oppose with might and main and this I found to be the principal Subject of his Treatise because of which I considered the great ignorance of this man that would appear upon such a subject in such great opposition against it whenas no one Truth is more full and clear throughout the whole Scriptures then this Doctrine of the Light within both in the old Testament and the new as first of all Deut. 30.11 12 14. where Moses the servant of God did preach to aâ—l Israel in general boâ—h good and bad the word that was nigh them in their hearts and be exhorted them to bear that word that was within them and to do it and this word was in every one of them to which Moses did exhort them to hear it and obey it and thus its manifest that Moses was a Preacher of the word of God and his light within men Again Jer. 31. God promised to make a new Covenant with the House of Israel I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and they shall know Me saith the Lord from the least of them to the greatest and they shall need no more every man to teach his Neighbour but the Law in their inward parts and his Spirit within them should teach them And thus it is plain the Prophet Jeremiah was sent with a Message of God to Preach the Promise to wit the Spirit of God put in the inward parts and his Law written in their Hearts and thus was he a Preacher of the Light and Law of God within men And David said Thy Law is within my Heart Psal. 49. Again Luke 17.20 21. When they asked Jesus Christ concerning the Kingdom of Heaven he said The Kingdome of Heaven is within you and in divers other places his Parrables signified That the loast Groat was within and that the Pearl was within and that the Seed of the Kingdom of God was sown in their Hearts Mat. 13.19 and Rom. 10.18 By all which and many other places it is an evident truth that Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul were Preachers of the Kingdom of Heaven within men and of the Seed of the Kingdom which was sown in their Hearts and of the Word of God within in the Heart and so it may be said Christ was a Preacher of Light within for he told them of his Word abiding within them John 5.38 and they had not the love of God in them 42. vers John 14.20 And Christ said I am in my Father and you in me and I in you and if my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and thus it is as clear as the Sun at noon day that Christ was a Preacher of the Spirit and of the Light and of the Word and of the love of God within men Again the Apostles preached the same 2 Cor. 13. Chap. and the fifth Jesus Christ is in you saith the Apostle except you be reprobates and Phil. 2.13 It is God that works in you said the Apostle and Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you and 1 John 2.14 And the word of God abideth in you and verse 24. Let that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning and Ephesians 3.20 according to the power that works in us and 2 Tim 1 14. The Holy Ghost which dwells in us and 1 John 4.12 God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us and thus throughout the whole current of Scripture I might bring multitudes of proofs the Apostles were Ministers and Preachers of the Light within the word of God within the Love of God within the Holy Ghost within Christ within yea and God within the Saints yea if this will not serve to prove that it is the Ministry of Christ Jesus to preach the light and word of God within men I should yet bring many more proofs out of the Scriptures to manifest that Christ and his Apostles preached the Light within men not onely in the Saints but in unbelievers take one Scripture more 2 Cor. 4.6 The Light hath shined in our hearts to give us the Light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God and thus it is clearly proved out of the Scriptures against J. W. that the Prophets Christ and the Apostles were Preachers of the Light and Truth and Spirit within And when I considered at large this same subject of his whole discourse it appeared somewhat strange to me that any reasonable man should draw up such a Subject to make a whole Book of opposition against it like as it he had never read Scriptures seeing he had thus stated his matter intendedly against us called Quakers thinking by steering such a course be should confute us in some errours whenas it s fully manifest that he hath steered his course in direct opposition to the Scriptures and the Truth therein contained and therefore we may conclude of his ignorance and errour who hath thus justified the Truth of our Principles and Doctrines while he hath thought to oppose them and confute them as errours and so overthrown himself 3 I considered concerning returning an Answer to his Book and I found it meet that it should be answered for the end to clear the way of Truth from his false and foul aspersions which were made up by whole groces in his Book and also least he should glory and vaunt himself in his solly as if none were able to answer him nor to detect him of falshood though I was not hasty in falling aboard upon him and that