designed to be treated upon is the Government of Christ which we do not believe to be represented by visible persons certainly known by outward Names distinguish'd by outward marks and tokens and invested with Power from him to execute Outward Laws in an Outward Form of Government visible by our Carnal Eyes as aforesaid That the Government of Christ is an Inward Government is evident from the words of the Prophet Jeremiah Jer. 31.31 32 33. I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel c. not according to the Covenant that I made with your Fathers but this shall be the Covenant that I will make c. After those days I will put my Law in their Inward Parts and write it in their Hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People and they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. This we believe was spoken with respect to the Reign of Christ by his Spirit in the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men and clearly shews that the Laws of Christ's Government under the new Covenant are written in the Hearts of his People and therefore an Inward Government Objection But if any shall object That the words of the Prophet relate not to those who are of the Gentile Stock of which Stock according to the Flesh it may be said that we are We thereto say That the words of Paul do effectually answer that Objection Rom. 10.12 There is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him Col. 3.9 10 11. Lie not one to another seeing that you have put off the Old Man with his deeds and have put on the New Man which is renewed in Knowledge after the Image of him that created him where there is neither Gentile nor Jew Circumcision nor Uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is all and in all Many other Scriptures both out of the Prophets and Apostles Writings might be quoted to evidence the matter intended We are yet sensible that this further Objection may be raised Viz. Objection That neither the words of the Prophet nor of the Apostle cited by us make mention of Government over Jew or Gentile but doth shew as from the scope of the Scripture appears that the Apostle so writ to convince the Jews of the difference between the Righteousness of the Law and that of Faith and to shew unto Believers whether Jews or Gentiles that though some might appear in a Voluntary Humility Worship Angels intrude into those things they had not seen and be vainly puffed up in their fleshly minds and not give all Obedience unto the Head Christ through whom alone there is an increase in the increases of God yet they were therein reproveable as not being risen with Christ and further also to shew that those who were dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the world ought not to be subject to nor yet to touch taste or handle such Ordinances as were after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men. To this Objection we answer That though the word Government is not expressly mentioned yet there are words in what is cited out of the Prophet Jeremiah importing the three material Objects of Government viz. A Lawgiver the Place where the Law is to be found written and the People for whom it is given Besides from these words of Paul viz. The same Lord over all a Governour is implied viz. Christ Jesus our Lord and so consequently a Government over that All. And from what hereafter follows it will appear that the End of this Government is to lead into all Truth Moreover it leades us to observe That there are divers true Marks whereby the Opposers of Christ's Government may be distinguisht First They are such as are in a Voluntary Humility Secondly Such as Worship Angels which may reasonably be taken to be a Worshipping of some Messengers whom God hath sent because the signification of the word Angel is a Messenger Thirdly Such as intrude into those things they have not seen Fourthly Such as are puft up in their fleshly minds Fifthly Such as give not all obedience unto the head Christ And lastly Such as are Subject to Ordinances after the Commandments and Doctrines of Men. And to be very plain for the clearing the Truth we must give this our Testimony that we are really perswaded from what our Eyes Ears have been witnesses that many of those amongst the People called Quakers who have Zealously contended for the Observation of Outward Rules and Orders given forth by One Man bear all the aforesaid Marks for whosoever they are that pretend Zeal to promote submit unto and exercise themselves in other mens lines made ready to their hands and that on a pretended religious score when thorow the word of true Faith they see it not their duty or if they shall pretend they do and thereupon strive to enforce others to submit thereto there being no ground from the Scripture of Truth or Light of Christ so to strive it naturaly follows that the aforesaid Marks accompany such and this we confidently aver that thorough the whole Scriptures of Truth there is not one word from whence we may rationally expect and that according to the meaning of the Spirit that Christ hath or will Commissionate any One Man or Men to prescribe Outward Rules and Orders relating to Faith or Discipline in the Church to be binding on the Consciences of the Subjects of his Kingdom whether they should see it to be their duty from the Law written in their hearts or no. Besides if we consider the nature of Christ's Kingdom and Government it will appear to be such unto which outward written Laws visible by our carnal eyes and to be executed by perishing objects according to an outward Magistratical or Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction are wholly unsutable becaus Christs Kingdom is not of this world but is an Everlasting Kingdom and therefore 't is said That of the encrease of his Government there shall be no end and though John in the Revelations Chap. 11. V. 15. gives this Testimony That there were great voices in heaven saying the Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ And he shall Reign forever and ever Isa 61.11 yet there is nothing said to signify that the manner of his Reign was or should be otherwise then as before is described Moreover if any Man or Men have or may pretend him or themselves to be such on Earth on whom the weight of Christs Government which is Spiritual is laid it is not like to have any Evidence in our Consciences First Not only because we find no such Prophecy or Promise in the Scriptures of Truth but also for that we rather find the contrary for
Basis and Foundation To which I thus say This kind of Language with respect to divers Practices in Discipline amongst the People called Quakers or any outward Form and Order which is or hath been by any called the Order of the Gospel I do not understand to be rightly applicable to those amongst the said People who have retained their first Love to and Savour of the Truth and right Understanding of the Principle thereof not that I would hereby be understood that it s not necessary to be in the Exercise of Outward Order with respect to that Gospel-discipline which becomes the Church of Christ but that which I understand not to be rightly applicable unto them is manifested in what follows Though the principle of Truth in these latter dayes hath and may further lead into the Practice of Outward Order in Discipline with relation to the Church of Christ yet I affirm that part of that Outward Order in Discipline wherein divers of the People of the Lord called Quakers have been acted is such as that there is not the least Footsteps thereof to be found in the Scriptures as exhorted to or as practised by the Apostles I could give many Instances hereof but one shall suffice viz. The Form of Proceedings in Marriages wherein the Scriptures are wholly silent as to the Primitive Christians and tho the Papists pretend to Tradition yet the People of the Lord called Quakers do not Besides 't is evident by the Scriptures of Truth that the Apostles were found in the Practice of that which the People called Quakers do not only out of Conscience to God forbear but have had many Contests with others touching the same as esteeming it though permitted for a season by reason of the Weakness of the People amongst the number of those Outward Ordinances out of which the Lord hath at this day gathered his People witness Water-Baptism The word Order with respect to Outward Government Establish't by the Church of Christ over it self I remember not in the Scriptures of Truth yet much of late is spoken of the Order of the Gospel and of establishing the same and that with respect to Outward Prescriptions and Orders practised or endeavoured to be introduced amongst the People of the Lord called Quakers and in perticular R. B. Page 40. speaks of the Truth and Faith we have been and are in the Lords Hands building up To which I say The Consideration that Christ is the Truth and the great Power of God and that an Establishing in the Faith cannot Properly be termed A building up of Faith gives me occasion to treat a little touching the words establish and build up We know from the testimony of truth in our selves as well as from the Scriptures of Truth without us that we may be Instruments in the hands of the Lord to build up one another in the most Holy Faith in Christ the Truth the Power of God but 't is neither agreeable to the Testimony of Truth in us nor yet the Scriptures of Truth without us for any to account themselves of Ability to establish God's Power for its that by which the World was made Now the Order of the Gospel is the Power of God and nothing else according to the declared sence of our ancient Friends can properly be called the Order of the Gospel but the Power of God for though some outward Form or appearance may be according to the Order of the Gospel yet it can no more properly be called the very Order of the Gospel than the Fruit of a Tree can be called the Tree it self and therefore those who pretend to establish the Order of the Gospel may as well pretend to establish the Power of God it self 'T is true this Power is of Ability to establish Man in the Faith of God's Elect but Man is not of Ability to establish it those who understand the Nature and Tenours of the two Covenants may easily discern the Truth hereof Under the First Covenant which was outward the mind of God was manifested to the People from the Priests Lips which were to preserve Knowledge and this Covenant did consist in divers Outward Ordinances c. establisht and impos'd upon the People until the Time of Reformation Under the Second Covenant being the New Covenant or Gospel dispensation the Mind and Will of God is manifested in his People through the Revelation of his Spirit according to that of Paul Rom. 1.19 That which may be known of God is manifested in them Christ also said John 14.26 The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things The Law under this covenant is written in the heart Heb. 8.10 11. I will write my Law in their Hearts they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for all shall Know me c. Here 's not the least ground of encouragement for any man under the New Covenant which was not to be like unto the Old to pretend that Gods Spirit doth or will lead any to establish Outward Orders relating to matters of Conscience as the Order of the Gospel for if that which is to be known of God is manifested in us then though it may be needfull to stir up according as the Lord shall move in his servants the pure Mind in us that so we may be in the Exercise of what God requires through the maifestation of himself in us there is no need to establish any thing without us to shew it If the Spirit of Truth is to lead into all truth those who would be leading us in another way will prove little better then Thieves and Robbers which Climb up another way to enter in than by the door If the Law be written in the heart and that no Obedience finds Acceptance with the Lord but Obedience to his Law from an inward Impulse and Drawing of his Spirit thereunto in our selves there 's no need of establishing Outward Indispensible Rules which may relate to the Conscience to walk by for were it possible so to do and any should yield Obedience on no better ground then because'tis so establish't by such a Man or Assembly of Men this sort of Obedience would find no more acceptance with the Lord than the offering of Swines flesh or the Halt and Blind for a Sacrifice under the First Covenant did For though many may be so Weak as not to know the difference between the two Covenants in some respects yet there are Few of the Lord's People called Quakers but have this undoubted Truth sealed in their hearts That none of their Outward Practices under the Exercise of Christ's Government find's acceptance with the Lord but as they have an Evidence in their Consciences that therein they Answer the measure of Truth in themselves Paul writing to the Colossians thus saith As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Rooted and built up
tolerable Pretence to exercise a Jurisdiction Because 't is in relation to one that hath cut himself off from being a member by departing from the Bond by which he was center'd into the Heavenly Fellowship of Christ's Body These two Cases duely weighed and considered seem to me to be comprehensive of all Cases of Difference touching Outward Concerns that may happen amongst the Members of the Church of Christ By the First it plainly appears there is no need for any to say We boldly aver we have Power and Authority to decide since in all such Cases there is no use of any such Authority when the Power of Truth manifested in themselves hath been a Bond upon them to submit to the thing that 's Just And by the Second it appears that if any shall assume such a Jurisdiction yet all such Cases are without the Cognisance thereof because 't is in the Case of one that hath cut himself off from being a Member of which sort R. B. saith Page 33 We are not so foolish as to concern our selves with those who are not of us as Fellow-Members and therefore I affirm That as in other things he hath deviated from the Line of Truth so also in this if his Meaning be according to his Words to me plainly Imports viz. That the Members of the Church of Christ have Power and Authority to decide and Remove Matters relating to Outward Things amongst themselves though the consent of the Parties differing be not had As property by the Law of Nature and according to Right Reason cannot be disposed without the assent of such in whom the Property is Vested according to that saying of * Act. 5.4 Peter to Ananias Whilest it remained appertain'd it not unto thee and after it was sold was it not in thy own Power So Differences arising touching Property and outward things relating to Meum and Tuum are of right by such outward Just Laws decideable as are according to such Fundamental Constitutions which were originally agreed upon and assented to by the People or their Representatives And therefore such Lawes have of right Power to Compel Obedience or Imprison especially when the Laws under such Governments become so far as any thing outward can be Protections to the Subjects and their Properties But neither the Scriptures without us nor the Light within us do evidence that under the Spiritual Government of Christ there is any need to Establish Orders or Laws touching worldly Property or for the Members of Christ to assume Jurisdiction therein without assent of the Parties differing For since his Kingdom is not of this World Is it not against the nature of his Government to exercise by Constraint a Jurisdiction in Matters relating to this World Besides 't is agreeable to Truth to affirm That nothing outward can Constrain the Subjects under Christ's Government to obey the Laws thereof since the only proper place where his Government is to be exalted is in the Heart the place where his Second Appearance to reign as Lord and King is and shall be and that the Means whereby under his Government Acceptable Obedience comes to be yielded is by his Spirit If then nothing Outward can be of force to Constrain Acceptable Obedience how can it be agreeable to Truth and Right Reason for the true Church of Christ it self muchless any Assembly term'd so and that on tolerable Supposition only of which more anon to assume a Jurisdiction in Cases relating to Property without the Consent of the Parties concerned when they have no suitable Power to Compel Obedience nor yet to inflict any Corporal Punishment or Restraint for the Non-performance of their Sentences And though the Prophet said which R. B. quotes I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning Yet this is no Proof that the Church of Christ ought to assume Jurisdiction in Temporal Worldly Matters without Consent of the Parties concerned muchless any Assemblies so termed and that only on tolerable Supposition For should the aforesaid Author by the words Judges as at the first and Counsellors as at the beginning conclude the Prophesy related to such Judges as were chosen Men over certain Numbers of the Children of Israel who Judged the People at all Seasons but brought the hard Causes to Moses Exod. 18.25 26. Yet this gives not the least Warrant for uncertain unselected Assemblies to assume such a Jurisdiction but to exclude it wholly we find Christ himself gives no Countenance to such a Sense with relation to Outward Matters Luk. 12.13 14. where 't is thus said And one of the Company said Master bid my Brother divide the Inheritance with me and what said Christ in this Case He thus said Vers 14 Man who made me a Judge or Divider over you And therefore I conclude there is not the least Countenance for any Assemblies of Men under the Notion of the Church of Christ to assume such an Authority R. B. also quotes Pauls words 1 Cor. 6. Dare any of you having a Matter against another go to Law before the Vnjust and not before the Saints This proves not the Lawfulness of assuming such a Jurisdiction as aforesaid it only shews that 't is Christian like that Differences arising between Brother and Brother should be brought before the Saints to Judge but doth not encourage any not chosen as aforesaid to assume Authority to Judge There is a vast difference between an assuming a Jurisdiction without a Lawful Authority as to Outward Things relating to meum and tuum and a rightful Consent and Election to Judge The First proceeds altogether from a Spirit of Usurpation and Imposition and is Intolerable The Second is tollerable and must proceed either from Assent of the Parties differing or a Power that hath rightful Disposition over the worldly Property of those concerned which being outward I question how any Persons who are neither invested with Outward Power nor chosen for that Service by the Parties concerned can at this Day reasonably claim Jurisdiction therein And therefore I do conclude that R. B. according to that Understanding I have of his Lines hath opened a wide Gap should his Judgment take place for an intolerable In-road to be made on the Properties of People even as elsewhere in his Treatise he hath done upon their Consciences as in this ensuing Discourse is plainly manifested for when I seriously consider how in his 68. Page he affirms That there neither can nor will be wanting in Case of Controversy the Spirit of God to give Judgment through some or other in the Church of Christ so long as any Assembly can properly or in any tolerable Supposition be so termed and that he would not be contented with these words properly so termed but must also add these words any tolerable Supposition and that with disjunctive or I cannot but suppose since I know he well understands the Propriety of Sentences and Signification of words that his words do
supposed to be the Church of Christ where either the true Doctrines and Principles are wanting or the true Life and Power in some good measure is not felt and known is far from my Thoughts Yea how far I am contrary-minded may be seen at large in my Apology upon the 10th Proposition now published in English Page 194 195 196 200 201 202 c. [g] [g] R. B's Discourse now shews that he holds forth TWO BONDS by which the People of the Lord are centered into one Body But the Apostle's Doctrine was that by one Spirit we are baptized into one Body and so the Bond but one And though R. B. terms my Comparison a Scornful Reflection yet I affirm 't was Christian-like enough so to say if the Reason given in my Answer be but duely considered which was That the main Scope of his Treatise relating to that Matter both from Scripture and Reason tended as it were chiefly if not wholly to evidence that Principles Doctrines and Practices necessarily depending thereon are the Bond by which we became Centered into one Body and Fellowship though he nameth not what those Principles Doctrines and Practices are For a further Manifestation of his weakness on this Subject I referre unto my Answer Thirdly W. R's Seventh Observation Whereas it was thought strange that I should call Doctrines and Principles the Bond and Terms of our being together I understood it only of an Outward Bond and that I laid the stress upon it no further appears in that I affirm these Principles and Doctrines to be the Product of Truths Power and Virtue upon the Heart which appears by what is Printed upon the Margent and W. R. saying in his Papers that this was but like the Entertainment of Christ in the Manger shews too little of Christian-Sobriety and too much of a Scornful Reflection for which I will rather choose to forgive him than therein to contend with him For how much I value that Inward Bond to wit the Life of Righteousness beyond the Outward and that I esteem the Outward not at all to be valued but as it comes from the Inward may be seen thorow out all I have written in my Apology upon the 10th Proposition W. R's Eighth Observation and elsewhere [h] [h] If this be his meaning yet his Book doth not so declare And my affirming that any denying of any of Truths Principles and Doctrines is a ground of disowning was only in respect that who do so do manifestly thence make it appear they have broken the Inward Bond first from which that Outward did naturally spring and arise W. R 's Ninth Observation [i] [i] Experience tells me that the great Difference among Friends in the Nation is about Outward Orders pretended to be Establish't by G. F. and by the aforesaid Letter which R. B. accounts a clearing of himself 't is signified that R. B. declared his meaning to be not only with respect to all the Outward Orders and Forms of Discipline in Government amongst us but also with respect to the Power of God which being Compared with his now declared Meaning on the same Subject shews again that he doth not by this confirm notwithstanding his pretence so to do what is signified in the aforesaid Letter because here is no mention made of any Outward Orders Establish't and Practized by the People called Quakers and that he pretends his Meaning to be an Establishment on the Spirit only and such as are led by it which is a clear discovery of his Fallaciousness and will so appear to such as may peruse his words whereon the Fifth Observation is made for therein he pretends to give the same Satisfaction as is signified in the same Letter Besides 't is worthy our Observation that from R. B's words some Persons are intended Establishers of the Government upon the Spirit only but yet with this Addition notwithstanding his word only and such as are led by it which to me seems a two-fac'd kind of Expression for if the heart of a man be the place wherein the Laws of Christ are writteu and his Government is to be exalted and that we have no ground to expect any other Government or Governours to be like unto Moses save Christ Jesus by the Manifestation of his Spirit in us why could not he have been contented to have stopt his Pen at the words SPIRIT ONLY but forasmuch as he makes this Addition and such as are led by it I must confess I am in some measure at a stand touching his meaning thereby and have a Godly Jealousie that notwithstanding his pretence to the Spirit and that nothing done by meer Imitation will any thing avail yet when it may serve his turn he may from his own Lines bring forth another Conclusion and inferr a Subjection to others under the Notion of Governours over the rest and that the Dictates of the Spirit in us must give way to the pretended Dictates of the Spirit in others by which means at length it may so happen that the Profession of the very Principles of Truth as held forth amongst us in the Beginning may be Irradicated for if once the Day come wherein the Faith of any is that certain Persons above or distinct from any others are the Men who are led by the Spirit and that the Government of Christ is Establish't on them then in probability it will naturally follow that instead of Embracing this Primitive Exhortation turn in your Minds unto the Light that shines in your own Consciences many will be turning their Minds out unto unto the Dictates of others and were it so that what R. B. aims at should be granted viz. the Establishment of Christs Government on men led by the Spirit this then might be objected that many might pretend thereto who were not led by the Spirit and where the Spirit of Discerning is wanting in such as are to be Governed they may be in a ready and open way to Destruction But on the contrary let this undoubted Truth be held forth viz. Let every one be obedient to his measure of Grace and Light received from God and that the Light and Grace is a Reprover of all Sin then there will be no Stumbling nor By-Path walked in Moreover his Language in another respect seems to me inconsisting with the Truth because the Government treated upon to be Establish't is pretended to be Christ's Government that the Establishers are certain Persons signified by these R. B's words We did Establish it that the Object whereon it is Establish't is the Spirit all which considered I may truly say that 't is a work not fit for poor Mortals to pretend to especially if we consider that 't is already Established by God himself on Christ's Shoulders But if instead of that which occasions this Observation R. B. had signified that those who are led by the Spirit are subjects under Christ's Government I know that such Language would have
our Way was before the Devil was and all the Words Wayes and all Apostates and will be when they are gone and this I tell Thee and Them But these Words of thine are not from the Light of Christ nor the Spirit of God for I know no New Way nor New Form carryed on with Church-Authority as thou Reproachfully sayest But here thou hast manifested thy Separate Spirit and Mind For the Authority of our Men and VVomens-Meetings is the Power of Christ Jesus who is the New and Living Way and never changes And all Men and Women that believe in his Light and receive him he gives them Power to become the Sons of God and such are Heirs of the Power which is the Authority of the Meetings And they ought freely to come and go to that which they are Heirs of without your Imposition or Opposition And all that receive him in the Light he gives them Power and they are Heirs of his Power and his Life So they are Heirs of the Authority of the Men and VVomens-Meetings and every Man and Woman that is an Heir has Right to the Authority and they have taken their Possessions and are taking their Possessions And you in your Separate Spirit from the Divine Light of Christ say Your Chosen Men and them whom you have given Power unto And say Usurpers of Authority have come amongst your Chosen Men whom you have given no Power unto And that None shall sit amongst your Chosen Men neither of your own County nor others but to tell their Message and go their wayes And so this kind of Church-Order amongst you as you call it is worse than any Court or Assizes or Sessions or Courts And much I could say to it but you may read your Paper though you make a great Pretence of Liberty in it But I have not heard yet of any that like your Prescription that keep their First Love and Habitation And therefore as I said before the Way to come into Unity is to Condemn it all and give over your Spirit of Strife and Fightings and come into that which did first Convince you that by it you may be made true Members and so come into Meekness and Unity For I saw many Years before I went forth that such should rise in Opposition and so it is nothing to me because it is the same Spirit that hath risen formerly in many others and the Peaceable Truth and Gospel of Peace is over it and it is out of the Kingdom that stands in Peace And the efore what I write is for your Good and it had been well for Thee and You had you taken what I writ before patiently For I see the more you stir the more you will heap upon your own Heads and the further ye will put your selves except you come to Repentance and come down in the Humility for thee and you are too high and I Judge this Spirit as I said before and its Works with the Spirit and Light of Christ For in the Spirit and Light of Christ is my Unity that is atop of this Spirit and its Works and in that is my love to all for their everlasting good whether they will hear or forbear and my Life is out of your Spirit of Strife and over it for the Seed of Life reigns which had you kept in it you would have seen me the same now as I was in the beginning and being gone from that and gone into Doubts Jealousies and Questions and Evil Surmisings by which you are blinded so as you see not me as I was in the beginning as many others have done the same before you and when they are gone from the unlimited Spirit of Christ then they are afraid to be limited And therefore be advised and come to judge that Spirit lest your Bonds be made strong and you grow worse and worse and find not a Day of Repentance and the Lord give you up to Hardness of Heart and to your Hearts Lusts and that your Latter-End be not worse than your Beginning for it is the Universal Spirit and Life that your Spirits fight against which as I said before God will blast And so mind your End for it will manifest it self and has manifested it self to all you that be in the Light which I fay once again come unto and condemn this Spirit and its Works and your Separation that in it you may have Unity for it s out of the Paradise in the Transgression I thought to have written nothing to thee but to have sent thy Letter back unto thee again knowing what Spirit it came from which indeed was not worth Answering but only to the intent that thou and you might Repent and come into that which you were brought into in the beginning and in that you will see what a spirit is gotten up in you that by it you may judge it and not die and perish in your Gainsaying for the word which I writ to you will stand and you will find it and I shall be manifest to that of God in all though it be the Condemnation of them that walk not in it and my Unity is with them that walk in it and such need no outward Prescriptions that are written with the Spirit of God in one anothers Hearts to gather them withal who are written in Heaven and whose Names are written in the Book of Life before the Foundation of the World was Glory to God for Ever And I shall not much take notice of You if you continue in Strife except it be by publick Testimonies And the Jewes might have reflected against the Prophets who spoke the Word of the Lord often to them but they did not regard it neither would they be convinc'd who stood in their Own Wills And truly John I must needs tell thee Thou and You are gotten up into the same and I have been sorry for You and my Spirit has sometimes Travelled but I saw there was a perverse Spirit in thee when thou wert at Swarthmore though I dealt tenderly and plainly and faithfully with you and spoke the word of the Lord to You and told You that If You did not come to that which did first convince You and bring all others whom you had drawn into a separation with You to Condemn it the Blood of all them would be required at your Hands and that was and is the Word of Truth which will stand and is Sealed And I was grieved that the Glory of the Lord which had appeared in the North and his Name should be dishonoured by your cross thwarting Spirit and that You should bring an Evil Report upon it into the South of any difference but that was and is a true Word You are got up into a wrong Spirit that is Rough and Course which I feel and see that is not savoury nor gracious which had you retained your primitive Love and Light and Faith that works by Love and been in the quiet meek Spirit and
