Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	know_v	scripture_n	speak_v	7,222	5	4.9707	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86649	The fiery darts of the divel quenched; or, Something in answer to a book called, a second beacon fired, presented to the Lord Protector, and the Parliament, and subscribed by Luke Fawne, John Rothwel, Samuel Gellibrand, Thomas Underhill, Joshua Kirton, Nathaniel Web. Wherin, their lies and slanders are made manifest against the innocent, and those books which have been published by them they call Quakers, owned and vindicated, and all the rest which is in that book disowned, and their deceite laid open; how they have perverted the truth and our words in those books which they cry out of as blasphemy, that the truth may not suffer under the reproach of the heathen. / By one who is a witnesse for the truth against Gog and Magog, called after the flesh, Francis Howgil. Also something in answer to a booke called a voice from the Word of the Lord, by one John Griffith, against us, whom the world calls Quakers, wherein his false accusations is denied, and he proved to be a slanderer, and the truth cleared from his scandals. By one who is a witnesse against the deceits of the world, called Edward Burrough.	Howgill, Francis, 1618-1669.; Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662.	1654 (1654)	Wing H3159; Thomason E817_16; ESTC R207383	23,227	35

hear his voice and a strangerthey will not hear I answer They that are of God do owne the writings of all the servants of Christ but many may professe their words as the Pharisees did the Prophets words and as thou dost now and yet not bee of God but children to the divel but that our conceits are fleshly I do deny thee for all conceits of the flesh wee deny and beares witnesse against and it shall stand for thy owne condition and thy voice is the voice of a stranger and they that are of God will not follow it though thou bring the Saints words in thy mouth as the divel did unto Christ yet in the light of Christ thou art seene and comprehended and from the light of Christ answered and by it judged to be without the life of those scriptures which thou speaks of and they are from thee but as an empty sound And whereas thou cites many more Scriptures which are exhortations of the Apostles to the Church and exhorts thy Bretheren with them to vvhich I Ansvver as before The Scriptures I doe ovvne but to thee thou envious man they doe not belong for as in this thy vvriting thou art proved a lier and a scorner and a slanderer and a false accuser and a blasphemer out of thy ovvne mouth be a vvitnesse against thy selfe and let all thy vvhole assembly beare vvitnesse against thee that the Scriptures vvhich vvere spoken to the Saints vvho vvalked in the light and had denyed ungodliness doth not belong unto thee vvho art an hater of the light and lives in the pollutions of the vvorld but the Scriptures vvhich vvill surely be fulfilled upon thee the wicked shal be turned into hel and the lier shal have his portion in the lake and he that works abomination is to be troden in the winepresse of the wrath of God without the City and such like And now somthing in answer to something in the Epistle to the Reader whereas thou and the rest of you there say although the light hath appeared yet there is a generation of men in the world that doe hate the light and endeavour to put it out crying against the scriptures of truth it s a dead letter and against the forme of doctrine therein contained To which I answer It is true the light hath appeared Christ who is the light lightneth every one that comes into the world which light hath appeared in every mans conscience and there is a generation which hates the light and you are of that generation which say every man hath not the light and calls the light of Christ thick darknesse and endeavors to put it out and here you have read your owne condition though you make a large profession of the Scriptures which is not the light but words declared from the light as the Jewes did professe the prophets words but persecuted Christ and spoke against him who was the light and substance of the prophets words and if you know any who cries against the scripture and against the doctrine therin contained with you we cry and declare against such for the scripture we owne in its place to be a true declaration of God of Christ and of the saints conditions but they are not the light but Christ is the light as themselves bear witness nor are they the saints guide but he spirit that gave them forth as they themselves bear testimony neither was the scriptures given forth to give your own imaginations and suppositions upon but they themselves are doctrine and are as they speak he that hath the same spirit which speaks them forth reads them and understands them and none else and whereas thou saist lest that simple plaine meaning men should be kept in Babels darkness or the enlightned fall into the errour of the wicked for that reason your book came to publick view I answer Truly you are deceived who think to gaine into your form the simple plain meaning men by lies and false