for divers reasons First because my occasions were then very many and weighty and that of far greater moment to be prosecuted then to leave them for answering of him 2. Because I saw no great occasion of present hast to fall upon him and to detect his unworthy work for as to my own particular I could have let his Book have passed without an Answer and all his Lyes and Calumnies and Falshoods passed without hurt to our particulars for we are satisfied in the Truth of our way thousands of us blessed be God notwithstanding all mens opposition 3. Because I would not willingly and hastily have given our publick enemies occasion to mock and scorn at us while they beheld us as it were tearing one another and contending one against another to the weakning of our selves and strengthning of them nor should I but upon this occasion have appeared publick in this manner against any suffering people for it hath ever been my quality to comfort the afflicted and sufferers rather then to adde affliction to them but upon this occasion I am forced to with-stand the insolency of Io. Wright to reprove his lyes and slanders and that publickly to the view of the world and it could not well be avoided so upon these reasons with some others the Book lay by me divers weeks till at last I have taken it under hand for I have heard a report of some boasting amongst J.W. his
and given up to hardness of heart he would never thus grosly have belyed us and these lies must be his onely proof for he can give no better testimony that we are proud in heart the Lord rebuke his lying tongue it s enough here onely to deny his lies for most of the particulars are before spoken of to wit of the Commandements and Promises of Christ of the Immortality and the Resurrection but he goes on in his accustomed manner of falshoods and sayes we acknowledge not any superiours and that we wholly neglect Faith and Gospel Obedience and that our hearts are too high to submit to anything of the Spirit Faith and Obedience and that we have an eye of scorn and disdain all which are lies and thus J. W. goes on like as if he had devoted himself to tell a lies and studied to frame falshood seeing that every page which I have now under hand carries in it number of lies but he charges it to be the pride of our hearts because we will not put off our Hatts This is false also as much as the rest for though we cannot put off our Hat is in Honour to any mans person nor give them flattering Titles of honour yet this is not from the pride of our Hearts our God knows but from another ground as I could demonstrate were it the present case of controversie But being brought by J. W. as a proof of this matter therefore now I pâ—sse it so that his onely proofs that we are not more humble but more proud then others which is his present assertion is poorly and weakly mannaged with Proofs and Arguments of absolute deceits and falshoods who hath not one better proof from his Pen then a lie to prove his proposition and thus I passe this particular commiting him to the reward of God according to his work which must come upon him one day and as for the matter of our Humility we commit the cause of that also to God who judgeth more justly then vain man Now I come to the second Particular of Unity and J. W. saith Our Vnity he doth absolutely deny for Vnity in the truth we have not but in Iniquity for we do not hold the Head Christ Jesus and we are not in Vnity but in confusion we are not Vnited unto Jesus Christ by Faith and intimates that we deny Jesus Christ his Person and contemn his Ordinances and trample his word under their feet and this do the Preachers of the Light within in saith he for saith he We are not at Vnity among our selves but one Preaching one thing and another Prints the contrary and he speaks of one that affirmed that the Bread and Wine spoken of in Scriptures appointed to be eaten and drunken in remembrance of Jesus Christ is not Temporal nor External but Spiritual and Eternal Another he saith should Print that that Bread and Wine is common such as may be eaten by unbelievers at their Feasts thus are we divided from the Truth and one from another saith he For some do hold that Bread and Wine were to be received until he came by which we understand until he come in us and thus the Preachers of the Light within are divided in Doctrine because one sayes the Bread and Wine is Eternal another saith it is visible and Temporal and one Teacher calleth another Dog and hath disproved each other c. page 183 184 185. Answer To all this I answer in opposition to his charge we are in Unity and Fellowship with the Lord in Spirit and one with another in him notwithstanding J. W. his seeming detection as if it were otherwise and his charge is high that we have not Vnity in the Truth but in Iniquity and his proof for it is like the proof of the former assertion to wit absolute lies for he saith we do not hold the head Christ Jesus nor are United to him by Faith nor have any accesse by him and that we deny him and his Person and contemn his Person and trample his Word under feet