carnal and that you are not to Judg of spiritual things by carnal reason and fleshly fancy But that you may lay open your folly that it may appear to all that are of a spiritual discerning that you are enemies to God and in your wicked imaginations which are for the fire and you we do deny and all vain janglings and fleshly carnal corrupt ways of worship and your set times who live in limitation but God will limâ—t those carnal minds in you and bind up the wilde wills which would be intruding into those things that you have nothing to do withal and cast the Beast and false Prophet into the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone and such deceivers as you are Rev. 17. It is said indeed that you may all Prophecy one by one Reply but it is said also are all Prophets we wish that the Lords people were Prophets You shew your selves to be contrary minded to the Apostles Reply though you steal their words to talk of you neither have the same mind light life order nor power amongst you as they had and he did exhort them to covet the best gifts 1 Cor 12. Rom 16.1 Phil. 4.3 which you grudg at and he commended to them Phâ—bâ— a servant of the Church and there were women labourers with him in the Gospel and the Spirit of the Lord is the same now that it was then It is but the Beast in you that would and doth make war with the Lamb but the Lamb shall overcome and give you all your doom even reward you all according to your doings Rejoyce ye Saints and righteous ones the Lord will Judg and avenge himself upon the whore that Iezebel that is amongst all the fair sayers and painted Sepulchers such as these gainsayers and opposers are who stand in enmity and opposition against the truth by their evil thoughts and vain imaginations shewing the spirit of error The Assemblies of the Saints of old ware constant Priests and they had men who attended on the word and prayer who gave themselves to it prepared themselves waited on God that they might act to the edifying of the Saints in love Act. 20.7 6.2 3 4. 1 Tim. 4.13.14 15 16. The practice of the Saints in former ages Reply and in those places that you have cited may be sufficient evidence against you that you are none of them but enemies to those who come to walk after their example now whose life and practice we do own but you and your practice we do deny and altogether disown though you have stoln their words to speak of yet they will be witness enough against you and their manner of meetings speaking by the spirit and waiting will condemn you that deny the same waitings and attendings in others and know nothing of them in your selves who do not attend upon the word to speak immediately from the Mouth of the Lord as they did whereas you speak by the spirit of error that speaks by imagination and not by the same spirit that administred by them and doth by those that now speak by Divine inspiration herein you walk contrary to the Scriptures and the practice of the Saints in former ages shewing forth the spirit of error See Act. 20.7 When they were met together on the first day of the Week which you call a Sabbath where that place of Scripture doth not call so but it is your imaginations and inventions and contrary to the Scriptures and to that Sabbath of whom Jesus is Lord. 2. Pauls Preaching by the spirit and continuing his speech till midnight doth condemn you that study for what to say and many speaking an hour by a glass shews that you do want the same power and instead of preaching by the same spirit or speaking the Word of God as Paul did you speak and make a trade of Pauls letters which he sent to Brethren and his friends and glosseth them over by your Serpentine wisdom and have not the same spirit to preach by that Paul had so shewing to all that you are acted and guided by a spirit of error 3. And whereas you speak but your own Imaginations and inventions Paul he went about preaching the Kingdom of God and he did not count his life dear unto himself so that he might finish his course with joy in the Ministry which he had received of the Lord Jesus who did not shun to declare unto them all the Counsel of God Act. 20.21 to 28. and he did exhort them to take heed to themselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost had made them overseers to feed the Church of God which he had purchased with his own Blood Verse 28. which Ministry by the Holy Ghost we own and that Ministration which stands out of all mans inventions and such Officers as are made overseers by the Holy Ghost we do own but such as you that are made by imitation and self-conceitedness we do disown for that is Antichristian and not to be owned with beleevers but to be testified against and such Ministers as are of the spirit who speak not their own words but the Words of the Lord who doth it freely as Paul this Gospel Minister did Act. 20.31.32.33 to the end but such as you are who have neither any spiritual gift nor spiritual administration but speak brain study contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and making a trade of the Scriptures and giveth them your Antichristian application we do deny for you are under the curse and are to be consumed for the Lord will consume Antichrist and all Antichristian Doctrine by the breath of his mouth and the brightuess of his coming 2 Thes 2. and you that make your Gospel or false Ministry burdensom and are covetous contrary to that of Paul in this 20 of Acts ver 33 34. We do deny and disown and see you to be led by a spirit of errour But you are discovered and made manifest what Master you serve even him whose coming is after the working of Satan 2 Thess 2.3 4 5. to ver 13. And the Apostle having a discerning spirit foretold of such as you are that should come which we through the mercy of the Lord are made to see as in Acts 20.29 30. And to have no fellowship with you but to testifie against you Ephes 5.11 Paul he laboured both for himself and others who doth condemn you that are as drone Bâ—es and live upon the sweat of other mens brows to maintain you in pride and pomp idleness and fulness of bread which were the sins of Sodom and it is the fruits of your dark Ministry spiritual Sodom and Egypt where the Lord is crucified and you are of them that would shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men and neither go in your selves nor suffer them that would to enter but the wo is to you and all the plagues that are written in the Book are due to you and
things and as unknown and yet well known of the Lord and of all those that are the Lords but of our selves we can do nothing It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure and is thy eye evil because his is good It is God that doth us justifie and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 29. to the end of the Chapter What would you then have us to continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid for how shall we that are dâ—ad to sin live any longer therein knowing that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the Glory of the Father even we also shall be raised up to walk in newness of life Rom. 6. Isai 66.12 Truth we own and righteousness we own and all Christian Authority such as is of God we own knowing that the Law is holy 1 Tim. 1.8 9 10. and just and good for the lawless and for the disobedient and that the righteous Magistrate beareth not the Sword in vain neither will he suffer sin to go unpunished Justice such as is pure according to the Command of Jesus Christ that which is for the punishing of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well and all that fear the Lord and make conscience of their ways and doings who hold the mystery of faith in a pure conscience such we do own And think not that we do come to destroy or declare against righteousness but unrighteousness that purity may be set up and righteousness established that deceits and deceivableness and all unrighteousness may be thrown down and Christ the Son of righteousness exalted in the purity of the Gospel this we do own and this we do honour But all deceivers blind guides hirelings Seducers and Antichrists who do not act in righteousness nor abide in the Doctrine of Christ we do disown And all Ranters and Libertines who are without order and spiritual Government who delight in vanities and follow the course and fashions of the world and live in voluptuousness and filthiness of the flesh and those that say and do not and seem to be what they are not speaking fair words and walk contrary in their actions which preach to others liberty and they themselves are the servants of corruption be they what they will be such we disown and utterly do deny and we loath and abhor all manner of evil knowing this That he that doth not righteousness is not of God 1 Iohn 3.10 For God is pure and of purer eyes then to behold iniquity and all Ranters Sects and opinâ—ons whatsoever we do deny for it is purity that we do honour knowing That he that doth righteousness is of God 1 Iohn 3.7 But such as hold that there is neither God nor Devil good nor evil but what a man doth imagâ—ne and that good and evil is alike Let me tell them by the Spirit of the living God that they are lyars and guided by a spirit of delusion Now all that love the Lord Jesus Christ have a care and take heed of all such for they are not of Christ but of Antichrist and we do them disown and utterly deny in obedience to the command of the Spirit of truth and according to the Command of our Lord Jesus Christ who saith Have no fellowship with them Ephes 5.11 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret but all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest is light Ephes 5.12 13. Let all the workers of iniquity know That the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Gal. 5.19 20 21. And let them know That the wicked and all that forget God shall be turned into hell Psal 9.17 For the Secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him and the grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously soberly and godly in this present evil world Tit. 12.11 12. s o God is thereby dishonoured but he is zealous of his honour with a godly jealousie and he will not give it unto graven Images but will judge the Heathen in righteousness and all are Heathen that know not God by his power ruling in them and he will scatter the proud in all their imaginations and therefore be not deceived for God will not be mocked And saith he If I be a Father where is my honour A son honoureth his father in loving him and walking humbly before him and yeilding obedience to him from love received and a servant he serveth his Master and is in obedience to him in all things Therefore his servants ye are to whom ye do obey Rom. 6.16 And he that commits sin is the servant of sin John 8.33 But know you not that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God to them that love him and serve him in holiness and righteousness is Eternal life a Therefore saith he Be ye holy as I am holy for without holiness no man shall see the Lord profess what they will And It is not every one that saith Lord Lord that shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven saith Jesus Christ but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven And saith he Herein is my Father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit But why call ye me Lord and Master saith he and do not the works that I say Therefore every one that doth profess love to God and Christ be what you speak in all things or else profess nothing at all and be not sayers but doers for to say and not to perform is hypocrisie and dissimulation But hypocrites and dissemblers God will judge and pour forth fury upon the head of the wicked Therefore all that do walk in disorder to the Spirit of truth God doth disown and we do disown but those that walk according to the Spirit of truth and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit as love out of a pure heart fervently peace meekness gentleness goodness temperance and patience godliness and brotherly kindness and such as these which are according to the Spirit of truth Gal. 5.22 23 24 25 26. such we do own and wish grace mercy and peace to all that walk according to this rule and to all the Israel of God And I say as the Apostle did who was a true Minister of Jesus Christ and a man of God who was acted and given by the Spirit of the living God and was hated of the world and both by the Jews Pharisees Sadduces Grecians Libertines and all Sects and opinions which were many as there are now and all in confusion and out of the way but truth it is but one which stands out of all sects and opinions and is in that which is but one where purity is out of all apprehensions and comprehensions in the Eternal Divine Being And it is for the truths sake that we are reproached and so we are made willing to submit to the righteousness of the Spirit And as many as walk according to this rule Peace be on them on the Israel of God From henceforth let no man trouble me For I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ And to all that are Brethren Gal. 6.16 17 18. The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with your Spirits Amen This Epistle was written for the Vindication of the Truth By a Friend and Lover of the Truth and a Servant of the Lord Rich. Farnworth FINIS
acquainted neither with Christ nor his sufferings who causeth the truth to suffer by them as their actions do make manifest who lives in the old corrupt nature and has stoln the words of the Prophets and Apostles to trade withal and hath glossed them over by their humane and serpentive wisdome which the vengeance and the wrath of God is to 4. These dissembling hypocritical Priests whited walls and painted Sepulchres are exalted above the Cross of Christ and sits in the seat of the scornful acting as in a Stage-play for mony and are climb'd up high into their notions and notionary expressions by their fleshly wisdom which is earthly carnal sensual and divelish but never came in at the door as saith Jesus Christ in Iohn 10. And are ignorant of the first principle of Religion that knows not the power of God to break down the power of darkness in them and so that is the cause of their falsifying the truth and speaking evil of that which they know not being puft up in pride scorn and derision judging the truth by their evil thoughts and fleshly imaginations Now as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses so do these resist the truth standing in opposition against it by their carnal wisdom and fleshly imaginations and vain glory boasting and vaunting themselves in their own conceits and stands upon their own righteousness by their gathered up knowledg in opposition to the Spirit of truth and in despight to the Spirit of grace and wrests the Scriptures to their own destruction speaking their own Inventions and Imaginations which arise out of the bottomless pit of deceit but the Lord is coming for to bring down Babylon's buildings all mans inventions and imaginations and to cast them into the lake that burneth and all the Babylonish Merchants will cry out Alas alas for that great City of Babylon where they sold their wares and gilded stuff and fine dainty dishes of novelties dressed made fit by the Cooks in their shops of brain study and humane inventions which is Cainish to feed curious and lusty minds withal lusting after knowledge and feeding upon the forbidden fruit which is under the curse and must be burnt with fire now in the day of the Lords power where nothing shall stand but his own pure being for he alone will rule and raign in power amongst his chosen ones in Sion the perfection of beauty and he alone will govern his people in righteousness and teach them all the knowledge of his truth to know him in the habitation of his holiness that they may rejoyce and triumph in his love By this we know that we love God because we keep his Commandements and it is his love which constraineth us who first loved us and gave himself for us And saith he If you love me keep my Commandements and I command you to love one another with the same love that I loved you withal but he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love and he that saith he loveth him and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him And here you are that lives in lying who say that we attempt to lay waste Scriptures Churches Faith Hope c. The Scriptures we own to be true in themselves as they were given forth from the Spirit of truth which ruled in them that spoke them forth which Spirit I witness and their declaration I own the life of it herein you are found false witnesses lyars and false accusers and are Antichrists and Seducers shewing forth the spirit of errour and Antichrist is head and exalted in you who opposeth himself against the truth But your dark mâ—nds I do deny and against you I do testifie That you are the men whom you write of and that condition is your own for you make no other use of the Scriptures but to trade withal and to give your Antichristian Applications and Constructions of them which the plagues of God is due to For saith Jesus Christ I testifie that he that adds to the Book of this Prophecy I will add to him all the plagues that are written in the Book Rev. 22. And whereas you lye and say That we a people whom the Divel in you scornfully reproacheth and calleth Quakers which is your envy which name I suffer under by such as you are who are apostated from the truth and the living word which was in the beginning which word is quick and powerful and sharper then any two edged sword and is like a fire and a hammer Heb. 4.12 Jer. 23.29 30. And though the Divel in you be suffered to cast upon us names of reproach It is but that the Scriptures may be fulfilled in calling us Quakers or what you can invent to make us odious in the sight of the world which name I do disown for I know none but two in all the Scriptures flesh and spirit the seed of the Serpent and the seed of God which shall bruise the Serpent's head with his internal rod by the living power of the Eternal Jehovah Jah But the seed of the Serpent is head in you who lives in lyes and Christ you do by your proud lustful natures kill and crucifie and his Doctrine daily by your earthly wisdom more and more despise and so you keep the seed of God in bondage by your divelish subtil serpentive policies and would not that it should come forth to live and to arise and faith you do not know who are so swift such lyes to report and the living truth for to relieve you are unwilling and both slack and slow and bears the mark of the Beast in your right hand and in your foreheads and it is you that do attempt to lay waste Scriptures in all things but to traffick withal and knows no word but bare letter and diabolical subtilty humane invention which you do live in and observes the Divels work for to commit sin which is the fruits of death and so the Word and Gospel of God is his from all such vulterous eyes And venemous beasts as you are who knows not the strait path that leads to life nor the wisdom which is hid which Job speaks of in Chap. 28. which wisdom is not from beneath neither is it earthly and carnal as yours is for the wisdom of God is not to be bought and sold neither for rubies pealrs silver nor gold but yours which is earthly and is but dross and dung causing you to lye so with your dirty Greek and Latine tongue Saying That we seek to attempt to lay waste all Scriptures Priest Christ Faith Hope c. Wherein you are exceeding hoodwink'd Reply and your eyes iâ— stopt with dirty miery stuff your inventions and imaginations and your mouths is filled with lyes and your hearts with evil thoughts being possest with Satan and that 's the cause you do the truth so much despise For we own the Scriptures as they are in themselves to be a declaration