THE Christian-Quaker Distinguished from the Apostate Innovator In FIVE PARTS WHEREIN RELIGIOUS DIFFERNCES amongst the People termed in Derision Quakers are treated on GEORGE FOX one at least if not the chief reputed Author thereof is detected DOCTRINES of TRUTH owned by the Children of Light and cleared from Objections are laid down according to Holy Scriptures and Revelation of the Spirit By WILLIAM ROGERS on behalf of himself and other Friends in Truth concerned Eccles 2.9 There is no new Thing under the Sun Gal. 2.11 But when Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to the Face because he was to be Blamed LONDON PRINTED in the Year 1680. THE PREFACE TO THE READER IT was the Saying of Christ As I Hear I Judge I hope that Christ's Example in that Case will be such a Bond on every one that may concern themselves touching this Treatise as that I may have no just Occasion to reflect on any Christian-Professor even as Nicodemus a Pharisee once did on those of his own Sect Joh. 7.51 Doth our Law Judge any Man before it Hear him In Confidence that this Treatise may meet with so much Justice at least from True if not from all Pretended Friends 't is now brought to Light And though some amongst the People termed in Derision Quakers appearing to stand as Neuters in the present Controversy amongst them not knowing the Christian and Orderly Proceeding of others may conclude That 't is an Untimely Birth Yet let such know that the Moderation of those who are concerned in the Publication hereof hath for many Years past been manifested Note The Divisions amongst the People called Quakers have been at least Eight Years encreasing to the Height they now are at by endeavouring as much as in them did lye as hereafter will more largely appear that those small Differences which at first seemed but like unto little Sparks might not arise unto so great a Flame as they now are And were it not so that many Meetings of the said People for the Worship of God in divers Parts of the Nation have been entertained with frequent Contention and Opposition and in particular that both Priest Professor and Prophane have become Eye and Ear-Witnesses of such Rude and Unchristian-like Deportments as of late have been mafested by many speaking at once in their Publick-Meeting within the City of Bristol before many Hundreds by which the Meeters have been reputed as in an Uproar and their Meeting-House accounted rather a Stage of Scolding than a Place for Worship of God It might not as yet have been brought to Light without some further Endeavour to have sought a Reconciliation if so be the least Hopes should have been given of its Acceptance But being void of all such Hopes Now so it is that so great a Concern of Conscience lyes on many to encourage the Publication hereof as that we can no longer forbear lest it should be reputed That the Doctrine and Life of Christianity were wholly Extinct amongst the afore-said People My Desire now is That the Reader may seriously weigh the Four following Notations and the Observations thereon and then 't will easily be savour'd at what Door the Publick Disorders have entred and whether or no they are not the very Birth of some Politick Unchristian-like Contrivance First Many in that City retain their Antient Respect for John Story and John Wilkinson Two Antient and Honourable Labourers in the Gospel of Christ whose Conversations and Doctrine I have not known or understood to be Exceeded in Godliness by any Mortal Man whatsoever and on that Foot are accounted such as Joyn to Separates or a Separate Spirit as the Term or Nick-Name sometimes is because some Upstarts and Innovators Adherents to George Fox have been pleased to disown the said John Story and John Wilkinson though they could not justly Charge them with Evil. Secondly In a Paper given forth by an Eminent Preacher and Opposer of John Story and John Wilkinson whose Name I omit for the Reasons herein after mentioned thus directed viz. To God's Friends every where concerning the present Separates and their Spirit 't is thus said Let not this Spirit be reasoned with enter not into Proposals and Articles with it but feed it with Iudgment that is God's Decree So may the Souls that are deceived come by the Right Door into the Heavenly Vnity Thirdly The same Person that writ as aforesaid was also concerned in a Paper subscribed by Charles Marshall and Sixty-Five more given forth at Ellis Hooks his Chamber the 12 th Day of the 4 th Moneth 1677. wherein 't is thus writ with Relation to John Story and John Wilkinson Therefore Brethren every where stand up in the Power and Wisdom of God for the Testimony of Truth against that Wrong Iealous Murmuring and Dividing Spirit And where they come warn them in the Name of the Lord to go home and not go thus up and down to offer their Gifts Fourthly The very same Person that writ as aforesaid thus That is God's Decree did also some Years past threaten That Bristol should be as an Anvil to beat upon meaning with Respect to Religious Differences My Observations now are That in as much as the Meeting at Bristol hath become as an Anvil whereon many Apostates or Innovators Opposers of John Story and John Wilkinson have in a Disorderly Manner frequently beat it may not rationally be taken to be the Fruit of a Politick Unchristian-like Contrivance in the best Sense And that albeit they have been apt to stamp their rude Discourses and severe Judgments in the Name of the Lord resusing to reason with such against whom they strike or in a Christian Spirit to treat of the Differences yet therein I am fully perswaded that they act rather from the Line of Another than Their own And not only so but from the Line such an one as hath taken Liberty to Violate that which he would Impose as by a Decree from God on others For though he Imperatively thus said as aforesaid Let not this Spirit be reasoned with Enter not into Proposals and Articles with it but feed it with Iudgment that is God's Decree Yet he himself did a few Moneths after accompany George Fox to the City of Bristol and there entred into Reasonings Proposals and Articles with such as owned John Story though termed a Separate or Separate Spirit which by the Scope of his Writing may reasonably be taken by those who understand his Meaning by these his words viz. This Spirit To be an Acting contrary to his own Counsel When I compare this with these kinds of Declarations frequently publish't amongst the aforesaid People viz. Let us Exclude the Reasoning the Wisdom and the Iealousie and let us have an Eye to the Brethren Further insinuating as if God had ordained Ministers amongst them that are to see and hear for the Body and common Members of the Churches as the Printed Terms are I cannot but be full of Jealousie that these
for the Reasons mentioned in this Preface to Publish the Second Part of the said Manuscript we instead thereof for the Satisfaction of all Friends do declare That 't is ready for the View of any Friend in order to prove the Reasonableness of the Reflections made or Objections raised Having thus premised I now come again to lay down the Three before-mentioned Queries and to give direct Answers thereto Quer. 1. Why hast thou omitted to mention the Names of some Persons and Authors of some Books and Papers reflected on in this Treatise Answ Though I have been reflected upon at an Ungodly Rate by many because I have been concerned to oppose an Erroneous and Persecuting Spirit which I have beheld entring amongst the Flock of God yet Blessed be the Lord he hath so preserved me by the Arm of his Power as that none of my Opposers have so far as I know laid any thing unto my Charge but for Matters wherein I have acted though misrepresented by them to keep a Conscience voyd of Offence towards God And as it became my Concern of Conscience to prepare the Manuscript first mentioned that so the Truth of some Material Matters occasioning or accompanying Division and Separation amongst the People called Quakers might lye on Record at least Vntil an Vnion might again be witnessed So also it hath been my frequent Breathing unto the Lord That I might not bring forth an Vntimely Birth but might so be led and guided in this Affair as that I might Answer the Witness of God in all Consciences And to my inward Peace and Joy in the Lord I can say That I have the Evidence of his Spirit notwithstanding what any Man may say to the contrary that he hath owned my Proceeding therein hitherto And not only so but that there hath been an Answer thereto in many Brethren And as I was seriously waiting on the Lord I became satisfied in my Conscience to forbear reflectingly to mention in this Treatise the Names of many reputed Quakers that as yet I doubt remain deviated in some things from the Line of Truth And I hoped such a Spirit of Mediation and Justice would have appeared amongst some of our Friends who would not be understood to be concerned in the Difference between others as that they might have been a Means to cause G. F. to stoop so timely to Justice as that there might have been no Concern upon me and others to discover any Part of his Errors so publickly as now they are The Considerations occurring in my Breast when I became so satisfied as aforesaid were these First Several of my Brethren as before is premised interceded to forbear and if for my thus doing any should reflect upon me they might as well reflect upon the Apostle's Counsel when he exhorted the Ephesians To submit themselves one unto another in the Fear of God For I was sensible that those who so concerned themselves had a true Sense that the Cause wherein I was concerned was the Cause of Truth On which Foot their Treatment of me was in much Love and Tenderness and forasmuch as I perceived they were not without hope that a little longer Forbearance might work for the better I became satisfied 't was my Place to submit and forbear a while Secondly Though Hardness of Heart hath so overtaken some as that they may still continue to oppose their Brethren in the Truth without the least just Ground or Pretence either from the Light of Christ within the Scriptures of Truth or Right Reason yet I am not without hope that some others concerned against their Brethren in the present Differences may in some time come to a Sense of their Failings and Repent and then either the Memory of their Offence may be blotted out or their Repentance therewith if timely known recorded and that according as Opportunity may permit and Truth require Thirdly 'T is hoped that this Treatise may become a Warning to many but more especially to such as have departed from the Anointing in themselves that they may Repent and turn to their First Love viz. The Appearance of Christ by his Light in them and not in neglect of God's Teachings lye doting on Outward Orders As if that which was promised to be written in the Heart were now to be sought after in Pieces and Scraps of Paper or that the Written Orders of any at this Day should become a Certain Rule through which a Heavenly Possession may be obtained by such as could not own the Scriptures themselves though by the Spirit given forth to be that Certain Rule but instead thereof the Spirit it self to be it And if any think themselves hereby reflected on unjustly because at some Times they have appeared of another Language yet if such by their Fruits have given the Lye to the Offering of their Lips the Deceit is the greater and more worthy to be discovered Fourthly This Treatise is chiefly intended for the Service of the People called Quakers amongst whom the Religious Differences are so publickly known as that I have no Cause to doubt but that the Matters treated on will be intelligible by them though the Names of some Persons and Authors of some Books and Papers be not mentioned However if any amongst them for want of that Publick Converse which others have had shall manifest the least Jealousie that there is no Reason so to Object or Reflect as in the ensuing Treatise I shall then be ready to give unto such particular Satisfaction from Matter of Fact relating to Person or Persons And forasmuch as it was not possible that all Papers and Books which may evidence the Reasonableness of all Objections and Reflections could lye at once in many Hands and are for the most part with me therefore this Treatise is Signed thus By William Rogers on Behalf of himself and other Friends in Truth concerned And so the Names of those others my Brethren concerned with me in this Work are omitted partly because they might not be capable to give a ready and satisfactory Answer for want of the Books or Papers signified of as aforesaid Quer. 2. Why hast thou treated on Principles held forth by the People called Quakers since many Books have already been given forth by some amongst them treating on many if not all of those Things which thou hast done Answ 'T is the Duty of all Christians to clear their Consciences as by the Light of Christ in their Consciences they are directed which doubtless was the Real Ground whereupon many Antient and Honourable Friends already fallen asleep have given forth their Testimony touching the same Principles publickly held forth both by Word and Printing by some other Servants of the Lord before them And if no more were said to this Query it ought to suffice But yet for the Sakes of some I shall lay down the Considerations attending me when I became Conscientiously concerned so to do The Deportment of some Vnruly Women and Ignorant Self-conceited
of the Eternal God who was with the Father before the Foundation of the World was laid is become the Horn of their Salvation and hath brought Immortality to Light in them and revealed that Teacher that can never be moved into a corner and therefore these cannot depend any longer on the teachings of man nor yet on outward Canonical Articles Creeds Directories or Church-Faiths prescribed by man but on the teachings of Christ alone by his Light and Spiritual appearance in themselves to lead and guide unto the Father of life The sound of this Alarm as many can yet witness became a joyful sound to that soul which was hungring after the Lord though piercing as a Dart through the liver to the man of sin so that astonishment and amazement seemed to take hold on many whereby they became a By-word a Mock and a Taunt unto such whose dependencies were on their outward Teachers c. as aforesaid I say again Oh Friends let the Remembrance of this Day come before you and consider further what was the voice of the Eternal Power unto such who were struck with amazement after they believed the appearance of that power whereby they were so struck to be the appearance of the Power of God I well remember the voice was on this wise To your own To your own To your own Meaning thereby that they should turn in their minds to the Light of Christ in their consciences which was declared to be that teacher which could never be removed into a corner that so they might witness the fulfilling of that loud voice uttered by the Angel flying through the midst of Heaven Having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the Earth c. Fear God and give glory to him for the Hour of his judgment is come and worship him that made Heaven and Earth c. For no doubt but the Spirit of the Lord revealed unto those first labourers in the Gospel that there was a pronenesse in the Sons and Daughters of Men to admire to depend upon and sometimes through an affectionate part or blind Zeal to worship such are were instruments to give forth outward Directories or Church-Faiths For we find that the Apostle tells us of worshipping Angels which are Messengers whom God hath sent by him that intrudes into things which he hath not seen therefore I am perswaded that the voice of Truth through them was not only thus viz. To your own which being observed leads into an independency upon others but also frequently on this wise We preach not our selves look not unto us In the Consideration of these things I cannot but cry aloud in the aforesaid words of the Angel that had the everlasting Gospel to Preach Fear God and give Glory to him And then no doubt but every such one that hath concerned himself to condemn his Brother on no better ground than from the example and prescription of another will come to see that therein he hath not kept to his own and so hath been led into a By and Erring Path. Oh Friends let therefore this cry pass through every heart To our Own To our Own To our Own That is to say to every one 's own measure of Christ's Light or Grace of God Received which the Apostle saith is sufficient with this secret breathing of Spirit unto the God of our lives that all may be thereto retired For if that Counsel might but take place it seems to me that there could then be no room for any to impose or press the observation of other mens Lines upon any which no doubt is one great occasion of the religious differences treated on and not only so but it would mould all who retain the name of Christianity into the very nature thereof and so consequently a reconciliation in the everlasting Truth might quickly ensue For if that Door be but once shut through which variance and disunion entred there may then arise a hope of cessation to such contention and strife as is out of the Truth but if not I may then say how can the effect cease whilst the cause remains I well Remember and many with me that whil'st friends kept to their Own and concerned not themselves to promote a zealous observation of other mens Lines made ready to their hands we then heard not of so much contention strife and debate both publick and private as of late years hath been but since the promotion thereof Confusion Disorder Emulation Malice and Envy hath been its Offspring which hath been manifested by publick unjust revilings against some when zealously contending for the Faith of Gods Elect and though these are of that number that prefer obedience to their own measures of Grace received before obedience to the measures of others yet other some there are who have endeavoured to bring Friends into conformity to the pretended Dictates of the Spirit through others or at best through that one man G. F. before spoken of and that under the penalty of being accounted guilty of Corah's sin for scrupling to conform and thus the variance is like to continue unless the God of Heaven for his Names sake by the Arm of his own Power shall put a stop thereto And forasmuch as I could not but say in all seriousness of Spirit for the clearing of my conscience Let the remembrance of the dayes that are past come before you wherein the Servants of the living God sounded by his trumpet an Alarm to the Nations and that the Servant of the Lord Edward Burrough many years deceased is honourably spoken of by some if not by all of both parties of the People called Quakers at variance one that had the Trumpet of the Lord to sound and hath therewith sounded as a Son of thunder as well as of consolation many Alarm unto the Nations I shall conclude with the citation of a part of an Epistle written by him in the Year 1658. to the Friends of the City of London and so leave the consideration thereof to the Impartial Reader to savour whether according to the sense of his counsel we ought not to know the Spirit of God in our selves to be the ground of all our actions and if so then to practise from other mens Lines without an inward conviction by the Spirit in our selves can be no more accepted as indeed it is not than the offering of the halt and the blind for a Sacrifice under the first Covenant was Here follows the citation out of Edward Burrough's aforesaid Epistle YEa it is peace to the Soul and gladness to the Heart and refreshment to the Life to feel and witness the teaching of the Spirit of the Father leading into all Truth and preserving out of all transgressions wherefore I beseech you all let this be your whole desire and the full practice in your life and then shall the Countenance of the Lord shine upon you and his face shall make you glad if in all things you look unto
the contrary of what is intended for the PRESS I reasonably conclude that whatever is written in the above cited Sheets was there approved I should now proceed to cite a few Sentences out of it which amounts to a Publication of Divisions Page 4. The Lord hath suffered Blindness in part to happen to some through declining their First Love who came out amongst us and had a Part in the Belief and Discovery of the Way of Truth but now some only have the Sheeps-Cloathing and others have lost that too who through a prejudiced Mind are alienated from that Unity of Spirit and Bond of Peace in which we keep our wholsome Practices which we have received in the Unity and Order of the Gospel of Peace and Truth of Christ Jesus in the Fellowship of the Spirit in Bowels of Mercy being like-minded and of one accord in whatsoever things are True Just Honest and of good Report not that we should think of them only but be in the Practice of them as we are In the same Page it is further thus written But to our Burthen and Grief we find amongst some a Contrary Spirit that will not subject to Unity in wholsome Practices amongst us and that will needs Interpose to destroy Unity in some Places and obtrude it self to Confound our wholsome Order and Practices received amongst us as a Church and People and through this contrary Spirit and Prejudiced Mind the Accuser of the Brethren is broken out under a specious Pretence crying Liberty of Conscience Liberty of Conscience in Opposition to those needful convenient and wholsome Practices exercised amongst us in outward Things Also Page 5th thus This Note An accusing Spirit is now accounted a Confounder of Order by this Rule may not the Accusers of I. W. and I. S. be accounted Confounders of Order Accusing Opposing Dividing Spirit that is at work in this our Day to confound Order against the Peaceable Government of Christ amongst his People This Dividing Accusing Prejudicial Worker would introduce a Belief that an Apostacy is Entring and we are gone from the Beginning and First Principle and the Power lost and now Forms are setting up and Imposition on Consciences and the like and amongst whom is all this say they but amongst us who are in Unity of Spirit both in Faith and Practices and 't is amongst such that they imagine this Fearful Imposture and Arbitrary Rule Imposing Prescriptions and Laws on the tender Consciences of the Weak is now gotten up to exercise and so the Liberty of the tender Conscience is lost and you say they are intangled with the Yoak of Bondage to this Day And Page 10th thus Inasmuch as the envious Worker is suffered to proceed that would even race out the Foundation of Christ's Kingdom and Government under which his Subjects do only own their Christian-Freedom and true Liberty of Conscience c. In the 12th Page it is thus written And he meaning G. F. as by his Name before cited in the same Page appears was moved of the Lord to advise to a Womens Meeting c. and when Dear G. F. declared unto us what the Lord had made known unto him by his Power that there should be a Womens Meeting that so all the Sick the Weak the Widdow and the Fatherless should be Note here is no mention made of bringing Marriages before them minded and looked after in their Distresses And Page the 13th thus I have a word in my Heart to say unto you all Back-Sliders Obstructors Opposers and such as Countenance them secretly of this our heavenly Order of Men and Womens Meetings which the Lord by his Power hath set up and further thus You that have despised Dignities to speak Evil of the Servants of the Lord such that faithfully have laboured amongst us from the Beginning which the Lord hath found worthy of double Honour for I do know and the Lord hath sealed it in my Heart that that Spirit which hath opposed the Blessed Unity and Order of Truth in those our Mens and Womens Meetings shall never prosper nor they who are in it inwardly to God without Repentance And in the 15th Page 't is thus written And a true Sense hath been upon me of our Dear Friends up and down the Nation of their great Tryal and Exercise that hath been upon them because of this Wicked Dividing Spirit and especially in my Native Country viz. Willshire Thus much out of the aforesaid Sheets to manifest that this Treatise containes not the first printed and published Papers evidencing Divisions amongst the People called Quakers I am now sensible some may be apt thus to Object If the Meeting held on every Second Day whereof thou makes mention may be Justifyed in approving the aforesaid sheels to be printed yet it can be Plea to Justify thy Printing because thou hast descended more particularly to describe wherein the Difference doth consist and hast mentioned some Names of both Parties concerned in the Difference But in the aforecited Sheets we find but some Names of one Party only viz. G F. and the two Subscribers of the said two Sheets Answ I confess the latter Part of the Objection to be true but yet not sufficient for any to condemn my printing who may Justify the printing of the aforesaid Sheets For if the mentioning of one particular Matter wherein the Difference is reputed to consist even as in the said Sheets it is be according to Truth in one Party I know not why the mentioning of more may not be justifiable in the other Party and if it be justifyable to mention a Part of the Names of one Party concerned in the Difference why not also of the other And though in the aforesaid Sheets there is not so particular a Description wherein the Differences do consist as in this Treatise is mentioned Yet the understanding Reader may collect many things of importance from it and in particular that in the Sense of the Subscribers thereof and such as are at Unity with them who may reasonably be taken to be of one Party they are such as are for True Love Unity Order of the Gospel of Peace Fellowship of the Spirit Bowels of Mercy and things that are True Honest Just and a good Report c. And that the other Party whom they oppose are such as are for Disorder Confusion unto whom Blindness hath happened and that they are declined from their First Love having only the Sheeps-Cloathing of Prejudiced Minds Opposing Dividing Confounding Order against the Peaceable Government of Christ Envious Workers that would raze at the very Foundation of Christs Government Despisers of Dignity c. All which leads me to this Observation that since no matter of Fact is signifyed to evidence any under the Profession of Truth worthy of those General Reflections nor yet any thing referred to for Evidence I may reasonably conclude that the Intended Opposition to Christ's Government is in their Sense no other than a supposed Dislike
