seek not the Honour that cometh from God only And here the true Honour is no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit And here you who are giving and receiving out-side earthly Honour you are in the Unbelief out of the Doctrine of Christ cringing and bowing and honouring and exalting the Devil and worshipping the Beast and his Image which all the World wonders after and worships Rev. 13. And as for Manners and Breeding Courtesie and Civility Learn to do as you would have all to do unto you and speak every one Truth to his Neighbour And let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your Mouth but such as is good for the Use of Edifying for evil Communication corrupts good Manners but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay be Nay for whatsoever is more is Evil And breed your Children so and here is good Manners and Breeding Courtesie and Civility and who are of the right Noble Seed have these Manners and this Breeding but the Nobles and Great Ones of the Earth want these Manners and this Breeding and both Priest and People of all Sorts according to the World And here is the Ground of all true Nobility Gentility Majesty Honour Breeding Manners Courtesie and Civility no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the Natural Man minds Natural Things and the Spiritual Man Spiritual Things but the Natural Man receives not the Things of God and this we own and witness And the Time is coming and now is that before this Seed every Knee shall bow and every Tongue confess and the Kings and Nobles of the Earth shall be bound in Chains and Fetters of Iron And here is also the Ground of the Nobility Gentility Superiority Honour Breeding and Manners of the World which is after the Flesh but not after the Spirit sprung from proud Lucifer the Lust that reigns in man and is not Yea and Nay but calls it Manners to say Nay and take it or do it and so they have the Name but not the Nature and so are Bastards and no Sons who are not sprung from the Noble Gentile Seed and to those Honour is not due neither can we bow unto them for if we should we should set the Devil in the room of God give unto him that which is due to God which when we were in Blindness through Ignorance we did and so worshipped the Beast and his Image which all the World worships and wonders after For they that are Proud and Lofty which is the Image of the Devil for the Devil is the Father of Pride and in gay Attire those the World worships and wonders after and extols and exalts into High Places But since the Lord hath opened our Eyes this we cannot do but testifie against it wheresoever we come both in Words and Actions and so we are destructive to the World's Superiority Nobility Gentility Honour Breeding and Manners which is after the Flesh and not after the Spirit therefore the Devil hates us in the Nobles and Great Ones of the World but we give unto Caesar the Things that are Caesar's and unto God that which is Gods but we cannot give unto Caesar that which is God's but Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour is due He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear and understand For saith the Lord If I be a Master where is my Fear If I be a Father where is my Honour Mal 1. 6. â—â— And now something concerning the Partiality that is among the Children of this World in their Breeding and Manners First Concerning the Word Thou or Thee which all those which are their Priests and Teachers know that Thou is the proper Word to one particular Person and is so all along the Scriptures throughout to any one without Respect of Persons yea to God himself And the Word You is the proper Word to more then one but not to one and so it is all along the Scriptures through out As for Example at all Times when the Apostles spake to Christ they used the Word Thou or Thee unto him and when he spoak to more then one of them he used the Word You or Ye but if he spoak but to one he used the Word Thou or Thee as in Mat. 16. 14 15 16 17. verses And also Paul Thou'd King Agrippa and King Agrippa Thou'd him as in Acts 26. ver 27 28. and so all along the Scripture And so it is plain that now it is an invention of Proud Lucifer in man to exalt himself as it will plainly appear for amongst the Great and Rich Ones of the Earth they will either Thou or You one another if they be equal in Degree as they call it but if a man of low Degree in the Earth come to speak to any of them then he must You the Rich Man but the Rich Man will Thou him nay you shall find it so betwixt Priest and People If a poor labouring Man come before one that you call a Minister though he be one of his Hearers one who helps to maintain him according to his Ability yet he must You the Priest and the Priest Thou him And here the Heathen Lord over one another by their corrupt Wills but this is contrary to the Apostles and Ministers of Christ who made themselves Servants to all and yet those will call themselves the Ministers of Christ And the Word Minister signifies a Servant and they are Masters and so they have gotten the Name but not the Nature and so are Bastards and no Heirs who are not sprung from the Gentile Seed and yet they are hired as Servants of Men and yet bear Rule by their Means as Masters over those that maintain them so that he that hath an Eye to see let him see the Deceits of the professed Ministers of England And now as concerning the Putting off of the Hat which is another Invention of proud Lucifer whereby he is honoured and worshipped and exalted in man but the Scripture doth not speak of any such Fashion used in any Age but man hath found out many Inventions since the Scripture was recorded and now it is so that it is a Fashion throughout the Land whereby one man is exalted above another for if a poor man come before a Rich Man it may be the Rich Man will move his Hat that is called Courtesie and Humility but the Poor Man must stand with his Hat off before him and that is called Honour and Manners and due Respect unto him but if the Rich man do bid him put it on it is counted a great Courtesie and he gets Honour to himself there to be counted a Courteous man But this Difference or Respect of Persons was never ordained by God but by the Devil whereby he exalts himself in Man but James the Apostle of Jesus Christ witnessed against it as in James 2. 1 2 3 4 5. and so on and
Nations and through Covetousness with feigned Words make Merchandize of them which you now spare not Pr. Ans. And secondly thou grantst That if Men be made of God spiritual whether Shepherds or Plowmen first they may teach But thirdly thou sayst every Man that hath the Spirit in some Measure doth not attain to that Height Growth and Degree that they did who gave forth the Scriptures and therefore may not as lawfuly nor as infallibly teach as they did and thou sayst Nor canst thou discern clearly that the best amongst them called Quakers have yet reached that Degree or Dispensation of the Spirit And after much dissembling Speeches thou manifests thy light and frothy Spirit still despising me because of my Youth but thy Words are not worth mentioning And thus when thou openest thy Mouth concerning the Spirit thou manifests thy Folly and Ignorance of the Spirit so that a Babe may comprehend thee and tell thee of thy Folly And when thou thinkst of thy Beard or Age as thou sayst Confusion of Face may cover thee For though every one that hath the Spirit in some Measure doth not attain to that Height Growth and Degree that they did who gave forth the Scripture yet it doth not follow that none do attain to that Height Growth Degree and they that have attained to the same Spirit in a Measure and by the same Spirit are moved and called forth may as lawfully and as infallibly teach as they did in their Measures for the same Spirit is infallible in the least Measure and its call is lawful and thus thou shewest thou wast never called norâ—led by it who art so ignorant of it and as here also doth further appear in that thou confessest Thou discernest not the People called Quakers and therefore are blind and from thee the Secrets of God are hid and it doth not follow that they are ever the less spiritual but rather more because thou canst not discern them who pretend'st thy self a spiritual Man And thus they are attained to that Degree they can discern thee to be a Blind Guide and Deceiver of the World and therefore is thy spirit the more against them for all thy Flattering and Dissembling Speeches from thy hypocritical Heart who bendest thy Tongue like a Bow against them uttering forth Lyes in Hypocrisie and with thy scornful spirit Reproachest me with Lyes but it was thy Generation that Quaked for Fear of the Downfal of their Kingdom and therefore persecuted me and imprisoned me yet their Fear did not overtake me for I was made as willing to Suffer as they were to Afflict as knowing it was for his Cause who will make you all to Quake and Tremble who lift up your Heels against him And as thou comparest Cambridge to Jericho so the Curse of Jericho shall come upon it for its Whoredom and Sorceries and Stiff-neckedness against the Lord and his Anointed And though thou thus Scornest me and Despisest me because of my Youth yet it is because thou knowest not the Scripture nor the Power of God Qu. 6. Whether any are the Ministers or Messengers of Christ but those that are guided by his Spirit and abide in his Doctrine as the Holy Men of God were in Scripture and whether the Wind doth now blow where it listeth Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer to the first Part thou grantest That none are the True Ministers and Messengers of Christ but those that are in some measure guided by his Spirit and abide in his Doctrine But secondly thou say'st Men may think that they have that Spirit and yet be led by the Lying Spirit as Zedekiah who smote Michaiah was 1 Kings 22. 24. Rep. Herein thou markest out thy self for a Deceiver who pretendest to the Spirit it is the Lying Spirit as is before proved and so art shut on t from the Ministers and Messengers of Christ who art not guided by his Spirit and therefore abidest not in his Doctrine as is before proved by thy Ignorance of the True Spirit And therefore thou and such False Prophets as thou thus smite at and persecute us that are called Quakers because the Lord is pleased to bestow his Spirit upon us whereby we are able to declare your Deceit and manifest your Lying Spirits who have professed your selves the Ministers of Christ yet Strangers to his Spirit and Opposers of his Truth like Jannes and Jambres who are Men of corrupt Minds and Reprobates concerning the Faith 2 Tim. 3. 8. Pr. Answ. And to the second Part of the Query thou say'st That the Wiud blows where it listeth if it be not stopped yet are there many false Winds which blow likewise from a Deceitful Spirit which to prove thou quotest Ephes. 4. 14. That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro with every Wind of Doctrine and sayest Mind this James Rep. This I do mind and still see how thou markest out thy self with thy Deceitful Spirit for if the Wind doth blow where it listeth which thou acknowledgest then what is that in you professed Ministers which goes about to stop it with Gain-saying and Persecution and would limit the Spirit of God unto a Text or Theam from which you with your deceitful spirits do raise Uses Points Tryals and Motives c. whereby many poor Creatures are tossed to and fro and carried about with your airy spirits with the Sleight and cunning Craftiness of your Brains whereby you study to deceive as thou mayest read in the latterâ—end of the Verse which thou hast quoted Ephes. 4. 14 which here shall stand against thee And so many are the Children which are tossed to and fro by you although they have both Beards and Age as thou sayest yea some are Thirty some Forty some Fifty some Sixty yea Eighty and never yet come to the Knowledge of the Truth and thus with Feigned Words through Covetousness you make merchandize of the People beguiling Unstable Souls But think not that all you False Prophets with the Beast that upholds you can stop or quench this Spirit which now bloweth where it listeth for with all the Sleight and Craftiness that you can use you shall be made to fall before it and the Fruits of your Labours shall be given you Qu. 7. Whether thou wilt own Immediate Revelation now yea or nay Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou sayest The Apostle teacheth you to pray for the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Acknowledgment of God Which to prove thou quotest Ephes. 1. 17. but sayest There are many False Lights and Delusions of Satan who too often transforms himself as an Angel of Light 2 Cor. 11. 14. which thou sayest are entertained by unwary men for the Illuminations and Revelations of God's Spirit as appears in Zedekiah aforesaid which to prove thou quotest Ezek. 13. 6. 2 Thess. 2. 11. Rep. Here again thou hast marked out thy self and also belyest the Apostle for that Scripture in Ephes. 1. 17. only makes mention how the
Statutes or that thou shouldst take my Covenant in thy Mouth and here thy Heart hath deceived thee neither doth this prove that the World may sing David's Conditions in a Meeter because it is possible to come into his Conditions but then they must come out of the World but I do not perceive that you have a Desire to come into his Conditions who deny Quaking and Trembling which was Part of his Conditions But those that do come into his Conditions need not take his Words to sing in a Meeter but the same Spirit that taught him to praise the Lord will also teach them which it seems you are Strangers to and therefore sing Lyes in Hypocrisie And as he said He was not puffed in Mind nor had no scornful Eye you also say you are not and as he said He roared all the Day long and watered his Couch with his Tears you also sing you do so And thus the Ignorant People are led by you to exercise themselves in Things that for them be too high and you that lead them cause them to err And therefore Wo unto you blind Guides and Deceivers of the People Neither are David's Psalms nor the rest of the Holy Scriptures for Drunkards Swearers Lyars and such like Persons to make a Song on for to such they are sealed and the same that gave them forth the same will open them and they that can so read them may and so they are profitable And how the Jews did read the Old Testament in publick as thou sayst doth not at all prove that you should sing David's Conditions in a Meeter who are far Strangers to them so here thou might'st have been silent from such Carnal Reasoning but that thou art glad of any Thing to cover thy Deceit because the Scriptures will not And that Song that was given by the Lord to Moses for Israel to sing it was not in Meeter neither other Mens Conditions but it was a Song the Lord had appointed them to sing suitable to their Conditions but still this doth not prove that the Lord gave you David's Conditions to sing in a Meeter from your light Minds as you do therefore silence Deceiver and let the Scripture alone in its Place and strive not to make the Lord the Author of your Deceit And thou say'st His Prayers may teach them to pray but he saith The Prayers of the Wicked are Sin And thus thou wouldst teach them to pray by Tradition and not by the Spirit for they that pray by the Spirit need not others Prayers to teach them though ye that are ignorant of the Spirit have nothing else And thou say'st His Hymns may teach them to land the Lord but the Prophet saith The Dead cannot praise the Lord but the Living and none can praise the Lord but those that know him but the Wicked know him not and therefore their Prayers and Praises is Deceit though for a Cloak they steal their Words that knew him and thus thou wise Man thy Wisdom perisheth And thou say'st His Afflictions may order support and comfort them when they are in the like Conditions I say till then let them alone and then you will know how to use them but while ye are blind ye do abuse them and are Ignorant of the only Comforter and Supporter which David witnessed in Affliction And thou say'st His Prophesies and Promises may be the strengthning of their Faith Thou blind Hypocrite what Faith have the VVicked who know not God while thou thy self that art a Teacher hast not Faith to trust him for an Earthly Maintenance what then hath his Promises strengthned thy Faith who hast sung them and read them these many Years Neither are his Promises to the VVicked but upon Reformation For No Peace to the Wicked saith my God Neither doth his Zeal to God nor Love to Righteousness at all provoak them as you teach them to use them in a Customary VVay to make a Song of them and therefore are not profitable to them because they do abuse them where thou hast sufficiently discover'd thy Weakness and Ignorance in thy Opinion with which thou slanderest us but it is thy own Qu. 28. What is the Word And whether is it Visible to the Carnal Eye or Invisible And where the Scripture speaks of any other Word of God then one Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou goest about to prove the Word to be four-fold and condemnest me of Ignorance in it and say'st There is first an Essential Eternal Powerful and Living Word by which all Things were made Joh. 1. 1 2 3. And to prove another Word which thou callest the Ingiven and Inspoken Word thou quotest Jer. 2. 1. and 4. 11 13. And to prove another Word of the Lord thou quotest 2 Tim. 3. 16. Rep. Here thy Ignorance of God is not hid who by thy Wit and deceitful Wisdom wouldst make four of one but all these Scriptures which thou hast quoted do not prove any other then one which Word was in the Beginning by which all Things were made which thou confessest to be Eternal Powerful and Living and that Word which came unto the Prophets was as a Fire and a Hammer to beat the Rocks in Peices then was it not Powerful and Living and one and the same with that the Apostle speaks of which is Qâ—iâ—k and Powerful and Sharper then a two-edged Sword and this is the same Word of Life which the Apostle spoak from and published which was from the Beginning and this was the same Word which was published which David there speaks of and by this Word were the Prophets all begotten and born again and this Word is Invisible hid from the Carnal Eye as thou thy self confessest though in Confusion But that Scripture which thou quotest in 2 Tim. 3. 16. to prove a written Word doth not mention any such Thing but if thou meanest that the Scriptures are that written Word I answer There are many Words in the Scripture but the Word is but one of which the Scriptures bear Testimony And thus thy Ignorance is manifestâ—d and returned into thy own Bosom Qu. 29. What is the End of Christ's Coming and what is the Redemption Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou goest about to prove that manifold which is but one and so runnest into thy sundry Divisions in thy Imaginations and though thou accusest James Parnel that he knows it not yet he is able to discern thy Confusion for in one Place thou say'st There is a Redemption from all Sin and another Redemption from all Evil and this thou callest two-fold and thou say'st There is a Redemption from the Curse of the Law and another Redemption from the Guilt of Sin which also thou callest two-fold Rep. How many Redemptions wouldest thou here make of one thou blind Guide Can any be redeemed from all Sin and not from all Evil and from the Curse of the Law and not from the Guilt of Sin And is not all
