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A40216 A New-England-fire-brand quenched being something in answer unto a lying, slanderous book, entituled, George Fox digged out of his burrows, &c. printed at Boston in the year 1676, of one Roger Williams of Providence in New-England ... : of a dispute upon XIV, of his proposals held and debated betwixt him, the said Roger Williams, on the one part, and John Stubs, William Edmundson, and John Burnyeat on the other at Providence and Newport in Rode-Island, in the year 1672 where his proposals are turn'd upon his own head, and there and here he was and is sufficiently confuted : in two parts : as also, something in answer to R.W.'s Appendix, &c. with a post-script confuting his blasphemous assertions ... : also, the letters of W. Coddington of Rode-Island, and R. Scot of Providence in New-England concerning R.W. and lastly, some testimonies of ancient & modern authors concerning the light, Scriptures, rule & the soul of men / by George Fox and John Burnyeat. Fox, George, 1624-1691.; Burnyeat, John, 1631-1690. 1678 (1678) Wing F1864; ESTC R3637 449,863 526

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up his Cross and deny himself he that will be his Disciple and they must Die with Christ if they Live with him and suffer with him if they Reign with him and his Spirit teacheth Temperance Patience and Holiness yea to deny that which is Unholy both in Word and in Thought And the Righteousness of Christ Jesus is our Fine Linnen and it is God and Christ that doth justifie by the Spirit who art thou that dost Condemn And where did we say that Our Holiness is Christ and God though we cannot deny Christ to be Our Holiness c. who deny Self-holiness R. W. And thou say'st I know the Writers of the Quakers make this high Obedience to be the Crown of some high Saints among them as the Papists do and that others come not so high are taken by the fleshly Spirit and Repent and Confess and be more watchful as they say in a Contradiction of J. Naylor Answ. These are most horrid Lyes and Reader see if G. F. speaketh any of these words in his Answer to T. H. as to the Crowning of high Saints like the Papists for their Obedience or Making their Obedience a Crown for it is the Lord Jesus Christ that Crowneth his Saints that believe in his Name and grow up in his Grace and Truth And as for a Fleshly Spirit and Repent and Confess this you may apply at home for we own no Repentance nor Confession but what is made by the Spirit of God in which we have Unity and for Exhorting to the watchful that is Christ's Doctrine And it is no Contradiction to say He that is born of God cannot sin for the Apostle John explaineth this in his Epistles better than thou can'st which the Quakers own which thou makest a great Jumble about For the Apostle saith He that believeth is born of God and overcometh the world and is not that the world in mens hearts and he writeth to Young-men and Fathers which had Overcome the Wicked one and to Little Children that they sin not and if any man sinneth we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is a Propitiation for our sins and not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole World 1 Joh. 2. R. W. Thou say'st Yet again in a horrible Mystery of Iniquity they exclaim against the Protestants for saying A Child of God cannot fall from the true Grace Finally or Totally Answ. Here are no such words in G. F.'s Answer to T. H. Or how hangeth this together thou say'st They say He that is born of God cannot sin then how Can they Fall from the true Grace But what say'st thou to them that Crucifie the Son of God afresh and do despite against the Spirit of Grace and turn it into Wantonness and these are such as do not Own the True Grace of God which is their Teacher though it hath appeared to them nor do not Believe in the Light of Christ Jesus but hate it And If the Righteous Fall they rise again but the Wicked Fall into Mischief R. W. And thou say'st Here is a Mystery of Hellish Iniquity in that they confess such a Man Christ to have been and his Blood-shedding the Types and real Predictions and Figures of him a real Death Resurrection and Ascension yet upon the point by a Devilish Chymistry evaporate all these and leave nothing but a Christ within as God and Man whose Name is now Light c. Motions within Answ. As for Hellish Mystery of Iniquity and Devilish Chymistry thou may'st keep at home for according to the Scriptures of Truth we do believe Christ Jesus his Birth Sufferings Resurrection and Ascension who fulfilled the Prophets and the Types and Shadows of him And what must we not call God and Christ as the Scriptures call them for God is called the Light and Christ saith I am the Light And though Christ is Risen and Sitteth at the Right hand of God yet he doth dwell In his Saints his Temple according to the Apostle's Doctrine as you may see 1 Cor. 6. and 2 Cor. 6. And what must not God's people Obey the Motions of the Spirit of Christ and his Light and to take heed to it by which they may see Christ their Saviour and Justification and Salvation and the Lord their Righteousness and the Apostle stirred up to Perfection and to Holiness which all the Saints are to follow R W. And thou say'st It is a Hellish Mystery of the Devil to Cosen poor souls with a Notion of the Difficulty and Hight of their profession and of Worshipping God in Spirit and Truth which they say no body in the world doth but they Spirit within Answ. Our good Profession which we make is of Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour who hath enlightned us to follow him and his Worship that he hath set up in Spirit and Truth and they that quench the Spirit and hate the Light and will not come to Truth cannot worship God in Spirit and Truth John 3.4 And this Truth and Spirit of God is Within people and thou or they that draw people from the Truth in the Inward parts and Spirit within you draw them into the Hellish Mystery and Cosen poor souls as thou speakest of for coming to Christ and his Worship And whereas thou say'st Thou toldest them of an Image in the Bed but David was gone c. but this is thy own Condition And then thou say'st That their Religion is one of the Easiest in the world Nay thou never trod the Path thou do'st not know what it is the Gallowses and Goals and Whip-Stocks manifest whether Our Religion be Easie. R. W And whereas thou tellest us What will delight our Ears and Minds to wit various Tunes of Musick c. Answ. But that which Delighteth Vs is the Lord Jesus Christ and his Holy Ghost and the Joy of the Lord is our Strength And that which thou applyest to Us thou may'st keep at home it 's thy own and none of ours R. W. And thou say'st If a poor soul give way an Inch and lets in one thought of yielding to the Voice of a Spirit within they are filled and ravished with Curious Notions of Justification Holiness and Righteousness God and Christ and the Spirit within them Answ. How endlesly do'st thou speak against the Voice of the Spirit of God in his People And the Apostle exhorteth Not to walk after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8 1 2 5 6 9 10 11 13 16 26 27. Rom. 12 11. and 1 Cor. 6 20 34. 1 Cor. 12 13. Gal. 5 5 16 18 25. Eph. 4 3 5 9. Phil. 1 27 That you stand fast in one Spirit Phil. 2 1 If any fellowship of the Spirit c and those are the Poor souls that do not hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches And they that Obey the Voice of God and Christ must Obey the motions of the Spirit and the Holy Spirit leadeth to Holiness
and to him that Justifieth freely by his Grace and without Holiness none shall see the Lord. And doth not the Scripture say plainly that God saith I will be your God and ye shall be my People and that he would dwell in them and walk in them 2 Cor. 6 and doth not the Apostle say that None can call Jesus Christ Lord but by the Spirit and is not that within R. W. And thou say'st They can now Thou the King and they need no Scriptures nor Teachers Answ. May be thou art offended because we say Thee and Thou to thee for I never heard the King was And such Teachers as thee we have No Need of we can praise the Lord and the Scriptures we have the Comfort of them and can praise God for them R. W. And thou say'st Thus as in a Dream their great Debts of Thousands and Millions are paid and dis-charged Answ. Yes by the Blood of Christ Jesus who dyed for our Sins and is risen again for our Justification And we can praise God that we are come out of your Cage that thou speakest of and can say The Turtle-Dove is heard in our Land and Christ doth Deliver us from the Devil of Hell and Death and giveth us the Victory And what if some have been Rapt up into Paradise as Paul was and speak and see Unutterable Joys which thou Scoffingly speakest of the People of God and what is this to them that Followed Absolom And thou speakest of Jewels fallen into the Dirt truly this is thy own Work that art flinging thy Dirt at God's People R. W. And then thou say'st As I hope in the Parishes of the Protestants and Papists also who being only Ignorant as the Disciples were of main points of Christianity yet aim uprightly at God truly love him and labour to increase in the Knowledge and Grace of Christ. Answ. How now R. W. What! art thou now flattering the Papists and the Parish-Protestants and before The Papists would burn the Bible And do'st not thou say Old and New-England may flourish when the Pope and Rome are in Ashes and such as have True Love to God and labour to increase in the Knowledge and Grace of Christ and yet The Papists will burn the Bible And as for all the sober Protestants they will be ashamed of thy foul words and if they read thy Book they will see how thou hast abused us with foul words the Lord knows R. W. And thou bring'st Jer. Ives's saying There may be a Light to Convince of Sin and not yet within man G. F. Answ. There is no people Convinced of Sin but they are Convinced within themselves and with the Light within them It is the Light which maketh manifest to a Man when he is Convinc'd it answereth to something and reacheth to something in their particulars though the words be spoken without them from the Light R. W. Replyeth against G. F.'s words which are very good Truth and cryeth It is doleful Business to read and hear how Satan in his Chains of Darkness yet hath Liberty to appear abroad as an Angel of Light from Heaven thus Vaporing and Swaggering under the Cloak and Colours of Light Answ. R. W. cannot endure to hear talk of the Light of Christ but like the Jews who said That Christ by the Prince of Devils cast out Devils And how doth R. W. prove that it is the Devil that is as an Angel of Light from Heaven in his Transforming and not the Light of Christ in us for Christ saith he is Out of Truth but we know that this Light and Spirit leadeth Into all Truth And we do believe according to the Scriptures of Truth that the Light which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world is the Life in the Word by which all things were made and Christ who said I am the Light of the world was Glorified with the Father before the world b●gan And they that believe in the Light of Christ do become Children of the Light and no man can Come to God but by Christ the Light and to Salvation but by the Light of Christ which giveth them the knowledge of it And this Light of Christ R. W. calleth a Devil in Samuels Mantle and a Dragon and a Devil of Darkness the God of this world Vapourings Crackings and Cheatings and He laboureth to keep all in Blindness or to beat out the Eyes of those whom God hath truly enlightned this is thy own Condition R. W. And thou say'st That God was Light c. then why do'st thou rail against the People of God called Quakers for professing That God and Christ is Light R. W. And thou Scoffingly say'st That the Quakers confess That the Natural Man perceiveth not the things of God only they say that beside Natural Light and Reason there is the Holy Seed God and Christ within every Son and to this Spirit and Seed in Prison they preach And Fox in our Discourses alledgeth and affirmeth God in every man to be a Cart loaden with Sheaves prest under and as it were in Prison c. Blasphemous wretches c. Answ. Reader see if there be any such words in G. F.'s Answer to Jer. Ives as R. W. bringeth here And whereas he saith Fox in our Discourses alledgeth c G. F. had never no Discourse with R. W. And whereas he saith That God and Christ is the Seed within in all men Those are not our words for we say that Christ is the good Seeds man that Soweth the good Seed on all sorts of ground And to say That the Eternal God is in Prison these are his own Blasphemies and The Natural man perceiveth not the things of God that is true and is his own Condition And as for the Lord 's saying He was prest under the Transgressing Jews as a Cart with Sheaves and therefore R. W. saith that the Quakers say God was in Prison which is false And we say That which may be known of God is manifest in Every Man which God hath shewed unto them which we tell all people of as the Apostle did and turn them to the Light and Grace that cometh from Jesus that they may turn to God and Christ from whence it cometh And thy Vngodly Railing words touch us not R. W. And thou confessest All Light or Truth Natural Civil or Divine it cometh from without and is received by an Internal Faculty according to the Capacity c. of it from thence it is conveyed to the Court c. to be Examined Answ. What! is not this Court or Guard or Captain within the Light of Christ within to know Truth from Falshood And then thou say'st That G. F. urgeth There must be a Receiver and something that Answereth and thou say'st That Natural Truth or Moral c. are soon received by Moral Vnderstandings G. F. doth not speak of Morals here but the Light of Christ which Convinceth which is Super-natural that bringeth the Christians that love
Spirit and have drunk the BLOOD as they did in Queen Mary's Days c. And had those Martyrs been in your Days Men and Women that preached Christ ye would have served them as ye serve us now And Our MARTYRS of IESUS will be Recorded to POSTERITY against you for the Martyrs bore this same Testimony in many things as we do And again thou speakest over and over of our Women going stark Naked but this is Answered fully in other places R. W. Thou say'st Thou wonderest how any Godly Soul how any Learned c. who have studied the Primitive Copies of Hebrew and Greek Scriptures can yoke with such rude Bablings and Repetitions of simple ignorant Praters Answ. R. W. might very well have applied this to himself for let him look back and the honest Reader and see his Simple Repetitions and Ignorant Prating over and over and therefore are we constrained to speak the same things over and over and then in some places we have left the same things because we have Answered them so often And so its true I do not know where Any Godly Soul either in New-England or here doth Join with R. W. for he hath not discovered what Fellowship he is of R. W. Thou say'st The Hebrew Greek and Latin c. which Helps most of the Leaders of the Quakers want Answ. But what Fruits have either the Papists or R. W. and his New-England-priests brought forth by these Helps seeing ye are found in the Spirit that Crucified Christ What Help was the Latin to the Romans when they persecuted the Martyrs of Jesus in the Ten Persecutions What Help was the Hebrew to the Jews who Crucified Christ What Help was the Greek to the Grecians seeing Christ faith It is the Spirit of Truth that leadeth into all Truth and No Man knoweth the things of God but by the Spirit of God and No Man knoweth God but by Revelation And therefore what Helps are those Natural Languages to any people concerning their Salvation But R. W. hast not thou been poring and doting about the Natural Languages till at last thou art grown so dark with thy Helps that thou callest the Light of Christ an Idol and a Fancy And if we must study the Hebrew Greek and Latin as thou hast done 't is to no purpose and may be some of the Quakers know these Languages better than thou R. W. Thou tellest a great Story of the Ranters and thou seemest to Join the Quakers with them but thou canst not when the Lord hath separated them by his Holy Spirit where thou say'st Thou hast known the Ranters almost Sixty Years and thou say'st p. 28. The Ranters are but the Quakers Vgly Child and Daughter and Rantism rose from their Bowels and then again thou say'st p. 27. The Quakers are but a New-upstart Party or Faction risen up little above 20. Years since in the Northern Parts of England Lancashire Answ. Now let but the Reader read his pages and see his Confusion and Contradictions and how he hath Lost himself in his Accounts in proving the Ranters the Quakers Daughter who confesseth to his own Knowledge He hath known the Ranters nigh 60. years ago and saith The Quakers are but a New-Upstart Faction little above 20 Years since so he hath made the Child the Daughter according to his own Knowledge nigh 40. Years Elder then the Mother This is like the Rest of his doting Proofs to prove our Religion false And as to the Adamites and Monstrous Religion thou might'st have kept that to thy self which the Spirit of God abhorreth R. W. Thou say'st These Moderate Times have not driven the Quakers to bow down to their Spirit for Fear of Persecution c. Answ. This ye know well enough in New-England where it concerned our Lives in the Heat of your Persecution we could not Bow to your Image no more then the Three Children could Bow to Nebuchadnezzar's R. W. Thou say'st Some are false and rotten in their Profession and ready to fall and tumble when any strong Wind of Temptation blows upon them Answ. This is the New-England-Priests and Professors and R. W.'s own Condition For how did'st thou stand in Boston-Colony And how did ye stand in New-England And how have ye Received God's Servants but with your WHIPS and GALLOVSES c. And so the Lord hath tried your spirit and we have stood your Tempests and Winds of Persecution and did not Tumble down And Christ bids his Disciples Take heed of the Leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees Truly so his Disciples must still of you who are found in that Leaven And many things thou writest here which thou might'st have applied to thy self And R. W. Thou sayst They that are taken by the Quakers Bait are such as never Loved truly the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity as the Scripture speaketh neither within nor without c. Answ. This is like the Rest Roger for we declare None can Love the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity and in Truth as the Scripture speaketh on within and without but such as own the Light of Christ which he hath enlightned them withal and believe in his Light Then there is a Belief in the Heart and with the Mouth a Confession is made to Salvation and this is not Opposite to Christ without as thou falsly speakest And thou say'st And some will plead with Christ at the Last Day c. Yea R. W. that will be a Sad Day to thee when thou art rewarded according to thy Works who call'st his Light an Idol and a Fancy R. W. Then thou say'st I told the Quakers that their Theora John pretended to write after the Spirit c. a Volumn in Hebrew c. Answ. What is this Why dost thou call him Our Theora John when he never was no Quaker But this is like the rest of thy Proofs And then goest on with thy If 's and thy And 's to no purpose R. W. Thou say'st It was a famous Principle of the first New-England Reformers viz To be Christianly careful that their members gave Christian Evidence so far as Godly Eyes of Charity could reach of the truth of their Conversion and turning unto God which thou say'st for ought thou knowest is not changed by their Successors Answ. Which if so that the Successors Evidence be the same that the First New-England Reformers was then it cannot be the Evidence of a True Christian as witness their Fruits of Persecution and Cruelty in BLOOD-SHED which never was an Evidence of a true Church of the true Lord Jesus Christ but the Evidence of the false Church the Whore that drunk the Blood of the Saints as the Church of New-England hath Evidenced and proclaimed to Christendom and the Indians also R. W. saith That our Religion Principles and Practice arise to no higher then what a Reprobate may attain unto Answ. What! because New-England's Religion Principle and Practice has ris●n no higher then what a Reprobate may attain
Author and Finisher of their Faith nor a Means of their Faith for had not they Faith in God before and Solomon and Moses did that which God commanded them And wilt thou say that Clay and Spittle was the Author of the Faith of Christ and none of these threw out God or the Father as being the Author of their Faith for those things were done by Faith R W. And thou say'st O what a throwing Spirit who toss and throw the Eternal and the Invisible God and his only begotten Son in their wild fancies as if they were Wool and Feathers of Lambs and Chickens which these Foxians have devoured Answ. As to Devouring Lambs and Chickens of Christ thou might have kept this at home for it 's thy own work And we must tell thee that the Eternal Invisible God cannot be tossed nor his only begotten Son who sits at his Right Hand cannot be tossed at all much less like Wool and Feathers as thou wickedly speakest and in this thou hast manifested that thou hast little knowledge of God or Christ who say'st They can be tossed like Feathers And is this the Mad Doctrine of the Priests in New England let the Reader see if Nebuchadnezar and Darius had not more Knowledge of God then R W. who saith God may be tossed like Feathers read Dan. 4 3 34. and c. 7 14 27. Isa. 40 28. Psal. 41 13. Psal. 19 2. 1 Pet. 1 11. 1 Tim. 6 16. And as for thy Throwing Spirit and Wild Fox thou may'st keep it at home for our desires are that all may come to Christ their Saviour and Salvation and not have them devoured by such a Spirit as thine is And thou must not think that the Eternal God can be tossed like thy self this is a base Language but the Lord will rebuke thy Spirit and it is a shame to the New-England-Priests if they have any to encourage this Orator in Printing this Unworthy stuff And the Quakers do not deny that the Scriptures are a Record of Heaven and a Record of the being of the Eternal Power and God-head of the Practice of the holy men of God and the death and sufferings of Christ and of the holy Men of God c. And is not the Scripture a Declaration of the Faith of God and of Christ and the holy Men of God Luk. 1. R W. And thou say'st For is it not a writing or Record of Heaven Answ. These are thy own words For the Quakers say The holy men of God spoke forth the Scriptures as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and they do believe that the Scriptures are a True Record of the glorious works of his Creating and Forming the Earth and the Sea and all things therein and of Making Man and Woman in his Image and of the Fall of Man-kind from their glorious First State in Paradise which R W. saith some talk Idly to be Every day Roger go and tell them of it to their faces and not backbite them R W. And thou say'st Which mysteries the Quakers have only from the Scriptures Answ. For the Apostle saith Through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear Heb. 11. now what will R W. and his Company say to the Apostle here And we say that the Scripture doth declare of the Promise of the Father of Mercies and of Christ a Restorer a Redeemer of fallen Man-kind who is a Maker-up of the breach and how that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head that made the breach And the Scriptures are a Record of all the Travails of the Children of Israel with all their Types and Figures which Christ is the Substance of who set up his worship in Spirit in Truth above 1600. years ago Joh. 4. And we say and believe that the Scriptures are a True Record of Christ's fulfilling the Promise of the Father and Prophets and of his Birth Life Doctrine Miracles Death Resurrection Ascension of the Son of God the Man Christ Jesus And it 's a true Record of the Believers in the Light of Christ before he was Crucified and after his Ascension and of his glorious Church in the Primitive times which he was the Head of And we believe it 's a true Record of the Apostacy of such as are err'd from the Faith and from the Spirit and inwardly ravened and become Anti-Christs and went forth from the Apostles and such as went in Balaam's Cain's and Korah's way and became Raging waves of the Sea casting up mire and dirt like R W. spoken of in Jude and became Gain-sayers of the Truth and Killers about Religion like Cain and the New England Priests and People And R W. c. would have us punished and here you appear with your Horns like them that are spoken of in the Revelations against the Lamb and his followers but the Lamb will have the Victory Glory to God for ever And the Writing in the Revelations is a true Record of the Whore drinking the blood of the Saints and the Beast making War with them which Beast rise out of the Sea and out of the Earth and so not from Heaven and the Beast received his power from the Dragon and so not from God nor Christ by which he persecutes his Saints And of the Witnesses Rising and of the Church's going into the Wilderness and of the Beast taken and the Dragon and the false Prophet cast alive into the Lake of Fire and of the burning up of the Whore and of the Marriage of the Lamb and the Everlasting Gospel Preached again to all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and of the Heavenly Jerusalem and of the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the Light of the Lamb c And doth any come into this City but by the Light of Christ and the Scriptures are a true Record of such as are without the City Whoremongers Dogs and Lyars c. like R W. that hath so belyed the People of God And the Spirit and the Bride saith Come to this City and Tree of Life and Let him that heareth say Come let him that is a thirst Come and whosoever will let him take of the water of Life freely And we believe all that is written in the Scriptures of Truth and can sing Hallelujah and praise the Lord for all his Mercies that he hath revealed to us through his Son And the Scripture is a true Record of the Joys of the Saints in this life and after this life and of the Torment of the wicked as Christ saith Go ye Cursed c. in his day of Judgment And thou say'st It may be G F. and the Quakers will say they grant all this Answ Yes and more too which is not mentioned here R W. Saith I question whether you speak bona fide and in truth without Jesuitical Equivocations Answ. We abhor thy words and
thou may'st keep thy Jesuitical Equivocations to thy self For we speak the Truth as it is in Jesus and in the Faith that he is the Author of and we do believe in our hearts that we have more Esteem for the Scriptures then thou or any of the persecuting Priests in New-England or their Professors For how can you have an Esteem on the Scriptures and be in a persecuting Birth and Spirit which they were not in that gave them forth R. W. And thou say'st What meaneth this But The Scriptures is but a Declaration of the Saints Faith O blind Guides that undertake to guide men through the Washes upon Life and Death And then thou tell'st a Story of K. John of England's Treasure which thou may'st apply to thy self and thou say'st what is your But but the Jews and Papists and Quakers Cry Crucifie him hang up Christ Jesus burn up the Scriptures and all Bibles Old and New Testament c. Answ. Here thou rankest us amongst the Jews and Papists who art nearer them thy self And it is thou that guidest People into the Washes as thou call'st them if thou say'st the Scriptures are the Means of their Faith and not Christ who is the Author and Finisher of it and we say the Scripture is a Declaration of the Saints Faith and not the Means and Author and giver of their Faith and how they received it though the Scriptures declare of many more things then the Saints Faith both of God and Christ c. which the Saints believed And we abhor thy words in saying That we Cry Crucifie Christ or hang him up burn the Scriptures and all the Bibles the Old and new Testament We abhor thy thoughts and thy words The Lord of Heaven knows that we have an Esteem of the Scriptures and of the Lord Jesus Christ and have bowed to his Name and can say There is not Salvation by any other Name under the whole Heaven but by the Name of Jesus who hath bought us with a price his Blood who is alive again and lives for Evermore and is ascended above all at the Right Hand of God too high for you to Crucifie or hang him up though you may Crucifie him in his Members and to your selves afresh as the New-England Professors have done But we Challenge R. W. and the New-England Priests to prove it by Scripture that Christ can be Crucified and Hanged up again and whether this be not contrary to Scripture which saith He is alive again and liveth for evermore R. W. And whereas thou say'st what is the Saints Faith you acknowledge none but the Faith of the wild Souls called Quakers c. Answ We acknowledge the Faith which Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of and contend for it which purifies our hearts and is our Victory in which we plese God which gives us access to God R. W. We poor Jews and Papists and Protestants though we own the Scriptur●s some a part and the rest all yet we are all but Infidels Devils c. Answ. The more is the pity but take heed Roger lest thou be not wilfully so And what do the poor Jews and Papists own the Sciptures and before thou said'st The Jews and Papists c. cryed burn up the Scriptures and all the Bible of the Old and New Testament and yet Own the Scriptures some a part c Here Roger gives himself the Lye in his Contradictions R. W. And thou say'st again What is this Saints Faith this Fox's and the Quakers Faith is it any thing else but a meer Babel and Confusion of God and Faith Christ and Faith Spirit and Faith Light and Faith Justification and Faith Sanctification and Faith Salvation Faith c. and this is in every one of Man-kind in the world if they will believe it Answ. Thou hast made a Babel here and say'st it 's the Quakers but it is thy own and thou art a Scoffer at the Saints Faith which Christ is the Author of And none knoweth Christ nor their Sanctification nor their Justification nor their Salvation but by believing in the Light of Christ Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of their Faith and the Quakers do say Such as hate the Light of Christ which they should believe in they hate their Sanctification and Justification and Salvation and Christ the Author and Finisher of the Saints Faith So thou speakest falsly of us if thou say'st that we say It is in all Man-kind for they that hate the Light receive not Christ the Author and Finisher of their Faith R. W. And thou say'st Neither Abraham nor any Man had Faith before it pleased the Eternal and Invisible Deity to disclose himself by Word or Sight or Dream or Motion c. at several times it pleased him to spe●k and last of all by the Best and Clearest of all his only Begotten Christ Jesus Answ. So thou do'st acknowledge they had Faith from God before the Scripture was written And thou do'st grant that they had Motions Sights and Dreams then is not God the same now who speaks by his Son whom the Saints are to look unto for the Author and Finisher of their Faith and if the Scripture be the Means they are to look to the Scripture For the Apostle saith The Righteousness of God is revealed from Faith to Faith so can'st thou know Gods Righteousness or Faith without Revelation But hath God spoken to thee by his Son hast thou heard his Voyce Immediately from Heaven and yet thou say'st afore That the Scripture was the ground of Christs and the Saints Faith R.W. And thou say'st When it pleased the Incomprehensible Majesty to command his appearances by Words Visions and Dreams c. to be written to st●nd upon Record for all Generations shall we be such Fools and Franticks as to say It was his word when God spake it to and in his Prophets but now it is written it is but Pen Ink and Paper it is now but a dead Letter it is not Gods Word God hath but One Word Christ and the Scriptures are his words Oh the Audacious blockishness of the foul Spirit in these wild mad fancies of the Quakers Answ. Is not God the same now do not his Young men see Visions and his Old men dream Dreams and his Sons and Daughters Prophesie as in Joel and Acts And when Moses Recorded what God had reveal'd to Abraham and others by Visions and Dreams and said Exod. 20. God spake all these Words and do'st thou say Moses was Audacious and blockish and a wild mad fancy because he did not call them the Word of God but words And Jerem. 35 13. Hearken to my Words saith the Lord Isa. 51 16. I will put my Words in thy mouth Jer. 5 14. I will make my Words in thy mouth Fire and Mark 10 24. The Disciples were astonished at Christs Words Luk. 24 8. and the Believers remembred the Words of the Lord and Christ saith Vnto every man that