the Scripture speak to Saints not every man when he saith Christ in you the hope of glory c. Col. 1.27 Herein you would have all to take notice of your ignorance Reply for the next verse will contradict you and so in all you have said yet the very letter of the Scripture will let you see your blindness Well may you be ignorant of the life when you are ignorant of the letter for they that spoke forth the Scriptures they passed from death to life and the in fellowship 〈◊〉 with the Father and the Son and he that hath the Son hath life 1 John but he that hath not the Son manifested in him hath not life but is in death You plainly make it appear here that you are in the letter without life and the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life and you never passed from death to life but are yet in death and sin for to be carnally minded is death and the wages of sin is death and he that commits sin is the servant of sin and lying is of the divel and an abomination to the Lord And here you lye ye proud Priests that say the Apostle did not say to every man That Christ or the light was in them for saith he in ver 28. Christ in you whom we preach he did not only preach Christ in them the hope of glory but he saith we preach that is all the Ministers of the Spirit and we preach Christ in you the mystery that is to be unfolded in you to every man warning every man and teaching every man Col. 1.28 Herein you erre not knowing the Scriptures and the Apostle saith to the Romans That as well as to them God hath given to every man a measure of grace Rom. 12.31 And none shall be condemned for that which they know not but for that which they know and do not obey who saith Obey my voyce for obedience is better then sacrifice And Christ saith That he is the light of the world and enlightens every man that cometh into the world Iohn 1.9 And they that follow him shall have the light of life Iohn 8.12 Herein you shew that you are ignorant of this l ght and so are in darkness and without God in the world living by conceivings and imaginations and you that are ignorant of the light are ignorant of Christ and preaches death the letter without the spirit and your Min stry is for for condemnation 2 Cor. 3. and you are ignorant both of the light life and power but as you would comprehend it by your carnal reason but this cannot be comprehended the light shines in darkness but darkness comprehends it not Iohn 1.5 And whereas you say That Paul spoke to none but Saints Priest in that 2 Cor. 5.26 27. c. I looked ply and could not find so many verses in that Chapter for it hath but 21 verses but notwithstanding I knew that Scripture the life of it if I had never seen letter but as you say he spoke to Saints when he saith we know no man after the flesh and though we have known Christ after the flesh yet henceforth know we him so no more but your knowledge stands in the flesh the lust and the fall and here you steal the Apostles words to apply to your selves and that is the Serpent in you go and make restitution as Zacheus did and let him that stole steal no more Ephes 4 28. And you are discovered you that lives by theft and steals the words of your neighbours to trade withal but the Lord is against you and all such as you are Jer. 23.30 You are of those theeves that Christ speaks of in John 10. That climbs up another way and c mes not in by the door And that makes you to speak you know not what See who the Apostle spoke to in that 2 Cor. 5.10 he saith there That all shall appear and every man give account that he may receive according to the deeds done in the flesh Did he but speak but only to Saints when he saith all and every man See whom he spoke to in ver 14.15 and see if you be not exceeding blind Well may you be ignorant of the life and power that are ignoront of the lettâ—r which is death and so you living in darkness are ignorant of the lâ—ght and now you are discovered to be ignoront of the same spirit that spoke forth the Scriptures and so shews forth the spirit of errour and you are in the flesh and know not God who is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 and like a refiners fire Mal 3.2 3. Your God it imagination and the Lord God Almighty who made Heaven and Earth and is the Father of light him you know not that would limit him by your carnal minds but the carnal mind is death and an enemy to the Cross of Christ Rom. 8.6 Phil. 3.18 19. So are you enemies both to God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ and know you not ye blind that the Grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men Tit. 2.11 12. But is turned by you and such as you are into wantonness who profess God in words as you do but in works deny him Tit. 1.16 who lives in form without either life or power having a form of Godliness denying the power thereof but your folly will appear daily more and more 2 Tim. 3. And that light is your Condemnation But though the Apostle did speak his experienceâ— in the things of God he spoke what he knew made manifest unto him by experience through the divine operation of the holy Spirit But you live in thâ— flâ—sh and are ignorant of the light of God that he did exhort others to be mindful of which light did lead tâ—em out of darkness and they were all Children of the light and of the day who were obedient to it for their souls were purified in yeilding obedience to the Commands of the Spirit as in 1 Pet. 1.22 And by the word of life they were sanctified washed and cleansed and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of the Lord and they that are now guided by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God 1 Cor. 6.11 Rom. 8.14 Which you shew your selves to be none of But you are ignorant of the first Principle of Religion that makes a scorn of the light and shew your selves to be children of darkness having your understanding darkened and live in pride scorn and subtilty and turns the grace of God into wantonness children of disobedience which the wrath of God is to The wrath of God is to be revealed in flames of fire upon all the children of disobedience as you are who disobey the truth and know not the light but are in darkness and walk in darkness For darkness hath blinded your eyes who stand in opposition to the Spirit of truth and disobeyeth the Gospel of our Lord Jesus
and comfort which is eternal which the Scriptures do declare of that we own But yours that is carnal and stands without in old Authours and Books a studied out faith and an hypocritical hope which is to perish and your love which is dissimulation c. and is forbidden by the Spirit of truth that we disown He that is a Bâ—shop Pastour or Teacher Spiritual Bâ—shops 1 Tim. 3.1 2.3 4 5. â—â—t 1.7 8. 1 Per. 5.1 2 3. Acts 20. and is taught by the Spirit who is not of man but of God and is blameless and doth contend for the faith that was delivered to the Saints who are not carnal but spiritual who are not proud nor covetous nor given to filthy lucre who are lovers of good men who are sober just holy and temperate in all things who are without partiality or hypocrifie and who watch for the souls as those that are to give an account to God and are governed by the Spirit of God free-hearted such we do own For all who do profâ—ss themselves to be Ministers of Christ and to be sent of God and do not walk in obedinece to the Lord Christ but go out of his Doctrine all such are Seducers and Antichrists cover over themselves with never such fair shews and covers by their vain imaginations and fleshly wisdom as you do But wo to them that cover with a covering but not of my Spirit saith the Lord that they may add sin unto sin as you do Isai 30. You are constrained by tythes gifts and rewards and large augmentations and preaches for hire as the false prophets did but the Lord is against you as he was against them and you are under the Curse and the Wrath of the Almighty The Apostle who was a man of God taught of God and had his Ministry and Authority of God and not of man and his learning was of God and not of man as it is left upon record Gal. 1.11 12. and were after the Example and Doctrine of Christ That we do witness and that we don own But you that run to Studies and Arts to raise death out of death speaking the letter which is death for money which is carnal and are led by your own wills which are corrupt and not by the will of God as the Apostle was and you are of man and your authority of man and not of God and so your Ministry is Antichristian whâ—ch differeth both from the practise of Christ and his Apostles The Apostle who taught the people as he was taught by divine Revelation had all his wisdom and learning cast out which became of none account and was loss dross and dung Phil. 3.7 8. The Apostle who was taught of God and had his Ministry not of man nor by the will of man but by the will of God taught freely Acts 20.33 34. And necessity was laid upon him and he laboured to make the Gospel free and himself servant to all 1 Cor. 9.15 16 17. c. And the Apostle who had spiritual