not agreeable to the Second Covenant to expect that any one should be ordained of God to be amongst the Children of Light like unto Moses save Christ Jesus our Lord and Master who by his Spiritual Appearance in us is become our Leader and Lawgiver and therefore we have no Ground to believe that any one Mortal Man ought to assume that place amongst the Children of Light at this Day as Moses by the Appointment of God did amongst the Children of Israel in his Day especially if we do but consider that the Promise of the Lord through his Prophet Jeremiah Jer. 31.33 34. with relation to that Time and dispensation of the New Covenant under which we are was on this wise I will put my Law in their Inward Parts and write it in their Hearts and they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord. SECT III. An Answer to the Second Position deducible from an Objection raised toward the Conclusion of the first Section viz. That Monthly and Quarterly Meetings are called the Church and ought to be submitted to T Is well remembred that that one Man G. F. went some years past into many parts of this Nation advising Friends to hold such Meetings viz. Monthly and Quarterly and in many places his Counsel was readily embraced but for our parts we understood not at that day that it was designed by him or any else that those Meetings should not only be accounted the Church but also such as professed the Truth ought to believe as this Church believes had he so exprest himself Testimonies would have arisen as a Flood against such Darkness for this would have plainly appeared to us to have opened a Door whereby that Babylonish Rubbish which we had been long testifying against might have been exalted in one day And to be very plain we cannot but now declare that we are fully satisfied in our Consciences that by this very Door a Body of Strife Contention Emulation Malice and Envy together with a Rending Dividing Seperate Spirit from the Truth is entred amongst many hundreds who before walked together with us in an Heavenly Union and Fellowship in the Life of Righteousness which doubtless may if it hath not already occasion many Honest Simple-hearted Friends thus in their Hearts to say Where are the People whom we shall now follow But if such retire into the Sanctuary of the Lord there in stilness to wait what God will say they will undoubtedly have this Answer You have a Teacher within you which cannot be removed into a Corner follow that Teacher lest peradventer your Feet do slip by going from your Inward Guide and following the Footsteps and Dictates of Man But to return 'T is now our Concern as to the second Position thus further to declare That whosoever hath or shall testifie that all those Meetings as usually held were the Church of God hath and will appear to be such as know not whereof they affirm for such a Testimony carries with it neither inward nor outward Evidence though we dare not conclude that none in those Meetings were Members of the Church for the Church of God consists properly of such as are by one Spirit baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12.13 and so are in the Possession as well as Profession of Truth But yet whoever they were that did but so much as profess the Truth were admitted to be Members of such Meetings whilest they appeared in the outward Form thereof and were not then of Scandalous Conversations All which might appear in such as were far remote from witnessing the Circumcision of the Heart and the Answer of a good Conscience towards God which must be witnessed as the proper Product of the Baptism of the Spirit before a Possession of the Truth be known And whether Mens Meetings have not often consisted of such Members and are like so to do whilest the Door is open for any under the aforesaid Qualifications to sit there as it yet is we recommend to the Serious Consideration of the Impartial Readers and if so we desire them further to weigh and Consider First Whether it can be agreeable to the Truth to account every thing acted and done by every such Meeting to be the Product of the Church of Christ and accordingly to be submitted to Secondly Whether the Judging of some conscientiously refusing to submit to be dark leavened rending dividing or seperate Spirits because they refuse be not the fruit of that Spirit that would remove us from that Teacher that cannot be removed into a Corner to follow the Dictates of Fallible Men. Thirdly Whether a Plea for Obedience to the Orders of such Meetings from Persons Conscientiously Refusing to Obey hath not a tendency to Justify Usurpation since they have never evidenced to the Consciences of those from whom they have seemed to expect Obedience any other Call to that Service than their own Fourthly Whether a Plea for such Meetings to Govern in matters relating to Conscience hath not a tendency to Justify Confusion since according to the reputed Order of such Meetings None that are to be Ruled are excluded from being Rulers Let those who cannot believe this our last Assertion peruse Robert Barclay's Book of Government approved by such as have been accounted Ministring Friends at the second Days Meeting in London wherein 't is said Page 33. We are not so foolish as to concern our selves with those who are not of us None of which are according to the Import of the said Book of Government as we take it excluded from such Meetings nor yet to give Judgment therein witness Page 79 and 82. of the said book and since we are now treating of those Meetings we are not without a sense but that some may be ready thus to query viz. What Order is either prescribed or used whereby the sense of such Meetings is collected To this we say An eminent Person professing Truth being at Bristol did take occasion to signify at a Mens-Meeting held in that City to this effect That in London and other parts of this Nation where such Meetings were usually held the sense of the generallity hath been taken for the sense of such Meetings Comparing this with this Doctrine frequently of late publisht amongst us That the Apostacy shall never enter the generality more doth give us Just occasion to be Jealous that our opposers for the carrying on of their designs against us have contrived this method of carrying all things by the generality or major number of voices which Limitation we know hath been heretofore and by the faithfull to this day utterly disowned as contrary to the Truth and also by the approvers of R. B's Book of Government as in Page 81. and though the counsel of that one man who first advised to the aforesaid Meetings in some parts was
Spiritual Guide and Teacher which is infailible and cannot be removed into a Corner with confidence then may we conclude that none such will ever more boast of the possession which they have taken as Heirs of the Gospel with respect to things that are without Secondly As to this part of the aforesaid Objection viz. that nothing but Dryness Deadness and Barrenness appears in those who are opposed by such with whom thou art at Unity we say This seems not strange unto us for the Apostle thus Testifies We are unto God a sweet Savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish to the one we are the Savour of Death unto Death and to the other the Savour of Life unto Life This give us occasion to put every one that has or may Judge the sound form of words to be Deadness Dryness Barrenness especially when Springing from such whom thou hast known to be in the Life upon this search is not the reason thereof because I am watching for evil and have let in a Spirit of Prejudice believing an evil Report when perhaps it may not be Truth If this be thy State we must plainly tell thee they are the very Tokens of a Perishing Condition and then though it be the Word of Life that is Preached yet it can be no other according to the Testimony of the Apostle but the Savour of Death unto thee Besides we have this further Observation to make that some at least of those thus Testified against as Dead Dry and Barren are chiefly such unto whom God hath given a Portion of Understanding above many of their Brethren and have and yet do as far as ever we know appear Sound in Doctrine and as blameless in Life and Conversation as any friends we have ever known and so cannot run with the Current of the Times we desire therefore that every one of the Opposers of or Judges over such will yet more thoroughly search their own Consciences and in a Godly Jealousy over themselves put these queries unto their own hearts and try things in the equal ballance Have not I many times heard Unsound Doctrines and beheld Disorder and Confusion brought forth even in Publick Meetings for worship by those who cry against Dark Seperate Spirits and yet not been a Reproof thereto Concluding notwithstanding that there did a Freshness and Life appear Have not I been often affected with an Outward Tone and strength of Lungs when there hath been little to the Information and Building up one another in the most Holy Faith Have not I been better Contented to hear a Thundering kind of Voice Crying out against a Seperate Spirit though without Distinction when not a word was spoken to shew the Way to the Kingdom than to hear the Way of Eternal Life Plainly Demonstrated by a soft and moderate Voice We know there is great cause for many to put these questions to their Consciences and to be cool in Spirit that so they may have an Answer from the Lord whose appearance is not in the strong winds but in the still Voice SECT IV. An Answer to the Third Position deducible from an Objection raised toward the Conclusion of the first Section viz. That 't is Folly and Hipocrisy to profess our selves Members of the True Church and yet not Believe thus as the True Church Believes TO this we say we are altogether dissatisfied especially when we consider what a Body of darkness hath entered under the Belief of this Position we must believe as the Church believes amongst the Professors of Christianity in Ages past as well as at this present Day that such Language can become the mouth or pen of any one that professeth not only Faith in Christ but also that such his Faith is grounded upon the Inward Manifestation and Revelation of Gods Spirit in himself mark we say in himself Those who are accounted Apostate Christians have from such Assemblies which they call their Church set forth their Creeds by which it may be known what the Members of their Church do and ought to Believe and since 't is so that no Person is able to make out that ever any Assembly under the Notion of the true Church amongst the People called Quakers have published their Creed by which we mean a certain number of Articles of Faith recommending them as those things which every Member of the true Church ought to believe or else not be accounted a Member of the true Church we cannot account it unreasonable if any one that liketh not the Language touching Believing as the true Church Believes should ask the Publisher thereof this Question Hast thou not spoken this with respect to the People called Quakers as those whom thou accountest the True Church And if so is it not folly to talk of believing as this Church believes when no assembly under the notion of this Church have to this day declared and published their Creed for the ends aforesaid Nay may it not further be said we know how Papists and Protestants describe their Church but at the day wherein that which occasions this present discourse was given forth it was not discovered by any reputed Quakers publickly in Print that we know of who or were the true Church is with respect to visible persons more than what is to this effect given forth by the Author occasioning this present discourse viz. That the People called Quakers are the Church Wherein we do not take his meaning to be that all called Quakers were the Church of God but the Elect amongst them for he also saith The Church signifies the Elect and so the Reader is left without any certain Description who or where this Church is with respect to visible Persons since the Elect amongst them are not outwardly described For the clearing of the Truth and the opening of the Understandings of such as may be muddled about this matter 't is with us thus to Testifie 'T is well known that it pleased the Lord to reach unto many of our Consciences at the beginning of this latter Day that hath dawned amongst us whereby we came to Believe in the Everlasting Light of the Lord and as others held forth the Visible Orders and Written Faiths of a Visible Church to be as a Lanthorn to their Paths and as a Ground of their Faith so this Light of Christ was preach't up as a Lanthorn to our Paths and as the Ground of our Faith and then as our Understandings came to be more and more opened we clearly saw that as other Churches had outward Marks and Tokens whereby a man might manifest himself to be a Member of their Church when received into Society with their Church so we who had Believed in the Light of our Lord Jesus Christ and had the Evidence in our selves that we were of the true Brotherhood and Members of Christ's Body were at a loss infallibly to manifest unto others by any Outward Marks or Tokens that we were in
Mouthes of his Prophets or from the Appearance of Christ by his Light in us or from the Scriptures of Truth given forth by inspiration since the appearance of Christ in the flesh to Expect that any should be Invested with Power from on high to Establish such things relating to the Conscience much less to Expect that the Children of Light under the New Covenant should be led by the Eternal Spirit and Word nigh in the Heart unto such a conformity Moreover 't is Observable Pauls Plain confession thus was After the Way which they call Heresy so Worship I the God of my Fathers Believing all things which are Written in the Law and the Prophets c. And herein do I Exercise my self to have always a Conscience Void of offence towards God and towards Men. If all those unto whom God hath given the Knowledge of his Truth in this Gospel-day had had so much Zeal as to have walk't according to this example they might have all become Honourable in their day have kept a Conscience Void of offence towards God and towards men and then none of them would have been afraid of being Stigmatized as Sect-Masters by such who Like the Outward Jew have Gloryed in things Outwardly Pretended to be Established in this Gospel-day and have made such things to be as a Rule whereby they have indeavoured to try their Brethren who at this day have approved themselves Jews in Spirit Zealously exercising themselves in the Word nigh in the Heart according to Knowledge even as the outward Jews would have done by Paul For such a Reflection would never have hurt them in the Breasts of those that had continued truly Faithfull and this many are given to Understand from that Honourable esteem that some antient and faithfull Brethren have in the Hearts of such as have not in a Temporizing Spirit changed their Way notwithstanding they are Stigmatized with the name of Sect-Masters even by those who Like the Gentiles appear to Exercise Lordship over their Brethren In the Next Place we come to take a little notice of those who abound in Confidence without either Knowledge or Zeal this sort may be well compared unto those Beasts with whom 't is reputed Paul Fought at Ephesus which if it were so was doubtless a contest had with Unreasonable Men. The bait by which this sort are enticed to appear Some-Body in probability is this The Door is open for any under the Profession of Truth whose Lives are not Outwardly Scandalous to appear amongst some of the Society of the People called Quakers as Governours and though 't is hard for us to suppose who amongst such are the Persons that are to be Governed when Liberty is taken and admitted as aforesaid whereby none of the society is excluded to appear as Governours yet so it is and of this have our Eyes and Eares been Witnesses A Part of the Doctrine of this sort we have understood to be on this wise If you do not see your selves you must follow us that do see Alass 't is easily to be savoured where all may then run if such an Exhortation from any one thus qualified and that with respect to follow the Exhorter should take place he then that leads and those who might be led would quickly fall into the Ditch together and so the Kingdom of Sathan come to be advanced instead of being Destroyed But Blessed be the Name of the Everlasting God that Sun which hath arisen amongst us that Glorious Appearance if the everlasting Light which hath shined in many Hearts is not yet set in Obscurity and our Faith is that it will not The Lord hath had a regard to his own Name and to the Glory of his Eternal Power so that though many ancient and honourable Brethren whom the Lord Commissioned in these latter Days to publish his Everlasting Gospel Exhorting all to yield Obedience unto the Appearance of Christ by his Light in them are fallen asleep yet there are many of the same Stock yet remaining upon whom he hath not only poured forth of his Spirit and Anointed them to publish his Everlasting Gospel but also hath kept them in Integrity and their Garments undefiled from the Spots and Polutions of this World and not only so but hath given unto them True Zeal according to Knowledge thorough which the Way unto the Kingdom of God in the Demonstration of his Spirit hath been declared and hath continued them in the Service whereunto they have been called and these have not in a Temporizing Spirit for fear of the Threats and Frowns of Men changed their Way nor yet followed any for the Loaves and though some of these have of late been accounted dark Spirits leavened Spirits Troublers of Israel Sect-masters Leaders into a Seperation and into down-right Independencies Parishes and Schisms yet this Testimony lives with us that the Power of the Eternal God on which alone we are perswaded their Dependencies have been and are hath accompanied such when thus Judged Despised and Reviled by that Generation who unto us appear as if their Dependencies were upon Men that labour and travel to gather unto themselves To conclude this further Testimony lives with us that the Righteous God bears us this Day Record that the very Reason wherefore this Treatise is now prepared is because our very Consciences on the behalf of God's Truth and People are concerned and therefore we cannot but encourage this so necessary a Work having amongst many other our Brethren long waited and born in Patience to see if peradventure the Lord might change the Hearts of those who have occasioned Contention Strife and Division to arise amongst the Families of the Lords People for what-ever Measures others may take of us yet this Evidence we have in our selves that our Souls Desires are That the bright Appearance of the Everlasting Day might not set in Obscurity in any Heart where it hath been both manifested and received nor yet that any of the Lords People might be ensnared to build again the things which in the Light of Christ our Lord they have destroyed William Rogers William Forde Here now follows that Paper made mention of in the Title Page touching the Scattered of Israel given forth in the Year 1661. by Edward Burroughs Minister of the Everlasting Gospel ON the 22th of the 8th Month 1661. I was grieved in my Spirit for the Scattered of Israel and my Thoughts troubled me very much for the Afflicted in Jerusalem for I also was greatly afflicted with them and I prayed unto God that he would shew me his Purpose concerning them and these words came unto me Abide thou in me thou helpless Lamb and I will shew thee great things only stir not from me for thou hast no Helper but me and if thou goest never so little from me behold a Wild Beast seeketh to devour thee therefore I say Abide and then I weeped greatly because I saw what great danger I was in for I
which the enemy of the Soul of Man hath spread before him since his first coming forth to Preach the Light c. to concern himself so much as he hath against some that cannot own an urging with severity his Directions or Prescriptions on Gods Faithfull People and in Particular to appear a Persecutor of such which can certainly be proved against him if endeavouring unjustly to take away a mans Good Name and Reputation can be termed such To this the Answer is As the Serpent beguiled Eve so Eve beguiled Adam in prevailing upon him to eat of the Forbidden Fruit which she had eaten and the Argument used by the Serpent to tempt Eve was this Ye shall be as Gods Even so are we persuaded that there hath not been wanting unto him to speak comparitively a tempting Eve which hath been too aspiring after such a State which with respect to humble self-denying Persecuted Members of Christs Church is neither fit nor presidented and yet 't is to be doubted that this aspiring Mind hath had so much place with him as that he hath taken too much upon him which hath occasioned Rents and Divisions amongst the flock and sometimes to pretend that he hath seen things in the Vision of the Almighty which hath been no other than the Imagination of his own Heart and having given way thereto and finding a fear upon Friends thorough a tender respect unto him to Judge or dislike what he might bring forth under pretence of the Motion of the Spirit it in Probability encreast his Confidence especially when he considered what had been written unto him by some Friends in the Day of their Infancy which being in such Language as was suitable to an aspiring mind might tend to his hurt At length his fame grew so great as that amongst some Weak Friends it became even as a Proverb that none would prosper who should oppose him This by others hath clearly been seen to be a subtil way to obliege all such as should so believe to be Servants to his Will and for ought we know this Perswasion hath the more easily obtained him the repute with some of being set by the Lord in the like place amongst the Children of Light at this Dayas Moses had amongst the Children of Israel in his Day and this we doubt is the Occasion that the Rebellion of Corah Dathan and Abiram is much treated on to affrighten Simple People in our Publick Meetings for Worship of God since the Divisions amongst Friends especially in those Places where G. F's Papers relating to Church-Government have little place But alas those who are sound in the Faith cannot be affrighted with such things no more than they can be convinced with the sight of such False Certificates * Note The Reader may peruse the Fifth Part of the Christian Quaker and therein the said Certificates are more largely treated on recorded in the 21st Section of the Manuscript first mentioned in the Preface and ready for perusal of any Friend desiring the sight thereof as of late have been spread abroad in his Favour to render him an Innocent Man and to acquit him from the Guilt of some Matters of Fact laid to his charge when the Certifiers knew nothing at all thereof and of this he himself could not be Ignorant though the Occasion of spreading such Certificates abroad if he knew what was contained therein which would have been proved to his Face had he been but so Just to the cause of Truth as to have submitted to a hearing according as was desired and in the Preface signified before Friends of things Reproachful to the Truth whereof he is guilty But notwithstanding all this we dare not say that his Preaching the Light in the beginning of his Travels abroad as well as the Preaching the Light by others his Fellow-Servants in the Beginning with him was not the Ministration given them of God for at the sound thereof many Faces gathered Paleness Horror and Amazement seized many who then became sensible of their Lost State and Condition whilest they were admiring their Teachers and busied in Outward Ordinances more than in the Cross of Christ And that Day wherein many were not only so strucken with Amazement but through Faith received the Testimony given touching the Light of Christ might truly be termed The Day of their Infancy in the Truth and so the more likely to be prevailed upon by the Enemy who in that Day as in Ages past sought how he might destroy that Tenderness to the Truth which was so begotten for 't is certainly known that many whose Eyes ought to have been unto the Creator Admiring and giving Glory unto him for his Gifts of Grace and Ministration of Light then revealed did on a sudden admire the Creature in such an abundant manner as if not only the planting and watering were by him but the Encrease also and in that Day some whom the Lord hath made as Watchmen in the House of Israel were concerned thereat and Jealous with a Godly Jealousie and though at present 't is not with us to declare what that Jealousie was yet if the Tree may be known by its Fruit we may with Boldness affirm that the then admiring the Creature might be truely paraleld with that State out of which the Lord through the Ministration of Light or Spirit of Life had led many at that Day who had so learned the Truth as according to the Testimony thereof to have their Eye to the Light within viz. the Light of Christ and not instead thereof to any Outward Person through whom amongst other Brethren the Ministration of Light was revealed But yet notwithstanding some there were as before is signified that admired the Creature which not only became unto them a snare but 't is much to be doubted unto the Creature also that was admired for the Acceptation of more respect than was meet stands in the same ground with the Offering thereof and 't is too much to be feared that the imprudent Acceptation of what was unduely offered hath begot a Spirit of Pride and Exaltation in G. F. which the Lord is determined for his Name-Sake to bring into the Dust and if he did but seriously mind his State and Condition and was but more ready to appear little in his own eyes than to be accounted Great in the Eyes of others and not give way to such a false Imagination that true Judgment was committed to him in all things which can now be Testified was spoken by him and that at that time wherein his Judgement was known to be false and that he may take a Liberty knowingly to put Stumbling Blocks in the way of Gods People and yet be justified therein * Note When William Rogers discoursed with him touching this particular Passage in his Book of Womens Meetings And was not Micahs Mother a virtuous Woman Read Judges 17 and then a few Lines after though she was an Idolotrous Woman sayeth these and such
