thee that thou hates the light and when thou said the Plagues of God was upon Thomas Curwen this is not rayling with thee and said the spirit of the Devil spoke in him when he spoke truth to thee and this was thy fury and madness who art not fit to talk of the Saints conditions and so it is manifest thou knows not what spirit thou art of who dost not know the light of Christ to be saving neither hast thou shewed forth the fruits of the spirit of Christ with its workings And whereas thou would know where any of the Ministers of Christ or Christ called any strange birth of the flesh c. it seems thou art ignorant of the Scriptures as well as others as long as thou hast been a Merchant for did not Christ tell the Pharisees they were of their Father the Devil Iohn 8. and the Apostle said to Elimas the Sorcerer thou full of all subtilty who perverts the right way of God as thou dost hindering people from believing in the light Ioh. 12. Acts 13. and so we speak truth to thee as thou art we do not falsly accuse thee and now see thee where thou art who long deceived us but praised be the Lord we are come to Christ the saving Light which thou denyes and its manifest what thou art and what thy suffering is in the darkness against the light and thou proves thy self a Thief and a Robber who enters not in by the door Christ the Light but climbes up another way and therefore the sheep knows thy voice to be the stranger Iohn 10. and we know what thy compassion is but thou wants power thou hast manifested in this Book and the Letters thou hast sent up and down to Manchester and Stopperd and thy deeds are manifest in the light which thou hates so much and the Lord is rebuking the evil spirit and judging it and thou wilt feel the weight of his hand for thy maliciousness to his people and it is thou that hath mislead and misguided the simple who brings forth arguments to no purpose to strike at the Corner-stone Christ the Light it being fallen upon thee therefore thy Arguments is manifest to be to no purpose and therefore thou art thus tormented and whereas thou savest our Corner-stone being struck at then the building must needs fall to the ground but I say our foundation is Christ the Light Ioh. 8. which we know that thou and all the Generation of Priests have struck at till you are all tumbled down your selves but Christ our Corner stone and Foundation and Light never fell but thine is fallen and therefore thou ragest And we do affirm in our words and printed Books that Christ who says he is the Light in Joh. 8 he is the Dore Joh. 10. he is the quickning Spirit and he is the Corner stone which God hath laid in Sion he is the Truth and he is the All and in all and above all according to Scripture and to be believed in And hath enlightned every man that comes into the world and he is the Redeemer and the word and this thou denyest Christ the Light the Quickning Spirit the Way the Truth the Corner stone the Word the Foundation the Redeemer and the All And here indeed thou hast denyed the Corner stone and Christ Jesus which the Prophets Christ and the Apostles testified of so thou hast manifested thy self against them So never take their words to make a Trade of any more And thou canst not call Christ the Light a Quickning Spirit the Way the Truth the Word the Foundation the Corner stone the Redeemer this thou canst not call the True Jesus thou sayst We do believe thee and that thou art an Enemy to him and them that walk in his light are manifest and therefore have I Richard Gubbam proved thee a false Prophet and Antichrist according to thy own-words and we are come to Repentance and the knowledg of the Truth and thy ways be detected whereby many simple hearts be turned from them and so now we are many of us undeceived from such deceivers as thee who calls Christ the Light the Word the Way the Truth deceiving but the Lord rebuke thee who strives to keep Ignorant simple people from the Light and in darkness thou wouldst aspire up as a Judge of all conditions and knows not thy own to be miserable blind and naked Rev. 1. yet thou tell'st the Reader what the Light is and what it can do and what it cannot do and of what use it is when thou in the darkness cannot comprehend it And whereas thou tellest us of the Light of the first Adam and the Spirit of man is the Candle of the Lord Proverbs 20. and Genesis 2. Adam was made a living soul 1. Cor. 15. and thou sayest this Candle of the Lord or Light in every man is inferior to other Lights and is lower than the Angels and is limited and bounded c. And now would not this Light have justified the Jews and Adam and the Candle of the Lord would not that have directed them in his way and did not David call the word of God A Lanthorn to his feet and a Light unto his path And is this thy Spirit which is under the Bonds and Limits for where the Spirit of God is joyned to there is liberty and we do not tell thee of the Light of Adam thou art gone from the matter but we speak of the Light of Christ Jesus the second Adam the Lord from Heaven For our dispute was not about the earthly Adam the Spirit of a man but our discourse was about Christ the Light of the world the Saviour and thou tel'st us of the Light of Adam this is thy dark Wisdom and like thy knowledge and experience of Christ And whereas thou say'st the Spirit of a man or Light in every man is understood to be the Reason or the understanding of a man whereby he is adopted to know his Creator viz. who made him according to David Psalms 59. 6. Answ Here thou hast confuted thy self for can man be adopted to know his Creator with his own Spirit and Reason and his own Light which thou call'st Natural For the Natural man knows not the things of God and the Spirit of man knows the things that be of a man even so the Spirit of God knows the things that be of God and if all Nations must know the Lord God that made them and serve him and they are his people and the sheep of his Pasture and they must worship and kneel before the Lord their maker and keep his Laws then they should have the Spirit of God for natural men cannot discern the things of God nor hear his voyee nor worship him as thou said'st before so these Scriptures over throws thy assertion Psal 95. 6. And whereas thou say'st of this Light we may understand Christ to speak Mat. 6. 23. Therefore if the Light in thee be Darkness how
principles are according to the old errors thou speaks of But thou saist thou hast done with our Principles thou needs not enlarge upon our Hay Wood and Stubble being assured the removing of our Foundation which thou saist thou hast done will bring down our whole building Ans We are Gods building 1 Cor. 3. And we have a building of God Ephes 2 and Christ is our Foundation which remains and stands sure 2 Tim. And we are built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ himself being the head Corner stone the Lord hath laid our foundation and no other foundation can any man lay 1 Cor. 3. 11 12. Zach. 8. 12. Eph. 2. 2. Tim. 2. And as for hay wood and stuble it is thy own and will be burnt up who has denyed Christ the Light the foundation and called him a natural and created Light and Idol but thy foundation and building is down together it 's hard to know where it stood And where are all your Builders and Daubers and now after all thy slanders and raylings thou wouldst make people believe thou lovest our persons And when thou hast uttered all thy lyes and malice thou in hypocrisie and feigned humility would make people believe thou pittiest us But we know what thy pitty is But we are come to the true Jesus who takes pity of our souls though thou long deceived many of us I believe that few people would hardly have believed that there had been so much poison venom in thee thou hast denyed Christ the Light the way truth life calls him natural and created and so art in the error thou speaks of and thy bowels is the belly of Hell Jonah 2. And what hast thou to do to take the Lords name in thy mouth and hates to be reformed But thou art one of them that uses thy Tongue saying Thus saith the Lord when he never spoke to thee Jeremiah 23 Thou saist Thou hast born thy Testimony against us in that which appears in us against the mystery of Christ crucified Ans Christ Jesus which was crucified which thou slanderously saist we deny but him we own it is thou that denies him to be crucified in denying his Light for we preach Christ crucified 1 Cor 1. 23 2. Cor. 2. And him that the Jews crucified who were in the same envious Spirit with thee against the light Jo. 1. Mat. 20. 19. and Mark 15. 13. Luk. 23. 23. Rev. 11. 8. we are crucified with Christ Gall. 2. 20. And if thou hadst written fewer errors it had been better for thee but praised be the Lord God thy deeds are brought to light and this is a poor shift for thee to come off so after thou hast laid down thy assertions and cannot maintain them nor canst not make them good for our questions was learned questions and tended not to strife and yet stands on thy head unanswered and thou and all which thou hast declared hath been against God and Christ so that thou art one that bears false witness against him not for him And thou hast manifested the error of thy judgment for thy understanding is error Psal 19. Mat. 22. 22. 1 Tim. 6. 10. and that which thou hast done hath been against Christ the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and thy Commendation of us is reviling and slandering for it is manifest thou hast a double tongue unbridled Jam. 1. Tim. 3. 8. and with thy tongue thou thinks to prevail Psal 12. but a lying tongue Prov. 12. 19. is but for a moment and he that uses slanders is a fool Prov. 10. 18. but we cannot walk with slanderers Jer. 6. 20. And thou saist Our principle hath had its growth and advantage from these means from the pride covetousness formality idleness and cruelty corrupt oustomes Idolatry superstition of Parish Priests and the generality of their Hearers Ans And John Wiggan Trencher Chaplain shall be put in amongst them And thus when you were in your wickedness as thou speaks of before and mocked God with your Religion as the end of it hath manifested it self God hath overturned it and stained your glory and your pride which went before your destruction Prov. 16. 