because he hath no Fellowship with the World nor the Vanities of the World but testifieth against their Wayes Fashions Traditions Customs Fellowship Words and Worship and seeth them all to be Formal Imitation and the Invention of Man out of the Covenant of God so cannot but deny them and for this Cause he is Hated of all both Priest and People Whose Name according to the World is JAMES PARNELL The Servant is not Greater then his Master Try your selves prove your selves know ye not that Christ is in you unless you be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. Christ Exalted Into His THRONE And the SCRIPTURE Owned in its Place THis then is the Message that we have received of the Father That God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all if we walk in Darkness and say we have fellowship with him we lye and do not the Truth but if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light then have we fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son clenseth us from all sin 1 John 1. 5 6 7. And this is the Word which was in the beginning by which all things were made and in him was Life and his Life was the Light of men John 1. 1 2 3 4. By which Light all the holy Men of God in the dayes of old were inspired By which Light Moses saw the things that were done in the beginning and wrote of them Which Word was a Lamp unto David's Feet and a Light unto his Pathes Psal. 119. 105. Which Light dwelt in the Prophets and holy Men by which they saw the Day of Christ and wrote of him Isa. 49. 6. 60. 19 and spoke as they were moved by it and by it saw the Deceit Iniquities and Transgressions of Israel and declared against it both in Priest People and Rulers speaking the Word of the Lord faithfully whether they would hear or forbear Ezek. 2. Mic. 3. Isa. 56. And this Word came unto the Prophets which was as a Fire and a Hammer in their Bones Jer. 20. 9. 23. 29. Which Word in due time became Flesh and dwelt among the Apostles and they saw the Glory thereof as of the Only Begotten Son of the Father full of Grace and Truth John 1. 14. whom John bears witness of to be the Light of the World who doth enlighten every one that comes into the World John 1. To which Light Paul was sent to turn the minds of the Heathen Acts 26. 17 18. Which Light is the Condemnation of the World who love Darkness rather then Light because their deeds are Evil and he that hates it hath it though he will not bring his deeds to it by it to be proved therefore his Condemnation it is John 3. 19 20 21. And there is a time Light shines in Darkness and Darkness comprehends it not John 1. 5. and this is the Cause why many stumble at it and are offended in it And there is a time Light shines out of darknes and darkness flees away and then is witnessed the perfect Day where the Children of the Day do walk Isa. 42. 16. Mat. 4. 16. Eph. 5. 8. Which Light is the true Tryer of spirits gives the discerning of spirits and discovers the works of darkness and manifests the deeds of darkness and by it the Secrets of the heart are seen and hidden things searched out and by it all things are manifest and whatsoever makes manifest is Light Heb. 4. 12. Ephes. 5. 13. all which the natural man knows not and therefore cannot receive the things of God but by this Light is seen and judged for by this Light the Spiritual Man is able to discern and judge the natural man but he himself is judged of no man 1 Cor. 2. 14 15. For this is the Judge of the World and by this the Prince of the Air is judged wheresoever he ruleth John 16. 11. and therefore at it rageth and stirreth up his Servants to persecute it where it is manifest and so it is a Stumbling Stone and a Rock of Offence to the Children of the World in whom the Prince of this World lodgeth Rom 9. 33. And of this Word the Apostle Paul beareth witness to be quick and powerful and sharpe then a two-edged Sword to the dividing assunder betwixt the Marrow and the Bones Heb. 4. 12. to which Word the Apostle directed the minds of people within them from looking without for to find it without Rom 10. And from this same Word the Apostles spoke forth the Scripture which Word was their Guide and Rule and Teacher all along from the beginning by which both the Apostles and Prophets and the holy Men were acted moved and carry'd forth in the Power of it to declare that which by it they were taught 1 John 1. 2. Pet. 1. 21. And this is the free Grace of God which bringeth Salvation and hath appear'd to all men Tit. 2. 11 12. which is their Condemnation who do despite unto it Heb. 10. 29. but this was the Saints Teacher by which they were taught to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to live Godlily Righteously and Soberly in this present evil World And this is the Anointing which teacheth all things freely which is Truth and no Lye and leads into all Truth and he that knows this needs no man to teach him but is come to the end of mans teaching 1 John 2. 27. unto which the Prophet was come and therefore called freely Come buy Wine Milk without Money or Price Why spend ye your Money for that which is not Bread or your Labour for that which profitteth not Isa. 55. 1 2 3. And from this the Apostle spoke freely nor coveting any man's Silver or Gold but as they freely had received freely they gave Acts 20. 33. And whosoever speaks from this speaks freely and its Ministry leads to the end of Teaching and here let all flesh keep silence before the Lord Zach. 2. 13. And let all Hirelings and greedy Shepherds stop their mouthes who cry Peace Peace to them that put into their mouthes but if not they even prepare War against them and such like the Prophet in the Light saw and by it testified against them Mich. 3. 5. And all this the Scripture bears testimony of which was spoken from the Light but is not the Light nor the Word nor the Life nor the Judge nor the Rule nor the Guide nor the Tryer of spirits for all this belongs to Christ who is the Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the heart Heb. 4. 1 2. who is the Light John 8. 12. who is the Word John 1. 14. who is the Life John 14. 6. who blamed the Pharisees that thought in the Scriptures to find eternal Life but would not come unto him that they might have Life John 5. 39 40. who is the Anointing who is the Guide and Teacher and the Rule 1. John 2. 27. who when we are going to the right hand
Curse But Mordecai could not bow to him in Haman and therefore he sought to destroy him and informed the King against him and all the Jews in the Nation and said They were a scattered People and their Laws were divers from all People neither did they observe the Law of the King then he set up a pair of Gallows for Mordecai but Haman was hanged on his own Gallows and is cast down to nothing and Mordecai is exalted in his stead So there is a Time that Mordecai is despised and Haman exalted and there is a Time that Haman is cast down and Mordecai exalted And there is a Time that Esau reigns over Jacob and there is a Time that the Elder serves the Younger And there is a Time that Pharaoh rules and oppresses the Israelites but there is a Time of Israel's Deliverance and Pharaoh drowned in the Sea So there is a Time that Anti-christ sits in the Temple of God as God and saith he is God and Christ lyeth low in the Manger but there is a Time that he must be cast into the Pit and Christ alone exalted He that can receive it let him But in all Ages the Children of God could not bow to Lucifer nor his Image and this was the Cause why Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were cast into the fiery Furnace and this was the Cause why Daniel was cast into the Lions Den but by the Hand of his God whom he alone worshipped and honoured he was delivered and exalted and his Adversaries cast down in his Place And this was the Cause why the Prophets were alwayes persecuted and imprisoned and the Apostles who came to turn the World upside down And this is the Cause why the Ministers and Messengers of Jesus Christ are imprisoned stoned stocked whipped and shamefully entreated whom the Lord is pleased immediately to call from their outward Callings and Countries and sends them abroad into several Countries to preach his Name no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and who knows him must know him no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and those come to turn the World upside down being crucified to the World and the World to them and these cannot honour Lucifer nor bow to Lucifer nor worship his Image though there was a Time when they did but that was done in Egypt when they knew not God but now Lucifer and his Image is cast down and Christ alone exalted and the pure and perfect Law is witnessed which respects no Mans Person but God alone honoured and exalted and this we witness for amongst us there are no Superiors after the Flesh but Christ is the Head and amongst those who were redeemed out of the World there were no Superiors but only Christ the Head and all the rest Fellow-Servants and he that would be the greatest should be the least and he that respects Persons commits Sin And the Angel would not suffer John to bow to him but said he was his Fellow-Servant and this we witness who are redeemed out of the Kingdom of the Devil from amongst the Children of this World into the Kingdom of the Son who are crucified to the World and the World to us by the spiritual Cross of Christ in which we joy and glory amongst whom there is no Partiality nor Respect of Persons but all in Union in one though Ten Thousand and here God alone is King and he alone is honoured exalted and worshipped no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit for we have no other God in whom our Hearts delight And here proud Lucifer and his Image is cast out and here all his Honour is thrown down and his Breeding and Manners and Fashions and Customs and Words and Wayes and Worships which are after the Flesh and not after the Spirit whereby he sets up himself and causeth his Image to be worshipped and this is the Cause he rages in his Kingdom wheresoever we come and saith We are destructive to all Superioriry and Magistracy and Ministry and Honour Breeding and Manners and turn the World upside down for he knows where Christ comes he comes to take his Kingdom from him and cast him down into the Pit and there he must be tormented quick and all who bear his Image or his Mark and these are some of his Marks which he calls Nobility Gentility Honour Breeding Manners and Civility But true Nobility we own the Seed of God is Noble wheresoever it is born up and who can witness to the Head of the Serpent bruised and the Seed of God born up to reign and rule there is true Nobility there is true Gentility no more after the Flesh hut after the Spirit and this is to be honoured for Honour is due to this both in Magistrate or Minister Fisherman or Ploughman Herdsman or Shepherd wheresoever it rules without Respect of Persons and here Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour and this is no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit And here all the true Prophets of God were Noblemen and Gentlemen sprung of the Noble Seed though of the Nobles and great Ones of the Earth they were disdain'd reproached because according to the World they were of low Degree some of them Ploughmen some Herdsmen some Shepherds and therefore they persecuted them and destroyed them yet they were Gentile and bore all Christ was Noble sprang of the Noble Seed though of the great Ones and Nobles of the Earth he was disdained reproached and scorned to be the King of the Jews because according to the World he was of low Degree and supposed to be a Carpenter's Son so they spit upon him and disdained him and crucified him yet he was gentile and bore all The Apostles were Noble sprung of the Noble Seed though of the Nobles and great Ones of the Earth they were despised and disdained and reproached because according to the World they were of Low Degree some of them Fishermen and the like and came to turn the World upside down so they were despised persecuted and killed yet they were gentile and bore all But those were all Noble sprung of the Noble Seed and so are all now who are of the same Seed and those were all gentile sprung of the gentile Seed those have the Nature but not the Name and to those belongs the true Honour not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for they denyed the Honour of the World and therefore Christ said I receive not Honour from Men and said to his Apostles Be ye not called Masters neither call any Man Master upon the Earth and though the Princes of this World exercise Doâ—inion oâ—e over another yet it shall not be so amongst you but he that would be the greatest amongst you let him be your Servant and said he How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another and
condemn Sin in the Flesh which is the Word which became Flesh and dwelt amongst the Apostles This Christ we witness no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit and before We knew him after the Spirit we had no Profit by him but were in the State of Reprobation and so are all now who profess him in Words and know nothing of him but by the Letter without them And such deny Christ come in the Flesh who plead for Sin who live in Sin and do not witness him come but those who are crucified with him do live with him and he in them and none are Christians of the Flock of Christ but who are baptized into his Death by one Spirit into one Body and he that can witness this is crucified to the World and the World to him But who talk of Christ to be their Saviour and are still alive in the World's Nature must first witness him a Condemner for his first Appearance is with Sword and breaks the Peace and maketh the War and ends the War and makes the Peace and this Peace endures for ever and so he is a Condemner before he is a Saviour and he is a Peace-braker before he is a Peace-maker But who are at Peace in their Sin the Serpent is Head and the strong man keeps the House and Christ they do not witness come in the Flesh but who endure the War shall enjoy this Peace and he that can witness Christ his Saviour can witness this but Silence all Flesh before the Lord and let him that nameth the Name of God depart from Iniquity for he that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandements is a Lyar For saith Christ why call ye me Lord and do not the things which I say And none can call Jesus Lord but by the holy Ghost so it is plain you know not God who cannot keep his Commands then how can you believe in him whom you do not know We are accused that we judge People It is written The Saints shall judge the World and for Judgment I am come into the World saith Christ that those which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind and where Christ rules in his Saints he judges the World as Paul witnessed It is no more I but Christ in me and he is come to reprove the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment of Judgment because the Prince of the Air is judged who rules in the Children of this World and they cannot bear the righteous Judgment of Christ but kick against it and call him Devil and so they kick against the Prick which will the more torment them And this is the Spirit of Truth which came into the World which the World cannot receive because he testifies of it that the Deeds thereof are evil and this is the Condemnation of the World Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are evil and every one that doth Evil hateth the Light and will not come into the Light least it should reprove them yet they will say Christ is meek Love and lowly It is so but not to Ungodliness but he is meek to the meek and lowly to the lowly and Love to the Seed of God and his Saints are meek and lowly and bear all both Scandals Reproaches