9th and 5th As long as I am in the World I am the Light of the World And Chap. 12.35 Yet a little while is the Light with you walk while you have the Light And ver the 36. While ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light To this may be answered That these last recited Scriptures do in the most favourable construction on the objectors part intimate that Christ the Son of God while he was in the World was the Light of the World but doth not say that he is or would be no longer the light of the world Such a saying or sense would limit the Appearance of Light to that Body only and dispensation of time wherein the said Body appeared on Earth which is contradictory to the very words of the Evangelist before quoted viz. That was the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World Which Scripture sentence relating to every man is so universal that it cannot but extend to those who never beheld the face of Jesus in his fleshly and Bodily Appearance nor yet came to be informed by any outward Instrument of his Doctrine though Partakers of his Light which therefore may properly be termed by such his Light within that is the Appearance of Christ by his Light shining in their hearts agreeable whereunto in effect we take the Testimonies of the Apostle to be viz. That which may be known of God Rom. 1.19 is manifest in them For God hath shewed it unto them Seeing you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me 2 Cor. 13.3 which Riches is Christ in you Col. 1.27 the hope of Glory Who shall descend into the deep that is Rom. 10.7 8. to bring Christ again from the dead but what saith it the Word is near thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart this is the word of faith which we preach And all this appears agreeable unto what the Prophet Isaiah hinted at who speaking of what should be in the last daies signified Isa 1.2 3 5. That the God of Jacob will teach us of his Ways and therefore said Oh house of Jacob come ye let us walk in the Light of the Lord which being compared with what the same Prophet said in relation to a people Isa 5â— â— In whose hearts was the law of the Lord and with what the Prophet Jeremiah saith I will put my law in their Inward Parts Jer. 31.33 34. and write it in their Hearts and they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest 'T is evident to us that this written Law in the Heart is that Light Within whereof the faithful Messengers of the Lord in our day have born witness unto and whereof the same Prophet gave testimony when he said as before O house of Jacob come ye let us walk in the Light of the Lord. Besides such a limitation as aforesaid would have a tendency to make void the virtue and efficacy of the blood of Christ who was offered up a sacrifice to take away the sins of many and on this score doth the author to the Hebrews testify Heb. 9.28 that unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation which is a clear Evidence unto us that the benefit of the blood of Christ is not witnessed effectually in this our day but by those who having looked for his second appearance have received him in his Appearance this Appearance we take to be his Appearance by his light and spirit in the hearts of those who through faith in his blood have known their Consciences purified from Dead Works and so come to serve the living God in Truth and righteousness 'T is now to be considered Whether these words Turn in your Minds be agreeable to truth for that this kind of objection may be raised Objection Doth not this put the Creature upon Action in his own Self-will when as the Will of Man cannot bring forth that Birth unto which power is given to become the Sons of God For answer hereto 't is necessary to consider that the faithful Labourers in the Gospel of Christ commended their Exhortations and testimonies to the Consciences of the Hearers in the Sight of God and the reason doubtless was because there is a Capacity in Man which through the assistance of the Grace of God renders Man capable to do the will of God in righteousness unto life and those who are so acted cannot be said to be acted in the Self-will of Man And on the contrary the same Capacity letting in Tempration and joyning thereto renders Man a servant of Sin unto Death and being once so dead in Sin no redemption comes to be obtained but through Christ as the Apostle testifies Ephes 2.1 You hath he quickned that were dead in Trespasses and Sins These things considered 't is evident that through the Appearance of Christ those who have cast off the Old Man are become renewed in the Spirit of their Minds unto God and so have put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true holiness and therefore since there is such a capacity in man as aforesaid 't is agreeable to Truth to exhort the sons of men to turn in their Minds unto the appearance of Christ by his Light that through the Assistance thereof the will of God may be done in their earthen vessels The next thing to be considered is whether there is any weight in this objection Do you not think that the Jews who crucified Christ acted not from the light within since some of them at least thought they did God good service therein To this may be answered That the friends of Truth never preached up the Light Within but with respect to the Appearance of Christ by his Spirit as that Light Within intended by them and since Christ cannot be divided to act against himself therefore the Jews did not therein act from that Light Within unto which we have been directed From what then may the objector say did those of them act who verily thought they did God good service therein Ans Phil. 3.6 From Zeal without knowledge not having their Minds staid and ordered according to that universal Principle of Truth Acts 26.9 11. which if hearkned unto would teach all men to do as they would be done by in which zeal Paul verily thought in himself that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus and in that Self-thought being exceeding mad persecuted the Church of God consented to the death of the Saints and compelled them to Blaspheme but when the Lord was pleased to appear unto him and to make him a Minister of his everlasting Gospel he was sent unto the Gentiles to open their eyes that they might turn from
darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26.16 17 18. This eye that was to be opened was not the Carnal Eye that so thereby they might be turned from outward darkness to outward Light for though Paul beheld the Light that shone from Heaven which we take to be a Light visible to his Carnal Eyes yet he after continued three days blind through the Glory of that Light and then afterward the Lord appointed him to be his witness and sent him to the Gentiles to open their eys that they might turn from Darkness unto Light and from the Power of Satan unto God This Eye that he was sent to open was the inward eye of the mind and the Darkness spoken of was that wherewith their Hearts and not their Outward Eyes were overshadowed so that they could not behold the Light of the Glory of God shining in their Hearts to give unto them the knowledge of the Truth CHAP. III. Touching Infallibility and Perfection THe Doctrine of Infallibility held by the People called Quakers hath been accounted ridiculous because either Occasion hath been given through Weakness amongst them or else taken by their Opponents whether given or no to assert that the People called Quakers are infallible Be it as it is such a bare Assertion without Distinction or Explication must be either the Fruit of Weakness if proceeding from any really of that People called Quakers or else Slander and envy if proceeding from their opposers without occasion given them so to say That therefore the enquiring Reader may be truly informed what Doctrine in relation to Infallibility is held forth owned and received by such amongst them unto whom God hath revealed of the mysteries of his Kingdom 't is not remote from the present purpose on this occasion to give this ensuing Testimony There is an outward man and an inward man according to the Apostle's Testimony 2 Cor. 4.16 and therefore the word Infallible or Infallibility may have relation to External and Internal things Touching External things the outward man with his outward senses is excreised but as to things internal the inward man with his inward senses Acts 1.3 't is thus said To whom also he presented himself alive after that he had suffered by many Infallible tokens being seen of them by the space of forty days and speaking of those things which appertain to the Kingdom of God Obj. This shews there is an Infallibility but then it may be said This seems to respect the outward senses of the Apostles in seeing Christ their Lord and Master and in hearing the things he spoke which appertained to the Kingdom of God and this Infallibility is readily confest unto but how can it be proved that there is an Infallibility accompanying the inward senses of the inward Man seeing many have pretended to give true Infallible Judgment from their inward Sense which hath proved notoriously wrong and detectable by our outward Senses Answer It must be confest if any should so object 't is very true but yet it may in truth be asserted that there is an Infallibility viz. the Spirit of God accompanying the inward Senses of the inward Man whereof the Faithful have an Assurance from the Evidence of the Light of Christ and Spirit of God in their own Hearts and if any pretend to any other Infallibility accompanying them we understand it not Obj. How then comes it to pass that men endued with the Spirit of God are deceived and fallible Ans We ought to distinguish betwixt Man and the Spirit by which he came to be renewed in the Spirit of his Mind unto God That by which man comes to be renewed and circumcised in Heart which is the Spirit of God is infallible but that which is so renewed may be deceived if not exercised in and by that Spirit in which preservation is for there is no Estate on this side the Grave wherein it is not needful to watch and therefore did Christ our Lord thus say What I say unto you I say unto all watch It hath been a common Assertion That the Church of Christ is infallible and cannot err and therefore have many assemblies of men assuming the title of the Church of Christ declared their Sentences Judgments and Decrees infallible To this may be said That since the Apostasieentred it is not unknown what Visible and Outwardly Glorious Church hath publish'd this Doctrine with Application to her self by which Door a Body of Darkness Usurpation and persecution hath entred and on this score thousands have been deceived and led from the Gift of God in themselves to follow the Dictates of fallible men But yet as it hath been so 't is the Faith of many that the Lord never will raise any people whom by his Spirit he will lead to publish such a Doctrine with respect to outward and visible Societies of Men on Earth that may be outwardly describable as needful to be believed in order to the building up one another in the most holy Faith this Faith being not inconsistent with the Testimonies of the Scriptures of Truth is grounded on the Evidence of the Light of Christ within for that the contrary would have a plain tendency to draw the Sons and Daughters of men from the Anointing in themselves to the Lo here 's and the Lo there 's again For what religious assembly in Unity and professing themselves Christians will scruple to say We are the Church of Christ And albeit we must acknowledge that that Church which is built on the rock Christ cannot whilst abiding on the rock be prevailed against yet no Argument from hence may rationally be brought to prove any one Member of this Church whilst on this side the grave not liable through temptation to Err and depart from the Rock whilst there is an enemy ready to enter all if they watch not And now as to Perfection we have this to say Though we do believe that all the Gifts of God and Works of Righteousness brought forth through the Operation of his Spirit are perfect and that in that sense it may be said we are Partakers of a Measure of that which is Perfect even as the Apostle testifies Jam. 1.17 Every perfect gift is from above if any man offend not in word Jam. 3.2 the same is a perfect man Yet we do not believe that there is any such perfect estate attainable on this side the Grave wherein it is not needful for man to watch and wait in the Light of Christ that so he may not only be preserved in that perfect state whereunto in measure he hath already attained but also come to know a Growth and Encrease in the Encreases of God For though Paul had attained unto such a state as appears by these his words Let us therefore Phil. 3.15 as many as be perfect be thus minded Phil. 3.14 Yet we find that that very exhortation had relation unto a pressing toward the
Mark for the Price of the High calling of God in Christ Jesus Which denotes that there was a state attainable beyond that state of Perfection whereunto he had then attained Moreover that the Scriptures in other parts thereof denote a State of perfection is plain from these following testimonies amongst many others recorded therein Luk. 6.40 But every one that is perfect shall be as his Master Mat. 5.48 Be ye therefore perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect Obj. This perfect State which you speak of we readily confess unto so far as the mind of the Spirit is signified unto us therein because 't is the very Language of the holy Scriptures But yet we are dissatisfied that the Meaning of the Spirit by this perfect estate is such a state as therein to cease from Sin Answer To this we answer that such a Construction cannot hold in truth unless truth should lead to impeach our heavenly Father as guilty of sin which cannot be for the very words are Be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect Besides 't is an undoubted truth that a Cessation from Actions manifested to be sinful is the duty of all professing Christianity and we cannot but have so much Charity for all so professing as that none such will deny this but if any should they would therein deny the End for which Christ was manifested in the Flesh which was to destroy the Works of the Devil which is sin 1 Joh. 3.8 according to this testimony of the Apostle He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil Obj. This also we cannot deny being the express testimony of the Apostle but yet since Scripture ought to be compared with Scripture when there is a seeming Contradiction as on this occasion we suppose there is we therefore say that we do not believe that the meaning of the Spirit is according to what the express words seem to hold forth in this Case 1. Because we do not understand from the Scriptures but that the Saints were subject to fail and that many of them did fail 2. 1 John 1.7 Though the Apostle testifies That the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin yet this hath been interpreted to be only from the Guilt and not from the Act of all sin so as to cease therefrom whilst on this side the grave which doubtless was the reason wherefore we find these testimonies recorded in the holy Scriptures Ephes 2.8 9. By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God not of works lest any man should boast thereby implying as if Salvation through Faith might be obtained though Good Works were wanting and so consequently Sin committed instead thereof since 't is irrational to conclude that whilst Man is in the Body he can cease from working both Good and Evil. In many things we offend all Jam. 3.2 If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us 1 Joh. 1.8 Ans As to the first reason contained in the objection That the Saints were subject to fail and that many of them did fail we say That this doth not contradict any thing asserted by us for we have declared that we do not believe that there is any such perfect state attainable on this side the Grave wherein it is not needful for man to watch c. That he may be preserved c. But if through Unwatchfulness which is a plain Neglect of what is the Duty of all true Christians according to the words of Christ what I say unto you I say unto all watch any one comes either to fall away from that good State whereunto he hath attained or else not to attain unto that State which is attainable this cannot be a sound argument to prove the matter against us intended by the Objection viz. That man cannot cease from sin no more than the not going of some Travellers to a certain Land when 't was their duty to go or the returning of others from the same Land after according to their duty through travel arrived there is an argument that 't is impossble to go thither and there remain to the end of our days To the 2d reason contained in the aforesaid Objection we say 'T is needful to distinguish what sort of Works were excluded as unnecessary to accompany that Faith through which Salvation is and what sort of Works were necessary for though the Language of Paul excludes Works yet James tells us Jam. 2.20 26. That Faith without Works is dead And no doubt but the Testimonies of these two Apostles have been understood to be repugnant and contradictory each to other and on this Foot different means to the Salvation of Mankind have been held forth whenas if the mind of the Spirit through them both were but rightly understood there would then be no seeming Occasion to declare their Testimonies contradictory each to other For the clearing therefore of this matter we shall distinguish touching Works treated on by Paul and James There are two sorts of works treated on by Paul the one is Works of the Law that by the one offering of Christ as an eternal Sacrifice unto God whereby the law of Commandments was abolished is excluded as unnecessary to accompany that Faith which is unto Salvation for otherwise though the Salvation of God through Christ was extended as well to the believing Gentile as the believing Jew yet the Jew might have whereof to glory contrary to the Apostle's testimony Gal. 6.14 15. God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision availeth any thing but a New Creature And therefore did the Apostle Paul testifie That by the Works of the Law no Flesh shall be justified And so no doubt but the works of the law were that sort of works which the Spirit of God through that wise Apostle Paul signified when he said and that in relation to such as were once dead in Trespasses and Sins but then quickned and become New Creatures By Grace are ye saved through faith Ephes 2.8 9. and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast The other sort of works is of the Gospel and may properly be termed the Fruit of the obedience of Faith which indeed was the very end wherefore Paul testified That he had received his Apostleship and that the mystery kept secret since the World began was revealed Read Rom. chap. 1.5 and chap. 16.25 26. and no doubt but that those very works which are the Fruit of the Obedience of Faith were the works intended by the Spirit through Paul so
away from the Truth as the setting up of a graven image through the want of Knowledge was under the Law and that at this day the words of the Prophet are again fulfilling Hos 4.6 My People are destroyed for lack of Knowledge because thou hast rejected Knowledge I will also reject thee 'T is now needful to signifie the occasion on which the Apostle Paul saith that Knowledge puffeth up 1 Cor. 8.1 Now as touching things offered unto Idols we know that we have all Knowledge Knowledge puffeth up but Charity edifieth And further in the same chap. ver 10 11. If any man see thee which hast Knowledge sit at meat in the Idols Temple shall not the Conscience of him which is weak be emboldned to eat those things which are offered unto Idols and through thy knowledge shall the weak Brother perish In this Chapter the Apostle Paul was a Reproof to such as abounding in Knowledge and clearly seeing that to put a difference between Meat offered unto Idols and that which was not was but the fruit of weakness had not a regard unto the weak Consciences of their Brethren and so he tells such Knowledge puffeth up but Charity edifieth From whence we cannot conclude that Paul meant strictly according as his words may be construed no more than he intended by his saying Let your Women keep silence in the Church that none of them though Members of the Church should prophesie when moved of God whenas in a few verses before he tells the Church which consisted of Women as well as Men They might all prophesie one by one and the reason seems evident because the Knowledge which the Apostle seems to hint at was a Knowledge sprung from a growth in the Truth that the weak had not attained unto which may be taken to be signified in these words of the said Chapter VVe know that we all have knowledge howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge for some with Conscience of the Idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an Idol and their conscience being weak is defiled All which being considered the Mind of the Apostle writing those words viz. Knowledge puffeth up but Charity edifieth may be taken to be this that though they had Knowledge yet they should not have their Eye so much to that as to exercise their Liberty to the offence of any that were weak lest the Enemy to true Knowledge should interpose and puff them up so as not to condescend through Charity for the sake of a weak Brother 'T is the work of the Enemy of man's Soul to puff up but the Word of Knowledge is one of the Gifts 1 Cor. 12.7 8. which through the manifestation of the Spirit are given unto every man to profit withal and therefore I conclude that the Apostle writing unto the Philippians thus exprest himself Phil. 1.9 10. I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in Knowledge and in all Judgment that ye may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence From whence it may reasonably be concluded that the contrary Fruits viz. things that are contemptible and vile insincere and offensive spring through the Want of that Love which abounds in Knowledge Obj. By this discourse you seem to exalt Knowledge as an excellent thing * See an Epistle evidencing the Qualifications of such whom Satan makes use of to rend and divide the Church of Christ being contained in the first Part of the Christian-Quaker How comes it then to pass that divers amongst you called Quakers have preached reflectingly on such as are indued with knowledge above many of their Brethren as if their Religion were in their Heads and not in their hearts telling us That the Tree of Knowledge was not good for Food and not only so but have appeared in such an invective Spirit against Reason also without distinction that in your publick Meeting this imperative Expression hath been uttered Away with all Reasoning Ans 'T is very true However that doth not prove that all such Expressions are according to the Truth Peoples tongues are their own and we cannot use Violence to prevent any from delivering that which they may pretend they have to say and therefore for the clearing of the Truth in relation to the aforesaid objection we further add Pure Religion and undefiled is to visit the Fatherless and the Widows and to keep unspotted of the World wherein if our heads be not exercised our hearts will not bring forth the Fruit thereof As to to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil though the Scriptures do not positively declare whether it was good for Food or no as in itself yet it doth clearly import that Adam's Sin in eating of the Tree of Knowledge was the Sin of Rebellion for that he was commanded not to eat thereof A Father may command his Child not to eat an Apple and yet give him leave to eat of other food fitter at that season for him if the Child should therein disobey his Father his rebellious eating would be no Argument to prove the Apple in itself not good for food These things being considered it may reasonably be concluded that there is no Ground to assert that the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was not good for Food as in itself Besides it hath been much observed that when the aforesaid doctrine hath been by some declared it hath been by way of Reflection on the Wisdom and Knowledge which some of the Publishers thereof account sensual and devilish though others have not thereby so intended but therein they have manifested their own Weakness because that which is a Discoverer of Good and Evil being in it self good as the Tree of Knowledge is cannot be a proper Comparison or Allusion to represent the thing that is devilish John the Evangelist testifies This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God John 17.3 and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent And yet many of those who cry up Life are apt to cry down Knowledge without distinction though 't is evident that Knowledge is the way to life These things being duly considered we know not on what foot of Truth any one can assert that the Tree of Knowledge is not good for food as in itself and that it can be a proper similitude to represent any thing that is in opposition to that Knowledge which is from above But yet I would not be understood to reflect on all that have used that expression viz. The Tree of Knowledge is not good for Food because I question not but many have so exprest themselves not thereby to represent that Wisdom which is accounted Sensual and Devilish but rather to shew forth that if we should feed upon or admire any excellent Qualification or Endowment whatsoever and not have the Eye of our Mind chiefly unto the Giver we might then come to a loss even as
4th Month 1677. which now follows We whose Names are here unto Subscribed do Testify that on the Sixteenth day of the Fifth Month 1677. we were present in a Meeting usually held in the City of Bristol for the taking Care of the Poor and promoting of other Christian Duties when a Paper Subscribed by Sixty Six Persons and Dated from a Metting held at Ellis Hookes his Chamber in London the Twelfth of the Fourth Moneth 1677. was there Read and therein John Story and John Wilkinson are Reproved and Judged in these Words viz. We do hereby Reprove and Judge that Jealous Rending and Separating Spirit and them meaning John Story and John Wilkinson and their Separate Company as being in that Spirit of Separation and that by the Power and Spirit of our God and we warn all to whom this Comes to beware of the said John Story and John Wilkinson whose way at present is not the way of Peace c. The aforesaid Judgment we do now Declare that we do not own to be Righteous nor yet dare we deny the said John Story and John Wilkinson lest we sin against God and despise those unto whom a Dispensation of the Gospel of Christ is committed especially since that the aforementioned Paper doth sufficiently manifest to our Consciences That the Spirit of God did not move in the hearts of the sixty six Subscribers to give forth the same though the Name of the Lord his Power and Spirit is frequently made mention of in the said Paper and that this is so we thus manifest First The great Crime against John Story and John Wilkinson is for that as report saith They have been instruments to set up or at least incourage a Separate Mens-Meeting in the North wherein the outward affairs of the Church are managed and so consequently is esteemed besides that Form of Government which is contended for Now it doth not appear to us from the said Paper that the Meeting from which the aforesaid Paper was given forth was a Meeting held according to the Form of Government contended for and so we are dissatisfied that the Actions of that Meeting are Justifiable by the Rule of those who oppose John Story and John Wilkinson on the foot of the Separate-Meeting so called For it doth not appear that the aforementioned Meeting was the General Meeting by any thing therein contained not being so much as Dated from thence nor yet within the time wherein it was appointed to be held besides if the Paper did not prove that yet by a Post-script thereto it appears that there were several Brethren that had left the City before the said Meeting wherein the said Paper was Subscribed and so had it been within the appointed time of the General-Meeting it could in the best sense be but from a part of the said Meeting The aforementioned Meeting by the said Paper Appears not to be the second day's weekly Meeting for its Date is on the Third Day and when any thing is given forth from that Meeting 't is usually Dated from the said Meeting Besides we find that the Hands of many Antient Labourers in the Gospel and the greatest part by many of the Body of the Elders and Ministring Friends dwelling in and about the City of London are not thereto Subscribed and not only so but we are Credibly Informed that though 't was discoursed in the Second Days Weekly Meeting yet 't was not unanimously Assented to therein And if so it follows by natural Consequence that it could not be the action of the said Meeting had it been Dated on that Day and that this Expression in the aforesaid Paper viz. And blessed and sweet and very pretious to our Souls is the Heavenly Unity of Life amongst us wherein at this Meeting the Lord our God hath Crowned us with Glory Dominion and Peace cannot in Truth be spoken with respect to the aforesaid Second Days Weekly Meetings Unity as to the matter contained in the aforesaid Paper The afore-mentioned Meeting cannot be reasonably supposed to be from the Mens-Meeting of the City of London for that the generality of the Members thereof have not their Hands thereto neither is it said Signed on behalf of that Meeting or any other setled Meeting in England nor yet from it or any other such Meeting All which Considerations confirm us in this Perswasion that the aforesaid Paper was given forth from a Meeting held out of the Form of Government contended for and so by their own Rule ought to be disowned by the Meetings to whom it is directed Secondly It appears that the Sixty Six Subscribers in their Paper have given forth these Sentences viz. At this Meeting the Lord our God hath Crowned us with Glory Dominion and Peace at this time as on the like Occasions hath been frequent with us the Care of the Peace and Welfare of the Churches of Christ came upon us And are your Servants for his meaning Christs sake By that Salt that we have in our selves from the Lord are we enabled to savour between the Transformation of the Enemy and the Scruples of the Innocent And as to be tender of one so to give Judgment against the other And truly that which hath encouraged us in this Epistle is that good success God hath blest our like endeavors in his power with We are Unanimously your Dear and Faithful Brethren in the labour travel tribulation patience hope and rejoycing in the Kingdom of Jesus our Lord. On these last Six Sentences we thus Observe that where they have Credit it 's but too probable that it may gain a Perswasion or Belief that the Sixty Six Subscribers are Apostles and so may become a means to obtain the better Credit to their Paper Should any thus be Perswaded they therein would be Mistaken for three or four from the City of Bristol who are well known to us are not Exercised in the work of the Ministry besides others from other Countries and Places Thirdly We find in the said Paper these two following Sentences And forasmuch as it appears to us that they will not come to us nor near us in the peaceable Truth which we have frequently truly desired for their good but that they will go on in their Opposition refusing to dissolve their Separate-Company in the North c. And because we are sensible that they have made an ill use of our Forbearance even to strengthen themselves in their Separation c. On which we thus Observe That these two Sentences are assigned as a part of those considerations wherefore the Sixty Six Subscribers were as they say constrained after continued Waiting and Exhortation slighted by them meaning John Wilkinson and John Story more publickly to Reprove and Judge them in these things as by their Paper doth plainly appear which being duly considered it naturally follows that if every one of the Sixty Six Subscribers have not frequently desired John Story and John Wilkinson to come to them they are