18. then the Lord had compassion upon us in your day when no eye pittied us and revealed his Son in us who is our Shepherd and leader and Salvation Ezekiel And thou with the rest Railed against us in your idleness and pride and carnality and who was mader against Truth then your separated Congregations in railing against the Light and Spiritual Teaching and who were taught of God and Christ and followed him and would not follow your pernitious wayes and when we prophesied to you of your down-fall both in your Towns and Cities and Army you abused us prisoned us and persecuted us though all the things is come to pass upon you which we then spoke and yet thou in thy envy and malice art railing against the Truth the Light Christ that it should spread but thou had rather the evils before mentioned should spread Idleness and Pride c. And our Testimony was born against your pride and hypocrisie in the truth and spirit and power of Jesus against all your false Worships and Churches and Teachers which God hath thrown down according to our Testimony and you were found treacherous to your own Principles in all things for we faithfully bearing our Testimony for the Lord God to you as he gave to us and for standing faithful to him we were prisoned and had our Goods spoyled by you and now you are murmurers against us because truth stands and your foundation is fallen to the ground and thou wickedly termes the true Christ who is Light to be Antichrist And whereas thou saist Antichrist doth never oppose Christ more then when he appears in a mystery when he comes in the name of Christ and pretends to be all for Christ reproving much that is evil and pleading for many commendable things thus our Saviour tells us many false Christs shall arise Mathew 24. 24. in Sheeps cloathing Mathew 7. 15. in so much that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect. Ans This is directly thy own condition who appears in a mystery to oppose Christ the Light but we cannot say of many commendable things thou hast done or sins reproved and neither Mat. 24. nor Mat. 7. saith that Antichrist shall do many commendable things or reprove sins for that which reproves sin is the spirit which Antichrist is gone from Christ said Antichrist and false Prophets should come to the Disciples and John saw they were come 1 John 2. and they went forth from them into the World and as in the Revelations the whole World went after them and they inwardly ravened from the Spirit and so keeps people from the Spirit and Light within them as thou dost and these have the Scriptures the Sheeps Cloathing and if it were possible would deceive the very Elect but
another And John if Thomas Curwen Husbandman which is a better Calling then thy Trade who hath often been moved of the Lord to write to thee is able to indict letters having been often burthened with thy hypocrisie and vain deceit and fleshly performances which thou hast charged falsely upon me in a letter And here thou publishes that which thou knows not slandering us both with that which thou art ignorant of not knowing but another might do it and so hast published thy ignorance Dost thou think this will stand amongst wise men And thou hast said thou will never learn in my Masters School which is Christ the Light nor come to the Law which is the Schoolmaster until Christ which thou art ignorant of both And within all this time thou might have answered my Queries if thou had been in the meeknesse but it is manifest thou art choaked with evil and envy and possest with a bitter spirit that thou hast not power to do good And as for thy dreaming it is manifest if thou hadst been awaked thou would have answered my Queries and cleared thy assertion and convict me if I had opposed my self but thou hast denyed this office and work and in stead of giving satisfaction herein thou hast published thy own shame I would not have thee to envy me so much for the good I have to thee for which of those things dost thou thus deal with me Is it not because I have told thee the truth for which of those good deeds dost thou rail of me so fast Was it not a good deed to tell thee thou was a Deceiver knowirg thee to be so for now thy fruits makes thee manifest to be a deceiver and whom thou hast deceived 2 Pet. 2. Mat. 7. 24. And whereas thou hast picked a few lines out of James Parkes private letter sent unto thee whom thou seems to pretend love to and now publishes them and this was thy love was it not time for me to forsake thee being long deceived by thee and has known thy Principles and thee long and thy feigned love but should thou not have put all my letter down that the Reader might have seen it and judged with thy words which was the occasion of it and the words which thou slanderously spoke in secret but thou wilt manifest thy self that thy solly may appear which cannot abide plainnesse but my letter is true to thy condition and thou wilt find it so And I tell thee it was a fraudulous part of thee to publish a part of my letter and not all or other Friends letters either and far off the truth and below a wise man but it is well that thou hast published so much as thou hast done that people may read thy book and see the words come true upon thee John Wigan this in Answer to part of thy Appendix WHerein thou mentions Margaret Fells Letters and has therein falsifyed my words as it is the usual manner of thee and such deceivers as thou art for you do so with the Scriptures who makes a trade of them and teaches for filthy Iucre you take here a piece and there a piece such as will make for your own ends and for your advantage and for the setting up of your Image you make and so leaves poor people dark and ignorant of the Scriptures and also of your deceitful dealings with them and so keeps them in darkness and preaches unto them that they must carry a body of fin with them as long as they are upon the earth and they are no other like so long as they that are blind follows thee and such like that are blind and so you all go into the ditch together which is your place and shuts the kingdom of heaven against men and neither enters in your selves nor suffer them that would go in to enter Mat. 23. 13. But thou hast intended in taking pieces of my letters here and there to make them seem more odious to the Reader and also thou has intended thereby to cover thy own nakednesse and ignorance of God and his truth in leaving out the cause and ground of my speaking those words which is nothing but truth to thee according to the Scriptures where they stand written to thee though thou endeavours by thy overskipping and taking words here and there to make them non-sense to the Reader yet as they stand and as thou hast set them any rational man of truth and honesty that knows what thou hast written and spoken to me and others will judge them to be truth to thee Therefore for the further manifestation of thy wickednesse I shall by plain Scripture convince the Reader that reads with an impartial eye and prove thee a blasphemer against God and his truth as it is in Jesus and when I have done so then let the Reader judge whether thou be not guilty in truth and reality and of all I have writ to thee The cause of my first writing to thee was from thy blasphemous book which thou put out against Christ Jesus the Light our corner stone which thou boastingly saies thou strikes at and I can truly say and the Lord that judges all hearts knows that I had no delight to meddle with thee seeing thee a conceited man only in deceit and ignorance but I was moved of the Lord in the vindication of his truth to bear my testimony for his truth and to write to thee and to leave thee without excuse 1. In thy Book thou saith Whoever calls and worships this the Light in every man as the Redeemer worships an imaginary and fictious Christ and indeed an idol and in another place of thy book thou saies That the Light in every man that comes into the world set up and worshipped in prayers and praises All the Honour and Attributes due to the true Redeemer alone being ascribed to it which is an Idolatry so much worse then that of Jeroboams or of the Papists In a third place of thy book thou saiest Admit this grand lie for the Corner stone and the whole super structure will consist of lies These with many other such blasphemous speeches thou hast uttered forth in thy book which I shall forbear to trouble the Reader with they being answered before Again in thy second letter to me thou hast sent writ these words its likely thou hast never been so plainly told that thou sets up an idol if thou call the light that is in every man that comes into the world Christ the Redeemer and if thou worships that light as the Redeemer that thou art an Idolater It seems by these words that thou hast writ these words in thy former letter which I sent back with the answer and so hath not the words there written here to produce but here is enough and sufficient to manifest thee an absolute blasphemer against Christ and the holy Ghost Answ The Light of Christ Jesus which we bear witnesse of which hath lighted every
William Houlding Blacksmith and Henry Wood a daily Labouring man who cannot read on a Book and Thomas Curwen Husbandman and William Wilson Taylor who in the strength of the Lord desire to give the said John VViggan a meeting before the Sheriffe as he hath challenged us and hath sent his Challenge into the Town and not to us with many villifying and slanderous words in the said Book which he hath sent amongst the people so let all the wise in heart judge of this man whether he hath carried himself like a Rational man yea or no. The Assertions are as followeth 1. For John VViggan to prove and make good out of the Scriptures of truth 1. that Christ doth not enlighten every man that comes into the World with a saving Light contrary to John 1. 9. 2. That the Light wherewith every man is enlightened that comes into the World is not a saving Light 3. To make good that which thou hast laid down that there is some men that comes into the World hath not the spirit contrary to Iohn 16. 8. Acts 2. 7. 4. That Christs blood was not shed for all men contrary to the 1 Epistle of Iohn 2. 2. 5. That Balaam had no more of the spirit of God then his Horse and which was held forth in the dispute against us contrary to Numbers 24. 17. 6. That Balaam did not see the Starr of Iacob contrary to Numbers 24. 17. 7. And that wicked men hath not the spirit of God nor the Holy Ghost contrary to Gal. 2. Neh. 9. 8. That the Light before faith is not pure contrary to Rom. 7. 12. 9. And that Christ the Light that lightens every one that comes into the World is an Idol contrary to Ioh. 1. 9. 22. 13 46. 10. That the Grace of God is an Idol contrary to Ephesians 2. 5 8. 11. And that there is no mercy with God contrary to Psalm 13. 6. 12. That Christ is not the Word contrary to Revel 19. 13. 13. That the Light is a false Christ contrary to Ioh 12. 33 46. 14. And that Light doth not shine in darkness contrary to Iohn 1. 5. 