declare against the vain Formalities either in Prayer or Preaching yet they own the true Preachers which are able Ministers in the Spirit and true Pray●ng in the Spirit and the One Baptisme Ephes. 4. And as the Apostle saith to the Corinthians They were Baptized by one Spirit into one body 1 Cor. 12 13. R. W. And thou say'st This is Treason and Rebellion in any Atheists or whomsoever but more abominable Hypocritical in these Pharisaical Quakers who cry out against the Apish Imitatours and yet themselves practise Preaching Praying Congregations Singings Conventings and Addings to Castings out c. full well as the Lord Jesus speaks abrogating the word and appointments of God that they may set up and establish their own Traditions c. Answ. Thou hast not told the Reader what our Traditions are which Christ told the Jews But here of all thy Abusive Expressions we are clear of thy Treason and Rebellion and abomin●ble Hypocritical and Pharisaical which words suit thy own Spirit and thou may'st apply them at home And our Religion and Way and Preaching and Praying and Singing is according to Scripture and we are gathered in the Name of Jesus Christ where we find him in the mid'st of us a Prophet a Priest and a Bishop and a King to rule in our hearts who exerciseth his Offices in his Church And if any professes the Truth and doth not walk in it such we deny and the Believers are Added to Christs Church daily praised be the Lord. And why dost thou and you Priests of New-England separate your selves from the Papists and call her the bloody Whore of Rome when you are found in her Spirit and not in the Spirit of the First Primitive Christians R. W. And whereas thou say'st G. F. crys out against all Scriptures and common Sense and against all Forms Answ. These are more of thy Vntruths For he owns all Holy Scripture and doth not cry against all Forms but such as have the Form of Godliness and deny the power turn away from such And he and the Quakers own God's ways and manners of Gods worship in Spirit and Truth R. W. And thou say'st G. F. cryes up a Christ within a Scripture within and a Church within and Ministers within and Baptism and Supper within yet practises the most of these so many as their Idol requires will serve his turn as outwardly visibly as any in the world Answ. Is not Baptism of the Spirit within that burneth up the Chaff within how dark art thou and have not the Ministers of the Spirit the Spirit within And doth not the Apostle Preach Christ within the Saints and doth not Christ say I stand at the door knock and if any man will hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will Sup with him and he with me Revel 3 But where did ever the Quakers say in any of their books that the Church or Congregation was within them and these are thy own forged words not ours and is not the Spirit and the Truth within in which God is worshipped R. W. After thou hast commended R. Baxt●r our old Persecutor thou say'st It hath been his Observation viz. that the Churches of the Independents and Baptists have been the source and spring whence have flown the Generation of the Quakers And then thou contradicts him and say'st For my self I have observed the contrary in these parts Answ. Nay the Quakers spring is from that Fountain of Life which the Primitive Church was in Glory to the Lord God for ever who are built upon the Rock and Foundation Christ Jesus And R. W. do'st thou say That the Quakers sprung from the Ranters and Grindletonians what Babel is this R. W. And whereas thou say'st Although some rotten Professors or weak souls though true have been bewitched by these Soul-Witches yet generally where they have any Liberty the National Church fills up their numbers Answ Here thou judgest others as well as the Quakers but it is best to pply it to thy own Spirit and to see thy self first and your own Rotten profession at home And where they have any Liberty thou say'st but we know thy Spirit and the New-England Priests and Professors that call Light Darkness and persecute the Truth that is it you would not have to Have Liberty and call it the Soul-witches and therefore the Soul-witches thou may apply at home R. W. And thou say'st W. Edmonson boasted of their Numbers viz. their Religion is so Easi● never coming near the Roots of Rotten Nature but so wonderfully agreing with it and changing one Devil for another Answ. If the Quakers have Changed one Devil for another as thou say'st they are changed from your Religion of New-England and them that upheld it and from thee then thou do'st acknowledge that thou and the New-England Profession was a Devil and the Independents and the Baptists according to Baxter but thy Fore fathers the Jews said That Christ Jesus our Lord and Master whom we are Changed to that he had a Devil and by the Prince of Devils cast out Devils And as for the Roots of Rotten Nature that thou and you may apply to your selves which your Religion is made up of which thou would'st accuse the People of God withall which are in the pure Religion James 1 26 27. but thou hast manifested thy Religion with thy Unbridled Tongue And W. Edm. did not boast of our Numbers for that is the Abuses of thy Tongue but we can praise the Lord through Jesus Christ who adds to his Church daily R. W. And then thou say'st Thou adorest the Infinite power c. that they were not ten thousand-fold more c. then they are and then thou say'st I can demonstrate that if G. F. for all their Hypocritical prating against Carnal Weapons get a Sword as Mahomet did most of the Popish and Protestant and Pagan world will easily be brought to dance after him Answ. This is from thy Evil Thoughts and Cains Fear G. F. and the Quakers abhor thy words But this is your Condition in New-England and because the People of God will not dance after them therefore they have Hanged them and Banished them and Spoiled their goods For the Lord and his Son knoweth that Our Weapons are Spiritual that he hath armed us withall and if ever thou had'st set foot in the pure Religion which the Primitive Church and the Quakers walked and walk in thou would'st not say It is so easie But thou speakest Evil of that which thou knowest not and utterest forth the malice and envy of thy heart And we do pray to the Father to send forth Labourers into his Vineyard and that is his Work and not Mens and can praise the Lord at the Conversion of Sinners And as for Hypocritical prating that is thy own R. W. And thou say'st to M. B. Was there ever a Child of God in this world but he was a Nazarite separate from worldly
persons c. as he comes to see them and endureth not that the Evil One should touch him Answ. If this were your Faith and Practise both of New-England and all our Old Persecutors then we should be One with you But have not all our Opposites both here and in New-England persecuted us for worldly Maintenances which Christ nor his Apostles never did who said Freely ye have received freely give And if you could not endure the Evil One to touch you then you would be a People free from sin R. W. And then thou makest a great Ramble and call'st it Considerations touching the Seperate Churches and say'st Hath not Gods Jealousie raged against the Jewish Whore-mongers who defiled his first Bed and will he wink at the Christian-Adulterers and Adulteresses either in worship or Conversation Answ. Nay therefore hath the Lord sent forth his Servants to bid you Repent whom you have persecuted for you are fallen from the Tenderness you were in at first that the Lord knoweth R. W. Thou say'st With what Conscience can I a National Protestant separate from my Father the Pope or my Mother the Church of Rome and my Brethren and Sisters the Papists c. and yet must not be a Christian for other Souls to see further degrees of that Separation necessary I must bring up the foot of every mans Light Sight and Conscience to my last Answ. Here thou acknowledgest The Pope to be thy Father and the Church of Rome to be thy Mother and not the Primitive Church or Jerusalem that is above which is the Mother of us all but thou would'st bring all to thy dark Last and so would every persecuting Spirit and dark Conscience And why do you talk of Separating from your Mother or Father the Pope when you are found in their Spirit but the Quakers would have every Man and Woman to turn to the Grace and Light of Christ Jesus and not bring them into a Form without the power as your New-England Professors have done And we labour to bring all People to Christ Jesus and if thou callest him the Last thou hast given him a New Name but the New-England Priests bring People to their Last and dark Conscience as is manifest R. W. Thou say'st This is my main ground of my Controversy with the proud Quakers in themselves and condemn others Answ This is false for we tell them the Light is their Condemnation that hate it But we must walk in the Light as Christ Commands who hath enlightened us by which Light we see you where we have left you R. W. And thou say'st But they magnifie with the Papists and Arminians Cursed rotten Nature their Converts and Proselytes have but a painted Formal Repentance Faith c. only if they can come to their Church and Thou and Thee and disrespect all Superiors then are they high Saints and cannot sin Answ. All these be Lyes and it 's thy own Condition And as for the Papists and Arminians they may answer for themselves for Repentance which is a Returning from Sin to the Lord is not Formal and the Faith which Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of And we do not say Such as can say Thee and Thou are free from Sin neither do we say that they are High Saints that dis-respect all Superiours for we say as the Apostle said We must honour all men and They that rule are worthy of double honour And we do challenge thee and all the Priests in New-England and all our Opposites that thou hast quoted to shew us Where ever Christ or his Apostles for men to keep on their Hats and say Thee and Thou to them dishonoured them and dis-respected Superiors so the ground of thy Controversie is false And whether that is the Honour and the Respect that they must shew to all men and to Superiors as to say You to a single Person and put off his Hat to him and whether this be the Honour from above and whether the Honour the Pharisees looked for was not some Outward Gesture so distinguished from the Christians Honour And as for Converts of Cursed Rotten Nature thou might have kept that at home for the Converts that we own are such as are turned from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan to God R. W. And whereas thou say'st This was the Heavenly principle of those many precious gallant Worthies the Leaders and Corner-Stones of New-England they desired to worship God in purity according to those perswasions in their Consciences which they believed God had lighted up Answ. Here thou flatterest New-England Persecutors who have drunken the Blood of Gods People Whipt Banished and Spoiled their goods because they would not follow their Bloody Spirits Worship out of Truth for thou might have said as much for the Spirit of the Church of Rome For the Professors of New-England have lost their Tenderness that was first in them and despised that Birth-right Esau-like and their Written and Printed Laws against the People of God are abhorred and make their Names stink in Europe yea and in America For thou wilt confess the Devil is a Murderer and Christ is a Saviour and did not come to destroy mens Lives but to save them and therefore it is manifest whose Work thy Gallant Worthies and Leaders have done and Thou who art joyned in a Confederacy against God's People uttering sorth thy Lyes against them in a peaceable Government where thou hast not power to Persecute them R. W. And thou say'st They desired such for their Fellow-worshippers as they upon a Christian Account could have evidence of to be true and real Worshippers of God in Spirit and Truth also Answ. The New-England-worshippers and the Joyners with them their Practice Evidenceth them in their Persecution not to be in God's Spirit nor his Truth R. W. And thou bringest Priest E. B's words which saith The Spirit of God doth not teach to judge before the time and others say Saints shall not judge while they be upon the Earth And G. F. Answering saith But the Spirit did teach the Apostle to Judge and his Time was come and he told some that they were of Old ordained for Condemnation their Damnation slumbred not and then it was their time to Judge And because the Printer mistook and put in high for their and not which should not have been in but then which was the Printers mistake therefore thou cryest Non-sense c. But thou say'st to the point The great Jugler hath taught G. F. and his Foxians to out-face Death and Judgment to keep the great Sessions and call all the world to their Bar and Judgment Answ. Let the Reader see if there be any such words in G. F's Answer but repeating of the Apostles words that makes him to break out into such an Outrage and Gust as he calls it Therefore was the Apostle a Cheat or a Jugler and out faced Death and Judgment c. because the Spirit of God did
that is Entered among you and burneth your Esau. stuff And as for Burning the Scriptures we abhor thy words and did'st not thou say The Papists Owned the Bible and the Jews part of it and now thou fay'st Th●y Burn it how do'st thou Contradict thy self But Gods Living Free Messengers we have been to New-England c. but you have Spoyled our Goods Banish'd Whip'd and Martyred to death and Burnt our Books which quote a many good Scriptures And as for Absolom's Beauty you may look at home among your Whited Walls and fair Out-side Professors but they begin to look black with your Murdering Laws And it 's thy own Spirit 's work to draw Souls from the Lord Jesus Christ with thy Lyes as the Old Serpent drew Adam and Eve from God's Teaching and you exceed Sampsons Foxes that carryed Fire-brands in their Tails for you have Carryed them in your Hands by which you have Branded the people of God And we do Esteem the Scriptures and the Practice of them better then you R. W. And thou say'st They are fortified with the Faces of Men and the Hair of Women like the Locusts Rev. 9. such Pretences and such Illuminations and Appearances and Assurances and Confidences and Feelings of Experiences c. that it is God's Infinite Power and Wisdom c. to preserve the Scriptures a Standing Record of what the first Messengers and Churches and first Doctrine and first Christians were or else the world would fall down and adore Images c. Answ. It is by the Lord's Power and Wisdom that the Scripture hath been preserved yet we see such that have the Scriptures and fall down to Images and others to the Imaginations of their own hearts that are not in the Spirit that gave them forth And as for those Locusts that came out of the smoak of the Bottomless-pit let R. Williams and the New-England Professors keep that at home apply it and their Experiences at home but as for the people called Quakers it is that which the Lord has wrought in them by his Spirit and opened to them by believing in the Light that so they are become Children of the Light which you were and are Strangers to and hate And God hath Sealed us and set his Mark in our Fore-heads but your Mark is easily seen to be of the Beast's that maketh War with the Saints And did Abraham and Isaac and Jacob fall down to Images before Scripture was written for as the Apostle saith None can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy-Ghost and though some people have the Scriptures yet they fall down to Images But it is the Holy-Ghost that brings them to fall down to God and bow to Jesus their Lord that leads them into all the Truth of the Scriptures that brought the Prophets and Apostles to testifie against them that Bowed to Images yea though they had the Scriptures as in the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel and other Prophets And our Experiences and Assurances are of the Lords Christ. R. W. And thou say'st Thou knowest the Counsels of the Father of Lights are very deep yea the Revelation needs a Revelation and the Prophets and Canticles and Daniel c. Answ. And thou confessest this must be by the Spirit of God c. and in this thou confounds thy self who hast been Railing against G. F. and the Quakers who saith T. C. hath left cut the power and Spirit of God to Regenerate and Convert and that the Scriptures cannot do this without the Spirit or power of Christ and that it is the Spirit that doth Convert both Jews and Gentiles to God and this is the Quakers principle according to Christs words I will send you the Spirit of Truth that will lead you into all Truth as you may see in John And so it is all this while thou hast been Confounding thy self and Beating the Air. R. W. And whereas thou speakest How that Jews and Gentiles must yet enquire with Tears of Blood after the Blood of a Saviour sure they shall not awake out of their pits of Rottenness without some Means and Messengers c. Answ. And yet these have the Scriptures and are not Converted and yet thou railest against G. F. because he saith They cannot be Converted and Regenerated by the words of the Apostles but by the power and Spirit of God and because that G.F. saith That I.K. in saying The Scripture is the Means he throweth out Christ and God the Author and Giver of Faith as pag. 9 Yet now R. W. saith There must be a Messenger from Heaven to awaken Jews and Gentiles surely this must be a Spiritual Messenger then and here he Contradicts himself and throweth down all his Railing stuff against G. F. as afore-mentioned And yet There is no Voice and Motion to be heard of Spiritual things within R. W. And thou say'st Surely there shall be no other Words in their Mouths then what were in the Mouths of the first Messengers and according to Christs prayer c. Answ. We answer Nay The very same Word and Words both in thy and your Mouths when you are Converted if ever you be Converted which now thou hast a Form of without the power and Holdest the Truth in the Unrighteousness and so that in John 17. and Isa. 59. and Act. 26. we own And the Apostles which Preached Christ Jesus said no other Words then what Moses and the Prophets fore-told Act. 26. That Jesus Christ should come according to the Prophets and He is come and hath given us an Vnderstanding and we are in him R. W. And thou say'st Therefore Fox and his Foxians that tell us They have all by the Spirit and need no Record are Thieves and Robbers whom Moses and the Prophets c. and the Apostles abhorred to think of Answ. Moses and the Prophets were led by the Spirit of God and saw Christ who fulfilled the Scriptures of the Prophets c. and the Apostle said No man knew the things of God but by the Spirit of God are not the Scriptures the Things of God And why do'st thou belie G. F. and the Quakers if it be them thou meanest and say'st that they say They need no Record which is false for There are Three that bear Record in Earth and Three that bear Record in Heaven which they have need of And there is a Record of the Son of God and there is a Record of John concerning Christ John bore Record saying I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven upon Christ Joh. 1 32 34. and the Father bore Record of the Son Joh. 8. and God is the Record of his people Phil. 8. Joh. 1 5 7. And there is a Record of the Old and New Testament which we have the Comfort of for we never read that either Moses the Prophets or Apostles did abhor the Spirit of God to be their Leader and call them Thieves and Robbers but those are Thieves and Robbers that do not hear the Voice of
shameful Lie And then concludes That they were his Witnesses that he had long said with David and he humbly hoped he should make it good that he hates and abhors Lying Providence in New-England Richard Scot. SOME TESTIMONIES of Ancient and Modern Authors concerning the LIGHT SCRIPTURES RULE and the SOUL of Man Testimonies concerning the LIGHT within MVnsterus Castalio Vatablus Drusius Clarius Codurus upon Iob 24 13 and Chap. 25 3. They ●re of those who rebel against the Light Vpon whom doth not his Light arise say That this Light is of the Divine Wisdom and Fountain of Light Alluding to the Psalmist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Mat. 4 19. The People that sate in Darkness saw great Light Also see Erasmus and Camerar upon Ioh. 1 4 9. Orpheus His Hand reacheth to the end of the Sea his right Hand is every where then within Of him alone are all things Clem. Alexandr Strom lib. 5. Thales thus There is but one God he is Glorious forever he knows Hearts and tells Thoughts He maketh the Teller of his Thoughts God as in Amos 4.13 Pythagoras thus GOD resembleth Light and Truth he is One He is not out of the World he is the Salt of all Ages ONE HEAVENLY LIGHT and Father of all things only Wise Invisible yet Intelligible Jambl. Iust. Mart. Heraclitus thus God is not made with Hands Pythagoras What things are agreeable to God cannot be known unless a man HEAR GOD himself Again Having overcome thy rebellious Appetites thou shalt know the Cohabitation of the Immortal God and mortal Men whose work is Immortality Eternal Life Trin. de Animâ Mundi Sophocles speaking of the Precepts written in Man's Heart saith God is their Father not Mortal Nature neither shall they ever be abrogated for there is in them a great God that never waxeth old Again saith he This is with respect to Man's Conscience a Divine a Sacred Good God the Overseer Oedip. Tyr. Clem. Alex. Str. l. 5. Socrates had the Guide of his Life within him and preached as he was moved by it even in the Streets and died for reproving the Corruptions of the Athenians in Manners and Religion Plotin taught That Man had a Divine Principle in him which maketh a True and Good Man Hierom called it a Domestick God The Good said Socrates shall be united to God in an In accessible place the Wicked in convenient places suffer due Puni●●ment Iustin. Martyr in his Apology saith God hath built to himself a natural Temple in the Consciences of Men. Clem. Alex. Admon ad Gent. It is the Voice of Truth that Light will shine out of Darkness Therefore doth it shine in the Hidden Part of Mankind Strom. l. 5. Man cannot be void of Divine Knowledge who naturally partakes of Divine Inspirations Lactan. de Cult Ver. The Law of God is made known to us The Law is pure and unspotted Reason diffused through all the World Athanasius contr gent. The way to attain to the knowledge of God is within us which is proved from Moses who saith The Word of God is within thy heart and from this Saying of Christ The Faith and Kingdom of God is within you Minutius Felix saith God is every where not only very near us but infused As is observed by Grotius Crit. Tom. 7. on Acts 17 27. Testimonies concerning the SCRIPTURES LVther taught That the Spirit is required to the understanding of the whole Scripture and of every part thereof Again The Scriptures are not to be understood but by that very Spirit by which they were wrote Tom. 3. fol. 169. Iohn Bradford thus answered the Arch-Bishop of York We do believe and know the Scriptures as Christ's Sheep not because the Church saith they are the Scriptures but because they be so being thereof assured by the same Spirit that wrote and spake them Book of Mart. Vol. 3. p. 298. W. Tindal a faithful Martyr in Hen. 8. his time writes thus It is impossible to understand the Scriptures more then a Turk for him that hath not the Law of God written in his Heart to fulfil it Again Without the Spirit it is impossible to understand them W. Tindal's Works p. 319 and p. 80. B. Iewel against the Papists hath this Passage Flesh and Blood is not able to understand the Holy Will of God without special Revelation therefore Christ gave Thanks to his Father and likewise opened the Hearts of his Disciples that they might understand the Scriptures Without this special Help and Prompting of God's holy Spirit the Scriptures are unto the Reader be he never so Wise or well Learned as the Vision of a Sealed Book Calvin saith It is necessary that the same Spirit that spake by the Mouth of the Prophets should pierce into our Hearts to perswade us of the Truth of what they delivered Instit. lib. 1. cap. 8. Beza saith That the understanding of the Scriptures should be fetch'd from the same Spirit that dictated them Beza in Nov. Test. 2 Pet. 1.19 Peter Martyr taught That the Spirit is the Arbiter by whom we must assure our selves for understanding of the Scriptures that thereby we must discern between Christ's words and a Stranger 's Quoting Christ's words My Sheep know my voice and follow not a Stranger And among other Scriptures he quot●s these The Spirit searcheth out the deep things of God The Comforter shall declare all things that I have said unto you The spiritual Unction shall shew you all things Com. Loc. part 1. pag. 6. Again The Spirit of God reveals the truth in the holy Scriptures Com. loc p. 2. cap. 18. Again in an Oration to the Vniversity of Strasburgh concerning the Scriptures he expresseth himself thus The School of this Philosophy is Heaven Again We must remember that the Teacher hereof is the Holy Ghost Doct. Ames a Great Father of the Independents upon 1 Ioh 2. saith We require no more the Anointing of the holy Spirit doth teach the fait●ful to understand those things which they received of the Apostles there from to understand those things which are necessary to Salvation for these things those Believers had received of the Apostles With more to the same purpose in that Chapter lib. 1. c. 5. Thes. 32. contr Bellarm. H. Bullinger asserts in his 4 Decas and 8. Serm. dedicated to K. Edw. 6. That Men fetch'd the understanding of heavenly things and knowledge of the holy Ghost from no where else then from the same Spirit Doct. Owen saith The only publick Authentick and infallible Interpreter of the Holy Scriptures is he who is the Author of them from the breathing of whose Spirit it derives all its Verity Perspicuity and Authority Exerc. 2.7.9 T. C. an Antient and Considerable Baptist saith There is the Law and Testimony in the Spirit as well as in the Letter The Law of God is in the Heart there it is written and there it testifieth the Truth of God and if any Man speak not according to this Rule it
Record That tell us They have all by the Spirit and need no Record are Thieves and Robbers 25 26. Id. pag. 47 48 Regeneration Natural Man perceiveth no Spiritual Matter but when he is Born Again pag. Id. 72 The Seed of all Grace may be in the New-Born and yet the Seed of all Sin c. remaining 186 187 193 199. See Sin pag. Id. 172 The State of the Soul in this Life is three-fold Creation Corruption and Regeneration Samuel Palmer pag. 170 171 Religion Their Religion is so easie Changing one Devil for another 68. R. W. pag. 34 The Sechemites for hope of Gain will be of any Religion or Worship pag. Id. 64 The Protestant Religion is a Religion protesting against the Bloody Man of Sin the Pope 166. pag. Id. 165 Resurrection Notwithstanding thy passing through the First and Second Resurrection there remains a Torment for thee at the Last Day and Wo. 127. M. Bine pag. 99 100 Revelation The Prophets are more certain than any other Revelation 28 46 91 200. Iosh. Miller pag. 54 Revilings Their Rash Revilings c. R. W. pag. 39 Revolt Korah Dathan and Abiram's Revolt applied to the Quakers pag. Id. 165 The Quakers are Revolted from the Protestant Religion c. a sullen proud and dogged Conversation Id. pag. 166 167 Righteousness If the Righteous Man turn away from his Righteousness his former Righteousness shall be no more Remembred The Meaning is They thought they had been Righteous c. 179 199. Hen. Foreside pag. 191 192 193 G. F. 's Reason 190. Evil Spirits Sinful and Reasonable R.W. 188. Repentance 60 67 101. Respect pag. 152 S. SAlvation 9 21 23 28 90 94 116 126 127 143 154 167 168 177 178. Sanctification pag. 28 65 176 SCRIPTVRE They cry Burn up the Scriptures 45. R.W. pag. 27 A Blessed Candle Lanthorn or Torch sent down from Heaven to Guide us into the Saving Knowledge of God 26 46. pag. Id. 23 The Devils may have the Scripture the Word of God in their Hands and Mouths for may not a Choice Sword be in a Mad-Man 's Hand 118 183. pag. Id. 161 They make Vse of the Scriptures for their Ends. 183. pag. Id. 23 They say The Scripture is but a Declaration of the Saints Faith c. 25 27 28 pag. Id. 22 The Scripture speaketh of God after the manner of Men. 206. Thomas Hodges pag. 200 This Immediate Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures c. 97-99 R. W. pag. 160 They say The Scripture is but a Dead Letter 29 195. pag. Id. 147 They deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God calling them a Dead Letter 29 150 159 170 195. pag. Id. 194 To say The Light in every Man gave forth Scripture and will open Scripture to us is palpable Darkness and contradicteth Scripture Part I. p. 33 58 91 92 100 112 149 208. Iohn Stallam pag. 31 If God hath appointed the Holy Writings as Means c. of Faith 22-24 27 28. R. W. pag. 23 Men make Merchandize of the Scriptures Sophisticate Adulterate and turn it into a Lie 163. Id. pag. 162 163 Which Mysteries they have only from the Scriptures 72 95 145. pag. Id. 25 Slighting the True Pardon without c. a Written Pardon pag. Id. 25 Is it not a Writing or Record of Heaven 26 46. pag. Id. 25 G. F. objects That the Spirit was afore the Scripture and gave forth the Scripture 160 195. pag. Id. 159 To Stab the Holy Scriptures and God and Christ and Spirit also c. pag. Id. 202 The Devil's End is To tear down the Sun-Dial c. 46. pag. Id. 149 The Written Word is the Sword of the Spirit and he maketh another Rule besides the Scripture false 157 158 161. Christopher Wade pag. 155 156 A Touch-stone or Weights so perfect for the Trial of all Spirits c. R. W. pag. 160 They Trample under Feet the Scriptures 194 pag. Id. 183 All Truth concerning God and our selves is to be Learned from the Holy Scripture the Word of God I. Owen pag. 169 They would be glad that there were not such a Person called the Word of God nor such a Writing 26 29 45 150. R.W. pag. 30 They say The Scriptures are Words not the Word 169 195. pag. Id. 29 This was the only Sword with which the Lord Jesus fought and vanquisht the Devil It 's Written It 's Written c. pag. Id. 156 Scripture-Words They would be rid of all Scripture-Words and Learning also pag. Id. 177 Seed G. F. saith There is a Seed though but as a Grain of Mustard-Seed to which Christ the Word is preached c. abusing Scriptures 12 71 179. see Regeneration pag. Id. 73 We know they make themselves the Seed c. pag. Id. 178 Sin The Believer is not in Sin as the Vnbeliever is he Sinneth not as the Vnbeliever doth And in another place he saith That the Law is the same to the Believers that it is to the Vnbelievers James Dorram pag. 186 We are Conceived in Sin and brought forth in Iniquity 135 136. Eld. Mess. pag. 134 I find in all Mankind a Conviction that God is Iust and Powerful and doth bring Plagues and Punishments for Sin 70 146. R. W. pag. 63 The Papists and Quakers are not Cleansed from their own Filthiness 125. pag. Id. 139 God hath put out the Remembrance of your Sins and the Corruptions within you wherein you must Fight all your Life-time 14 196 197. Catech. Holland pag. 195 It was not Paul that Sinned but Sin that dwelled in him R.W. pag. 199 The Regenerate or New-Born can touch no more with Sin than Fire can delight in Water 34. pag. Id. 186 Repent c. as they say in Contradiction to He that is Born again cannot Sin 60. pag. Id. 66 67 Sin and Grace c. The Law of the Spirit and the Law of Sin may and do continue in the Regenerate or New-Born 13 14 19 172. See Regeneration pag. Id. 187 They cry out That the Protestants plead for Sin Term of Life 172 173 196. pag. Id. 171 None ever could find how Sin c. came into the World c. pag. Id. 63 Sitting His Sitting with Christ in Heavenly Places 205. pag. Id. 206 SOVL They have a Mad Fancy of their Souls going into God and becoming more God c. 49 179. pag. Id. 79 There is a kind of Infiniteness in the Soul which cannot be Infinite in it self 12 110. M. Bine pag. 108 109 SPIRIT They are far from the Spirit of Christ Jesus R. W. pag. 165 The Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man in the Church to profit withal and not to every Man in the World Timothy Travers pag. 180 181 Vntil the Spirit of God truly Change the Heart and whole Frame of Nature we are Vnprofitable c. 41 42 46. R. W. pag. 184 The Evil Spirits are both Sinful and Reasonable 190 191. Part I. 180. Iohn Nasmith pag. 188 Lying Peor tell us That all the World