gifts was a Minister of the Spirit made an able Minister 2 Cor. 3.5 And not of the letter but of the spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 And the Apostle was made a Minister by the dispensation of the gift of God that was given to him and he was a Minster of the mystery that was revealed to him which you are ignorant and know nothing of who deny the light know neither the gift nor the power as he did Ephes 3.2 3. Ephes 3.7 8 9 10. And you are darkness and your Ministry is darkness and not of the light not of the spirit which is the gift and you are not of Christ but of Antichrist and saith the Holy Ghost Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is of God and knows the mind and will of God and acts in the light and is righteous and is guided by the Spirit of God and is as he is 1 Iohn 3.6 7. in the truth and in the righteousness of Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 1.30 31. And the Apostles who were of righteousness and of the Spirit were able Ministers of the manifold graces of God and fellow-labourers with him and had both the gift and the spirit and were able to give gifts unto others and such was the Seal of their Apostleship as were Epistles written in their hearts by the Spirit of the ever living God and not by the letter as in 2 Cor. 3.1 2 3. And they needed not the recommendation of others But you that are carnal and corrupt in your old nature and being evil how can ye give gifts unto others out of that which you have nothing to do withal For the natural man knows not the things of God you have nothing to give being evil your selves but that which is evil and go and make restitution to whom you have robbed For the thief comes not but for to kill and to steal and to destroy Ioh. 10.10 And let him that stole steal no more Ephes 4.28 The Lord is against them Ier. 23.30 And he that doth not righteousness is not of God 1 Joh. 3.10 And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols 2. Cor. 6.17 18. And the true worshippers did worship the Father in spirit and in truth Iohn 4.23 24. And not by imagination and invention tradition and rudiments of the world Those that were true worshippers and did worship the Father in spirit and in truth did meet together often and see what Temple they worshipped in such as were made without hands 1 Cor. 6.19 20. 1 Cor. 3.16 Rev. 21. But to these that are Brethren salute me to the Church that is in their house as Paul to Aquila and to the Brethren of Laodicea and Nimphas 1 Cor. 16.19 Col. 4.15 And those did abide in the Doctrine of Christ and I witness with them but you do not abide in the Doctrine of Christ that profess to be sent of him nor regard what the Holy Ghost said by Paul and by Stephen Acts 17.47 48 49. But you who are contrary to these and instead of being Stewards of the manifold graces of God and of the houshold of faith are of corruption corrupt minds and corrupt hearts and are of the Synagogue of Satan and are proud and covetous and snuffeth up the ayr and watches for great benefits and large augmentations and are Ministers of man and sprinkle Infants couzening them with your inventions and you your selves are out of covenant with Christ and shall never enter with your high notions and fleshly imaginations which are of Antichrist and not of Christ who contend for earth and earthly things shewing that your treasure and your heart also is in the earth and you your seves earthly and are in the same seats that those were who were enemies to Jesus Christ as you are whom he exhorteth in his Doctrin to beware of Mark 12.38 39 40. And you Christopher Feak John Simson George Cocking Laurence Wise John Pomroy Paul
LIGHT Risen out of DARKNESS Now in these latter Days Shewing the dark ways and Worships of the Ministry of Antichrist now in these Apostated Times which is perilous as is foretold of often by the Holy Ghost that spoke through Paul and now is fulfilled in these latter days 2 Tim 3. Thus saith the Lord Arise Sion and thresh with a sharp threshing Instrument and shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen and is arising and Jerusalem shall be a burdensom stone to all Nations now that Christ is unto his People both the Light and the Glory thereof WHEREIN Something is written in Reply to a Book that was set forth by the dry and night Vines in and about Beverley who scornfully nicknameth the People of God in â—eviling and falsly accusing them and calleth them Quakers in and about York-shire Iuly 1653. LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the black spread Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1654. To you who suffer for Righteousness and walks in the light about Beverley and elsewhere who love the Lord Jesus Christ Christian Friends AS you have received the Lord Jesus Christ so walk in him and let the love of God be an Ingagement upon your spirits to love the Lord Jesus with all your hearts and walk as children of the light and of the day not in darkness but in light and let the pure light of God in you which is the free gift of God that sheweth darkness and Infidelity lead you and guide you which the Priests about your Beverley faith it doth not shewing that they are ignorant of Christ and doth mightily dishonor the Lord Jesus that say they witness that he or the Light of God which sheweth sin and darkness sheweth not unbelief But all you that know the Lord Jesus made manifest unto your souls and in the Divine discovery of his love by the Divine unfoldings of the Divine light of his holy and blessed spirit which is as the key of David and doth unlock or unsold the Divine misteries of the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus in the souls of his Saints which these dry Vines are ignorant of you may witness against them therefore my beloved in the Lord Iesus Christ who are my Epistles written in my heart not with paper and inck which is but carnal and mortal and perishing which wears and fades away but you are written not with pen and ink but by the Spirit of the living God in the fleshly tables of the heart so that you may manifestly declare your selves to be the Epistles of Christ to be seen and read of all men you that are in union and fellowship with him who are dispersed and scattered abroad from the rudiments of the world but in the Vine of the Lords free love therefore live in love one with another edifying one another in love that so you may build up one another in the most holy Faith laboring in the Power and Strength of the Lord and by the spirit of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ that you my hearts that are as Cedars of Lebanon may labor by the Power of God in you to lead up others as you have been led by the Light of God in you which leadeth into Christ the perfection and beauty of holiness that you may be to the praise of the glory of his Grace who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light to testifie against the dark Ministry of the world as well any where else where it shall be made manifest unto you as it is now in and about Beverley and let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven even the Father of lights and the Father of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ that whereas these your enemies that speak evil of you and say a little time will bring it forth that so by your Godly conversations and upright walkings you may glorifie the Lord and put to silence the foolishness of ignorant men and testifie against blind guides false Prophets Seducers and Antichrists and that you may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the height depth and length of the Love of God and to be comprehended into that which is Incomprehensible dwelling in the light where there is Immortality that so you may be able to give a reason of the hope that is in you which is Christ the hope of glory Col. 1.27 and he that hath this hope in him purifyeth himself even as he is pure 1 Iohn 3.1.2 It is in the behalf of all the Godly dispersed ones that suffer under the name of Quakers that I have written this as well as my self So commending you to the Lord God of power even the Father of lights I remain a friend and lover of all that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth Rich. Farneworth Iuly 1653. An Epistle to the Reader Reader I would not have set pen to paper had I not seen the truth much defamed by those that stand in opposition against it and seek to defame it and strangle it by their faln wisdom and pride and fleshly boastings where envy is hatched so that the Dragon casts out floods of waters of revilings after the woman that brings forth the man-child but the Eaath is made to help the woman and the child is caught up to Heaven with God where it is preserved and kept safe as in a City of refuge and wait but upon God in patience a while and thou wilt see great things for the Lord is bringing to pass his act his strange act that is Prophecyed and foretold of and the destruction and downfal of Antichrists Kingdom that the Kingdom of Jesus Christ may be established in power and shine forth in brightness and the Lord leading forth his People in Power and Majesty and going before his ancients gloriously and he will be their rereward and the Kingdoms of the World shall be the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ the Beast makes war with the Lamb but the Lamb shall overcome prevail and get the victory Read this little ensuing Treatise and give thy Christian attention in the reading and take heed how thou dost pass thy Judgment If thou have not a spirit of discerning least thou Judg false and Judgment return into thine own besom it may be that thou mayst find something in it hard to be digested by thy carnal wisdom take heed of calling truth railing for all deceit must be cursed burned and cut down by the Sword of the Spirit that so the pure seed may be raised up the blessing to inherit Leave not till thou hast read it over and if thy mind stand free and thy Judgment cleare It will some deceits and deceivableness of the man of sin more cleerly and fully unto thee discover So farewel in the Lord and the Lord give
