the actings and workings of the spirit of darkness it provokes the minds of such in whom it ruleth to enmity against us and that is the ground why sufferings comes upon us and we are clear for being enemies unto our selves in it as having our faith and love towards God in those things for which we suffer Q. But why can you not be conformable unto those things which other people observe and practice outwardly and yet keep your Faith and love towards God inwardly and so have your Faith to your selves A. Because we dare not deny or own that outwardly which God doth manifest to us inwardly either to be truth or out of the truth for so we should deny our Faith and love towards him every way and it is not possible that any should keep Faith and love to God inwardly and conforme to any practice outwardly which is contrary to their inward principle for as the body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without works is dead also and they that have Faith to themselves in the power of God they also have Faith in him to serve him in works of truth and righteousness and so we shew
Gods mercies and so come to receive an answer of their Prayers For when the heart of man doth not encline to the Spirit of God it is in rebellion against him and God doth not shew mercy to the rebellious and so people pass over their time in words but want the life which should do them good and when they come to finish their dayes their hearts are as far off from Gods Law as the first day when they began to pray That he would encline their hearts to keep it and they have no assurance that God will shew them mercy though they have been praying in words all their life-time And likewise in answer to the Lettany where they pray after this manner Good Lord deliver us And We beseech thee to hear us good Lord. And this is the same in their latter dayes as in the beginning and it is manifest that they are not delivered from those things as in words they pray to be delivered from nor are not heard in those things which they beseech the Lord to hear them in and so they spend their dayes in observing a customary formality and never come to any assurance that they are delivered or that their requests are heard and answered And again in that which they call the Creed they confess they believe in God now they that believe in God their hearts are enclined to keep his Law and he shews them mercy and hears them and delivers them for they that believe in God they do his will and if any man do his will him he heareth And then again they confess That they are miserable sinners and do those things they ought not to do And if so then not Believers for they that believe in Christ are not miserable sinners neither do those things they ought not to do but by believing in Christ they are saved and he takes away their sin that makes them miserable and sets them free from their misery and they do those things that are well-pleasing in his sight for they that truly believe in Christ they do not only confess their sins but also forsake them and so find mercy with the Lord and they are not alwayes complaining that they do those things they ought not to do but know his Will and do it and are blessed in their deed And again in that which they call the Lords Prayer they generally say Our Father Now the Children of God are not miserable sinners nor do not those things they ought not to do for whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin And Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him And there are not any that believe in God or can call God Father in truth but those that are born of him for those that are born of flesh and of blood and of the will of man they do not believe in God neither can truly call God Father for that is the nature in vvhich sin is committed vvhich makes people miserable and that is the nature in which they do those things they ought not to do and that is the nature in which there is no saving health and there is not any prayer accepted of God which in that nature is performed for none in the flesh can please God and whatsoever is offered unto him in that nature he doth not regard it for it is the nature from which all wickedness proceedeth and the prayers of the wicked are an abomination unto God And though there may be many which may deny the common vvay of Prayer as it is used in the common Worship and set up some other way of Prayer as more excellent yet whilst the Flesh and Blood and Will of man conceives it and performs it there is no difference in the ground between that vvhich they deny and that which they set up and practise neither doth God regard it any more than that which they deny And though such Prayers may not appear so formal as those that are commonly used in the common Worship yet they are conceived in the very same womb and do not at all differ in the ground for as the Wisdom of the flesh hath composed so many set-prayers in words and hath prescribed a way to observe and practise the same and that none is either to add or diminish as to vvhat is so composed even so the same Wisdom may deny that prescribed way as being formal and may invent something instead of it in a higher mistery of iniquity and though they may not speak in such formal composed words yet in the same Wisdome their words are formal not at all differing in the ground or conception but only in the expression and observation and in their practise it is as formal as that which they deny for they have a constant observation by way of Prayer in what they practise which in it self is as formal as the set-prayers commonly used in the common Worship for they can set their own time both to begin and to make an end and when they will they can utter vvords and vvhen they will they can be silent and they have their own conceptions at command and can either perform or not perform in their own time and this is the