in Isa 9.6 't is thus said And the Government shall be upon his shoulders and his Name shall be called wonderful Councellor c. Secondly Because 't is wholly repugnant to the Light of Christ in our Consciences that the weight of a Government that is Spiritual and Everlasting the Laws whereof are written in the Heart and wherein nothing but true Judgment and Justice hath been is and shall be executed for evermore should rest upon any Man or Men as a Governour or Governours over others since there is no Man nor Men but are subject through Temptation to Err if they watch not and therefore we may well say much less on any such one man though termed by some the great Apostle of Christ whose Actions towards his Brethren have been found injurious to them undeservedly and reproachful to the Truth nor yet upon any such Assemblies as the usual General Meeting so termed though improperly of the People called Quakers is because the Meeters have usually consisted of Uncertain Numbers of Uncertain Qualifyed Persons that take upon them so to assemble whilest others beholding the Ill Consequences of their Meeting conscientiously forbear to joyn with them Thirdly Because it is evident that the Disciples of Christ had their Eye so much on his outward and bodily appearance as that Christ their Lord and Master saw it meet to tell them in these words Joh. 16.7 It is expedient for you that I go away and when he so said he did not then tell them nor yet at any time before or after I will commissionate some Man or Assembly of Men in my Stead that so you may have your Eye unto and expect Written Orders from him or them to walk by and to lead you into all Truth but John gives them a Reason for his so saying in these words Joh. 16.7 For if I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him unto you meaning the Spirit of Truth which as he promised should abide with them for ever and should be in them which undoubtedly was in order to the Exaltation of his Government in the Heart and that they might have their whole Dependency on the Spirit of Truth which as before is signifyed Christ promised should abide with them forever And so this may truly be termed that Everlasting Unerring Unchangable Governour unto which the Subjects of Christ's Kingdom owe Obedience And why so but because under it the Promise of Christ was That they should be guided into all Truth according as is plainly signifyed from these following words spoken by Christ himself Joh. 16.13 I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them now Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth for he shall not speak of himself But whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak Here is no room left for the Church of Christ to contend about Forms of Government or who shall be Governours under Christ's Government for if the Spirit that is in us and that is to remain with us forever shall guide us into all Truth then our Dependency ought to be thereon that so thereby we may be led into all Truth or else we cannot manifest our selves to be obedient Subjects unto Christ under his Government that he is exalting in the Hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men. The consideration of these things leads us to give this Testimony That there is no ground either from the Scriptures of Truth without us or Light of Christ within us to believe that any Christian Professour can in Truth affirm That there are Outward Prescriptions and Orders given forth by the Spirit of God through any one or more Mortal Men in this our Day which others ought to obey and follow of which more anon in answer to R. B's Book of Government whether they see it their Duty or no and if they do not may therefore come under the Curse and partake of the same Judgments from God which happened to Corah Dathan and Abiram for their Rebellion against Moses and though the sin of Corah c. hath frequently in our Publick Meetings for Worship been spoken of and intended as we have taken it to be as a proper Citation to describe the state of such as on a Conscientious score cannot submit unto the outward Orders of one man yet we testify that such sort of insinuating and thretning language seems much more agreeable to the first Covenant then the second under which we are and when countenanced or spoken by any expecting such a submission it then seems to savour of a spirit that speaketh of himself and not what he hath heard from the great Lord and Master Jesus Christ and so consequently from another spirit than that which Christ promised he would send for Christ's own words signify He shall not speak of himself Moreover t is evident that Corah and his Company rebelled against Moses who was King in Jesuran and a Leader of Israel and thorough whom the Lord gave forth his Law to the People but we know that none can according to truth at this Day pretend that any other Governour is raised up amongst the Children of Light to be like unto Moses whom we ought to hear in all things save Christ Jesus who by his Spirit manifested in every Subject of his Kingdom is thereby become their Lawgiver and whilest they are obedient thereunto they may in truth be reckoned to be of the number of those that are in Christ Jesus because they may then truly be termed such as walk not after the flesh but the spirit and to such according to the Apostles Doctrine there is no Condemnation Objection This Discourse touching Government may occasion some to raise this Objection We understand that many called Quakers do hold Monthly and Quarterly-Meetings of Men and also of Women distinct from Men about their Church Affairs and that these Meetings are reputed to be Established on certain dayes that ought not to be altered by one man amongst them that hath pretended he was moved of God so to do and that the same person hath by his Paper spread abroad in divers parts of the Nation signified that none but loose spirits and such as tend to looseness pretend to set up a better way or to alter them to another day for fear of Corruption in Observing a Day and that it is but from a corrupt spirit of darkness which God will blast and that some call these Meetings the Government of Christ set up amongst them and establish't by the power of God to take care of the Churches affairs and that true Judgment and Justice which are the fruits of Christ's Government may be executed To this we answer we confesse there have been and yet may be such Meetings but if any think they have been or are establish't by any one man or that therein the Government of Christ is set up any otherwise than as any
Member or Members of the Church may be Witnesses thereof in their Own Hearts we are sorry for such weakness However it gives us occasion to add this Testimony That if we consult the Scriptures of Truth and Light of Christ we have no Ground to believe that under the dispensation of the second Covenant God hath or ever will move by his Spirit in any Mortal Man or Men to take upon him or them so to appoint certain dayes for others to meet upon to manage the outward Affairs of a Christian Society as that if any of that Society assent not thereto or endeavour to alter them to another day then such may be Justly censured as men of loose Spirits or led by a corrupt Spirit of Darkness for every Member of such a Society ought first to be fully perswaded in their own minds in all things relating to Faith or Discipline and not to be Judging one another about any thing wherein they may differ when the matter it self springs from a Conscientious Scruple and not Obstinacy contrary to Knowledge for from the Holy Scriptures we learn that that which is not of faith is sin and that there was the Day of Ignorance accompanyed some at which the Lord Winked And yet to our Greif we may say that such a Day of gloominess and thick Darkness hath overtaken some amongst the People called Quakers who appear zealous for some Outward Forms of Discipline which they as we take it foollishly imagin are establish't as by a Decree from Heaven that they seem to make void the Law of Charity and humane Society and as if their Religion were most Effectually demonstrated by appearing in such a kind of Spirit that Christ reproved in his Disciples when they asked him on this wise Wilt thou that we Command Fire to come down from Heaven and consume them meaning the Samaritans that did not receive Christ because his Face was as though he would go to Jerusalem To return again we farther say That whoever hath given Occasion for such an Objection to be raised as aforesaid 't is to be doubted it sprange from one that aspires to give Rules to others whilest he will not be subject to the same himself for if it were not so it s very probable we might have escaped the severe judgment of being guilty of Corahs sin and that only because we have endeavoured to convince some that that * Namely G. F. one Person intended in the Objection See the fourth and fifth Parts of the Christian-Quaker hath acted contrary to the outward Rules and Orders that he himself hath prescribed for others to walk by As to the word Establish't we further add That the word as used in the Objection is disowned by us for though the Children of God may be Instruments in the hand of the Lord to establish one another in the Faith of God's Elect yet 't is not in their power or of any one of them positively and without exception to establish what ought to be believed and practiced whether it respect Doctrine or Discipline and if any one or more have atempted so to do it may Justly be said of such that he or they have endeavoured to invade Christ's Prerogative Besides we observe That the Objection is made with respect to one man which to us seems as if in the Objectors sense that one man amongst the People called Quakers had Power given him of God to establish an Outward Form wherein all God's People ought to walk or else severely to be censured for Rebellion whether they see it their Christian Duty or not but this we deny as that which may Justly be termed an Abomination either so to endeavour or so to submit Secondly If we enquire what is establish't we know if any Answer be given to what by the Question we intend it will be on this wise Certain Meetings to be held by the People called Quakers or at least some of them on certain prefixt dayes But if we ask Who are the Meeters that are to make up the establish't Meetings none can give such a certain Discription as that the Meeters may be certainly known and therefore the use of the word Establish't applicable to outward Societies of People so uncertain to be known or outwardly describable seems to us vain and ridiculous By this discourse the Reader may gather that we are remote from owning those Meetings mentioned in the last Objection to be establish'd as a part of Christ's Government and as to their having any share as a Church in Church Government 't will be time enough for us to answer when any shall pretend that they have manifested that those uncertain qualifyed Persons usually Assembled in such Meetings were then Members of the Church of Christ and that as Members thereof they had right to stile themselves Church-Governours However we think it needful to signify That the chief Ends as we understood wherefore the said Meetings were assented to by many Friends were to relieve the Poor and to perform other necessary Services relating to the Truth and Friends concerned therein in which we thought our selves and doubtless all the Faithful with us Servants one unto another and not Masters Governours or Rulers over one another for that did not so much as enter into our Hearts But when we perceived that some Upstarts that to us seemed to love Preheminence as Diotrephes did lookt upon themselves as Somebody from their appearing and being encouraged to appear Members in such Meetings and to lay a stress on the prefixt Dayes for Meeting affirming that they were Established by the Power of God that Friends who were Heirs of the Power might come and take their Possessions therein a sort of Language not well understood by such as are Indued with Wisdom from above then many Friends began to startle thereat fearing that some through Weakness and Blind Zeal would Idolize the same and run into an indispensable Form and endeavour to bite and devour one another about Outward Things and so at length some Friends in Truth moved to alter the Days of Meeting in some places but others not assenting thereto Contention arose and a Fire hath been kindled about Church-Government at so high a rate as that Publick Meeting Places for the Worship of God have sometimes become meer Stages of Contention and other times the keeping on of Hats in Prayer by some whilest others have been uncovered hath become as an Ensign of divisions the knowledge whereof being no longer to be hid hath more vigorously occasioned the bringing forth of our Treatise Intituled the Christian-Quaker distinguished from the Apostate and Innovator in five Parts whereof this Treatise touching Government is one that so all may now know that Darkness is not so overshadowed but that the Lord hath preserved a Remnant amongst the People called Quakers that cannot bow their Knee to any Image or Image-Maker nor yet to acknowledge that Salvation is attainable through Faith in any other Name than
in him stablished in the Faith Col. 2.6 7. And then the very next verse saith Beware lest any man spoyl you through the Traditions of men according to the Rudimnets of the World and not after Christ If the following outward Decrees Precepts Sentences Decisive Judgment or Traditions of any sort of the Church had been in Pauls ' Eye a real and certain Indication of being Establish't in the Faith or rooted in Christ or that 't was the Practice of the Church to be Establishing Outward Indispensible Orders relating to the Consciences of Believers I leave it to the Judicious Reader to savour whether Paul would have so immediately and as it were in one breath caution'd them to beware of being spoyled through the Traditions of Men c. without a further Caution to take heed lest they should account the Commands Sentences Decrees or Traditions of the Church such These things considered and compared with the Measure of Light in our selves I am satisfyed 't is not agreeable to Truth for any Man or Assembly of Men to atempt an Outward Indispensible Establishment of Outward Orders Rules and Decrees relating to Matters of Consciences under the New Covenant as the Orders Rules and Decrees of the Church of Christ Moreover if Christ did stand in need of Assistance to Establish his Government how is it possible that Man whose dayes are but as a span long should be capable to Establish that Government of whose increase there shall be no end but so it is that he doth not stand in need thereof For the Son that is given shall Order his Government and Establish it with Judgment and with Justice even from henceforth and forever read Isa 9.6 7. Besides if we do but consider where and after what manner the second appearance of Christ hath been and yet is to be expected and waited for those who know the Truth as preach't received and believed amongst the People of the Lord called Quakers in the Beginning do know That his Second Appearance hath been and yet is to be expected and waited for in the hearts of the Sons and Daughters of Men and the manner of his appearance hath been and is by his Spirit in us this hath often been testifyed and that in opposition to those who have been looking for his Second Coming in some Outward Bodily Appearance to reign as Lord and King I now appeal to Gods Witness in all Consciences Whether the Outward Establishment of Outward Government under the notion of Christ's Government doth not seem to square more with the Principles of such who look for his Second Coming in some Outward Bodily Appearance than with the Principles of those who conclude his Second Coming to be by his Spiritual Appearance in the heart and whether it be not inconsistent with Right Reason and Truth to conclude that Christ Jesus the Lord will Establish his Government otherwise than by his Spirit and in the heart where his Appearance hath been and is to be expected and waited for And since it is undoubtedly so that of the increase of Christ's Government there shall be no End I cannot understand to what End any Man should concern himself to consider how far it may extend yet R.B. hath so done Witness his 37 Page where he thus saith It is next to be considered in what Cases and how far it may extend To which I cannot but thus reply Those who are not Puft up with Spiritual Pride or Zeal without Knowledge may easily discern from such kind of language a Spirit that would Limit the Holy One of Israel by putting Bounds unto that Government of whose increase there shall be no end and though I speak of Man's inability to Establish Christ's Government yet I would not be understood as one accusing the aforesaid Author or any else to assert Man's Ability so to do For I know not any Men that will pretend themselves in that Case other than Instruments in God's Hands But yet this is to be Observed that since there is no Ground to believe that God everwill make use of Man under the New Covenant to Establish outward indespensible Orders Rules or Decrees to be as a measuring-line whereby those who are under Christ's Government shall be known therefore 't is reasonable to conclude That the endeavours of such who may exercise themselves therein may proceed from no better Power than that Ability which is of Man And notwithstanding he hath considered how far it extends yet I find not that he hath made any mention of the Business or at least a part of the business of one considerable Meeting which is a part of that Government or Order which he pretends to discribe and that is a Meeting held every second day of the week wherein writings treating of Divine Matters and which are intended by the authors for publick view are first viewed in Order to an approbation or the contrary * Witness the Paper at the latter end of this third part signed by Charles Marshal and thirty six more at which meeting his Treatise was past which gives occasion to treat a little of that Meeting since those of that Meeting are as well concerned in the said Treatises as he that writ it The Scriptures of Truth as far as I Remember are wholly silent as to any such Service acted in any Meetings amongst the primitive Christians and therefore I do not understand that there can be any real Ground or tolerable pretence that this is a part of the antient Apostolick Order of the Church of Christ We find the Apostle Acts 3. directed to chuse seven men full of the Holy Ghost to take Care that the Widdows should not be neglected in the dayly Ministration If the Holy Ghost in the Apostles days directed to chuse a certain select well qualifyed Number of men for such a Service as doubtless it did it s against right reason to suppose that the Apostles would in their day have left the consideration of such weighty matters as Treatises of things relating to the Kingdom of God and the salvation of mankind to the Approbation of an uncertain unselected Assembly for such I call that Meeting wherein many of the Writings of the People of the Lord called Quakers intended for publick View are approved or disapproved for that no Certain Select Number of Persons are chosen for that service but any Persons who have Publick Testimones for the Truth though but by way of Exhortation and are owned as Friends of Truth and come where that Meeting is appointed are the Persons by whom such Writings whether given forth by a Paul a Father or a Timothy a Son as are for publick service are approved or disapproved I now appeal to the impartial understanding Reader whether according to this form of Government one that is in the place of Paul a Father who according to the aforesaid Author hath right to rule over and command may not have the testimony which he hath through the motion
and by his Spirit we came to be baptized into one Body and so are center'd into the heavenly Fellowship of Christ's Body And as for thy saying A Belief in Certain Principles Doctrines and Practices necessarily depending thereon are the Termes and very Bond by which we became center'd into one Body and the Cause that gathered us this is not only wrong in it self though as is said before they may be the Fruit of the Bond but exactly like the False Churches in the World Papists and Protestants of all sorts in the Apostacy have Outward Marks and Tokens as being either of such an Order or having such a Commission or as believing in such Principles and submitting to such Practices and the like by which the Members of their Churches are described and therefore is it that amongst those there are outward Societies of Men certainly known as aforesaid according to the various Manners and Wayes which their Principles admit and allow of which are termed the Church of Christ and these have many Outward Orders Rules Prescriptions Ordinances Decrees or Laws for the Establishment and Preservation of their outward Society which being agreeable to the nature of their Constitutions may become fit means for the Conservation thereof but inasmuch as the Belief of certain Principles Doctrines and Practices necessarily depending thereon are not the very Terms or Bond to unite any in outward Assemblies whereby to assume unto themselves the Title of the Church of Christ for that if held in a pure Mind which is in the best Sense they are but the Fruit of that Bond and when held in an Impure Mind are no Indication that such are Members of Christs Church I cannot but say it is against right Reason for any to Prescribe and Establish Outward Indispensable Rules and Orders relating to the Conscience and in order to be a Bond thereon for the Conservation of Christs Body since 't is evident that the most certain and infallible Marks of Membership in the said Body are Invisible to the Outward Man though felt and known to the Inward Man of the Heart for though Actions outwardly just are many times the Fruit of the Spirit yet are not always certain Tokens that those through whom they appear are Members of Christs Body but those who are Circumcised in Heart and have the Answer of a Good Conscience towards God are the very Members of Christs Church and therefore the most proper Means for the preservation of such Members in the Unity of the Spirit and as Members of one Body is that whereby they came to be Circumcised in Heart and gathered unto the Truth which is no other but the Spirit and Arm of Gods Power which surrounds all those that wait upon him and have a daily Dependence upon the Lord with the Mind inwardly staid in the Measure of that Grace which the Apostle saith is sufficient for them and thus the Baptism of the Spirit will be witnessed continually in which every Member of Christs Body comes to be centered into an Heavenly Fellowship and Communion each with other in the Life of Righteousness The next thing I shall examine is whether R. B's Affirmative Answer to this Question viz. Whether the Church of Christ hath Power in any Cases that are Matters of Conscience to give postive Sentence and Decision which may be Obligatory upon Believers be agreeable to Truth and Sound Doctrine My Observation hereon is this That he hath not here adjoyned Inward Conviction whereby they might find Clearness in themselves to the Sentence of the Church as necessary to the Obligation he Intends and inasmuch as nothing without an Inward Clearness and Conviction can become a real and acceptable Bond upon a Believer to be at Unity with his Brethren in the Belief and Practice of Things relating to Conscience and that those who are found in the Practice of other Mens Lines before they have Faith therein may oft times run into the Sin of Hypocrisy even as others may into the Sin of Negligence who through Unwatchfulness to their own Measures want Clearness of Sight and Understanding to practise and joyn with those things which others waiting in their Own Measures may by the Spirit be led into Therefore I cannot but say that the Scope and Bent of his Spirit so far as from his words I can Savour in relation to this Matter are not agreeable to the Truth and Sound Doctrine And since it is so as R. B. observes Page 35. That God hath not given us our Reasons to no purpose I shall according to the Line of right Reason a little further Observe First I find R. B. treating in his 7th Section concerning the Power of Decision thus to say Page 66. The only proper Judge of Controversy in the Church is the Spirit of God and the Power of Deciding solely lies in it as having the only infallible Judgment belonging to it which Infallibility is not necessarily annexed to any Persons Person or Places whatsoever by Vertue of any Office Place or Station any one may have or have had in the Body of Christ that is to say that any have Ground to reason thus Because I am or have been such an Eminent Member therefore my Judgment is Infallible or because we are the greatest Number or that we live in such a noted or famous Place or the like though some of these Reasons may and ought to have their true weight in Case of Contradictory Assertions Thus the aforesaid Author From all which two things are Observable First That the afore-said Author accounts the Spirit the only Judge Secondly That though he affirms that the Church of Christ hath Power in Cases that are Matters of Conscience to give positive Sentences and Decision which may be Obligatory upon Believers yet through his whole Treatise I find not that he hath described who are the Persons that are the Church and where those Persons do usually Assemble as the Church of Christ and therefore though my very soul abhors lightly to esteem of the Elect of God or to undervalue the Power the Church of God either stands in or are indued with yet since I do know how dangerous a thing it is for any to burthen the Consciences of Gods People though under ever so specious Pretences and that when we speak of the Church of Christ we mean Visible Persons distinguisht as outward Persons by Names that may be known to the Outward Man though as Members of Christ's Body distinguisht not by such Names but by that Name which is written in Heaven and known to the Inward Man I cannot but query To what end doth the aforesaid Author assign the Decision of Cases of Conscience which are Matters certainly to be known so as to be binding on Believers to Judges so describ'd as that a greater Controversy may immediately arise upon the asking of this question Who or where those men are This instead of removing one Difference or clearing one Doubt may beget more