their Bishop to Over-see them and their Prophet that God hath raised up like unto Moses whom they were to hear who would open to them the things of his Kingdom and to know Christ Jesus their Councellour and Leader and Priest made higher than the Heavens who had offered up himself for them and would present them to God without Spot or Wrinkle Hebr. 7. And these 14 Propositions are from thy Vain Thoughts R. W. Again thou say'st I drew up my Thoughts into fourteen Propositions Answ. And indeed thy Fourteen Propositions are but so many Fictions from thy Evil Thoughts and not from the Spirit of God nor Christ but by the Spirit of Christ they are favoured and judged by all the True Christians that fear God and honour the Lord Jesus Christ in his own Light and Spirit R. W. Thou complainest That One called thee Blind Sot and that thou durst not send thy 14. Proposals to G. F. Answ. So he might well enough for R. W. never Sen● them to G. F and what is this to G. F And thou say'st J. T. took a Copy of them to wit thy Papers and read them in their Meeting Still what is that to G F who saw them not nor heard of them R. W. And thou say'st In the Juncto of the Foxians a Scoffer and a Mocker at Newport it was concluded for Infallible Reasons that his Holiness G. F. should withdraw seeing there was such a Knot of Apostles of Christ Jesus now at Newport together c. and it was agreed that my Letters should not be delivered to the Deputy-Governour till G. Fox was gone Answ. These be all horrid Lyes the Lord God knows as W. Edmundson and John Burnyeat and the Rest that where there know that there was no such Agreement Therefore thou stuffest thy Book full of Lyes to feed others withal and abusest both the Press and the Minds of people with Lyes And as for thy scoffing Words of His Holiness I shall leave them to the Sober Christian to judge of this scoffing Spirit R. W. And thou say'st That one said that G. F. was the Eternal Son of God Answ. But who that One is thou dost not name As for the people of God they are the Sons of God as Job 1 6 and Job 38 7 All the Sons of God shouted for Joy And As many as receive Christ he giveth them power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his Name Rom. 8 14 They that are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God vers 19. And Phil. 2 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without Rebuke c. and Behold what manner of Love hath the Father bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God 1 Joh. 3 1 2. R. W. Next thou tellest the Reader What a Great Conflict thou wast in before thou camest to the publick c. Answ. I do believe thee that the Judgements of God were upon thee which thou wrestlest against and thy Greatest Conflict is yet to come for thy false Birth of Lyes and Slanders thou hast brought forth in this Travail R. W. Thou further say'st My Antient Neigbour J. T. being bit by such In●ectious Teeth fell upon me as a Man would fall upon a Toad or a Serpent c. he was but newly bitten by them to wit the Quakers and for fourty years pretended no small Love to God and me He first gave fire upon me in this following Letter c. Answ. Let all the Sober Christians read and see what an Vnsavoury Spirit and Language this Old Man R. W. hath Thou confessest He gave fire which fired thy Combustible Stuff And now this Old Man J. T. being lately turn'd to the Lord Jesus Christ his Teacher and Saviour his Way Truth and Life thou Roger Scoffingly say'st He is bitten with Infectious Teeth and fell upon thee as a man would fall upon a Toad or a Serpent What a foul spirit is there in thee and what Vngracious Words flow from it but we cannot expect any other from such a Corrupt Tree R. W. In his Answer to J. T 's Letter saith My Antient Loving Friend J. T. pag. 6 and pag. 9 Your Old Vnworthy Friend R. W. And then J. T.'s Letter to R. W. again and then R. W's to J. T. again pag. 15 R. W. calleth J. T. his Antient loving Friend White Devil and saith in these Words But it is not the Light of Truth or Reason or Scripture or Experience or the Testimony of the Prudent that will satisfie this White Devil of this pretended Light and Spirit within c. Answ Now Roger who pretendeth much of God Christ and Scripture-Language calleth his Neighbour J. T. his Loving Antient Friend a White Devil but where did ever any of the Prophets or Apostles call any of their Antient Friends a White Devil but all may see such kind of Rusty Cankered Language as this his Book is stufft up withal which is uttered proc●edeth from his Ill Fountain as Jam. 3. I do not believe that J. T. only pretendeth to a Light and Spirit within or any of the people of God called Quakers but really have received the Light and Spirit of Christ but thou and they that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his as the Apostle saith Rom. 8. And what are all thy Notions of Experience good for when thou scoffest at the Light of Christ and the Spirit within and callest Light Darkness and Darkness Light as thy Forefathers the Antient Apostate-Jews did that had lost their sense and became blind and hardned R. W. Again thou say'st Can Reason imagine that after much strugling within my self and the Birth of my Propositions and Resolutions I can so suddenly strike sail and bear up and Immediately stifle and smother and burn my Conceptions c. Answ. Thou had'st better to have Burnt it and stif●'d it and smother'd it then to have brought forth such a false Birth or Brat of thy own Conceptions for it will be no honour to them that be of thy Spirit being Lyes and Ignorance are the Ground thereof R. W. And thou say'st Knowing The Quakers Spirit is a ready Ditch and Gulf that readily sucketh and draweth into it Souls c. pag. 6 Answ. Roger This is thy own Condition as thou writest to J. T. and thou knowest it not but art wilful desperate and blind R. W. Thou say'st Thou hoped'st that thou had'st Conjured down at least for the present that waspish Spirit of J. T. thy Antient Loving Neighbour whom thou callest a White Devil Answ. But it seemeth that thy spirit deceived thee Thou must not think with thy foul spirit from whence cometh thy Evil Language to Conjure God's Spirit or to Limit it but be sure that God will Limit thee when he pleadeth with thee for all thy Lyes and Slanders therefore Repent And well might J. T. say to R. W. How Childish yea how
God for his Presence c. and thou say'st a little before in the same page when thou hast made a speech of Nicholas Davis being drowned c. Some of these Blessed Ends it hath pleased God to propagate by this Occasion all this Colony over and all of us round about have put forth our selves in Disquisitions and Searchings after the true Grounds of Christian Religion and Worship Answ. If this was the Cause of your Searching after the true Grounds of Christian Religion and Worship what hast thou been doing all this while Roger how could'st thou go to Dispute of such things and hadst them to Search for which we do believe thee thou hadst them Then and hast them Yet to seek and canst not find them with this Dark Envious Spirit and thy Thoughts which thou Thought to Begin with Exercise of Prayer c. but thou knew'st very well that the people of God called Quakers could not receive thy Prayers from thy Many Thoughts they were not like from a Lying Slandering Spirit R. W. Thou say'st Thou hast Cause to Judge that the Word QVAKER was given to us from that strange Possessing of our Bodies of Quaking and Shaking Answ. Gervase Bennet Justice of Darby gave us that Name because I and we bid him and his Company Tremble at the Word of God in 1650 when he cast G. F. and others in prison R. W. Further he saith It is true that they are to wit the Quakers the Off-spring of the Grindletonians in Lancashire Answ. This is also false the Grindletonians and the people in Lancashire know it R. W. And R. W. saith The Ranters are but the Quakers Daughter And pag. 29. thou say'st That some Parliament-Men told thee that they themselves went to one of the Quakers Meetings about Charing Cross but they were so frighted with the Shaking of their Bodies of the Chairs and Stools c. and callest it Satan's Counterfeit Motions Answ. These are Two Horrid Lies for all the Ranters and people up and down England know this Charge of thine is false and is like the rest of the Lies of thy Book For many of the Ranters are come to be Sober in the Fear of God and are turn'd to the people called Quakers but not the Ranters come from the Quakers neither Are they their Daughter this hath been the spirit of the Devil that moved thee and not the Most-High And thy Book that is so s●uft up with Lies it will do little hurt where we are known here in England The 2d Lie And the Quakers never had any Meeting about Charing-Cross this is another Forgery that thou hast published the people that liveth about Charing-Cross will testifie against thee R. W. And thou bringest John Toldervy and Theora John and thou say'st The horrible Shaking of the Quakers We are tossed and tumbled up and down c. pag. 29. Answ. As for Th. John all people that knew him know he was no Quaker and John Toldervy the priest did give forth a Book in his Name wherein they much abused him as thou dost now but J. Told hath cleared himself in his own Book which is an Answer to the Priest that abused him called The Foot out of the Snare And doth R. W. think to feed the Sober Christians in England with such Lying Stories as these Nay they may serve his New-England persecuting Priests And R. W. Thou often mentionest the Father of Spirits and the Most-high who stir'd thee up to this Work but thy foul Mouth is not worthy to mention the Name of the Lord. R. W. The People called Quakers are not True Quakers according to Scripture Answ. The Lord God of Heaven and Earth knoweth that thou speakest falsly of us here And thou hast made a great Noise but provest nothing but hast brought several Lies to prove thy own as thou may'st see pag. 27.29 For the same Word of God and Power by which all things were made have we known the Operation in our hearts of it and Tremble at it which thou hast not konwn for if thou hadst thou would'st not have brought this false Charge out against us R. W. Thou say'st The Tumultuous Spirit of the Quakers 〈◊〉 Disputing and the Reason is That Three of the Speakers consulted openly and whispered and uttered themselves one immediately speaking after the other and sometimes all together as one man against me pag. 26. Answ. The Auditory knoweth whether thou speakest Truth in this and what must not Whisper one to another before R. W R. W. Thou say'st Thou wast first commanded this Work from Heaven pag. 25. Answ. We desire all that read thy Book to mind thy Many False Charges and thy Vnsavoury Expressions and then they may Judge whether Thy Command came from Heaven or from Hell for No Lie is of the Truth nor cometh not from the God of Truth but from the Father of Lies The First Part of thy Work thou undertook was To prove us No True Quakers according to the holy Scriptures Which thou did'st not then in the Dispute as I am satisfied the Generality of the Hearers can bear Witness neither hast thou yet done it in all thy Writing by the Scripture nor yet by any Sound Argument but goest on to Charge and Accuse us as if One of thy Accusation must prove Another unless this way can prove it so No Proof R. W. And with this thou beginnest in pag. 28. and say'st Thou wast the more confirmed when thou sawest our foul spirit to transport us not only in Lying Doctrines but also in Lying Quakings and Tremblings and Lying Preachings through the Streets Repent Repent c. Answ. Now let all Observe what he calleth Our Lying Preachings as if to preach Repentance by the Command and Power of God now were a Lying Preaching which is one of the things that Christ sent His forth to preach and let the Wise consider whether our Days and Generations do not need this Preaching Yea of Nay And this is still a false Charge to say He saw our soul spirit to transport us into Lying Doctrines But hath not yet made out these Doctrines and again With Lying Quakings and Tremblings but hath not proved it so it 's but still his False Charge And further as thou did'st then in the Dispute so now thou makest a great a do with our Men and Women going Naked We told thee then we own'd no such Practice in any unless they were called unto it by the Lord as a Sign of the Nakedness of the Professors of Our Age who want the Covering of the Spirit And though thou would'st exclude Signs Christ being come was not Agabus a Sign to Paul when he took his Girdle and bound himself with it R. W. And thou further Chargest us That Rantism is our Ugly Child and Daughter and rose from our Bowels and with the Practice of the Ranters in the Streets and in their Religious Meetings Answ. Now let all consider whether this be a proper Way
their Discourse in the Synagogue at Antioch Nay it was God that prepared him a Body before Paul was converted or Barnabas either and Act. 13 38. speaketh no such thing of Christ's Humane Nature there is no such word there let the Reader see how thou hast added to the Scripture For is not Christ the Spiritual and Heavenly Man 1 Cor. 15 Therefore do not rail and say we deny the Body of Christ because we deny thy Term or Title Humane of thy Imagination R. W. Thou tellest of a Diabolical Christ and Fancy within us begotten by the Devil on a proud lazy Ignorance Answ. This is thy own Condition and thy own Christ R. W for the True Christ that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World with the True Light which giveth us the knowledge of him we own and honour For how can'st thou and the New-England-Priests own the True Christ and do not own his Light which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World you are not like to Own the true Christ. And Roger sometimes thou call'st the Scriptures the Word sometime the History sometimes the Word of God and art Angry with the Quakers because they will not call them the Word and yet thou say'st I could not prove wherein the Scripture was called the Word of God So it is clear R. W. will call them that which he cannot prove and yet the Scriptures are his Rule and not the Spirit R. W. He bringeth Thomas Collier's Sayings G. F.'s fol. pag. 37 If the very Christ of God R. W. saith Christ God-Man be within those that are called Quakers he cannot come down from Heaven G. F. Answ. Here he standeth against the Promise of Christ That he shall come and dwell in you and walk in you and I will come again unto you And He hath revealed his Son in me saith the Apostle and thus thou T. C. and J. B. are ignorant of plain Scripture the Scripture declareth it And the Apostle said Know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates and The Spirit of the Father speaketh in you And how Contrary art thou to the Prophets Christ and the Apostles And then R W. Replieth and telleth a Great Story and saith That G. F. plainly denieth the expected Personal Coming of the Lord Jesus Answ There is no such thing in G. F.'s Answer the Reader may see but how God and Christ will dwell in his Saints But G. F. doth not say That Christ a Man of Four foot long is dwelling in the Saints ● pag. 57. for God and Christ dwelleth in his Saints by his Spirit And where did ever G. F. say That Christ God-Man dwelt in him where is any such Expression in his Book Christ God-Man where doth he find these words in Scripture though God and the Man Christ Jesus is owned as the Scripture speaketh R. W. And when John Stubs was speaking to thee what the Hebrew Word of Everlasting Father Signified thou said'st Some had rendred it the Father of Ages or an Age but then thou told'st John It was not a Seasonable Time to spend time about Translations And thou say'st J. Stubs understood Hebrew Greek and other Languages as well as thy self and better too and did J. Stubs tell thee he understood Hebrew Greek and other Languages as well a thou and better too and then say'st Thou wast about to say how wonderfully they were changed from their former Principles and Practices c. Answ. No such thing Roger but it seemeth here It was not a Seasonable Time when J. S. had Gravell'd thee though thou begunst thy self with Hebrew and yet when thou wert stopped with it it was not a Seasonable Time R. W. And thou say'st They have profess'd to thee that they have no need of Books no not of the Scripture it self but who those are thou hast not named for they had the Teacher within them that gave forth the Scripture c. now they are perswaded to study the Scripture and the Translation of it c. Answ. Thou that Studiest the Scripture and outward Translations without the Spirit that gave them forth thou wilt not understand them no more then Antichrist and the Wolves in Sheeps-Cloathing And it was always our Practice to Study the Scriptures with the Spirit that gave them forth as thou may'st see in the End of G. F.'s Fol so we are not Erred from our First Principles as thou Scoffingly speakest nor did we ever Neglect and Slight them as Vseless and Needless as thou maliciously say'st R. W. And thou scoffingly say'st What Simplicity is it in us to stoop down to Pen an Ink when the Light is sufficient to bring us to Heaven to guide us Immediately and Infallibly c. Answ. We tell R. W. that Pen and Ink and Fallible Translations will not guide him nor his New England-priests to Heaven and therefore do not scoff at the Sufficiency of the Light for in the Light we see more Light Nor do not mock at the Immediate and Infallible Teaching of the Spirit of God for They that are lead with the Spirit of God are the Sons of God for the Spirit of God leadeth into all Truth and that is Sufficient R. W. And thou say'st again The truth is they look at the Scriptures still but as the Ceremonies which the Apostles dispensed with for a Season they care no more for the Scriptures than the Papists do Answ These words R. W. hath forged himself and they are none of ours he might have applied them at home And we have Esteem of the Scriptures and know them by the Spirit that gave them forth and to what End R. W. And then thou railest at W. Edmundson who said unto thee Thou kept them long but proved nothing and that he truly said but thou manifestest thy own Folly And thou say'st W. E. fell into a down right Speech or Sermon but why did'st thou not print the Sermon And thou say'st He declared how notoriously thou had'st wronged them in laying and publishing so many false and some of them dangerous Charges against them and how they had been so patient towards thee and suffered thee to produce so many Allegations out of G. F.'s Book and yet they spake nothing for thee R. W. but G. F.'s his words cleared him from all thy Vnjust Challenges and Charges And That W. E. Appealed to the people how willingly they had shewed themselves to own the Scriptures and to have all their Teachings and Differences tried by the Scriptures And so W. E.'s words will stand upon R. W. and all his Teachers as ye may see pag. 62 63. And when W. E. mentioneth the Preaching of the Light of Christ Roger putteth in his Margent And his Vain Extelling of their Idol Light Answ. Now is it not Clear that R. W. who calleth himself Oratour denieth the true Christ the Light of the World which Lighteth every man with the true Light that cometh into the World who blasphemously calleth
By the Prince of Devils he casts out Devils And the Apostle telleth thee That the Natural Man doth not perceive the things of God And had not Pilate so much Reason as thou think'st thou who asked Christ Wha● was Truth And if the Holy Scripture was the Means the Rule and Judge to try Motions then Abel En●ch Abraham Isaac Jacob and Moses had none Now an Heavenly-Inspired Scripture which thou speakest of that is by the Spirit by which they are known again and not by the dark Spirit and Reason for No Man knoweth the Things of God but by the Spirit of God which Reason thou here settest above both the Spirit that Inspireth and the Scripture Inspired or given forth by it and so hast made the Reason the Chief Judge which the Apostle did not but the Spirit R. W. Thou say'st It is best to take James's Counsel If any Man want Wisdom let him ask of God c. If so then Reason tells us that except we suffer our selves to be led ●s Beasts by Satan as the poor Quakers are we must come to the Vse of Means or a Mediate Leading and Teaching and then what 's become of these Hellish Fancies of only Immediate Teachings and Inspirations Answ. This is R. W.'s Proof to prove That we have not the Spirit of God And R. W. calleth the Immediate Teachings and Inspirations of God Hellish Fancies Now would not he have dotingly said this to the Apostles had he been in their Dayes And so what must we understand from R. W.'s words He and his New-England Priests must come to REASON and a Mediate Leading and Teaching c. and to Mediate Means So it must not be the Inspiration and the Immediate Spirit of God the Holy Ghost to Lead into all Truth So his Leading is Mediate his Means are Mediate and his Teaching is Mediate and not Immediate and yet he must Ask Counsel and Wisdom as James did from God and yet it must not be Immediate and Inspired into him but Mediate And if Evil Spirits have such a Great Reason as R. W. saith Append. p. 108. and he Admireth them so and Reason telleth R. W. that except we suffer our selves to be led as Beasts by Satan c. and yet Evil Spirits have great Reason and let the Reader see what Distinction thou hast made between Satan's Reason and thy own and the New-England-Priests and who is thy Leader And as for the Poor Quakers the Light and Spirit of God which proceedeth from the Father and Son is their Comforter and will lead them into all Truth And so Hellish Fa●cy thou may'st apply at home who fightest against God's Immediate Teaching and Inspiration And what dost thou talk of the Spirit of Wisdom or Knowledge and talkest of Reason that must be Judge Isa. 11. Luk. 11. And as for Dreamers thou may'st keep to thy self And R. W. I must tell thee None know the Scriptures and the Mysteries of Christ by their own Spirits nor their dark Reason but by the Spirit of God R. W. And thou say'st The Scripture in John Ye know all things we expounded Literally c. and say'st Then why are not the Quakers Omnipotent and Almighty as well as Omniscient or knowing all things Answ. Why doth R. W. take James's words Literally and not John's As for Omnipotent and Almighty and Omniscient or knowing all things as God the Quakers hold no such thing and there is no such saying in G. F's Answer Yet the Saints know all things concerning their Salvation and Election and concerning the Devil and his Angels that will deceive them and they knew knew all things so that no man needed to teach them and they knew God and Christ and J. Stubs's words will stand And did we speak no more to thee but the four Lines thou settest in page 83 Why could'st not thou put down our Words And why canst thou not take John's words Literally as thou takest James's who saith The Light which Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World which is Life in the Word c. which Light thou Blasphemously callest an Idol R. W. And thou say'st I desire to know what is meant by the Word WITHIN Answ. That which Paul preached Rom. ●0 which is as a Fire and hammereth down Sin and Evil sharper then a Two-edged Sword which was the Word of Faith which he preached and we And thou comest to learn of us What is meant by the Word Within It openeth the Vnderstanding it openeth the Eye of the Soul and changeth the Affections where it is lo●ed and done as James telleth thee but if thou be a Sayer of the Word and Dost it not thou deceivest thy own Soul And how now R. W is this thy Proving That we have not the Spirit of God To come and learn of us What is the Word of God within this is quite beside the Matter and well might W. Edmundson call thee back again when thou wast Rambling on beside the Matter R. W. Now thou say'st It is said that God hath shined in our hearts Answ. But thou dost not speak as the Apostle doth who saith God who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus 2 Cor. 4 6. Now what must we understand from R. W.'s meanes or meanings here from the Scripture That God shineth in the Heart to give the Knowledge of God if we had said so would not he have cried out Blasphemy and God commanded God to shine out of Darkness O! R. W. take heed of such dark means R. W. And then thou contradictest thy self and say'st The Seat of the Light and Knowledge of God c. Further thou say'st Though Fox makes it the Light to be Natural and born with every Man c. and goest on a railing callest it Their Natural Hellish Darkness and upon this thou makest false Conclusions upon thy own Invented Words which G. F. hath not spoken Answ. Let the Reader see if G. F. any where hath made the Heavenly Light of Christ Natural c. John the greatest Prophet born of a Woman maketh not the Light Natural that came for a Witness to be a Witness of the true Life in the Word which was the Light that Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World For R. W. may read such as he is of the same Spirit saying John hath the Devil and such were not like to own the Light no more then R. W. which he bore Witness of R. W. Thou say'st That to hearken to to turn to to lissen to any Voice or Motion within in Heavenly things in matters of Super-natural Light is as proper as in matters of Law to go for Counsel to a Cheating Thief or Rogue in matters of Health to a known Cheating Mountebank as to turn within to a Man's Heart which is the Arrantest Jugler and Cheater in the World Answ. Why
is the True M●aning of The Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets c. Answ. This doth not prove that we have not the Spirit of God but that we have it For did not we shew these Scriptures and read them to thee and the people doth not the people that was there know this And R. W. is a searching the Scripture's meaning of The Spirits of the Prophets being Subject to the Prophets R. W. giveth no Scripture for this to Search for And what Scripture had the Prophets before Scripture was written for to Search by which they might know their Subjection and therefore he is a false Spirit according to his own Judgement For were not the Spirits of the Prophets Subject to the Prophets before Scripture was written though we own all the Scriptures given forth by the Spirit of the Lord. And if Searching the Scriptures be the Meaning The Spirits of the Prophets are Subject to the Prophets Then Anti-Christ Jews and such as have a Form of Godliness and deny the Power may Search the Scriptures without the Spirit of God And then that is R. W.'s True Meaning The Spirits of the Prophets are Subject to the Prophets when they are in the Spirit like the Whore and Jezabel like New-England that DRINKETH THE PROPHETS BLOOD And R. W. saith Hence it pleaseth God to give Rules for the Trial and Discerning between the True Spirit and the False 1 Joh. 3. and 4. Answ. R. W. If thou look into the former Chapter thou may'st there see what the Apostle directed the Saints to upon the Occasion of them that would seduce them which he saith is the ANOINTING which was within them by which they were to Know all things And so if they were to Know all things by it they were to Try Spirits by it Thou Cavil●st at G. F.'s words and say'st The Quakers if they knew all things were Almighty Prove by Scriptures that the Almighty God is THINGS who is the Creator of ALL THINGS therefore Incomprehensible Yet we know To know God and Jesus Christ that he hath sent is Eternal Life and there is a Difference betwen Being God and Knowing all things that he hath made And the Apostle saith We are of God and he that knoweth God heareth us and Hereby know we the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Error and Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit 1 Joh. 4. R. W. Thou say'st We dare not come to the Light and Search and comparest us to a Thief Gall'd Horse Deb●ers Jugglers c. Spirits escaping in a Mi●t and by the help of dark Lanthorns and so goest on a-railing Answ. Now we can leave this to the Judgement of the people in Rode-Island how often we have called for Scripture and called for Scripture from thee to prove thy false Ass●rtions So that we were so far from Shunning to be Tried by the Light and Scriptures as thou hast con●est several times in thy Book though now thou givest thy self the Lie So the Gall'd Horse-back was thy self that could not endure the Robbing by the Scripture nor Christs Light neither And as for Juggling and Thief and dark Lanthorn thou migh'st have applied at home for it s thou that wilt not come to the Light of Christ that callest it an Idol And R. W. Thou sayst Thou hast been often visited by the Quakers crying Repent Repent Hearken to the Light c. and callest it a Cuckow 's Note c. Answ. What would R. W. have said to Christ and his Apostles that preach'd Repentance and did they harden themselves against it like R. W and the Apostles turning people from darkness to Light were they not to Hearken to it or else what were they to turn them to and this thou scoffingly callest Cuckow 's Note and this is no Proof That we have not the Spirit of God And thou bringest Muggleton's and Reeve's Cursings But let R. W. and the Reader and the New-England-Priests read in R. W.'s Book and Appendix p. 119. and see if he be not found in Muggleton's Spirit in his Cursings and worse Blasphemies and false Judgment R. W. And thou bringest W. Edmundson who said The Spirit of God was above the Scriptures and so not the Trier Answ. And what must we infer from this Therefore the Quakers have not the Spirit of God no Proof But R. W. What! is the Spirit of God under the Scriptures is not that above it that gave them forth and leadeth into all Truth of them And R. W. Thou sayst That W. Edm. said Men will not come to the Light left they should be reproved because their Deeds are evil and thou said'st This is the true Cause of your quarreling against Scriptures and of exalting the Spirit above them Answ. This is false For we do not quarrel against the Scriptures nor W. Edmundson who useth Christ's words And therefore ye are a Dark People ye New-England Professors that cannot use Christ's Words but it must be counted the True Cause of quarreling against Scriptures And this is a false Ballance in thee that thou callest True that say'st We set up our own Spirit yea the Spirit of Satan to be God and Christ and Spirit and all But R. W. this is thy own Spirit and the New-England priests that will not hear nor come to the Light of Chr●st lest it should reprove you for if thou did'st thou would'st tremble to speak these words For we have known the Reproofs of the Light which giveth the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus And we do not set up our own Spirits above the Scriptures R. W. Thy Fourth false Charge is That the people called Quakers do not own the Holy Scriptures And then thou tell'st a great Story of a Two-fold Owning the Scriptures c. and say'st The Jews and Papists did not more disown the Scriptures upon the Account of the Pope's Traditions and Interpretations than the Quakers did upon the Account of their Light and Spirit and Interpretations also And thou say'st 'T is true the Quakers in the Dispute professed to be tried by the Scriptures which the First Quakers among us wholly denied but only by the Spirit within Answ. As for all his Stories of the Jews and Papists they may answer for themselves But what are the Quakers Interpretations of their Light and of the Scriptures why hast thou not set them down dost thou find Fault with us because we take them Literally as in pag. 88.89 hast thou so soon forgot thy self and tell'st us of Interpretations And we own the Scriptures Truly and Really in our hearts with the Spirit of God that gave them forth but we will prove that R. W. and the New-England Professors do not Really own the Scriptures and that they are not in the Spirit of God that gave them forth thy Vnsavoury Words and calling Christ's Light a
Fancy and an Idol and would'st have the Magistrates to punish us and the Magistrates and Priests in New-England their Persecutions instead of Loving Enemies doing unto all Men as they would have them to do unto them have declared it So 't is plainly proved that ye are neither in the Royal Law nor in the Gospel nor do not Really own the Scriptures that do not practise them Love thy Neighbour as thy s●lf Love one another Love Enemies Are the Commands of Christ but thou callest the Lord Christ Jesus his Light a Fancy and an Idol and therefore thou art not nor canst not be in his Spirit that callest his Light an Idol and so None of his but a Ravening Woolf. And we always did own the Scriptures and have said We and the Priests would be tried by the Scriptures and to see which was in the Practice of Christ and his Apostles by the Fruits And so we are Faithful Witnesses for Christ and his Light as John was for we are Come for Witnesses and do bear a True Witness for Christ and his Light which enlighteth every Man that cometh in the World which is the Light of the World And the Occasion that we must speak this over and over is because thou bring'st it so often R. W. And thou tell'st us of an Irish Papist that flung the Bible in the Kennel and kickt it saying The Plague take this Book And what 's this to us is it not a shame to print such Fruits of a Wicked Spirit over and over which we abhor And thou say'st That John Burnyeat took a Bible and r●ad publickly Luke 1. How the Scripture was a Declaration and yet thou say'st and Contradictest thy self that we would not endure the searching of the Scripture as pag. 78. See his Margent And thou goest on to no Purpose and say'st Still they sied to this Borrow The Spirit that gave forth Scripture is greater than the Scripture Answ. Why R. W. and the New-England-Priests is not the Spirit above the Scripture Cannot the Devil get Scripture and the Wolves and Anti-Christ but can they get the Spirit of God would ye have the Spirit less than the Scriptures which was before they were written and gave them forth R. W. thou say'st Thou maintainest the Inward Breathing of the Holy Spirit more than we Answ. But where is it R. W dost not thou say pag. 83. There is no Voice or Motion within Man that is to be hearken'd unto turn'd to or lissen'd to in Heavenly and Supernatural Light And R. W. Thou say'st We ought in all our Preaching Hearing and Reading c. beg the Help of the Spirit c. Answ. But R. W. Are ye to Preach and Pray of Heavenly Things without the Spirit of God or a Motion in you and can a Man Hear or Read the Scriptures with understanding without the Spirit of God which we affirm They cannot truly And if the Spirit of God then must be a Motion within hearken'd to and so R. W. overthroweth his own Assertion and proveth himself a Doter Then R. W. Telleth a Story of Babilonian Assyrian and Popish Tyrants Devils c. Answ. What are all these he might have kept them at home to prove The Quakers do not own Scriptures R. W. And thou say'st This Record is the Outward and External Light Lanthorn Judge and Guide and Rule c. Answ. Now but can an External Rule and Judge and Guide guide the Eternal Spirit of God doth not the Spirit of God Lead into all Truth of it But R. W. that seemest to own the Scriptures and ye New England-Priests where is it written that the Scriptures are called an External Judge and Guide let us see Chapter and Verse for it do not tell us of a Gall'd-back-Horse but give us Chapter and Verse and abide the Search But are not ye New-England-Priests and Professors gone beside this External Judge Rule and Guide so that ye neither walk according to the Light of the External Guide as thou callest it the Scriptures nor according to the Light of Christ for the Light of Christ thou call'st a Fancy and an Idol And thou art made to confess That God and Christ were before Scripture and then why wouldst thou set the Scriptures above his Spirit And then thou tell'st us in a Way of Preaching of John Baptist what he said of Christ All this we own and the Scriptures that speak of him but how can'st thou own the Scriptures and not John's T●stimony who came for a Witness to bear Witness of the true Light And we also can say God sent us amongst you R. W. And thou tell'st us of Prating of the Light and say'st If they slight the Outward Standing Record and Witnesses of God in them there is no Light in them Answ. That is thy own Condition thou slightest both Scriptures and Light which John bore Witness to as the Scriptures testify R. W. saith telling us of subscribing to the Papists or else he saith ye must study the Scriptures and search the Originals c. Answ. R. W. may subscribe to the Papists How can he search the Scriptures and study the Originals without the Light of Christ no more than They can see without the Light of Christ than a Blind-Man can see to read the Writings And so without the Heavenly Light of Christ thou can'st not Judge of pretending Christs Prophets Doctrines Churches and Spirits nor see what is in thy self R. W. Thou say'st That the Quakers do affirm that the Scripture is within them and What is the English of that but that the Light which they and every Man in the World hath within them the Christ the Spirit which every one hath is the Scripture Answ. Who did ever hear any of the Quakers say or in G. F.'s Book here That Christ the Light and Spirit in Man was Scripture to wit Writings or Paper and Ink Though this we must needs tell R. W. That is Scripture within when God writeth his Law in the Heart that is Heavenly Scripture that is the Table in the Heart that every true Christian readeth that is Law there And every one that hath the King's Declaration he hath not the King in his House so every one that hath the Scripture hath not Christ but he that hath the Word hath Christ the Scripture declareth of so that he hath both the Declaration and the Word it self to wit Christ in his Heart then he hath the Comfort of Scriptures And we own the Scriptures to be Love-Letters and can bless the Lord God for them and have the Comfort of them though thou may'st say what thou wilt R. W. And then thou say'st The Light Christ which enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World and the Spirit the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Truth which leadeth into all Truth which proceedeth from the Father and from the Son which we have received from the Lord Jesus Christ this Light this Spirit thou say'st thou hast proved