slanders and false accusation who are simple and plain unto God wil discern your deceits and how falsly you have accused the innocent and wil see you your selves to be in Babels darkness and who walks in the light wherwith they are lightned wil see you to be in the errour of the wicked and out of the truth and it is well for the truths sake that your book came forth that thereby your filthiness and deceitfulness and enviousness might be laid open to the simple And truly I say unto you you have and wil miss of your end in putting forth this book of yours and whereas you say you shall be willing at any time to vindicate every conclusion therein contained against any that shall oppose I answer I challenge you all in this particular to prove those accusations which you have laid to our charge whom you call Quakers in many particulars which before I have demanded what they are is before spoken of and whereas you say you account that light within not witnessed by the scripture without which some so much talke of to be deep darkness I answer if you know any who speake of any light which the Scripture doth not witnesse of we with you freely declares against such and such a light is darkness but the light of Christ which we speak of which hath lightned every one that cometh into the world I hope you are not so impudent but you wil acknowledge that the scriptures speaks of this light and dare not deny but that the scripture witnesses that Christ is the light of the world for as I said we freely give way and desires that all might search the scripture whether these things be not so as we declare And whereas you say and exhort to let the Scripture be the rule of faith and practice I Answ Here you would alwaies keep people in darkeness under your teaching and would make void the new Covenant which is the Law written in the heart and the spirit of the Lord put in the inward parts to be the rule and guide of the Saints for who walkes by the rule without them and teaches men so to do would make void the Covenant of life and peace where the teacher is not removed into a corner which teacher all that have faith and an holy conversation do witnesse which teaches not contrary to what the Scripture speaks but is a teaching fulfilling of the Scripture and an establishing of it though thou and many may professe the teaching of the Scripture and may in your own wills conform unto it in the outward appearance as the Pharisees did and yet be but Hypocrites and deceived as they were and I say againe that faith was before the Scripture was written which faith is declared of in the Scripture which faith comes as is manifested by hearing of the word Preached which word is even in the mouth and in the heart if you have an ear you may hear now I advise you all in the name of the Lord to cease striving and contending against the truth for verily the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands will dash your image of many mixtures to peices and it falling upon you wil grinde you to powder and your conforming the outward man to an outward thing and teaching men so to doe and limiting and tying the Holy one to a visible thing wil not cover you in the day of the Lord nay verily though concerning the Scripture without you may walk blamelesse yet one thing will be found lacking even the crosse of Jesus Christ by which all sin is crucified in them who walks in it and I say unto you that your covering is too narrow and it will not hide your secret parts for in the eternall light of Christ you are seen and comprehended your beginning your time and your end for though you have the Scriptures and Jewish like walkes up in the outward appearance of them crying the ordinances and Churches are ye yet your praise is of men and not of God for you are enemies to the life of the Scriptures as is made appear by your many lies and slanders against us which you have uttered and I say returen your minds every one within to that in your own consciences which reproves you in secret for your secret iniquities it wil let you see where your hearts are and how far they are mortified to the world and the love of it and this light wherewith every one of you is lightned is the light of Christ and it is the Lords true witnesse and shall witnesse for him eternally against all whose deeds are evil who walk in disobedience of it and all who love it and walk in it it leads unto Christ and into all purity and holinesse and uprightness of heart towards God and man and this light leads unto justification all them who are taught by it and here is your teacher loving it and your condemnation eternally continuing to hate it And thus I have answered your booke and the truth is witnessed and many false lies and false accusations denied and testified against and thus I rest waiting for an answer to clear your self if you be able of those things which I have denied from you which you have charged upon us for God is my witnesse this I do desire that truth may be made manifest and imbraced and deceit and errour discovered and denied