so also in this is mistaken if he meanes that Circumstances of Times and places are the Ground of Christian forbearance which is manifest from what the Apostle saith Rom. 14.3 4. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not Jadge him that eateth Who art thou that Judgest another man's Servant To his own Master he standeth or falleth which evidently shews that in as much as every one must answer for himself 't is fit every one should believe for himself and so practise without being imposed upon by others And this is the Ground of all Christian Forbearance and not Circumstances of Times and Places And though Page 65. R. B. saith That is accounted a doctrine of Devils which in another respect was Christian forbearance which I take him to assert from his observation on 1 Cor. 8. throughout and 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. The latter Scripture tells us That commanding to abstain from Meats is a Doctrine of Devils that to the Corinths saith If Meats make my Brother to offend I will eat no flesh while the World standeth This doth not in any wise shew that a Command to abstain from Meats was at any time or in any respect Justifiable for if he would have this Assertion pass for Truth he ought to have proved not only that a Command to abstain from flesh was a Doctrine of Devils which that to Tymothy doth but also that such a Command was once Christian Forbearance but nothing of this latter appears nor yet can be proved from the Scriptures of Truth And as to the case of Circumcision R. B. saith 'T was permitted to the Jewes for a time To this I say we find that many of the believing Jewes were not come from under it and that those Jewes who saw beyond it did not condemn such their Brethren but we do not find that the Apostles as persons that had power to permit or not permit such a practice in the Church did approve of it in any of the Jewes or condemn the same in such as practised it until by Faith they saw beyond it for as on the one hand 't was not in their Commission to preach up Circumcision so on the other 't was not in their Power to be a Bond on any to forbear who through Faith were not first lead therefrom For though the Apostle saith Gal. 5.2 I Paul say unto you if ye be Circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing and Gal. 4.9 10 11. But now after ye have known God or rather are known of God how turn ye again to the Weak and Beggerly Eliments Ye observed Daies and Months c. I am afraid of you Yet this did not at that time condemn that Christian Liberty and Forbearance which the Apostle before approved in and with respect unto such as made Couscience of Circumcision and the Observing Daies for it plainly appears he spoke to a People who were redeemed out of those Beggerly Eliments and were come past those Rudiments which is evident by these his words how turn ye again And so he might well exhort such neither to Circumcise nor yet be in the Observation of Daies for that God doth not usually lead into those things which he hath led out of and this might well consist with the Truth even at such a time and season when others thorough a Conscientious Scruple might in a plea for both with respect to themselves be uncondemned These things considered and that also we find the Apostle exhorting the Churches not to be Judging one another with respect to things relating to Conscience there is great need for every one to watch against a Censorious Judging Spirit lest whilest any are Judging their Brethren they themselves become Castawayes Having in some Measure cleared my Conscience I have this further to add That 't is a blessed thing for Brethren to dwell together in Love and Unity yet this Love and Unity ought to consist in the Truth else the blessing is not I doubt not but there are many who are ready to conclude That an Universal Unity ought to be establish't in the Churches by the Assistance of outward Instruments that as we are Members of one Body so we may not only be one in Faith one in Doctrine but also one in Practice with relation to Discipline Order and Outward Formes of Government My soul should rejoyce to see that Day wherein we might all be so led by the appearance of Christ's Spirit in us under his Government which ought to be exalted over all as that this Oneness might thereby be witnessed amongst all the Families of Gods People at this Day But since it is so with the Church of God at this day as it was with the Church in the Primitive Dayes viz. that there are diversityes of Administrations and diversityes of Gifts Operations in the Body and yet thorough the same Spirit it behoves every one diligently to watch that we Judge not one another by reason of these differing exercises as if these things consisted not with the Unity of the Body And since also it is so that amongst the primitive Believers there were such as practiced Circumcision some made Conscience of keeping a Day and some that Absteyn'd from eating Flesh and others that did not and yet a Christian-Liberty and Forbearance was so exercised as that they were not to be Judging one another about these things and that we find not that these differing exercises in a Christian-Liberty did subject any of those Believers exercised therein to the Censure of being out of the Unity of the Body I therefere do reasonably conclude that the infallible Mark whereby any Member of the Body is known to be in true Unity with the Body doth not consist in Profession and Belief of certain Principles and Doctrines and Practices depending thereon nor yet in Obedience to the Measures of others but in the Circumcision of the heart and an Answer of a good Conscience towards God and that every Member keeps his own order Office and Place in the Body thorough his Obedience to the Measure and Gift of Grace in himself which he hath received from God to Profit withal The most infallible mark and token then of a Member in the true Unity with the Body of Christ is an inward invisible mark that cannot be stampt on any but by the impression of Gods Power on the heart and therefore is it that the outward endeavours of all such Christian Professors as have been and are in the Apostacy instead of attaining to an Heavenly Union in the Spirit have at most but arrived to an Outward Unity consisting in their Outward Conformities and Uniformities according to the Commands Traditions Decrees or Examples of Men. When in Ages and Generations past the Apostacy first entred as a Flood I am perswaded that all who have known the Truth and have had the Consideration and true Sense thereof upon their Spirits do conclude that the Cause thereof
birth from running into Duties catching of Openings and laying hold of Promises and to feel the Heir born of the Immortal Seed to whom all belongs and the other Birth never afterwards get up above him but be subdued and brought into Subjection Again sayeth the Apostle Take heed of doing any thing doubtingly be not forward be not hasty wait for the leading wait for the Manifestation of the Spirit Be sure thou receive what thou receives in the Faith and Practise what thou practisest in the Faith For whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin being an Errour from the Principle of Life which is to guide and thereby thou losest ground and dishonourest Christ and comest under Condemnation And so the Apostle warns Believers To take heed of drawing one another on too fast or of Judging one another in such things as some of them might have Light in others not He that eateth not to Judge him that did not eat and he that did not eat not to Judge him that did eat yea in Matters of Worship he that observed a Day and kept a Sabbath not to Judge him that observed not a Day or kept not a Sabbath For the Jews which were truly converted yet were hard to be drawn off from the Observation of their Sabbath and could hardly bear with the Believing Gentiles who were never taught to keep their Sabbath with them but were taught to esteem every day and sanctifie it to the Lord Rom. 14.5 And those who esteemed every day and dedicated it to the Lord ceasing from Sin and resting to him for under the Gospel we are not to set up a new Type but to enter by Faith into the true Rest which is the Substance of what the other signified could hardly bear with them who observed a Day Even in the Apostles Days Christians were too apt to strive after a wrong Vnity and Vniformity in Outward Practices and Observations and to Judge one another Vnrighteously in those things And mark it is not the different Practice from one another that breaks the Peace and the Unity but the Judging of one another because of different Practices he that keeps not a Day may unite in the same Spirit in the same Life in the same Love with him that keeps a Day and he who keeps a Day may unite in Heart and Soul with the same Spirit and Life in him who keeps not a Day but he that Judgeth the other because of either of these Errs from the Spirit from the Love from the Life and so breaks the Bond of Unity And he that draws another to any Practice before the Life in his own Particular lead him does as much as in him lies to destroy the Soul of that Person Vers 15. This was the Apostles Rule for every one to perform singly to the Lord what he did and not for one to meddle with the Light or Conscience of another undervaluing his Brother or Judging him because his Light and Practices differed from his Vers 10. of that 14th Chap. but every one to keep close to their own Measure of Light even to that proportion of Faith and Knowledge which God of his Mercy hath bestowed on them and here is the true Unity in the Spirit in the Inward Life and not in an Outward Vniformity that was not necessary in the Apostles Days nor is it necessary now and that Eye which so dotes upon it overlooks the one Thing which is necessary Men keeping close to God the Lord will lead them on fast enough and give them Light fast enough for he taketh care of such and knoweth what Light and what Practices are most proper for them but for Men to walk on faster than the Lord holds forth Light to them this overturns them raising up a wrong thing in them and the true Birth hereby comes to suffer to shrink and be driven back And Oh! how sweet and pleasant is it to the truly Spiritual Eye to see several sorts of Believers several Forms of Christians in the School of Christ every one learning their own Lesson performing their own peculiar Service and knowing owning and loving one another in their several Places and different Performances to their Master to whom they are to give an Account and not to quarrel with one another about their different Practices Rom. 14.4 For this is the true ground of Love and Unity not that such a man walks and does just as I do but because I feel the same Spirit of Life in him and in that he walks in his Rank in his own order in his proper way and Place of Subjection to that and this is far more pleasing to me than if he walked just in that track wherein I walk nay so far as I am Spiritual I cannot so much as desire that he should do so until he be particularly led thereto by the same Spirit which led me And he that knows what it is to receive any Truths from the Spirit and to be led into Practices by the Spirit and how prone the Fleshly Man is to make haste and how dangerous that haste is will not be forward to press his Knowledge or Practices upon others but rather wait patiently till the Lord fit them for the receiving thereof and fear lest they should receive and practise too soon even in that part which cannot serve the Lord. And this I can truly say concerning my self I never found my Spirit forward to draw any either to any thing I believed to be true or to any Practice or Way of Worship I observed or walked in but desired that the Power and leadings of Life might go before them and was afraid lest men should receive things from my hand and not from the Lords Yea and this I very well remember that when I walked in the way of Independency as it hath been commonly called I had more Unity with more Love towards such as were single-Hearted in other Ways and Practices of Worship whose Spirits I had some feeling of in the true Simplicity and in the Life than with divers of such who were very Knowing and Zealous in that way of Independency in whom a wrong thing in the mean time had got up which had caused them to swerve from the Life and from the Simplicity So that the true Church Government being in the Spirit and over the Conscience as in the Sight of God the great Care must be to keep it within its Bounds that nothing else govern but the Spirit and that the Government be extended only unto that which is to be Governed First Care must be had that nothing Govern in the Church of Christ but the Spirit of Christ that nothing else teach nothing else exhort nothing else admonish and reprove nothing else cut off and cast out Every Minister in the Church is to watch over his own Spirit that it intrude not into the work of God that it take not upon it to be the Teacher the Exhorter the Reprover c. And
every Memis to wait in that Measure of the Spirit which he hath received to feel the Goings forth of the Spirit in him that teacheth and governeth and so to subject not to Man but to the Lord to receive from the Lord to Obey the Lord. Not to know any Minister according to the Flesh but to receive and submit to what comes from the Spirit in the Spirit Not to know Paul or Apollo or Cephas but the Spirit ministring in them Paul may Err Apollo may Err Peter may Err and did Err when he Compelled the Gentiles to live as the Jews Gal. 2.14 for which Paul withstood him to the Face Vers 11 and Barnabas also did Err Vers 13. but the Spirit cannot Err and he that keeps to the Measure of the Spirit in himself cannot let in any of their Errors if they should Err but is preserved for the least Measure of the Spirit is true and gives true Judgment but he that receiveth never so great a Measure of the Spirit yet if he keep not Low therein but lifteth up himself because thereof above his Brethren may easily Err himself and draw aside others into his Errour Secondly Care must be had that the Conscience be kept tender that nothing be received but according to the Light in the Conscience the Conscience is the seat of Faith and if it be not kept close to the Light which God Lighteth there Faith is soon made shipwrack of Christianity is begun in the Spirit which keepeth out the Fleshly Part with all its fleshly Wisdom and Reasonings about Spiritual things and as the begining is in the anointing so must the Progress be As the Spirit begins in the Conscience by convincing that by perswading that by setting up his Light there and leading the soul by that Light so that Light must still be eyed and according to its growth and manifestation in the Conscience so must the Soul stand still or go on The great error of the Ages of the Apostacy hath been to set up an Outward Order and Unformity and to make Mens Consciences bend thereto either by Arguments of Wisdom or by Force but the Property of the true Church Government is to leave the Conscience to its full liberty in the Lord to preserve it single and entire for the Lord to exercise and to seek Unity in the Light and in the Spirit walking Sweetly and harmoniously together in the midst of Different Practices yea and he that hath Faith and can see beyond another yet can have it to him-self and not disturb his Brother with it but can descend and walk with him according to his measure And if his Brother have any heavy Burthen upon him he can lend him his Shoulder and bear part of his burthen with him Oh how sweet and lovely is it to see Brethren dwell together in Unity to see the true Image of God raised in Persons and they knowing and Loving one another in that Image and bearing with one another through Love and helping one another under their Temptations and Distresses of Spirit which every one must expect to meet with If thou art a Christian in Deed and in Truth preserve thy Conscience pure and tender towards God do not defile it with such Religious Practices Duties Ordinances c. as thou dost not feel the Spirit leading thee into for all such are Idols and exceedingly polute thee And be tender also of thy Brothers Conscience and be not an Instrument to draw him unto any thing which the Lord leads him not into but rejoyce if thou find him in Simplicity of Heart startling at any thing for if he abide here faithful his Guide will in due season appear to him and clear up his way before him but if he be too hasty he may follow a Wrong Guide and that Guide will never lead him aright towards the Kingdom but entangle him further and further from it Oh how many have run a Whoring from the Lord how many have first lost the Guidance of his Spirit and then drowned their Life in Religions Performances How many have Drunk of the Cup of Fornication from the Life at the Hands of the Fleshly Wisdom How many have filled their Spirit with New-Testament Idols and Images How many have even hardened their Hearts and Consciences by following the Doctrines of Men their imaginary Meanings of Scriptures and the imaginations and Dreams of their own Hearts Is it not time for men at length to turn back towards the Lord to wait for the Visitation and Light of his Spirit from whom they have gone a Whoring and whom in all these things they have grieved And if ever any feel and enjoy the Guidance of God's Spirit their Conscience must be kept tender to it and ready to hear and follow his voice who speaks in Spirit to that which is born of him which infallibly knowes his Voice and being kept clear cannot doubt Concerning it My Sheep hear my voyce saith Christ they know it and the voice of the strange Spirit they know not so as to follow it but turn from it both in themselves and others But that which is not the Sheep but hath only got the Sheeps Cloathing cryes out How shall we know the Voice of the Spirit we may be deceived Nay that which is born of God that which is the Elect of God cannot be deceived Wait therefore for the Birth of the Spirit to which the Spirit is given for a Guide who infallibly guides it out of Deceit All Deceivers are out of this Birth out of this Spirit perhaps in some Birth or other framed from the Letter and living in the Imitation of some Practices and Ordinances from the Letter under which Cover they lie in wait to deceive but Strangers to the Life and Power and to that Wisdom which begets and bears to God Thus the Jews Erred and deceived their Proselites before the coming of Christ Thus the Christians in Name have generally Erred all along the Apostacy and indeed for the Generality have not been true Christians but only a persecuted Remnant amongst them whose Life hath been nourished and preserved not by Doctrines and Observations which they have been taught by the Precepts of Men nor by the Knowledge which they themselves have gathered but by a little Bread dayly handed to them from the Father of Mercies out of the Wilderness that was the thing which nourished their Souls up to God though many of them knew not distinctly what it was that nourished them nor how they came by it Object But is not Vniformity lovely and doth not the Apostle exhort Christians to be of one Mind and were it not a sweet thing if we were all of one Heart and one Way Answer Yea Vniformity is very lovely and to be desired and waited for as the Spirit of the Lord which is one leads and draws into one But for the Fleshly Part the Wise Reasoning Part of Man by fleshly Ways and Means to strive to bring
about a Fleshly Uniformity which insnares and overbears the tender Conscience this is not Lovely nor Spiritual nor Christian And the Apostle who Exhorts Christians to one Mind yet doth not bid them force one another to one mind but walk together sweetly so far as they had attained and wherein they were otherwise minded God in his due time would reveal more to them Phil. 3.15 16. He that hath to him shall be given and the Intent and Work of the Ministry with the several Ministrations of it is to bring into the Unity Ephes 4.13 as Persons are able to follow and not to force all Men into one Practice or Way that 's the way to destroy the Faith and the true Unity and at best can introduce but a Fleshly Appearance of Vnity into such a Form of Worship and Godliness as eats out the Power And for being of one Heart and one Way Blessed be the Lord this is in measure known and witnessed The Way is one Christ the Truth of God and he that is in the Faith and in the Obedience to the Light which shines from his Spirit into the Heart of every Believer hath a tast of the one Heart and of the one Way and knoweth that no Variety of Practices which is of God can make a Breach in the true Vnity This is the one Way for every one to be subject to the Light of Christs Spirit which he hath received from Christ and every one keeping here there is also one Heart kept in the midst of all the Variety and diversity of Practices 'T is needful to be observed that in the City of London a Free Meeting was held between R. Barclay and me in the presence of G. F. and many others wherein we treated on many things contained in R. B's Book of Government which I then did and ever since have accounted Erroneous and on the whole matter one part of the Meeting viz. Charles Marshal with thirty six Persons more advised R. B. as anon by their Paper cited will appear on this wise It is the desire of this Meeting that the said R. B. as he feels in himself the Openings of Life thereunto will in Christian-Condescension to the Capacities of the Weak write an Explanatory Postscript to the said Book for the Sakes of all such as may be supposed to have misapprehended any Expression therein Now forasmuch as the said R. B. hath by way of Epistle to Friends written an Explanatory Rostscript though not Printed the same I thought meet to cite it together with my Observations thereon as followeth Aberdene Prison the 6th of the 1st Month 1679. Dear Friends and Brethren UNto all my Dear Friends and Brethren unto whose hands this Paper may come or who may be any ways more particularly concerned in the Contents hereof is the Salutation of my unfeigned Love in that unchangable Truth whereunto it hath pleased the Lord to call me according to his great Mercy so as to be a Partaker in some Measure of the Peace and Glory which in this Day is revealed wherewith my Heart hath been often filled as I have waited in Faithfulness according to the Dispensation of Light manifested in me and to me And since it pleased God to make me a Living Witness of the Precious Truth and to commit unto me my share of the Ministry thereof my Conscience bears me Witness in the Sight of God that I have Laboured according to my Knowledge to follow Love and Peace with all my Brethren and to do those things which might tend to Advance Strengthen and Confirm Unity and Brotherly-Love as also to avoid what had a Tendency to beget Strife Jealousie or Evil Surmises like as I have studied as well in my publick Testimony as in my Writings to beware of any thing that to my Understanding might minister just Occasion of Stumbling or Offence to the least of my Brethren or the youngest and weakest Babe in the Truth as such as are conversant with me in my own Country as well as those elsewhere where I have travelled can bear Witness Nevertheless as I cannot shun any part of that Labour and Service which my Lord and Master Jesus Christ calls me to so in Obedience to his Requirings near five Years ago I wrote some Sheets concerning the Lawfulness and Necessity of the Government and Order of the Truth having principally and only in my View therein to bear a Faithful Testimony against all false Liberty and Disorder on the one hand and against Imposition and Dominion on the other Intending no less to guard against the one than the other and this I did with particular Respect to some of my near Friends whom I found liable to some Mistakes in that matter And I do sincerely declare before God who knows I speak the Truth and lie not That in the writing thereof I had not the least Purpose nor Intention to meddle with nor concern my self in any of those Debates that have since fallen out amongst Friends in Westmoreland or elsewhere relative thereto much of which as it had not then a being when I wrote that Book so the Substance of that Matter was then unknown to me so I can safely say that I had not so much as one remote Thought or any Remembrance of the lest beginnings of that Affair which I knew during the time of my writing of it so that nothing could be Intended by me therein relative to that matter which as it is sufficient to vindicate my Innocency and Integrity to all as to my Intentions so I cannot forbear also to signifie that as often as I have had Occasion seriously and in the holy Fear and Dread of God to reflect upon those Papers which I have often done because of the Opposition they have met with from some W. R's First Observation [a] [a] This shews that R. B. doth not only Justifie what he hath done but also signifies that he laboured with all the Care and Circumspection he could so to express himself as not to offend in a word and therefore since I know he is well skil'd to word his meaning I might reasonably have expected that he would have cited out of his Book of Government those Passages therein contained which will Evidence that all his Explications by this his Postscript may he found in his Book which was needful to have been done if he so could but I certainly know he cannot that his circumspection might appeare especially since he hath affirmed that the very Explications of his words given in a Letter hereafter cited as his own Explications are to be found in his Book as appears by the said Letter sent abroad by himself and that as may reasonably be taken intended by him to be in his Favour But if the Impartial Vnderstanding Reader wiâ—l be at the pains to compare R. B 's Book of Government with this his Postscript and the Explications given of his words in the aforesaid Letter I may with
into the North much Writing was occasioned in Relation thereto which being not my present Purpose to Treat of I here omit That now the Reader may have an Understanding of that Sense and Judgment that was with John Wilkinson and John Story in relation to those Five Heads from whence all the before-mentioned Forty-Four Articles do spring I think meet to Cite their Testimony in Relation thereto read at the Meeting at Drawel And then comparing such their Sense and Judgment with those Antient and Faithful Testimonies of many labouring Friends in the Gospel of Peace who changed not their way since they became Publishers thereof to the Day they fell asleep it may then easily be savoured from what Spirit all the Mire and Dirt that hath been cast up against our Antient and yet Honourable Friends John Wilkinson and John Story hath sprung Their said Testimony now follows ON the whole Matter in the Fear and Presence of the Amighty God we declare That as we do approve of Monthly and Quarter-Meetings for the necessary Service of the Truth so we further say That as these or any other Meetings of Friends in Tenth shall be continued to answer these Services we believe that as it now is it also will become our Duty to be at Vnity with our Brethren in the Services thereof And though one of us viz. John Wilkinson did condescend to subscribe to a Paper for the Execting a Womans-Meeting in the Country to answer the Ends in the Paper proposed which he testifies he then did in Singleness of Heart for Vnity's sake Yet according to that inward Sense we now have there appears to us no Absolute Necessity to continue Womens-Meetings in this Country distinct and separate from the Men and therefore do Conscientiously forbear to Assent or Encourage to lay the Intentions of Marriages before them Yet that Inward Sense and Heavenly Vnderstanding we haue received from God hath and yet doth confirm us in this Iudgment That 't is not agreeable with the Line of Truth to oppose others in the Exercise and appointed Service of the said Meetings as here-to-fore and yet settled and agreed upon who being Conscientious therein are otherwise minded than we are And if any of our Words and Actions have had any Tendency to oppose c. which we are not Conscious of but if we were we would readily confess we say the Truth in us would have Condemned it even as it now doth And if it shall please the Lord to manifest unto us a Service in those Meetings in the Country as well as Cities the same Integrity towards God which hath dwelt with us these many Years past we believe will become a Bond on us to joyn Hand and Heart with others our Brethren and Sisters therein But till then our Desires are That this may not become an Occasion of Straitness of Spirit each towards other but that Embracing the wholesom Counsel of the Apostle in another Case If in any thing ye are otherwise-minded wait till God reveal we may walk together in that pure undefiled Love of our God which thinketh no Evil. That though many of our Brethren see a Service in Recording Condemnations and Leaving them upon Record to Posterity yet from that Inward Sense and Heavenly Vnderstanding we have we see no Necessity to leave them upon Record to Posterity or retain them when the Sin is blotted out and remitted by the Lord neither to be extended further than the Offence is known nor yet to continue longer than the Memory of the Offence abideth But if any see meet from an Inward Sense of Truth in themselves to leave such Testimonies relating to themselves to Posterity we have there-with Vnity That this our Sense may be no Occasion of Straitness of Spirit each towards others is the Earnest Desire of our Souls who desire the Prosperity of Truth and Peace amongst all the Churches of God As to Tythes We can in truth say 'T was never so much as in our Hearts to speak any Words whatsoever with the least Intent to Strengthen any in the Payment thereof nor yet to weaken the Faith of any having a Testimony in our Hearts that Tythes as at this Day paid are Anti-christian That as Groanings Sighing Soundings and Singings may proceed from Deceitful Spirits so also we declare Groanings Sighing Soundings and Singings may be the Fruit of the Spirit of the Lord amongst God's People And that as the First is Discouraged the Second ought to be Encouraged And the Earnest Desires of our Souls are That as to these Things nothing but the Spirit of Truth and sound Iudgment may appear either to Reprove or to Encourage And though we have been Accused as if we were Opposers of such Groanings c. which the Truth approveth yet God is our Witness we know it not That though we have been represented as Persons Encouraging Fleeing in Time of Persecution We say we are not Conscious to our selves of so doing For we believe those who stand not to their Testimony but flee there-from in the Day of Persecution may truly be accounted either Weak in the Faith or Departing from the Faith And thus having given our Inward Sense according to the Vprightness and Integrity of our Hearts concerning these Five General Heads from whence all the Forty-Four Articles do arise we shall with this conclude That the God of Heaven is our Witness our Desires are to approve our selves Men of Peace in the Abhorrency of all Fleshly Liberty and Loosness and to follow after Truth and Righteousness that the Regin of the Power of the Eternal God may be over all so will the Kingdoms of this World become the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ As to the Two Questions Answered by the Friends and Brethren met on this Occasion We in the Fear of the Lord say We in the Proposing thereof had not the least Thoughts to obtain your Yea and Nay with intent thereby to strengthen such who may be accounted our Party in any thing that 's contrary to Truth nor to encourage Loosness or Bad Spirits But conscientiously to remove the Scruples of some And further we say We are better satisfyed with your Explication therein than with your bare Yea and Nay For that we as well as you are sensible Apostates and Bad Spirits seeking a Fleshly Liberty have made use of Arguments deducible from such Principles of Truth to oppose the Power of God it self and the Practice of God's People in the Power John Wilkinson John Story 'T is now worthy the Readers Notice That G. F. takes occasion to write unto John Wilkinson and John Story sometime after the Meeting at Drawel which being Cited in the Eighth Section of the Second Part of the before-mentioned Manuscript together with Answer thereto pertinent on this Occasion I think meet here to Transcribe the same together with those Observations that are made thereon in the said Section THis is the Word of the Lord to you John
