Satans Designe DEFEATED In a short Answer to a Manuscript sent by a Priest out of Sussex to a Member of this present Parliament full of railing accusations whereby he hath secretly smitten the Innocent by a secret desiring the persecution of the People of God But herein his folly and madnesse doth appear that 〈…〉 he hath accused others falsely himself is found guilty of the same thing With Invitations of Love to the present Authority that â—â—â—y may save themselves from being the executioners of the Priests malice least the Lord destroy them By a Friend to Righteousnesse E.B. LONDON 〈…〉 Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth neer Aldersgate 1659. A Certain Paper being come to my hand which is said to be written by one Priest Iackson and sent to a member of Parliament containing divers particulars charged as errors upon the despised peoplâ— called Quakers wherein he saith he hath set down some of their Tenents which they maintain unto which Manuscript I am moved to write something in answer as to clear the truth from his fowl aspertions which he casts upon it to the intent that the said member of Parliament and the whole house may be the better satisfied and resolved wherein they doubt of every particular that the truth may appear when as the fowl vail of the darknesse and slanders is removed That the Holy Scriptures are not the word of God nor the Saints Rule of Faith and Life neither is it the duty of every one to search them Answ. The Holy Scriptures that were given forth by the Spirit of the Lord as holy men of God were moved they are the words of God and a Declaration and a Treatise Luke 1.1 and that which the Saints had handled and tasted of the word of Life that they declared forth in words and writing Acts 1.1 and the Scriptures as they were given forth by the Spirit of God are a true declaration of what is to be believed and practised in relation to eternal salvation it is a true Testimony concerning God and his mighty works and of truth and righteousnesse and it is a Testimony also of the Devil and what he is and of his deceits and errors and unrighteousnesse so the Scriptures are words given forth by the spirit but Christ is the Word that was before the Scriptures was for in the beginning was the word of God and the World was made by it and the Word shall endure for ever and Christs Name is called the Word of God and though the Scriptures are profitable and were given forth to be read and to be fulfilled yet they are not the rule and guide of faith and life unto the Saints but the Spirit of God that gave forth the Scriptures that is the rule and guide the Teacher and leader into all truth and them that are led by the spirit of God are the Sons of God and if you walk in the spirit saith the Apostle you shall live and as many as walk according to this to wit of the Spirit peace is upon them and so the spirit of God is the rule of the Saints faith and life and the spirit leads them to walk in the fulfilling of the Scriptures and according to them And as for all the Priests in England who doth professe the Scriptures to be their rule out of their own mouths will God judge them who are found walking contrary to the Scriptures in life and doctrine and practises while they cry it up for their rule and condemn all that will not say as they say And the last part of this proposition is utterly false for we never do assert that it is not the duty of every one to search them but we bid every one search the Scriptures and every one ought to search them but yet we say that none understands them but who have the spirit that gave them forth nor none can profit thereby but by the spirit that gave them forth which workes the same truth in the heart which the Scriptures without declares of and this I do affirm they are the words of God and the Spirit of God is the rule of Faith and Life to the Saints and all men ought to search the Scriptures and to believe what is therein written and to receive and enjoy Christ who is the substance and the end of all things the first and last the beginning and ending and in him the Scriptures are fulfilled and finished They do deny the Doctrine of the Trinity and that Christ is God and man in one person Answ. As for the word Trinity it is invented and he hath learn't it out of the Masse-Book or Common Prayer Book but we own the Doctrine of the Gospel of Christ that Christ is God and the Spirit is God and there are three that bear record the Father Son and Spirit and these are one but God and the Spirit are not persons but infinite beings and the Scripture no where in true Translations expresseth God under the name person for person is too carnal to expresse God and Christ and the spirit by but God was in Christ reconciling the World and this we believe and acknowlelge according to the Scriptures but for this word Doctrine of the Trinity the Scriptures knowes no such word but the truth we own and the Gospel and the Scriptures too They hold that Iesus Christ died onely signally or exemplarily and that we are justified by the suffering of Christ in us and to be healed by his stripes is to be stripped of or from sin Answ. Jesus Christ died and rose again and ascended according to the Scriptures this we do believe And Christ was and is the substance the end of all signes and examples yet was he an example to the Saints And the Apostle exhorted to walk as they had Christ for an example and while