15. And that God who is the Word doth enlighten every man that comes into the World is not saving 16. And that the Light Christ that enlightens every man that comes into the World is a Natural Light 17. That some are in the flesh and hath not the Spirit This is he to make good and prove how they can quench it and grieve it that hath it not 18. That some that comes into the World have not a saving Light 19. Some there are that are in the flesh and never had the spirit contrary to Rom. 10. 20. That the time must come that men must break their Plow-shares into Swords and Speares which his brother Price justifies in a Book and John Wiggan was offended because we marked it out for error and these things we would have the said John Wiggan to stand to and make good before the Sheriffe as he challenged by plain Scriptures of truth in the New Testament For both the Scriptures and Common-Prayer testifies against thy Principles Some more of John Wiggan's Assertions which are not many of them in the former above written 1. THat the Light in every man that comes into the World is not the Door nor the Mediator Saviour nor Redeemer nor the Way Truth the Life the Lord that bought them nor the Corner-stone nor the infallible spirit 2. That it is not the true Jesus but an Idol the Light wherewith every man is enlightened or the Light that lighteth every man 3. To follow Christ the Light is to follow a pernitious way 4. That the Light was natural and spirit of a natural man and was that in Adam which let him see his sin 5. That Light which is darkness spoken of in Math. 6. 22 23. le ts man see his Creator 6. And this Light looketh upon every thing done or to be done of man and yet this Light maketh not any thing that is done to be good or evil and yet this Light sheweth the Creator and this Light in man will render God Righteous in his Proceedings against man 7. That Christ doth not give his spirit to every man that comes into the World 8. That they in Iude spoken of as Cain and Cora and Balaam had not the spirit 9. And this Light with which every man is enlightened is Natural and its gross to say that the Light which enlightens every man is Christ 10. That the Light in every man is but the spirit of a man the Law written in the heart 11. That who so worships that Light that enlightens every man that comes into the World as Redeemer worships an imaginary and fictious Christ and an Idol denying the person of the true Jesus 12. That whosoever saith that he that is the Light in every man is Christ is a deceiver and an Antichrist and Iohn Wiggan will prove them so 13. And it is the subtle deceiver and adversary Satan that saith the Light which doth enlighten every man that comes into the World is the Lamb and the Lord and the object of faith 14. And the Light that doth enlighten every man is the Word and before he said it was the Natural man's spirit and an Idol c. 15. That the Light the word God which enlightens every man is natural and man by it knows nothing of Christ though he confess by it he knows the Eternal power and God-head the fulness whereof dwells in Christ bodily 16. And the word God the true Light which doth enlighten every man that comes into the World he saith is darkness Mat. 6. 22 23. 17. And the word God doth enlighten every man that comes into the World by setting up a Light and spirit in man which is called the Candle of the Lord and writing a Law in his heart and the Light which doth enlighten every man is not the word which was in the beginning 18. And Christ came a Light into the World not to enlighten every man that comes into the world and this light is able to seek and feel after God his Creator and by it man may know his Creator and the Eternal power and Godhead it is a created Light a great Light it is but a Candle Light but it discovers man's transgressions and this Light springeth up with mans spirit and this Light is the Spirit of a Natural man which doth not know the things of God and this Light discovered Adam's sin and this Light is Natural and not Spiritual 19. But this Light knows nothing of the Gospel mystery hid in God nor Redemption by Christ nor of Gods good purpose and Grace nor of the Law of faith 20. This Candle-light to wit that Light wherewith every man that comes into the World is enlightened is not able to discern the mystery of God in Christ And so make good these things by Scripture or stop thy mouth for ever
the pure Light of Christ which is saving which enlightens every man and for thy saying there will be but little truth found in saying thou taught thy way to others and it will be hard for me to prove or any of my friends thou hast proved it thy self and I have proved it sufficiently here before and also it was proved in the dispute but that thou art more minded to cavil then obey the truth and it s no matter of thee saying my words are improper when thou wilt not believe plain Scripture when as thou bids me tell thee where the Apostle said some preached the way the truth and the life and yet knew him not such as professed him in words and denyed him in life such as the Apostle calls evil doers evil beasts and slow bellies and teaches for filthy lukre as thou hast done who is a sayer and not a doer and such as preacht Christ of envy as thou dost and added afflictions to the Apostles bonds those knew not Christ the way and the life neither was in it for they were in the envy and strife as thou art and those are unlike to know him though they may preach him in words for envy blinded them as it hath done thee Philip. 1. 15. but did not those false Apostles deceitfull workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ preach Christ in words as thou doest how could they have gone about to deceive the Saints which believed in Christ and were they not despisers of the Apostles and Ministers of Christ as thou art nay did they not boast that they were Ministers of Christ as thou doest and denyed his life as thou doest 2 Corinth 11. from the 13. to the 23. and did not Christ speak of such who preached in his name and in his name cast out Devils and I do not believe that ever thou came to see so far as these did and yet he said depart from me ye workers of iniquity and the false Prophets in the 24. of Matthew who said loe here is Christ and loe there these was Preachers of Christ in words under a pretence to bring them to a false Christ and Christ said go not forth after them for he would come and dwell in them and this thou cannot abide to hear spoken on of Christ being in men a saving Light and dost thou not know that many has a form of Godliness Tit. 3. 4. and what form is that is it not the Scriptures that speaks of God and Christ and denies the power wherein I feel thee to be one who are to be turned away from who withstand the truth and many of thy Hearers turned away from thee whom thou led away Captive And what wise man cansay I have wronged the Apostles words in this for I have not wronged the Apostles words but thou wrongest me and thou dost not preach the Love of Christ who denies the Light Christ to be saving that enlightens all men and Christ is the way the Truth and the Life who ever preach him or for what ever end they preach him for and we set up the Christ Jesus the Apostles preached and set up the Light of the World which the Prophets prophesied of but thou preachest another as was said before who denies his Light to be a saving Light in all men though some men neglect their Salvation as thou may read in the Scriptures and we have the same Gospel the Apostles had and preached to wit the power of God which I do believe thou was never yet in for if thou had thou would not have changed so and have left thy people for what hast thou left that Christ thou preached to the Independants or hast thou restored the Money which thou got amongst them so confess the truth for I never changed since I knew the Truth the same Christ the Apostles preacht and the true Religion I believe thou hath to seek it who denies the Light and so in meekness and fear I declare to thee we own no other Christ Jesus then the Apostles preacht and set up and this Christ Jesus I am not ashamed to confess before all who is the Light that enlightens all men that comes into the World who is the Salvation to the ends of the Earth who tasted death for every man and this is Gods Love to Mankind And whereas thou sayest thou will not answer my Queries nor satisfie me nor any Querist in this thou hast manifested thy self and spirit what it is and hast denyed a Christian Spirit who should be ready to give an answet to any that asked them a reason of the hope that was in them and my questions tends to edification and not to strife and confessing the working of God in their hearts and what they past thorow and the acquaintance with God hearing and seeing of him and things concerning Salvation and Scripture words that declares of the same and this is not edification to thee and yet thou contradicts thy self and sayest thou would give a reason of the hope that is in thee and yet doth not answer my Queries concerning-Christ the hope and other workings of the Spirit of God Truly John this manifests thy emptyness and shallowness of the things of God and that which concernes mans Salvation And thou sayest thou hast in readiness to answer in love those Queries was in Love sent to thee but this is but a shift and a boast for if thou hadst not answered them in love to us who thou accounts thy enemies though thou hast called us thy friends thou might have answered them for their sakes thou sent thy Book too if thou hadst no love to enemies John Wiggan thou sayest that the Light wherewith every man is lighted that comes into the World is not a saving Light and this thou say'st thou shalt thorough the strength of Christ be ready to maintain against me or any of my friends who hold the contrary when and where a meeting may be had in a peaceable and quiet way before competent Witnesses Answ Thee and all thy Witnesses at the meeting by all your opposing the Scriptures and us that stood for them could not make good that Christ was not the saving Light that enlightens every man that comes into the World though yee broke out into a rage and broke your own order which was that none should speak while another was speaking and thou was the first man that brake it both when G. F. and W. W. was speaking and neither love or humility proceeded from thee but abundance of pride rage and envy when thou was plung'd and could not make good what thou hadst asserted which was contrary to Christ and the Prophets as in Esaiah and John the 1. 8 12. And that which moved me to stick the Paper on the Door proceeded from the Holy Spirit which hath caused thee to vent forth so much against the Light of Christ and hath brought that forth which hath been so long hid in thy heart