these are falshoods altogether and by this means he proves his point that we have Vnity in Iniquity and not in the Truth t is wickedly affirmed and as wickedly proved by one of Satans Messengers who hath set himself to oppose the Lords Truth and his People and that by his Masters order and in his Masters way who was a Lyar from the beginning Thirdly And now I come to his Charge That we are not in Vnity among our selves which he has proved according to his accustomed manner For what if some did say though he names none that Christ broke Bread and drank Wine with his Disciples Temporal and Visible Bread and he also broke Bread and drank of the Cup with his Disciples which was Spiritual and Eternal and Invisible and these may be both affirmed without any contradiction Christ did eat of the Bread with his Disciples which might be eaten at unbelievers Feasts and Christ did eat of the Bread with his Disciples which unbelievers could not eat of both these are true and hath no such weight of contradiction in them as J. W. ignorantly supposes and what would he say of the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Iohn the one saith God is a consuming fire the other saith God is Love and of the Prophets one of whom said God is angry everyday and another said there is no anger in God would not J. W. had he lived in their dayes have said the Prophets and Apostles were divided among themselves and as for some calling another Dog and disowning one another and yet are all Preachers of the Light within though he mentions neither the time place nor persons and therefore because in other cases he speaks so falsly of which I well know therefore I may have jealousie this is false also But however suppose a deceitful person that never knew the work of Regeneration should speak of ye Preach of the Light within may not he be called a Dog and disowned and yet no division among us for such are not of us but contrary to us and we are onely divided from them and not among our selves and had J. W. lived in the Apostles dayes what would he have said when some of the Apostles withstood others in some controversies would not he have said ye are dissemblers ye have not Unity among your selves but are in confusion and so and so and also when some deceivers got up and Preached Christ and the Gospel pretendedly for filthy lucre and for covetousness and had the form of godliness and were sometimes conversant in the Churches but the Apostles cryed against them and disowned them though they were among the Churches and Preached the Apostles words but were the Apostles therefore divided and deceivers and in confusion because of some such amongst them Thou ignorant man I tell thee nay no more are we though Hypocrites may get the words of Truth from our mouths for such are not of us
said Book occasionally coming to my hand by a Friend of mine in the fourth month last as I remember and I looked into the Book and read some part of it over and did fully observe the current of the matter conteined in it and the drift and intent of the Spirit of the Author and in my Meditations upon the same I found his work composed and made up of such kind of ingredients as these following First Ignorance Secondly Malice Thirdly Lyes and Slanders Fourthly Contradictions And fifthly Downright opposition to the Truth I say a certain composition I found in his Book made up of all these mixtures which he had published to the world 1 His Ignorance was apparent to me in asmuch as he had in some things mistaken and placed such and such things upon Account against us ignorantly and then seemed to confute them and give his Judgment against us thereupon and this meerly upon mistake through Ignorance fasly supposing we held such a thing which indeed we held not and so flying out against us in Judgment upon his ignorance and mistakes 2 His Malice was apparent in asmuch as he had slandered us and belied us without good Ground and Cause at all having perverted our words and meaning in many things and placed things against us deeply charging of us without any sound Reason at all rendred by him but meerly as to me doth appear upon his own malice and hatred purposely to render us odious to the World and to our enemies which must needs be out of malice and emnity and not out of love and Gentleness to inform us better and convert us if wee had been in error But I found him to be so far from that Spirit of love and good will towards us that he hath taken every occasion he could and also made occasions falsly to traduce us and to reproach us in the sight of our Enemies as it were on purpose to enrage the Spirit of the ungodly world to destroy us 3 His lyes and slanders were apparent in such an abundant manner throughout his Book that every page almost had some contained even as great reproaches and accusations as well could be as if we were Hereticks deniers of Christ having familiar Spirits Witches and what not Such kind of lyes and slanders as these I found a very great number in his Book it is true I have not accounted them in particular but made a guesse at the whole