speaks in thee but the voyce of the Divil and the Serpent which speaks from thee fleshly minded we are not but are redeemed out of it and our mindes are changed and are Spiritual and 't is the Spirit of the living God seales unto us and witnesses in us and here thou art of thy Father the old Dragon an accuser of the Bretheren but it is God that justifies and who art thou that condemns and this thy speech is seene and comprehended which thou hast directed to us and it is judged by the spirit of true judgment to be a false accusation and a lie and not the word of the Lord and into the lake amongst the false Prophets thou art to be turned who useth thy tongue when the Lord never spake to thee and thou saiest we looke upon the Institution of Christs Supper with a fleshly and carnal eye because wee say that the bread and wine which Christ commanded his Disciples to eate and to drinke is carnall I Answer The bread and wine is visible and carnal and fleshly and not Spiritual nor Eternal and in the eternall light by the Spiritual eye of God opened in us we see them and do owne that it was a command of Christ to stand for its time and no more but a carnal figure of a spiritual thing and the spiritual thing being the substance bearing witnesse the figure is denyed and declared against and thou and thy generation who art acting in those things by tradition tying and limiting God to a visible thing that without it no salvation art in the sorcerie and witchraft and an enemie to the substance for Christ never since he was sacrifised brake of the bread or dranke of the cup with his Disciples but new in his Fathers kingdome and thou who art in the carnal figure acting those things without the injoyment of Christ art sensual and by the light of Christ is to be condemned and juged with the world who art without God and without the injoyment of Christ in the beggerly rudiments of the world thou saist O fleshly minded men whom the God of this world hath blinded because you believe not and thou sayst thus saith the Lord and speaks the Prophet Mal. words to which I answer this again I do deny the God of the world is cast out and the eye is opened through judgment and our fleshly minds are judged and in the Name of Jesus we do believe and our belief in him hath purified our hearts to the praise of the living God who hath wrought all our works in us and for us do I speake without boasting and here againe I charge it upon thee that thou art a slanderer and a false accuser and let shame cover thee who professes thy selfe to be a teacher of others who thy selfe is not taught of the Lord but steals Malachies words and speaks them to us in thine own imaginations and calls it the word of the Lord the Lord is against thee thou false prophet who prophesies lies in his name and that which thou speaks to us is thy owne condition and that which shall come upon thine own head for a child of disobedience thou art and thy eye is blinded by the God of this world and whereas thou saiest wee are spiritually proud that give forth our selves to bee some great ones and wee say wee are Apostles and are not but are found liers proud Pharisees hypocrites that say wee are just holy humble and the poor sinful publicans are more justified then wee I answer proud wee are not our God shall judge between thee and us in this thing for wee have nothing but what wee have freely received from him and that we give forth our selves to be great ones here thou art a lier and a false accuser again this we have said and do yet again declare that we were moved of the Lord of heaven and earth to come to declare his mind and his truth in this City but this is no boasting and by that same spirit which was in the Apostles were wee moved and are guided and by no other but who hath found us liers since wee came I challenge you and all thy sect to prove one lie that wee have uttered or else let shame cover thee and let thy mouth be stopped and let thy owne heart condemne thee to be found the lier thy selfe and this we testifie against thee and all the world that by Jesus and in him are wee made holy just and humble he is made these things in us and for us and the publican state is witnessed by us who have passed through the figure and parable into the life and substance and whereas thou saist wee that boast of our light within and faith thus saith the Lord and brings Christs words I answer this is another lie wee doe not boast of our light within but vvee vvitnesse it to bee within us and to have enlightned every one that comes into the vvorld vvhich thou and thy generation denies and so vvould make Christ a lier and the Scripture a lie but against you all with all the vvorld vve beare testimony and the Father beares vvitnesse with us that every man that comes into the world is lightned by the light of Christ which teaches all that love it into righteousnesse but condemns them that hate it wherof thou art one who utters forth thy lies and slanders and false accusations against the innocent and that Scripture John 9. we owne and do witnesse to be fulfilled in us by the coming of Christ hee which did see is blind and hee which was blind now sees and while wee did see our sin remained but being blind wee have no sinne but this to thee and to thy spirit is