contrary to the Scripture which saith he is the light of the World and in the begining was the Word and the Word was with God and his name is called the Word of God and so people may see how thou would divide God and Christ with thy dark wisedome And thou saist 2ly How doth he enlighten every man that comes into the world and saist in another place the word God or God the word as Creator of all things doth enlighten every man that cometh into the World by setting up in every man a spirit and Law in his heart by which he lives which is called the Candle of the Lord Prov. 20. 27 of which Spirit and law I have spoken before Ans This light which thou callest the Law and Spirit of a Natural Man and a Created light this thou hast not proved before as thou saist but it s perverted before for by this thy proof John came to bear witness of a Natural light and of a Natural mans spirit which knows not the things of God and by that John bid people believe in this so this is thy dark wisdom and like unto thy Preaching and it is no wonder people forsakes thee and that thou shouldst be unestablished thou needst not be offended for babes seeing thee for thou caust not be hid for John came to bear witness of the true light Christ and not of a natural Created light as thou imagines but of him the Prophets testified of he that was preferred before John Joh. 1. 3. the light of the Gentiles and the Glory of his people Israel and thou may see in the 15. vers which proves and 16 17. that was the Christ John bore witness of him and cryed saying this was he of whom I speak He that cometh after me is preferred before me and called Christ the Lamb of God that took away the sins of the World and this Light by which all things was made and Created He came unto his own and they received him not some hated the Light and stopt their ears and shut their eyes and would not see lest they should be converted as thou dost But to as many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God them that believed in his Name and his name is the Word of God Rev. 19. And John saw and bore Record that this Light was the Son of God Joh. 1. 12 15 34. So this is an unfaithful and untrue account of the Light which thou hast given of the true Light Christ that doth enlighten every man John 1. 9. And whereas thou say'st It may be further observed that Christ is not once named in all or any of the first nine Verses of the first of John but only the Word Answ See how ignorant this man is of the Scriptures for it saith the Word was with God Mark that and doth thou deny this to be Christ whose Name is called the Word of God Rev. 19. Heb. 1. how God hath spoken in these last dayes unto us by his Son by whom the World was made And so here again he would make a difference betwixt Christ and God and because the word Christ is not there see how he shuffles and how ignorant he is for Christ is called the Light Life Truth and Word c. and Christ is called the Lamb of God Joh. 1. and John doth expresly say That he is the Light of the World Joh. 8. and doth enlighten every man that comes into the World which true Light John bore witness of that all through him might believe And thou has denyed Christ to be the Word who is the Light of the World and doth enlighten every man that comes into the World There is three that bears Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost so thou hast denyed this Record in Heaven who saist the Word is not Christ who was with the Father spoken of in John the Word was with God and 1. John 552. VVe are in him that is true in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and Eternal Life And so thou goes about to make people believe Christ is not God and we know the VVord was made Flesh and dwells in Men which thou saist he Tabernacled amongst Men as though he did not now which we must tell thee he doth now by the light which shines in their hearts Cor. 2. 4. And whereas thou saist Christ the word being imbodied in Flesh he is thenceforth called Christ the Lord or the Lords Christ and no otherwise doth he bear that Name but as he is the word made Flesh to be seen and believed on it is not the word alone nor the flesh alone but the word and flesh in union that is called Christ and is a Light to lighten the Gentiles till then there was no such thing as a Christ or a Light to the Gentiles but only in a promise Ans Whereas thou saist there was no such thing as a Christ till he was imbodied in flesh nor light to the Gentiles but only in a promise Then what was that Light which let Nebuchadnezzar see the Stone cut out of the Mountain without hands and let Job see his Redeemer and doth not Stephen say that was Christ they thrust from them and turned back again in their hearts into Egipt Acts 7. And was not that Christ the Word which Moses spoke of to the Children of Israel that they should hear and need not say who shall ascend or who shall descend and did not the Apostle say that was Christ in Rom. 10. And this the Righteousness of Faith that Moses spoke of to the Children Deut. 30. 12. the VVord was in their hearts and mouthes and doth not David call him the Anointed as in Psal 2. 2. and is not the Anointed Christ And Daniel calls him Messiah which is Christ Dan. 9. and saw him before he came and is not the Word Christ which is according to the Law and Testimony Isa 8. And how was he a Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World and is it not said in Gen. 3. 15. the seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents heads and is not the Seed Christ Gal. 3. 16. and Christ said Before Abraham was I am and thus saith the Lord to his Anointed to Cyrus whose right hand I have upholden to subdue Nations before him And what thinks thou by this what is Anointed is Christ no where spoken of before he was imbodied in Flesh and we believe he was made flesh and know it and are of his flesh according to the Scripture and we do know the Union of Christ and the Word that was made flesh but thou believes not in this Christ the Word which was made flesh who is the Light of the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel and he could not be Christ without God who is manifest in the Flesh which is a mistery to thee and we know that Christ thorow the Gospel has brought life and immortality to
not fit to take them into thy mouth for thou hast made a trade of them too long and the Light Christ Jesus who ends the Law And where doth the Scripture speak of a Natural light and a Created Light from the word Creator springing up with people in their Creation for a Natural light makes him but a Natural man still by which he cannot know much of his Creator who is Spiritual as thou saist nor seek and feel after God nor know his Eternal power and Godhead For the natural man perceives not the things of God but they are foolishness to him for they are spiritually discerned but it is Christ the true light which Iohn came to bear witness of which thou calls natural which men are to believe in so thou leads people from the true light Christ Jesus and so to hate Christ And so thy self and them both into Condemnation Ioh. 3. And the light will be thy condemnation fight against it as long as thou wilt for it is the Saints Armor For Put on the Armor of light saith the Apostle to the Saints And whereas thou writes to thy people to keep them from the Light Christ Jesus which light thou art afraid of coming to but many is come to it And further thou tells thy people of trembling nay they are far off that thou and thy people are rather in scorn against the Light of Christ and calls it natural And whereas thou saist How destructive and pernitious will the light of Christ which we speak of and Iohn bore testimonie of prove to pretious souls And thou saist Admit this grand lye for the Corner stone and the whole superstructure will consist of lyes Answ This is thy Envy against Christ the Light and foundation which destroys the Lyer and Lyes for there is no lie of the Truth And thy foundation consists of nothing but lyes against the truth for thou and thy Generation of Priests has long prophesied falsly against Christ our Rock and Foundation and that we should fall untill you be all tumbled down your selves And many of your Merchants are turned Bankrupts Oh that thou wert but in Authority thou wouldst shew other weapons against them that walks in the light of Christ But God has broken thy horn and Truth remains the same as ever and shines over all your heads Glory to the Lord God for ever And thou saist Open this as the first door of entrance as they do and it leads into a Babell of Confusion and Errors no sooner is a man entred in at this deadly Gate but he is in the City Tohn where first if his eyes be anointed with Eye-salve by the true Iesus he may behold this Image of Iealousie viz. the light that is in every man that comes into the world Answ Thou calls the Light of Christ which Iohn came to bear witness and testimony of an Image of Jealousie that leads into the City Tohu and into a Babell of Confusion c. What doth Iohn come to bear testimony of such a light as this is that people was to believe in as he saith Doth the Scripture speak any such words in John 1. 9. What railing expressions is here against the true Christ Jesus who enlightens the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel This is just the Jews who said He had a Devil Might not Margaret Fell justly call thee a Blasphemer And what dost thou talk of the true Jesus and Eye salve when thou deniest him the true light who is the door Ioh. 10. But you are all seen who deny the light to be gone into Tohu and confusion and the least in the light of Jesus sees your Images of Jealousies fall down one after another And you are also faln with them in darkness who denies the light with the earthly wisdom And whereas thou saist Set up and worshiped in prayers and praises all the Honour and Attributes due to the true Redeemer alone being ascribed to it which is an Idolatry so much worse than that of Ieroboams and the Papists by how much it is the more Mysterious and in shew the more spiritual and so less diseernable whence it comes to pass that multitudes are insnar'd by it according to that in 2 Pet. 2. 