you went from before you separated Outwardly And this Spirit was afraid of being limited but it would limit the Universal Spirit both in Males and Females as your Fruit has manifested concerning the Practice of Womens-Meetings and Recording Condemnations and Admonishing Payers of Tythes and other Evils as your Books and Papers and Neighbours can testify But thou who hast said They must be left to themselves to Condemn this Year or the other c. this gives Liberty to the Flesh For whil'st it is to Day they must hear his Voice But John I savour thy Spirit and know that thy Words come from an Angry Disquieted Fretful Peevish Spirit And poor Men and People for my part I pitty you as knowing and seeing that you are out of the Life and are not in the Spirit that did first Convince you and so not in the First Love And if ever thou comest to the tender Spirit and Light of Christ in thy Heart thou wilt see all those your Books and Papers of Strife and your Separation is all for Condemnation with the Light of Christ and they are the Works of that Spirit that led thee into Death and Strife And now thou cryest What and Wherein and This and the Other But come in and look into thy self And I say again It is the same Spirit that led James Naylor and John Perrot and others and John Perrot cryed against Imposition as you do and against the Mens-Meetings as you do against the Womens Though I know James Naylor did for himself Condemn that Spirit that led into a Separation which had been well if you had done so too And his Resurrection is Recorded as well as his Condemnation But many of his People remain to this Day out and have been and are as much against Men and Womens-Meetings as you And so it is but the same Spirit still And James Naylor's Opposition did not consist only in Not Reproving his Company for the Titles they gave him but his Opposition stood several Years about other Matters and his People cryed against our Meetings and sought with all their Might to destroy them But the Lord's Power blasted them all that did not come in by Repentance and Judgment And thou further sayest Let James Naylor's not Reproving his Company be a Warning to me and bid'st me Reprove my Company when they give me Titles and Honour due to the Highest c. Poor Man Is here thy Envy broken out But What are the Titles and Who are them that have given them And When and Where And whereas thou sayest Lest they that love Preheminence and Rule out-live my Time and render my VVeakness to others John Who are those that love Preheminence And What is my VVeakness that they may render it Why didst thee not mention it in thy Paper But this is from a prejudiced malicious Spirit and not from the Light of Christ to render my Weakness c. when I am Dead and in my Grave turned to Dust Nay John that which thee strikes at and thy Company and all the Evil Spirits in the World have struck at and all the Apostates before thee shall never turn it to Dust neither shall you ever get it into the Dust Glory to the Everlasting God for ever For He that Over-comes shall go no more forth and shall never Perish and he that Believeth on the Son of God hath Everlasting Life But if this be the Way of thy Preaching that the Members of the Heavenly Body turn to Dust I fear thou hast begotten none to God but into a Profession that will turn to Dust like thy self and Dust is the Meat of this Spirit that I know For I am in a Life that is over that Spirit which neither Thee nor the World cannot touch And if thou comes to be as Judas and Betray the Truth to the Priests I know what thee and they can kill if God will suffer you But I do not fear it And I must tell thee it is the Spirit of Judas the Betrayer that is gone from Truth and now would betray others from the Heavenly Body in the Eternal Fellowship in the Eternal Head For That which is Earthly is Earthly and that which is Heavenly is Heavenly And thou bidst me Be Humble as a Member of the Heavenly Body under Christ the Head c. So thou tell'st me I am a Member of Christ the Heavenly Body yet thou sayest When I am turned to Dust and Dead Is this thy Doctrine Are the Members of the Heavenly Body turned to Dust and Dead This Doctrine surely proceeds from Darkness and not from the Light of Christ And Is it to this thou wouldst have me bow and be humbled to Nay John I need none of thy Ministry and it will do no good in the State thou stands in to any For it is an Angry Malicious Froward Spirit that has possest thee And further thou bid'st me Remember the Word to Moses with the Time and Place of his Death who Sanctified not God in the Sight of Israel his People What dost thou infer from thence John That I have not Sanctified God before his People So thou hast set me above a Common Member and put me into an Office then but Must that which Sanctifies God be turned to Dust I thought John thou hadst owned Christ to be the Sanctifyer of all who is Greater than Moses and the End of Moses But John Wherein have not I Sanctified the Lord What Liberty have I given to Sin or any that are Faithful that have not followed you in your Separation Have you not taken Offence against some of them that came to Admonish such as were not Faithful amongst you and called it Over-driving them yea such as have been moved by the Spirit of God And Was it not called Popery when some went to Admonish Preston Meeting when they did not stand stedfast to the Lord And How was the Lord sanctifyed amongst you then And How was the Lord sanctifyed amongst you concerning your Paying of Tythes or your Conniving at your Wives or others Paying for you Much of which I could write concerning such like Things but I shall forbear But when you were in Strife I would have had you come over to me that you might have been brought into Unity before your Separation but you refused Nevertheless if Thee and John Story bring your Eighty Subscribers and come to me I will shew you wherein you Writings and Actions are contrary to the Light of Christ Jesus and Spirit of God by which you were Covinced in the Beginning Which had you loved the Gospel of Peace you would have come to me before you had made such a Jumble with your strife up and down the Nation For I have heard by several Faithful Friends where you have sent your Papers to prejudiced Persons against Men and Womens-Meetings and Recording Commendations and other Friends Practices which has begotten a great Dislike in Friends concerning you For what hath this been
but to stir up Strife and to sow Discord But Are not David and Manasses and Peter and many others their Sins recorded and their Repentances and Changing recorded in the Holy Scriptures And What needs John VVilkinson be afraid and trouble himself about the Recording the Condemnation of Sin and the Resurrection of the Just But Who has cursed David or Peter or any other whose Condemnation of Sin and Repentance and turning from it is Recorded or called them Apostates And What Spirit is this in John Wilkinson that would not have such Things recorded now which the Spirit of Truth recorded in former Ages Surely it is not the Spirit of God nor Light of Christ For if they be Sins private that only the Church knows them then they go no further than the Church But if they be open Sins to the World amongst Sinners then their Condemnation and Repentance must go as far as the Fact is known But if John VVilkinson be afraid lest he should be Curst and his Company and counted Apostates to Posterity if their Failings Sins and Transgressions should be Recorded Truly without your Repentance they will be Recorded and it would be well if you did Repent and Condemn them for then your Resurrection would be Recorded out of this Apostacy Else you need not question standing upon Record And they that have been led by you into a Separation and now come off from you do not bless you as several have declared So you bring that upon your selves which you think to avoid But Why shouldst Thou and You be so afraid of having your Repentance from Sin and Evil Actions recorded which you have committed in grieving God's Spirit and his People and opening the Mouthes of the World without a Fear of being Curst or counted Apostates Is this the Cause you would hide your Sins and have no Testimony given forth against you If Thou and You have such a Love to them Thou and You may keep them but the Truths Testimony will stand against all that is out of the Truth And there are Condemnations upon Record ever since 1652. so no new thing amongst us but according to the Light of Christ But the Lord knows I would have nothing but what is Pure to Rule and Reign and all Sin and Evil to be Condemned and that which is Private to be only amongst Friends and that which is Publick to be publickly Condemned to the World And if the World should say Such a one did so or so there is a Testimony upon Record that such an one was Converted and Translated to Posterity as David was from the Evil to Good and from the Darkness to the Light And had you continued in the Light of Christ Jesus and in his Spirit that led the Saints to condemn those Evils which are Recorded in Scripture and to Glorify God in their Resurrection you would never have been in Opposition against the Church of Christ's Practice now in such things by the same Spirit you call it a New Way And that which would not have Sin and Evil condemned and condemns that which Records it is for Condemnation For instead of being Curst as thou sayest them that do condemn Sin and Evil and arise out of that which is condennied and this being Recorded to Posterity the Church and their Relations can testify to their Change and their Dying in the Lord. But I am sorry for you the Lord God of Heaven knows that you should dishonour the Lord God and his Truth and People in the North and have separated from the Light and Spirit that did first Convince you For had you been in the Love and Spirit you would have been in the same Love in the same Gentleness and Meekness and Wisdom that is pure and easie to be intreated as it was in the Beginning And so you have lost that Glory that was in the Beginning and your Nakedness is discovered that the Priests Justices and Drunkards can say That the Quakers are Separate one from another And look into your selves if there be not a Froward Stubborn Self-willed Spirit and Rough and Short that now may talk of the Light of Christ and of the Spirit and would have Liberty but is to be Reproved and well it would be for you if you would turn at the Reproof And whereas thou speakest of a Way of coming into Unity Alack for thee If thou wast in the Universal Spirit and Power of God that is over All thou wouldst not make such a Noise about Imposition For indeed it is the very Spirit of Imposition in Thee and You that does not know what it would be at it self nor to what to bring others And much I could say as to that But that whereby you may come into Unity it must be in the Unlimited Power and Spirit and Light that did first Convince you and brought you into Unity and Meeting without Prescription of your Elders or Deacons or your Members So your Way to come into Unity is to come to the Light and Spirit that did first Convince you and Judge and Condemn this Spirit that hath led you into Separation with all its Works since And then in that Spirit there is no Fear of Imposition but Everlasting Unity in the Everlasting Seed that bruises the Head of the Serpent and all his Sons of Belial that are without the Yoak and are afraid of it Now there are them that would not be Yoaked with the Law of God nor with the Gospel nor with the Word of God which is a Hammer and a Fire and this is counted Imposition by such to be Yoaked and Hammered down and to be Reproved and Rebuked and Admonished this is Imposition and Over-driving though the Power and Spirit of the Everlasting God leads to it which Spirit of God sanctifies and exalts God with a sanctifyed Spirit and reproves all that which dishonours him or would defile and walks not in the Spirit by which the Body of Christ is Baptized and made to drink into And the Spirit of God charged and warned and reproved all the Unruly and charged the Faithful to stand fast and Admonished as in the Scriptures may be plentifully seen And what Is this Imposition and Force think you which God's Spirit led the Prophets and Apostles unto and had no Fellowship but with them that Walked in the same Spirit Or Will you say There is not the same Holy-Ghost now as was then Yes I must tell you the same and all that keep in it are in the Holy and Eternal Fellowship and it leads to the same Practice now as then And all such as the Apostles admonished to have no Fellowship withal as in their Epistles and in Jude Might not those have cryed Imposition as well as you And whereas thou speakest of a New Way and a New Form carryed on with Church-Authority c. This is the Priests Old Spirit that used to tell us of our New Way and Where was our Religion Twenty Years ago But
and managed the same by his own and Families Labour having no more nor less Land than at first nor yet is his outward Estate added to or diminished from since that time to the Value of Twenty-Five Rounds to this Day He Travels often alone without a Companion but at all times without any Attendant as his proper Servant and contented with the meanest of Meats and Drinks that the Houses wherein he usually Lodged afforded His Conversation lowly and meek And takes not upon him to give forth an Outward Directory for the Children of Light to walk by nor yet was ever known to write to any That if they were in the Light and Power of God they would come to him when he sent for them As to G. F. He was a poor Shoe-maker and of mean Parentage having very little if any Outward Estate at all that never as we can understand set up his Trade but work't Journey-works For his Meanness he neither was nor is Despised as we know of for that cannot savour of a Christian Spirit Since his first Coming forth we never have understood that he hath Laboured with his Hands at his Lawful Calling or any other but are well satisfied that at teast for many Years past whether in Bonds or at Liberty he hath not Since his first Coming forth he hath marryed Judge Fell's Widdow of Lancashire When he Travels 't is certainly known he hath had such Attendance which considering the Work he is on may be termed Great as well as when resident in some Places and not on Travel and of late hath Travelled with a Man termed George Fox's Man And as to Enjoyment of Things that are Lawful in the Creation that may be termed Necessary for the Ease of the Body and Pleasure of the Palate it is certainly known that G. F. hath often freely made use thereof when to be had in a manifold larger Degree than John Wilkinson so far as we can understand ever did Moreover G. F. by a Letter written unto William Rogers dated Swarthmore the 14th of the 11th Month 1676. thus writes I tell thee Them that thou calls Accused are not Right for had they been Right and in the Light and Power of God as at the first they would have come to me when I sent for them that all those Things which have made such a Noise might have been fairly ended in the North and not have troubled any in the South Those whom William Rogers termed Accused are John Wilkinson and John Story and some of the Matters whereof John Story was Accused were Acted in the South and so no reason to come to G. F. or any to have them Judged in the North. We now query Whether G. F. is not hereby manifested to be a Man of so High and Losty a Spirit as to endeavour to Assume unto himself a Power to Judge of all Cases amongst Friends even from North to South and that such who will not come unto him at Swarthmore in Lancashire for that end when he sends for them are not lyable to be Censured to be wrong and departed from the Light and Power of God Which being compared with what is written in a Marginal-Note in the ‖ Meaning the afore-said Manuscript Ninth Section gives us occasion to query Whether there be not just Cause to conclude or at least to be Jealous That G. F. looks upon himself Invested with Power to Judge all Causes amongst the Children of Light in this Day as Moses was amongst the Children of Israel in his Day Lofty Spirit of his Making a Jumble he brings forth nothing Convincingly to manifest the same So those Evil Qualifications fall to the Ground But yet G. F's Letter evidently shews that 't was his own State when he writ his afore-said Letter For had he not been of a High and Lofty Spirit he would not have reflected on them several times as not loving the Gospel of Peace because they came not to him especially since 't was not evident to their Consciences that he was free from having a Hand in the Occasion of that Strife touching which he would have had them come to him The End whereof was as we suppose that they might have submitted to his Sentence or Judgment therein Besides if he accounted them gone astray Why did he not act the Part of a Good Shepherd according to the Parable Leaving the Ninety Nine to seek that which was Lost and seek after them that so if such as he esteemed them to be they might be again Restored Had he so done it would have denoted more his Humility and Tenderness than his bare saying as in his Letter he doth Poor Men and People For my part I pitty you I am sorry for you And yet in the same Letter threatens them That their Failings Sins and Transgressions without their Repentance will he Recorded Which Threatning seems very unbecoming him not only because he hath never manifested his Readiness to Condemn his own Transgressions or to Assent to their Recording though they are very Notorious as in this Treatise is largely manifested but also because he seems to allow unto them Liberty to continue therein Else Why should he use in the said Letter such an Expression as this If Thou and You have such a Love to them you may keep them meaning their Sins as the fore-going Words plainly shew Which being but duly considered together with what hereafter follows of the other Parts of his Letter he hath made to use his own Language such a Jumble as in Reason we cannot take him if it be just to measure his Meaning by his Words heartily to desire their Repentance if so fallen as he took them to be nor yet that he was free from the Characters he assigns to John VVilkinson viz. An Angry Disquieted Froward Peevish Fretful Malicious Spirit when he brought forth his said Letter so full of Impertinencies invective Expressions undeservedly and remote from the Matter which in a Tender and Christian Spirit was his due to have kept unto that so far as he was Capable he might have removed Stumbling-Blocks out of their way and not have added a New Occasion of Offence as if he above all the rest of the Sons of Men was Priviledged to cast Stumbling-Blocks before God's People and yet not be accountable for such Unchristian-like Actions unto Christ our Lord and Master who said Wo unto him by whom Offences come As to the Second Particular viz. That G. F. might clear himself that he approves of no Force about Religion but the Force and Effect of the Word delivered we say That G. F. hath not writ one word in all his large Reply to satisfy Friends in that Particular which doubtless he would have done if he could have said any thing that might have cleared that Matter to the Satisfaction of such Friends as were wise in the Wisdom that 's from Above as well as what he hath so largely done for the Sakes of the Simple
unless they call in all their Papers which were chiefly given forth to Vindicate themselves as not departed from the Truth though they could not be subject to Impositions or Prescriptions of others G. F's Confusion doth not End here but is further Manifested in these Words viz. without Prescriptions of your Elders because 't was his own Counsel at the beginning of Mens Meetings to choose particular Persons for that service agreeable to which Advice the Elders he now strikes at were Chosen and yet in a scoffing manner reflects on the Words Chosen Men and on the departure of others when their Message is told and as if that very Order were worse than any Assizes Sessions and Courts As to the departure of others immediately after their Message is told we are perswaded was never proposed by those called Separate whil'st any coming thither had any Concern upon them as matter proper for the Meeting to take notice of nor yet to Exclude any Friends that were free to stay after they had delivered their Message For which Perswasion sufficient ground is given unto us from the writing of those called Separatists in the 11th Section of this ‖ Meaning the Second Part of the aforesaid Manuscript second Part in these words viz. We indeed Declare and Testify that our Sense and Meaning in what we proposed formerly to Reunite the Meetings was not to hinder any Friends of staying in the Meetings who behaved themselves Men of Peace as we Testified unto them in our Reply to their Answer to our Proposals but such as inclined to cause Offences with rash Censures and false Judgments which hath made and will make Divisions contrary to the Doctrine we have Learned If they had Objected against any thing in Love which we proposed and with respect to the Honour of Truth given us any Reason of its inconveniency if we could not have Convinced them of the Inconveniency thereof with Weightier Reasons we should readily have Consented unto them We now desire the impartial Reader seriously to Consider whether our Perswasion aforesaid is not on sufficient Ground And if so then 't is plain G. F. Reflects on his own Church-Order as his Term is as worse than any Courts Assizes or Sessions by which we may in his own Language to John Wilkinson say That he knows not what he would be at if his Words and Writings may be taken to be his Real meaning at all times but as to that we have no cause so to Conclude because we from this and other his Words Writings and Actions are sufficiently satisfied that he Concludes all wrong and gone from the Light and Spirit that are not at Unity with what he saith Acteth and bringeth forth though it be ever so Repugnant to Truth and grounded on ever so false a Report and Scandal And so though he talks of the Unlimited Spirit yet we are perswaded he would Limit every one to be subject to his Spirit and that if they have not Faith therein they are wrong and in a separate Spirit from the Light and Spirit by which they were first Convinc'd And on this Foot we do not question but he concludes every one Wrong that Conscientiously may ask him any Questions for their Information or Satisfaction touching him concluding that it doth spring from a Jealous Spirit that ought not to be satisfied The last thing we think meet to take notice of in his aforesaid Letter is this he Repeats John Wilkinson's Words thus And whereas thou speakest of a new Way and a new Form and carryed on with Church-Authority c. And then in part of his Answer thus saith for I know no new Way nor new Form carried on with Church-Authority as thou reproachfully sayest but hear thou hast manifested thy separate Spirit and Mind This manifests unto us that G. F. to use his own Language doth so Jumble that he knows not what he would be at for Men and Womens Meetings are and as we take it in his Sense accounted the Church and what they carry on is accounted to be carryed on by the Power whereof G. F. accounts them Heirs which is the Authority of the Church That now this Church have introduced New Forms or else G. F. hath introduced New Forms amongst them which they as a Church and under the Pretence of Authority do bring forth we are satisfied is as certainly known to G. F. as G. F. is known to any one And therefore his Denyal that he knows of no New Form carryed on with Church-Authority is taken by us to be an absolute Quibble Shift or Shuffle if not a plain down-right Falshood and Untruth Having thus observed on G. F's Letter as afore-said we desire the Reader seriously to weigh in the Light of Christ Jesus the Observations made thereon and then we doubt not but every such Reaer will have this Answer in his own Breast That what G. F. hath written by way of Reply to John Wilkinson could not be given forth from the Spirit of the Lord which cannot Lye but is rather the Fruit either of Ignorance Pride Scorn and Disdain in the best Sense 'T is a common and tude Saying Prids oft times goes before a Fall That G. F. is Fallen is manifestly proved in ‖ Note 'T is meant of the Manuscript first mentioned in the Preface to the First Part. this Treatise if being guilty of Error and Matters of Eyil Fact may be accounted sufficient Proof And that he hath been of so Proud a Spirit as to expect a sort of Reverence and Submission to him which the Truth could not own we doubt not May the Lord open his Eyes to behold his Errors and give him Repentance that so in a Sense thereof he may Confess to the Glory of God and Rejoycing of his Faithful and Antient Friends Though G. F. in his before-cited Answer unto John Wilkinson seems to take Notice of the Receipt but of One Letter yet so it was that John Wilkinson for the further clearing of his Conscience writ another Letter unto G. F. suddenly after whose Copy now followeth George Fox WIth the Truth of God in my Heart I have of late been greatly concerned in the Remembrance of thee in whom God appeared in the Beginning of the Day of Life and reached unto us with his Word who gave us Faith to believe and to receive thy Testimony thou gave of his Light in our Hearts which gathered us into Vnity with him and one with another and made us of the Church of the First-Born or of the First Fruits unto God continuing many Years in Love and Good-Will one to another But of late Dayes the Concord we once had seems much to be broken and many Instruments whom God hath wrought by and in great Love have laboured together but of late time have greatly Iarred And the Cause God hath manifested to me That it is not in Principles of Truth nor in Christ's Doctrine nor in any Practice which Truth in the Members
they said Thou art more than a thousand of us and yet he doth not manifest his dislike of their so saying and after this he bad some who are known to have been antient grave Friends to walk by because many people were walking there The Third thing I take notice of is this that G. F. was for having a good Meeting after the Souldiers were gone saying if the Souldiers should come before that time we might happen to get a good Meeting afterward and though the Young Man said in Answer that the Souldiers were Neighbours and civil People and would hardly meddle which was an Encouragement to George Fox to stand in his Testimony yet he kept still walking in the Fields The Fourth thing I observe is this that one of the Young Men went from him about two Bow shots under the Hedge waving his Hat to G. F. this I may not term a Boy on top of a Hill waving his Hat to Friends spoken of by G. F. by way of Reflection on John Story though denied by John Story and by his Answers intended only so far as I understand to shew Friends the way to the Meeting but a Boy Vnder a Hedge waving his Hat to George Fox and as may reasonably be supposed to keep him from Meeting because G. F. saith As I turned back to go round about the Orchard there was a place I could see over the Hedge the Souldiers were all over the Orchard truly I did not go in among them I shall now leave it to the Impartial Reader to consider whether if it were so that any Friends when they met without doors did for Conveniency set a Boy on top of a Hill to wave his Hat to signifie the VVay Friends might pass unto a good Meeting be not more justifiable than to have a Boy under a Hedge to wave his Hat to keep G. F. from Meeting The Fifth thing I take notice of is this That was a horrid Lye that I hid my self in a Ditch for my own part I cannot imagine wherein from G. F's own words the horrid Lye doth consist more than in saying a Ditch when it ought to have been said a Bank cast up which in Probability is G. F's mistake for 't is well known that in many places where Banks are cast up in the Country there is also a Ditch however 't is observable that his words cannot reasonably be taken to import a Denial that he hid himself behind a Bank The Sixth thing I take notice of is this That the Meeting broke up about three of the Clock and that he went not into the house where the Meeting was but to another two Bowshots off and stayed to refresh himself and yet rode twenty miles that Night which is not very common for G. F. to do as ever I could understand after a Meeting broke up so late The Seventh thing I take notice of is this that though as to that Meeting at Ringwood if Report be true there are many notorious Circumstances to shew him a Fleer in time of Persecution yet I observe he makes mention but of one particular thing that he saith is a Lye or False and that is before signified which I take to be no more than saying in a Ditch instead of behind a Bank which to me is a Demonstration that he could not in Truth deny other things reported of him on this Occasion which puts me in mind thus farther to say that if instead of telling that they swept the Barn c. he had named the Hour when he came in the Meeting as well as when the Meeting broke up and that he did not advise the Friends to gather together and then be gone from them until the Souldiers were gone that so he might come and stay a little while amongst them and then be gone twenty miles that night to be sure to be far enough out of their reach it might have made his Testimony look with a better face especially if he had had so much Patience as to have gone into the house after Meeting to visit the Distressed Family the VVoman as he saith being dead To conclude my Observations herein I thus say That I firmly believe 't would have tended more to G. F's Credit plainly to have confest that at Times and Seasons he hath contrived to save himself and keep out of the reach of Persecutors than after he hath so done to cover the matter by such sort of Discourses as these now manifested are wherein his Weakness and Confusion doth so appear as cannot but be obvious to every Impartial and Judicious Reader And now forasmuch as John Ward and twenty seven more have given forth a certificate intending thereby to clear G.F. I thought it needful to add that also that so nothing that may be pretended would have favoured his Cause might be omitted by me the said Certificate now follows A Testimony of some Friends of Bristol in Answer to William Roger's False Charging of George Fox for Fleeing in time of Persecution and particularly at the Meeting-House in Broad Mead in the same City WHereas William Rogers in his Paper of Queries to George Fox which some of us have already given our Testimony against hath charged the said George Fox to be one of the greatest Fleers in time of Persecution of any that he knew professing the Truth and accounted by others a faithful Friend and for Confirmation thereof hath brought an Instance at a Meeting here at Bristol at which George Fox was present about fifteen years since at which Meeting he saith The Persecutors coming up one pair of Stairs while George Fox was speaking the said George Fox as some may term it in a distrustful Spirit did step down and went out at a back pair of Stairs to which he saith his Eyes with many more were witnesses As to which we have this to say who were generally all of us at all or most part of the Meetings which George Fox was at here that we never knew or can remember that ever any Persecutors did come up the Stairs whilst George Fox was speaking so as to occasion the ceasing his Testimony on that account as William Rogers would infinuate but this may be put amongst the rest of his False Calumnies and Charges And we further testifie that whereas there was two pair of Stairs one of which William Rogers calls a Back-pair that both pair of Stairs were common for Friends to come up and down at and that George Fox was known to come up the same Stairs to that Meeting And this Testimony we have in our hearts for George Fox as a man Remote in Spirit and Example from any such Practice as Fleeing in time of Persecution though charged therewith by Apostates and Bad Spirits and we have cause to believe that he hath held up his Testimony in Faithfulness both in Doing and in Suffering on Truths Account being confirmed herein by his large Travels Sufferings and Imprisonments in many Goals in which