Persecutions and Imprisonments but to the Seed of the Serpent Christ is Judgment and Wo and a Sword to that which is for the Sword and a Condemner to the Wicked and our God is a consuming Fire and terrible to the Wicked to consume the Proud and Haughty in their Imaginations and here Christ is a Lyon and he is a Lamb he is a Condemner and he is a Saviour he that can receive him let him the Hungry Thirsty he feeds with living Food but the Fat he feeds with Judgment and that which would not bear his Judgment must never know his Peace but is for Judgment and cryes out as the Devil did who said he was come to torment them before the time but the Teachers of the World have deceived the People long crying Peace to them because they put into their Mouths and healing them up in their Sin with a feigned formed Faith which works no Reformation so sewing Pillows under their Arme-holes and here the Devil hath reigned in Peace and now Christ is come with the Sword to break his Peace with Plague and Judgment and now he rages and stands up for his Life in all both Priest and People and now the Beast makes War with the Lamb but it is hard for him to kick against the Prick for he must be bound and cast into the Pit and there be tormented quick and the false Prophet and all who bear his Image We are accused to deny the Church I answer The true Church which is in God we own and witness through Death but the Worlds Church we deny for the true Church is the Body of Christ made of tryed Stones elect and precious washed and cleansed by his Blood and Spirit that he might present it a glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinkle but this is not a House of Lime and dead Stones nor the People that meet in it for all manner of Unrighteous Persons meet there which is the Synagogue of Satan and a Cage of unclean Birds and like People like Priest but who comes to be elected into the Church of Christ which is spiritual denies the World's Church which is carnal and the World's Teacher who is carnal selling the carnal for carnal Money and Earth for Christ himself is the Teacher of his Church who feeds it with living eternal Food freely and it needs no other Teacher and this Church we own and witness but all other Churches we deny for the Church is but one and the Temple of God we own which is at new Jerusalem the City of the living God but all other Idols Temples we deny which is the Invention and Imaginations of Man and though God commanded Solomon to build him a Temple nevertheless God that made the World dwels not in Temples made with Hands and when Christ the Substance came he prophesied against it and also Stephen was stoned to Death when he prophesied against it and this we witness whose Bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost who are now stoned and persecuted by such as know not the living God but worship Idols because we speak against their Idols Temple which God never commanded to be built but was set up by the imagining Idolizing Papists and upheld by the blind Protestant so called and so they cast out the Papists and uphold their Idols and so the Inchanters Diviners and Sorcerers of England lead silly People in Blindness to worship Idols telling them they are the Houses and Temples of
God which is a meeer Delusion We are accused to deny the Sabbath The Sabbath of the Saints we own which is not for a Day but Everlasting and who dwells in Christ witnesseth this Sabbath which is the Substance and the Shadow without is vanished for saith Paul let no man condemn you in respect of Meats and Drinks or of an Holy Day or of new Moons or of the Sabbath-Dayes which are but Shadows of things to come And so the World hath the Shadow and the Saints the Substance and you who have the Shadow persecute them who have the Substance as the Scribes and Pharisees and High Priests did who had and upheld the Types and Figures of Christ and persecuted him who was the Substance so they that are alter the Flesh persecuted them that are aftor the Spirit But your Sabbath is a Shadow of Nothing for the Jews Sabbath in the time of the Law was upon the seventh Day which was the last Day of the Week but yours is the first Day of the Week for which you have no Scripture and they were not to do their own Wayes nor their own Pleasure nor speak their own Words upon the Sabbath Day and here you transgress in the Figure and walk in your own Wayes and speak your own Words and do your own Pleasures both of that Day and every Day We are accused that we justifie our selves and condemn all others I answer When we were our selves without the Spirit of God and had a Form and Profession of the Saints Condition which we did not possess we sought to justifie our selves in our Profession and earthly Wisdom and to exalt our selves and be something in the Eyes of others and here we were Pharisee and yet feigned Publicans saying we were sinfull but thought higher of our selves then others though we were in the same Nature and here our Justification was of our selves and not of Christ and here all you Pharisees and feigned Publicans both Priests and Professors who are in your earthly Wisdom feeding upon the Letter but as the Light of Christ arose in us all our earthly Wisdom wherein we were exalted became Foolishness and Self was judged and denyed and all that which was of Self both Wisdom and Righteousness wherewith we covered over our filthy lustful unclean Hearts and so were as painted Sepulchres and here are all Professors at this Day who are feeding upon the Tree of Knowledge and are from under the Cross of Christ but all would not hide from the Light of God but as it arose it searched through all and lay'd open all and all our Covers became rotten and fell from us and so it will be with all Professors as the Light of Christ doth arise and the Book of Conscience is layd open for no Flesh must glory in his Presence But now we have nothing but what we have received of the Father through Death and Christ is made over unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption and though we glory we glory in the Lord for we have nothing in our selves to glory of and the Saints thought it no Presumption to call themselves the Sons of God and said they were of God and all the whole World lie in Wickedness and here the same Spirit would have accused them yet they were no Pharisees and Christ thought it no Robbery to be equal with God yet he was no Pharisee though of the Pharisees he was judged a Blasphemer and as he is so are we say the Saints yet they were no Pharisees and so who are made the Sons of God it is no Self-justification to witness it forth neither those who are made free from Sin to witness it forth as the Apostles did and to witness forth the Life and Power of Truth and deny them that have gotten the Form Notion or Profession And here Christ is the Witness and the Justification for the Way is but one and the Truth is but one and they who dwell in the Truth witness one with another for the Light of God owns its own wheresoever it is for God cannot deny himself but they that are not with us are against us and out of the Truth in the State of Condemnation for all who are out of the Truth are under the Curse in the Fall and this Truth we witness by the Spirit of the living God through Death the same Truth as ever was and there is that in every Conscience shall bear us Witness yea in the Heathen and condemn them that hate it Jer. 3. 19 20. We are accused to be one with the Ranters I answer it is false for we abhor their Principles in our Hearts and deny any Liberty to the Flesh or any light or loose or vain Conversation which they live in or any thing which is impure or unclean for our Principles are pure and clean and are at Enmity with any thing that is impure or unclean for Purity and Impurity cannot agree together and it is our desire to keep our selâ—es unspotted of the World for that which is unclean defiles and from that we are seperated who are the Sons and Daughters of the living God But some of them have tasted of the Love of God and Grace of God and have had Appearances of God but by hearkning to the Voyce of the Serpent and giving way to the Lust have turned with the Dog to the Vomit and the Grace of God into Wantenness casting his pure Law behind their Backs and walking despightfully against the Spirit of Grace and have crucified afresh the Lord of Life and put him to open Shame therefore hath the Lord given them up to their own Hearts-Lusts and vile Affections and their Consciences are seared as with an hot Iron for it is written It is impossible that those who were once enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly Gift and were made Partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted of the good Word of God and the Powers of the World to come if they shall fall away to renew them again to Repentance but they have deceived many with their alluring Speeches and have caused the Truth of God to be evil spoaken of by their pernicious lascivious wayes but Wo Wo be to them for double shall be their Reward But God is our Witness we deny and abhor all things which are filthy or unclean and though all the World condemn it is without For there is no Condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not aefter the Flesh but after the Spirit And it is my tender desire towards all tender Consciences that they may take heed of giving any Liberty to the Flesh lest they loose the Tenderness of Conscience and harden it by Lust and Uncleanness for nothing but Purity will the Lord receive for he is of purer Eyes then to behold Iniquity We are accused that the Ground of our Religion is Popery The
vanishes away pulling down one Judgment and setting up another pulling down one Form and setting up another and thus are building Babel and so are confounded with this Confusion by him who confounds the Wisdom of the Wise and brings to nought the Counsel of the Prudent And so I seeing many poor Creatures in this Distraction tossed about with every Wind of Doctrine and sucking at the Husk for Life and so get into the Comprehension a great deal of light airy notional Knowledge which is all but aâ— Chaff which the Wind will scatter in the Day of the Lord and so it will stand in no stead when the Lord comes to plead with all flesh for nothing will stand in the Day of Tryal but what comes through Death thus I see many a poor Creature lost and tossed in this wide Wilderness even this dark World being Carried Captive by the Prince of the Air not knowing the true Light to be its Guide into the Way of Truth which is the Way of Life and Peace Now in the Light which was before the World was I do comprehend the World and the Ground and End of all Forms Sects and Opinions And so for some Simple Ones Sakes and the Tender-hearted have I here laid them Open and withall directing the Mind how and where to find the true Light by which these Things are seen and read and understood and as it is loved and followed the Mind will be brought into the Life and Power out of these fading empty Shadows unto the Possession of the Substance even the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands the End of all Forms Shadows and Imaginations and thus doth the Stone which the Builders rejected become the Head of the Corner and thus the Creature is turned from the Power of Satan unto God J. P. THE WATCHER Striking at the Feet of the IMAGE c. IN the Dayes of old the Holy Men of God who were indued with the Spirit of God did as they were acted and guided moved and commanded by the Power and Spirit of God which dwelt in them and here was their RULE And also the Serpent as an Angel of Light he acted and worked in his Instruments by the Power of Darkness in Opposition to the Spirit of God the Enmity being placed betwixt the two Seeds and the more gloriously the true Light appear'd in any Age Satan also reform'd himself and appear'd accordingly in the Shape and Form and Likeness thereof as it is now to this Day but his was alwaies but the Form and Likeness of the thing but not the Thing it self His is the false Light the other the true Light and so the true Light all along discover'd him and made him manifest to those in whom it ruled But thus by his Subtilty and Deceit he hath ever deceived the World and blinded the World so that he might keep his Kingdom who is the God of the World as for Example Moses a Servant and Messenger of the most high God to whom God had revealed and made known himself when he and Aaron were sent unto Pharaoh to require him to let Israel ge free for a Sign unto him they cast down their Rod and it became a Serpent and the Magicians of Egypt they were brought and by their Sorceries and Inchantments they cast down their Rods and they became Serpents and thereby Pharaoh's Heart was hardned and they would not obey nor believe And thus the Devil imitated and opposed the Truth but Aaron's Rods swallowed up their Rods so that it was manifest that He that was with them was Greater then he that was in the World And also when Israel had sin'd against God and done that which is Evil in the Sight of God the Lord God sent forth his Prophets and Messengers to declare the Word of the Lord amongst them against Sin and Evil Pride Deceit and Oppression and all Ungodliness Iniquities Disobedience and Rebellion and they had Visions and Revelations and the Word of God dwelt in them by which they were led guided and acted And Satan he also wrought in his Instruments with a Spirit of Delusion and he sent forth his Prophets with their Visions lying Divinations and false Dream and they cried Peace where the true Prophets cried Wo and the People hearkned unto them and set them up and the Prophets prophesied falsly and the Priests bore Rule by their meanes and the People loved to have it so But What will you do in the End thereof saith the Lord by the mouth of his Prophet Jeremiah who declared against it freely and said It was an horrible filthy Thing and he was persecuted And the true Prophets who dwelt in the Light and in the Power of God they saw them to be such as run and the Lord never sent them and therefore they profited not the People at all and they stole the Word from their Neighbour and they spoak a Divination of their own Brain and not from the Mouth of the Lord and say the Lord said when he never spoak to them and they were light and vain and daub'd the People up with untempered Morter and sewed Pillows under their Arm-holes and healed the People slightly crying Peace Peace where there was no Peace but they turnd them not from their Evil Wayes nor from their Evil-doings and the Lord was against them And the true Prophets of God who dwelt in the Light they saw them and plainly freely declar'd against them then whether they would hear or forbear and told them They built up Sion with Blood and Jerusalem with Iniquity and the Heads judged for Rewards and the Priests preach'd for Hire and the Prophets divined for Money and yet said the Prophet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us as that none Evil can come upon us And they saw them to be such as sought for the Fleeces and regardeâ—â— ot the Flock but fed with the Fat and cloathed with the Wool and made a Prey upon the Sheep but the Prophets of the Lord did not spare them but freely and publickly declared against them and they were persecuted and imprison'd and destroyed by those who upheld sided with the false Prophets Priests Hirelings and Deceivers And they had then a Way of Worship unto God with their New Moons with their Sabbaths with their calling of Assemblies and Prayers and Sacrifices and Burnt-Offerings which were once prescribed by God unto Israel but when their Hearts were gone from him so that they walked not uâ—rightly before the Lord then said he Who hath 〈◊〉 these things at your hands to tread my Couâ—◠〈…〉 were vain 〈◊〉 Iâ—cense is an 〈…〉 the NewMoâ—ns and Sabbaths 〈…〉 I cannot away with It is Iniquity even the 〈…〉 and your appâ—inâ—◠〈…〉 spread forth your Haâ—â—s I wiâ—◠〈…〉 Eyes wheâ— you make many Prayers I will not hearken your Hand are full of Blood wish you
