Truth Ascended OR The Annointed and Sealed of God defended IN AN ANSWER Written by Richard Farnsworth AS A TESTIMONY AGAINST A Conterfeit Commission And all Injustice and false Judgement done and pronounced under pretence of the same LONDON Printed in the Year 1663. Truth ascended or the Annointed and sealed of God defended c. Lodowick Muggleton THough thou pretend to be the chosen Witness of the Spirit and the last that ever shall speak by Commission from God and to be the chief Judge in the World ordained of God to give sentence upon men and women spiritual and eternal and what shall become of them after death and saist That in obedience to thy Commission thou hast already cursed and damned many hundreds of people both body and soul from the presence of God elect men and Angels to Eternity and pretend'st to go by as certain Rule in so doing as the Judges of the Land do when they give Judgement according to Law and saist That no infinite Spirit of Christ nor any God can or shall be able to deliver from thy sentence and curse c. as appears in a Sheet of paper dated Aug. 10. 1662. written by thee in answer to Edward Bourns to Dorothy Carter and also four sheets dated Novemb. 3. 1662. written by thee and directed to Thomas Highfield in Nottingham for Samuel Hooton and W. S. I am bold on the behalf of the Lord once again to bear my Testimony against thee and against thy pretended Commission and the Doctrine thereof and shall make it appear that it ought not to be entertained by any man or woman upon earth because it is contrary to truth and that thy judgment ought by all to be reversed undone and made void because it is contrary to truth and that thy judgement ought by all to be reversed undone and made void because it is erroneous and false for thou art no chosen Witnesse of the Spirit of Truth neither hast thou received any Commission from Christ to whom all the Prophets gave witnesse as hereafter appears 1. That there were chosen Witnesses of Christ to whom all the Prophets gave witnesse is certainly true Acts 10.38 39 40 41. Acts 5.31 32. Acts 1.8 2. That they had a Commission from Christ to whom all the Prophets gave witness or that he Commanded them to preach to the people is as true Acts 10.42 But that thou either art or dost so I do deny 3. They who were chosen Witnesses of Christ whom God the Father annointed sealed and sent and had a Commission from the Spirit and Power of Christ to whom all the Prophets gave witness in testifying on the behalf of Christ their Testimony stands as an evidence against thy pretended Commission and the Doctrine thereof because they say on the behalf of Christ that he commanded them to preach to the people and to testifie to them that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead Acts 10.42 To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Acts 10.43 But thou dost not so by thy pretended Commission and the Doctrine thereof who instead of preaching to the people and testifying to them that Christ is chief Judge ordained of God to judge the quick and the dead thou wouldst dis-throne him to set up thy self in his stead whereby it appears That thou art not a chosen Witness of the Spirit of Truth and that thy pretended Commission is a counterfeit thing by which thou presumes to give judgement contrary to Truth which makes it evident That thy doctrine and judgement is false and being so it ought not to be entertained or received by any but to be denied and against testified by all that love the Lord Jesus 4. By their Commission they were to preach to the people and by the same Commission and the Doctrine thereof they were to testifie to them that Christ was ordained of God to be the Judge both of quick and dead but thou art not Christ to whom all the Prophets gave witness therefore it is evident that thou art not chief Judge ordained of God to judge the quick and the dead though thou presume to say that the dead after death shall never see any other God or Judge but the remembrance of that sentence which you the pretended Witnesses of the Spirit did pass upon them in this life which is a false Doctrine and contrary to the Doctrine of Truth left upon record in Scripture where it is said That the Father hath given authority to the Son to execute judgement and all that are in the grave shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation as it is written John 5.26 27 28 29. and Christ shall give judgement upon them Matth. 25.31 32 33 34.41.46 And as thou wouldst exclude Christ from that great office and work and assume it to thy self so thou wouldst exclude his Officers and deny him of them to set up thy self alone in their places and stead because thou falsly saith No man knows the Scriptures but thy self and that no man can truly interpret the Scriptures but thy self and that none ought to officiate the Office of a Minister Messenger or Ambassador of Christ but such as are appointed by John Reeves and thy self which assertions or doctrines of thine are false and not true for this I say That the only knowledge and right of interpreting Scriptures belongs not to thy self but to the Lord Jesus and his blessed Spirit who is the true Judge and hath power to open mens understandings and can give them the true knowledge and right understanding of Scriptures Luke 24 32. 24.45 And the Gospel is preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven as it is written 1 Pet. 1.11 12. and the holy Ghost hath a true power and right Authority without John Reeves and thy self to make overseers over the Flock of God to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Acts 20.28 and to appoint Ministers Messengers or Ambassadors of Christ and to call to the work of the Ministry Acts 13.2 4. And they who by the Holy Ghost are called to the Work of the Ministry may with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven preach the Gospel without the appointment of John Reeves and thy self Take notice of that for as every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God if any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God if any man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ as it is written and left upon Record in Scripture 1 Pet. 4 10 11. 5. The chosen Witnesses of Christ who had a Commission