sum which I suppose may be above 200 of Lyes Slanders Callumnies falsereproaches Back-bitings Bitter words and such like 4 His Contradictions were apparent throughout his book in divers particulars sometimes saying thus and so and sometimes quite contrary sometimes accusing us of one occasion and some time accusing us of a contrary And thus his contradictions were made manifest as in our Answer is at large discovered as the Reader may observe 5 His down-right opposition to the Truth was apparent in as much as throughout his book he hath opposed the very Truth of the Gospel as particularly the Light of Christ which every man in the World is enlightned withall and concerning Quaking and Trembling and concerning the anointing and the sufficiency of its Teaching and concerning destroying the Whore the Word of God and Scriptures all these things cum multis aliis c. he hath opposed and gainsayed directly or indirectly and thus as is made manifest in this following Answer his whole work is compounded of such mixtures and ingredients as aforesaid as every impartial man may judge Well upon my further Considerations of his Book I found he had subtilly directed the current of his matter so as it might be taken notice of to be an eminent Work as he thought and yet not so to be taken notice of as if he had directed it immediatly is opposition to us called Quakers for I found not that name once mentioned in all his Book and yet implicitely he had directed it to us for his intent was I discovered to be against us by that word so often scornfully rehearsed To the Preachers of and to the Light within all men c. And by divers other things I found that his Book was intendedly against us and also that his said Book well deserved an Answer from us that the malicious intent thereof might be diverted though many other Considerations presented themselves in my mind at my first looking into his work as 1. The unreasonablenesse of the time of its bringing forth and publication to the world thought I is this a time and fit season for us and them to fall into contention one with another and to oppose each other to the end to discourage and dishearten each other in the sight of our publique Enemies who stands ready themselves to devour us both and by all means seeks occasions against us and to ruine us both if it were possible who doth account us as two parties of their greatest adversaries and are persecuting and imprisoning of us as one in opposition to them and would be glad to see us destroyed and it being thus with both us and the Baptists so called thought I again how unseasonable this mans work is at this day to fall to reproach us and traduce us in the fight of our Enemies thus opposing of us with tooth and nail giving thereby occasion both to his and our enemies to mock at us and laugh us to scorn rejoycing to see us whom they count their Enemies falling together by the ears and as it were tearing one another this I knew would be a great occasion to them against us both in such a season as this when as it would have been more meet to have encouraged one another and strengthned one another in the way of Truth and Righteousnesse and to have been helpfull to one another in our afflictions and sufferings espâ—cially in the things wherein we do agree against the common open prophanenesse and idolatry and persecution which abounds at this day in the world that we might have been a rejoycing one to another as Brethren in Truth seeing we are both a suffering People at this day and accounted Brethren by our Enemies rather then a cause of affliction and grief and greater tribulation one to another as this same J. W. had endeavoured in his Book to be the occasion of this and such like was my considerations upon which I concluded the unseasonablenesse of the time of publication of his Book and the folly and weaknesse of its Publisher 2. I considered the errour and ignorance of the man in respect of the subject of his matter as stated by him and prosecuted which is this against and in opposition to the Light within many times rehearsed oppositely and scornfully to the Preachers of and to the Lâ—ght within all men making this the subject matter of his opposition as if it were the greatest heresie that could be that any should preach up a Light within and this I found he had set himself to