Heart and Bowels of Christ be run through with a Sword who can but tremble to hear those Words We do charge R. W. and the New-England-Priests that say The Scripture is their Rule to give us Chapter and Verse for these Words that we may see where they be written that we may Search for them Is the Incomprehensible God and Christ his Son whom he hath given all Power in Heaven and Earth unto and at the Rig●t Hand of God so light unto you and of so low a Value doth R. W. own any God or Christ but whose Bowels and Heart may be run through with a Sword and is not that a false God and Christ We tell him the true Christ and the living God is far above his Reach and Sword and his unholy Hands And is not this Blasphemy to say The Living God and his Son Christ Jesus who is at the Right Hand of God can be run through with a Sword we tell him He dieth no more but such as thou art Crucify him to themselves a fresh Imprison and Persecute him in his people as Christ saith in Matth. And we own the Scriptures and the Saints and the true Christianity and not for this wicked End as thou wickedly speakest And as for thy Ladders and Scaffolds and a many such Ill favour'd Comparisons that thou hast in thy Book might'●t have kept them for thy self with all the rest of thy Vngracious Expressions R. W. The Merchants desire to see Effects c. the Jews Pharisees the Papists and the Quakers do not own the Perfection Answ. But R. W. where are thy Effects of thy Religion and the rest of the Priests where are the Effects of true Christianity where are the Effects of the Fruits of a Good Spirit for this is not the Language of the Spirit of God but of the Evil Spirit is but of the Effects of the Pharisees and Papists thou speakest of which are Envy Bloodshed and Murther And ye persecuting his Servants with Tongue and Hand and HANGING his people these are not the Effects of the Good Spirit but of the Evil One as the Apostle hath described it in the Scriptures And as for the Effects in the Practice of Religion in any Duty that may appear for with whom dost thou Meet and Pray and Preach or whether or no thou art not found in the Manner of them whom the Apostle condemneth and exhorteth the Saints not to have Fellowship withal Heb. 10 25. we think thou may'st forbear to upbraid any thy self bringing forth so little Effects but Effects of an Evil Heart and Vnbelief according to the Apostle's words And is not the Authority of the Scripture the Holy Ghost that moved the Holy Men of God that spoke them forth which lead the Disciples in all Truth of them which we witness For dost not thou say They are of no Value without the Spirit of God set them home to the Heart as in Append. p. 94. And so if they be of No Value then that which maketh them Valuable is the Power and Spirit of God and then that must be the Authority of them R. W. But thou say'st The Quakers and Papists call the Scriptures a Dead Letter and say'st They are of no Value c. as before Answ. And as for the Papists thou had'st better join'd them to thy self they are nearer thee then we are And where did we ever Throw Dirt at the Holy Scripture and said It was a Nose of Wax and a Leaden Rule let the Reader see if there be any such words in G. F' s Answer or any other Books And truly if any make a Nose of Wax of them twisting them up and down it is thy own Condition thou giving Meanings of them this Way and that Way and findest fault with us because we take them Literally And 2 Cor. 3. that is nothing to the purpose If the King giveth a Pardon for Death in Writing this cometh to a Man and preventeth his Execution But what must we infer from R. W.'s Words here That every Man that hath the Writings of the Scripture hath the Pardon of Eternal Death and why doth he cry against Papists then and all others for they have the Scriptures therefore they have the Pardon So in this R. W. stoppeth his own Mouth and shutteth out Revelation of the Son of God which Scripture speaketh of and Revelation of Faith Revelation of Grace Revelation of the Gospel Revelation of the Spirit which is the Seal of all Believers of the Pardon from Eternal Death by the Blood of Jesus Christ and the Witness with themselves by which they can set to their Seal that God is True in all his Promises and Figures and Shaddows of his Son Christ Jesus Blessed forever R. W. Bringeth G. F. Fol. p. 47. Joshuah Miller saying It is an Error if not Damnable to say Christ is the Means and that there is no other Means of Salvation G. F. Answ. And Christ saith No man can come to the Father but by me and he is Able to save to the uttermost and He shall be my Salvation to the Ends of the Earth saith the Lord. And saith the Apostle God is in Christ reconciling the World to himself And He that hath the Son hath Life the Father and Son are one and there is no Salvation in any other And R. W. replieth and saith His Adversaries would not Suffer him to meddle with the Sense of G. F.'s words But G. F.'s words are Plain enough and what doth he give a Sense of that where is your Nose of Wax now Yet he thinketh not that a man of Wisdom would call it an Error to say That Christ is the Means to Salvation Then he falleth a-railing and saith For this Wretched Juggler to wit G. F. subtily confounds the Instrumental Causes of Salvation with the Efficient in God the Father the Meritorious in God the Son Christ Jesus Answ. How can this be when G. F. saith God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself and God saith He shall be my Salvation to the Ends of the Earth And the Apostle saith Eph. 1 17. In whom we have Redemption through his Blood Forgiveness of Sin according to the Riches of his Grace And R. W. saith I know this Juggler meaneth not a Christ nor his Blood nor his Death as we mean but an Imaginary Christ c. Answ. This Knowledge of thine and this Meanes of thine is false the Lord knoweth it and the Imaginary is in thyself But R. W. saith Christ's Messengers are said to Save Answ. And what then is not this through Christ R. W. Secondly Thou say'st The Scriptures are said to make Wise to Salvation Answ. But why will not R. W. put in THROVGH FAITH as though the Scriptures can Make Wise to Salvation without Faith Thou say'st R. W. A Man may be God's Means to Save his Wife and she her Husband Answ. And is not this Means FAITH which Christ is the Author of And thou
say'st R. W. That we are Saved by Hope Faith c. Answ. But doth not Paul tell thee That this Hope is Christ and Faith he is the Author of And thou say'st R. W. Saved by Baptism Answ. And what without FAITH And R. W. Women are Saved by Child-bearing Answ. But what without Faith by Christ And what are all Women Saved by Child-bearing all that are in the World with their Bastards for thou dost not say Some Women and thou dost not put in FAITH But can they grow up in Christ the Saviour without Faith And then thou say'st R. W. All these Subtilly and Wickedly G. F. setteth at Variance with the Meritorious Salvation by Jesus Christ. Answ. G. F. Setteth them not at Variance but he saith again There is no Salvation in any other Name under Heaven but in the Name of Jesus Christ And thou that say'st There is givest the Apostle the Lie and dost not own the True Lord Jesus R. W. Thou tellest of a Man saving his Brother by a Rope and a Mid-wife saving a Woman in Child-bed Answ. What is this this is Outward from a Natural Death but it is Christ Jesus that Saveth his People from Eternal Death through Faith in him which is more than from Outward Death And R. W. Thou say'st To talk of this Immediate Christ and Spirit without Scriptures without Preaching and other Holy Means is as Silly as Impious as Blockish as Blasphemous and as Bedlam and Frantick as Wicked and Anti-christian Answ. R. W. hath not described what his Means are But Reader is not the Means the Faith in Christ Jesus and is not that Revealed and is not the Means the Holy-Ghost that Proceedeth from the Father and his Son that leadeth all True Believers into all Truth And they are not the True Preachers that are not in the same Holy Ghost that gave forth the Scriptures and all their Means are good for nothing seeing the Apostle saith That no Man knoweth the Things of God but by the Spirit And so as for thy Ungracious Words Silly Impious Blockish Blasphemy Frantick Wicked Anti-christian and Bedlam thou may'st keep to thy self and so all thy Means that hast No Motion of Heavenly Things And all they that be in the Faith of Christ and the Holy Ghost that leadeth into all Truth which the Ministers of the Spirit they have their Means from Christ in whose Name is Salvation and Preach Christ and not themselves and such we are One withal and such cannot but own the Scriptures So the Holy Means are in the Holy Spirit but what is this to the Means of all your Priests and Thee who ownest not the Light of Christ but callest it an Idol And thou talkest of an Immediate Christ without the Scripture Will R. W. say That Christ and the Spirit is in the Scripture is not Christ in Heaven and the Spirit of God was in them that gave forth Scripture And Christ saith Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Life but ye will not come to me that ye might have Life But we tell R. W. We and whosoever else owneth the Lord Jesus Christ own the Scriptures and cannot deny them nor none of his True Preachers which carry their Message from Christ for the Good of People and such the World receiveth not that come in the Name of the Lord but such as come in their own they will Receive R. W. And again thou bringest a Comparison of the King's Pardon sealed with his Broad Seal to a Condemned Rebel which thou often bring'st over and over Answ. What dost thou think to prove by this That the Scripture is the Pardon or is the Evidence if it were then the Papists that thou Comparest us so often to and many Wicked Men might have Pardon and Remission But is it not the Spirit that Sealeth according to Ephes. 1 23.4 30 and is it not Christ that Bringeth the Glad Tidings of Life unto the Soul and by his Holy Spirit beareth Witness according to Rom. 8. and is not the Assurance thus known R. W. bringeth Hosannah c. G. F.'s Fol. pag. 221. saying The Sure Word of Prophecy the Apostle speaketh of is the Prophecy of Scripture G. F. Answ. Doth the Scripture shine in a Dark Place until the Day Dawn and are they them that must be Taken heed unto as to a Light Can any see the Scripture or know the Scripture but by the Light within cannot a Cain a Balaam a Korah bring Scripture that is gone from the Spirit of Prophecy within and then put the Letter for it R. W. Replieth and beginneth with Blasphemy and Railing and saith I know that Fox maketh their Idol Within called Light to be the More Sure Word of Prophecy and his Vsual Proof is The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy c. And why must all the Prophets or Messengers of God who from the Beginning of the World were God's Mouth and Pens concerning the Birth Life and Death of Christ c. here be ●ast out from the Word of Prophecy Answ. What! cannot R. W. endure to hear talk of the Scriptures are not John's Words in Revelation The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy and thou deniest it both Scripture and Spirit who say'st I Vsually bring this Proof And Peter's Saying We have a more Sure Word of Prophecy which ye do well to take heed unto as unto a Light that shintth in a Dark Place until the Day dawn and the Day-star arise in your Hearts This the Apostle lets them see the Sufficiency of that Light till they came to the Day-Dawning and the Day-star-Arising And what is this Day-dawning and Day-star-arising in the Heart if it be the Outward Scriptures of the Prophets prove it by Scriptures And is this Day-Star-Arising in the Heart and Day-Dawning and Idol as thou callest the Light within an Idol a More Sure Word of Prophecy than the Voice which was Heard in the Mount And this is not to Cast away the Prophets and Peter who directed the Saints to this Sure Word of Prophecy the Light that shineth in a Dark Place did not Cast out the Prophets that Prophesied of Christ's Birth Death c. as thou Dotingly speakest no more do we but own them all And Luk. 1. and Rom. 16. and the Apostles that had this Light shining this More Sure Word of Prophecy they saw the Fulfilling of the Scriptures in Christ Jesus which none doth without the Light of Christ by which he is seen And R. W. Thou say'st The Written Word or Prophecy of the Prophets is a more Sure Word and Evidence to us c. than the Voice from Heaven of which Peter here speaketh c. Answ. Now what must we Observe from R. W.'s Words here That the Written Word or Prophecy of the Prophets shineth in a dark place Now R. W. saith that the Scripture is the Rule and Touch stone We do Charge him and the New-England-Priests to make
This was the true Light which he bore witness to that Lighteth every Man which was the Life in the Word and R. W. with all his Evil Speakings witnesseth against it and calleth it a Fantastick Light a Childish Vapour and Whispering and Peeping but he might have kept this at home And The Father of Lights he saith proclaimeth us to he Children of howling Darkness and that there is no Light in them Answ. The Father of Lights proclaimeth no such thing nor his Son but saith Every One that doth the Truth cometh to the Light and every one that doth Evil hateth the Light and will not come to it because it reproveth him And this is R. W.'s Condition R. W. asketh What Light have the Papists Jews and the Devil when they bring Scripture to Christ and so falleth a railing Answ. But if the Jews and Papists do hate the Light like R. W. yet I never heard the Jews and Papists call it an Idol and a frantick Light as R. W. doth and we say neither he nor the Papists or Jews can see neither the Scriptures nor Christ without the Light And we never did say That Christ did enlighten the Devil himself with his true Light for Christ saith There is no Truth in him but R. W. saith That there is something of God that is from the Power and Wisdom of God in the fallen Spirits and the Devils themselves which we Charge R. W. and all his New-England-Priests to give us Scripture for those Words as in his Append. p. 5 and therefore why doth R. W. ask G. F. What Light hath the Devil himself And thou say'st The Devil bringeth a pertinent Scripture and Promise to Christ Jesus as ever the Papists or Quakers This R. W. might have kept at home with the Jesuitical Diabolical Reservations and venemous and poisonous with his Unsavory Ungratious words R. W. bringeth Enoch Howet G. F. Fol. p. 14. his sayings The Scriptures to be the Only Weapon whereby Christ overthrew the Devil G. F. Answ. Who bruiseth his Head to wit Christ was before the Scripture was yet the Scripture is for Correction and Doctrine furnishing the Man of God in his place And Christ the Seed was before the Scripture was and all that have Scripture and not Christ cannot Overcome the Devil ye and the Papists doing his Work For they that Overcome him it is with the Power of Christ for Christ saith Without me ye can do nothing and those have the Scriptures of Truth which the Devil is out of R. W.'s Reply How doth Christ's bruising of Satan's Head and being before Scripture was disprove c. and so falleth a-railing Who sees not Fox in his Burrough Answ. R. W. doth not or will not state G. F.'s words right as he hath spoken them as the Reader may see viz As Christ who bruiseth his Head being before Scripture was who bruiseth his Head by his Power and destroyeth Death and the Devil the Power of Death who is manifest in Time c. And R. W. saith As for G. F.'s saying They that have the Scripture and not Christ cannot overcome the Devil And R. W. Replieth What News doth he tell the World which no body denieth and yet thou say'st again How doth this deny that Christ Jesus overcame the Devil by Scripture which is the Sword the Only Sword and is called a Sword Append. p. 88. Answ. But R. W. thou must show us a Rule for it in Scripture Chapter and Verse That the Scripture is the Sword the Only Sword and yet thou say'st Append. p. 94. That it the Scripture doth not avail without the Spirit of God And how doth this hang together R. W That they that have the Scripture without the Spirit cannot overcome the Devil and yet The Scripture is the Sword and the Only Sword by which Christ overcame the Devil and The Scripture doth not avail without the Spirit and yet it is thy Only Sword and in thy Book called Experiments Epist. to Lady Vane the Younger 1652 thou say'st That the Two-edged Sword is of his God's most Holy Spirit which pierces between the very Soul and Spirit c. But these things are Answered more Largely in the Appendix R. W. saith Is all Scripture or Writing given forth by Inspiration of God and is profitable though G. F. alledgeth the Scriptures by Halves for Correction and Doctrine c. and Then it clearly follows that as Christ Jesus overcame the Devil by the Scriptures so c. Answ. Christ was the Power of God and the Devil brought Scripture to him and said It is written but Christ overcame him by the Power who is the Substance of the Scriptures And Christ through Death destroyed the Devil the Power of Death and was that by Scripture And G. F. doth confess he doth not write all the Scriptures which thou Scoffingly callest Halves neither doth R. W. write all the Scriptures nor half neither And Christ did not Overcome the Devil by the Scripture when he corrected him by Scripture in his Power and Spirit And the Apostle saith All Scripture given forth by Inspiration of God is profitable for Doctrine Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect and throughly furnish'd to all good Works 2 Tim. 3. and this he doth not say to the Men of the World that be in the Evil Work like R. W. and his New-England-Priests and Professors are R. W. And thou say'st So by the same Weapon this Suttle Fox and all other of Satan's Foxes must be corrected confuted catch'd and destroyed except they repent for ever Answ. What! must the Scripture destroy us and that which is of no value without the Spirit of God R. W but this is Answered as I said afore Largely in the Appendix R. W. And with Scoffing words to no purpose thou say'st How he runneth in and out of his Holes c. As for the Quakers Power here pretended in Opposition to the Scriptures c. and Thus sometimes a Devil of Drunkenness Swearing Stealing runs away from the Sermons of the Quakers as a Naughty Devil sometimes as the Chiding and Conjuring of a good Witch that he may get the faster hold by c. Self-Conceit and Contradiction to the Scriptures by Will-worship and superstitious Inventions against the Holy Institutions and Commands of the true Lord Jesus Christ. Answ. R. W. and his New-England-Priests and Professors might have all those Vngratious Vnsavory Words kept at home But what is this good Witch he speaketh of for we own the Holy Scriptures and the Commands c. of the true Lord Jesus Christ and his Worship in Spirit and Truth And if thou had'st Overcome the Devil by the Only Sword of the Scripture we should never have such Railing Expressions from thee which proceed from him And thou tell'st a Story of the Devil and how a Child lieth down and crieth but thou might'st have kept this at home with all the rest of
the Ground of the Saints Faith and yet he saith The Scripture availeth nothing is of no value without the Spirit c Append. p. 94. And further we say If the Scripture was the Ground of the Saints Faith and the Scripture availeth nothing without the Spirit How was it that the Pharisees and the Papists whom thou mentionest so often had not Faith from that Ground for they all say they believe Scripture But what must we Observe from R. VV.'s Words here That the Scripture is the Ground of Christ's Faith and yet he will acknowledge Christ was before Scripture and Abraham Isaac and Jacob Abel Enoch and Noah had Faith before Scripture was written And now if Christ be the Author and Finisher of the Saints Faith and they are to look unto him I query Whether he be Scripture if it be the Ground of the Saints Faith And the Spirit of God which lead his Saints to give forth Scriptures leadeth into all Truth of them And the Spirit and the Scriptures are not at Odds one with another neither did we ever set them so as thou us in Effect chargest neither can the Children of God know the Scriptures given forth by the Spirit of God but by the Spirit of God within which thou scoffingly callest a Secret Whispering Voice within contrary to Scriptures And the Voice that owneth not the Scripture is not the Voice of the Spirit of God that gave them forth both before Christ's Coming in the Flesh and since And R. W. As to the Spirit 's Leading into all Truth the Sons of God thou answerest and say'st Is not Fox here in his Burrough not distinguishing betwixt the Extra-ordinary Leading of the Holy Apostles appointed to be the Eye-witnesses of Christ's Death and Resurrection c. Answ. What must we Infer from R. W's Words That because the Leading of the Apostles and Preaching the Resurrection of Christ Jesus by the Holy Ghost that others therefore were not reproved by the holy Ghost and must not every Son of God be led into all Truth to know Christ and his Resurrection but G. F. doth not say that all were Messengers and Apostles c. 1. Cor. 12. And thou ●urther sayst Yet all God's Children are Regenerated and Sanctified and dost thou not say in another place They must have a Combate all their Life and thou sayst That God's Children are Guided and Built up together an Habitation c. And then R. W. must not the Spirit of God be within and if so then thou ownest the Quakers Principle and confessest that which thou all this while hast been fighting against And as for what David said if he had been in thy Day thou wouldst have cried against him as thou dost against us who said I have hid thy Word in my Heart R. W. And this is the Devil's the Old Fox his Devilish Subtlety to make the Cloak of the Spirit 's extra-ordinary Assistance c. and the Angels Extra-ordinary Protection a Ground of Christ Jesus and his Servants flinging themselves down from the Pinnacle of the Temple and thou pretendest to tell us from God that this will be the Break-neck of the People called Quakers without Repentance every Soul of them Answ. How now R. W hast thou not here given rash Judgement against the Assistance and Protection and Sufficiency of the Spirit of Christ and his Grace which God saith is Sufficient to Paul in his Trouble And hast not thou broken thy own Neck here and falln down from the Pinnacle who dost not look at the Grace of God and his Light and Spirit to be Sufficient Is it sufficient to condemn them that Erre from the Spirit and turn the Grace of God into Wantonness And God sent an Angel and brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt and Exod. 23 20. Behold I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the Way vers 23. For my Angel shall go before thee and bring thee c. and Chap. 22 24 And behold my Angel shall go before thee And was not this Angel sufficient to bring them into the Land of Canaan if they hearkened unto him and is not Christ Sufficient by his Light Power and Spirit to bring us out of Spiritual Egypt and Christ saith to his Sheep that hear his Voice I give unto them Eternal Life and they sha●l never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my Hand John 10 28. But R. W. how canst thou say Thou passest thy false Judgement upon us from the God of Truth and yet sayst There is no Voice nor Motion within to be lissen'd or hearken'd unto in Heavenly Things in Matters that are Super natural pag. 83. R W. Thou say'st Our Principles and Practices are f●ll of Contradiction and Hypocrisy Answ. Our Principles and Professi●n are Holy and Pure and Contradictions and Hyppocrisy thou might'st have kept at Home for we Profess the Lord Jesus Christ and all the Prophecies and Things in the Law that Figured them forth and the Things in the Law as truly as the Prophets and the Apostles did Profess him and own all that is Written in the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation And we own the Worship in the Spirit and Truth and are in it that Christ set up Sixteen-hundred Years since and the Religion that the Apostle describeth above Sixteen-hundred Years since which is Pure and Vndefiled before God And the One Faith which Chri●t is the Author of and the One Baptism and the One Spirit into One Body and One God and Father of All who is above All and through All and in you All as the Apostle speaketh And the Lord Jesus Christ who was Born of the Virgin Conceived by the Holy Ghost c. and Preach'd and Suffered under Pontius Pilate before whom he made a Good Confession and Died and Rose again and is at the Right Hand of God and remaineth in the Heavens till all things are Restored c. who will Judge the World in Righteousness and Reward every Man according to his Works and therefore no Salvation in any other Name but in the Name of Jesus c. And let New-England-Professors see if our Principles and Practice Life and Doctrine hath not Out-stript theirs let the Witness of God in them Answer And R. W. saith He told us of False Gods and Worships and Prophets c. but this is nothing to the Purpose to prove his False Charge for we are Not to Believe thee and the False Prophets but to Try them but thou say'st We must Try them with Fire it self Answ. Yea R. W. Ye and the New-England-Priests did Try us God's True Prophets with FIRE whom ye Tried with your HOT IRON when ye BRANDED them and your GALLOWS when you HANGED them And so ye are TRIED not to be in the true Principles and Profession of the Apostles and of Christ. And didst not thou say afore That the Scripture was to Try and what R. W is the Scripture now become a FIRE where
as ever we could meet withal did believe that the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men and is not that Saving which bringeth Salvation which the Wicked turn into Wantonness and walk despitefully against the Spirit of Grace But what doth R. W. say of them that had tasted of the good Word of God Heb. 6 I do not believe that ever he or the New-England-Priests came so far And how can R. W. talk of Falling away from Grace and Light and is yet in the Fall and calleth Christ's Light an Idol and so not come to it R. W. And thou sayst Thou told'st us that the Papists and we were Confederates in their Endeavours to raze the Heavenly Records and to rob the Saints of the Holy Scriptures This is a false Charge for we esteem of the Scriptures more then thou and the New-England-Priests and they And thou sayst The Papists own the Snriptures to be the Word or Will of God c. but the Quakers will not vouchsafe it the Name of the Word of God Answ. Here then the Papists differ and are one with thee and the New-England-Priests and are Contrary to the Prophets and the Apostles who call the Scriptures WORDS and Christ Jesus who saith they are Words and his Name is called the Word of God and not scoffingly as thou call'st it our Simple Pretence but really he is so And thou that givest the Title to the Scripture which belongeth to Christ which the holy Men of God did not art degenerated from both Spirit and Speech R. W. And thou sayst The Papists horribly abuse the Scrip●ures and call it a Nose of Wax c. and so do the Quakers ●riumphing over it c. as over a Dead Letter a Carkass c. Answ. R. W. These are thy own forg'd Words Where did ever the Quakers call it a Dead Carcass and triumph over the Scriptures for thou sayst thy self The Letter profiteth nothing without the Spirit And the Apostle saith The Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life and was he therefore a Papist R. W. And thou sayst The Papists prefer the Vulgar Latin Copies before the Hebrew and sayst Do not the Quakers simply and brutishly bind themselves to the bare Letter of the Common English Answ. Here the Quakers and the Papists Dis-agree And dost not thou say That the Scriptures are the Word of God which we say are Words And must not we own Scriptures as they call themselves for dost not thou say They are the Touchstone and if the English Copies be not true why dost thou tell us The Scriptures are the Touchstone and the Rule and the Word of God and why hast not thou and the New-England-Priests mended them all this time And dost not thou say That Ravius proclaimes above a Thousand Faults to be in our Last Translation How now R. W. and yet are they the Touch-stone and the Rule and the Word of God how darest thou say they are the Word of God if there be a Thousand Faults in them And how darest thou say They are the Touch-stone the Ground of Christ's Faith and the Saints as in thy Book pag. 102. and the Priest saith They are the Means of Faith yet thou dost extol this Man calling him a most-Famous Hebraician ●hat saith There be above a Thousand Faults in the last Translation of them And R. W. saith The Papists set up a Judge in Controversy above the Holy Scriptures c. and the Quakers say the same of their Spirit c. Answ. But how canst thou call it the Holy Scriptures if thou sayst There be a Thousand Faults in them And is not the Spirit a●ove the Scriptures that gave them forth and the Word of God which was afore they were as thou hast confest But the Quakers are not agreed with the Papists here but the Papists are agreed with you If the Spirit of God be not the Judge and not to be set above the Scriptures ye and the Papists are of one Spirit but not in that that gave forth the Scriptures and the Word of Wisdom which was afore they were Written R. W. And thou sayst The Papists will not deny to make the Scriptures the Rule to be tried by it yet their Church and Pope must Interpret it Answ. That is like to you that do Interpret them and give Meanings and find Fault with us for taking it Literally so ye and the Papists are agreed And then thou fall'st a-railing But we tell you both that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son the Spirit of Truth is that which leadeth into all Truth R. W. And thou sayst The Papists generally use not the Scriptures in their Devotions in their Mother-Tongue but in Latin which thou callest the Whore's Tongue of Italy And then thou tellest a long Story of Luther and sayst The Papists and Quakers slight the Holy Scriptures Answ. But here thou canst not Join the Quakers with the Papists for we do not use in our Devotion to speak the Scriptures out of our own Language Neither do we justify the Papists in ●o doing R. W. And thou sayst The Quakers at first took off themselves Families and Assemblies from any use of it to wit the Scriptures Answ. This is altogether false all people knoweth it is that knows both our Families and Assemblies R. W. And thou sayst The Papists and Quakers say If the Scriptures were consumed and quite taken out of the World there would be no Loss c. Answ. This also is false the Quakers never said so they never had such a Thought in their Hearts that we know of But No man knoweth the things of God in the Scriptures but by the Spirit of God and the Spirit of God leadeth us into all Truth of the Scriptures both to the Comforting of our Assemblies and Families R. W. And thou sayst The Quakers and Papists love the Scriptures no better then Goliah loved David's Stone Answ. And we may say to thee Thou lovest the Scriptures no more then thou lovest the Light of Christ who callest it a Fancy and an Idol But by the Scriptures and the Spirit of God that gave them forth we have proved thee That thou neither lovest the Scriptures nor the Spirit of God which gave them forth which we love and esteem R. W. Thou sayst The Papists and Quakers Shake hands in the most Hellish Doctrine of Justification by what Christ worketh within us Answ. Is the Apostles Doctrine Hellish and Popish who are Justified by Faith and doth not Christ work Faith within how doth it purify the Heart And this Faith within owneth Christ it doth not deny that he died without the Gates of Jerusalem for all men And where do we put Justification for Sanctification and is not this Sanctification wrought within Men And where do either ye or the Papists confess that Christ is the Author and Finisher of Faith for thou wrongst the Papists For if they confess that that