11.3 by what hath been said as aforementioned meant and intended so likewise it is evident That thou Lodowick art not the other of them two Witnesses because it is said of them that in order to the finishing of their Testimony They should prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes clothed in sackcloth Rev. 11.3 But when didst thou so And it is said concerning them That if any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies and if any man will hurt them he must in that manner be killed Rev. 11.5 These have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the days of their Prophesie and have power over waters to turn them into blood Rev. 11.6 But when didst thou prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore days in sack cloth And when did fire proceed out of thy mouth to kill any And when didst thou shut up the heavens that it did not rain during the time of thy pretended prophesie Or when didst thou turn the waters into blood whereby it might have been made manifest that thou hadst been one of them who couldst manifest no such thing by thy pretended Commission and the greatness of thy pretended power Whereby it is manifest that thou art not one of those Witnesses And seeing thou pretends a new Commission which is not owned by the Scriptures or by the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles saist Thou hast received power since to the contrary to vindicate thy cursing and damning When was the new Covenant and Ministry of the Gospel changed Or how canst thou make it appear by the Scriptures that it is not so seeing thou pretends a contrary Commission to what the Scriptures or the Doctrine of Christ his Apostles do own And it is said concerning Christ and the new Covenant that he hath obtained a more excellent Ministry then that of the old Covenant by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises Heb. 8.6 7 8 9 10 11 12. And because he continueth for ever he hath an unchangeable Priesthood or Ministry wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him because he ever liveth to make intercession for them as it is written Heb. 7.24 25. And if none ought to officiate the office of a Minister Messenger or Ambassador of Christ but such as are appointed by John Reeves and thy self as thou saist wouldst not thou have the Ministry changed now during thy life and wouldst not thou have the Ministry of the Gospel to cease and dye at thy death because thou saist Thou art the last that ever shall speak by Commission from God and that the Lord will never chuse any more after thee whilst the world doth endure And it is evident That thou wouldst have such a Ministry as the Scriptures no where own and quite contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and not at all owned by the New-Covenant and Ministry of the Gospel 1. Because those who are appointed by John Reeves and thy self to officiate the office of a Minister Messenger or Ambassador of Christ are such as are not chosen of God to that Work 2. Those that are appointed by John Reeves and thy self to the Work of the Ministry are such as have no commission from God to impower them to officiate the office of a Minister Messenger or Ambassador of Christ and are therefore very unfit for so great and glorious a Work 3. They are such as are never like to have any Commission from God to impower them to the Work of the Ministry whilst the World doth endure and that according to thy own doctrine 4. They are such as know not the Scriptures neither can they truly interpret the Scriptures and that according to thy own sayings Because for proof thereof thou saist That thou art the chosen Witness of the Spirit and the last that ever shall speak by Commission from God Then not those that are appointed by John Reeves and thy self they neither have nor are not like to have any commission from God to impower them to the work of the Ministry thou hast excluded them from that by thy pretended commission and the Doctrine thereof Take notice of that And thou saist That God will never chuse any more after thee whilst the world doth endure If so then God will never chuse those that are appointed by John Reeves and thy self Therefore they are no fit Ministers Messengers or Ambassadors of Christ that are appointed by John Reeves and thy self First Because they are not chosen of God to that Work nor ever like to be whilst the World doth endure Secondly Because they have no commission from God to impower them to so great and glorious a Work And thirdly Because according to thy doctrine they are never like to have any commission from God to impower them whilst the World doth endure to officiate the office of Ministers Messengers or Ambassadors of Christ and there is no need for them to officiate the office aforesaid after the end of the world Mind how thou art confuted And thou saist No man knows the Scriptures but thy self nor no man can truly interpret the Scriptures but thy self if so then not those that are appointed by John Reeves and thee to the Work of the Ministry if none ought to officiate the office of a Minister Messenger or Ambassador of Christ but such as are appointed by John Reeves and thy self And seeing that those whom you appoint are not fit for that Work thou hast as much as in thee lieth excluded all the Ministers Messengers and Ambassadors of Christ from the work of the Ministry take notice of that And all may behold thy presumption folly and how thou art confuted ensnared and taken in thy own craftiness at which thou maist blush for evermore be ashamed of Silence deceit and Deceiver let truth stop thy mouth and all such Tit. 1.11 By what hath been said it is evident and remains certainly true 1. That John Reeves and Lodowick Muggleton are not the two Witnesses spoken of Rev. 11.3 neither are they in any thing like unto them 2. That the New-Covenant which Christ Jesus is the Mediator of is establish'd upon better promises then the old Covenant was 3. That That the Ministry of the Gospel is a more excellent Ministry 4. That the Priesthood of Christ or the Ministry of the Gospel is an unchangeable Priesthood or Ministry 5 That Christ the Saints High Priest Mediator of the New-covenant is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him because he ever liveth to make intercession for them 6. That none who are appointed by John Reeves and Lodowick Muggleton ought to officiate the office of a Minister Messenger or Ambassador of Christ because all who are appointed by John Reeves and Lodowick Muggleton to the Work of the Ministry are very unfit