make you clean ecase to do Evil learn to do Well seek Judgement relieve the Oppressed judge the Fatherless plead for the Widdow Isa. â—â— and saith the Lord Is it such a Fast that I have chosen a Day for a man to afflict his Soul to hang down the Hâ—ad like a Bâ—lrâ—sh and to spread Sackcloth and â—shes under him wilt thou call this a Fast and an acceptable Day to the Lord is not this the Fast which I have chosen to break the Bands of Wickedâ—ess to 〈◊〉 the heavy Burdens and to let the Oppresse◠〈…〉 that you break every Yoak Is it not to deal thy Bread to the Hungry and that thou bring the Poor that are cast out to thy House when thou seest the Naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own Flesh Isa. 8. 5 6 7. but this they did not do therefore said the Lord these People draw near me with their Mouths and honour me with their Lips but their Hearts are far from me and thus the Devil deceived them and blinded their Eyes in that Age with a Profession and Form of Worship but their Hearts he kept to himself and this the Prophets saw in the â—ight and testified and declared against it and left it behind them upon record and when the time came that Christ was born the Pharisees and Scribes and chief Priests had the Letter the Writings of Moses and the Prophets and they could tell by them where Christ should be born and when Herod had assembled them together he demanded of them where Christ should be born they said in Bethlehem of Judah for thus it is written by the Prophets c. so the Priests and Pharisees then were the Keepers of the Letter and they had the Types and the Shadows and Figures of Christ the Substance and there they had a Life and thought in them to find Eternal Life but would not come unto Christ that they might have Life but despised him and would not believe on him because he came not in the Wisdom nor in the Pomp nor Glory of the World but testified against it and they were gotten up into Moses's Chair but not into Moses's Life for they tythed Mâ—nt and Anis and Cumin but omitted the weightier things of the Law Judgment Mercy and Faith which they ought to have done and not to have left the other undone for that was a time when Tythes were due for the Aaronical and Levitical Priesthood to which Tythes did belong was not yet changed until Christ was offered up and they were fair-sayers who said and did not and the Hypocrites who were hopt above the Light and so were the Blind Leaders of the blind with their fair sayings and therefore said Christ beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and they turned People from the Light and denyed the Light and so shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men and would neither enter in themselves nor suffer others that would but had gotten a Wisdom and Righteousness of their own which blinded their Eyes and covered their Sins so that they could not see their Sins nor him that was the Way the Truth and the Life therefore did he pronounce so many Woes against them and called them whited Walls and painted Sephulchres who washed the outside but were the Generation of Vipers and Serpents within and thus Christ who was the Light searched them and judged them who appeared fair on the Outside but within full of Uncleanness but they could not hide themselves from the Light therefore they joyned against it the Saducees the Pharisees chief Priests and Scribes and the Herodians and Pilate and Herod and the rude Multitude all joyned together against the Life and they consulted against him and took Counsel against him how they might destroy him and the Pharisees came to tempt him and in snare him with Questions that they might get some what against him to bring him under their Law but he fore-saw their deceitful Hearts their Plots and confounded their Intentions and brought to nought their Counsel then they said If we let this man alone all men will go after him and so they sought false Witnesses and took Counsel against him and crucified him and let Barrabas go free and thus the Devil blinded their Eyes in that Age with a strickt Profession and their own Righteousness and Wisdom so that they could not see the Light and the Life but persecuted it and sought the Living in the dead Letter but if they had known him they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory yet they were wise in their own Eyes and despised those that followed him and said none of the Rulers believed on him but an ignorant People that knew not the Law that were accursed because they were the Publicans and Sinners and they themselves were the greatest Sinners but they healed themselves up with their own Wisdom and Righteousness and therefore said Christ they that are whole need no Physician but they that are sick therefore he said Publicans and Harlots should enter the Kingdom before them but the Blind the Deaf the Lame the Dumb and the Leopardies came unto him and believed on him and were healed and the poor received the Gospel but the Priests and Professors or the Pharisees and Scribes and Elders and Rulers could not believe on him that he was the Messias but looked for another and these were the most zealous in their Profession and builded the Tombs of the Prophets and garnished the Sepulchres of thâ— Righteous and said If they had been in the Day â— their Fathers they would not have been Partakers wiâ— them in the Blood of the Prophets and yet those were the chief Persecutors of Christ the Substance of those things which they upheld in the Law and the Prophets therefore they were Witnesses against themselves and filled up the Measure of their Fathers Wrath and those professed Abraham and said Abraham was their Father and yet denyed Christ whom Abraham foretold of but Christ told them they were of their Father the Devil and his Works they did and would do and thus he judged them for all their Zeal and Profession and said how could they escape the Damnation of Hell Then after he was sacrificed up he appeared unto his Apostles and sent them to preach the Gospel to every Creature and here they did not run because the Prophets run nor take up a Command without them in the Prophets Writings to do a thing because the Prophets were commanded to do it but they were also acted and guided by the same Spirit and Word of Truth which dwelt in them which Christ before he was offered up had promised that he would send the Comforter even the Spirit of Truth which the World could not receive which should lead them into all Truth and should reprove the World of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment and then after they had
are they who are led and guided by the One Spirit of which the World cannot receive even the Comforter of whom you have heard should come by which they are separated out of the World and redeemed out of the Rudiments and Pollutions thereof their Fashions their Customs their Words their Wayes their Manners their Breeding their Fellowship Love and Friendship their Honour and Glory and their Worship and so are become Strangers to the World and so are hated of the World because they are not of the World and the Enmity stands betwixt the two Seeds but while they were of the World the World loved them but now they are gathered out of the World and separated from the World and testifie against the World both in Words and Actions therefore the Enmity is raised in the World against the Righteous Seed and those are they upon whom the Ends of the World are come to whom it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom though to the World in Parables and those are they that are come with a Mighty Arm and Power to trun the World up-side down whom the Lord hath gathered and is a gathering out of the World by his own Spirit of Truth and Love to walk in the Way of Truth even the Way of Holiness where the Ransomed of the Lord do walk and serve and worship him in Spirit and in Truth and such is the Father seeking to worship him in whom he is in doing his own Work even to destroy the Old Creation and create New Heavens and New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness and those are they that are the New Creatures in whom this New Work is witnessed in whom the Father hath manifested his Son that in the Likeness of sinful Flesh he might condemn Sin in the Flesh and to bind the Strong Man and cast him out of his House and spoil his Goods and so to destroy the Works of the Devil and to cut down the Man of Sin even that Son of Perdition who is exalted above all that is called GOD sitting in the Temple of God as God and saith He is God this is he by whom the World is deceived who is the God of the World even the Prince of Darkness who rules in all the Children of Disobedience and so saith John in the Light The whole World lies in Wickedness and unto this doth Christ come with a Sword for to make War with him and to take and bind him and cast him into utter Darkness and so to take his Kingdom from him and to rule himself in Righteousness And this is the King of the SAINTS who is now come to redeem unto himself a Pure People and to wash them cleanse them from their Sias by his BLOOD and so to wash away all Filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit and this is the Baptism by which they are received into his Church and Faith and here is the Effect of his BLOOD wrought in MAN and thus he doth and will manifest his Mighty Power to purifie and cleanse and make Man a fit Temple for himself to dwell in And thus is GOD with us manifested in Flesh and thus are the Saints Bodies made the TEMPLES of the HOLY GHOST and thus is the Word of Life and Reconciliation witnessed to the raising up the Soul to Life and reconciling the Soul to GOD and those are they that are begotten and born again of the Immortal Word which dwelleth and abideth forever and here is the Houshold of God the Houshold of Faith and the Houshold of Love who speak the things which they have heard and seen and tasted of the good Word of Life which was in the beginning and those are the Children of Light who are gather'd out of the dark Forms Judgments and Opinions into the Life and Power of Godliness to walk in the Light of Life wherein they are gathered and united by the One Spirit of Love and Life into One Body of which Christ is Head and here is the true Church which the Lord is a gathering and washing and cleansing and purifying by his Spirit that he may redeem unto himself a pure Church not having Spot or Wrinkle or any such thing whose Insides are washed and made clean through the Word by which they are reconciled into the Love and Union which springs from the Life of God and here is the Vine and the Branches and here is the Communion of the Church all feeding upon One Bread all drinking upon One Cup this is Christ the Life of the Saints and as many as are baptized into this Church partake of this Communion and those are they which have denyed themselves and have born the Cross of Christ by which they are crucified to the World and the World to them who are gathered into one Covenant of Life where all are Fellow-Servants under one MASTER who serve one another in Love and Meekness And here is the true Humility in the Heart wrought and here is the true Washing of Feet without Hypocrisie which some are imitating without for LIFE but fall short for the Heart the Lord requires And thus is the Church of Christ gathered by one Spirit and by the same circumcised and baptized into one Light and Life and Power where all dwell as MEMBERS of One BODY of which CHRIST is the HEAD And here is the Blessed Union and Communion in One and here God is worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and as CHRIST is spiritual so is his BODY and so are his Ordinances And here are the true Christians not those that only have the Notion of those things but they that witness and possess this in Life and they that believe have the witness within themselves and they that believe have passed from Death unto Life and the Life which they now live in is by Faith in the Son of God which Faith is without Respect of Persons who are the New Creatures who are IN Christ Jesus to whom there is no Condemnation who walk not after the FLESH but after the for against such there is no LAW for they are translated out of that NATURE for which the LAW was added and are set free by the Law of the Spirit of Life and are made Partakers of the Divine Nature of Christ by which they are made Christians and therefore saith John As he is so are we in this present World and such now witness the Effect of the Blood of Christ wrought within them and the End of his Coming and the Benefit of his Death who are Dead with him and risen through the Death of the Cross and these are they that have escaped the Pollutions of the World through the Knowledge of the Son of God within them Christ within the Hope of Glory or else no Hope of Glory for they that cannot witness him so are in the Reprobation so saith the Apostle and here is the Son in the Saints and the Father in the Son and thus are
all made perfect in One And here is the True Church where there is but One Teacher One Lord One Faith One Baptism One Light One Life and One Way One Shepherd and One Sheepfold and One Priest over the Houshold of God and One Hope and One Language One Family and One God and Father of all And they that cannot witness this are Strangers to Christ and Strangers to his Cross and Strangers to the Common-Wealth of Israel And this is the Work which the Lord has now begun and is carrying on by a Strong Arm and Mighty Power to redeem unto himself a pure Church and Blessed are they that hearken unto his Voice Here all you Formalists Imitators and Self-actors are shut out here all you Proud Ones are shut out here all you Lustful Ones Fleshly Ones and Carnal Ones are shut out and all you that are conformed like unto the World in their Fashions in their Customs in their Words in their Ways in their Worships and Traditions in their Love and in their Fellowship who are seeking the Glory and Honour and Riches of this World you are the Children of this World under the Dominion of the God of the World whose Kingdom is of this World Here all you are shut out who live at Ease in your Pleasures and live wantonly upon the Earth in the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eye and the Pride of Life you are the Children of Babylon you kill the Just and he lies slain in the Streets but here you all are shut out of the New Covenant of Life in the Dark World under Death's Dominion of what Profession and Judgment soever Aliens and Strangers to the Covenant of Promise for they that are not with us are against us and our Union and Society is in the Light of Life But you must all suffer the Death of the Cross to the Life which you now live in before you can witness this Redemption for those that live with Christ are crucified with him therefore so it is they that will take up Life must first lay down Life for the Way to Life is through Death Therefore you must be stripped of all your Old Covers naked and bare that your Deceit and Shame may appear which you have so long covered with your own Righteousness but now you must suffer the Shame of the Cross if you would have part in Christ and all your old Wisdom Knowledge and Notions which you have gotten into your Comprehensions by your Conceivings of the Scripture-Letter wherein hath been your Life and Pride and Exaltation must all come to the Death of the Cross that no Flesh should Glory in his Presence but I say unto all you Professors Formalists Notionists and Disputers and Wise Ones of this World If you will not take up and imbrace this Cross Publicans and Harlots shall enter the Kingdom before you Therefore not many Mighty nor many Noble nor many Wise after the Flesh are called but he hath chosen the Foolish Things of this World to confound the Wise and the Weak to confound those that are Mighty that no FLESH should Glory in his PRESENCE but CHRIST is made over unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that they which Glory might Glory in the Lord. And this I witness in my Measure the things which I have seen and heard and felt and tasted of the good Word of Life which was in the Beginning the same do I declare and am known and read by the Children of Light And now I shall proceed to several Passages that I have had with the People called Baptists in several Meetings that their Deceit and Delusion may be laid open to the Simple-hearted Upon the Thirtieth of the First Moneth called March in the Year 1655. I was at one Ashen's House in Fenstanton in Huntingtonshire where I was freely declaring the Truth of God to the People that came there together that Day as I was taught moved by the Spirit of Truth by which the Holy Men of God spoak forth the Scripture as they were moved and there came several of the People called Baptists into the Room amongst us amongst whom was one of their Teachers called Richard Elligood who after a while stood up in his Will and Wisdom to accuse me and said That I had said That God did not respect any Forms and yet saith he you use the Form and so use that which God hath no Respect to But his first words were Sir if you please I will speak something to what you have said To which I made Answer Here needs no Complements And then he runs on as aforeâ— said to which Accusation I reply'd was False and bad him prove what Form I used And he said The Letter And I replyed He that takes the Letter to talk of without the Life and Power such sets up a Form and makes a Form But this would not satisfie his filthy Wisdom which darkened his Understanding but because I spoak words which are mentioned in the Scripture by the same Spirit that spoak forth the Scripture by which I challenge the Scripture from him and all such who have gotten it to talk of but denies the Life and are Strangers to the Life and Power therefore with his contrary Spirit tasked me with a Form which by his Logick and deceitful Art would have proved but could not but his Deceit was laid open to the People and many declared against him for a Form is this as I said before the Likeness of a Thing but not the Thing it self as they have the Likeness of a Church which they have imagined from the Letter with their Elders Pastors and Teachers but not the Church it self and so they imitate the Scriptures but live not in the Life of them that spoak forth the Scriptures neither are acted and guided by the same Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and so want the Life and Power and those are the Formalists that make Forms and Likenesses to deceive the simple as the Devil hath the Form of an Angel of Light but not the Life and Power who appears to rule in those Formalists and Self-Actors but the Day doth make him manifest and therefore he rages and then this Elligood denyed that I had the same Spirit that gave forth the Scripture and he said The Spirit might be tryed by the Letter for he said Many false Spirits are entered into the World and I asked him By what did the Apostle know that false Spirits were gone out into the World and he replyed and said By the Spirit of God then I replyed and said If by the Spirit of God the Apostle knew that there were many false Spirits gone out into the World then by the Spirit of God be tryed FALSE SPIRITS and knew False Spirits from the TRUE and here his Deceit was laid open to the People and he judged out of his own Mouth to be a Lyar and to be guided by a false Spirit