2 Many shall follow their pernicious ways The falling down to this Image is that whereby every particular Person is matriculated or Registred into their Society of Friends for now and not before as they say he hath received the truth and notwithstanding many defects is accepted as a friend Ans Here thou hast manifested thy lyes Envie and Malice not only against us but against Christ the light and the Prophets and Apostles testimonie for it is God we worship in the Spirit and in the Truth And God is well pleased with us in him Christ And they that followed Christ the light was his Friends And so we which believe in the light and walk in the light are children of the light And because many is come to walk in the light and have fellowship in it this makes thee to rage against us and our fellowship in the light and in it one with another And what are the defects thou slanders our Friends withall for we can call all people Friends but they that be in the truth are friends in the truth Christ who is the Redeemer And thus to pray to Christ thou saist is an Idolatry and worse than that of Ieroboams and of the Pepists Mind the spight and envy and malice of this man and what mischief he utters forth against the Light of Jesus and them that pray in the light in the spirit to Christ God as the Saints did and this is become an Idolatry with I. VV. worse then that of Ieroboams the Papists he saith this leads people into pernitious ways but that is false and an error for Christ the Light leads none into pernitious wayes but thou art deep in them who causeth the way of Truth to be evil spoken of and speaks evil of the right way and makes lyes thy Refuge and art compassed with a Cloud of Error fighting against the Lord and the Lamb but he will have the victory for we matter not what thou can speak against us but when thou speaks against the Lord we are bold and valient to declare against such who art promoting thy permitious wayes against Christ the Light the way who is a mystery to thee and whom thou saist is a pernitious way because many goes in at it was there ever such error uttered but it will fall upon thy self and this makes thee to rage because Babylon is fallen and she is loosing some of her Children And because we praise God in the Truth and will not follow the Priests but followes Christ the Light and honours the Lamb this thou calls an Idol and worse then that of Jeroboams c. And as for Papists dost thou not know that two Baptist Preachers in Essex are turned Papists who were Railing
speaking as in Tim. c. How ignorantly dost thou apply the scripture and wickedly but this Manifests thy Judgment of them but thou art more ignorant than some of the Baptists for some of the Baptists would allow women to speak but thy envy hath eaten out thy sight and the least of our Disciples sees thee to make lyes thy refuge and who lives in the truth sees thee And whereas thou saist We say the Scriptures are not a rule of Faith and Conversation to walk by hence it is that Christs Water Baptism and Supper and his Censures are rejected Ans If the Scripture be thy rule for thy life and Conversation then why dost not thou obey it For if the Scripture be thy rule then thou must burn offerings and sacrifices and if but part of it be thy Rule why didst not thou set down what part it is But we say Christ is our rule which doth also the Scriptures Math. 2. 6. Where it is said he shall rule the people and he is the author and finisher of our Faith And give us that Scripture that saith the Scripture is the Author of mans Faith and mans rule And as for thy Bread and wine and outward washings thou knowst little more than that nor hardly that for if thou didst thou would'st have answered my queries but thou darest not confess to the power the Apostle was in And we look at things that be Eternal 2. Cor. 4. And not at the things which are seen And such as are risen with Christ seek those things that be above Col. 3. And as for the outward things we know them where they be and do not deny nothing in its place but our life is in Christ but thou shelters thy self in outward things to keep alive in thy old nature out of the Baptism into the Death of Christ Rom 6. 3. And as for thy Censures you have censured one another till you are broken to pieces And where doth the Scripture speak of Christs Censures And Christ being within he is the Rule and Ruler and King this is Scripture within the Saints 1 Col. 27. Christ in you 2 Cor. 4. Canst thou not see this Scripture within but thou hast made a trade of them so long that thy gain hath blinded thee and was not all the Scriptures given forth from the Spirit of God within by inspiration of the Spirit 2 Tim. 3. and is not the new Covenant the Law written in the heart the Scripture within Heb. 8. Jer. 31 30. and this Scripture within thou makes a mock and scoff at And the same Gospel as ever was the power of God we own and are not ashamed of Rom. 1. 16. VVhich Gospel of Christ is the power of God to Salvation And Christ saith the spirit of truth should lead them into all truth And was not that their Rule and if the Scripture be the Rule what was the guide into the Rule to know the things of God for thou sayest the Natural man know not the things of God for they are spiritually discerned then the Spirit must be the Rule and they that are the sons of God are led by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2. and Joh. 14. And is not the Law written in the heart the perfect Law of liberty the Law of Love the Law of faith in the heart dost not thou see this is a Scripture Jam. 5. 25. Heb. 8. Rom. 3. 17. And is not this faith within to be obeyed Rom. 10. dost thou not here manifest thy darkness to all people and is not this faith held in a pure Conscience which the just lives by 1 Tim. 1. 19. Thou mightst be asham'd to scoff at the practice of the Saints and at the Scriptures but in thy dead faith thou calls Light darkness and darkness light as in Isay Who makes such an outrage against the Light because we say the light is in the heart and the Spirit of God to guide us is within according to Scripture which speaks of the Rule of Faith Let Christ Rule in your hearts by faith Thou hast put him out of his place preferred the Scripture before him And what Rule had Abraham and the Saints in the old world before the Scripture was written And whereas thou speaks falsly accusing and speaking untruths and persecuting with the tongue and Acts of injustice and thou sayes this we do in obedience to God and to our Guide Ans Thus thou further vents thy lies and malice for the Lord God who is pure and Christ our Light leads us to no such thing but we speaking truth to thee and tells thee what thou art without flattery therefore makes thou thy complaint of persecution with the Tongue but thou hast the persecuting tongue and when thou proves thy other slanders against us then may thou have a further Answer for we own no injustice And whereas thou saist we say the Light in every man is the object of faith and a common sufficient Light that it is Salvation to all that obey it and that we teach free Will c. Ans Here again thou adds lye to lye perverting our words as thou dost the Scriptures and speaking thy own for we say Christ is the Light of the World and his Grace is sufficient for all and hath appeared to all men Tit. 2. and believe in the Light saith Christ Joh. 1. 8 12. and Christ the Light is the Author of faith and we say it is not he that wills or runs but that God shews mercy which none is to abuse And whereas thou saist We teach and set up an inherent legal Righteousness denying the imputed Righteousness of Christ wrought in his own person without us that Christ fulfilling the Law in us or his spirit mortifying or sanctifying and fulfilling the Law in us is Justification therefore no coming of Christ but that within and so deny the 2d coming of Christ contrary to Scripture these many more Arminian Popish long since profligated errors is laid upon their sandy foundation Ans Here thou adds more lies for Christs second coming we do not deny and he the Righteousness of God we own and never denyed and it is a false slander of thee to say otherwise and our foundation is Christ which thou wickedly calls Sandy Isai 28. who is a tryed stone 2 Tim. 2. and the legal Righteousness is thy own it s none of ours 1 Cor. 1. and the Righteousness of Faith which saith the word is nigh thee in thy heart and in thy mouth we own which thou enviously calls an inherent legal Righteousness Romans 10. And that which Christ wrought and did in is own person and suffered without the Gates of Jerusalem for Mankind we own and never denyed which thou maliciously slanders us with the contrary and he is revealed within us and that makes thee to rage and all our Books which thou speaks of are according to the Scripturea of Truth and to Christs and the Apostles Doctrine but thy
John who saw they was come said the Saints had the Anointing within them to teach them and they needed not any man to teach them but as the Anointing teacheth them and the Apostles brought them to the Light within them and the Law within them and Christ bid them not to follow the false Prophets but he would dwell in them and his spirit should lead them into all truth Joh. 14. and 2 Cor. 4. Heb. 8. 1. And whereas thou saist We have cryed against the Priests and Teachers as Hirelings and deceivers coveteus scandalous c. and their Hearers as ignorant superstitious formal and that every charge hath much of truth in it Ans Here thou art made to confess something to the Truth as the Devil did to the Son of God and hath judged thy self too for thou was one that we cryed against at Manchester and our testimony stands against thee as it did who professes what thou art not dost thou not remember Elizabeth Hulme John Abraham James Harrison and what a rage and madness thou was in when they came to thee to declare the things of God and how thou lift up thy Fist of wickedness against John Abraham and could not hold thy violent hands and the guilt in you all have answered our testimony and thou yet was never able to stand to truths face nor answer the truth if thou had thou would have answered the Queries e're now And we are not of them which cries loe here is Christ or loe there is Christ but as the Apostle saith Col. 1. 