of the truth as John speaks in his first Epistle and the first Chapter at the third verse c. where he saith to them which were enlightened by the light of God in them which you shew your selves to be ignorant of and fill'd with subtilty craftiness and deceit and knows not that which John speaks of in that place which I own and witness fulfilled in my soul Saith he That which we have heard and seen declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and the Son This then is the message that we have heard of him which I witness according to that Scripture where Christ saith My sheep hear my voyce and they know me and follow me and I give unto them Eternal life Iohn 10. Which Christ is in me operating by his Spirit and enlightening my understanding opening blind eyes and unstoping deaf ears so that I hear and see and know by experience what I say I do not know God by hear-say from others but mine eyes hath seen his salvation the new man the new heart and new eye he that is in Christ is a new creature old things are passed away and all things are become new which you shew your selves to be ignorant of and are in the old nature and in the fall under the curse and wrath of the Almighty who lives in lyes which is of the Divel who is the Father of lyes and him you serve and are in the same state and condition that Christ spake of in Iohn 8.44 And that Message that Iohn speaks of in that first Epistle and the first Chapter shew your selves to be ignorant of that lives in darkness For God is light and in him is no darkness at all but they that say they have fellowship with him and walk in darkness do lye and do not the truth 1 Iohn 1.5 6. And lying ing is the fruit of darkness Eph. 4.15 And you are lyars and of the divel And whereas Christopher Feak Iohn Simpson George Cokain Lawrance Wise Iohn Pomroy Paul Glissen and Ioseph Kellat do not let to publish lyes it is that all may take notice that they are of their father the Devil who was a lyar and the father of it For The Church of Christ we own which Church is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Ioh. 8.44 1 These 1.1 which is made all of living stones elect and precions and nourished by the milk of the word 1 Pet. 2.2 3 4 5. which word endureth for ever 1 Pet. 1.25 which word is neer at hand even in thy heart which is the word of faith whâ—ch we preach Rom. 10.8 which faith we own even that faith which purifies the heart and overcometh the carnal part for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even your faith which is Christ in us and we in him 1 Iohn 5.4 2 Cor. 13 5. and who is he that overcometh the world but he that beleeveth that Jesus is the Son of God which Jesus we own even he that saves his people from their sins and purifiâ—s their souls in yeilding obedience to the commands of the spirit 1 Pet. 1.21.22 which Christ we witness even he that came by water and blood and it is the spirit that beareth record because the spirit is truth and he that beleeveth hath the witness in himself and hath eternal life abiding in him 1 Ioh. 5.5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. herein we come to try the sprits because many false Prophets are gon out into the world by reason of whom the way of truth shall be and is evil spoken of and here you are and that 's your condition who through covetousness and with â—ained words makes Marchandise of poor souls but you are found out and your Judgment lingereth not and your damnation slumbereth not 2 Pet. 2.1.2 3 4 c. hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God which we witness and confess that Jesus Christ is come in our flesh as the Corinthians did witness in 2 Cor. 4.6 7 8 9 10 11. and so we establish the Scriptures and witness the fulfilling of them in our souls for he that beleeveth hath set to his seal that God is true and he that beleeveth is born of God and he that beleeveth shall never dye and he that beleeveth doth not commit sin and he that beleeveth is justified from all ungodliness and he that beleeveth doth not respect persons for he that respecteth persons commits sin and he that beleeveth hath eternal life abiding in him this the Scriptures witness and I witness these Scriptures fulfilled Acts. 13.39 Ioh. 7.37 6.2 11.26 1 Pet. 1.6 Ioh. 3.18 1 Ioh. 5.1 1 Ioh. 5.10 1 Ioh. 5 4 5 But your dark minds I do deny and your gilded notions and painted expressions and all your formal faith which outward and your persecuting Antichristians which envies and hates as you do your deeds testifie against you witness what persecutions and suffering William Deusberry and Thomas Stubs had amongst you at Beverley in sore stripas and buffâ—tings and others that were stoned and shamefully entreated these are the fruits of your Pharisaical Saints for shame blush see what you are doing ye painted outsides ye self-conceited Hypocrites and dissembleers that persecute the just and Innocent ones and fill up the measure of your fathers Iniquity Maâ— 23. you are of the same geâ—eration that stew the righteous blood did ever the Saints of God do any such thing for shame blush ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers ye seed of evil doers repent and forsake the evil of your doings and live not in lyes and flatteries for your Churches are the Synagogue of Satan where persecution is upheld I do deny and against your deceits I testifie that you are enemies to Jesus Christ where he is made manifest as the Iewish high Priests Scribes and Pharisees were and you are children of wrath and his Servants ye are to whom ye do obey as in Rom. 6.16 and saith Jesus Christ Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things that I say Luk. 6.46 but know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.9 10. And whereas you say that If in any age the Devil hath transformed himself into an Angel of Light Priests or his Apostles or Ministers have transformed themselves into the Apostles and Ministers of Christ they have don so in this Apostatizing age in which we live c. It seems that your light that is in you is darkness Answ that questions the truth of what you speak and say If in any age c. Were your eyes open you might see your selves to be in the same state and condition that you write of and of the number of those
false Apostles stealing the words of the true Apostles to trade withal and are vainly puft up by your fleshly minds intruding into those things you have not seen Col. 2.18 but live by conceivings and Imaginations if's and may be 's and so feed on husks and outsides not holding the head from which all the body by joynts and bands where nourishment comes in from the Divine appearance and glorious administration of the spirit of truth being administred by the spirit which causeth an Increase with the Increase of God Col. 2.19 which you are ignorant of that are alive and lives in the rudiments of the world which are perishing Col. 2.20 21 22. which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship c. Verse 23. and here you are and out of the head where the life is and you are Apostated and are out of the life of the truth guided by your own wills and following the Imaginations of your own hearts and are of the number of those that the Apostle speaks of in 2 Cor. 11.13.14 for he had a free spirit and was chargeable to no man 2 Cor. 11.9 but in all things kept himself for being burdensome but you are out of that condition that are chargeable and burdensome and have not the same spir t that the Apostle had who had the Lord Jesus Christ revealed in him and spoke by Divine Revelation Gal. 1. but you speak by humane invention and brain study and so lives and acts in deceit intruding by your inventions into those things you have not seen and so are contrary to the Apostle both in that 2 Cor. 11.10.11 and that of Gal. 1.11.12 15.16 but you are in your own Inventions and are Apostated out of the truth that do not speak immediately from the Mouth of the Lord as the Apostles did and so you preach your own flatteries and deceits but what is the chaff to the wheat saith the Lord or what is the form to the power you sifted chaff or fine painted expressions is for the fire and all your formings and imaginations must be burnt you speak your own words and not the Words of the Lord and he is against you Ier. 23.29 30 31 32. and you that bring another Doctrine then to know the power and light and life within as the Apostle did you are to be held accursed and you are under the curse Gal. 1.8 9 10. And whereas you say Quest you will proceed to enquire into that doctrine which saith The light in you held forth by those you in scorn and derision call Quakers and which light doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is Christ You make enquiry and say What then is become of the Person of the Mediatour in 1 Tim. Chap. 2. ver 5. and Heb. 7.24 c. Were you but acquainted with the life of the Scriptures Reply which is Christ in us the hope of glory Col. 1.27 whom the Apostle which was a Gospel-Minister did preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom to know the Mediatour within him Chr st the power of God unto salvation and he did labour