he was in the World he did and spoke and acted many things as Parables signes and examples the substance of which is to be received in the Saints and known by them through the spirit and we believe Saints are justified by the Christ and through faith in him which was and is is to come who is blessed for ever and none are justified by his death and suffering and blood without them but who witnesseth Christ within them for all are reprobates and to be condemned and cannot be justified that hath not Christ in them as thou mayest read except Christ be in you you are reprobates and all that believe in Christ and receives him they are healed through his sufferings and stripes for he sanctifies them and gives remission of sin and justifies them and in him the Saints are compleat and the new man the regenerate is justified and the old man is in the degeneration and knowes not Christ in him and hath not received him but onely heard of him without him and believes the relation but this faith doth not justifie for all the false Christians upon earth hath this
others and to charge others with that wch she is guilty of her self but now it will not cover them to slander others that themselves may seem clear for the Lord is opening peoples hearts and giving them a spirit to discern all things And whereas the Author speaks against the Quakers for crying against Cuffs Caps and for using thee and thou and for crying against Pulpits and hour glasses and such things and for owning Revelation and for holding the free grace of God to be given unto all and because of trembling and quaking and saying our writtings are given out by the same infallible spirit that the Scriptures were given out by and for crying down the Ministers maintenance and for calling some of them vipers and Serpents To all this I answer it is your generation that makes a great noise about thee and thou and Cuffs and Caps for we in plainness and simplicity do speak the proper Language thee and thou to a single person and it is the proud and exalted minds of men that are offended hereat which pride and arogancie hath eaten out the sincerity and the very propriety of speech also and you are offended at us because of it and for crying against your Cuffs and Boot-hose-tops Ribbands and points we cry against all these things as not becoming the Ministers of Christ but as being of the world in the pride and vanity and superfluity abusing the Creation which the Lord will Judge among you And as for having an hour-glasse and Preaching thereby and as for your carnal Bells which you call people by we do disown these things and say they are old Popish inventions for the Ministers of Christ never limited their spirits to an hour-glasse neither had they a carnal Bell to call people to their worship and as for Revelation we do own that the Spirit of God doth reveal truth to us and God hath revealed Christ in us and none ever shall know God but by Revelation for none knowes the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him And as for free grace we say the grace of God hath appeared to all men and it teacheth the Saints to deny ungodliness but the wicked turns it into wantonness and doth dispite unto the spirit of grace and we also say that who now speakes or are moved to write forth by the Spirit of God they speak and write by the same spirit that is infalliable that the Scriptures was given forth by And as for your maintenance it is altogether abominable and oppression to the Nation and the Lord is against it your taking peoples goods and casting them into prison that will not pay you wages and give you Tythes against their consciences And be not offended at being called vipers and Serpents for these are the works of venemous vipers and stinging Serpents which pesecute the servants of God and cryes to the Magistrates for help against a poor people that useth no weapons against you saving that of the Spirit of God and though we do thus to you to the false Ministers to cry against them and give our witness against them in the name of the Lord yet we do not deny the true Ministers of Christ nor speak any thing against them which are the true Ministers that hath received the ministry of righteousness by the gift of the holy spirit which all that are true Ministers doth receive their ministry thereby And whereas thou sayest we are bitter enemies to the Doctrine of Iustification and agrees with the Cavelierish party and would silence godly Ministers and are Iesuitical and such like things thou falsly chargeth upon us and that we have a notable faculty to delude ignorant unstable souls c. Ans. These are but the Authors reproaches and his slanders he hath filled his mouth with against the innocent And he hath set his tongue on the fire of hell to slander the Just and the innocent and all these things we bear in patience counting reproaches for Christ our chiefest riches and thus to the substance of this Paper I have given answer whereby all that love the Lord and desire to be informed in the truth may receive satisfaction for it is seen that that generation of Priests are joyned with the Prelatical Cavelierish party and this is known at large in the Nation in the North especially and so as I said they would fain slander others that themselves might seem clear but the Lord will rebuke him and his lying tongue and the innocent shall be delivered from his devouring lips and as for any other thing