who would try the Living by the Dead and again he said that one Spirit could not try another for by that Judgment the Evil Spirit might try the Good Spirits to which I replyed By the Spirit of God all other Spirits are tryed and also that by the Light Darkness is discovered but Darkness cannot comprehend the Light neither discover the Light and here again his Blindness and Ignorance and Deceit was much discovered to the People although he fed himself and would have shuffled it off by his Consequences and filthy Logick but it the more laid open his Deceit and presently the said Elligood was found with another Lye in his Mouth for he said that I said the Thing should be proved by every Man's Spirit which was a very Lye for I said that the Baptism of the Spirit was the Substance of the outward Baptism the which he denyed and bid me prove it and I said I spoak to the Witness in every Man's Conscience which his dark Mind could not comprehend but with his dark Mind wrested my Words and therefore said that I said it was witnessed by every Man's Spirit but his Spirit was a lying Spirit there tryed and made manifest to the People and his Blasphemy against the Spirit of God in calling Truth Error and Error Truth and putting Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness because the God of the World hath blinded his Eye and many witnessed against him for his filthy Spirit was odious to many of the Hearers then afterward he again said that I was a Deceiver and his Proof was that I was not obedient to the Command of Christ to be baptized and I told him I was baptized but he said with Water and he said that was a Command of Christ to be baptized with Water and I bid him shew me that Scripture but he could not but brought a Scripture in the Acts where the Apostle commanded some to be baptized and this by his filthy Logick and Consequences he would have made a Command of Christ but he could not deceive the Light which did him try and make him manifest to the Shame of his Prosession but he could not bring one Scripture to prove it to be a Command of Christ to baptize with Water and then he shuffled to that Scripture where the Apostle said Be ye Followers of us even as we are Followers of Christ and then he said Christ was baptized but he confessed it was to fulfil all Righteousness and I said he was also circumcised and he said that was not for Example then not the Baptism for both were to fulfil all Righteousness to which End he the Substance came but Christ himself baptized not with Water neither do they read that the Apostles were baptized with Water then who is their Example and how do they follow the Apostles in that seeing they are baptized and the Apostles were not then he fled from that being there routed and said They might be Disciples before they could take up the CROSS of Christ and I replyed with Christ's Words That they might take up his Cross before they could be his Disciples which he denyed and said That Wicked Men upon that Account might take up the Cross of Christ and that Christ required Wicked Men to take up his Cross and I said it was so he did require them so to do for by taking up his Cross they come to deny their Wickedness for they that bear his CROSS live not in Wickedness but this Elligood said That Wicked Men could not take up his CROSS for he said Reproaches and outward Sufferings were the CROSS of Christ for his Name 's sake but this was not the Cross by which Paul was crucified to the World and the World to him and saith Paul where he was speaking concerning Wickedness and Unrighteous Ones to the Corinthians Such were some of you but you are now cleansed c. And here Wicked Ones and Unrighteous Ones took up his CROSS which to them was the Power of GOD unto Salvation though to the GREEKS Foolishness and to the JEWS a stumblingâ— Block amongst whom this ELLIGOOD is found who is a Stranger to the CROSS OF CHRIST who saith REPROACHES and Outward SUFFERINGS are the CROSS OF CHRIST whenas the CROSS OF CHRIST makes DISCIPLES and they must be DISCIPLES before they can suffer REPROACHES or PERSECUTION for the NAME OF CHRIST and must depart from Iniquity before they be a Prey to the World for CHRIST's sake for the VVorld loves its own and they that take up the CROSS do depart from Iniquity which is before Reproaches or Persecution is suffered for the Name of CHRIST And here ELLIGOOD is found the Lyar who said Wicked Men were not called to take up the Cross of CHRIST whenas all are wicked before they take up this Cross and here ELLIGOOD is found to be no Disciple of Christ who is such a Stranger to the Cross of Christ who is a Lyar and so are not the Disciples of Christ for the Lyar is of the Devil and therefore is ELLIGOOD Then I knowing him to be one of the Baptists Teachers I took out some Queries which not long before I had sent them but no Answer to them had I received and I would have read them openly that the People might have heard and also he that was one of their Teachers but as I was reading he not having Power over his own VVill could not bridle his Tongue but disorderly run into many VVords so that the People could not understand and I spoak to him for it and he said He had not Time to stay and further said That he was not of the Society of these Baptists at Fnestanton and yet he came with them and from them and then I replyed That be owned them to be the Church of God and this he did and then if he was not of their Society he was shut out of the Church and then he would have shuffled off with his Consequences and said he dwelt for off and then I replyed with the Apostles Words Though absent in Body yet present in Spirit and the Multitude that believed were of one Heart and Mind and here was the Society of the Saints and he being out of this Society is shut out of the Church and then he would have made it stood by his Logick which only is to make a false Thing seem true but it the more laid open his deceitful Heart and Shame to the Hearers who severally witnessed against him to speak nothing but Deceit and then saith he you call the Apostles Words Deceit because he had often stoln the Apostles Words to make his DECEIT seem TRUTH by covering it with the APOSTLES Words and this is a more subtil Deceit and then in his Will he called me Deceiver the which he was to prove and all the People was silent and there he uttered several Lyes and laid open himself to be the Deceiver as I had told him in
hast so long professed which hath been so long preached in thee Is this thy Divinity And are these thy Preachers of Divinity Nay they are now found out by the Light of God to be the Diviners Sorcerers Witches and Magicians that are only Opposers and Gain-sayers of the Truth who must perish in the Gainsaying of Core they are known by their Fruits and the Fruits of their Ministry and thy Well-head of Divinity is now found the Well-head of Sorcery Witchcraft and Spiritual Whoredom and all Abomination and Uncleanness the Day doth declare it and one Fountain cannot bring forth both Bitter Water and Fresh Oh! Antichrist hath reigned long over poor enslaved captivated Souls but now Israel's Redeemer hath appeared and the Sun of Righteousness is risen with Healing in his Wings and Antichrist's Kingdom is come and coming to an End and Christ himself will reign and rule in Truth and in Righteousness in his Ransomed Ones and this is the Mighty King and Redeemer of Israel out of Captivity into a Land of Peace and Love and Unity where the Ransomed Ones do dwell with their Captain and their King who doth deliver his own Lambs out of the Mouthes of Raging Wolves and Dogs Praises Praises Everlasting Eternal to the Everlasting God of Life forever And thus we are sent as Sheep amongst Wolves but in the Power of the Almighty we are sent forth and the Arm of the Almighty is with us and doth deliver us from being a Prey to the Lyon's Whelps which would us devour and blessed are all they that receive our Testimony it is Peace and Salvation to their Souls Now where is the Wise Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this World Hath not God made Foolish the Wisdom of this World and hath chosen the Foolish Things to confound the Wise and the Weak to confound those that are Mighty that no Flesh should Glory in his Presence Unto this Doughty I sent several of these Queries which are before mentioned but I received no Answer Another Meeting betwixt the People called Baptists and the People called Quakers UPon the fourth Day of third Moneth called May we were several of the Lord's People met together in a Friend's Oarchard at Litleport in the Isle of Ele and there came in Three of the Teachers of the Baptized People the chief of them was one John Ray of Wickombruck in Suffolk and he came as he said with a Message and that was To Excommunicate two Persons that were there namely Samuel Cater and Ezekiel Cater had formerly been Elders amongst them out of their Society whenas they were come out of their Society before and owned the Substance and denyed their Form and Shadow without their casting out but thou Ray to uphold-thy Form didst there disorderly run into Words in thy own Will and then wentst away and wouldst not stay to prove what thou hadst done but saidst Thou wast to be at the Steeple-house shortly so as I was moved I spoak unto the People there present and after a while when I had spoken what was given me of the Lord to speak I passed into the Town and there I hearing how the Baptist was railing on the Truth in the Steeple-house I passed to the Steeple-house with some Friends that had formerly been of their Society and when I came there I found thee John Ray set up in the Seat of the Pharisee the chiefest Place in the Assembly speaking a Divination of thy own Brain not from the Mouth of the Lord as thou confessedst openly amongst the People that none in these Dayes had any open Vision or heard God speak immediately and here thou wast an open Lyar amongst the People but here thou barredst thy self from the same Spirit that spoak in the Prophets and Apostles and therefore art a Deceiver for he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and so thou measuredst others by thy self but I and Hundreds more of the Children of Light do witness thee to be a Lyar and Deceiver in these Dayes who comes not in the Name of the Lord but in thy own Name therefore the World receives thee but here out of thy own Mouth thou art judged and condemned out of the New Covenant for there God himself is Teacher and thou that never heardst him speak immediately and yet comest to preach his Word Thou art a Stranger unto God and a Blind Guide a Deceiver and a false Prophet who runs and the Lord never sent thee therefore thou profits not the People at all but art a Thief and steals the Words of the Prophets Christ and his Apostlâ—s and adds a Divination of thy own Brain and so feeds the People with Notions and airy Knowledge and casting the Childrens Bread unto Dogs but the greater is thy Condemnation who for a Pretence makes long Prayers and wrests and perverts the Scripture to thy own Destruction but think â—ot that thou shalt be heard for thy much Babling for the Hand of the Lord is against thee And there in the Seat of the Pharisee thou Ray hadst taken a Text of the Apostles Words and added thy own Meanings Uses Applications and Divinations thou Merchant of Babylon and Diviner where hast thou any such Example from the Prophets or Apostles They spoak from the Mouth of the Lord and as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and as the Spirit gave them Utterance and they spoak with Power and Authority and not as the Scribes but thou dost speak in the Wisdom of the World like as the Scribes and Pharisees and Priests amongst whom I number thee and here thou art shut from the Apostles and their Practice with thy Carnal Meanings Uses Applications and Divinations and this was thy TEXT which thou hadst stoln out of the Apostles Writings which were writ unto the Church and thou applyedst them unto the World and saidst For if after they have escaeped the Pollutions of the World through the Knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter End is worse then the Beginning c. And from this thou raisedst thy Uses Applications and dark Meanings whenas neither thou nor any there which belonged to thee or owned thee that had ever escaped the Pollutions of the World or ever had come to the Knowledge of Christ but are still in Darkness and Blindness in their Sins and Corruptions in Covetousness in Pride and Wantonness in Lightness in Wrath and in Anger and Maliciousness in Back-biting in Slandering and false Accusing in Railing and Cursed Speaking in Lying and Blaspheming only it may be have passed through the Water But it is not the washing away the Filth of the Flesh But here both thou and they are still and these are the Pollutions of the World but they that know and witness Jesus Christ come in the Flesh witness the washing away those Sins and Pollutions and thus thou
in the Letter when the Apostle saith Go not forth the Word is nigh in the Heart And thus thou opposest the Apostle and drawest from his Doctrine and bringest another Doctrine and so art not to be received but held as Accursed as thou art by the Children of Light and sometimes thou calledst the Letter the Word and sometimes a Story and here was thy Confusion And then thou runndst on with thy fauning dissembling Speeches making a Shew oftentimes to the People of speaking more of a Matter but for wearying their Patience Oh blush and be ashamed of thy Doctrine now thou makest it appear what filthy Stuff it is that art afraid it should weary Peoples Patience to hear it if it was of God it would not be wearisom to any Thing of God to hear it but it was not of God therefore I am sure it was wearysom and burdensom to the Spirit of God and here thou art shut out with thy frothy Stuff and vain Complements to be a Deceiver And then thou saidst If you please I will speak more and thus thou markest out thy self for a Man-Pleaser and the Apostle said If yet I pleased Men I should not be a Servant of Christ. Now read thy self where thou art who art yet a Man-pleaser who comes with such inticing Words of Mens Wisdom so that the Preaching of the CROSS to thee is Foolishness and the Prophets who had the Spirit of the LORD and the WORD of the Lord they spoak whether they would hear or forbear and here thou art shut out both from the Spirit of God and the Word of God which is one who art a Man Pleaser and if not a Servant of Christ then a Servant of the Devil and so I mark thee out that all may know thee and no longer be deceived by thee with the Shadow instead of the Substance with thy inticing Words of Men's Wisdom And thou told'st the People Thou spoakest to the Reason of Man whenas all Men in the Fall their Reason is corrupted and the Natural Man receives not the Things of God for Man by Nature is worse then a Beast and there art thou who art preaching to the Corrupt Reason of Man in the Fall to judge of thy Corrupt stuff for I know there were none there that owned thee but such like But the Message of Paul was To Turn Peoples Minds from Darkness to Light but thou strivest to draw People's Minds from the Light Within to the Dead Letter without them telling them that was the Light and that was the Word and so thou bewitchest them with thy Lying Divinations and bad them search that and read often that and cleave unto that But I say they that read that and not by the Light within them read a Parable and it is unto them as a sealed Book though they may by their Carnal Wisdom add their own Meanings but that must be shut out of the Scripture for such are unlearned and unfruitful in the Word and so wrest the Scripture to their own Destruction But by this know That I go not about to draw men from reading the Scripture so that they read with this Single Eye the Light which gave it forth so shall they that read understand but to thee this is a Mystery and therefore thou went'st about to deny Christ in Man and God in Man by way of Derision to those that witnessed forth Christ Within God Within And thou saidst That he meant he was in them by his words and thou brought'st this Scripture If you abide in me and my Words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you In this Place thou Serpent he meant as he spoak but Paul witnessed Christ Within and said They that could not witness Christ Within were Reprobates and so art thou who denyest Christ come In the Flesh And Paul preached Christ Within the Hope of Glory the Mystery which had been hid and so it seems is still from thee therefore to thee this preaching is Foolishness and as Fancies and Whimsies but unto us that are saved Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God by which thy Folly and thy Ignorance of Christ is here made manifest and that thou never escaped'st the Pollutions of the World by the Knowledge of Christ who denyes him as he is known to all who have escaped the Pollutions of the World by the Knowledg of him they that thus know him not are in the Reprobation And here art thou a Minister of Antichrist who denyest Christ come in the Flesh. And then thou went'st on with thy Deluding Spirit pressing the Wicked to pray yea there were many there present of the People of the World besides thy own Company whom both thou and thy Company count as Heathen yet thou didst press them much to pray and to take unto them Words and pray whenas the Scripture saith The Prayers of the Wicked are abominable and thus thou didst that which was abominable in the Sight of God in praying thy self and teaching the Wicked to pray and to steal other Men's Words and pray for neither you nor they have any Words but what you steal out of the Scripture for thou hast shut thy self from that by which the Apostles preached therefore thou thus runnest into Confusion And thou toldst the People of Deceivers and nominated them to be such as denyed Baptism and Ordinances of Christ and the Scripture and the Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judgment So when thou hadst done thy Divination and thy formal Prayer I stood up and claimed the Order of the True Church That all might speak one by one and if any thing was revealed to him that stands by let the first hold his Peace And then like Cain thy Countenance fell thou being struck with Guilt in thy Conscience and fear surprised the Heart of the Hypocrite and thou wa st shuffling away but I bad thee stand for said I thou art a Deceiver as I shall prove thee one before all the People therefore stand to maintain what thou hast said But said I unto the People The Prophets and Apostles and the Holy Men of God who spoak forth the Scriptures they spoak from the Infallible Spirit of God as they were acted guided and moved thereby but all who come with their Words and pretending to preach and not from the same Infallible Spirit such are Deceivers of which this man is one who stands here in the Sâ—at of the Pharisee he being smitten with Guilt fetled to be gone and several would have stopped him but he said He would be gone unless they kept him in by Violence And I said unto the People Know this that these things wherewith he marks out Deceivers I own so that I am none of those for the Scripture I own and the True Baptism of Christ I own and the Resurrection from the Dead I own and Eternal Judgment upon the Wicked