a mystery sealed and never to be known in that nature and wisdome and here againe thou hast used thy tongue false Prophet like and must receive a false prophets reward And whereas thou saist if Christ had not spoke to us in his word we had had no sin but now wee have no cloak for our sinne I answer Christs words we owne but here thou art made manifest to all to be an adder to the Scripture in his word this thou hast added false Prophet-like and therefore the Lord will adde his plagues unto thee as the Scripture saith bee ashamed and blush thy folly and wickednesse is made manifest who is not ashamed to carry on thy designe to adde to Christs words And whereas thou saiest wee do not only neglect the weightier matters of the law but the law it selfe teaching men so to doe for wee said that the Scripture is not the rule of faith and conversation as one of us taught Sept. 27. in thy hearing and many others that will witnesse it I answer here I challenge thee to prove that thou hast spoken and all thy witnesses which thou speakes of oh thou lier be ashamed to forge such lies and declare them in writing for truth we neglect not the

weightier matters of the law nor the law nor teach any so to do all that ever heard us wil bear witnesse against thee and they though our enemies shal witnesse for us and against thee in this thing for we declare the everlasting Gospel which is the fulfilling of the law and this we declare that the law must have its operation through before the Gospel be witnessed and one of thy owne society said to us wee had preached the law and brought men to understand it from grace now let all take notice of the confusion you live in and let your owne hearts condemne you and the light in your owne consciences convince you that you are in Babylon and in confusion and are no true Church of Christ where all are of one heart and one mind and this againe I affi●me as before I did in thy hearing that the Scripture is not the Saints rule but the Spirit which gave forth the Scripture as the Scripture it self witnesses Rom. 8. Faith was before the Scripture was and therfore the Scripture is not the ground of it but a declaration of it and no other faith we owne but the faith which Abel had and which Moses had which was when no Scripture was written and that we own to be the rule of our conversation which they walked by the immediate spirit of God which was before the Scripture was written and all you who professe the Scripture to be your rule your own rule shal testifie against you when the eternal God judges you and they vvho vvitness that to bee their rule which gave forth the Scripture walkes up in the life of the Scripture more then you all and you are proved to be but the Jew outward who bosts of the Ordinances from the letter but persecutes them by slanders and false reproaches who witnesse the substance and your praise is only of men and not of God and the same woe which thou pronounces upon us wil fall upon thy owne head for this thy grievous slander that we neglect the law and teach men so to do and whereas thou brings many Scriptures and saith thus saith the Lord I answer the Scriptures we owne and by that spirit which speaks them forth wee witnesse them to be true and they are ours and though you say they are the savour of death to us that perish yet thou art found a lier for wee are saved out of the perishing state and death is destroyed through death and thou hast diminished through faith from that Scripture 2 Tim. 3. 15. false prophet like againe and so art both an adder and a diminisher and thou maist read thy portion in Rev. 22. 18 19. and whereas thou saiest know this thou perverter of the right way of God thou shalt bee judged by the word of Christ spoke I answer here thou sets the Scripture in the roome of Christ and art the perverter of the right way of God thy selfe for the Scripture saith all judgement is commited to the Sonn and the Scripture is not the Sonne and thou didst say and now againe writes that the Scripture shall judge the vvorld and so I charge it upon thee that thou art a blasphemer vvho exalts the Scripture above the Sonne of God and shalt be judged by the Sonne into utter drrknesse and into the pit from vvhence thou art come yet this I testifie he that receives the Sonne rejecteth not those vvords vvhich vvas spoken by him though thou and thy generation Pharisee like may make a profession of the vvords vvhich Christ spoke and yet reject the Sonne and all to vvhom Christ speaks vvhich receives him not shall be judged by the vvord vvhich he speaks for he speaks eternally which shal stand eternally but when did he speake to thee for this I doe declare thou maist have those words which he spoke and yet never have heard his word nor voice as the Pharisees had those words which God spake by the Prophets but never had heard his word nor seen his shape John 5. and thou saist quake and tremble at this that word which you reject and dispise shall judge you at the last day and saith thus saith the Lord and brings Christs words and the Apostles words I Answer the Lord rebuke thee thou scorner here thou hast made the filthynesse of thy heart knowne