uncleane part vvhich offers unto God which he doth not accept neither is any Prayer regarded or accepted of God but the Prayer which is offered to him by his own birth So that these few things being seriously considered it is manifest that the way of Prayer as it is now commonly used observed and practised in the common Worship is not true prayr but a bare formality and not onely so but also contradictory so is not performed with a right understanding and it is as manifest that all other wayes of praying which are conceived and performed in the wisdom of the flesh is not true Prayer neither doth God regard it more then the other because it is performed in the same nature and differs in nothing but in the manner and however they may differ in the practice yet they meet in the ground and are offered up in the unclean part and so are not performed with an understanding as Prayer in the Spirit of God is Now the Spirit of Life which is manifest from God in every mans conscience doth so enlighten him as to make him sensible that he is a sinner and in himself is miserable and eternally liable to the Wrath of God without the Lord appear for him and work his deliverance and as man takes heed to that Spirit which doth so enlighten him and makes manifest his condition to him then the Spirit begins to quicken and stir up something in him that desires after God and breathes after God and the sighs and groans begin to arise in a true sence of misery and the breathings go forth in the earnest of the Spirit unto God and the cry arises for help and deliverance and though that which is quickened by the Spirit to breath in the Spirit be but
we in it and so be put out of all doubts and questions in the reasonings concerning us and receive satisfaction in all things that pertaine unto us in life and godliness in which our Religion is pure holy and undefiled and was before unholiness or unrighteousness was and will remaine in iâ—s purity vvhen years shall pass avvay and be no more and this is the meaning of our doctrin to bring people to the everlasting word of God in themselves that they may come into rest and peace in the pure Religion where God is known in his loves grace and riches of mercy Q. If your Faith give you such assurance of your principle and Religion to be true and right then why cannot you defend it by force and so free your selves from that outward bondage which you suffer for your Religion A. Our Faith doth give us such an assurance but yet we cannot strive with our opposers and oppressours nor any way by force of carnal weapons seek to defend it for we know that it is sufficient to defend it self also to defend us that live in it and our weapons are Spiritual and not carnal we fight the good fight of Faith in the power of the Prince of peace and so we war against sin but followes peace with all men and can be ready in every office of love to doe good to our greatest enemies and herein we have been sufficiently proved to be a peacable people under every power by which we have or doe suffer and we have never resisted nor sought revenge upon any but in all things commits our cause unto God in whose sight we stand approved and he knows that as we are in words or appearance even so we are the same in heart and unto his judgement and tryall we appeale in our innocency and the principle of his life in every one doth bear witness for us and all that hearken unto it will receive a true evidence in themselves concerning our innocent and peaceable life Q. And doe you refer your tryal in all things to your own principle in others which you say is Christ the light and life and witness of God A. Yes We doe so for as we know that all judgement in heaven and earth is committed unto Christ so we know that there is not another that can truly try or judge of us besides him and therefore we have boldness to refer our tryal in all things unto him alone as knowing that his tryal and judgement is according to truth in every man and as our Faith is in him and our love unto him so we know that he will not condemne the works of his own hands but justifie the fruit of his own life power and virtue and his tryal and judgement will clearly evidence for us that we are his and not our own Confession It may now be perceived that you do not hold or maintain the things that you do to be from your selves or in your own wills but from Christ the foundation and principle A. Yes it is plainly so for of our selves we can do nothing but through Christ in whom vve have our strength vve are able to do all things so that our sufficiency is in him alone and by his power in us all our good works are wrought for us and unto him they all return that he in all things may have the preheminence and the glory for ever Resolved It being so there is no good ground why you should be called in question or any way suffer for your Faith and Religion seeing that what you do is from the power of Christ and his works are not to be denyed by any nor you to suffer in any case for the faith you have in him and the love you have to him and seeing that you deny your selves in what you do which many hitherto have thought you did not and that you are willing to be tryed and Judged according to the Judgment of truth in Christ you ought not in any wise to suffer by any other Tryal or Judgment whatsoever and all sober moderate people may be well satisfied with this Demonstration that your principle is of God and that your faith and love is unto God and your good will unto all men and none need not any farther stand in doubt of the truth of it but may be fully perswaded that you have Salvation and Eternal life by Jesus Christ which may overcome all that are yet contrary minded unto you to joyne with your principle that they may be of your Faith and Religion who are a people that loves God so singly and lives amongst men so peaceably which indeed