and the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son and he was Conceived by the Holy Ghost and they are all One and not Distinct but One in Vnity And that which cometh out from him to wit the Holy Ghost leadeth the Saints into all Truth and that was it that ever was given forth from the Spirit of Truth and so up to God the Father of Truth and so goeth back from whence it came R. W. Replieth and saith That G. F. calls that Blasphemy which the most-Holy and Eternal Lord calls Heavenly Truth he hath like some Witches c. so inur'd himself c. Answ. Why R. W because he speaketh Scriptures art not thou like the Pharisees that could not endure to hear Christ say That he and his Father was One And John said They were One wilt thou call him a Notorious Wretch Indeed thy Spirit will call Christ a Deceiver But R. W. and his Priests say They are Distinct give us a Scripture that saith so and that they are not One and How far are they Distinct one from another then thou sayst something R. W. And thou say'st That the Scripture tells us concerning these Mysteries that in this Life we know but in part as through a Glass darkly c. Answ. Let the Reader read 1 Cor. 13. and see whether R. W. hath not addeth In this Life to the Apostle's words and the Apostle doth not mention in this Life So here thou abusest the Apostle's words as thou dost ours And we know Christ saith My Father is greater than I And what then doth this deny Christ's words who said The Father is in him and he and the Father is One nay do not your own Books say They are One and Equal But thou wast finding Fault with the Socinians nay all the Proofs and Evasions thou bring'st concerning G. F. and M. F. is nothing to disprove Christ's words who saith He and the Father are One. And what dost thou talk of the Four Points of the Pather Son and Spirit c. Fall and Redemption c. of the Church-Officers Baptism c. and Resurrection Eternal Judgment c. Art thou like to see them when thou callest Christ's Light a Fancy and an Idol For all these we own as Scripture declares both within and without and therefore thy Charge is false R. W. And thou bring'st in Tho Collier in G. F.'s Fol. p. 38. saying The Kingdom is not come nor the Refreshing from the Spirit of the Lord. G. F. Answ. Which sheweth they are like unto the Pharisees Unconverted gazing here and there and Christ told them the Kingdom was in them And they that are not turned to the Light which cometh from Christ the Refresher whereby Refreshing might come are not come to Repentance yet And R. W. Replieth and saith Who sees not that G. F. speakes not here of the Kingdom of Christ in the future and to come and the times of Refreshing but that he cuts off all future hopes and expectations to come Answ. The Reader may see this is a false Interpretation upon G. F.'s words for did Christ Cut off all Future Comfort to come to his Saints when he said The Kingdom of Heaven was in them And they that turn to the Light receive Refreshing from the Lord. And G. F. saith They that turn not to the Light which cometh from Christ the Refresher whereby Refreshings might come Receive not And how can R. W. say G. F. cuts off all future Hopes and Expectations to come But what should we expect from him that calleth Christ's Light a Fancy and an Idol R. W. saith That the Scripture tells him and Experience that the Hypocrites have no solid Peace and Joy here nor solid Hope or Joy of Glory to come c. Answ. Roger this is thy own Condition and if thou did'st not abhor the Thoughts of a Judgment to come thou would'st never have spoken such words And Foolishly Atheistically Childish Dreams of no Heaven and Refreshing which thou speakest of thou might'st have applied to thy self And let the Reader see if G. F. say There is no Heaven or Hell or Torment in us c. is there any such saying in G. F.'s Answer here These are words of thy own Forging and then thou hast charged them upon us and criest Foolish Childish Dreams c. which are thy own Sayings and not ours R. W. Bringeth John Clapham G. F.'s Fol. p. 101. saying To witness Heaven and Hell and Resurrection within is the Mystery of Iniquity G. F.'s Answ. Which sheweth thou never knew'st Heaven in thy self nor Hell there nor Christ's Resurrection and the Life which they are Blessed that are made Partakers of the first Resurrection on them the Second Death shall have no Power And the Scripture doth witness Heaven within and if Christ that was offered up the Resurrection and the Life be not within thee thou art a Reprobate R. W. Replieth and saith If G. F. would speak of Heaven and Angels and Hell and Devils and Resurrection and Life to come by way of Allusion and Similitude or by way of First Fruits or Tast of them he might profitably do it Answ. All ye that do not know a Resurrection of Life to come by Christ Jesus and know not the Kingdom of Heaven within you how can ye know it without you And know Hell and the Strong Man cast out there how will ye know the Eternal Judgement which is upon the Devil and his Angels upon the Wicked cast into Hell and the Lake which burnes with Fire and Brimstone which go to the Devil who is out of the Truth who are gone from the Spirit of God his Grace his Truth in the Inwards parts and his Light which thou callest a Fancy and an Idol which will condemn thee and thou shalt know a H●ll which thou so much pleadest for without thee And we are not Revolted from the true Christians Faith and Religion that was in the Apostles Days but thou that deniest this art And R. W. in the same page bringeth Some Nameless Author G. F.'s Fol p. 214. saying To say the Heaven and Glory is in Man which was before Man was they are s●ttish and blind G. F. Answ. There is none have a Glory and a Heaven but within them which was before Man had a being And he brings Tho Pollard's Saying G. F. Fol p. 81 For a perfection of Glory to be attained to on this side the Grave I utterly deny G. F. Answ. Where Glory is in the least Degree it is in Perfection and who have not Glory and do not Attain to Glory on this side the Grave they are in a sad Condition For the Saints rejoiced with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory and they witnessed the Hope of Glory within them while they were upon the Earth Col. 1 and of that Hope they were to give a Reason that was within them And they Saw the Glory of God and of the Father and so came to be
unto therefore he Judgeth that ours Attaineth no higher than his own And poor Man how can he do otherwise when he blasphemeth against the Light of Christ which We are commanded by Christ to believe in and to receive him in us and so no Reprobates R. W. Bringeth forth his Tenth Position That the Popes of Rome do not swell with and exercise a greater Pride then the Quakers have express'd and would aspire unto although many truly humble Souls may be Captivated amongst them And R. W. Thou say'st Thou hast a spacious Field to walk in the Pride of Christ Jesus his pretended Triple-Crowned Vicar and the Pride of the New Papists pretending to be Christ himself and under the Papists he means us Answ. As for the Papists as we have often said let them Answer for themselves And where did ever any of the Quakers pretend to be Christ Jesus we charge R. W. that he shew it there is no such thing in G. F.'s Answer which he quoteth to prove his false Charges But as for his calling us New Papists truly this hits himself and his New-England-persecutors whose Image they have born their BLOODY HANDS and their Laws declare it they be in the Spirit of the Old Papists and not we who suffered Death by both of them both in Rome in France and in New-England and we may very well call it NEW ROME R. W. And thou tell'st us of the Devil's Pride and Condemnation in Spiritual Gifts Priviledges and Excellencies this was the Devil's Break neck and will be of the Pope's and Quakers c. Answ. R. W. and dost not thou say pag. 154. Thy Hope is that many of us may come to Abraham's Bosom and now dost number us with the Devil's Pride and our Necks must be broken with him and the Pope And under the Devil's Condemnation R. W. might have applied this at home better and to many of the New-England-Church then to the Quakers But R W. and the New-England-Priests we would have you make good by Scripture what Spiritual Knowledge the Devil hath and Spiritual Gifts and Priviledges and Spiritual Excellencies For Christ saith There is no Truth in him the Devil and then what spiritual Knowledge spiritual Gifts spiritual Priviledges and spiritual Excellencies hath the Devil describe them and let us see where they be written in the Scriptures that Christ and the Apostles said so much of the Devil as thou hast done R. W. Thou say'st As to the Quakers they know it is not yet time to put on the Eagle's and the Lion's but the Sheep's and Foxe's Skin and say'st But if let loose the Quakers Spirit would scorn to come behind the Pope Answ. Thou and the New-England-priests might very well have applied this at home who have gotten the Sheep's-Skin but have been the Wolves and Foxes devouring the Lambs But it is the Pope's Spirit and not the Quakers who have shed the Blood of Christ's Martyrs So have the New-England-People SHED our BLOOD for the Testimony of Jesus But we and the Reader may understand that their Guilty Consciences are afraid of an Eagle to be let loose upon them And is not the Fourth Angel pouring out his Vial upon your Head that maketh thee to Blaspheme and the Fifth upon the Seat of the Beast that you Gnaw your Tongues so and Blaspheme the God of Heaven So it 's clear that ye are not Come behind the Pope's Spirit who have SHED the BLOOD of the Lambs of Christ And so the Comparison is true between you and the Pope and not the Quakers whom thou wickedly slanderest And W. Edmond saying That thou had'st slandered many people both in Old England c Did this fright thee This was not a Boasting of our Numbers as thou scoffingly say'st W. Edmond was a fit Man to make a Bonifacius or a Hildebrand and J. S. also c. and all of them are ready to cry up Diana whom all Asia and the World worshippeth Answ. Now let the Reader see whether R. W. speak Truth or no Do All call Christ the Light with which he Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World and God whom we worship in Spirit and Truth as Christ commanded above Sixteen hundred Years since Diana whom the World worshippeth What an Enmity is in R. W. against Christ his Light and the Worship of God! as John 4. And as for his Saying Bonifacius and Hildebrand which W. Edmond and J. S. is so fit to make This he might have very well applied at home to his New-England-Priests and see his Boniface there and BLOODY pers●cution ready made J. S. they cast him in the Goal and Nicholas Alexander a Justice of Peace of Jamaica when they came to visit their Friends they cast him in the Goal And this was their Entertainment in New-England R. W. And thou say'st In their first Creeping like Hercules out of the Cradle how doth this Spirit dare the Spirits of Kings c. to Thou and Thee to the Faces of Mighty Monarchs with what ●r●zen Faces c. Answ. The Reader may see what a plague the word THEE and THOV is to R. W yet was the Language of Christ and the holy Men of God both to Superior and Inferior And R. W. who calleth himself an Orator what hath he not read his Accidence and Grammar Plural and Singular Is the Practice of this called Brazen Face by R. W Then why do they teach the Children Plural and Singular AND for their First Creeping like Hercules c. Plainly this might the New England-priests and professors very well applied to themselves What Protestations of Religion have they made in their First Creeping out And how at last they threw it all down and turn'd it into Persecution both among themselves and Strangers R. W. And thou art offended because we do not Bow our Knee and Vncover our Heads which thou call'st Reverence c. Answ. Is not R W. worse then the Turk here and more fonder of his superstitious Honor For doth not the Turk say The Christian spends most of his time in shewing of his Bare Head But where did the Apostles or Christ command that the Christians should Put off their Hats one to another and Bow their Knee and say YOV to a Single Person We do charge R. W. and the New-England-priests to give some Scripture for it seeing they make so much to do about it And W. Edmond saying Whist Whist upon this thou scoffingly call'st him Pope Edmondson Nicholas Easton the Governour was not offended at it and what should R. W but only proud Pharisee-like seeking the honour one of another and is off●nded because he hath it not And if the Honor was sought which cometh down from above this would be laid into the Dust. BVT hath not R. W. who looketh so much at Putting off the Hat and Bowing the Knee proved himself to be Like the Pope here and not the Quakers who Put off the Hat and Bow their Knee neither to him nor the
Pope and neither King nor Governour are offended at it So R. W. hath proved the New-England-priests and himself like the Pope and not the Quakers with his Hat and Knee R. W. Thou say'st That the Pope sits in the Temple of God as over the Churches and Consciences c. Answ. So doth R. W. and his New-England-priests BRAN● HANG WHIP and SPOIL the GOODS of such as will not Bow to the Image of their Religion c. R. W. And thou say'st That We do not regard as the Ap●stle and the Bere●ns the Holy Scripture Answ. This is false for we trying you by the Scriptures maketh you so to Rage whose words and practice is Contrary to them and therefore you cry so often for Meanings And it is the Spirit of Truth that proceeds from the Father and Son that leadeth into all Truth and leadeth us into the Truth of the Scriptures AND why should not we send Word to our Friends of Coming into the Country c. this doth Torment thee Yea and the Lord will Torment you more who is gathering his people and drawing them to his Son and bringing them from your Barren Mountains and he has set his Shepheard over them Christ Jesus Read Ezek 34. how ye have Marr'd Pastures and Foul'd Springs and Thrust the Sheep with your Shoulder And R. W. is offended because our Meetings are Established in New-England And thou tell'st of Laws Papers and Decrees but thou hast not produced them And it was always our Practice as thou scoffingly say'st There was not Liberty for all to speak as the Spirit gave them Vtterance till G. F. came into New-England That is false And our Vnity stands in the Holy Spirit of God which is the Bond of peace if any go from it they are reproved And why did'st not thou produce the Decrees thou say'st G. F. gave forth of loosing from that brutish and dogged Behaviour c. and commanding them to be more Sociable and Man-like Answ. This is Untruth for G. F. gave them no such Command this is a base Reflection upon thy Neighbours for they were Sociable and Manlike afore And as for brutish and dogged Roger may keep at home for he had not so much Civility as to speak to G. F. when he was at Providence but snarling behind his back Base and Vn-manlike And did not we Bow and Vncover our Heads in Prayer c. before G. F. came to New-England R. W. But thou say'st of G. F. uncovering his Head and Bowing to the people and passing through the midst of them with his Hat in his Hand with much Respect and Civility and he blames others that did not so c. Therefore thou Concludest that either the Former Spirit or the Latter is not of God Answ. According to thy forged Lies or false Reports Neither did G. F. Vncover his Head nor Bow to the people when he past through them it is not his Practice though he might take his Hat in his hand when he was Hot and walked through the people And G. F.'s putting off his Hat was in Reverence to the Lord the God of Heaven and not to Man R. W. Thou say'st The Pope lifts up himself as God over the Scriptures and He is Sole Judge c and dispenseth of Oaths and Marriages c. Answ Might not R. W. have kept this at home with his New-England-Priests that They must be the Interpreters of the Scriptures and so Over the Scriptures For doth not R. W. cry out against us for Want of Meanings and saith We take it Literally and we are Fools and Silly and will not own your Meanings And therefore do not thou claim the power of the Expounding as the Pope doth AND are not the New-England-Priests and Professors both the Dispensers of Oaths and Marriages Pope like But we neither Swear nor Marry none but are Witnesses to them R. W. For dost not thou say We admit of no Interpreter but Our selves Answ. Nay R. W. It is not Self that Interprets Scripture we tell thee they were given forth from the Holy Ghost and it is the Holy Ghost that leadeth into all Truth of them which the Papists and ye cannot endure to hear of and so are of one Birth that persecutes him that is born after the Spirit R. W. And thou say'st That we said We would be tried by the Scriptures and yet thou say'st We admit of no Interpreter c. Answ. Then the Scripture it self is not the Trier but the Meaning which the Interpreter giveth must be the Judge according to thy sense How is the Scripture the Judge then as thou say'st And so the Meaning is set up and not the Spirit and this makes the Confusion in the whole World and is not this One with the Pope And we say The Spirit of God is the Interpreter of its own words that gave them ●orth R. W. And thou say'st over and over That the Papists and Quakers said that there would be no Loss if the Scriptures were gone out of the World Answ. These are but thy own words to prove thy false Charges that thou say'st We most horribly and hypocritically trample the Scriptures under our proud Feet R. W. And whereas thou say'st Tha● the Quakers and Papists most Insultingly lift up themselves against the Servants and Children of God all the World over that bow not to their Images Answ. R. Williams hath mistaken himself it 's he and the New-England-Professors and the Papists for never did the Quakers force any to their Religion by WHIPS c So they are Brethren in Iniquity And so the tender Babes have been TORN and received MARKS in their Backs with your WHIPS and the BRAND with your Hot Iron and your CVTTING OFF EARS and your Immodest STRIPPING of Women and Maidens at your Whipping-posts NOW we do Charge R. W. and all his New-England-Priests where ever Christ or the Apostles or the Church in the Primitive Times did Strip Men and Women Young and Old as ye have done O! ye have been a Shame to Christianity among the very Indians R. W. saith And say not the Quakers as the Pope c. All that believe not in their pretended Light their Repentance Holiness Zeal Preaching c. is nothing Answ. The Papists do not own the Light for Papists do not believe in the Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World no more than thou and you of New-England And so in this thou canst not compare us with the Papists but thee that callest the Light of Christ which Christ bids us Believe in that we may become Children of the Light an Ido● and a Fancy But thou and they that do so are in a blind Zeal and cannot see Repentance And what is your Holiness and Preaching good for without the Light of Christ that shineth in the Heart that should give the Knowledge of him AND we do profess and preach Christ that Died without the gates of Jerusalem without us and yet is
read the Fourth Charge as willing to be out of Pain Answ. R. W. thou appearest to be Light Frothy Scoffing and Scornful and not like an Aged Man that should be a Good Example to the Younger And so thou hast plainly proved thy self and the New-England Priests to be the Swellers thou speakest of in the Third false Charge at Providence exercised with Pride and that your Religion Principles and Practice rise no higher than what a Reprobate may attain unto Who hatest and scoffest at the Light of Christ and callest it an Idol which thou must believe in before thou art a true Christian or else it will be thy Condemnation R. W.'s Eleventh False Charge The Religion of the Quakers is more Obstructive and Destructive to the Conversion of Souls and People than most Religions that are at this Day extant in the World Answ. Our Religion is the pure Religion and undefiled which was in the Apostles Days and thy Religion and the New-England-Priests that callest the Light of Christ a Fancy which John was a Witness to and Christ said Believe in is Destructive to people both to Conversion and Salvation For how can they see Christ their Salvation without the Light of Christ And how can they see the True Religion from the False without the Light of Christ And therefore we tell thee without the Light of Christ thou knowest neither our Religion nor thy own nor others in the World which in thy Darkness thou would'st seem to be a Judge of AND then to prove thy false Charges thou bring'st us a great Story and Tale of the Pagans and the Pope's and Mahom●ts Worship and the Jews Who art as Ignorant of theirs as thou art of the true Worship Christ set up above Sixteen Hundred Years since R. W. And thou tellest How the Protestants have revolted and separated themselves from the Papists and have cried up the Lord Jesus in the Scriptures Answ. But how is R. W. and the New England-Priests revolted and separated from the Popes when they are found in their Envious BLOODY Spirit And how doth R. W. cry up Christ in the Scriptures Is Christ in the Scriptures to wit in the Writings Christ saith They testify of him and what Sense is this to say Ye cry up Christ in the Scriptures The Apostles and the Quakers Preach Christ at the Right Hand of God which the Scriptures testify of And Christ saith And it is Written of me he doth not say He is in the Scriptures And the Apostle doth not say Christ is in the Scriptures if he doth let us see where it is Written and keep to the Form of sound VVords R. W. And then thou tell'st us a Story of the Episcopalians and Presbyterians and Independants c. Answ. As though R. W. was a Judge of all these and many others and yet denieth any Voice or Motion of Heavenly things within himself and calleth the Light of Christ an Idol Yet in all this he hath not discovered his own Religion and what he is of himself for we do not understand that he is setled or joined with any of these Protestants Religion in any way of VVorship except by his Slanderous Book he may get into Favour with some Loose and Persecuting Spirits R. W. And thou say'st Those Religions differ each from the other as the Quakers do from the Papists Answ. And doth not R. W. himself differ with them all And R. W. if the Papists and the Quakers differ dost thou say so which wa st making us one all this while R. W. And thou say'st That we are more Destructive to the Souls of Men than the Papists who wildly profess all Ordinances and Ministers to be Invisible and yet are found to be as Visible and Open as any Answ. Here is a false Charge we never profess'd but the Bodies of the Saints and Ministers were Visible but being Able Ministers of the Spirit the Spirit is Invisible And we do believe thou hast more Love to the Papists than to us and that we are more Destructive to thine and your Hypocritical VVay and VVorship than the Papists But as for Destructive to the true Religion and the Souls of People this the New-England-professors and thou might have applied at home who call'st the Light an Idol by which Light they should see their Sins and know their Saviour that died for their Sins and saveth them AND it is in vain for thee to tell of Repentance and Faith and Saving of Souls and the VVorship of God in the Spirit and Truth and knowest of no Voice nor Motion of Heavenly things within thee to be hearken'd unto All thy Religion and thy VVorship and Profession hath been but from the Lips and the Mouth not from the Heart And we never Crack't of Quaking and Trembling as thou scoffingly say'st but we do VVork out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do according to his pleasure And all that come to VVorship God in Spirit and in Truth they must come to the Truth in their Hearts the Spirit of God there to mortify their Evil Nature c. and this they will not find Easie. R. W. And then thou say'st The Turks and Papists to thy knowledge take more pains in their Religion than the Common Protestants and thou Confessest they do all but paint and gild over Nature's old and rotten Posts Answ. This is thine and New-England's Condition far of a true Faith and Repentance and that thou and you cannot see that callest the Light of Christ a Frantick Light and a Fancy And did Paul that turned people from Darkness to Light c. turn them to a Fancy And R. W. Thou say'st The Quakers come not near that Care of New-England I am sure at first for the personal true Repentance and Holiness of their Churches and Congregations and in the Margent thou say'st That the Quakers Conversion is not comparable to the VVay of New-England Answ. What ever their Conversion was at the first this we know that the Church in New-England are not now true Converts they are not turned from dead Works to serve the Living God Nay they are not turned from the Cruelty Persecution and Envy of the Vnconverted Jews and Heathens as their Fruits at large have manifested it Then they are degenerated from what they were at first Therefore the Comparison will not hold between the Quakers Conversion who like Lambs have suffered even unto DEATH and yours who Cruelly have persecuted even unto DEATH Therefore their Conversion is made no Conversion R. W. And then thou fall'st a-Railing again at our speaking THEE and THOV c. and bowing down to a dumb Image and Worship c. and that we say we are God and Christ. Answ. Which is Answered over and over and thy false Charge denied for we never of our selves said any such thing but God and Christ dwelleth in us AND why art thou angry so much at THEE and
Attentions unto the Gospel and so receive a Pardon Therefore as the Apostle saith No Man knoweth the things of God but by the Spirit of God nor the Son nor the Father but by Revelation Christ saith But do any receive that Pardon but who receive the Light which Lighteth every Man that cometh into the world by which they see their Sins and him that pardoneth them Seeing the Pharisees and the Jews this Day who have the Scriptures do not receive this Pardon seeing the Jews have the Scriptures now or may have them And the Pharisees in the Days of Christ would not receive this Pardon or Justification who did not believe in the Light of Christ as he taught as ye may see it seeing Christ said to the Jews If ye continue in my words c. and Ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you Free And so they are so now And those professing Jews could say to Christ's Face They were of Abraham because they had the Scriptures but Christ told them They were of their Father the Devil and his Lust they would do As R. VV. and his New-England-Priests say They are Christians but whose Works have they done and still do But If the Son therefore shall make you Free ye shall be Free Indeed And if all the Righteousness of the Best Men as R. VV. saith to wit good Thoughts good Words good Actions Alms Prayers Preachings Sufferings be but as Womens Menstruous and Filthy Clouts then why doth Christ say Let your Light so shine before Men that they may see your good Works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven And doth not the Apostle say He hath Created us unto Good Works And what are the Works of the Saints in the New Covenant so bad as the Transgressors were in the Old Covenant seeing thou hast made no Distinction but Jumbled all together But these are thine and the New-England Persecutors Best-Mens Works R. VV. bringeth Enoch Howet's Saying Fol G. F. p. 16. It is an Expression of a dark deluded Mind to say that God is not Distinguished from his Saints And G. F. Answ But God and Christ is in the Saints and walketh in them and he is a Reprobate and out of the Apostle's Doctrine that denieth it And R. VV. saith I Reply to this Canting Gypsie Answ. And that is all that he saith here who cannot endure to hear of God and Christ dwelling in his people But may not he as well call the Apostle Canting Gypsie who preached this Doctrine as 2 Cor. 13 and 1 Cor. 6. and 2 Cor 6. And R. VV. bringeth in Ralph Farmer p 74. That God the Creator is distinct from all Creatures That Christ being God only in One Person remaineth distinct from all Men and Angels Let the Reader read G. F.'s Fol. p. 74. and there is no such thing in that page And therefore he hath not done as becometh an Orator as he calleth himself to the King Nevertheless R. VV. hath given an Answer to these words which are not found in the page in G. F.'s Book that he quoteth and saith Is there no Distinction between Infinite and Finite Answ. We never said that the Finite was the Infinite but this doth not prove that God and Christ is Distinct from his people and doth not dwell in them And R. VV. saith G. F. saith his Opposite is a Reprobate R. VV. asketh Why And he saith The only Reason G. F. gives is because he licks not up the filthy and Hellish Poison of Fox's Childish and Hellish Blasphemy against the Eternal Godhead and crieth poor Dust and Ashes Answ. And let the Reader see It is because G. F. saith God and Christ will dwell in his Saints and walk in them according to the Apostle's Doctrine Aad this Doctrine of Christ and the Apostle he calleth Hellish Poison Childish and Hellish Blasphemy against the Eternal Godhead Now let the Gentle Reader see how this Man raileth and doteth against the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles with a Venom under his Tongue And again R. VV. bringeth Joseph Kellet G. F. Fol. 22. saying They be all alien●ted from God and Enemies unti● Faith but these are R. VV.'s words instead of until this should be Non-sense in G. F. but with R. VV. who calleth himself the King's Orator it must be Good Sense who found fault with G. F. because there was an ● to much though this might be the Printers G. F. Answ. So they have denied their School-master which is until Faith which will keep them out of the Alienation which is the Law as Paul speaketh of And R. W. replieth and falleth a-railing with many Filthy Words Answ. Which are not worth mentioning here And Paul Rom. 8. Is not this as Solomon saith The Legs of the Lame are not Equal to Contradict thy self Gal. 3. And then thou goest on in a kind of Preaching but nothing to the purpose who cavil'st against the Apostle's words and manifestest another Spirit and canst not disprove them And where-as thou alledgest That G. F. his words are uncertain as Whether the Alienation is the Law c. If thou werest not willfully Prejudicate and Blind thou might'st understand that the last word Which is Relative not to the Word Alienation but School-master for Paul saith The Law was the School-master unto Christ and who were under this School-master were not in the Alienation because they had a Belief in him to come although not as when he was come R. W. Thou bringest G. F. Fol. p. 27. Baxter's Sayings To say that any is Perfect and without sin is the Devil 's Speaking in Man G. F. Answers Contrary to the Language of the Apostles and Christ who bid them Be Pefect And the Apostle spake Wisdom amo●g them that were Perfect and said They were made free from Sin And it is the Devil 's Speaking in Man that speaketh for Sin while Men are upon the Earth for the Devil holdeth him up that maketh Men not Perfect which Truth maketh Men Free again from the Devil and speaketh in Man and saith Be Perfect Here R. W. saith that Be Perfect and G. F. saith that Are Perfect but is that Be Perfect according to the Grammar seeing thou findest so much Fault with G. F And R. W. saith The Perfection signifieth no more then Sincerity and Uprightness Answ. Then is R. W. or any of his New-England-Priests and Professors Perfect in Sincerity and Vprightness and compleat Fulness in its Kind What Fulness is this R. W. And thou say'st Sometimes it 's Fortified Strong and Armed and sometimes it s the Fulness of the Godhead to whose Incomprehensible Ocean not one drop can be given nor one drop can be taken from him Answ. And doth not the Apostle say Of his Fulness we have received Grace for Grace And Grace and Truth cometh by Jesus Christ and is not this in the Hearts of God's people And Christ saith Be ye Perfect as your Heavenly Father is Perfect And
of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do he was a Murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him mark no truth in him to wit the Devil when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a Lyar and the Father of it Mark this R W. Christ saith there is No Truth in him to wit the Devil and God is the God of truth and that which is of him or of his power and wisdom is True which thou say'st There is something of God that is from the power and wisdom of God c. in the fallen Spirits and the Devils themselves mark in them and Christ plainly saith There is no truth in the Devil Is not something of God to wit his power and wisdom Truth so do'st thou not here oppose Christ's doctrine as well as ours and we charge him and the N. England Priests to make this good by Scripture R W. And whereas thou say'st G F. meanes God himself pressed down as a Cart with sheaves the holy Seed Christ Jesus under the clods the holy Spirit in Prison for the Soul is a part of the Essence or being of God himself But that there is here a word or title of colour to any of this dirt and filth flung in the face of the Majesty of Heaven Ans. Here R. W. surely wants matter when he gives his meanings to G F's words and when he has done he says This dirt and filth flung in the face of the Majesty of Heaven R W This is thy own dirt and filth but in the face of the Majesty of God in Heaven thou cannot fling it he is too high above thee or any one else to fling so far dirt and filth in his face Oh R W that ever thou professing thy self to be a Christian should'st utter forth such words And it may be seen Amos 2 13 how the Lord said to the transgressing Jews I am prest under you as a Cart is pressed that is full of Sh●aves and this was not Flinging dirt in the face of the Most High and may not the same be said to the Christians and to you Priests professors in N. England that rebell against Gods Spirit that they press it and quench it And doth not Christ say I was in Prison and ye visited me not to wit in his members and what must not these Scriptures be owned And doth not Christ say he is the Seeds-man thas Sowes the good Seed in all grounds and is not the same Seed Sown upon the Thorny ground c. as well as the Good and doth not this spring through the goo● Earth and bring forth 30 50 c And did not God breath into Man the breath of life and he became a Living Soul and is not that part of his breath c. R W. And thou say'st This Scripture Rom. 1 2. speaks of the works or working of the written Law in their hearts here thou art made to confess the truth But thou say'st What is this to the second writing or the holy Scriptures or writing inspired into the hearts by the most Holy Spirit yea or what is this to a third writing of their names in Heaven in the Lambs book of Life and what is this to a fourth writing of the New Covenant consisting of sin and a new heart a heart of flesh in which the Law was written as formerly in tables of stone Ans. The New Covenant doth exceed the Old for the one was in Tables of Stone and they had their Offerings and Sacrifices c. and the Priests Lips were to preserve the peoples knowledge But Christ is come our High-Priest which ends the Priesthood of Aron and so he is the New-Covenant promised Heb. 8 And the Lord saith Jer. 31 33. I will put my Laws in their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People and this writing is with the Spirit or Finger of God And they shall not teach every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest And I will be merciful to their Vnrighteousness and their Sins and Iniquities I will remember no more So the First Covenant waxeth old and decayes but this is an Everlasting Covenant the New Covenant and Christ is an unchangable Priest who is holy harmless separate from Sinners and made higher then the Heavens And so they that know Christ to be their High-Priest know him to be a more greater and perfect Tabernacle then that made with hands all the true believers in him can say he is the Treasure of Wisdom and Knowledge And such as be in Christ Jesus are New Creatures and the old things passe away whether they be Jewes o● Gentiles And the Church of Christ which is in the New Covenant the true Believers is come to Mount Sion and unto the City of the Living God and to New Jerusalem and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the blood of Sprinkling c. and to the general Assembly and Church of the First born which are written in Heaven and here the Saints did and do know the Heavenly Genealogies and their Names written in the Lambs book of Life before the foundation of the World glory to his Name for ever And such can say that the Blood of Christ ends the blood of Bulls and Goates and he the offering ends the offerings in the times of the Law and so Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness sake to them that believe And the work of the Law written in the hearts which doth the work of the Law is not opposite to the written Law for it Judged them that had the written Law and did not live in it And the Children of the New Covenant can say If the Ministration of death written and graven in stone was glorious c. how shall not the Ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious for if the Ministration of Condemnation be glorious much more doth the Ministration of Righteousness exceed in glory for even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excells it c. 2 Cor. 3. So we can praise the Lord through Jesus Christ who is come and has ended the Priesthood of Aaron and his Temple and Tythes and his Services who said to his Discipl●s and Ministers Freely ye have received freely give And Christ is our New and Living Way to the Father praises be given to the Lord God for ever And what dost thou talk of these 4. Writings and hast No motion in Heavenly things within thee R W And then thou tells us of a New Covenant consisting of Sin and a new heart and a heart of flesh Answ. All the Believers in the New Covenant have a new heart and a heart of flesh and Christ