for out of the abundance thereof thy mouth speaks here thou art seen to be a scorner quaking and trembling we own it is that which the holy men of God witnessed but here be a witnesse against thy self that thou art a scorner of their conditions what hast thou to doe to talk of the Scrip●ure who art scorning that which it declares of here thou art made manifest to be one that hath the form but denies the power and scornes at it God scornes thee thou scornful one and let all that feare the Lord depart from thee and see thy filthinesse and search the Scripture whether it testifies not of that which thou scornes at and makes a mock upon And that we reject and despise the Scripture and the words which Christ spake which thou accusest us of this is another lie and a false slander for the scriptures vve ovvne in their place and by the Spirit of God sets to seale that they are true but that they shall judge the vvorld vvee doe deny and herein thy ignorance doth appear and that thou art blinded by the God of this vorld which thou vvould cast upon us and Christs vvords and the vvords of the Apostles shall fall upon thy own head for vengeance in flames of fire will the Lord render upon thee thou lier and slanderer and false accuser who art in disobedience to the Gospel of God And whereas thou saist the Lord hath spoken it and it shall surely come to passe and bringst many Scriptures I Ansvver The Scriptures vve ovvn and vvhat is spoken in them shall be fulfiled but thou lier when did God speake this to thee the judgements pronounced in them shall fall upon thy ovvn head because thou art guilty of the same iniquities as they vvere of against vvhom these Scriptures vvas declared and wheras thou saist we are those that the Lord before hath spoken of in his vvord and therefore no marvel vve vvould not have men to reade it and cites the 2. of Peter 2. Chap. I Ansvver I doe in the presence of the living God deny thee thy false assertion but it shal stand for thy owne condition thou art one in the generation which Christ spake of and that vvas in the Apostles dayes which hath the forme but denies the power as they had and I charge thee againe with a lie in thy mouth who saith we would not have men to read the Scriptures they who have heard us shall witnesse against thee that wee do direct to search the Scripture whether our doctrine be not true and by the Scripture shal our doctrine be tried how long wilt thou utter thy lies in the

name of the Lord the Lord will plead with thee thou unclean lying spirit and that which thou pronounces against us shal come upon thy selfe and thou saiest we through covetousnesse make merchandize of some wee challenge thee and all the City of London to prove this thou lying serpent God shall plead with thee wee are free and cleare in the sight of God of thy false accusations and have desired nor sought after no mans mony nor gold nor apparel God is our witnesse and many in this City knowes the same though thou slanderingly an enemie of God doth accuse us but I challenge thee in thy reply to this make it appear what thou assertest or lay thy hand upon thy mouth and let shame strike thee in the face for ever I charge thee that thou canst make appeare plainly in particular and do not darkly accuse us what those damnable heresies are which we bring in and wherein we deny the Lord and what our pernicious waies are which thou falsly and slanderously accuses us of and wherein wee are fleshly and despise government and are presumptuous and wherein or how wee speake evil of Dignities and wherin we are as natural bruit beasts and what these things are wee speake evil of which wee know not and what our swelling words of vanity are and whom we do allure through the lusts of the flesh and through much wantonness in the presence of the Lord I challenge thee to prove the particulars of thy accusations and not to slander in the darke though such as these there were in the Apostles daies who were turned out from the light and the Apostles which dwelt in the light saw them and such a generation there is now they are seene and known where they are by them who abides in the light but of these thy false slanders upon us we are cleare in the presence of the Lord God and that portion which thou wouldest give unto us must thou have thy self for with what measure thou hast meted it shal be measured to thee againe even the blaknesse of darknesse for ever and the day of the vengeance of God is at hand against thee And wheras thou saist we pretend to tremble it is true we pretend the example of Moses and thou saist O abominable hypocrysie and dissimulation will that justifie your shaking your hands like idiots and your raving like mad men Moses was a man in whom the fear and dread of the Lord was who kept his word but you dispise it who loved the law but you reject it I Answer We doe not only pretend to tremble but oft doe we and have we witnessed it by the mighty power and dread of the Lord upon us and we walke not by the example of the servants of the Lord without us but the same power we witnesse which was in them by which they were made to tremble vvhich thou scornes and derides at