27 28. Christ in you the hope of Glory whom we preach warning every man and teaching every man that we might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus and Christ was not like to be found amongst you when you denyed the Light and they that were innocent that had received the Light quickly saw you and this Light hath and will stop all your mouthes that denies it and the Light is not a shew but the substance And thou would seem to hide thy self from the carnal proud professors as if thou wert not of them but they that knows thee knows what thou hast been and what thou art yet and all thy Congregations which thou hast gathered where hast thou left them now so that which thou who denies the Light hath been doing is but to beat the Air. And all that were sober and feared God seeing you persecuting us and reviling against the Light and against the Spirit and what unchristian actions they used against us was a cause through quiring into truth to cause them to forsake you who denyed the Light of Jesus who broke into confusion amongst your selves and biting at truth and biting at one another till you were consumed one of another And so the good meaning people that did not make Godliness a game as you did imbraced the Light of Jesus and came into the fellowship of the Light and the Gospel which is the power of God Rom. 1. And whereas thou saist The well meaning people easily fell into their Net to do homage to their new God in the mean while the ignorant rash Priests and people who dealt with them lost themselves and injured the truth and gave this people ground to glory over them Ans If the well meaning people fell to us then the ill meaning people staid with you and this manifests you are fallen from truth when the well meaning forsook you And whereas thou saist they did homage to their new God Nay it s that God and Christ which 〈◊〉 ever was and will be whom you for sook and denyed as thou denies still and mocked with your words like them that opposed the Apostles and called it a new Doctrine a setter forth of strange Gods Acts and so you did injure the truth as thou dost now and it is Christs Net which they were catched in which kept the good and threw out the bad according to thy own Words and as you have injured the truth so hath God brought his judgments upon you and thou hath given us as much cause to glory over thee as ever any did but our glorying was and is in the Lord God and his Son Jesus Christ who hath dearly bought us with his Blood and thou that denies the Light crucifies Christ afresh and puts him to open shame And whereas thou saist the right course to deal with us is to distinguish between good and evil Ans This thou hast not done as is manifest in thy Book but like one of the false Prophets who follows thy own spirit and sees nothing but puts darkness for light and light for darkness and thou hast manifested thy unrighteous dealing to us in all thy Book and thou dost not own the good nor imbrace it nor cherish it how canst thou when thou denies the Light of Christ for that which doth make manifest and reproves is light and all things is manifest by the Light and this Light thou hatest and chofest the darkness Ephesians 5. and loves it more then the Light John 3. And whereas thou saist Thou will joyne issue with us to bear witness against hireling Priests against Tythes against superstitious carnal Worship against swearing against corrupt worldly customes herein joyne with them are they at least in shew for the power of Godliness as well as the forme for worshipping in spirit and truth for justice for Righteousness sobriety mercy gravity and whatsoever is excellent in life and conversation so am I yea whatsoever they can make appear to be evil that I would east off with as much indignation as they and what further good they can shew that I have not learned that would I gladly imbrace Ans When did John Wiggan bear Testimony against Hireling Priests and Tyth-takers should not John Wiggan had Tythes at Manchester to make up his Wages and was not he a Priest at his Chappels where he put off his dark Ware denying the Light of Christ and now when John hath lost his Chappels he will cry against them and their formality now when he cannot get them Oh subtilty but would he cry against them if he had 100. or 200 l. a Year given him nay would he not bless them for it and how can thou worship God in spirit truth who denies Christ the Light spirit of God to be in every man Thou art a false Worshipper thy Worship is false the Lord moved us to cry against thee and that in thy high dayes and must thou talk of crying against corrupt Customs and be in them thy self for thy evil words hath corrupted thy manners and thou art not for the power of Godliness and thou art far from the modesty gravity or justice or righteousness thy language bewrayes thee as thy lyes and slanders with mocking scoffing reproachful words and thy sawey language to Friends and especially to Margaret Fells which shames both Learning and Breeding and that most excellent thing in life and conversation thou hast
these things is a mystery to thee and thou knows nothing of them but what thou knowes naturally as a bruit Beast for thou cannot believe the Apostles Testimony that he gives in the 13. of the Acts when he is speaking of Saul vers 22. and when he had removed him to wit Saul he raised up David to be their King to whom he gave Testimony c. Of this Mans Seed hath God according to his promise raised vers 25 unto Israel a Saviour Jesus when John had preached before his coming and as John fulfilled his course he said whom think ye that I am c. Men and Brethren of the stock of Abraham and whosoever among you that feareth God to you is the word of this Salvation sent vers 26. So let the Reader read this portion of Scripture and see whether Christ Jesus be not Gods Covenant of Light and Promise unto Abraham and unto David and also whether this be not that which John bore Testimony of and so now thou art sufficiently proved thus far not only a breaker of Gods Covenant and Promise unto Abraham and his Seed for ever in whom the Apostle saith all the promises of God are yea and in him Amen 1 Cor. 20. The next is wherein thou has denyed Christ to be that word which John beares witness to which was in the begining with God saying the neglect of this distinction of the word Creator and the word made flesh is the ground of the great mistake of many thou saist who not considering what is testified of the Word as Creator do confound that Light which is set up by him in every man with that Light which he gives as he is the word made flesh and so calls that Light saving which is but natural springing up with him in his Creation yea hence they call that Light Christ which is but the Law written in the heart Answ I desire the Reader to read over the 1st of John and seriously consider what distinctions he findes made there from the word that was in the begining and the word that 's made flesh and the light that lightens every Man that 's come into the World and whether all these be not Christ which John beares witnesse of and whether John and the Spirit of God there have separated them as the blacknesse and darknesse in J. W. hath done and let the Reader judge whether this Man be not possest with an Inchanting Spirit of Sorcery and Witch-craft and even as it were given up to work wickednesse to his own destruction being filled with envy and malice against the Truth which has overthrown his rotten and sandy foundation and causes him so to rage that he even blasphemes against the God of Heaven that he even dares to separate the God-head and would not have Christ Jesus to be the true Light and Word of God which was in the begining in whom the fulnesse of the God-head dwells and that bodily Gal. 3. 9. And so as thou hast denyed Christ to be the Covenant of God thou has also denyed him to be the Word of God and also has denyed him to be the Light that lighteth every man that comes into the world and so has denyed his God-head as he is a Saviour by which all the Fathers were saved and dyed in the faith of him and the Patriarchs and the Prophets that had his word in their hearts and thou has denyed him to be the Light of Israel and thou has denyed him to be the first fruits of them that sleep and the first begotten from the dead and the first born of every Creature thou has denyed his very life and substance and the laying of his life down thou has denyed for thou said he denyed faith to some and one of thy Brethren said that his blood was not shed for all and thus you spake despight against the spirit of Grace and counts the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing and so Christ is of little value to you and you are not worthy of him but for the Seeds sake and that people may not be blinded with thy wickedness and blindness and darkness and that people may come to an understanding of the Truth I desire the Reader seriously to consider these following Proofes that is to say first of John That Word which was in the beginning with God by which all things was made and Created which was before man was made or Created and was glorified with the Father before the World began whether this be not the word Christ the Saviour of mankind according to the Apostles words in the 1. of Heb. 2. ver and so on hath in these last dayes spoken unto us by his Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the World c. And whether this Son of God by which all things was made and Created is not the Saviour and the Word in the beginning and the Redeemer of all Mankind and whether the Word which Moses spoke of to the Children of Israel Deut. 30. 14. when he said The Word is very nigh thee in thy heart mouth that thou may do it and said then he had set Life and Death before them which the Apostle in the 10. of Hebrews bears testimony to who saith Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believes And when he rehearses Moses Words he saith Who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring Christ up again from the Dead But what saith it the Word is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart this is the word of Faith which we preach that if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thy heart that God has raised him from the dead thou shall be saved Doth not the Apostle say that this Lord Jesus is the Word this is the Doctrine the Apostle preached the same Word in the heart as Moses did But I. W. denies this Doctrine and this Word and this Jesus that is very nigh in the heart that preaches Righteousness he preacheth him afar off it vexeth him to hear of him nigh in his heart for his heart is filled with hypocrisie and darkness and Gods Word and Witness lyes slain in him and so all his Preaching is of Christ without him crucified at Jerusalem but he knows him not nor where he is and so all his separation is but in the darkness talking of a Christ without him and denying Gods Covenant of Light within Isa 49. 8. and denying Christ the Word in the heart which was that which the Apostle preached and likewise the Apostle Peter Acts. 10. 36. The Word which God sent unto the Children of Israel preaching peace by Jesus Christ the Word I say you know which was published throughout all Judea after the preaching of the Baptisme of John and hew God anointed Jesus Christ c. vers 43.