truth And as for Caring no more for Jews or Gentiles than Foxes for Lambs and Chickens to make a prey of them and our pretences of Soul-kindness to be Soul-cruelties this R W. thou might'st have kept at home and the New-England Priests And for telling all Man-kind that they have Christ in them c. in this thou wrongest us For we turn them to the Light which Christ has enlightned them withall that they might with it see Christ and receive him and come into the Covenant of grace and so we turn them as the Apostle did from Darkness to Light c. And where was this Darkness and where was this Light for did not the Apostle which turned both Jews and Gentiles to the Light turn them to the Covenant of Grace And the Lord saith I will give thee for a Light to the Gentiles that thou may'st be my Salvation to the ends of the Earth and doth either Jew or Gentile know their Salvation but by this Light of Christ And where thou slightingly say'st twice he means the New Covenant and he means Christ that dyed at Jerusalem and when it comes too he means no other Christ but a Spirit and then thou bring'st in Humphry Norton but bring'st no proof what he saith therefore that is turned back upon thee But where did'st thou ever read in any of the Quakers Books that they said That it was a Spirit that dyed at Jerusalem as thou say'st we mean And then thou say'st This will be found an Evil Spirit as one saith c. and this is thy own lying Evil Spirit that is out of the truth for Christ Jesus that was born of a Virgin the man Christ Jesus who suffered according to the flesh and dyed without the Gates of outward Jerusalem and was buryed and rose again and sits at the Right Hand of God and yet manifest in his People by his Spirit is gathering us by his Spirit to his Heavenly Jerusalem Glory to his Name for ever R W. And thou say'st That G F. slights the Scripture with a But It is but a Declaration of the Saints Faith and he slights he Novelty of it saying There was Faith before there was Scripture and then thou say'st It 's wonderful what an aking Tooth against the holy Writings of God the old Serpent and all the Wolves and Foxes of this world have ●ad who have more or less damned and cursed it and longed to have it out of the world Answ. We own and esteem the Holy Scriptures of truth which the holy Men of God were moved to give forth by the Holy Ghost but we cannot own them to be the means and Author of our Faith for Christ Jesus is the Author and finisher of our Faith which is the Gift of God as they that gave forth Scripture said And thy Slanderous tongue belyes us in saying What a Tooth-ach we have against the Scripture or the Holy Writings of God or that we would have them out of the world or ever cursed them or slighted them but we Esteem them and can bless the Lord for them For the Jews had Scripture of the Old Testament who were not in the Faith of Moses and the Prophets and Christ bid them Search the Scriptures for they testified of him Joh. 5 39 40. but they would not come to him that they might have Life who is the Author of their Faith But they thought to have had Life in the Scriptures as I K. and R W. think the Scripture is the means of Faith and then do not you throw out and leave off God and Christ and holy means and Author of Faith c And doth not the Apostle bid them Look unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of their Faith Heb. 12 2 and God deals to every man the measure of Faith Rom. 12 3. so let God and Christ have their Glory And had not Abraham and Enoch Faith before the Scripture was written and is the Scriptures the means of Faith or Christ or but a Declaration of Faith or is it Faith it self R W R W. And thou say'st The Jews Turks and Papists c. and Quakers make use of it the Scriptures for their ends Answ. But why did'st thou not put in thy self and the New-England Priests thou might have left out the Quakers for thou belyest them For do not your Priests make a trade of them for their Bellies or their own ends for if the Priests Means were taken away there would be little Vsing or Preaching of the Scriptures by them But all that fear God know that thou wrong'st us in saying that we make use of them for our own ends as the Lord God knows For we prove by Scripture that Jesus is the Christ and Preach him freely as the Apostles did and have suffered Persecution and Spoyling of Goods and Death it self amongst you New-England Priests and Professors and yet thou would'st have the Magistrates to Punish us manifesting thy Birth of the Flesh as it 's said before R W. And further thou say'st None can rightly use it but as a Blessed Candle Lanthorn or Torch sent down from Heaven into this dark Dungeon of the world to guide us out unto the saving knowledge of God and Eternal Blessedness with him Answ. Where doth the Apostle call the Scripture of the New-Testament a Candle a Lanthorn or Torch I say that none can Vse the Scriptures aright but with that Holy-Ghost that leadeth into all the truth of them and gave them forth through the Holy men which received them from God and spoke them forth as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and we can praise God for them who have the comfort of them and the Holy Ghost through Jesus Christ. And hast not thou here set up the Scriptures instead of Christ for Saving knowledge and a Guide and instead of the Holy-Ghost and the Jews which had the Scriptures resisted him that gave the Saving knowledge R W. saith How doth this follow that if God hath appointed the Holy Writings as means that God and Christ are thrown out Answ. As being the Author and Finisher of the Saints Faith when as you make them the Means and not God and Christ. And if the Scriptures be the Means of Faith then what Means had Abel Enoch Noah Abraham Isaac Jacob and Moses before the Scripture was written if the Scripture be the means of Faith R W. Thou say'st Cannot there be a Harmony between the First and all Subordinate Causes Answ. Yes if thou meanest the Scriptures of Truth R W. And further thou say'st Did Moses throw out God because he took the Rod in his hand when he wrought all those Wonders and did Solomon because he used so many Means in Rearing the Temple as Moses about the Tabernacle Or Sampson when he used the Jaw-bone of an Ass or Christ throw out his Father when he made use of Clay and Spittle Answ. Solomon's Temple and Moses's Tabernacle and the Jaw-bone of an Ass were not the
forth who called them the Holy Scriptures of Truth And thou needest not tell us What the Pope and the Jews and the Turk have and the Jews had the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets but would not receive Christ the Word R. W. And thou tellest of a written Pardon sealed with a broad Seal of a King or State and say'st What a fancy is it for a Condemned wretch first to hearken to a Pardon within to a King within a Writing within a Seal within and to slight the true Pardon in the King's way to be Conveyed from without to the Mind and Spirit within and to lose his pardon and deliverance as thousands of poor cheated souls must do Answ. The King 's written Pardon to Condemned men setteth them free but the Written in Scripture doth no● set men free nor Pardoneth mens Sins and Trespasses but it is Christ that dyed for their sins and shed his Blood for them and this the Scriptures testifie of that he hath purchased them with his Blood and he is the Offering for Sin And if the written Scripture be the Pardon of Sin of the Condemned World as the King 's written Pardon is for Condemned persons then all that have the Scripture have their Pardon by thy meaning but pag. 64. thou say'st The Scriptures avail nothing without the Spirit of God set it home upon us so here thou contradicts thy self And Christ saith Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me and in them you think to have Eternal Life but you will not come to me that you might have Life So the Life is in Christ and he that hath Christ hath Life and they that have not him have not Life and they that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his though they may have the Scriptures And they who had their Garments made white it was by the Blood of the Lamb and not by written Pardons and they that are the true Believers in Christ the Light and are in the New Covenant as Heb. 8. he blotteth out their Sins and Trespasses in whom God writeth his Law in their hearts And 1 Cor. 15 3. Christ dyed for our Sins according to the Scripture so it is not a written Pardon though the Scriptures declare this And Christ dyed for the Vngodly Rom. 5 6. Christ dyed for us 1 Thes. 5 10 So he it is that Pardoneth And the Apostle said This is a faithful saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief 1 Tim. 1 15. so it is God and Christ that doth Pardon and Forgive Sin Col. 2 13 and Luk. 5 20 and they that witness this their Sins are forgiven them For the true Believers are Sealed with the Spirit of God and the Spirit of God is within and hear the Voyce of Christ their Shepherd Thy sins are forgiven thee and so have their Testimony of pardon within and so come to be built upon Christ the Rock and Foundation So it is one thing to have the Writings and another thing to have the Seal of the Spirit of Christ as they had that gave forth the Scriptures and they that are Sealed with it have the comfort of God and Christ and the comfort of the Scriptures c. R. W. And thou bring'st R. H. which saith It is against the Light of Nature for Women to preach c. And G. F. Answers R. H. and saith Contrary to the Apostle's Doctrine the mind of God and the Prophets who said God would pour out of his Spirit upon All Flesh and his Sons and Daughters should prophesie So that he is a Limiter of the Holy One a Quencher of the Spirit in Darkness and this is above the Light of Nature And R. W. Replyeth and saith What is the Light of Nature but that Light in which every man cometh into the world with as the Quakers speak which differeth from the Light of Beasts c. Answ. What is this to G. F's Answer for G. F. and the People of God in Scorn called Quakers which thou in Scorn callest Foxians do not say That the true Light which is the Life in the Word which enlightneth every man that cometh into the world which is a Light to be revealed to the Gentiles as Simeon speaketh is a Natural Light or Light of Nature For this is the Super-Natural and Light from Heaven which John speaketh of in the Scripture and as God said I will give him for a Covenant and a Light to the Gentiles and he shall be my Salvation to the ends of the Earth and where doth John or the Apostles call the true Light which is Life in the Word which Lighteth every man that cometh into the world a Natural Light or Light of Nature And then thou goest on and tellest a great Tale of the Natural Light in man which is nothing to the purpose to G. F's Answer R. W. And then thou say'st It 's true that in Religious and Christian matters there is no respect of persons with God as of man before the woman otherwise then to Order Natural and Civil And thou say'st It 's true the Wisdom of God preferreth some Women before thousands of men c. as Lady Jane and Q. Elizabeth c. And thou say'st Christ appearing to Mary Magdalen and other Women and sending them to carry the first Tydings of his Resurrection to his Apostles c. and Mirjam and Huldah c. Prophecying before Christ's coming and at his coming according to Joels Prophecy his Spirit on his Daughters as well as his Sons c. yet this favour of God towards Women destroyeth not the Order which the God of Order or Nature hath set in those Bounds Limits and Distinctions between Male and Female c. Though the Holy Scripture were silent yet Reason and Experience tells us that the Woman is the weaker Vessel that she is more fitted to keep and order her House c. And the Lord hath given a Covering of longer hair to Wom●n as a sign of covering Modesty and Bastfulness Silence and Retiredness and therefore not so fitted for Manly Actions and Employments Answ. Here doth not R. W. contradict himself Though the Apostle doth say That the Woman is the weaker Vessel and it is so known yet is not Christ and his Spirit as strong in the Female as he is in the Male For thou say'st There is no respect of persons with God as the Man before the Woman and God preferreth some Women before thousands of Men as Lady Jane and Q. Elizabeth and Deborah and yet thou say'st Women are not so fitted for Manly Actions and Employments These were Manly Actions and Godly of Q. Elizabeth and Deborah c. And then thou say●st She being the weaker Vessel she is more fit to keep and order her House and Children c in Silence and Retiredness c. but in this thou confoundest thy self for these were Fitted with
the Light to Discern Spiritual and Heavenly things from Natural And therefore Christ said The Spirit of Truth should lead them into all truth and the Apostle saith Whatsoever doth make manifest and reproveth is Light And what is all this to the purpose that thou speakest pag. 31 32 33 and who denyeth but that the Natural receiveth Natural and the Spiritual Spiritual for thou seemest sometimes to grant and sometimes to oppose for that which G. F. speaketh is concerning the things of God R. W. And then thou tellest us How that Christ asked his Disciples how many Loaves they had But what is this to the Light of Christ those are Natural things And then thou tellest us How that Christ ask'd his Disciples whom say they that I the Son of Man am and thou say'st This was a Divine and Supernatural Question and for the out-side and truth of the Fact the Devils could answer as well as the Disciples Answ. This R. W. might very well have kept at home and his New England Professors For had R.W. them known that there had been a Christ if the Scripture had not declared it for have they the same Revelation as Peter had of Christ Beyond flesh and blood And was not this Revelation Within Peter by the Spirit of God and did not he see it with the Light of Christ and with that which thou confessest that will say The Mind of God is pure c. as in thy 28. page and then thou Grantest the Quakers Principle which thou do'st Oppose And thou say'st All true Believers hearts do receive and wel-come all truly Divine and Heavenly Doctrines Then there is the Light of God within to receive them if they do not hate it and if they quench the Spirit they are not like to receive them but chuse the evil and hate the good R. W. And then thou say'st G. F. talketh of something within which is preached to Answ. Thou abusest G. F.'s words for G. F.'s words are Reached to as the Reader may see R. W. And thou say'st That the Natural Man perceiveth no Spiritual matter but when he is born again then he acts and works c. Answ. Here again thou abusest the Scriptures and Christ's words and contradictest thy self For thou say'st There is a Conviction in all Man-kind in the world of an Invisible and Omnipotent and Eternal power and God head pag. 28. And Christ saith Believe in the Light while ye have it that ye may become Children of Light and he that believeth is born of God which Christ sheweth that they have the Light before they be born again or else how can it be the Condemnation of them that do not believe And Natural men that hate Christ's Light and grieve his Spirit in them they are not like to perceive the things of God And then thou ramblest on and tell'st what the Protestants say but to no purpose to G. F's Answer R. W. And thou say'st G. F. saith There is a Some-thing a Seed though but as a Grain of Mustard-Seed a Seed of God of Christ of the Spirit to which Christ the Word is preached and then thou say'st Horribly abusing the Scriptures Answ. Now Reader see if there be any of these Words in G. F's Answer to Jer. Ives and see if he hath not abused G. F's Words And why doth he scoff at the Preaching to the Spirit for did not the Apostle Preach to the Spirit and sow to the Spirit and of the Spirit reaped Life Eternal and was not this within People And is not Christ the Seeds-man that soweth his Seed upon all Grounds And doth not Christ compare the Kingdom of Heaven to a Grain of Mustard-Seed read Matth. 13. R. W. cannot endure that G. F. should speak Scripture R. W. And thou say'st They maintain though Men be dark and dead yet Christ within is Light and alive in them and them only Answ. Here again thou wrong'st our Words though we say That Christ enlightneth every one that cometh into the World which is the Life in the Word and this is the Condemnation of them that hate it And they that receive the Light receive Christ from whence it cometh that hath Englightned them R. W. And thou say'st G. F. his lying Cheats of a Sufficient Light within to lead to God and to Salvation a Teacher within c And thou further say'st It is a simple Superfluity to hold a Candle of Out-ward Words to awaken and englighten such a glorious all-sufficient Sun within Answ. Here thou dost not know what thou say'st thy Enmity against the Light of Christ hath blinded thee We say The Light of Christ is no Cheat it is Sufficient to believe in for He that believeth is Saved And the Light that shineth in the Heart giveth the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus and it is Sufficient to take heed unto Until the day dawn and the Day-star arise in their Hearts And the Jews though God poured out his Spirit upon them and they transgressed God sent his Prophets to turn them to his Spirit which they had grieved and erred from and so to God And Christ sent his Apostles to turn them to the Light and so do God's Messengers now though they hate them and it to the Intent that they may turn to Christ the Sun of Righteousness from whence it cometh And all the Believers in the Light are in fellowship with it and can declare What Christ hath done for their Souls and praise God in the Assemblies R. W. Thou askest Where is this Something of God yea God and Christ and say'st If he Answer in the Vnderstanding he grants it Dark if in the Heart and the Affections c he confesseth all there is hard and dead Answ. They that hate the Light and will not come to the Light because their Deeds be evil and because it will reprove them they Know all this with the Light And they are like to have their Vnderstandings darkned and hardned when they hate the Light that should soften them so their Vnderstandings are darkned and Christ doth quicken them that are Dead in Sins and Trespasses that believe in this Light And thou say'st It is God and Christ which the Quakers do not say but it is the Light of Christ that they may believe in it and be graffted into him R. W. And thou say'st Christ the Sun of Righteousness arose with saving rayes or wings of Salvation but the blind Jews could not own him for their Messiah Answ. This is thine and your own Condition Transgressing Christians who will Not own Christ the Light who enlightneth every one that cometh into the World And thou say'st Though no Man sees it to wit Christ that lightneth every Man that cometh into the VVorld Though R. W. and the New-England-Professors Sees it not because their Darkness cannot comprehend it yet the Believers in the Light See it and Christ the Sun of Righteousness from whence it
cometh and receive him the Messiah though thou and the Jews will not And they that come to the Light of Christ they See how Christ enlightneth all Men that come into the VVorld by the Life in the VVord and how the Word was made Flesh. R. W. And thou say'st VVhat is this to a mixture of Light and Darkness Answ. Nay we must tell thee that the true Light doth not Mix with Darkness though it shineth in darkness darkness doth not comprehend it but the Light comprehends darkness And what was that the Pharisees closed their Eyes to and stopt their Ears and prickt Saul and made him kick again R. W. And after thou hast rambled to no purpose thou say'st VVhen God in his own Means ordinarily works the Will to hear to turn to believe to pray c. And being thus turned with Ephraim c. Answ. The Apostle saith It is not him that Willeth And is it the VVill of Man that heareth and was it not the Spirit of Ephraim that Heard seeing God had poured out his Spirit upon the House of Israel and Christ saith He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches And thou hast not seen thy Vndone Condition yet And if thou wast in a Mourning lamenting state thou would'st not be in this Work who say'st When he turns our Wilderness c into a Garden it seemeth It is Not Yet which we do believe thee R. W. And thou say'st Then we bring forth sweet Fruits Flowers c and When he turns the Wolf into a Lamb then we are meek innocent and patient Answ. Mark When it seemeth it is Not Yet and therefore have these Weeds and Wolfish Nature appeared c. in New-England that have Worryed the Lambs who have shewed forth such an Impatient Vnmeek and Vn-innocent Spirit not to be the Spirit of Christ and so No true Christians R. W. And thou say'st But to talk of the Preaching to the Spirits in Prison c and the Seed of God in Prison c when the Lord speaks of his warning and moving Men by Noah 's Preaching in the Old World as may be evidently evinced is like the prophane Teaching of Parrots to prate of Grace c and as the Parrot in France could say her Pater-Noster her Creed c and yet knew as much of the working of God in the Soul as the Popish Teachers Answ. Dost thou think the Popish Teachers knows no more of the Grace of God which hath appeared to all Men than a Parrot and dost not thou Contradict thy self and say'st That the Papists aim uprightly at God and truly love him and labour to increase in the Knowledge of Grace Pag. 31. And in thy Epistle to the King and Baxter wouldst thou not have the Papists c. in Ashes burnt with Fire and Brimstone and now That their Teachers know but as much as a Parrot of the Grace of God working in their Souls and that is Nothing at all And why dost thou shew thy self so dark and so envious against the Seed of Christ being in Prison for doth not Christ say I was in Prison c and was not that his Seed and Why persecutest thou me and was not that Christ in his Members And why dost thou compare Christ's Preacking to the Spirits in Prison by his Spirit in the dayes of Noah to a Parrot like unto the Parrots profane Preaching in France c And all may read 1 Pet. 3 18 19. how Christ preached to the Spirits in Prison by his Spirit in the dayes of Noah Peter doth not say that it was Noah but it was Christ and the Prisoning cometh by Disobedience And doth not Christ say to the Prisoners Sh●w your selves forth and so it is not Means Ordinary as thou speakest of for People To Believe in the Light but a great Work of God and that maketh you so stumble at the Light R. W. And thou say'st They often say God is All. Answ. Doth not the Scripture say the same That God may be All and In All 1 Cor. 15 and Ephes. 4. One God the Father of All who is above All and through All and in you All but thou canst not speak our Words right R. W. And thou bringest Jer. Ives's Words who saith It is a known Error to say That a Man was in Hell and in Heaven And G. F. Answ. J. I. and saith Who in this sheweth his Ignorance of Scripture For it giveth Testimony of Men that did witness that they had Been in Hell in the Nether-most Hell and witnessed again that they were In Heaven and Sate in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus and such were In Heaven as is spoken of in the Revelations And this Truth according to the Scriptures R. W. calleth a Lame cheating Answer who cannot speak without Reviling but let the Reader judge And R. W. saith That G. F. and Millions more talk of Heaven as the Parrot but this he might have applyed at Home R. W. And whereas thou say'st They talk as the Parrot of our Fore-Fathers some from the Scriptures and some out of Reasons Light talk of Places of Joy Eternal for the Righteous and Misery for the Wicked Answ. What R. W hast thou a Parrot that hath as much Light and Reason to talk of these things as G. F. and Men And didst not thou say before Thou findest all Men to confess that the Mind or Will of God was pure and to be observed and that it is ever wickedness to sin against it and now to say G. F. and Millions talk like a Parrot what is not Reason and Light in Men beyond the Parrots Knowledge Truly Enmity hath darkened thee and thou art ignorant of thy own Condition therefore thou judgest others with thy Contradictions And thou tellest the Parable of Dives and Lazarus Luk. 16. but take heed thou dost not know how soon thou may'st be in Dives's state who art so much against the poor Lazarus's that believe in the Light of Christ Jesus and have no Helpers but God and Christ and thou needs not tell us what the Intent of Christ's speaking of Dives and Lazarus was c. R. W. And thou says He knows to wit G. F. the state of Sorrow and Bitterness is called Hell and the state of Death and the Grave is set out by the Word Hell c and so to either of these he wickedly applies the Third state of which the Lord Jesus so clearly speaks viz. the State of the Ungodly after this Life in the Life and World to come Answ. Here thou pervertest G. F's Words For in his Answer he doth not speak of the World to come and the Wicked are turned into Hell after they die but as David spoke Though the Gates of Hell took hold of him and as Jonah cryed out in the Whales Belly in Hell in Misery For thou say'st G. F. knows the state of Hell is Sorrow and Bitterness and Death and Grave and yet thou say'st in
Reveal the things of God doth make them Overseers R. W. And thou say'st The Christian Profession and Professours how-ever they were wrought and prepared and by divers Means by God's Spirit yet c. Answ. But what these divers Means are R. W. hath not told the World But what is this in opposition that the Holy Ghost made not Overseers in the Church in the Apostles days it is nothing to that R. W. And thou say'st Yet the Lord Jesus Christ compareth them to the most Visible Conspicuous and Glorious Things and Persons to the Sun and Moon in the Heavens and the Heavens and Stars also to Mountains and Cities c. and to Kings their Houses and Palaces c. R. W. What is all this to oppose the Apostle's Doctrine and say The Holy Ghost did not make them Overseers which is the Consequence of R. W's Jangling For we do grant what the Lord Jesus Christ doth compare his Holy People to in Scriptures but that 's not thy State R. W. And thou say'st Although the Lord Mayor of London and the several Officers of the City are not made and ordained in the publick Streets nor Generals c. are they not therefore Visible c. Answ. What a Story is this who opposeth thee in this who saith They are not Visible But what is this to oppose the Apostle's Doctrine still who said The Holy Ghost that is Invisible made them Overseers Will R. W. say It is the Holy Ghost that maketh all Mayors and Generals and Officers which are Visible Officers by Visible Commissioners else what doth he bring this Comparison for The Work of Christ's Overseers is Spiritual it is with a Spiritual Eye and a Spiritual Discerning and by a Spiritual Power and to watch over the Invisible Spirits of People the Souls of Men and Women R. W. It is most true c. that the Church is in God and then thou Contradictest thy self and say'st And is it not also true in one Sense that is thy Sense not the Apostle's 1 Thess. We live in God and move in God and have our being in God c. Answ. What Roger one while a Church and not in God and yet Live in him and move in him as thou confessest Thou say'st The whole Creation is Gloriously Visible Who saith to the contrary of that which is Outward R. W. And thou say'st The Saints their Assemblies and Officers are in God Visible to the world c. though in an Heavenly Spiritual Sense transcending the being of the Creation Answ. And yet R. W. bringeth J. M. to Contradict himself in his Append. pag. 21. and saith The Wise Heathen Philosophers had a greater measure of Light in them which is the first Adam than any I can find now And R. W. opposeth G. F. for setting up Christ the Second Adam and his New Covenant and his New Creatures above the First Adam and the Heathen-Philosophers and now in his 42 Page he confesseth This transcends the being of the First Creation Why didst thou oppose G. F. then in thy 21 Page and there Contradict what thou say'st in page 42 But where doth the Scripture say That the Saints and their Assemblies and Officers are in God Visible for God is a Spirit and they that are joined to the Lord and are in the Lord it must be by the Spirit for none knoweth his things but by his Spirit that is Invisible And G. F. never denyed that the Bodies of the Saints and Officers and Assemblies were Visible now and in the Apostles dayes and they were and are to be seen with Visible Eyes or else how could they have been persecuted in the Apostles days and in New-England if you had not seen Quakers there you could not have Hanged them And thou say'st It is most true and most sweet that the Church is in God yet again G. F's Reason is notoriously Silly and Impudent because he saith to the Priest R. W. defendeth that the Church is in God So Roger put thy Words together and see what Sense thou canst make of them R. W. Thou say'st Yea G. F. and his c. for all their being in God and some of their proud and silly Answerings in Courts that they Live in God and Dwell in God c. Answ. See R. W's Contradiction before in the same page where he saith We live in God and move in God and have our Being in God c we must not now confess this that he just now owned without being called Proud and Silly But why must not we tell where our Living and Being is before your Courts and are not they Silly and Proud as thou speakest and live not in God that cannot endure to hear People tell you where their Living and Being is And yet thou say'st They disown not their own Visible Congregations c. Why should they disown their Visible Assemblies or Teachers or Overseers which are gathered together in the Name of Jesus and are Ministers of the Spirit and are made Overseers by the Holy Ghost that is Invisible and their Singing and Praying in the Spirit they own As for those Audible Performances thou speakest of the Saints perform their Worship Praying Preaching c. by the Spirit is the Spirit and Truth Visible in which God is worshipped let R. W. and all the Priests prove that by Scripture if they can R. W. And thou say'st VVhy doth this poor notoriously Visible Cheater thus prate of Invisibilities especially in times of Peace and not in Elias his Case Answ. What! must they not talk of Faith by which the Invisible God is seen nor the VVord of God which was made Flesh by which all things were made nor talk of the Holy Ghost which made Overseers And did not the Apostle say Ye are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit Rom. 8 9. and yet all these were upon the Earth but thou art dark not knowing the things of God But you Professors that prate so much of Visibility are Invisible enough at Times running away and flying your Testimony but the things that are seen that are Temporal your striving is in and so thou pleadst for Visibility And though we are for God's Invisible things against your Carnal envious Minds yet have we not been visible in Tryals and Persecutions did we hide from you R. W. And thou bringst M. Bine which saith The Scriptures may be understood by the Help of Tongues And G. F. Answ. All Scriptures were given forth by Inspiration and so without the same Inspiration it is not understood Again Pilate had the Scriptures and Tongues and yet did not understand the Scriptures nor Christ the Substance of them and this you have set up since the Apostacy your Tongues you Raveners from the Spirit R. W. replyeth and saith That G. F. confesseth that every Syllable or Title in the Scripture is the Word or immediately revealed VVill of God against his and the Quakers common Song hath God any more Words than one Answ.