and calles it madnesse the holy men of God vvere counted by such as thou art mad men and vvere cast out of their assemblies vvhich trembled at the vvord of the Lord but that vve despise the vvord and lavv of God here thou art a lier againe and the plagues of God hang over thy head for thy lies and slanders against the innocent the same seare of God vvhich vvas in Moses vve vvitness and no other and thou vvho art vvithout it art a Heathen and Moses and Jeremiah and Habbakuk which thou speaks of were our example who walked by the same spirit and served the Lord by the same spirit but that wee served our fleshly lusts which here again thou accusest us of I do challenge thee to prove it but I know thou canst not and therefore art in the nature of the Divel accusing the Brethren and to walk by tradition wee deny which you also would lay to our charge but the same spirit by which they were acted acts us the same way according to its measure and the same light which they walked in is our light and this light is the light of Christ within us and not without us And whereas thou saiest its true if wee served the Lord and kept his word it would make us to tremble as it doth those that fear him but wee have rejected the law of the Lord and the word which hee hath spoken and the Lord when he comes to shake terribly the earth shal give us our portion in the lake that burnes I answer Let all the world here take notice of thy confusion and ignorance which utters forth it selfe through thee thou before was scorning trembling and now thou art approving of it and if it be they that tremble which serve the Lord here be a witnesse against thy selfe thou serves him not who art not yet come to tremble but art in thy high nature above the fear of the Lord and here againe thou art found a false accuser for wee reject not the Law of the Lord nor the word which hee hath spoken but live in it and rejoyces in it daily for in it is our hearts delight and here againe as thou hast measured to us it shall be measured unto thee when the Lord God arises to recompence his enemies thy portion will bee the same as thou hast said in the lake which burnes with fire and brimstone And now a few words in answer to that which thou calls a Caution to all that are called Saints in the Nation which may concerne all people I Answer They who are Saints who dwell in the light and walkes in the light doth discerne thee to be no Saint neither wil receive any caution from thee but will testifie against thee for thy lies and slanders and false accusations which thy booke is filled withall and herein it may concerne all people that thy lies and slanders be reproved and laid open lest they receive lies for thy truth and be deceived by thy subtil speeches who brings the Prophets words and the Apostles words wresting them and f●lsely applying them to make thy lies to be received but all people who love the light wherewith Christ hath enlightened them will see thee and deny thee and turne away from thee as having the forme of Godlinesse without the power And whereas thou saiest ye may rejoyce that you live to see not only the mystery of godlynesse but also the working of the mystery of iniquity in the fleshly corrupt and sensual minded men called Quakers I Answer That name Quakers was cast upon us by the Heathen through their scorne and derision as the name Christians was upon the Disciples though quaking wee own for all the holy men of God witnessed it and the Holy Scriptures declares of it and here againe thou enviously and maliciously hast cast a slander upon us fleshly corrupt and sensual mindednesse and the working of the mystery of iniquity is destroyed in us by the mighty power of God made manifest in Jesus Christ which takes away sin to the praise of the

living God I speak in clearing the innocent from thy false slanders and it shall stand for thy owne condition fleshly corrupt and sensuall minded and the working of the mysterie of iniquity And herein I prove thee to be so by thy fruits thy lies and false reproaches and envious false acusation which is the fruites of the flesh and of corrupt sensuall mindednesse which fruits doth appeare in this thy writing and as for the mysterie of godlinesse it is hidden from thee and in that mind and nature you shall never know it for thou lives in the sight of thy owne pollutions and of thy carnal ordinances and not in the injoyment of the mysterie of Christ which is godlinesse and whereas thou saiest yee may rejoyce and in nothing be terrified because the Scriptures did foretel of such and is fulfilled in these men and thou brings many Scriptures where Christ and the Apostles prophesied of the coming in of false prophets and teachers I answer Though yee do now rejoyce yet your joy shall be turned into howling and sorrow and the Lord hath said it and the day of terrour will overtake you wherein your hearts shal faile you for feare and your foundation shall be removed and it is true that the Scripture doth foretell of us and is witnessed in us that all the Lords children should be taught of the Lord and that the Lord would gather his flock out of the mouths of all dum be shepherds c. and according to our growth up in the life of the Scriptures they are fulfilled in us but false prophets wee do deny though all those Scriptures which thou hast set downe we owne to be prophesies of false prophets those false prophets which Christ prophesied of came in the Apostles dayes they saw them coming in then 1. Joh. 2. 