in his Paper it is not worth answering to nor worth minding but his wickednes will turn upon his own head and he shall bear the burthen of his own words only he queries whether this be not the pestilence that walks in darkness And the flouds that the Dragon hath cast out of his mouth to drown the woman is not this the mark of the beast who opened his mouth in blasphemy And are not these the unclean spirits that came out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the false prophet Ans. Now the pestilence that walkes in darkness is the plague that is out of the light sin and death and misery which smites the ungodly and he sees it not And the flood which the Dragon cast out is the flouds of persecution and cruelty viz the imprisoning until death and spoiling peoples goods for tythes and mony as the Priests have done And the Dragon gave power to the beast that compelled all to worship and that carried the Whore the false Church and the true Church hath been fled into the wilderness for many generations and the false Church the Whore hath sate as a Queen and given her cup to drink the false Church of Rome and the false Church of the Protestants all which are of the Whore these have all been carried by the beast which the Dragon gave his power to And they have all persecuted the woman the true Church and the mark of the beast he compelled people to receive and compelled them to worship and they opened their mouths in blasphemy that denies Christ and denies the light and that sayes they are Iewes and are not this is error and blasphemy which the Beast opens his mouth in against the Saints and against them that dwell in heaven and the unclean spirits are the spirits of Devils that are out of the truth and these the Dragon cast out in slanders and reproaches and lies such as this Author hath done and of that generation is he Christ said false prophets should come and Iohn saw in his dayes they were come and he saw the world gone after them and of that generation are you and now the Lord is gathering people from you again and Babylon must fall and all her merchants howl and weep And these things have been which the Scripture speaks of and the woman is now coming out of the wilderness
is in the Saints for the Comforter the spirit of truth is one in it self and the same Though it comforteth the Saints and reproveth the world and the wicked for their sins And men are reconciled to God by Christ for he was in God reconciling to himself and none are reconciled but who walk in the light and followes it for who walkes in the light the blood of Christ cleanseth them from all sin and they are reconciled and none else And the word of God is in the heart as the Scripture saith Deut. 30. Rom. 10. and that is the word of prophesie and that word is sufficient to lead out of all sin unto God if men believe in Jesus and receiveth him and the spirit of truth leadeth into all truth all that follow it That Christ as man is not in heaven yea that he hath ceased to be man and consequently to be Mediator and when I told them he should come in the Clouds in like manner as he ascended and that at his coming the Elements melteth one of their Teachers told me that the clouds were scattered and the Elements melted in him Ans. Christ Jesus is ascended into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father yea he is ascended far above all heavens as saith the Scripture but that is utterly false whereas thou saist we say he ceased to be man that is thy lie and so I passe it And we believe according to the Scriptures that he shall come in the Clouds in like manner as he Ascended and at his coming the Elements shall melt And it is not error for a man to say the Clouds were scattered and the Elements melted in him for Clouds are darkness and covers the face of the Sun many times as thou mayest behold in the Firmament But darkness is yet over thy heart and the Elements are not melted away And therefore thou art in thy imaginations putting light for darkness and darkness for light and calling evil good and good evil That the bodies of men shall never rise again after death and that the day of Iudgement is come already and that now the Saints do Iudge the world Ans. We do believe the Resurrection according to the Scriptures for if onely in this life we have hope we were of all men most miserable And we believe that the dead shall arise again after death and every one shall receive according to the deeds done in the body they that have done evil shall arise to Eternal condemnation and they that have done good unto Eternal salvation in the day of Judgement And the Lord cometh with and in ten thousand of his Saints to judge the world and the Saints upon earth do receive the spirit of judgement and do judge the world even all things for the spiritual man judgeth all things even in this present age if thou canst receive it thou mayest They are utterly against water Baptisme and Administering of the Lords Supper with bread and wine Because they say they have the substance of all within Ans. As for Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord we do own it and it is practised of us in the life and power of God but as for your Baptisme that is to say sprinkling of infants calling it the Baptisme into the faith and that they are made members of the Church thereby and that it is a seal of regeneration as you say in your Common-Prayer book and Directory that