Doth G. F. speak these Words in his Answer did ever G. F. or any called Quakers deny but the Scripture was given forth by Inspiration and was Revealed from God and Christ to his Prophets and Apostles which were the VVords of God and Christ and he the VVord And Thou shalt not kill and steal c. was not that Revealed to Moses and the VVords of God for Christ saith I am the Door and I am the Bread of Life he doth not say That he is an outward Door or outward Bread that is made of Corn. And was not the Promise of God Revealed and his Commands and must they not be known by the same Spirit to answer them in Man c R. W. And thou say'st I observe the end of G. F. and especially of the old Fox and Serpent that acts him is to destroy the coming of God's Holy Records and Writings to poor lost Men to their Salvation Answ. Are the VVritings to Salvation to lost Men is not Christ their Salvation May not the Devil and the Pharisees have the VVritings and yet be Enemies to Christ the Salvation did not the Jews think to have Life in the Scriptures which testifyed of Christ and would not come to him that they might have Life and Salvation And dost not thou say in the same Page That G. F. confesses how all Scripture was given forth and now dost thou Contradict thy self and say'st His end is to destroy the Scriptures No no We love the Scriptures and thou mightst have kept all thy bad Words at Home And thou say'st He may foist and whisp in what his Hellish Malice pleaseth to their Damnation Roger this is thy own Condition and not the Quakers as thy Lyes have manifested R. W. And whereas thou say'st If no Knowledge of the Tongues in which the Most-wise Holy Lord pen'd his Letters or Writings to us then no Preaching of the Doctrine in them to the world without some New miraculous way then no Translating and Reading of them which is that the Devil in all Ages and at this day aims at with all his might Answ. Doth G. F. deny Tongues in themselves here which are natural things and what must be inferred from thy Words but that Men may understand the Scriptures with Natural Tongues then I query How was it that the Pharisees and the Grecians and all other Languages did not understand them and how is it that Christ saith He thanketh the Father that he hath revealed these things unto Babes And the Apostle saith No Man knoweth the things of God but by the Spirit and G. F's Answer is That all Scripture was given forth by Inspiration so without the same Inspiration it is not known and if this be to deny the Scripture let the Righteous judge And as for all thy bad Words here against us thou mightst have kept them at home R. W. And whereas thou say'st I charge upon this proud Ignoramus and all his blind Disciples c. the horrible Crime of Unthankfulness and Ingratitude for were it not for Tindal burnt to Ashes and other Heavenly Spirits set on work from Heaven to dig out the Knowledge of Hebrew and Greek and turn it into French Dutch and English c how should these Seraphical Doctors know whether there were such a Creation of Heaven and Earth and a Man and his VVife which we talk of Answ. Dost thou not Contradict thy self in thy 22 Page when Plato granteth a Creation and a kind of Father and Son where thou settest up the Heathen-Philosophers and dost thou not say what Aristotle confesseth of the God-head and what Scripture had they and dost thou not say Thou findest in all Mankind a Conviction of the Eternal Power and God-head And doth not the Apostle say He understood by Faith the World was made or framed by the Word of God Heb. 11 and doth not John say the same Joh. 1 And is not God the same now to his People in Christ as he was to Moses and doth he teach his People in the New-Covenant short of Moses And as for thy Charge of Vnthankfulness c. keep it to thy self for we can praise the Lord for the Scriptures and such as honest Tindal that did translate them who was burnt and persecuted by the same Bloody Murdering Spirit of New-England that kill'd our Friends But what hast thou to do with W. Tindal hear him in our Defence against thee and thy Brethren saying It is impossible to understand in the Scriptures more than a Turk for who-so-ever hath not the Law of God writ in his Heart to fulfil it Again VVithout the Spirit it is Impossible to understand them W. Tindal's Works p. 319 p. 80 What is this if People have the Scriptures in all the Languages and yet oppose that which must lead them into the Truth of them or inspire them to know them and though they have the Scriptures in all Languages can any know Adam and Eve's State in Paradise except they be brought thither by Christ And it 's true they may have an outward Knowledge by reading of Adam and Eve but in this thou confoundest thy self and say'st A Parrot may talk of Heaven and Hell and the Grace and so may not a Parrot be taught to talk of Adam and Eve read thy 33 Page And then R. W. telleth of a Question put to a Soul and the dreadful end of that Party but he hath particularized no body so it is like the rest of his Stories R. W. And then thou chargest the Quakers with Laziness because they do not study the Original Language themselves saying It is a shameful Trade and deceitful when Persons have money in their hands to take up all on Trust. And further thou say'st I never knew any of these Foxians so inclined but according to the Lazy Fool under the Fig-tree c. Answ. R. W. Contradicteth himself he saith pag. 43. John Stubs vapour'd and said He understood as many Languages as I and in another place That he understood the Greek Hebrew and Latine And the Quakers have their Schools that teach all these Naturals but what is all this to know Christ and the things of God which are Revealed by his Spirit And Christ saith Flesh and Blood had not revealed him to Peter but his Father and was not Peter's and the Jews Language Hebrew that opposed Christ And as for all thy foul Words thou mightst have kept them at Home for they are not worth Answering But we challenge R. W. and all the New-England Priests to prove by Scripture where-ever Christ or his Apostles charged one of their Believers with the Horrible Crime of Laziness for not studying the Original Languages as the means by which they might know the Scriptures and Christ without the Revelation of Christ and his Spirit R. W. And thou say'st I judge that G. F. with his Wild Spirit cannot prove that Pilate had the Hebrew Greek and Latine Answ. That is not the Matter in hand for
Spirit as literally and properly as the Scripture declareth him And thou say'st again That W. Edm. shewed but little Philosophy and Divinity Doth not the Apostle bid the Saints Beware of Philosophy and if they had known God and Divinity by it the Apostle would not have bidden them beware of it surely And thou say'st That W. Edm. affirmed that properly and really that Scripture of Wolves coming in Sheeps-Cloathing was to be understood Literally without Meaning And what meaning wilt thou give to Christ's Words are not Men called Wolves really that worry Christ's Sheep about Religion for Christ doth not say They are Wolves with four Feet and when Christ spoke Parables he said He that hath an Ear let him hear and sometimes he expounded them to his Disciples And the Scripture calling God a Father and a Husband and Christ a Rock and Christ's Believers are called a Body a House a Flock are they not really so for it doth not say They are a Flock of Sheep as outwardly or other Creatures nor an outward House c. And then thou goest on with a great Tale and tell'st What the Papists hold and what is amongst them Roger though thou and you of New-England are separated from the Church of Rome yet you are found in the same Old Spirit of Persecution R. W. And whereas thou say'st By God's holy and wise Permission the Devil sends out his old known Spirit of pure Invisibles and pure Immediate and pure Worshippers in Spirit and Truth Answ. Roger do not Blaspheme against the Holy Spirit of God For is not God's Spirit and Truth Holy and Pure in which he is Worshipped and is not God's Holy Spirit Invisible or is it Mediate R. W. And thou say'st This Spirit to wit of the Quakers being Cozen German to or Sworn Brother in Hellish Equivocation with the Jesuites c. Answ. These are thine and the New-England Priests Conditions as your Fruits have declared it for the Quakers obey the Commands of Christ who saith Swear not at all R. W. For thou say'st The Quakers Churches they are as they Childishly vapour Bodies without Wants or Distempers c. Answ. Reader see if there be any such Words in G. F's Answer for G. F. speaketh of the Mystical or Spiritual Body he doth not speak of Naturals nor Bodies of outward Families or Bodies of Nations and Cities or Armies Nor Visible Churches nor the Body of Visible Churches but the Spiritual Body For doth not the Apostle speak of a Spiritual Body and a Natural Body and so it is God that doth supply both And G. F. doth not speak of the outward Bodies of the Saints for is that Mystical R. W. And then thou say'st What known Divisions and Passions about J. Naylor's and others Cases what Envyings Cursings Apostasies and Moral Idolatry as that of Covetousness in this Colony known notoriously Answ. Thou hast not particulariz'd who they be and what is their Covetousness who is known so notoriously as thou say'st in that Colony therefore we look upon this as a Slandering of thy Neighbours for we question whether thou hast admonished them if it was so before thou told the World And as for Cursings and Envyings and Divisions thou mightst have kept that amongst you New-England Professors but if any one do not walk as becometh the Gospel we do Admonish them And if there be any Difference about outward Matters according to the Apostle's Doctrine we do end it amongst our selves according to Truth and Righteousness 1 Cor. 6 and God hath given us Judgment in such Matters as well as Spiritual R. W. And thou say'st I have fairly Collected that the Spirit of the Quakers tends to Incivility and Barbarisme and to suddain Assassinations Murthers and Persecutions Answ. This is thine and the New-England Spirits whose Persecution is known for you have proved it already And thou wouldst have us punished and yet thou wouldst not have it called Persecution as in thy 200 page Is not your Law standing by which you Murdered God's People and do not your Laws and thy stirring up to Punishment Collect or declare your own Spirit not to be the Spirit of Christ for where would it have any to be punished for Matters of Religion and Conscience towards God And so as for thy Lies and abusive Speeches we can say The Lord forgive thee if it be his Will R. W. And thou say'st I believe that I have and can further make it good that the Eternal Father of Mercies stops millions of Mischiefs in the world daily which the Natures Grounds and Principles of Men and the Quakers Spirit also now to turn and overwhelme the world withal Answ. Here thou hast manifested thy self to be of the Spirit of them that opposed Paul who said he was a Pestilent Fellow and a Turner of the World upside down And as for the Principles of Men beside the Quakers they may answer for themselves and thy Slanders may serve such as are given up to believe Lies but sober People that know us will not receive nor believe thy Lies but it will make more to believe the Truth which thou canst not stop But let the Reader see if R. W. in all his Rambling Reply hath said any thing to the Spiritual or Mystical Body which was G. F's Question R. W. And thou bringst J. Clapham his saying Men may be called of Men Masters and it is but a Cavel to deny it and they may deny to be called Father as well as Master And G. F. Ans. Thou hast in this denyed the Doctrine of Christ and slighted it who saith Be not ye called of Men Master for ye have all one Master which is Christ and ye are all Brethren and thou hast shewed thy self out of that Brotherhood And there is a Birth to be born which calls no Man Father upon Earth which thou art ignorant of And R. W. replyeth and falleth a Railing and calleth it G. Foxs's lame Answer Answ. Let the Reader see if it be not Christ's Doctrine which he might as well have called Christ's Doctrine Lame which he Preached to his Disciples R. W. And thou say'st Among other Foolish Passions and Affections haunting all Men and the Quakers especially these two are notorious viz. Pride and a lazy Ignorance these two are the Sir and Dame of most of these Wild Monsters Answ. R. W. might have kept this at home for it is his own Condition who kicketh at Christ's Doctrine that G. F. brings who saith Neither be ye called of Men Master for one is your Master even Christ and ye are all Brethren And he manifests himself to be in the steps of the Pharisees who love to be called of Men Rabbi And so for his Foolish Passion and Pride c. and Lazy Ignorance and wild Monstrous Spirit he may apply at home who doth not obey Christ's Doctrine And we know that those Opposites have written against Christ's Doctrine who love to be called of Men Masters and against us
also Must not Christ dwell in his people and are not the Saints bodies members of Christ and are they not Christ's Temple for to dwell in And doth not the Apostle say Ye are not your own ye are bought with a price c. is this to affirm They are Christ himself Or doth it hence follow That those particulars affirmed of the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 3. are inverted and dreadfully turned upon their proud devilish Flesh because God was Manifested in the Flesh c 1 Tim. 3 16. see what false Charges and Inferences he frameth But doth not Christ destroy the Devil and proud Flesh in people for doth not the Apostle say If Christ be in you the body is dead because of Sin but the Spirit is life because of Righteousness Rom. 8. R. W. And thou say'st The Devil is manifest in their Flesh Condemn'd of the holy Spirit of God abhorred of the heavenly Angels the world shall abhor their Memory and except Repentance they shall descend with all the Enemies of the true Lord Jesus into the Lake that burns with unquenchable fire c. Answ. R. Williams might have applyed this Judgement of his to his own Spirit and the professors of New-England of the Devil being manifested in their Flesh whose work of Lying Murder and Persecution they have done and it s well if they do see a day of Repentance that they and he may escape the Lake Thus we do Confess with the Apostle The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the Law of Sin and death for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of Sinful Flesh for sin Condemnes Sin in the Flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fullfilled in u● who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. And as for R. W's saying The world abhorring of our memory c. we know the World hated Christ our Lord and Master and so it is no marvel if such worldly minds as R. W. is hate us God Loved his people yea all his Saints are in his hand and they sit down at his feet and receive his words and his Angels do pitch their Tents about them and we know that their Ministring Spirits are sent forth to Minister to them that be Heirs of Salvation Deut. 33. Hebr 1. R. W. And thou bring'st Tho. Moor saying Christ is distinct from from every one of us and without us and our particular persons And G. F. Answers T.M. The Apostle saith Christ was in them except they were Reprobates and they were of his Flesh and of his Bone and they eat his flesh and drank his blood then it was within them And he is distinct from none but Reprobates who hate the Light And is not this truth according to Scripture for the Apostle saith We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bone Ephes. 5 30 and 2 Cor. 13 Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates And doth not Christ say he is the Living bread that cometh down from heaven and Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath Eternal Life and I will raise him up at the last day for my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him and is not this Scripture R. W. Replyeth to G. F. and falleth a Railing as he used to do and saith G. F's words carry two faces one to God and another to the Devil Answ. As for that word face to the Devil he might have kept it at home for it is his own And as for the Papist's Transubstantiation which he calleth Rome on Hell let them answer for themselves we have nothing to do with them and Christ saith his words are Spirit and Life and flesh profits nothing And as for thy saying that the Quakers have printed that their flesh and blood is as good as Christ's and of as much vertue c. These are more of thy Lyes but no book nor page hast thou mentioned for this R. W. And whereas thou bring'st Act. 20. and say'st Hence many of them contend that God's blood and God's flesh redeems them Answ. What! must they not use the Apostle's Expressions who said Take heed unto your selves and to feed the Flock which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood And in Contradiction to thy self thou say'st That God pay'd his blood to redeem thee page 156 but I must tell thee Christ as God did not die but Christ suffered according to the Flesh. R. W. And thou say'st Gods Flesh redeemes us Answ. Was not Christ God and doth not the Scripture say Rom. 9 5. Christ is God but God is a Spirit And where did ever the Quakers print or say it was God's Flesh it is called the Flesh of Christ but what if the Quakers use the Apostle's words Great is the Mystery of Godliness God was manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit c. 1 Tim. 3 R. W. And thou say'st That their blood and their sufferings are God's Flesh and Blood Redeeming and Saving c. Answ. The Reader may see there are no such words in G. F.'s Answer For I say It 's Christ's blood who dyed at Jerusalem that saveth and yet the Saints cannot deny but that they are Christ's and Christ is God's and their bodies are his to dwell in And thou tell'st of One that would not speak all at once but who it is thou tell'st us not so its like thou hast Abused him as thou hast done others R. W. And thou say'st These Foxians are God and Christ Spirit Resurrection Life and Heaven Answ. These are more of thy Lyes and Forgeries let the Reader see if there be any such thing in G. F's Answer and whether thou hast not abused his Answer And must not Christ dwell in his people who is the Resurrection and the Life and his Kingdom be in them and doth not he dwell in all his true believers And did not Christ appear again to his Disciples according to his Promise and Christ saith He that loveth me and keepeth my words my Father will Love him and we will come unto him and make our Abode with him John 14 And that of Joh. 16. is true as Christ speaketh and the true believers do behold his Glory as in Joh. 17 R. W. And thou say'st I know these poor Foxians say that he did come again to them to wit Christ and I know also that a man may feel this Lye with a pair of Mittins for I know the Comforter came not unto them upon his Resurrection for then he was forty days with them but after his Ascension Answ. As for poor and Foxians thou might'st have kept to thy self and Lye for thou call'st it Vncivil for G. F. to speak the
Darkness to Light turn People to the God of the World what Blasphemy is this R. W. But thou say'st The Scripture is but a Dead Letter the true Christ is within thee he will turn thee from thy Sins and make thee Perfect as he is and he is come in us Ten Thousand of his Saints c. Thus thou mockest Answ. R. W. hath not proved that the Letter of the Scripture is Living for Christ saith Search or Ye search the Scriptures but ye will not come unto me that you may have Life for they are they that Testifie of me they Testifie of the Life but Christ doth not say They are Life or Living And doth not Christ shew People their Sin else how doth he Convince them of their ungodly De●ds And doth not Christ say to his Apostles Be ye Perfect as your Heavenly Father is Perfect and what dost thou kick against this Doctrine We do confess that Christ Liveth in our Hearts and if he live not in your Hearts you are Roprobates the Apostle saith R. W. And whereas he scoffingly saith He within thee is the Word of God the Christ of God the Light of God the Spirit of God God himself and He seeks Worshippers in Spirit and Truth And then thou say'st What is in all this but the noise of Fenny Bitter in Hollow Canes c what is here but that two Common Businesses may reach to 1. The Conscience of Good and Evil which every Savage Indian in the world hath 2. The Whisperings the Blindings and Cheatings of the Devil in Samuel's Mantle Answ. Here the Reader may see that R. W's Words are nothing in Answer to G. F's Assertion But what must we infer from R. W's Words but that the Preaching of the Word of God in the Heart and Christ within People except they be Reprobates and God Walking and Tabernacling in his Saints and the Spirit of God to lead his Saints into all Truth that they may be his Sons and the Light that shineth in their Hearts that giveth them the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus and the Worship of God that is in the Spirit in which he seeketh People to worship him These Doctrines saith R. W. are such a Conscience of Good and Evil as every Savage Indian in the world hath And further he saith These Doctrines are the Whisperings Blindings and Cheatings of the Devil pretending saith R. W. Vowing and Swearing to be the Word of the Lord to be Jesus Christ yea and that to your Feeling c. This is an Horrid Lie he knoweth it in his own Conscience for we neither Vow nor Swear but Christ Jesus the Word we feel to our Comfort and Salvation but what Comfort in this Doctrine hath he to poor Sinners And after this thou Contradictest thy self and say'st That Christ Jesus is the Door of Hope to poor Sinners here thou grantest what G. F. asserts and what thou hast been Cavilling against and so Contradictest thy self which is frequent with thee But Roger is the Worship of God in Spirit and Truth a Temporal and Visible thing prove this by Scripture and prove to us by Scripture That God and Christ and his Spirit is called a Conscience of Good and Evil and whisperings and blindings and cheatings in Samuel's Mantle Also pag. 74. he saith to this purpose Natural Men until Chang'd and Born again do but prate as the Devils do but in Contradiction to that he saith pag. 79. That it is by Outward hearing or reading and inward Convictions of Natural Conscience God hath passed Sentence of Eternal Death R. W. must this then be an Inward or Spiritual Hearing of this Sentence And when People come to see their Sins by the Light of Christ then People Cry out to Christ the Saviour the Gospel the Good News for Salvation from him they Receive this Gospel their Healing and Setteth them out of Prison and free from their Sin and with his Light it is they see themselves Blind and with his Light they see his Spiritual Eye-Salve and his precious Blood which Cleanseth from all Sin But these are too good and soft Words for thy foul Spirit and full Stomack who hast cast out so many Lies against God's People R. W. And thou bringest-in Ellis Bradshaw Fol. G. F. 224. saying There is more Words than one G. F. Answ. God is the Word and the Scriptures are the Words which Christ fulfilleth And R. W. replyeth As the Design of the Bloody Pope and Jesuites are to kindle Wars between the Protestants that the Protestants may do the Papists work so deals the Devil the old Serpent with Christ Jesus and the Holy Scripture which are but one in a Sense as the Sun and the Sun-Dial his end is to tear down the Sun-Dial c. under pretence that the Sun is within them and they need no Dials or Clocks no Visible thing that is Temporal c. and so to destroy the Person and Commands of Christ as Visible and Fleshly pretending all to be Light and Spirit Answ. Reader what is this to G. F's Answer But R. W. have not the New-England Priests and Professors done the BLOODY Pope's work as thou call'st him and art not thou a doing it and would they be so careful of the Scripture but that they make a Trade of it and under a pretence of Scripture and Dials without do the Devil's work to throw at the Spirit and Christ in Peoples Hearts and tear him out there if you could But I must tell thee R. W. that as to Christ himself and his Person though he was Dead yet he is Alive and Dies no more and he is out of your Reach and you cannot persecute him any more though they and thou may persecute him in his Members that keep the Commands of Jesus And as to Visible and Fleshly pretending and the Visible and Temporal things thy Clocks and Dials which are thy Helps to know the Invisible know this thou may'st pore on them till thy Eyes rot in their Holes and never know the Lord Jesus Christ but by Revelation R. W. Thou say'st The word Dabar in Hebrew and Logos in Greek signifie the Word c. and that it is a Metaphor to say God is the Word for God is no more a Word than he is a Man or a Spirit c. Answ. Dost thou not here gain-say John's Doctrine who saith The Word was God and wilt thou give Christ the Lie that saith God is a Spirit Joh. 4. but prove this by Scripture that John did say That it is a Metaphor to call God the Word Then dost not thou Contradict thy self and say'st The Man Christ Jesus is called the Word but was not he called the Word that was called God and did not this Word take Flesh did Christ suffer and die as he was God or according to the Flesh since 't is said The Word liveth and abideth and endureth for ever Thou say'st That G. F. confesseth that
of Christ's mouth that which is not of him was not that of Christ that he breathed upon his disciples when he said Receive ye the Holy Ghost what was that a Figure of if not of a Participation of his own Breath Life and Spirit and if so it seemeth this that cometh out of Christ's mouth must be his breath By the Brightness of his Coming and the Breath of his mouth he shall destroy the man of sin that is by his Spirit what now Roger is it not Christ's Breath that goeth out of his Mouth that destroyeth and is it not his Breath his Spirit doth not both the Hebrew and the Greek say so wherefore the Sword with Two Edges that cometh out of Christ's mouth is the Spirit by which he destroyeth and will destroy the man of sin and all such scornful men as thou art if you repent not R. W. The●e great Interpreters are confounded in themselves for in Ephes. 4. the Spirit must be the Sword but in Hebr. 4. Christ must be the Sword with two edges being the Word of God and not the Spirit Answ. Thou writest as if thou ravest there is no such passage in Ephes. 4. Next for Hebr. 4 there is no such thing as making Christ the Two-edged Sword For the words are That the Word of God is sharper then any Two-edged Sword but that the Scriptures are not Christ and the Spirit as thou wouldst have it neither can they pierce even to the dividing asunder of soul and Spirit and of the joynts and marrow nor are they a discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart this were to make the Scripture a Spiritual and Invisible Being yea an Omnipresent one yea God For they declare that he that searcheth the Heart and trieth the Reins and telleth unto man his Thoughts the LORD OF HOSTS is his Name Thou art like the Apostate Jews that by thinking to Honour the Scripture dishonour God Christ Spirit and Scripture too But thou callest us Juglers for shifting from Christ to Spirit and Spirit to Christ again what Vnsavoury Words hast thou Is not Christ Jesus called the Word of God and is he not called the Quickning Spirit and is not the Spirit Christ's Spirit and can Christ be separated from his own Spirit but thou art Ignorant of that Vnion being in the Death and Alienation from Christ and his Spirit R. W. But it is Objected by G. F. That the Spirit was before the Scripture and gave forth the Scripture I answer What then G. F. is before his Book and gave it forth is it not therefore G. F's Word and Writing but G. F. himself Or is not the King's Majesty before his Declaration to the World is it not therefore the King's Word or is it the King himself Answ. What I say is true and R. W. shall not be able to deny it if he own plain Scripture For before the Scriptures were the Word was it was In the Beginning so were not the Scriptures The Word was with God and was God so were never the Scriptures All things were made by it that were made but nothing was ever Created by the Scriptures therefore not the Word of God but Words Again the Word of God that came to the Prophets was not the Written Word yet the Word therefore the Written Word was not that Word but a Declaration of that Word and came from the Word so that which was before the Scriptures and from whence they came is the Word and not themselves So that what thou Alludest to confoundeth thy self G. F. is before his Writing and the Writing is not G. F the King is b●fore his Declaration and the Declaration is not the King In like manner the Word is before the Scripture and the Scripture is not the Word but a Declaration of that Word and the Words of that great Word So we are for the Form of Sound Words that proceed from that Divine Word that dwelt in Enoch Abraham and the Patriarchs before the Scriptures were and in the Holy Prophets and Apostles before they gave forth the Old and New-Testament-Writings which they directed the Antient Saints to and desired that it might dwell richly in them R. W. Thou say'st This Immediate Inspiration of the Holy Scripture from the Spirit makes it a Word so powerful a Standard Touch-stone or Weights so perfect for the Tryal of all Spirits Writings Doctrines Religions Worships Actions c. Answ. The Immediate Inspiration of the Holy Scripture is no Scripture-saying neither can the Scripture Inspire Thou bringest-in From the Spirit if thou meanest that they are Given forth by Inspiration we own it if thou intendest more 't is Erroneous for Inspiration is by the Spirit of God only Now the Scripture is a S●aled Book to thee and thy Generation neither knowest thou the Meaning of it for it is only given to the Spiritual Man to Discern he that is lead and guided by the Spirit but thou shuttest the Spirit out the Scripture is sufficient Wherefore thou art ignorant of the Scriptures for they are not to be learned but by the Spirit that gave them forth they are shut up from all the Wisdom of this World therefore the Jews understood them not but persecuted Jesus by them as they d●rkly imagin'd as thou dost us and thought in them to find Eternal Life and not in Christ whom they discerned not as thou dost not the Children of Light But do the Scriptures try Spirits they say the Anointing is to do it whom shall we believe But Roger Tryal of Spirits is more than Tryal of Doctrines Writings and External Truth What! if a Man profess all the Doctrines of the Apostles and were outwardly not to be condemned in his Conversation yet might have a Deceitful Spirit to gather to himself and endeavour to supplant the true Servants of God and an all occasions use the Words of the Prophets and Apostles and say Thus saith the Lord but God never spoke by him how wouldst thou try this Spirit and this Power what Chapter or Verse would give thee a Savour and Discerning of the Spirit of this Deceiver this Wolf in the Sheeps-Cloathing to try not the Words but the Nature Life and Spirit that useth them But it hath ever been the Devil's Way in his Instruments since the Scriptures were given forth to pretend to Stand up for the Scripture when the Design is to war against and undervalue the Power Spirit and Anointing endeavouring to bring it into Disgrace But the Lord beholds these things and he will overtake such Evil Instruments with his Judgments and his Power and Spirit and Seed of Life and Holy Anointing which the Scriptures of Truth testifie of shall appear more and more and go over all R. W. Thou say'st further But the Pharisees saith G. F. had the Scriptures but they had not the Sword of the Spirit I answer The Jews had and have and so the Turks have had much of it the Papists and the Quakers