18. and as all these Scriptures testifies which thou hast cited and since the Apostles daies hath beene a great Apostacie and not a true Church of Christ could be found and ever since hath the same generation of false prophets stood under several forms and appearances deceiving the nations but now the pure light of Christ shines discovering to them who walke in the light who they are and daily more and more clearly shall they be seene and thou wilt be found in their number who art a cursed child in whom the son of perdition is exalted which utters forth thy lies and slanders sensually and make it manifest to all that thou hast not the spirit of God but art separated from it in self separation which is abomination unto God and must be scattered by him and whereas thou saiest seeing it is so let you be filled with boldnesse and let you contend against those ungodly ones which are now risen I answer ungodlinesse wee deny and your boldnesse shall the Lord turne in weaknesse and faintnesse and your contendings against us shall not prosper for this is our heritage every tongue that riseth up in judgement shal be condemned you shall all be scattered and driven away as chaffe before the wind who sets your selves to contend against the truth for that which is now risen shall confound you all And whereas thou brings many Scriptures which were exhortations of the Apostle to the saints with exhorting thy brethren I answer The Scriptures I do owne and that spirit which spake them forth I witnesse but thou art an enemie to the power of them though thou have the forme of truth thy lying and false accusing hath made thee appear to be an enemie to the life which the holy men of God lived in and so hath cleared thy selfe from those Scriptures which were written to the Saints and must owne those which was written to the world the lier must be cast into the lake the wicked must bee turned in hell and such as these must thou owne to belong unto thee and these are thy Scriptures which thou hast right unto And whereas thou saiest wee talke of high enjoyments and great revelations without above and beyond the Scripture and that wee talke of a light which is besides the Scripture but it is deepe and thick darknesse and what hath such lights led men unto even contempt of God and of all righteousnesse I answer Here again thou art found a lier and an accuser of the brethren for what wee do declare the Scripture witnesses to the same and wee speake of nothing but what is declared of in the Scripture by the holy men of God and neither without it nor above or beyond it do wee speake I challenge thee to prove what thou hast asserted and all the City of London that we speak or declares any thing but what the Scriptures bears witnesse to the same and the light which wee declare of is the light of Christ which the scripture saith lightneth every one that comes into the world and it is not besides the scripture so as contrary to it but the scripture bears witnesse of the light and ●ere I charge thee with blasphemie who calles the pure light of Christ thick darknesse and that the light of Christ which is the light which wee declare of hath led men or leads any to contemne God or his ordinances or righteousnesse let shame strike thee in the face thou impudent one who blasphemously say that the light of Christ is thick darkness and leads into contempt of God let the light in thy owne conscience condemne thee thou enemie of God for thy lies and slanders and blasphemie which in this thy booke thou hast uttered and wheras thou exhortest to labour to see an excellency in Christ in the word of Christ and in the Church and Ordinances of Christ I answer For the simple ones sake that they may not be deceived none ever shall see any excellencie in those things but who ownes and walkes in the light of Christ which lets every one see themselves first and your talking of the same and report of Christ and of his Word and Ordinances is not to know the excellencie of those things for death in you talkes of the same but the thing in subst●nce you are ignorant of and you who stumbles at the light wherewith Christ lightneth every one are above the doore which is the entrance unto the life of these things and so I exhort all to mind the light of Christ and to walk in it and it will lead unto Christ from whence the light comes and it wil lead to the fulfilling of Christs words and to the one bread and to the one baptisme and the light is the door and entrance unto the life of those things but you who hate the light and denies it to be in every one hath but the huske and outward declaration of those things and are without the life and wheras thou saist they that are of God wil hear John Peter and Paul and the rest that were the servants of Christ not the fleshly conceits of those or any other men Christs sheep