altogether just they were commanded to follow Deut. 16.20 But thou dost not so 1. Consider then that thou hast not only done injustice both in the eye of the Law and of the Lord but also thou hast done the same by colour of office First in the eye of the Law thou hast done it because thou presumes to pass the sentence of Death upon the bodies of men and women as a pretended Judge and hast no certain outward known Laws as a rule of Direction to guide thee in the ways of right Justice to give judgement upon them nor can produce no commission to put any known Law in execution or impower thee so to do and are therefore no competent Judge in that matter And secondly injustice in the eye of the Lord thou hast done and also by colour of office under pretence of chief Judge in the world and by a pretended commission of the Spirit pretended to be received from a God without thee that spake thou saist by voice of words to the hearing of the ear 2. Consider the nature of thy offence how far it extends it self and that is to pass the sentence of eternal death and damnation both upon the bodyes and souls of men and women and that to Eternity 3. Consider that thy injustice done by colour of office deserves to have a punishment proportionable to the offence and can the offence in the eye of the Lord be any less then sin against the Holy Ghost because thou hast pretended to do it in the Name of the Holy Ghost and so wouldst make the holy Ghost the Author of thy offence which it is not And seeing thou art guilty of sin against the holy Ghost there is a punishment already proportioned for such an offence and also thou art punishable by the Law of the Land for presuming under pretence of a commission and as a Judge to pass the sentence of death upon the bodies of men and women and pretends to go by as certain a rule in so doing as the Judges of the Land do when they give Judgement according to Law which thou hast no cognizance or right unto neither hast thou done so as before I have proved and I had not medled with the outward Laws of the Land but that I have such a pretended chief Judge to deal with to shew him his folly and injustice done by colour of office as I have done thee which thou Lodowick maist for ever be ashamed of for presumptuously doing as thou hast done who hast also erred in thy judgement and hast given it contrary to truth and against the Law of the Land And it 's said That if any Judgement be given contrary to the points of the great Charter it shall be undone and holden for nought 25 Ed. 1 2. and by a Statute made Anno 25. Ed. 3. it is declared That if any thing be done against the Law it shall be redressed and holden for none as thine is and is therefore reversed undone and holden for nought Take notice of that And whereas thou saist That in obedience to thy Commission thou hast already cursed and damned many hundreds of people both soul and body to eternity I say the greater is thy presumption and sin who hast no Right nor Authority to do the same thy judgement is contrary to truth and is against the Law of God and the Law of the Land and is therefore reversed and holden for none as aforesaid Whereas thou saist That no infinite spirit of Christ nor any God can or shall be able to deliver from thy sentence and curse I say That is false or no less then blasphemy and there is a punishment due to the nature of the offence Thou hast hereby denied Christ as he is the Advocate with the Father and the propitiation for the sins of the whole World 1 John 2.1 2. What a miserable condition art thou in And how great is thy sin of presumption and folly Wouldst thou have the great King of Heaven the Lord who is a great God and a King above all Gods Psal 95.3 and Christ Jesus who is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth Rev. 1.5 to commit their whole power solely to thee who may abuse it as thou hast done under pretence of a Commission and reserve no power in the Eternal God-head to pardon offences committed against them and preserve and save poor penitent offendors by shewing mercy unto them and forgiving of them And wouldst thou have no power reserved in the Eternal Godhead to correct and punish thee and such as thou art for abusing the Power and People of God as thou hast done Wouldst thou make the Eternal Power and Godhead inferior to the Kings of the Earth Do not they reserve a pardoning and punishing power in themselves besides what they give to their Judges by their commission But notwithstanding thy pretended Commission false Judgement and Doctrine This I affirm on the behalf of the Lord and the Eternal God-head That there is a pardoning and a punishing power in them reserved beyond thy pretended Commission First as to the pardoning power it is declared by them that were sent of the Lord God and his Spirit saying Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous his thoughts and let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God and he will abundantly pardon Seeing it is so it remains certainly true that there is a pardoning power reserved and remains in the Eternal God-head and it also remains true That the unrighteous and wicked upon the forsaking of their evil thoughts and wicked ways and returning to the Lord according to his requirings are objects of mercy and pardonable as aforesaid which is contrary to thy false doctrine and judgement Secondly As to the pardoning power that remains in the God-head is manifested in Christ whom God the Father hath exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of sins and we are his Witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him Acts 5.31 32. Thirdly Christ Jesus who is the chief Judge ordained of God to judge the quick and the dead Acts 10.40 41 42. he hath manifested the pardoning power that remains with the God-head by shewing of mercy and forgiving offences The Scribes and the Pharisees sought an occasion against him because he was merciful and forgave sins and they took a woman-sinner and brought her to Christ and set her in the midst First They brought her before Christ and set her as an offender before the Judge Secondly They accused her unto him of the act of Adultery John 8.1 2 3 4. Thirdly They pleaded both Law and Fact to make their case good and to have shut up Christ's mercy and compassion against her to have moved him to give judgment upon her who it's like thought he could not otherwise have done