we do utterly deny and doth say it is no Ordinance of God neither was ever commanded by him or practiced by his Saints but is an Institution of the Whore of Rome And England received it by a Popish Institution and your practice of it is idolatry and not any part of the true worship of God And as for your breaking bread and drinking wine in that manner and form as it is practiced in the Church of England among the unconverted and unregenerated that we utterly deny also to be of God or to be ever commanded of him or practiced by his Saints and this is neither Heresie nor error in us but true bearing witness against your Idolatrous wayes and practices with which the Nations are deceived whom the Whore causeth to drink her cup even all people hath drunk her cup and she hath drunk the blood of them that would not And she hath long sate upon Nations Peoples and multitudes but now she is made bare and discovered and all you her false Ministers And whereas the Author doth say these are some of the strange and horrid opinions which they have audatiously invented c. Answ. It is no strange thing that truth be called Heresie and error and that it be branded with a name of strange and horrid opinions and such like but we do acknowledge that in that way that is called Heresie do we worship the true and living God and wo will be unto them that put light for darkness and darkness for light but when these particular things and their answers are truely read and weighed then let spiritual men judge for this Author must not be judge in his own case whose judgement is corrupted and his wayes abomination And it hath been the work of that generation of those called Ministers I mean for this seven years to cry out to the Magistrates and to send one Paper after another of this nature to them but what hath it advantaged them for hath not the Lord turned their wisdom backward And even the way which they have thought to destroy the heritage of the Lord the Lord hereby hath made his heritage more glorious and so they have striven against the Lord and altogether in vain and their doings shall they eat the fruit of and receive the reward of their own work And whereas the Author further saith such as hath saving work in their souls and that knowes God and Christ c. can not but bless God for keeping them from the great blackness and darkness that hath invaded the souls of these deluded wretches Answ. They that know the saving work in their souls and that knowes God and Christ in truth and righteousness and that calleth upon him with an upright heart we are one with them and they with us And they alone that walkes in the light that Christ hath enlighted them withall are kept from the darkness that doth invade the deluded and as for thy envious reflection as poor deluded wretches and such like these words are to thy self for they have no entrance into our dwellings the Lord hath saved us by his right hand we bear them as his reproaches for righteousness sake And whereas thou sayest it is very sad that after so much Preaching of the Gospel so many should take those things for new lights which are but Antiquated errors c. Ans. It is very sad indeed that the Ministers of this Nation should have so fair a Profession upon them and should put the Nation to so much charge
by giving them tythes and Stipends and mony and hath spoiled Peoples goods and cast their bodies into prisons even of many hundreds that would not pay them And yet the Nation should be left in darkness and like a untilled wilderness notwithstanding all the Profession of Preaching the Gospel for the Nation hath been like an untilled field and like People like Priest like shepherd like sheep as it is especially amongst them where Shepherds and sheep are risen in Rebellion against the Nation and hath joyned with the old Caveliers but this shewes that your Preaching hath been for ends to your selves and for mony and that you have been Ministers of the Letter and not of the spirit nor of the power of God for had you been in the life and Preachers of the true Gospel the Nations had been as a garden at this day and not like an unploughed field as we see they are people abounding in ungodliness and in all pride and vanity which is a shame to Christianity now People and Ministers hath made a shew of the Gospel but hath been without the power in the form of godliness and have had the form but resisted the power And indeed the ignorance of the people will lie upon their Ministers who hath been crying peace to them that have walked after the imaginations of their own hearts and hath not turned the wicked from his wicked way and the Scriptures are fulfilled upon them they have run but God hath not sent them therefore the people hath not at all been profited by them but the light of the glorious Gospel is risen in mens hearts and your folly and vanity is discovered and that makes you rage and swell like a foaming Sea now when your shame is seen you are casting out slanders and reproaches thinking thereby to seduce the minds of people thinking alwayes to keep the Magistrates on your side and to ride upon them and that they will establish you in freedom and destroy them that are against you but the Lord is opening their eyes to behold your deceit and madness and you will be left unto your selves and fall into the pit that you have digged for others And whereas this Author doth further compare this poor people which he in