mightily by the power of God the Mediatourship Christ revealed in him that he might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1.28 29. That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love which love is Christ the divine power of righteousness who is the Mediatour of the New Covenant to bring the soul into the riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Col. 2.2 3. Which had you tead on in that 1 Tim. 2.5 in the verse following it would have answered you in that thing Herein you shew your ignorance in the things of God and are blind and cannot see and you shew that you are ignorant of the same Ministery that the Apostle held forth teaching them-to know Christ in them Col. 1.27 2 Cor. 13.5 and the life in them And he was the Minister of the Gospel and had the power in him and laboured by that power in him his Ministery was not of man but of God as he did certifie to the Brethren Gal. 1.11 12. And his Exhortation was not of man but of God and he was bold in God to speak unto them the Gospel or power of God Christ in him which you here shew your selves to be ignorant of that asketh what is become of Christ have you lost him or is not the lust head in you and the Prince of the power of the air head in you and so your doctrine is of deceit and the Gospel is hid from you 2 Cor 4.1.2.3 4 5. And so you are full of uncleanness and of guil and contrary to the Apostle in that 1 Thes 2.3 who was allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel not as to please men as you do but he did please God who tryeth the heart and he neither used flattering words nor covetousness as you do that are ignorant of this spiritual Gospel he took God to witness it 1 Thes 2.4 5 6 7 8 9 10. See how ignorant you are of these things ye blind guides that knows not that the first Adam was made a living Soul and the second a quickening Spirit and is Lord from Heaven and that Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 And had you read on in Heb. 7.24 25. would have told you that he is able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by him who ever liveth to make intercession for them and he is the way the truth and the life and no man can come to the Father but by him Herein you shew your ignorance in the life of the Scriptures that are ignorant of the letter which is without life as said Jesus to the Jews and self conceited hypocrites Such as you are search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have Eternal life saith he and so do you but saith he they do but testifie of me saith Christ I am the life and ye will not come to me that ye may have life John 5.39 40. And so you l ve in the shadow of things wanting the substance are blind and cannot see therefore wo to you ye blind guids who follow the imaginations and deceits of your own hearts for Christ is yet a mystery unto you and the Med atour you know not For we are come to Mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Ierusalem and to an innumerable Company of Angels and to the spirits of just men mads perfect the general Assembly of the Church of the first-born writen in Heaven and to Iesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant Heb. 12.22 23 24. Herein you are exceeding carnal and the natural man knows not the things of God because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 And whereas you say Priest Doth not
are sanctified are all of one and he is not ashamed to call them brethren Heb. 2.11 But such as you are he doth deny and against you and your dark Ministery I do testifie that it is of Antichrist and not of Christ who live in darkness and know not God and that is your ignorance and sottishness we are of the light and of the day Ephes 5.13 And are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones and witness the life of the Scriptures Ephes 5.30 And I witness the washings and cleansings with the water of the word as they did that spoke forth the Scriptures which you shew your selves to be ignorant of Ephes 5.26 27. Therefore I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise prudent of the world that the wisdom of the world may appear to be foolishness as it 's said 1 Cor. 1.25 26 27 28. and hast revealed them to us by thy Spirit that thou mayest have the praise 1 Cor. 2.9 10. Behold what manner of love is this that the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be câ—lled the Sons of God therefore the world knoweth us not because he knew him not 1 John 3.1 4. You shew that you know him not but are in lying and deceit and flatteries walking in deceit and craftiness shewing forth your subtilties that standeth in opposition against the light and so dishonoureth the Lord Christ and saith that he knows not all things in saying that he doth not discover unbelief and for that end came he into the world to judge and condemn all unbelief and unbelievers For he that believeth not is condemned already John 3.18 And saith For judgement am I come into the world that they that see not might see into the knowledge of the divine mystery and that they which see by their own conceits and imaginations as you do might be made blind to see nothing of them For he is the true light and none sees any divine truth but in him for he is the divine light and in him is no darkness at all And hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us who is both divine light and divine good and we know it because he hath given us of his spirit 1 John 4.13 14 15 16 17. Herein you are found lyars Seducers and Antichrists that say we believe not in him for that is your condition that know him not that is come a light into the world that whosoever believeth in him may not abide in darkness which light life I witness with all that do believe in the Lord Jesus the light of the world but you that know not this true light that enlighteneth every man to guide you there is you condemnation your Ministry is for condemnation for he that loveth the light and is guided by it that shews him salvat oÌ„ but he that walks contrary to the light as you do is in darkness abideth in death are for condemnation Ioh. 3.19 20 21. You do mightily dishonour the Lord that say this light doth not shew all darkness and unbelief Herein you erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of truth The Apostle said That God who commanded light to shine out of darkness had shined in their hearts which I bare testimony to through death to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the fâ—ce of Jesus and that was the doctrine that he preached who had the Heavenly treasure in an Earthen vessel which you are ignorant of 2 Cor. 4.5 6 7. And so you are found to be enemies to Jesus Christ and strangers to the true l ght your ignorance and folly is now made manifest First Christ who is the true light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world Ioh. 1.9 doth altogether condemn unbelief and that is your condemnation for we which have the light of life and witness against you that say this light doth not discover unbelief for it hath condemned it and sets us free from it who are redeemed to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ by it which you are ignorant of and so are ignorant of the life of the Scriptures as in Ioh. 19. 8.12 3.19 20 21. Act. 13.47 where Christ is the Covenant of his people as the Lord hath promised by his Servant the Prophet who Prophecying of Christ Saiâ—h the Lord there I will give thee for a light of the people to enlighten the Gentiles which were unbeleevers that thou mayst be the glory of my People Israel herein you mightily do dishonour the Lord Jesus Christ but they are not Israel that are after the flesh as you are that live in the fall and in darkness and in enmity to God but they are Israel that are after the spirit and walk in the light bringing forth fruits to the Praise and Glory of God and there is your condemnation the light which lighteneth every man that cometh into the world and your ministry is darkness and not light of Antichrist and not of Christ and you are men-pleasers time-servers seducers blind guides Hypocrites and dissemblers and sheweth your envy and subtilty being of the world and in darkness and guided by the spirit of error we are of God he that is of God heareth us and walketh in the light which guideth and leadeth up to the Father of Lights he that is not of God heareth us not hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error by the touchstone and tryer and light of life 1 Ioh. 4. which is Christ revealed in us as the Apostle did witness Gal. 1. which you are ignorant of and live in form without either light life or power and are servants of sin and your wages are death and destruction tribulation and anguish Repent and blush for shame wo and misery is your portion the mouth of the Lord of H sts hath spoken it who is the righteous Judg of Heaven and Earth the Father of Lights even the Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who is God blessed for ever Yet further they conclude that power accompanies that light to destroy every evil Quest as it appears in them that yeild themselves unto it and watch that their vain minds draw them not forth from abiding in the pure light of Christ c. It were a smal thing Oh all ye that pass by Priests If we and our means should sleep in the dust in everlasting silence and contempt but will not the stones cry out if we hold our peace whilst these deceits seem to lay all upon Christ c. Here you shew your selves to be of the number of Reprobates Reply and know not Christ as in that 2 Cor. 13.5 who yet never knew any thing of Christ the Divine Light and the Divine Power and are of those that Christ speaks of he came to his own and his own received him