Church of Christ was met together and there it was agreed upon by the Elders That Samuel Cater and Ezekiel Cater who were formerly Elders of the Church of Christ in this Town namely Littleport and being they have departed from the sweet Fellowship of the Church of Christ c. and after so many Admonitions would not be reconciled should be delivered unto Satan I was there appointed to be the Messenger And so he ran on with his Excommunication according to their Form with their stoln Words Reply Now for the Truth 's sake for which thou John Ray hast cast us out of your Society we shall hereby clear our selves from what is or may be cast upon us in this Matter by thee John Ray and the rest of thy Society whom we know to be most bitter Slanderers of the Truth This we deny that ever we were Elders in the Church of Christ you made us Elders in your Church who call your selves Jews and are not but the Synagogue of Satan out of which you have cast us but not before we forsaked you We by the Light of Jesus Christ through the Love of God seeing both you we setting ourselves of Acting Imitating the Apostles in our Wills with a blind Zeal for Life but Strangers to the Life and Power neither could witness the same Infallible Spirit as they had as you know we all confessed and therefore we had nothing but what we got into our Brains of their Words and so got a Notion with adding to our own Imaginations of them and wresting the same with our Fallible Spirits for we durst not say It was Infallible as you also confessed your selves then it must needs be fallible for there are but two kinds of Spirits and if not the Infallible then the Fallible and though we did the very same things and spoak the same words and not from the same Spirit it was all false and as nothing as they that swore God lived swore falsly for They that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his and his Spirit is Infallible in the least measure And thus you are shut out in all that you can do of your selves with your formed Ordinances And this we know We were also Strangers to the Cross of Christ and the Light and Life and Power of Christ which the Apostles lived in and also the One Baptism of Christ without which none can be his Disciple so we were only Jews outwardly washing the Out-side but within as foul as ever as you also are yet we say not but we had a Zeal in the same though not according to Knowledge But now the True Light is sprung in through the Mighty Love of God towards us so that we see the Weakness of our own Actings and Formings in our own Wills for Liâ—e and now are made willing through the Power of God to lay down our Crowns at the Feet of Jesus and to wait in what he hath given us of his Light and we have tasted of his powerful Word through his gracious Love towards us and now we have a Witness within our selves whenas before we knew it not but murdered it as you also do and for this you have cast us out of your Society but not for Fornication as he was in that place of Scripture which you imitate nor for making Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience for we witness an Increase of both but the Discerning and Power is wanting in you and so you know not what you do but know this We are not falleâ— to a looser Life but to a more stricter severe Life for to serve the Lord Jesus Christ But remember this That if they that believed your Form to be the Truth could but patter over a few words of Faith and call it Theirs and then according to your Form they were put into the Water and taken out again and then received into your Church and Communion though no change of Life or Nature and this must needs be the Synagogue of Satan And this I Samuel Cater can witness for so I have Baptized and ye allowed of it but now my Eye is opened I do see it and do testifie against it That all I did so by I deceived them though then I confess it was Ignorance and so was yours but now you might see if you would therefore it shall no more be called Ignorance but Wilful Blindness But I know you will alledge You teach Godliness and Holiness But I answer You run and the Lord never senâ— you as we also did therefore you profit not the People at all and if you had not the Words of Godliness and the Form then the Ministers of Antichrist would not be like the Ministers of Christ but you are But I say Your Lives come short of what you profess for in them there is no Change but they that are Earthly-Minded and Covetous are so still and your Lives are in Pride Ambition and Arrogancy puffed up with your Vain Knowledge and with Respect of Persons and so are out of the Faith of Christ and in Wrath and Anger and Envy and Bitterness and in Lying and Slandering and Backbiting and Lust and Fleshliness we formerly being in the same Society do witness it now our Eyes are open out of which Society you have cast us and praised be the Lord that we have escaped the Snares of Darkness by the bright Shining of his Light into our dark Hearts to the which Light do we speak in you all by it to read your selves and judge your selves for by it are you seen and judged to be in Darkness and in Confusion out of the Faith and Society of the Saints but these things do we not speak out of Envy or Revenge but for the clearing of the Truth and our Consciences from your Slanderous Tongues and to lay open your Deceit and Way of Delusion to the Simple that they may escape the Delusion which we were ensnared in and that so you may proceed no further with it that your Folly might be manifest unto all as theirs was who withstood Moses Ezekiel Cater Samuel Cater A Copy of the most of the Queries aforesaid were given to this Ray but no Answer did he return A Word to all who are still in your own Forming Self-Actings and Imitatings YOU are acting in that Nature which is at Enmity with God which is not subject to the Law of God neither can be So all your Formings and Actings are in vain for they are not from Life but from Death for Life but Life comes from Death for in the Destruction of Death Life is obtained Therefore to the Light of the Lord Jesus in all your Consciences take heed which is the Witness for God to which I speak in you all which witnesseth for God against the Secrets of your Hearts which reproves you in secret for your secret Actions and Deeds of Darkness and it will search you through and let you see what
To say the Church in God Then I took out my Bible and read unto him the first Chapter of the Thessalonians and the first Verse where the Apostle writeth to the Church of the Thessalonians which is IN God the Father Then Paleness struck the Face of the Diviner neither would any of his Fellows stand up to justifie what he had taken in hand and this was it wherein I said he Blasphemed to say the Church in God was Nonsense Then there was one Priest Stellum a Magician of Egypt who stood up in the Enmity of his Spirit and accused me with several Lyes and Slanders which hardened Pharoah's Heart so that you Corrupt Rulers would not suffer me to clear my self from what he had accused me withal But the Magician got up into the Seat of Divination and was going to his Abomination and then the Rulers called to me to put off my Hat then I bad you call to the Priest to put off his Cap And thus may all see the Blindness and Ignorance of Priests and People who are offended at a Hat and not at a Cap And this is as the Vain Traditions of the Pharisees who observed the Washing of Pots and Cups and such like things making clean the Outside which Scripture Priest Willis who said the Church in God was Nonsense brought in reference to the People called Quakers because they do not put off their Hats in Respect or Worshipping of Mens Persons But let any who hath Understanding consider which is more Traditional for a man to keep his Hat on his Head for which End it is made as also his Shoe for his Foot his Glove for his Hand or the putting off these things in observation or Custom and Reverencing mens Persons for all which there is No Scripture therefore a Vain Tradition of Man and thus they teach for Doctrine the Traditions of Man Therefore in vain do you worship God who come near him with your Lips and with your Mouths but your Hearts are far from him in the Unbelief seeking Honour one of another and observing Vain Traditions and Customs as did your Fore-fathers whom Christ pronounced Wo against who were his Persecutors and in whose Steps ye are found and therefore read your Portion And thus while you are crying against the Scribes and Pharisees for observing vain Traditions and Customs and their Strictness in their Observations and yet Persecutors of the Just you also are found the same who are set up in the Chiefest Place of the Assembly as they were and called of Men Master as they were stand praying in the Synagogues as they did preaching for Doctrine the Traditions of Men as they did and are strict in your Observations and calling of Assemblies and in your set Times of Worship and appointed Fasts and Dayes of Humiliation and yet are Persecutors of the Just as they were yea in the very Height of your Worship the Bitterness of your Spirits appeared But is this such a Fast as God hath chosen Nay It is Abomination his Soul loaths it And he will judge the Cause of the Innocent upon you Hypocrites and be avenged of you his Adversaries and give you your Portion with Unbelievers in the Lake that burns prepared of old for Cain's Generation in which you are found by the Eternal Light of God which cannot Lye which will rise up in Judgment against you at the Last Day though now you stumble at it and are offended at it yet then shall you behold him whom you have pierced though with Lamentation and Sorrow of Mind when there is none to deliver you from the Wrath of the Almighty and this is answered and witnessed in your Consciences Then the Occasion of my passing out of the Steeple-house was this When I could not have Liberty to speak in the Vindication of the Truth against Gain-sayers ye would have had me to have stood with my Hat off the Time the Priest was Praying which Worship I denyed and therefore could not be Conformable to it and so I said Before I would stay to fulfil your Wills I would pass out of the Steeple-House And many came out after me but not of my calling and many that I knew not and yet you are not ashamed to say My Followers And again That I went into the Common high Way and there kept with the People unlawfully together as you affirm is a very abominable Lye especially for Men of your Profession to tell which many can witness against for I was passing on the Way quietly without Disturbance towards my Friends House from whence I came not purposing to stop until I came there but that he that writes himself Dyonisius Wakering came hurrying in amongst the People and clapped me on the Back and said He rested me in the Name of the Protector and there stopped me and the first Words that I spoak were Where is thy Writ And so the People gathered about and thronged much but that any gave out menacing and threatning Speeches I cannot say neither whom they were spoaken against but any that own me it is well known they are not Men of such boistrous Spirits but rather are made willing to be revâ—led then to revile for from me no other Example they have as Hundreds will acknowledge But Wakering if he was true to that of God in his Conscience he would confess how I laboured in his Presence to still the People when he had violently laid Hands on me and given the Occasion and so let all take Notice that there was no Disorder nor Disturbance until the Magistrate came and laid violent Hands on me tending to the Breach of the Peace and against the Law and this is the Fruits of your Hypocritical â—ast and voluntary Humiliation 3. Accusation And also you accuse me That I could give no good Account of my last Settlement or of my Life and Conversation Reply As for my Life and Conversation let it preach forth it self them that can accuse me let them and as for my Settlement it is in the Lord where I have found an Habitation and so am no Vagabond or Wanderer though I challenge no Propriety in the Earth because my Kingdom is not of this World though you accuse me that I appear unto you to be an idle disorderly Person and before you set me down James Parnel Labourer and thus you utter forth your Folly with your changeable Minds but I am a Labourer in the Gospel of God in which Work none can tax me with Idleness since I came into these Parts but if I had been more idle in the same ye would have been more pleased for it is my great Labour and Diligence in this Work of the free Gospel and the Prosperity thereof in the overturning and laying open the Deceits of deceiving and deceived Men that torments you who are the Shelterers of the false Prophet whom you carry in your Bosom because he cryes Peace unto you when the Lord cryes Wo
Equity in is heart without putting off a Hat to a Magistrate and he that so doth Whether is he fit to be called a Magistrate that calleth such a one A Contemner of Authority and commits him to Prison for Mis-behaviour And whether this be Justice or Equity yea or nay 20. And you that plead this Scripture Be subject to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake Whether is it for the Lord's sake that a Man would have his Fellow-Creature to stand with his Hat off before him or for his Selfs sake and whether then it is to be obeyed yea or nay 21. And he that for the Lord's sake aud for Conscience sake cannot so rob God of his Glory and Honour as to bow to or worship any Creature but God alone who is the Creator Whether ought he to be imprisoned for Mis-behaviour or a Contemner of Authority yea or nay according to the Law of Equity And whether this is to be called Liberty of Conscience according to the Law of England yea or nay Now all you that profess your selves Christians and the Scripture to be your Rule take the Scripture and prove your Practice by the Scripture amongst all the Christians or else let the Life and Practice of the True Christians judge you and condemn you and own your selves to be in Proud Haman's Nature and so liable to Haman's Judgment And hence forward look to your Office to Rule for God and not for your selves and then you will not stand upon such frivolous things for it is a frivolous thing to look for the putting off the Hat and is no Part of True Nobility or Christianity Given forth for the Clearing of the Truth to which the Nations must bow James Parnel Here followeth a Copy of a Note that was written against the Idol's Temple which was judged a Contempt of the Ministry THis is the Idols-Temple where the Worship of the Beast is upheld down with it down with it 1 Cor. 8. 10. Rev. 13. 7 8. Deut. 12. God that made the World and all Things therein dwells not in Temples made with Hands Acts 7. 47 48 49. Acts 17. 11. Neither is he worshipped in Idols Temples made with Mens Hands Acts 17. 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth for the Father is seeking such to worship him John 23. 24. All the World wonders after and worships the Beast but those who have their Names written in the Book of Life Rev. 13. 3 4 8. And they that worship the Beast receive his Mark in their Foreheads Rev. 13. 16. As sprinkling Infants and worshipping the Works of their own Hands Isa. 2. 8. And following the Imaginations of their own Hearts such must drink of the Wine of the Wrath of the Almighty poured out without Mixture Rev. 14. 9 10 11 12. This Idols Temple that is made with Hands is a Place for Night-Birds and Scrich-Owls to meet each one with his Mate Jer. 34. 13 14 15. To the Dishonour of the only true God that dwelleth in Temples made without Hands at New Jerusalem where the Tabernacle of God is with Men Rev. 21. 