scorn calls Quakers with several pestilent Hereticks as he calls them that have disturbed the Church and saith he they agree with the Adamites and Pharisees and Sadduces and with the Mannachies with the Jewes Turkes Servebus and with the Soscinians and many more which he names and saith we agree with them and this is to render us odious and as abominable as he can to men in Authority To all which I do answer what we do profess and practise for Religion we have not been learnt from man nor been taught it by men not our Gospel nor Religion but we have received it from the Lord and of him are we taught and by the spirit lead into all truth and though thou hast done as the Pharisees did they reckoned Christ with transgressors and crucified him betwixt two thieves so though thou hast compared us with such and such whom thou callest Hereticks and it is possible many of them might be so and so thou hast shewed the spirit of the Pharisees and of the murtherers that denyed Christ and we are known unto the Lord what we are though not unto mortal mans wisdom that perisheth And to whom shall we more truely compare the Ministers of England are they not like those which Isaiah cryed against that sought for their gain from their quarter that were greedy dumb dogs And like them that Ieremiah cryed against that said thus saith the Lord when the Lord had never spoken to them nor sent them and are not you all like them that Micah cryed against chap. 3. that Preached for hire and Divined for mony and that prepared war against those that would not put into their mouthes as you do at this day and are not you like them that Ezekiel cryed against that made a prey upon the flock and made merchandize of souls and fed themselves with the fat and did not feed the flock but ruled over them with force and cruelty And are you not like such as Christ cryed wo against that were called of men Master that went in long robes and love greeting in the markets and uppermost roomes at feasts for you act those things which Christ cryed wo against the Pharisees who did the same things And are not you like them that Paul spoke of that are headdy and high minded men and covetous and proud and went in the way of Baalam for gifts and rewards and that through coveteousness with fained words made Merchandize of souls And Are not you like them that Iohn saw was coming in in his dayes that went out from them and that went into the world that were of the world and spoke of the world and the world heard them and which the world went after And are not you of them that hath deceived the whole world that hath been of the Whore that causeth all Nations to drink her cup and of them that hath made war against the Saints and against the Lamb of that stock of the false Prophets that wrought miracles in the sight of the beast And the world wonders after the beast and the beast hath carried the Whore and he hath compelled and caused all to worship him and the Whore caused all to drink of the cup of her fornication are not these things so may not the witness of God in all mens consciences truely answer hereunto and condemn you to be such as were the false prophets and the hirelings and the deceivers against whom the Prophets Christ and the Apostles gave witness yea it is manifest that you are in the same way and of the same generation and that you follow the same spirit because you shew forth the same works and are not you like the Papist and the Jesuites was it not by the Authority of the Pope of Rome that your very way of making Ministers was ordained at Schools and Colledges and were it not the Papists and in their dayes that the general part of your Church Discipline and Government the call of your Ministers and practice of them and maintenance of them was it not first set up by the Papists was not this way of Tythes first established by the Church of Rome and do you not follow the Papists herein in receiving tythes Gleab Lands and Easter reckonings and Midsumer dues which you hold up and would destroy them that will not give you such things And therefore are not you like unto the Papists and Jesuites yea we know that the Church of England is but newly come out of the womb of Popery and hath the Symtomes thereof upon her at this very day in many things yea the Testimony of God in all people may witnes hereunto and so it is the very trick of the Whore to cry out against
again and the Whore must be rewarded and sorrow is coming upon her and as she hath done unto the Saints so shall the Saints do unto her And in the conclusion he saith worthy Sir to this member of Parliament it will be your honour to stand in the gap to stop the violence of this hellish Torrent that is so high that it sounds from Dan to Beersheba and threatens Iudgement to our Israel c. Ans. Here is the conclusion of thy matter which is the sum of it a running to the powers of the earth for help what have you ministers lost the Lord to be your strength that you must flie for help to men to defend you from the spirit of God in his people must they make Lawes to establish you and set you up is not this the Whore that road upon the Beast and that the Beast carries is not here a description of her out of the mouth of this Author Is he crying to you to persecute the innocent it is true the seed of God is risen the Elect seed that is able to make war against the beast and against the false prophets even with the word of the Lord