as that without them it might be just cause to question whether they were in Christ Jesus and if not then certainly not attain'd unto the New Creatures State which is a state of Salvation because the Testimony of the Apostle is on this wise 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature and not only so but that the very works of the obedience of faith were spoken also with relation to those spoken of Ephes 8.9 Who by Grace were saved through Faith and not by works For Paul in the very next following verse thus saith For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Besides 't is apparent that this our sense is true from Paul's very express words to the Philipians Chap. 2. ver 12 13. Wherefore my beloved as ye have always obeyed not as in my Presence only but now much more in my Absence work out your Salvation with fear and trembling For 't is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure This positively shews that though there was an exclusion of one sort of works yet there was another sort necessary to Salvation else he would not have said Work out your Salvation c. All which being seriously considered 't is evident that the meaning of the Spirit through Paul was the same with the Mind of the Spirit through James for that Paul's words plainly signifie that God hath ordained that those who are saved by Grace through Faith should walk in Good Works and that 't was needful to work out Salvation which doubtless related to the same sort of Works spoken of by the Apostle James when he said That Faith without works is dead Jam. 2.20 26. Because 't is clear from the context that James speaks of works in no other sense than to be as an evidence of True Faith and that 't was as impossble that True Faith could be and yet not accompanied with Works as that a Brother or Sister naked and destitute of food would be relieved by a bare saying Be warm and filled and so we may reasonably conclude that though the Apostle's Doctrine touching Salvation through Faith and not of Works be true not only with respect to the exclusion of Works which were legal but others also acted in the will of man yet from thence it cannot justly be implyed as in the Objection that good works may be wanting to such as are saved and sin committed instead thereof We now come to take notice of this Scripture mentioned in the Objection viz. Jam. 3.2 That in many things we offend all This was spoken by the Apostle in relation to a state which was not free from sin but yet it cannot be inferred from thence that such a state is not attainable nay the Apostle's following words are in some measure an evidence against such a Construction for he thereby saith If any man offend not in Word the same is a Perfect Man which was needlesly spoken by him if that inoffensive State was Not attainable and if a Cessation from sin in that case was attainable why not in all others also And as to these words cited 1 John 1.8 If we say we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us we say as before to the words of the Apostle James that this also was spoken in relation to a State which was not free from sin but yet it cannot be inferred from thence that such a State of Freedom is not attainable and this sense is proveable to us from the very following words in the next verse If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness But if this satisfie not and that any should yet object that the Apostle's meaning touching the word Cleansing was but a cleansing from the Guilt and not from the Fact of unrighteousness To that this may in truth be answered that those who are cleansed from all unrighteousness are so cleansed by the Blood of Christ and such are born of God 1 Joh. 3.9 and of these the same Apostle saith Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin For his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God Which positive expression in relation to such a state as being born of God cannot admit of any other meaning though compared with other Scriptures in relation to the same state spoken of under other terms and therefore we conclude that these latter words cited out of John is a clear Evidence to prove the Interpretation signified in the Objection on the Apostle's words unsound viz. That the Blood of Christ cleanseth only from the Guilt and Not from the Act of sin so as to cease therefrom whilst on this side the Grave Especially if we consider that one of the Qualifications that the Apostle Peter expresly assigns to such whom he declares of to be cursed Children 2 Pet. 2.14 was this viz. that cannot cease from Sin and that also the condition spoken of by John on which a cleansing from all sin through the Blood of Christ comes to be witnessed was a walking in the Light even as Christ is in the light Read 1 John 1.7 Which cannot be witnessed but through a Cessation from Sin CHAP. IV. Touching Wisdom and Knowledge THe Apostle James tells us Jam. 3.17 There is a Wisdom from above this Wisdom may be taken to be that Wisdom Ephes 3.10 which Paul describes to be the Wisdom of God Jam. 3.15 and that there is a Wisdom which is not from above 2 Cor. 1.12 which may be taken to be the same wisdom which the Apostle Paul describes to be Fleshly and of this World 1 Cor. 3.19 The Apostle Paul also saith 1 Cor. 8.1 Knowledge puffeth up and yet 1 Tim. 2.4 Speaks of the Knowledge of the Truth As to the Wisdom that is not from above Jam. 3.14 15 16. James thus describes it If ye have Bitter Envying and Strife in your hearts Glory not and lye not against the Truth This Wisdom descendeth not from above but is Earthly Sensual Devilish For where Envying and Strife is there is confusion and every Evil Work But the Wisdom that is from above Jam. 3.17 he thus describes viz. 'T is first Pure then Peaceable Gentle and Easie to be intreated full of Mercy and Good Fruits without Partiality without Hypocracy But notwithstanding the Apostle hath so plainly described the Difference yet Experience tells us that Wisdom without Distinction is so much preacht against that many ignorant people are even set on float uttering their folly and confusion in a boasting self conceited spirit as if it were sufficient evidence that they are Good Christians and in the Feeling of the Power of God and Life of Christianity because they have confidence enough to cry against Wisdom
your Faith is Increased that we shall be enlarged by you according to our Rule abundantly not to boast in another mans Lines of things made ready to our Hands Hence t is evident those who keep to their own Measures follow Paul as they have him for an ensample and that those who hope and desire their Brethrens Conformity to their Lines before they have faith therein are of another Hope than Paul was who as is above recited thus said Having Hope when your faith is encreased that we shall be enlarg'd by your according to our Rule abundantly And so it plainly appears that Paul did not desire the Corinthians to walk by his Line until their faith was encreased otherwise they might become Proud Boasters of other mens Lines made ready to their Hands as many yea too to many at this day are I now come to consider of his 6th Section the Title whereof Page 47. is this viz. How far this Government doth extend in matters Spiritual and purely Conscientious in which the great question saith the afore-said Author is How far in such Cases the Church may give positive Orders or Rules How far her Authority reacheth or may be supposed to be binding and ought to be submitted to For the better clearing and examination of which he thus further saith It will be fit to consider First whether the Church of Christ have Power in any Cases that are Matters of Conscience to give a positive Sentence or Decision which may be Obligatory upon believers Secondly If so in what Cases and respect she may so do Thirdly Wherein consisteth the Freedom and Liberty of Conscience which may be exercised by the Members of the true Church diversly without Judging one another And lastly In whom the Power Decisive is in Case of Controversy and Contention in such Matters As to the first Whether the Church of Christ have Power in any Cases that are Matters of Conscience to give Positive Sentence or Decision which may be obligatory upon believers I answer affirmatively she hath And shall prove it from divers instances both from Scripture and Reason Thus far the aforesaid Author The force of R B's Reason I apprehend to be chiefly comprehended in or drawn from these his following words as by his writing Page 48 49. more at Large appears viz. That we being gathered together into the Belief of certain Principles and Doctrines through the force of Truth on our Understandings and Practices necessarily depending upon them these are as it were the Terms that have drawn us together and Bond by which we become center'd into one Body and Fellowship Yet saith he by a Marginal Note Not so the Bond but that we have also a more inward viz. the Life of Righteousness The Scripture proofs that he quotes are these Gal. 1.8 1 Tim. 1.19 20. 2 John 10. thus further adding These Scriptures are so plain and clear in themselves that they need no greater Exposition to the unbyased Reader My place now is to detect the impertinency of R. B's reason and to shew that he hath quoted Scriptures which are not to the purpose yet I cannot but first observe that since the main scop of his Treatise relating to this Matter both from Scripture and Reason tends as it were cheifly if not wholly to evidence that such Principles Doctrines and Practices necessarily depending thereon are the Bond by which we became centered into one Body and Fellowship is it not to be doubted that these kind of Termes have the greatest room on his Heart and the Marginal Description of a more inward Bond viz the life of Righteousness is but like the entertainment of Christ in the Manger But to proceed I do affirm the Belief of certain Principles and Doctrines though believed thorough the force of Truth on the Understanding and Practices necessarily depending upon them are not the very terms and Bond by which the Church of Christ at this day is become center'd into one Body though I do confess that Certain Principles Doctrines and Practices held and Practised in a pure Mind are the Fruit and Off-spring of that which is the Bond but the Very Bond they are not If they were how comes it to passe that to this day the Members of Christs Body which is his Church have not declared and agreed what and how many are those Principles and Doctrines and what are those Practices necessarily depending thereon that ought to be believed received and Practised by every member of the Church of Christ as that by which they are center'd into the Heavenly Fellowship of Christ's Body With confidence I may say that I never heard or understood of any such thing yet extant amongst the Church of Christ neither do I believe there is and doubtless if there was the aforesaid Author being a man to speak after the manner of men that is well read and not of a Mean capacity would have quoted it to free himself from the censure of such who may Justly say He hath left us in the dark how to know these Members who to use his own Language Page 49. cut themselves off from being Members by dissolving the very Bond by which they were linked to the Body Nay I may truly say That in the primitive dayes there were many believers who were found in Opposite Faiths and Practices witness those who Circumcised kept a Day abstain'd from flesh and others there were who believed and practised quite otherwise and yet we do not find that the Bond which Center'd them into the heavenly Fellowship of Christ's Body was broken for doubtless many of them under those Differing Faiths and Practices were of the number of such who were sanctifyed in Christ Jesus or at least in some measure sanctifying which is the description of a Member of Christ's Body according as the aforesaid Author himself doth in his Treatise signify and this is answerable to the Truth it self Read Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 8. For further Discovery of the Truth of what I have asserted 't is necessary to query What are the very Terms and Bond by which the Church of Christ is become centered into one Body The Answer is plain 'T is the Spirit according to Pauls Testimony 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one Spirit are we all Baptized into one Body Now the Baptism of the Spirit may be witnessed by such whose Integrity might lead them to Die for Truth but should they be Questioned by any one What are those Principles Doctrines and Practices you hold which were the very Terms by which you came to be Centered into Christs Body and which were the Cause that gathered you for so are his words Page 47. relating to Principles and Doctrines they would be ready thus to say What blind Questions dost thou bring forth in thy Carnal Sensual reasoning 'T was Gods Power and Spirit gathered us from amongst such as being out of the Life gloried in their owtward Fellowships Principles and Doctrines and by his Power Circumcised our Hearts
though the Apostle thus exhorted Little Children keep your selves from Idols yet thy Book touching Womens-Meetings c. very Scandalous to the Truth and worthy in several Particulars to be Judged and Condemned informs us as if Micah's Mother spoken of Judges 17. when she gave Money to make a Graven Image to be Worshipped was a Virtuous Woman for touching her thou hast thus written And Was not Micah's Mother a Virtuous Woman Read Judges 17. and see what she said to her Son And in a few Lines after thou thus testifyes These and such like Women are Recorded to Posterity for their Wisdom and Virtue See thy Book Pag. 43 44. Thirdly Though there are Endeavours to send Papers to and fro to bespatter John Story for going out of a Meeting when the Persecutors came yet I know that thou thy self hast been found in the like Action and if Reports be true the frequentest of any Man that ever I heard called by the Name of a Quaker And 't is to me a broad Signe that this would not have been omitted as a grand Article against him amongst others at Drawel hadst not thou been Guilty in the like Case Fourthly That though John Wilkinson and John Story are persecuted by such unto whom thy Papers seem a Strength because they will not Condemn themselves Yet I never heard that thou as yet hast ever given forth any Paper of Condemnation for the Errors thou hast Committed in writing the Book about Womens Meeeting c. or any thing else Though I cannot believe but that thou art Conscious to thy self that Truth is scandalized thereby unless so great Imagination hath entred thee as to conclude That all thy Words Writings and Actions are Right because they are brought forth through thy Earthly Vessel And to speak plain I must tell thee Thou art not free from giving Occasion to be Jealous that thou dost so conclude Else when I treated thee about the Business of Micha's Mother Why didst thou tell me as thou then didst viz. That thou knewest what thou didst and that Thou sawest 't would be a Stumbling-Block But rather on the Sight of thy Mistake have ingeniously confest the same for 't is an Abominable thing in thee or any Man knowingly to put Stumbling-Blocks in the Way of God's People And know this from me thou wilt never be able to wipe away the Reproach that lyes upon thee for writing that Book until thou Condemn and Judge thy self for many things therein contained And to be yet more plain When I do consider that the Reputation and Respect that hath been given unto thee by many if not most of those who in the Parts here-a-way were first convinced of Truth did first spring from the Testimony we had concerning thee from the Mouths of those whom we believed the Lord and not Thou sent forth to gather us it seems a very strange Thing and the Badge of a grand Apostacy That any of the surviving Remnant of those Antient Labourers being as sound in Doctrine and Principle and as blameless in their outward Lives and Conversation as in the Beginning and thereby manifesting themselves Stayed in the Unchangeable Truth should be Persecuted and rendred Offenders for that which Truth declares to be no Offence and yet thou so far from being a Reproof thereto that 't is evident to me from my Discourse had with thee at Swarthmore and other things that thou art become a Strength to them Hast thou forgotten that Truth was Preach't in the Beginning under the Name of the Vnchangeable Truth And Is the Day now come that a Remnant of the Antient Stock who bore the Brunt and Heat of the Day must now be Persecuted whenas I am satisfyed if they could but now run with others to Change their Way they might yet be esteemed Good Friends Hast thou forgotten how often the Testimony of the Ancient Brethren were on this wise We Preach not our selves look not unto us but unto the Appearance of Christ in your selves And yet one Cause Assigned by thee that John VVilkinson and John Story are wrong is their not Coming to thee and by the sixty six Subscribers at Ellis Hook's Chamber in London their not Coming to Them Truly those who have received their Ministry from God are not to run hither and thither at thy Call or any man's Call whatsoever though I do know thou hast in a Letter written to me Assigned their not coming to Thee when thou send'st for them to be as a Proof that they were not Right nor in the Light and Power of God But by what Authority or according to what Principle of Truth Men called of God into the Work of the Ministry must be declared to be not right nor in the Light and Power of God because they come not to Thee when thou sendest for them I understand not for thou in thy best Estate wast but a Member of the Christ of God unto whom we are all to come when he calls And if any shall Affirm that thou hast and dost retain thy place yet in that Case Thou canst be but a fellow-servant accountable unto the Christ of God as every Member of the Body whereof Christ is Head is Hast thou forgotten how Thou hast Testified against James Naylor's Spirit whose great fall was his owning or at least not Reproving the Women when they Cryed with a Carnal Tongue Hosanna to him And hast Thou no Sense that its gross Ignorance and thick Darkness for any to look upon Thee as that Prophet whom the Lord by his Servant Moses Prophesied he would raise up like unto him whom the People are to hear in all things I cannot believe thou art Ignorant that such there are who so Look on thee and I never understood thou becamest a Reproof to this Spirit Hast thou no Sense that the same Spirit of Ignorance hath and can look upon that abominable Quotation touching Micahs Mother as well enough which where-ever it is doth undoubtedly Spring from this that 't is George's giving forth and so there must be something in it And hast Thou not been desired to Clear things of this Nature and to be a Reproof to such Ignorance and Darkness which tends to lead us into Egypt again I am the man who have Cause to be Jealous that there are some who look upon others either Apostatizing from the Truth or standing in slippery Places when they find not a more than ordinary Respect for thee I will not say an Hosanna in their Breasts as the Women had in their Mouths for James Naylor and therefore I cannot but say it might well become thee by a plain Testimony to Clear things of this Nature Many for Truth 's sake and out of an indeared Respect for thee in particular and a Hope that these little Differences amongst Friends might pass over and that thou wouldest use the Interest thou hast in the Hearts of the Professors of Truth to quell those many little Commotions which seemed some
Moneths and Years past but as sparks of Fire have born in a Spirit of Patience yet now since it is evident that Ignorance Envy and Zeal without Knowledge Joyn Hands together to make War against Gods Servants and that thy Papers seem a Strength thereto therefore is the Zeal of the Lord of Hosts kindled to War in Righteousness against that Ungodly Insinuating Spirit that makes it its business to bespatter John Story and John Wilkinson whereby the Simple-hearted may be in danger to be turned out of the Way 'T is unnatural amongst the Heathen for the Father to pierce and Wound his Children Oh Friend Consider of that If thou art the Head and chief Promoter of this War against the Antient Brethren appear like a Man of War open-faced and if thou art not Remove the Jealousies that have entred the Breasts of many concerning thee which I know not how may be better done than by a plain and Candid Answer to this and the last Letter I writ thee which I was constrained to write to Clear my Conscience but thy not Answering my last Letter shews plainly to me that thou canst not in Truth so Answer as to keep thy self from coming under the just Censure of Truth for several Things which I therein say are reported concerning thee I know are True And if such things are Crimes in others How comes it to pass that the like are not Crimes when committed by thee And therefore since such things have been accounted by those whom thy Papers seem a Strength to as Crimes I cannot tell how thou canst shew thy self at Unity with them or they with thee till by thine or their Repentance and Condemnation ye become Reconciled For otherwise either they will shew themselves Wrong or thou wilt appear as if in thy own Sense Thou wert Exempted from the Stroke of that Justice which in the same Case is prescribed for others And truly Friend 't is much taken notice of that All Reasoning and All Wisdom is preach't against of late Who would but think that such Men esteem all sorts of Ignorance and Unreasonableness to be Vertue For my part I measure not so yet this measure I take That when I find such an one to use Wisdom and Reason to evidence a Good Cause I cannot but conclude Such an ones Cause is stark Nought when his best Argument to evidence it to be Good is to cry out against All Wisdom and All Reasoning Such an Argument I have not known to convince Men of Conscience and Wisdom though some such have or may be of whom Solomon thus speaks How long ye Simple Ones will ye love Simplicity and Fools hate Knowledge Turn ye at my Reproof One other Shift I have of late also observed as a Practice to manifest a Bad Cause to be Good viz. To get a Multitude of Hands to vilify Antient Brethren when not heard to speak for themselves as that Paper signed by Sixty-Six Persons at Ellis Hook's Chamber against John Wilkinson and Jonn Story doth evidence For 't is not Reasonable to conclude 'T was given forth with respect to any Offence but such as hath been committed since the Meeting at Drawel because they have been once Condemned already for the Things there treated on And therefore I cannot but say Here the Arm of Flesh and Egyptian Darkness meet together and the Lord hath a Controversy with those who are guilty hereof and the Blood of the Deceived thereby may be required at their Hands Oh! This Sin cryes aloud in the Ears of the Lord of Hosts thus to endeavour the Defamation of God's Servants under fair plausible Pretences of Love and Brokenness or such like when so much Gall and Bitterness of Spirit appears in the Bottom that Men of Understanding and Conscience cannot joyn thereto To be short Things are brought to that pass amongst us that those who contend for the Antient Principles of Truth and to walk according to the Measure of Grace received are now accounted Bad Spirits by such whom thy Papers seem a Strength to though the Cause thereof is nothing but Matters relating to their Consciences and not any thing of Evil Conversation By which 't is easily to be discerned that Darkness is over-shadowing again and the Glorious Light vailing And though 't is said by some That the Simple-honest-hearted Joyn in and so makes as if the rest were but Chaff that are in the Jealousies and the Reasonings and the Wisdom I have this Faith That there are Hundreds of God's Antient Flock who have retained their First Love are those they call the Chaff and many of those who are accounted the Wheat are such Chaff-Spirited People who had they not Outward Props to lean upon and Outward Persons to have an Eye unto and Outward Papers wherein they think their Cause is pleaded would quickly lose their Confidence being Built upon the Foundation that is Sandy and not on the Christ of God for were their Faith in Him their Faith would not stand in Man or Men And this with many with whom Right Reason takes place and the Wisdom from Above is known is plainly discerned Outward Forms and Precedents eyeing others under the Notion of the Brethren is so much discours't on of late by some ignorant Persons that 't is but too evident that the great Difference amongst Friends is about Outward Things and Ceremonies wherein some appear like People contending about the Shell and lose the Kirnel Which occasions me to tell thee That when I have heard thee Preach against Austin the Monk's bringing into England a Snap-Sack of Ceremonies which I have at many Meetings heard from thee I then little thought I should ever see the Day wherein thou shouldst appear a Countenancer of such who fall out with Antient Friends about Outward Orders and Prescriptions but rather would have appeared a Strength to such who contend that their Order for Gospel-Discipline ought to spring from Truth within themselves For that was the undoubted Sense of those Honourable Brethren who knew a Travel of Spirit for the Gathering of those who in the Beginning of this latter Day were gathered as a sort of First Fruits unto God though some others coming in at the Eleventh Hour of the Day and seeming as Countenanced by thee appear of another Language I have this further to add That if thou wouldst be acquitted in the Breasts of all Friends As a Man that art not a Countenancer of such Contentious-Spirited Men ' that appear as the Beginners and Carriers on of this War 't is needful for thee to satisfy Friends whether thou dost own all the Forty-Four Articles drawn up against John Wilkinson and John Story Thy Example of sending thy Questions abroad to be ask't of other Friends manifests that 't is reasonable in another Friend to expect an Answer from Thee But yet I have sufficient Cause to doubt thou wilt not be so plain as to Answer the Question because I cannot believe but that thy Understanding