3. Drunkards and Swearers Revilers and Scoffers and Scorners Proud and Wanton Ones Hypocrites and Dissemblers Envious Haters Backbiters Persecutors Lustful Covetous Ones and Earth-worms meet here the Fearful and Unbelieving Peevish Perverse Contentious Ones meet in these Idols Temples to satisfie their Lusts And saith the Lord these People draw near me with their Mouthes and honour me with their Lips but their Hearts are far from me but in vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrine the Traditions of Men Mat. 15. 7 8 9. But know you not that no Unrighteous Person shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. But must be cut down and cast into the Lake that burneth Rev. 21. 8. Be not deceived God is not mocked such as you sow such must you reap Gal. 6. 7. And to whom you yield your Members Servants to obey his Servants you are Rom. 6. 16. For he that commits Sin is the Servant of Sin and so is of the Devil Joh. 8. 34. 1. Joh. 3. This is a Deceiver that stands up here every first Day of the Week to deceive the People he is Proud and Covetous and speaketh a Divination of his own Brain but not from the Mouth of the Lord and so makes the People light and vain Jer. 14. 14. But the Lord is against him hold him not up for he ran and the Lord never sent him therefore he profits not the People at all Jer. 3. 1 2 3. But hath stollen the Letter which is Carnal with it to feed the Carnal for Carnal Ends and Lucre and so hath a Form but denyes the Life and Power and therefore from him turn away 2 Tim. 3. 5. Therefore spend not your Money for that which is not Bread nor your Labour for that which profiteth not Isa. 55. 1 2. For all the Children of the Lord are and shall be taught of the Lord and in Righteousness shall they be established and they shall be far from Oppression Jer. 31. 34. Isa. 54. 13. 1 Joh. 2. 27. He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith and be deceiv'd no longer J. P. Here follow several Queries that were sent to four of the chief Priests in Essex with some more added which may be serviceable for them or any other to answer whom they do concern SEveral Queries unto Priest Sammes Priest Sparrow Priest Willi and Priest Stellum and your gathered Churches by you to be answered according to Scripture which you profess to be your Rule Query 1. How and by what were you called to the Ministry which you profess 2. What is the Gospel which you pretend to preach and how did you receive it and whether your Gospel be free and without Charge as the Apostles was yea or nay 3. What do you minister from and what do you minister to in the Natural Man and what is the End of your Ministry 4. What Rule have you in the Scripture to take a Text of the Apostles Words and speak from it what you have studyed with your Uses Points Tryals and Motives and Applications 5. Whether do you speak by the same infallible Spirit as they did that spoak forth the Scripture yea or nay 6. And whether he that hath the same infallible Spirit need study how or what to preach 7. And whether it is not as lawful now for Fishermen Plowmen or Herdsmen to preach if they be called to it and fitted for it by the same Power and Spirit as they were in the dayes of old and whether Christ is not the same Yesterday to Day and orever according to Scripture 8. And whether any now ought to teach and preach in the Name of Jesus but who are called to it and fitted for it the same Way as the holy Men of God were spoken of in Scripture 9. Whether
And thirdly thou say'st Thou doubtest whether any of those that are called Quakers are alwayes guided by that Spirit Rep. Here all that are guided by any Measure of that Spirit may easily see the Lyes and Confusion for thy first is a Lye That any of us do teach that all Men are taught and guided by that Spirit at Times for I deny that thou art who art now taken with a Lye in thy Mouth which all that understand our Doctrine will witness against And 2dly That thou art guided hy an Infallible Spirit is a Lye against the Holy Ghost for no Lye comes from that Spirit And again thou belyest the Spirit of Truth to say Thou art guided by it and yet canst not give an Infallible Testimony whether those thou call'st Quakers are guided by an Infallible Spirit Yea or Nay but art in thy Doubts but that Spirit is without Doubts which now judgeth thee to be a Lyar and thy God thou praisest to be the Devil the Father of Lyes who must both be tormented together Qu. 4. Whether they that are guided by that Spirit need study how or what to say Pr. Ans. And in thy Answer thou sayst Timothy had that Spirit in a greater Measure then James Parnel yet Paul saith thus unto him as in 1 Tim. 4. 13 14 15 16. And thou saist If the Apostles had been put to preach upon a short Text or Theam methodically as by long Practice in the Church is expected from you they must oft times have studyed for it as thou conceivest though if you were left at large to speak as the Spirit of God moves you and gives Matter in thou hopest some of you by God's Assistance should speak as to good or better Purpose then any who now pretend to the Spirit 's Actings Rep. Here thou hast sufficiently manifested thy Spirit and thy Ignorance of the Spirit of God to any who understand the Things of the Spirit of God and all these Scriptures which thou hast brought concerning Timothy doth not at all prove that he that is guided by the Spirit of God need study how or what to preach But Paul exhorted Timothy to the Gift that was in him which was given him by or for Prophesie for in so doing he should save himself and those that heard him which you never do by the Fruit of your Study but rather destroy them witness the Fruits of your Ministry these many Years in this Nation who have wrought no better Reformation among your Hearers and also this Scripture doth not at all prove that Paul bad Timothy study old Authors and Heathenish Commentators as you do neither to Study Arts and Sciences as you do who with your Philosophy and vain Deceit do spoil the People for thou hast manifested thy self to be altogether ignorant of the Spirit of God who by thy own Conceivings judgest the Spirit of God to be insufficient to instruct and teach the Apostles what to speak at all Times without Study when as Christ himself exhorteth them to take no Thought what to speak for it should be given them in the very same Hour for saith he It is not you that speak but the Spirit of your father that speaketh in you which Spirit speaketh not without Method which Spirit you Teachers of the Church of England are great Strangers to who think that the Spirit of God can be limited to a Text or a Theam as thou confessest you are but thou Lyar where is now thy infallible Spirit who thus speakest thy own Conceivings And therefore be ashamed hence-forward to pretend to an Infallible Spirit who hast here so openly manifested thy Ignorance of it and its Movings so that if thou wast left at large to speak from that Spirit in thee and wast shut out of thy Library and from any Text or Writing thou wouldst plainly manifest thy self to be one of the dumb Dogs that could not bark which Isaiah from the Spirit of the Lord declared against without Study For I do believe that if thou and the rest of the National Teachers whom thou confessest are tyed to a Text or Theam could tell how to please the People and get Gain without studying or speaking from a Text you would for the Credit of your Cause as thou saist for I know nothing that tyes you to it but your own Covetous Ends to make a Gain of these Scriptures and to deceive the Ignorant with feigned Words whom Peter without Study foretold of and therefore thou Hypocrite pretend no more to an infallible Spirit but with the rest of thy Brethren confess thou art void of it as many of them have done for in such Pretences thou art but the greater Deceiver and thy Folly doth the more appear Qu. 5. Whether is it as lawful now for Tradesmen Shepherds or Plowmen to preach if they be led by the Spirit of God as those that spake forth the Scripture Pr. Ans. And in thy Answer thou saist If this was wholly granted James Parnel cannot claim any Interest therein as thou conceivest for thou saist he is neither Tradesman Plowman nor Shepherd nor will take any Course to maintain himself by this Labour for he hath been tryed But herein James Parnel can plainly tell thee thou art a Lyer for he followed a Trade with his Father until the Lord by his Spirit called him from it into his own Word and so I obeyed the Word of the Lord and left my Father with his Trade as James and John did their Father in the Ship For he that will not forsake Father and Mother Lands and Livings Wife and Children and all for Christ's sake is not worthy of him in which Work neither thou nor any other can tax me for Idleness but I believe my Labour and Diligence in the same is more offensive to you Deceivers then if I had been Idle But he that would call me from this Work that I am set about into the Work of Man I should answer him God must be served before Man for if it had not been the Will of God to call me forth into his Work I should still have served my Earthly Father sooner then any other Man notwithstanding the Evil Thoughts and Conceivings of such like as thee who art given up to believe Lyes and tell Lyes but where is now thy infallible Spirit who speakest by thy own Conceivings and thus the Thoughts of thy Heart deceive thee And as for my Maintenance I need not a Law to compel it as thou dost neither am chargeable to the World as thou art who by a Law of Man takest nigh three hundred Pound by the Year of them therefore in this thou mightst have laid thy Hand upon the Mouth for thou and hundreds more of thy Brethren never followed any honest Calling whereby to get an honest Livelyhood without being chargeable to the World but were from your Youths brought up at Babylon's Schools learning her Witchcraft and Sorcery thereby to deceive the
it and uphold it which Christ hath cryd down and it is well known by them that are not wilfully blind that Master or Doctor are Names that are given taken amongst you Clergy-men as you call your selves as Titles of Honour witness your Degrees in your Nurseries of Deceit which you call Universities as first Bachellor then from Bachellor to Master of Arts from that to Bachellor of Divinity and from that to Doctor of Divinity which highest Title is given to thee and therefore it is no Wonder that thou so pleadest for it but the least Child of Light will judge these Traditions to be upheld by the Pride and Arrogancy of the Flesh that would be idolized but the Old Man must needs plead for his Life neither do these Scriptures in Eph. 4. 11. and 1 Cor. 12. 28. at all advantage thee for neither Doctor nor Master is mentioned in these Scriptures and thus thou art ignorant of the Letter then far unfit to be a Teacher of others which thou dost assume to thy self by the Name of Doctor according to thy own Meaning Pr. Ans. And as for the chief Seats in the Synagogues and uppermost Rooms as Feasts some thou sayest that are Worthy were allowed them by Christ himself which to prove thou quotest Luke 14. 7 8. c. Mâ—rk 5. 22. and by Luke Acts 13. 15. and Chap. 18. 8. 17. And as for Salutations they are allowed thou sayst as well in the Market-Places as any where else Rep. This is the truest Word that thou hast yet spoaken in one Respect though from a false Spirit for your Heathenish Customs and Salutations are allowed of no where by the Scripture neither hast thou brought any Proof to the contrary and it is also easily discerned you rather chuse them in the Markets or in Publick to be seen of Men that you might be accounted Courteous and looked upon for your Breeding witness your Congying and Bowing with your Hats off in Admiration and Idolizing of one anothers Persons wherein you exalt your selves above the Angel who would not suffer John to bow unto him but said he was his Fellow-Servant therefore let this judge you and condemn you in these Practices which by you are used from an ambitious and inordinate Desire of them and therefore are the most unworthy as thou confessest the Scribes and Pharisees were and therefore art out of thy own Mouth judged although thou would'st cast it upon the Quakers as thou callest them but we can justly clear our selves and cast it into thy own Bosom for we use no such Heathenish Customs yet we can justly say with John We are of God and the whole World lyes in Wickedness which thou accountest an exalting of our selves and in that thou belyest Christ and the Scriptures in saying he allowed these Things to any which he cryed down thy Impudency doth the more appear that thou wouldst not stick to bely us whom thou callest Quakers for none of these Scriptures which thou quotest to uphold the chiefest Seats in the Synagogue and uppermost Rooms at Feasts do at all concern the Matter but only Luke 14. 7 c. which Christ spoak as a Parable to the Pharisees who loved the uppermost Rooms at Feasts which also may fitly be applyed to you now who take the uppermost Room and think Scorn to take the lowest which may easily be discerned by you with an Impartial Eye or else you would not own these Things which Christ declared against to his Ministers and also taught that he that would be the greatest should be the least and the Apostle forbids all Respect of Persons and Christ shewed an Example of Humility to his Ministers when he washed their Feet and condemned the Pharisees who received Honour one of another which thou art here pleading for then if thou beest not in their Steps let the Understanding judge Qu. 17. Whâ—t is the Church and whether it be not a Delusion to the People and a Dishonour to Christ to call a House of Lime and Stone a Church Pr. Ans. And in thine Answer thou pleadest it a Custom in most Ages and by a Trope of Figure but thou confessest the Word Church is first and properly a Congregation of Saints or of such as profess so to be as in 1 Cor. 1. 2. And in the second Place thou say'st This Word is used for a Place where such a Congregation use to assemble which to prove thou quotest Cor. 11. 23. and Ver. 18. and Chap. 14 5. 23. compared with Ver 19. 28. Neither is this any Delusion to the People thou sayest nor more Dishonour to God then to use this Phrase the House of God which to prove thou quotest Isa. 60. 7. and Eph. 42. 4. Therefore here we seek a Knâ—t in a Bulrush thou sayest Rep And thus thou Blasphemer valuest thy Blasphemy covering it with Lyes that thou might'st still keep the People in Blindness who makest such a light small Matter of it to put a House of Lime Stone for the Body of Christ which is the Church And thus you have long fed the People in Blindness with your Vain Customs and Traditions and they put you out of your Customs and you are vexed and troubled as the Heathen was at Paul and Silas and said They came to turn the World up-side down And then to cover your Blasphemy and Lyes you have Tropes and Figures which is the Wisdom of Man to cover Lyes and thus you Learned Ones make use of your Learning to make Lyes in Hypocrisie contrary to the Scripture for the Types and Figures in the Scripture figured forth something to come But your Steeple-houses are no Figures of Christ nor his Body which is the Church And when the Substance is come of what Use is the Figure For the Temple which God commanded Solomon to build him which was called the House of God where them that feared the Lord worshipped him was a Figure of Christ but when Christ the Substance came he prophesied of its Destruction Mat. 24. And Steven after him declared against it and by them that upheld it was stoned to Death Acts 7. 47 48 49 c. And Paul declared against it and by them that upheld it was persecuted Acts 17. 24 25. Acts 19. 26. 2â— as we are by You now that uphold Your Idols Temples that figure forth nothing but the Imaginations of Man neither were ever commanded by God to be built as Solomon's Temple was which for its Time was called The House of God but the Prophet Isaiah saw the End of it when he spoak that in Isa. 66. 1 2. But that you should call your Popish Houses The House of God which were built by the Papists and such like without any Command of God thou hast no Scripture-Proof to maintain it neither are those fit Examples to bring to prove it as the Schollars and the Schools and the Jews and their Synagogues What doth this at all