and is he offended that truth is risen so high And would he have some fire and Faggots again in Smith-field and some persecution and banishment acted upon the people of God is this the standing in the gap and stopping violence or would he have it done this way yea Judgements indeed are threatened to your generation for if God will not destroy you soon enough you will destroy your own selves and your own iniquity will be upon you and the wickedness of the wicked shall slay him But my Councel is not onely to that particular member but to the whole body of them that they be wise and take heed what they do for the eye of the Lord is over you and his hand can dash you in pieces and if you be oppressors of the people of God and will not relieve the oppressed the innocent and break the bonds of oppression the Lord will break you in pieces for this is the rock that hath broken all before you persecuting people for conscience sake and if you go in this way your destruction shall be the most lamentable of any that was ever yet before you do you not yet see the wickedness of this generation will you yet contend for them surely you might learn wisdome even by their folly and if you do not shut your eyes there needs no more discovery then their own present wayes and works Wherefore consider the day of Gods visitation is upon you make good use of your time least the Lord break you down and never build you up and let the Spirit of the Lord have its liberty and limit it not for if you do you shall never prosper nor never be made a blessing unto the people under your charge Remember you are warned by a lover of your souls AND Friends Great things hath the Lord done in these Nations in your dayes and that by the face of your Authority and there hath a spirit stirred in some of you in the Army which the Lord hath appeared with and yet the work of the Lord is not finished but greater things then these hath the Lord to accomplish amongst us and in this Nation and these things that have come to pass have been but as the preparing of the way for the bringing about greater things It is true many Mountains have been removed and some oppressions taken off and excellent things have been promised and doubtless by some of you really intended but alas the work hath long remained unfinished and many of your best Friends are almost weary with waiting to receive the end of their hopes and desires and many are even fainting concerning the Good Old Cause though of late it hath seemed to be revived by you yet it goes but easily forwards and even so little is its growth since your late Meeting that many are thinking themselves to be in a deceived condition by you Why They see that wicked Clergies interest more prospering then the just freedom of the people And this I say unto you in the Name of the Lord that while that interest of this false Priesthood I mean is so much favoured and defended you can never prosper nor the Nations be ever happy under you for it is one of the greatest oppressions this day in the Nation the maintaining and upholding of this Ministry by Tithes other unrighteous wages and the very Land groans under the oppression of this Church and Ministry which lyes as a heavy burthen upon both persons and estates and consciences of many good people even of your dearest Friends and though the Lord doth manifestly even from Heaven shew signal tokens of his displeasure against them and the servants of the Lord they also cease not to warn you concerning them and their own doings are sufficient Testimony of the malice of their hearts against you and all good men in the Nation yet nevertheless some of you seem to shut your eyes and as if you would see no evil in them but are crying up your godly Ministers some of you utterly despising the man as not worthy to live that doth but speak against them and thus are you blinded and perceives not where the cause lyes of your interruption to bring forth righteousness I say it is the favouring of that interest which stops the issues of good things and while you oppress peoples persons estates consciences to uphold this Ministry and Priesthood aforesaid the Lord shall never prosper you nor make the Nations happy under your charges and this you shall witness eternally Wherefore I do say unto you it is high time for you to lay aside the interest of this oppressing Clergy so much leavened and tasted of the Whore of Rome your selves do know that the spirit of the Romish Clergy was in the late Bishops which you east out for their wickedness and the very spirit of those Bishops is entred into these Priests and bears rule in their hearts and thus by succession hath the Whore of Rome leavened the Clergy of England from one generation to another with her taste and savour and there is the remainer of her murthers and cruelty in those mens breasts and at every opportunity it breaks forth as of late in this Rebellion you have full Testimony and if you do not curbe it speedily it will grow over you to your undoing Therefore clear your selves do not any longer drink the Whores cup neither be ye carriers of her to execute her wickedness upon the bodies and consciences of people for it is written the Beast hath carried the Whore and we see it hath been thus as Iohn saw it was to come to pass and so clear your selves from her Tyrannies and Oppressions and leave this false Church and ministry to themselves and if God will not uphold them by