That the Light within is no other then the work of the Law written in the hearts of the Gentiles Rom. 2.14 15. And then he saith It is evident that these Preachers are Preachers of the Law not of the Gospel c. See what gross darkness and confusion this man is in who cannot distinguish between the Law of God within and the work of it counting the Law or light within the work of the Law like as if he had said that the Law of God within is the work of the Law within when as the work of the Law is that which is effected by the Law as distinct from the Law it self as much as a conviction or convincement is distinct from that which convinceth and we in owning the Law of God and its work within do not deny the Gospel nor Christ as we are accused no more then the Apostle did when he went not about to make void the Law but to establish it as it was to be obeyed and fulfilled in the Faith of Christ in whose hand is the Righteous Law that manifests sin and witnesseth against it and this was the Covenant that God promised to put his Laws in the mind and write them in the hearts Heb. â— And said the Apostle Rom. 2.13 14. For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers shall be justified and this he brings as his reason For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law unto themselves which shew the work of the law written in their hearts c. Herein he does not go about to destroy the Light or Law or the work of it within nor to render it a delusion nor a sad Principle of Antichrist nor a most pernitious stratagem of Satan as J. W. hath done but owns and vindicates it and those that through Faith attained unto its righteousness which the Jews by works out of the Faith did not So let any Rational or Indifferent man Judge whether this J. VV. hath not in effect accused the Apostle Paul and the Prophet Jeremiah and others with Preaching up a most dangerous delusion a sad Principle of Antichrist gross Darkness and a most pernitious stratagem of Satan c. seeing that he hath thus reviled the Law and light within and the work of it in the heart mentioned in Rom. 2 15. under these tearms and thus hath he manifested the Malice and Rancor of his Imbittered Spirit against the light and Law of Christ and work of it in the Hearts and so hath shewed himself an enemy to the Covenant of God which was to Jews and Gentiles Isa. 42.6 Jer. 31. and so instead of giving a testimony against the Son of Perdition he hath absolutely appeared in his work and after his so much Blasphemy against the light in all men and our Preaching of it up he is made to confess to the light in us and all men as a differing thing from the spirit of Darkness as in page 165. It should seem that when he writ that he had forgotten his former revilings against the light in all men Thus you who are called Anabaptists may see the Bruitishnesse and Confusion of this unworthy man who hath been appointed by many of you for a defence as he saith and what credit or profit will this work be unto you though he set up himself as a Teacher of the Churches of Christ and in the same Epistle that he writes to those he calls the Beloved Flock of Christ that are in the Faith and Fellowship of him according to his Glorious Gospel when he has bidden them beware of hearkening to Preachers up of the light He saith But if you shall not be warned I have as to this done my duty your blood will lie upon your own heads So you may here see what a Teacher of the beloved Flock of Christ that are in the Faith and Fellowship of him this Joseph Wright is to lay the same words upon them that concerned the Jews that blasphemed and opposed themselves against the Truth when Paul spoke to them Acts 18.6 As if the beloved Flock of Christ that are in the faith had not yet taken warning but might be guilty of their own blood as Joseph Wrights words do imply and yet this Flock is both in the Fellowship and Faith of Christ was there ever such absurdity and confusion as this And further you may take notice how that after Joseph Wright hath so much reviled and blasphemed the light within he hath willingly manifested himself an open enemy to the light and the Doctrine of it where in his Epistle to the Reader he hath laid down these words viz. Although we have both preached and printed against this device of Satan and have born witnesse very much against this delusion yet so simple are some both People and Teachers as to rank us with them as co-partners and such as are espoused to that Doctrine which teacheth up the law or light within all men c. but the Lord knows it and so shall you one day if you shall not believe it now that to entertain such a Doctrine would be to commit a Rape not onely upon our very consciences but also upon our meanest principles and it is no small grief to us to bear the least tittle of their Inventions neither do we preach or practize any thing at all as from them c. These are Joseph Wrights very words wherein you may see what presumption and Impudency hath appeared in him against the law light and such as preach it as one that is vexed and grieved that ever any should repute him as a co-partner with such as preach and own the the Law or Light within and so like a Hypocrite and man-pleaser he hath appeared as one that would get in favour with those that are enemies to the Law and light within by his exclaiming against it and them that own it though in page 165. he hath implicitely confessed to the light within all men as contrary to the spirit of Darkness and thus all may see this mans wickedness and confusion And you who have owned him as your Teacher or a defence of your way may be ashamed of him and it is a shame and disgrace to your profession that ever such dirty stuff and absurdities should proceed from amongst you as this J. VV. who hath been so much set up amongst you hath uttered forth against the Truth and them that live in it who though he pretends to lay down our own Principles who Preach and own the light within as if they were sufficiently known to be ours both by our words of mouth and Books yet many things hath he charged against us as ours both as to Principles and matters of fact which he neither mentions the Authors of nor the Books of ours by which they were asserted and thus in the greatest part of his accusations and