that thou art yet in it but these Scriptures which thou hast here quoted will witness against thee to be a Stranger to it though it is an easie thing for to set down others Declarations when they are be ore thee But how dost thou keep thy self unsported of the World whenas thou art drowned in and art so greedy of it that thou carest not how thou gettest it so thou gettest it as before is sufficiently proved out of thy own Mouth and hast been all along labouring contrary to Scripture to justifie thy taking of Gifts and Rewards of the World And how dost thou Visit the Widdows and Fatherless unless it be for thy Tythes or that they have to maintain thee and so rather to add Affliction upon them or What dost thou do in this kind but thou hast a Self eâ—d in it Let that in thy Conscience judge thee And if thou didst love the Lord God with all thy Heart thou wouldst not have thy Heart so in the Earth thus to Delude and Deceive Peoples Souls for Gain and Lucre and to take away the Fruits of their Labours by Compulsion if they will not give it thee though thou dost nothiâ—g for them as before is proved against thee to thy Shame and Confusion of Face And thus thy Heart is adulterated from God into the Earth and the Love of God abides not in thee who art in Love with the World And dost thou love thy Neighbour as thy self when for Selfs sake thou woâ—ldst destroy him both Body and Soul And thuâ— I need no other Weaâ—on to cut off thy Head then what thou thy self bringest Qu. 35. What is the Difference betwixt the Jew Outwardly and the Jew Inwardly and how shall we know the one from other Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou sayst â—he Jew Outwardly dâ—sires to make a fair Shâ—w in the Flesh or External Man with his outward Circumcision or Reformation Gal. 6. 12 13. in Voluntary Worship and not sparing the Body Col. 2. 23. he observes the lesser Commands and leaves the Greater undone Mat. 23. 23. and in one Point he goes beyond us thou sayst he payes Tythes exactly he makes clean the Out-side of the Cup and Platter and makes all foul within Mat. 23. 15 26 c. Rep. And so here is enough to manifest that thou art the Man for here thou hast plainly read thy self and out of thy own Mouth shalt thou be judged without Contending or Reviling as thou accusest us for thou hast been striving all along hitherto to set out thy self and make a fair Out-side like a Reformation though the Hypocrisie of thy Heart thou couldst not thereby hide from the Light And who are more strict in Voluntary Worship But you can pamper your Bodies which shows your Zeal is not so hot â— And instead of observing the Lesser Commands and leaving the Greater undone you leave all undone that will not stand for self and preach up and uphold these things for Commands for which you have no Scripture and so preach for Doctrine the Commandments of men as the Outward Jew did But if one ask you for your Proof for these things thou say'st It sufficeth you that there is no Command to the Contrary yea for thy Self-covetous Ends thou art not ashamed to fetch up old Commands that were fulfilled and so ended for a Cover for thy Deceit as here also thou wouldest seem to do in accusing us for not paying Tythes exactly as the Pharisee did which I know is the great Grief of thee and thy Brethren because we put not into your Mouthes and therefore ye even prepare War against us But when the Pharisee said He paid Tythes they were then due for the Priesthood to which Tythes belonged was not yet fulfilled and therefore not changed and therefore it was his Duty so to do But you Priests have so blinded the Pharisees and Professors of these Times that they are so exact in paying you Tythes putting into your Mouths because you daub them up crying Peace to them though they have no Command from God for it and you take it as exactly but you have but few such that you dare trust without a Law for as thou saist The greatest Part of them are Earthly-minded like their Teachers And how hast thou been cleansing thy Out-side of the Cup as if thou wast unblamable in this Outward Righteousness and so holy in thine own Eyes that in words thou professest Perfection and as if thou knewest the highest Estate of Christianity and wast in the pure Religion without Spots and guided by God's Spirit usually speaking by the Motion of the Holy Ghost but even condemned thy Brethren and wouldest not answer for them but saidst Thou wast none of these Hirelings nor Greedy Dogs c. but yet could not keep thy Tongue from uttering forth the Foulness of thy Heart which hath overwhelmed thee all along and out of thy own Mouth hast been proved a Lyar. And thus thou art plainly dealt with and judged out of thy own Mouth and the Scriptures aforesaid which thou hast quoted shall stand and witness against thee Pr. Answ. But the Jew Inwardly thou say'st trusts in the Lord Christ and hath no Confidence in the Flesh. But this thou dost not for then thou wouldst trust him for thy Maintenance and not stand in need of the Arm of Flesh upon which thou relyest Neither dâ—st thou first make clean the Inside of the Cup that the Outside may be fair also as thou saist the Inward Jew doth but though thou hast bin much labouring with feigned words of thy own Wisdom and Self-Justification to deck and adorn the Outside painting it with Scripture-Words and Expressions yet thy Inside is so foul that it defiles the Outside also so that it makes thee odious to all but the Blind and manifests thy Heart to be yet uncircumcised from Sin and a Stranger to the Inward Cross by which thou art not crucified to the World nor the World to thee for then it would not suffice thee to take the Tenth Part of the Encrease of the Labour of the Labourers by the Will of Man without any Command from God as thou dost living at Ease like a Drone upon the same and therefore thy Heart is far off Uprightness all which the Inward Jew thou saist doth witness And thus in a word thou seest there is as much Difference betwixt the one and the other as betwixt Saul and Paul a Perseâ—utor and an Executor of Christ's Doctriâ—e and Way And thus in a word thou hast marked out thy self and art found out of the Way and Doctrine of Christ Persecuting Despising and Gain-saying those that abide in iâ— And thus by thy Fruits art thou known as thou saist the one may be known from the other And thus Proud Goliah thy Head is cut off with thy Own Sword Qu. 36. Whether they that profess themselves the Ministers of Christ and cannot give Account of their Ministry and
their Minds in Writing if they intended such a Thing So then one Hind a Tanner in Cambridge sent me this Note as followeth which Joseph Doughty had sent unto him The NOTE Brother Hind AS touching a Discourse with James Parnel I shall be willing to do God and Men Service in it to my Power given to me First Provided that it be somewhat publick the Questions in Controversie may be stated in Writing II. That the Questions may be such as may be Resolved and Answered according to Scripture III. That the Questions agreed upon may be delivered into the Disputants Hands Three Dayes before the Day of Dispute IV. That to avoid Confusion in Multitude of Words a short Form of Argument shall be used on both Parts V. That some shall be chosen on both Sides to see Order on both Sides observed in Discourse and competent Judges also appointed VI. That Censorious Rash Terms of Judging shall not be used VII That the Disputants shall declare before the People their Intent in Dispute April this 17th 1655. John Doughty My Reply to this was as followeth as not being willing to come under their Snares Reply THis is not to me but betwixt Brother and Brother so if you two Brothers are agreed concerning this your Intent towards me let me know your Mind in Writing now while I am in the Town for while I was abroad there was a Voice of such a thing as from you but to me you did not declare your Minds neither in Word nor Writing therefore now I am in the Town let me know your Minds in Writing that there may be no Boasting nor Daring in Secret for Truth is bold and seeks no Covers This from me to you I send and do require your Answer who am called James Parnel This was writ on the Back-side of their Note and sent back to Hind who forth with flew into a great Rage against the Messenger in the Street and said That I â—yed in saying That the Note was not to me which any one who can read may plainly see it so and him to be the Lyar for the Lake and his seeming Religion to be Vain who is still in old Cain's Nature in Wrath and Bitterness without a Bridle to the Tongue Then the next Morning I received this from them as followeth JAmes Parnel This is to thee my Intent towards thee is this If thou art minded to dispute with me appoint Time and Place publick and if the Lord will I will dispute with thee And so on with his Proviso's as aforesaid Then my Reply was as followeth TO thee Joseph Doughty I do reply That thou must understand the Occasion of the Dispute to be sprung from thee or thy Party as I did declare on the Back-side of thy other Paper so if thou or any of you that made your Boasts or Darings behind my Back or have any thing against me or the Truth which I bear Testimony unto or the Way which I walk in I am ready now at all times through the Power of God to stand up for and defend the same against thee or any other who shall Object against Oppose or Gain-say it be it in the Towns Hall or as publick as you will And what I have at any time declared against you People or your Profession I shall be ready to maintain justifie by such Weapons as I have which are not Carnal but Spiritual and here is Time and Place from me declared But to the End of all Disputes and Arguments I am come for before they were I am and in the Light do them comprehend and judge to be out oâ— the Light in Babylon and the Disputer and Arguer of 〈◊〉 World But still I say Against such I stand a Witness for the Truth which I have received of God and by his Power am carried abroad to declare and preach abroad to the directing and turning People's Minds to the true Light of the Lord Jesus and there to come into the Love and Unity where live the Children of Light the End of all Disputes and Arguments and this I am ready to Defend and Seal with my Blood But I say My Weapons are not Carnal but Spiritual And as for these Provisoes of thine they are rather for me to lay upon thee according to Equity for I am the Defender But these things of thee I do not require neither Three Dayes before-hand but am ready at any time to stand to what I have here declared And as for Confusion in Multitude of Words which is thy fourth Proviso Reply Look thou to that on thy Part and if thou canst tax me thou mayest And as for Order in the Discourse for which thou wouldst have some chosen which is thy fifth Proviso Reply Look thou to that on thy Part for my God is a God of Order and if thou canst tax me thou may'st and let that stand against me But if there be Men of Power to keep the People of the World in Order I am not against it And as for Competent Judges which thou wouldst have appointed Reply Is the Scripture thy Rule and not thy Judge but thou must flee from that to the Judgment of Man which is changeable or else how come Disputes and Controversies But to that Judgment I shall not stand the Spiritual Man shall be the Competent Judge and the Scripture shall witness And as for Censorious Rash Terms of Judging which is thy sixth Proviso Reply Look thou to that on thy Part and if my Judgment thou canst find contrary to Scripture thou may'st by Scripture disprove it But what is that that would not be judged And as for Declaring before the People the Intent and Purpose in Disputing which is thy seventh Proviso Reply If thou who are the Disputant amongst the People hast any thing to say unto the People thou may'st declare thy Mind according to the Freedom of thy Mind I shall not bind thee neither shall I by thee be bound but as the Lord puts into my Mouth I shall declare unto the People what is my Mind and Intent as his Spirit guideth me so that for that I take no Thought So here I have declared my Mind in Reply unto thy Writing where thou may'st understand my Mind if thou hast an Ear to hear and an Understanding open And if this doth not satisfie thee and the rest of you yet nevertheless cease your Boasting and Daring behind the Back for the time to come and let this Witness for me to any Honest Heart whether it be not Fair and Equal And so I rest in the Unchangeable James Parnel So it seems this pleased them and so it was concluded to be of the Twentieth Day called Fryday of the Second Moneth called April So when the Hour came which was appointed we were disappointed of the Meeting-Place which the Baptists had provided for they sent me word they had provided a Place but when we came to meet it could not be had and so we were
disappointed Then we were in this Hind's House and the Woman of the House much Fumed and Raged at us all the while we were in the House which manifested what Spirit she was of and that Water had availed her nothing for she was nothing departed from the Old Nature So then they would have had us to have met in the Yard but there could be no Order for Multitude of Rude People and Brutish Schollars which were as untamed brute Beasts like the Beasts of Ephesus which Paul fought with after the manner of Men so I passed to a Friend's House hard by and there continued declaring the Truth as I was moved to the People and there the idle Drones followed even Babylon's Children with their Turbulent Vain Contending Spirits Opposing and Gain-saying the Truth like Jannes and Jambres their Fore-Fathers who must perish in the Gain-saying of Core So then word came That the Baptists were in the Shire-House in the Castle-Yard and had sent for me and so I went up thither and when I came there the Goaler discharged me for staying there and said I caused Tumults though I had not spoaken any thing to the People whereby to cause a Tumult but the Generation of this World was alwayes Tumultuous both about Christ and his Apostles though they were known to be innocent and harmless offering Violence to none yet it was so with them then and it is so now with the same Seed where it is born up to Rule because it is not of the World but hated of the World for the Enmity lodges in the World The World is the Sea with its tumultuous gathering together of the Raging Roaring Waves casting up Mire and Dirt foaming out its own Shame and though an innocent Person travail here he must such Distractions expect and tumults of Raging Waves about him casting up such as they have but he that made the Bounds of the Sea can and doth deliver his out of the Compass of its Bounds and then it cannot pass its Bounds for its Bounds it keeps here is a Parable hid from the Wisdom of the World but the same which gave it forth the same will open it to the Unlearned Then after the Goaler had spoak to me they made some way for me to come up to the Baptists who were there sitting upon the Bench like Judges this Doughty and one Rix a Brewer an old Pharisee in Cambridge the one a Baptist and the other of the Independent Sect so called but two great Enemies one against another in Opposition against each Sect yet these two were joyned together as Friends against me and thus sate Pilate and Herod together like Judges against the Innocent So when I was gotten amongst the People I would not meddle until the Goaler had given Freedom for me to stay there as he had before discharged me so after a while he gave leave so that we would be short Then this Doughty the Baptist so called stood up and put off his Hat to the People after the Manner of the Heathen with a Complement pleading of the Shortness of the Time and so begun with a Question so I said His Question might stand and as he had Liberty to speak to the People so would I and then he would have hindred me contrary to what was before agreed upon betwixt us by the Passages afore-said so I got Liberty to speak something to the People and declared what I was made a Minister of according to the Will of God and then I took out a Paper and read unto the People the Occasion of my coming thither to meet the Baptists that day and by the Conclusions therein I was to have Liberty to speak my Mind as well as he and he was to accuse me before the People or the Truth which I bore Testimony unto but he broak his first Agreement and flew to Question so then to satisfie the Simple-Hearted I gave this Answer to the Unâ—erstanding of the Simple First the Baptist's Question Qu. The Writings of the Prophets and Apostles which are called Scripture whether are they the Words and Sayings of the Most High God yea or nay Answ. The Word of God which is God which dwelt in the Prophets and Apostles from it they spoak forth the things which are recorded in Scripture But this would not satisfie the Baptists but cryed out No Answer and Doughty stood up and put off his Hat and beckened to the Young Priests and Schollars and said Judge ye Gentlemen of Divinity And there was one Anger a Drunken Priest sided with the Baptists Now let all see how contrary to their own Principles they acted but some of the Schollars had so much Understanding as to receive it for an Answer but the Drunkards sided with the Baptists and the Ruder Sort who could not understand though there were many simple Hearts that with this Answer were satisfied but the Wise must be catched in their own Craftiness And several times I repeated this Answer over to the People but the Baptist and his Party could not receive it because it was in the Cross to their Wisdom But there was that which I spoak to which could and did receive it Then Jos. Doughty the Baptist and Henry Rix the old Pharisee joyned together and with one Consent said I durst not Answer it and thus the Unclean Spirits joyned together and made Lyes their Refuge And after that I was repeating my Answer over to the People Doughty stood up and said I spoak I knew not what and then I taxed him with a Lye and then he said It was not to his Question but I bad him prove that I spoak I knew not what but he could not but shuffled off and said I would flee from his Question and there he stood Then the Goaler called to depart and Doughty stood up and spoak to the Goaler Not to suffer Me to stay after Him lest I should seduce the People there I stood up and challenged him to prove me a Seducer to the People but he had nothing to say for that but manifested himself to be a Seducer and a Slanderer and a Reproacher of the Truth of God and so must take part with his Forefathers of the Wrath of God Then I openly spoak to the People That if any there could tax me or lay any thing to my Charge I was there to Answer but none did or could there accuse me So then I passed into the Castle-yard then the wild brutish Schollars who had plotted together as I was after informed to abuse me and they flocked together about me like the Wild Beasts of the Forrest and there I was tossed as amongst the Raging Waves of the Sea to fro and at last was hurried into a House where I got shut of those Caterpillars which the Nation swarms with But the Baptized Party passed away without Disturbance so it appears The World loves its own Oh Cambridge Is this the Fruit of thy Ministry which thou