New-England-People must not we Love one another and Esteem one another and Love Enemies and Pray for Persecutors R. W. would have us to observe the Conspiracy of Korah c. which was consumed by Earth and Fire Answ. If R. W. had done this and the New-England-Priests he and they had never Conspired against God's People but let them take heed of the Judgments and is it not come upon some of them since R. W. writ this Book And let the Reader see if R. W. have touched upon G. F's Answer which saith They that do not bring People to the Light of Christ within are of Korah and Dathan c. and the Priest saith They that bring People to the Light of Christ within are as Korah Dathan c. And now what must we observe from R. W's and J. B's Doctrine but that They that turn People from the Light are not Korah and they that turn People from the Darkness to the Light are Korah So then the Preachers of Christ the Light within are Korah and the Rebellers against the Light of Christ within are not Korah and they that will not believe the Doctrine of R. W. and the New-England-Priests must be Korahs Dathans c. by them and must be Punished Goods SPOILED IMPRISONED BANISHED WHIPT BVRNT in the Hand and EARS CVT OFF c. And are not ye herein worse than Korah And a great deal more Railing Language thou hast here not worth the taking notice of R. W. Bringeth George Johnson from G. F's Fol. 262. saying The Americans were never ordained for Grace and Salvation and the Grace of God never appeared to the Americans G. F. Answ. Which is contrary to the Scripture which saith The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto ALL MEN c. and I will give him for a Light and for a Covenant to the Gentiles a New Covenant to the House of Israel and Judah and that he may be my Salvation to the Ends of the Earth And many in America have received Truth and Salvation R. W. replyeth To the Covenant or Bargain of Ged with Man First and Secondly I have spoken Thou say'st Thou hast spoken but thou hast proved no where in the Scripture where it is called a Bargain And also thou say'st Thou hast spoken to the Figurative Calling of Christ to the Jews and Gentiles and that this blind Soul taking it Literally he runs upon the Rocks of the Arminian General Redemption and the Universalists General Salvation and that with a known Contradiction against their own Foundation of none having any Benefit of Christ that own not their Light as also with a known Contradiction to Experience which saith The whole World lies in Wickedness Answ. R. W. saith G. F. hath contradicted themselves I say Nay For R. W. saith that G. F. is a blind Soul and taketh Christ the Covenant literally for he calleth Christ the Covenant Figurative but he hath not proved it by Scripture neither told us what Christ the Covenant Figureth forth and then in plain Words contradicteth himself in the same page saying Christ is the Light the Covenant c. as the Sun in the Heavens to all the World And G. F. doth not say that any are saved but who believe in the Light as Christ commandeth and so have Faith in him this is no Contradiction to Christ our Foundation And God saith I will give thee for a Covenant to the people Esa. 42. and what THEE is this if it be not Christ And I will give thee for a Covenant of the people to establish the Earth Esa. 49. and thou blasphemously callest this Covenant of Life which lighteth every man that cometh into the World our New black Image of Light within R. W. why dost thou Blaspheme against Christ and his Light which shineth in our hearts to give us the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus where was ever any of the Antichrists and false prophets thy Fore-fathers so gross as to call the Light of Christ a black Image R. W. And thou callest the Light of Christ Jesus within a false Light and Spirit which we would infect the Indians with Answ. What doth R. W. and the New-England-Priests preach to the Indians if it be not Christ his Light Spirit and doth the Light of Christ Poyson and Bewitch People with Hellish Sorceries And what must we understand by R. W's Words but that he draweth them from the Light of Christ and his Spirit but the Apostle was sent to Open the Eyes of the Blind turning them from the Darkness to the Light And do not they that Draw People from the Spirit bewitch People read Gal. 3. R. W. saith What G. F. means by saying Some in America have received Truth and Salvation I can but guess at it is known that he owns nothing of God in the Indians or English until they bow down to their Idol Answ. Let the Reader see and consider the Wickedness of this Man against the Light of Christ and the Grace of God which G. F. saith hath appeared to all Men which bringeth Salvation and are not the Indians Men And God hath given Christ for a Covenant of Light to be his Salvation to the Ends of the Earth and this Covenant of Light and Grace he enviously calleth our Idol and saith We own nothing of God in Indians or English So let the Reader read my Answer to G. J. and judge but such as hate the Light of Christ which they should believe in and turn the Grace of God unto Wantonness which should teach them and bring them Salvation how should they be saved Now by this the Reader may see what R. W. and the New-England-Priests have brought the Indians and the People to seeing to turn People from Darkness to the Light of Christ and to Preach the Grace of God by which the Saints were saved Poysoneth and Bewitcheth People with Hellish Sorcery and to bow down to Christ the Light and his Grace is to bow down to an Idol as you may see his Blasphemous Doctrine in his Reply to G. F. And many more Malicious Words are here which are not worth the taking notice of R. W. Bringeth John Owen G. F. Fol. 263. saying All Truth concerning God and our selves is to be learned from the Holy Scripture the Word of God G. F. Answ. There was Truth learned before the Scripture was Written and the Scriptures of Truth are the Words of God which end in Christ the Word and there are no Truths learned but as the Spirit doth lead into all Truth And many have the Scriptures but know not Christ and the Truth c. so he hath thrown out Christ and the Spirit R. W. replyeth and calleth it a Childish Answer and saith There was Truth and Spirit and Christ and Light before Scripture So here R. W. and J. Owen are in Confusion they Contradict one another And further R. W. saith That the Scriptures nor
be out of whose Mouths it be though we cannot own their Meanings nor have Unity with such as hold up the Truth in Vnrighteousness And as for Trampling we trample nothing that is good under our Feet that is thy own Condition but we do own the Appearance of God in all People But R. W. thou say'st Without any Savour of the Spirit of God and yet thou say'st I find in all Mankind a Conviction that God is Just and Powerful and I find Generally in all Mankind a Conviction of an Invisible Omnipotent and Eternal Power and Godhead yet thou say'st Without any Savour of the Spirit of God read pag. 28. 102. thy Contradiction And thou say'st It pleaseth God to strive with Men by Preaching but not by such as thou and the New-England-Priests are that stir up the Punishment Persecution and HANGING R. W. Thou askest Why David complaineth Psal. 53. that all the Children of Men not one excepted are Unprofitable c. are Abominable to Spiritual Matters and Heavenly Things and further thou say'st until the Spirit of God comes and truly change the Heart and whole Frame of Nature until then we are as profitable as Hogs and Moles in a Garden c. and as devouring Foxes amongst the true Lambs and Chickkins of Christ Jesus Answ. R. W. thou hast writ thy Condition and the New-England-Priests there to wit the Devouring Foxes and Hogs of the Lambs of Christ and his Chickkins For mark the Word VNTIL the Spirit of God change their Hearts c. and we believe your Hearts and Natures are not changed but you are Vnprofitable for how can it be when thou say'st There is no Voice nor Motion within in Heavenly things in Matters of Supernatural Light to hearken to to turn to to listen to p 83. And was David's Complaint of the Children of Men Vnprofitable And doth not David bid All that hath Breath praise the Lord and how can they Praise the Lord if there be nothing of the Spirit of God in them And do not they quench that which God hath manifested in them which God hath shewn unto them and which convinceth them of an Invisible and Omnipotent and Eternal Power and God-head so is not this Conviction of the Spirit of God in them and will not the Lord pour out his Wrath upon all the Heathen that call not upon his Name And now is there not a further Manifestation in these Last Days by Christ who Enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World and the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared to All Men and God poureth out his Spirit upon All Flesh but from this Spirit Grace and Light in all Men thou art erred from and canst not endure to hear of it R. W. Bringeth Hugh Archbal G. F. Fol. 328. saying Christ doth Enlighten none but those that do receive him G. F. Answ. Contrary to John 3. which speaketh of them that hate the Light and are Enlightned and will not come to it because the Light will Reprove them so he that hateth the Light is Enlightned will not Receive Christ. To which R. W. replyeth and after his wonted manner with foul Expressions saith G. F. abuseth 2 Cor. 4. saith Joh. 1. is not Enlightneth but Lighted and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signify both c. They which hate the Light are Enlightned no question but with the General Offer of Mercy as of a Candle or Sun to the Eyes of a Blind Man which is yet their Condemnation c. And before thou say'st There is a Higher Light which some are affected tinctur'd and Enlightned with and yet not the True and Saving Light that in Heb. 6. where some Persons as the pretended Quakers c. have seen much of the Nature of God of his Holiness and Justice c. and had a Tast of the Joys of the Next World Answ. If ENLIGHTNING and LIGHTED signify both then do not oppose it And here thou confessest They that hate the Light are Enlightned as well as the Believers in the Light it is the same Light but thou say'st It is a General Offer as a Candle or the Sun to the Eyes That is an Outward Light and a Blind Man can neither see Candle nor Fire and so that which he doth not see is his Condemnation according to thy Doctrine But is this according to Christ's Words Joh. 3. are his Words no more than a General Offer as a Candle or the Sun to the Eyes of a Blind Man for Christ saith One Hateth the Light and the other Loveth the Light and bringeth the Deeds to the Light that they may see they are wrought in God so that is not Natural which giveth the Knowledge of God which shineth in his Heart as in 2 Cor. 4. which I do not abuse but it is thou that abusest it And Christ saith This is the Condemnation the Light is come in the World and Men love Darkness rather than the Light because their Deeds be evil here Christ giveth the Reason for the Light discovereth the Darkness and their evil Deeds or else how should they know them For Every one that doth evil hateth the Light mark Every one neither cometh to the Light least his deeds should be reproved and so by the Light he knoweth this Evil Deeds and knoweth he doth Evil and knoweth he hateth it and that is his Condemnation And this is more than a Candle or the Sun to the Blind Man's Eyes that cannot see it and every one that doth the Truth cometh to the Light so it is the same Light that he that doth Evil hateth and he that doth the Truth loveth and this is the Light of Christ. And how darest thou say the Light was or is not Saving Hebr. 6 was not the Holy Ghost Saving and the Word of God Saving or is not the Word of God Sufficient to reconcile to God and the Holy Ghost Sufficient to lead into all Truth But thou say'st In Hebr. 6. the higher Light which enlightneth and yet not the True and Saving Light we charge thee to make this good all the New-England priests by the Scripture That the Light spoken of in Hebr. 6. is not the True and Saving Light it's like thou never tryed'st it But thou art such as they that are fallen away from the good Word of God and resist the Holy Ghost and become a Hater of this Light though thou hast tasted of the Gift and Crucifiest the Son of God a fresh to thy self as the New-England-priests and puttest him to open shame and then HANG punish and persecute others where he is manifest I tell you your Earth beareth Thorns and Bryars and read what will be your End Heb. 6. R. W. bringeth James Dorram saying The Believer is not in Sin as the Vnbeliever is he sinneth not as the Vnbeliever doth And in another place he saith That the Law is the same to the Believers that it is to the Unbelievers
and Writing deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God and only that Frantick Light of Christ imagin'd by them to be in all Mankind to be the only Word of God yea is it of any use or more Value to them that have the Scriptures in their hearts as they say then a Dead Letter and an Old Almanack c. and thou say'st They undermine the Scriptures Answ. As for Face of Brass R. W. might have kept for himself his Face of Brass and Frantick Spirit he speaketh of we do not in no place in any of our Books or Writings as the Reader may see deny undermine or slight the Scriptures but do esteem them with the Spirit that led the Holy Men that gave them forth who learned them of God And they are called the Words of God and Christ is the Word of God who lighteth every man that cometh into the World with the Light which is the Life in the Word And this we must own if we own God and Christ and the Scriptures and are not a shamed of it afore men to wit of Christ the Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World which thou callest Blasphemously that Frantick Light or Christ but Roger it will be thy Condemnation And we never compared the Scriptures with an Old Almanack or esteemed them so in that thou belyest us and we cannot give the Titles to Scriptures which are belonging to God and Christ for the Word became Flesh and so not the Scriptures And Christ doth not say that the Life is in the Letter but in him and they testify of him who is the Life But R. W. is the Life in the Letter and is the Letter Living seeing thou say'st The Scripture availeth nothing except the Spirit of God set them home upon us pag. 94 and dost thou not say then The Word is good for nothing as thou callest the Scripture without Life and what sense is this R. W And can any people know the Scriptures except by the Spirit of God which leadeth into all Truth of them which we say in Truth and Sincerity as Christ and his Prophets call them to be the Words of God and thou that say'st otherwise dost not thou Add to the Scriptures and read thy Portion Revelat. the last And when thou hast forged many Words of thy own then thou makest a Reply to them and fall'st a railing at them and dost not reply to G. F's Words and the Reader may see there is none of these bad Words in G. F's answer as thou here falsly assertest R. W. quoteth a Book from Holland G. F.'s fol. 356 saying That God hath put out the Remembrance of your sins and the Corruptions within you wherein you must fight all your life time G. F. Answ. Whilst the Sins you are fighting with-al are not blotted out in your own Particulars this is not the Life of the Saints that are not fighting all their Life-time but come to the Kingdom of God witnessing Sin and Iniquity blotted out and the Everlasting Covenant of Peace and Life with God R. W. replyeth and falleth a railing with many Vnsavoury Words and saith He shews no Knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek whence our English Scriptures come from them as a Daughter from the Mother and falls short of many English Writers who scorn to disgrace their Mother English by so much Bastard and False English c. Answ. Here R. W. would seem to be some Body in his Hebrew Greek and Latin and let the Reader see if he hath not Condemn'd himself in Judging G. F though some Words may have been mist in the Printing or in Paging as many have in his but he hath not shewn which is the False English in this Place R. W. saith further If ever any poor empty Soul have talked of God without God and the Holy Spirit within without them or any true Savour of them and of the Holy Writings c. without them or any true Reverence of them and Love to them of Light without any Spark of true Illumination c. Answ. How angry and furious is R. W. here this is thy own Talk R. W. and not G. F's And Poor Empty Soul thou mightst have kept at home for can any Talk of the Holy Spirit within and have not a Savour or Sense if it be truly there within which we witness and we do Reverence the Scriptures and God and Christ with his Holy Ghost by which the Holy Men of God did speak them forth But how now R. W. do I Talk of the Light without any Spark of true Illumination and yet so great a Talent of Wit and Reason which the Father of Lights hath given me what hast thou forgotten this in thy App. p. 108. R. W. Thou say'st That no Sin is blotted ou● until there be no more Root or Seed of it in the Soul to Fight against and these are thy own Words of which thou makest a large Reply and not mine for my Words are The Saints are not Fighting all their Life-time And thou bringest Paul and the Galatians to Combate with Flesh and Spirit Gal. 5. and Paul did not the things that he would c. and Eph. 6 and Luk. 21 and 2 Cor. 7. c. and Christ speaking to the Churches to Watch to Overcome to Repent c. Answ. What is all this to the purpose to prove That the Saints were Fighting all their Life-time and had a Combate all their Life-time all these Scriptures do not prove it nor Paul's Warfare For Paul as I said before to thee said He had FOVGHT the good Fight and he was made free by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus from the Law of Sin and Death though the Apostles and the Saints went through many Conditions before they came to this And the Prayer of Christ to Pray against Temptations c. so it is not a Sin to be tempted but a Sin to Enter into Temptation is owned And Christ's Prayer Forgive us as we forgive others c. if New-England-Priests and Professors had minded the Practice of this Prayer they had not CVT OFF THE EARS nor WHIPT or BANISHT SPOIL'D Goods and HANG'D God's People And doth not the Lord say I will blot out your Sins and your Sins and Iniquities I will remember no more and must not the Saints witness this upon the Earth in Growth in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the New-Covenant of Light R. W. saith If all that are in their Fancied Kingdom are freed from Sin and come to Peace and Joy why then do they themselves still confess to be subject to Quaking and Trembling as if they were at the Foot of Mount Sinai which indeed they are And then thou tellst of a False Peace Joy False Repentance Mortification Sanctification and Salvation c. Answ. R. W. that is thy own and Priests and Professors in New-England Condition and not ours And to Mount Sinai the
is because there is no Light or Morning risen in him see his Works pag. 249. Again Others know no other Touch-stone nor Trial no other Light by which they judge of Truth then Scripture thus putting it in the room of the Spirit which is Light and the greater Light For they say they cannot know Truth till they bring it to the Letter for Tryal thus making an Idol of the Letter setting it up in the ●oom of God Ibid pag. 248. Testimonies concerning the RULE IRenaeus pag 242 384 389 The Writing in the Heart is the Rule Again l. 5. c. 8. The Word giveth his Spirit to All to Some according to Condition And l. 4. c. 30. The Fathers being Iustified by the Righteousness of the Law of God in them therefore had no need of Reproving Letters W. Perkins Works Vol. 3. pag. 220 The Light of Nature and Grace teacheth To do as we would be done to Pag. 221. It is the Fulfilling of the Law the Rule to Iudge Scripture That of God made the Rule something in the Conscience Happy Times if Men would follow it Bishop R. Sanderson De Obligat Conscientiae p. 127. saith A Rule of Discerning without the Scripture Regula discernendi extra Scripturam T. Collier saith The Spirit of God who is God is the alone Rule of a Christian Gen. Epist. to the Saints Chap. 12. The Spiritual Man Iudgeth all Things by the Rule of the Spirit ibid. The Law of the New Testament is Written in the Heart ibid. Testimonies concerning the SOUL TErtullian De Animâ pag. 297. Asserts the Immortality and Divinity of the SOUL D. Fagius in Gen. 2.7 Rabbi Nehamanides hath observed That he that Breatheth on any contributes something of his own to it whence Christ our Saviour when he would Communicate his Holy Spirit to his Disciples he did it by Breathing upon them signifying that he contributed to them something of his own that was Divine The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies something Divine and Heavenly something 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the Immortal Soul of Man is a certain Divine Thing Peter Martyr speaks of the Soul thus in Psalm 94 We are Taught not to with-draw from the Divine Nature those Things that are Perfect and Absolute in us pag. 12. And pag. 122. They say saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Soul doth chiefly signify that which is Divine and Reasonable which God doth give unto us H. Bullinger saith The Soul is a Spiritual Substance poured of God into Man 's Body in his 4. Decas 10. Serm. Augustine saith It is felt in the Life it is Vnutterable Breathed into Man 's Body from the Secret Power of God Henry Ainsworth Annot. in Pentateuch brings the Rabbines saying The Form of the Soul of Man is not Compounded of the Elements c. but is of the Lord from Heaven Therefore when the Material Body which is Compounded of the Elements is separated and the Breath perisheth because it is not found but with the Body and is needful for the Body in all the Actions thereof this Essential Form is not destroyed but continueth even for ever and ever This is that which Solomon by his Wisdom said And Dust shall Return unto the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall Return unto God who gave it Id. in Gen. 2 7. The Lord Animated or Inspired him with a Living and Reasonable Soul or Spirit which presently appeared by Breath at his Nostrils For the Soul of Man is not educed derived or fetched out of any Power in the Matter of the Body nor made of any Matter at all as the Body is but as it is a Spirit Material and Immortal so it had its Immediate Original from the Father of Spirits Hebr. 12 9. Walter Rawleigh 's Hist. of the World pag. 18. Man is said to be after the Image of God in respect of his Immortal Soul only because as God is Invisible so the Soul of Man is Invisible as God is Immortal and Incorporcal so is the Soul of Man Immortal and Incorporcal and as there is but one God which Governeth the World so but one Soul which Governeth the Body of Man and as God is Wholly in every Part of the World so is the Soul of Man Wholly in every Part of the Body Henry More Philosophical Writings pag. 37 The Specifick Nature of the Soul of Man is an Immaterial Substance endued with those two Eminent Properties of Understanding and Power of Moving Corporal Matters Peter Charron 's Wisdom pag. 22 The Immortality of the Soul is a Thing Vniversally received throughout the World I mean by an Outward Profession seriously and Inwardly not so witness so many Epicures Libertines and Mockers in the World Iohn Smith 's of Queen 's Colledge in Cambridge Discourses pag. 87 The Soul of Man acting upon it self and drawing forth its own Latent Energy finds it self able to tame the Outward Man and bring under those Rebellious Motions that arise from the meer Animal Powers and to tame and appease all those Seditions and Mutinies that it finds there Ibid. p. 92. There is a Naked Intuition of Eternal Truth in the Soul which is always the same which never Rises nor Sets but always Stands still in its Vertical and fills the Whole Horizon of the Soul with a Mild and Gentle Light There are such Calm and Serene Ideas of Truth that shine only in Pacate Souls and cannot be discern'd by any Troubled or Fluid Fancy Plotinus En. 4. l. 8. c. 1. pag. 99 The Soul of a Divine and Immortal Being c. Id. Ibid. When he shall behold his own Soul fixt in an Intelligible and Pure Nature Contemplating Things Eternal looking into the Intellectual World being it self made all Lucid to wit Light Intellectual and Shining with the Sun-Beams of Eternal Truth borrowed from the First Good which perpetually Rayeth forth his Truth upon all Intellectual Beings William Robertson in his Key to the Hebr. Bible sub Lit. Nun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Soul a Noun Primitive from which is derived the Verb in Piel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nippesh he Breathed because the Soul is the Principle of Life and Breath c. Henry Moor 's Philosophical Writings of the Immortality of the Soul libr. 2. cap. 1. pag. 58 There is such an Immaterial Substance in Man which from the Power it is conceived to have in actuating and guiding the Body is usually called the SOUL Id. Ibid. Cap. 3. pag. 72 No Essence in it self can vary its Modification For there is an Essence in us what-ever we will call it which we find endued with this Property as appears from hence that it has Variety of Perceptions Id. Ibid Cap. 11. pag. 109 The Soul is a Substance distinct from the Body and her very Essence is spread throughout all the Organs thereof Lactantius The Soul whereby we Live comes as it were from Heaven from God G. F. J. B. ERRATA I. Part. Pa.