to all in that nature Revel 22. This doth to our discernings tend to the establishing of the sayings of them who speak after their trembling fits with an extended voyce Priests as the Oracles of God and leaves us not the liberty of the commended practise of the Bereans to try the sayings of an Apostle by the Scripture Acts 17.11 Your discernings are exceeding carnal Reply that have professed your selves so long to be Ministers of the Gospel and have no tryer but by the Scriptures which are without and are carnal not knowing the same Spirit that spoke forth the Scriptures which was before any Book or writings were and searcheth and tryeth all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 But natural men such as you are receive not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to them and so are they to you and your discerning is earthly the salt having lost his savour and so you have lost your discerning that hath it without you and not within as the Saints had and have 1 Cor. 2.13.14 But you cannot know the things of God or workings of the Spirit by your carnal reason because they are spiritually discerned And herein you are carnal sottish and brutish and know nothing of the same power that was manifested in those that spoke sorth the Scripture who had the Spirit and the discerning And you that are not acquainted with those trembling fits that you do despise in others are not acquainted neither with the Voyce Power nor Oracles of God therein you do shew forth your ignorance in the work of the Lord and that you are ignorant of the same spirit and power that was in them who had the Oracles of God and spoke them forth as they did that witnessed forth those Scriptures in whom the power of the Lord was manifested As Isaac Gen. 27.37 Moses Heb. 12.21 David Psal 38.8 c. Psal 119.120 and Job 4.14 Chap. 21. ver 5 6. Chap. 37. ver 1. Jer. 23.9 Hab. 3.16 Dan. 10.7 8 11. Ezek. 12.18.26 Chap. 16. ver 32. Chap. 10. ver And Paul Acts 9.3 4 5 6. and Philipians 2.12 13. and the Corinthians 2 Cor. 7.15 c. These and the rest did witness who had the Spirit of God Rom. 8. and the Oracles of God and spoke them 1 Pet. 4. But you do shew that you neither know thepower of God which is the salvation nor the gift of God which is the discerning as they had that spoke forth the Scriptures but your discerning may carry you to that in Acts 17. And see your selves to be as the unbelieving Jews were which were moved with envy at the publishing of the truth by the Spirit that was in Paul as you are by the Declaration of the truth by the same spirit that layeth open your deceits now as his did then and your hearers that have been kept in blindness by you and such like may search the Scriptures as the noble Bereans did and so see you to act the same things that the Jewish High-Priests Scribes and Pharisees did which were enemies to Jesus Christ then as you are now therefore repent and give over deceiving the people The simple Priestr you say believe every word Prov 14.15 but in this case you say that you have learned that the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets c. You are wise in your own conceits Reply and know nothing of the simplicity that is pure Being wise to do evil but to do good you have no understanding And you never yet learned the lesson of self-denial nor know nothing of the true Prophetical Office of Christ by divine inspiration in you but have stollen words to speak of and say you have learned but it is but to steal the words of others to trade withal and so are theeves and robbers John 10. that Christ speaks and you never knew the immortal word which was in the beginning for in its arise it will shake down all the loftiness of man dividing asunder both joynts and marrow crushing down all-deceits and deceivableness which you live in and are acted and guided by deceit and so are learned and taught of the Devil the doctrine of deceit But he that doth not righteousness is not of God nor he that loveth not his brother but is of the devil as you are 1 John 3.10 And are Prophets of the deceits of your own hearts as the false prophets were and are subject to the will of the Devil and to deceive the simple but your condemnation will be the greater for the true Prophets you know not but steal their words as the false Prophets did to trade withal but the Lord hath discovered you and laid open your deceits and deceivableness how you lie in wait to deceive the simple and would keep them back from receiving the simple naked truth as it is in Jesus but it is the simple that he doth teach Psal 19.7 8 9. And they recaive his words which are pure and need not your additions nor inventions to gloss them over withal Prov. 30.5 6. Deut. 4.1 2. But all the plagues that are written in the Book are to be added unto you that are not in subjection to the true Prophet the Spirit of truth but are subject to add your own inventions which the plagnes are to Revel 22.18 But that they intend to magnifie their writings and Epistles above or into an equality unto the holy Scriptures Priests G. E. affirmed to I. K. seems very probably in that they put their papers very diligently into one anothers hands but not see the Scriptures and do soms of them say That it is alike for to take a sentence out of their Letters and preach from it R. F. as to take a sentence out of Paul's Epistles c. Here you have shewed forth that you are guided by a lying spirit Reply which makes it good that you are Prophets of the deceits of your own hearts and that you are taught to lie by the Devil the Father of lies John 8.44 in saying that we magnifie our writings above the Scriptures But that which is written from the same spirit that gave forth the Scriptures do witness with their spirits that spoke them forth Zeph. 3. ser 5.30 31. Isai 56.10 11. Mic. 3.11 Mal. 2 c. and have union together as Heb. 12.11 Ephes 5.30.1 John 4.16 17. And cannot but testifie against your deceits as they did against the false prophets then that stole the true Prophets words to trade withal as you steal the Apostles Letters to sell for money which he gave forth to be read amongst his friends at their meetings together 2 Thes 2.1 2. Gal. 6.11 1 Thes 5.27.2 Cor. 1.13 These with the rest of his letters that he sent to his friends and brethren which you are enemies to and are to be marked Phil. 3.17 18. that walks contrary to them And you are to be noted
that you may be put to shame 2 Thes 3.14 Gal. 6.16 And as for magnifying your writings that is the stoln expressions that are conjured up out of the bottomless pit of deceit and that is all that we write against to magnifie the truth in laying open your deceits and deceivableness where you do deceive the people by your flatteries deceits and glorious notions and gilded expressions which is for the fire and all such as you are who are acted and guided by the spirit of the Devil who is a lyar and the Father of it And the Beast and the 24 Elders Antichrist and his upholders shall be cast into the lake together and they that worship the Beast and his Image and their own imaginations and inventions as such as you do Rev. 14.9 10 11. Rev. 17. Rev. 20. there to be tormented And as for putting our papers into one anothers hands and not the Scriptures as you say Here you speak but by imaginations but the spreading abroad of our papers is for the laying open of deceits and deceivers such as you are that do not abide in the Doctrine of Christ 2 John 9. but run a whoring after your own inventions but Whoremongers and Adulterers that do not abide in the truth such as you are God will judge but the Scriptures we do own and magnifie the life and power of them and all who are guided by the same Spirit that gave them forth Rom. 8.14 1 John 3.1 But such as you are that live in lies flatteries sub ilty and deceit we do deny and disown and restifie against all such who take the Scriptures for no other end but to trade withal for money and deny the life of them and who walk not in obedience to the Commands of our Lord Jesus such we deny and those that have but the form of Godliness but deny the power thereof as you do such we deny and that you have nothing to do to sell the Scriptures nor to trade with the Saints experiences for mony which is your Dianah for your foundation is but Silver and Gold which must be shaken and cast into the fire that nothing may stand in the day of the Lords power but that which is of his own bringing forth where those that speak may speak as the Oracle of God with power and boldness from the spirit of truth as they receive their words from the Lord and not from other mens writings and gathered up knowledg and imagination for carnal mony and carnal ends as you and such as you do who make no other use of the Scriptures but to colour over your deceits and deceivableness withal that you may live in Hypocrisie but wo is the Hypocrites portion and wo is yours Wo to you ye blind guides and demi-lights wel-favored Harlots and painted Sepulchers for the Lord will avenge himself on all his enemies and adversaris such as you are And your wisdom is earthly your wills are corrupt and you are in the old nature and are in the fall and lust of the flesh Pag. 37. and you are ignorant of the things of God and know nothing of Chriff and his Cross but shew your selves enemies to it as in Phil. 3. and are in the broad way that leads to destruction and you are covered over with earthly conceivings and earthly inventions and imaginations and your learning is earthly and no man can serve two masters but you are