the Saints from them both thou hast committed Sacriledge indeed who has denyed the great work of Salvation and Redemption of Mankind which the Apostle admired at that God should send his only begotten Son into the World that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Everlasting Life But this Christ thou has gain-said and resisted and denyed and so is never like to have benefit by him but he will be thy condemnation for ever And here thou hast fulfilled old Simeons prophesie in the 2d of Luke Vnto whom it was revealed by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before be had seen the Lords Christ who took him in his Armes and blessed God and said Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy Salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of thy people Israel and behold this Child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel for a signe which shall be spoken against And here thou art the man that has set thy self against him and is fallen and so has denyed Christs coming in the flesh and also has denyed God being in Christ reconciling the World unto himself which the Apostle said 1 Tim. 3. 16. Was a great mystery God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit And so thou that denies the Light of Christ and his Spirit which opens and reveales the mystery thou art not like but to be ignorant who has denyed Christ in his God-head Ioh. 5. 7. for the Apostlesaith There are three that bear Record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one and this Record thou has denyed for first thou has denyed Christ to be the Word and secondly thou has denyed Christ to be one with the Father and so thou has denyed Christ to be God except thou will have two Gods for thou has created already two Lights and two Words thou will neither have Christ to be the Light of the World nor thou will not have him to be the Word which was in the beginning with the Father nor thou will not have him to be Gods Covenant of Light with Abraham and his Seed and also the promise of God unto Adam where the Lord said The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head And now let the Reader judge whether thou be not a perfect Antichrist who hath denyed Christ come in the flesh both in his Light wherewith he lightens all people that comes into the World Secondly he denies him to be the Word which was in the beginning by which all things was made and created which is the Word the Apostle directed people to in their hearts Rom. 10. 45. Thirdly He denies him to be come in the Covenant of God which is light by which he reconciles all things to himself both of things in Heaven and of things in Earth Ephes 1. 10. And fourthly thou has denyed him to be one with his Father and so I believe here the Reader will confess that J. W. is perfectly proved an Antichrist for the Apostle saith Joh. 4. 3. Every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is the spirit of Anti-christ whereof you have heard should come and now is in the World And again in the 2 Ep. of John and the 1. Many Deceivers are entred into the World who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh this is a deceiver and an Antichrist And so as for I. VV. he doth not only not confess Christ but hath denyed Christ to be come in the flesh as hath been manifestly proved and so is he of whom the Apostle saith VVhosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God but he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son Here the Apostle joynes them together and puts them not asunder as I. VV. doth And therefore we are not to receive him into our Houses neither bid him God speed but deny him as he hath denyed Christ and has proved himself an Antichrist compleat And whereas thou speakes in thy Book That multitudes are ensnared for want of dividing or making distinctions between God and Christ and brings the 2 of Peter 2. 2. many shall follow their pernitious wayes Answ Let the Reader read the portion of Scripture in his own judgment and truth of his heart let him judge whether this Scripture be not a true Character of thee and thy Generation of Priests or whether he can judge the Quakers to be such a People as this Scripture holds forth and by this he may judge the falsity of thy judgment and thy envy and malice which breaks forth in lying The next words following are Many shall follow their pernitious wayes by reason of whom the way of truth is evil spoken of and through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandize of you who is this the Quakers or it is I. W. and his company of Priests thou breakes off betime if thou had written any further in Peter it would have come upon thy own head But there is a verse before which saith That there would be false Prophets that would bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction Here thou art perfectly set forth for I believe never any denyed him more wickedly then thou hast done as is manifestly proved and so art that false Prophet there spoken on But again verse 15. They were such as followed the way of Balaam for the wages of unrighteousness Art not thou one of these Again there were such as walked after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness must not thou needs be he who denyes the Light that manifests sin and uncleanness thorough the obedience of which they may be preserved out of it but they were to receive the reward of unrighteousness and so wilt thou who art reserved unto the day of judgment to be punished And now thou being thus manifested and proved to be what is before mentioned that the words in my Letters will fall of necesity upon thee though thou have endeavoured to cover thy self by thy setting my words in thy own frame and thereby to make them seem as if they were railing Speeches and spoken without ground And 1. Where as thou saith that I writ in my Letter to manifest thy gain-saying Spirit Core like Let the Readers judge whether this be not manifestly proved upon thy head before in gain-saying the Truth Christ who is the Light that lightens every man c. 2ly Thou saist I said Thou art without God in the World my words are thus The Light in every one as it is obeyed makes the separation from the World which Light thou denyes and so art without God in the VVorld who is Light and in
Henry Wood and William Holden not before the people to make good thy Assertion that thou boasts so much on which thou hath no cause to boast on but to be ashamed of for this is manifest of thee already in that thou hath not Answered Old H. W. Queries yet nor cannot do and what dost thou talk of G. F. meeting thee there are thousands in England that would turn and overturn thee and thy Assertions and thou art grieved that old H. W. and W. H a Blacksmith should engage with thee to Answer thy Challenge for I believe they are of ability for did not old Hen. W. stop thy mouth before the people that thou could not answer him and now thou goes and calls for G. F. to shuffle it of thee thou sure thinks that would be an honour to thee and by that thou thinks thou could shuffle of answering H. W. and W. H. of making good thy Assertion it 's an easie matter to overthrow thee and thy Assertion any babe in the truth may soon manifest thee that never was in the truth and so never mention G. F. coming to thee before thou has done with others that thou art engaged with for there is a cloud of witnesses against thee all the Saints in the Scripture bears testimony against thee and all that knows truth or ever will know it doth and will witness against thee and all of thy spirit and principle and before thou make any more boasting see if thou can clear thy self of what is here charged against thee and proved upon thee and by the Scripture of truth that is to say 1 of being a Blasphemer against the Holy Ghost 2 of being a minister of darkness 3 of being an Idolater 4 of being an Antichrist See if thou canst cast this of thee before thou talk and boast that thou chiefly desires to deal with G. F. and such others as say they are Apostles that their Doctrine and deeds being brought to the light it may be truly known whether they be true Apostles indeed or false Answ Poor conditioned man what wilt thou try with with thy dim dark Natural created light thou art tryed and proved already and weighed and found too light and so thy trying is little worth the false Apostles know more of the truth then ever thou did and yet thou art so impudent that thou talks of trying true Apostles but this is like thy former folly but all has been to manifest and bring to light thy rotten hypocrisie with which thou has deceived people but thou will proceed no further thy folly is so manifest and thy filth is so uncovered that now people will see thee and thy deceitful wickedness that with thy lying tongue can speak of Regeneration and new birth and of trying true Apostles and false with many other words which thou has stoln out of the Scriptures or else thou could not have spoken them who denies the first Principle of truth Christ Jesus the Light of the Truth and the life and the way to God and therefore he stands upon thy head thy condemner for ever for I have heard many Ministers and Teachers and seen their Works but I never saw nor heard such a humble jumble confused piece as this of thine of dividing God and Christ and such distinctions of the Light and Word but proves nothing of what thou intends but leaves it confused like thy self and sits as Judge upon the Son and sits as Judge upon the Saints and sits as Judge upon the World c. And now J. W. since thou has taken upon thee withal thy might and main to push with thy horn against the Lamb and his Followers and has engaged open war with him and has boasted as though thou would remove him out of his place and that in a publick testimony let us now prove and try thy foundation and let us see how thou will demonstrate thy strength and manifest thy ability to performe this that thou has undertaken that is to say to wit to remove our Foundation or we thine which may be manifested to the Reader by thy Answering these following Queries 1st Query Whether the Light that is in thee be not darkness but thy asserting to wit that the Light in every man is not a saving Light as also considering what is here proved before for the confuting of thy Assertions 2dly Whether thy eye be not evil and so thy whole body full of darkness since that Christ hath said that the Light of the body is the eye and by thy Assertion thou hast denyed that eye and put it out 3dly Whether dost thou believe that thou thy self has the Light of Christ in thee since thou has asserted that he has not inlightned every man yea or nay 4ly If thou have the Light of Christ in thee how comes thou by it or where had thou it more then other men and if thou was one of the World and now is not how came thy change and when and where didst thou receive that which makes thee to differ from other men 5ly Thou has taken upon thee to teach people how was thou called to it or by whom was thou made a Minister didst thou ever hear the voice of God hast thou the Revelation of Jesus as the Apostles had 6ly Dost thou turn people from the Darkness to the Light and from the power of Satan to the power of God art thou no Minister of the Letter but only of the Spirit as the Apostles were 7ly Where is thy Flock that thou has gathered from the power of Darkness unto the marvelous Light as the Saints in the Scriptures were is thy Flock in unity and fellowship with all the Saints in Light how is it then that thou denyes Christ Jesus the Corner Stone and Rock on which all the Church of God is built 8ly And how came thou and thy Flock to be Saints since yee deny Christ Jesus the Foundation which is the Stone is laid in Sion and how came you to differ from the rest of people since God is no respecter of Persons and what has made the difference betwixt thee thy Flock and the rest of all other people of the World shew it and manifest it forth wherein yee differ and how yee came by that which makes yee to differ 9ly Thou saith in thy Book thou would have us to return to the true Christ and thou lookes upon our Christ to be an Idol and has left us without direction to the true Christ thou speaks on so my Query is where this Christ is thou calls the true Christ and what he is since thou has denyed him to be the Light 2ly Thou has denyed him to be the New Covenant and Law written in the heart 3ly Thou has denyed him to be the Word in the Beginning 4ly Thou has made a separation betwixt him and his Father so what is this true Christ of thine being thou saith who worships all these before mentioned worships an Idol being thou