doth clearly manifest your principle and Religion to be of God W. S. THE END A manifestation of Prayer in Formality and Prayer in the Spirit of God IT hath been a common Observation through Ages and Generations to perform something as a duty unto God by way of Prayer this common observation hath descended from one generation to another ever since the Apostacy entred in a customary and formal way still observing the practice in words and continuing the same as a duty unto God in the same manner and form not at all regarding or considering the present want or necessity of the present Age or Generation nor the present states and conditions of particular people but praying in the same Words and in the same Form from time to time and from generation to generation and so it flows as a natural stream in a common and customary practice from one generation to another and hence it is that people continue asking but do not receive because they ask amiss not feeling the Spirit that makes intercession And so the Pharisees made long prayers but received the greater damnation because they prayed not in the Spirit but in the customary formality which by the Spirit was condemned And it is very sad that people should all their life-time be complaining and asking and never come to receive satisfaction And this is the common way of Prayer in this present generation who have many prayers in formed words and with their mouths do often repeat them and in the formality make a practice of them and so at set-times and in set-prayers spend away their dayes but feel not the Lord nor his goodness And this common way of Prayer now used in the common Worship never brings people to obtain but keeps them alwayes asking where in answer to the Commandments they pray no this wise Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law and write all these thy Laws in our hearts we beseech thee Now if they would encline their hearts to the Spirit of God in themselves and obey it then the Spirit would encline their hearts to keep God's Law and the Spirit would write his Law in their hearts and put it into their inward parts and it would keep them that they should not depart from it and there they would feel
as a babe in youngness and that it doth not know what to pray for as it ought but stands sighing and groaning and mourning in the sence ofburdens weights and loads that lye upon it yet the Spirit in that state helpeth its infirmities and makes requests for it according to the will of God for the Spirit knows what the Babe wants and with what it is burdened and so makes intercession unto God for it and in the Spitit the Babe hath access to God and though it be but young yet it cryes Abba Father and so it breathes in the Spirit and cryes in the Spirt and prayes to the Father in the Spirit and the sighs and groans do rise from a true sence of its own weakness and the want of Gods Mercies for it understands in the Spirit what it wants and is sensible what burdens lyes upon it and in the Spirit it draws nigh to God and submits its selfe to the Throne of his Grace and there finds Grace to help it in its need for the Spirit brings reliefe from the bosome of the Father and supplies the Babe in all its wants and every breathing is ministred unto by the Spirit and here the Babe prays aright and asketh according to the will of God and he hears its complainings and in his compassion he answereth its petitions and so it comes to receive from his own hand and he gives unto it daily bread and nourishes it with his own virtue after which it breatheth and stands by it to help it in the hour of temptation and so the Babe begotten by the Spirit prays in the Spirit and receives from the Spirit and is strengthened with the virtue of the Spirit and this is true prayer though never a word be spoken through utterance for the Babe breaths in the Spirit and cryes in the Spirit and prayes in the Spirit and as it so breaths and cries and prayes in secret even so the Father which seeth in secret doth reward it openly and by his power removes the burdens from it and with his own hand lifteth up its head in his own time he delivereth it out of all troubles and from its quickning and first breathing it goes on from strength to strength and from virtue to virtue even as by the Spirit of the Lord and having received strength in the Spirit then by the Spirit it hath utterance given and can utter words by the help of the Spirit and so prayes in the Spirit and prayes with an understanding and that which it expresseth in words by the help of the Spirit and by the strength of the Spirit that is a comfort to every babe that is breathing in the same Spirit and so the babes begotten by the Spirit pray in the unity of the spirit and their prayers return into their bosome and are answered with a seal of the same spirit for they ask in the Name of Christ and in his Name they receive their satisfaction and so here is a time of sighing groaning mourning complaining a time of breathing crying praying a time of receiving rejoycing wherein the babes of life do come to inherit that w th they have breathed after so come to the living praises unto God who hath answered their prairs in the riches of his Grace and Mercy So all must come to the spirit of God by the spirit to be ordered and cease from their own words from their own time and learn to be silent until the spirit give them utterance for the Lord is weary of all formality hypocrisie he hath no pleasure in any such performances for his Controversie is against the Son of Perdition but he will exalt the Son of his Love blessed are they that are born of his life for whatsoever they ask in his Name their Petitions are answered their Requests granted the prayrs of such are only accepted and not the prayrs of those that think to be heard for their much babling who have many words but not in the life W. S. THE END