ignorant of the teachings and Doctrine of Christ but run into the holes of your earthly imaginations and you are carnal and corrupt and you are of the first birth which is Cainish there is a natural man and there is a spiritual man and the natural man is in his first wisdom which is earthly carnal sensual and divilish James 3.11.12.13 14.15.16 and so is yours but the spiritual man hath his affections set on things above being risen with Christ Col. 3. having his wisdom from above being born again and of the seed of Abraham and his wisdom is not that which is bought and sold Iob 28. as yours is but the new man hath his new name new learning and new wisdom which is pure peaceable and is of another being made partakers of the Divine nature and the Divine wisdom which the spiritual man is taught and hath received of the Lord Iam. 3.17.18 2 Pet. 1. to 9. which you shew your selves to be ignorant of and enemies to and knoweth not the teachings of God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ but are cloathed with your own righteousness and in your 38. Page you would make your selves to appear fair and beautiful in the eyes of men as the Pharisees did Pag. 38. who was of the same nature that you are and boasted of their own righteousness which you are established in and not in the righteousness of God which crosseth all natures desires that are corrupt and changeth that nature which is carnal and wor eth out all unrighteousness where it is embraced and the motions of it not quenched 1 Thes 5.19.20 21.22.23 but you are in divisions and dissimulations and knows not that righteousness of Christ that stands inward in the covenant of promise as you have declared in Page 38. which is in all and is the power and the life and righteousness it self to establish and season their hearts with Grace which you are not acquainted with whose learoing is that of the first nature which is earthly and your righteousness the same every tree being known by its fruits Luk. 6.44.45.46 and the root being corrupt the branches is corrupt also so your Religion is carnal and earthly and stands in externals and rudiments of the world and not after Christ but is Ceremonial Pharisaical and Diabolical and that nature and seed that lives in that center knows not that religion which is pure and keeps unspotted of the world Iam. 1.26.27 nor that righteousnes which stands out of all mens apprehensions and comprehensions in him who is and who was before the world was and is incomprehensible which you shew your selves ignorant of But what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what union hath light with darkness and what concord hath Christ with Belial whom you serve that live in uncleanness enmity is put betwixt the two seeds and they cannot bereconciled 2 Cor. 6.15.16 17 18. And as Apparrel was made to cover nakedness withal Pag. 39. which we do not deny but sees through the large Love of God to us in all his own work who maketh us the workmanship of God the Father creating us in Christ Jesus the Son of his Love and our Souls Saviour adorning us with the ornament of a meek and a quiet spirit and cloathing us with the Garments of praise and and as the Saints was that is spoken of in the Revelation that we may praise and glorifie his great glorious Name in using all his creatures in the use and service as they were created for the health
and preservation and doing all thing to the Praise and Glory of God which tendeth to his Honour who is the Father of the faithful that we own and that we set up 1 Pet 1.14 which tends to purity and righteousness not fashoning our selves like unto the world in obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ knowing that the world and the fashion thereof passeth away and that we may be to the praise of the glory of his Grace who hath redeemed us out of all uncleanness that are of the new-birth 1 Cor. 7.31 and knowing our redemption that was not purchased neither by Silver nor Gold which is corruptable as your minds are but wee are redeemed by the precious Blood of Jesus Christ to serve him in newness of life and newness of conversation and our freedom is in the perfect Law of liberty which you are ignorant of and so are contending for the Devil to cover over deceit and to uphold the abominations and filth of the flesh Prov. 16.17.18 But it is the Lords love to let us see your deceits and to see how you act in darkness and from aspirit of error and you are cloathed with your own inventions and sets up that which God doth throw down and you may and shall be ashamed of the evil of your doings and your contempt to the spirit of truth for your minds are carnal and your worship is carnal and your contentions is carnal which tends to vain janglings which is forbidden And that which is seen is carnal and that which is not seen is eternal And that which is seen is carnal and that which is not seen is eternal And so are you carnally minded whech is death Rom. 8.6 7. and your worship is carnal and perishing Col. 2.20.21 22. and not after Christ and your ministry will never lead up to perfection but is for condemnation But the Ministry of Christ which is after the spirit The Saints Ministry Ephes 4. â— 9 10 11. 12 13. and not of the letter which the letter doth declare of that which tends to perfection that we own to the building up one another in love by the spirit of love which you know not but are ignorant of who lust after envy The Church of Christ we own who are of God in God 1 Cor. 13. The trus Church born again of water and the spirit baptized by one spirit into one body where Christ is the head and the Saints the body 1 Per 2 5. who are of one heart 1 Thes â— 1 Ephes 1 22 23 and one mind which is that we do own Ephes 2.19.20.22 4.4.5.6 But yours that is of confusion and contention strife and debate and are in vain janglings and pride and voluptuonsness which is of Antichrist that we disown The bread which the Saints break dayly and from house to house The spiritual bread which bread is from Heaven and is our life which we have union with 1 Cor. 10.17.18 in whom it is minisested Ioh. 9.33 1 1 Cor. 12. that we do own but you that are carnal and yours that is perishing that we disown The Cup which the Saints drink The cup of blessing which the Scriptures do declare of which is the Blood of Christ and the Cup of Blessing that we do own Iohn 6.53.54.55 56. 1 Cor. 10.15.16.17 and 12.13 But the Cup of Abominations and filthiness of the fornications which you and all the world in their old nature do partake and drink of dayly Reve l. 17 4 5 6. and that which the Gentiles sacrifice they Sacrifice to Devils and not unto God all drinking the cup of Devils 1 Cor. 10.21 which is not of Christ but of Antichrist and that we utterly deny and altogether disown The Baptism which is spiritual Gal. 3.27 28. By one spirit one Body where there is but one faith one Lord one Baptism that we do own Spiritual Baptism and they that are baptized into Christ have put on Christ and are new Creatures cloathed with the Righteousness of Christ and espoused to him and into that union partaking of the fruit of the Vine which is in the new plantation and for the friends of Christ to partake of Joh. 15. Rom. 6. which we have priviledge in and is in order to the spirit of truth which the Scriptures do declare of that union and communion which is spiritual and not carnal that we do own and those whoa re spiritual and not carnal them we own They that are guided by the Spirit of the living God and are made over-seers of the Church by the Holy Ghost and do watch over the weak 1 Cor. 2.8 9 10. Spiritual Overseers and do it freely not by constraint nor for filthy lucre and are grown up into the truth and are able to divide the word of truth aright them we do own and have them in love for their works sake who are in order to the spirit of truth which is the life of the Scriptures But those that are no of the spirit but of the letter and their fleshly imaginations and guided by a spirit of errour and constrained by gifts and rewards as you are them we do disown That Word the word of God which was in the beginning which is the word of life which is the word of power The word of God which is the word of life and is spiritual which is as a two edged sword to the dividing asunder of joynts and marrow and doth discern the thoughts and intents of the heart and is as a fire and a hammar to break the rocks and hard hearts and is to be desired which is the word of comfort that nourisheth up the soul unto Eternal life which word is invisible which is the word of faith which is the engrafted word John 1. Heb. 4 12. Jeâ— 23 29. 1 Peâ— 2.2 1 Peâ— 1.22 Rom. 10.8 James 1 21 and not the letter which the letter doth declare of which is now the word of power and able to save the soul which worketh out all superfluity of naughtiness which the Scriptures do declare of that word we own but you and your carnal inventions and invitations which are aiery them we disown That faith which is the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ which is a saving and a justifying faith The Saints Faâ—th and that faith which purifieth the heart and overcometh the world which leadeth into covenant with God which is the gift of God which is the evidence of things unseen and that hope which is in Christ 1 John 5 4 Heb 11. â—ude 20. 2 Peâ— 1. 5 6. c. Phil. 2.3 4 5 6 7 8 and that mind Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus who though he was in the form of a servant thought it no robbery to be equal with God which the Scripture doth declare of and that which is spâ—ritual light life peace which passeth understanding joy