Light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my Salvation to the ends of the Earth and God is Light and he is a Saviour and here thou may see how thou denies the Scriptures 4. Query Whether this people do not censure all Men and Women in the World as well as the Author of these Papers to be out of the first step that leads to Christianity to be Infidels and to be accursed if they deny the Light that is in every man that comes into the World to be saving and whether is not this as much as to say that they only and none besides themselves are Christians and whether is not this a great appearance of pride in them thus highly to esteem themselves above all others Ans There is few people of the World will deny that the Light of Christ which enlightens every one that comes into the World is saving but thou and such Priests as thou art who contends against the truth and it is not pride to confess Christ the Light to be saving and deny them that denies it and say they are out of the first step for Christ being the Light Life Way and Salvation thou and those that denies him to be saving are out of the first step to God for Christ is the way to him 5. Query And whether are not all those censures directly contrary to the Saints and such as make them lyable to greater Judgments Mat. 7. 1 2. Jam. 3. 1 2. Answ That which hath been spoken to thee hath been truth and Mat. 7. speaks to thy own condition who judges unrighteously of Christ and us and thou art in that condition where many masters is Jam. 3. 12. from the one Master Christ Mat. 23. 6. Query Whether do not these clamorous and evil speakings for which there is no Scriptural warant manifestly flow from bitterness anger wrath and malice as the Apostle intimates Eph. 4. 31. Ans We do not know of any that hath spoken more clamorous and evil speeches against Christ and his people then thou hast from thy Earthly sensual devillish wisdom below Jam. 3. 16. Eph. 4. 31. in the malice wrath envy clamor and evil speaking that thou art in against Christ the saving Light c. 7. Query Whether any wise experienced Christian can judge of this people to be in a perfect sinless state who appears with these open sinful railings cursings judging in their mouthes nay since this they boast and glory in this their shame whether is it not evident that they are the servants of corruption Ans Railings Curfings Boastings and Glorying and such like we deny but we speak the truth to thee as in Rev. 22. as the plagues added to them who adds to the Scriptures and our rejoycing is in the Truth and the Apostles did not Raile when they told such false Teachers as thee 〈◊〉 what was their properties and its manifest by thy Railings against us that thou seems corruption 8. Query Whether this hath not been their manner all along to strive to overcome with these carnal weapons threatnings censurings cursings revilings c. and since no Scriptural weapon is yet imployed in the management of their cause supported thereby Ans Our Weapons are Spiritual and by Scripture weapons we have overthrown thy Assertion as may be seen in the Book and the rest of thy fellow Priests And censuring and revilings c. hath not been our Weapons to overcome with but Truth hath been our weapon by which we answer that of God in every one but railing revilings and persecutions hath been your weapons against us the Nation knows it when you were not able to resist the Light of Chrisi Jesus and the Spirit by which we spoke And here thou belyes us in saying we use no Scripture weapons but it hath been by the Scripture and the Spirit of God all along we proved you to be deceivers our Writings and Bookes will witness against thee 9. Query Whether it be not abominable wickedness to father all their evil speeches upon the Holy Ghost and to say where they curse raile revile speak falsly and frothily that it is by his inspiration and command Ans This is thy own condition when Christ and the Apostles spoke to the Pharisees they did not flatttr them nor smooth them up as the false Prophets did Ezek. 13. 14. and the Holy Ghost leads us to speak truth to every man according to their conditions without flattery read how many woes Christ pronounced against thy generation in Mathew 23. so in this thou hast wronged us and belyed us as thou hast done before 10. Query Whether can any man rationally conclude that these people bear any true love to that person whom they judge to be the enemy of God and accursed and whose sins shall never be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come or rather when they profess love and say they desire his welfare is there not just ground to believe they speak lyes in hypocrisie as its said Apostates should do in the latter times 1 Tim. 13. Ans Our love is to all Mankind and we would not have had thee to have run into such sins against the Holy Ghost telling thee plainly what would come and relating to thee the portion due to thy condition as in Rev. 22. And herein stands our love as from the Lord who rains upon the just and unjust and causes his Sun to shine on both and herein we do shew the Mark of our Father and that we are the Children of our Father which is in Heaven and so our love is not partial like thine which thou enviously and maliciously termes to lyes in hypocrisie which was spoken for loves sake to thee But bray a fool in a Morter and he will not forsake his folly as Solemon saith and 1 Tim. And an enemy to God thou hast proved thy self and for that cause we cannot flatter thee Acts 13. 2 Thes 2. 3. Phillipian 3. 18. Psalm 7. 5. Psalm 80. 6. 11. Query Do they not plainly discover a persecuting spirit in the aforementioned reviling and may not any man in reason conclude that whom they judge an enemy of God and accursed they would use as such if that they had power Ans Cain is afraid where there is no fear and thou being in his spirit manifests the same for when did any of us lay such violent hands upon thee as thou didst upon Thomas Curwen and John Abraham when they came to discourse with thee of the things of God so that hath been spoken to thee in love and kindness as was told thee before that thou might have turned from thy wickedness that was the cause why thou thus accuses us and as for the persecuting spirit and reviling that is thy own 12. Query And last I leave it to be considered by such as will take the pains to read the account which I have given of the Light within whether they do not speak all this evil of me meerly because
the true Rock which the Prophets prophesied of should come whom the Apostles witnessed was come and for thy false saying that we grow weary and before thou complained we urged thee on how stands thy confusion together with reasonable men let them judge and we do not shuffle with thy assertion neither are weary of our cause which thou saist we are for we need not for we know what thou art who is wholly bent against Christ it is thou which is weary of thy cause and shuffles as thou hast reason for we relate some other of thy Assertions which thou hast laid down art thou now ashamed of them and yet saist thou will hold us to it and yet answers nothing to the purpose and it is Christ the foundation which thou strikes against as the Jewes did but to no purpose and thus thou and thy fellow Priests hath strucken at him who is our foundation till you be all fallen into the ditch and leads the people thither too it is manifest to the Nations Thou saist in thy Appendix again Thou art willing to debate the point in controversie before the Sheriff or others in Authority and saist let not G. F. thinke to shuffle himself out and put his taske upon others for he must know because it is affirmed that he was called of the Lord from his Trade as the Apostles were my desire is to deale with him chiefly in this matter and such others as say they are Apostles that their Doctrine and deeds being brought to Light it may appear whether they be true Apostles indeed or false and preach another Gospel then Jesus and Paul did as I have cause to suspect them and doubt not to prove them to be if they adhere to the Principles laid down in their Printed Books and maintained in their late debate Answ This is thy shuffle and base charge whereas thou saist G. F. would shuffle from it and lay it upon others that is false it s thou would shuffle from those which thou hast begun withall it seemes we gave thee enough the last time thou needs not call of G. F. for the least of us in the Truth is able to Answer thee and to see if thou can make good thy assertions which thou could not make good in the last Dispute nor hast not done yet which we yet call on thee to doe which by the Scriptures of Truth thou canst not prove without adding or diminishing and the same Jesus and Gospel whom Paul preached whom we own which thou saist thou will prove an Idol and prove us Antichrists who affirme this and as for all our Books which are given forth from the Truth we own and our deeds are brought to the Light and by this thine are seen and thou too to be one of the false Teachers and thy deeds to be deeds of darkness and why dost thou pervert M. F's words in saying G. F. was called from his Trade when her words was he was called from his Calling as thou reports and thou talkes of trying Apostles and denyes the Light Christ in thy dark spirit and calls Christ an Idol and natural Light and as for G. F. whose name thou hast publisht abroad in thy Letters up and down beyond the Sands and towards Manchester and to M. F. and sometimes scoffing at his Leather-Breeches sometimes at one thing sometimes at another and never was so civil as to write to him so we do look thou should make thy assertions good to us before thou medle with him for they concern us and we are the Men that will encounter with thee as before mentioned according to thy Challenge whom thou in scorn calls Meckhanike Men and as for me Thomas Curwen I nor none of us are no more Mechanicke then thy self nor never had collection yet John Though I have been a Prisoner above four yeares canst thou say so John and as for me G. F. I never spoke with thee but three times since thou came hither and once at London and I heard such euil language from thee as I never heard from man I coming into the last dispute with friends and then there being liberty granted I hearing thee lay down thy Assertions and affirming them together with thy people first That some men that came into the world had not the spirit of God which was put to thee to make good being thou was the mouth for them by plain Scripture without adding or diminishing which thou seemed to prove out of Jude which thou couldst not and that God denyed faith to some men and that Christ did not shed his blood for all men and that Balaam had no more spirit then his horse and that wicked men had not the spirit of God These things with several others which you asserted was put to thee to make good which thou hast not done to this day Nevertheless thou hast challenged to meet me G. F. and having disperst my Name in several Papers in a slanderous way and thy brother Price which came down to Fell's Chamber and Challenged me out which I presently came up and sent William Houlding to thee and bid thee come down to me in the Hall but thou would not come at me And whereas thou challenges me G. F. to meet thee before the Sheriffe My Answer is send me word when thou wilt and that thou will make these Assertions good by the plain Scriptures without adding or diminishing which thou hast laid down to me for I am ready to meet thee through the power and strength of Almighty God and if I have liberty according as thou hast challenged and many things more I have of thine for thee to make good which I shall not here put to Ink and Paper by plain Scripture for truth remains over all deceit G. F. And why dost thou flatter me William Houlding dost thou now own Mechanicks but thou owned none when thou writ to M. F. but jeared at G. F. in this report and lost thy Religion to talk of his Leather-Breeches and thus Fools will be medling with that which doth not concern them busie bodies in others matters And when thou had abused M. F. in thy Papers she sent for thee to speak with thee about the abuse but thou would not come at her and manifested herein thy guilt and uncivility and dost thou not make a noise abroad against us amongst ignorant people and keeps them from the Light that so thou maist get some Collections of them for thy Letters to M. F. signifies something of a false fear and jealousie that something should have gone besides thy mouth cruly I think that is the cause of thy rage against us who owns Christ Jesus the Light W. H. Here followes a Coppy of a Paper which was given to John Wiggan of his Assertions FRiend John Wiggan we hearing of a Book thou hast given into the Town before we had a Coppy of it another Challenge to us to meet before some publick Magistrate and the Sheriffe we