charges against us hath he dealt deceitfully like him who is the Father of lyes and lyars who when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of himself and not as a rational man and in very many things he hath absolutely wronged our Principles and Practises and charged as apparent falshoods upon us as ever was as hereafter is made manifest to the shame of him that was the Authour of the said lying Book called A Testimony for the Son of man c. and the shame of all such false Spirits as own him in his work We see that God hath appeared in Judgement against you and your way and a line of confusion is come over you since that so many of you especially of your Leaders have set themselves in their envy and malice against us who are in the Power of Truth what do you think that spreading your railing and false Books against us will gain you favour from the prophane world and be any means to rescue you from persecution or suffering under the powers of the earth Do you think to save your selves by reviling the Innocent as some of the Leaders in your way have gotten themselves out of Prison by swearing contrary to Christs Doctrine after they have been imprisoned for denying to swear when so many of our friends were in prisons for refusing to swear for Conscience sake to Christ And not onely so but several of them who have long been reputed eminent in your way have like Men-pleasers written to vindicate swearing and oaths as treacherous men both to God to their own Consciences and to his Innocent and Conscientious people such as you have reviled and bespattered with reproaches in the Book here answered who would be loath to be so treacherous to God and their own Consciences as many in your way have been whatever we suffer either from you or from the persecuters in the same envious spirit which is among you And yet this know that we had not publisht this against any of you had we not had that great occasion given us by this piece of wicked work which Joseph Wright your Defender hath brought forth wherein we who preach the Light of Christ within are not onely slandered and bespattered with his lyes and calumnies as men but also the Truth of God which we are in and suffer for is blasphemed belyed and perverted even in the sight of our enemies in vindication whereof we were necessitated to give this forth and to deal thus plainly with your Principles which are published by your pretended Defender otherwise we could have been silent as from medling with you in this kind for it is no pleasure to us to bestow so much labour upon such a heap of confusion and absurdities as I. VV. his work is nor to upbraid you with your confusion and weaknesse in what you professe especially since you are as in a suffering state and like to suffer as we are if you be true to your Principles and conscientious towards God in what you know or professe but you may see the urgent occasion given against us and the Truth for what we do in this thing And though I.VV. does not name the word Quakers by name yet it is all one as if he had done it whilst he so often in general words upbraids such as preach the Light within for we called Quakers are known to be the people he all along so peevishly smites against seeing that we are known so generally to own and preach the Light within as the Saints of old did and in that Light of Christ in us we see Light and therein are as a City set upon a Hill which cannot be hid and are in that Truth and Life which will out-live our opposers and persecuters and do know that power manifest in us which out-shines all the dead and empty forms professions and traditions of all who are out of the life and power of godlinesse and in that hath the Lord given us strength and the spirit of understanding to see beyond and to stand over our opposers and the envy and subtilty of the Serpent in such as rise up in Judgment against us Glory to our God for ever and ever And now we come to some of the heads of Joseph Wrights matter in charge against such as preach the Law and Light within CHAP. I. Concerning the Light within and Christs coming in the flesh and dying for all men J.W. his first charge is in these words viz. The first thing I lay to thy charge whosoever thou art that preachest up the Light within men requiring all People to mind the light which is within them is this That thou dost deny that Christ which dyed at Jerusalem and denyest Jesus Christ come in the flesh and thy spirit is the spirit of Antichrist c. And the first proof for his charge is in these words viz. 1. Because in all thy preaching teaching and declaring thou never makes mention of Christs dying for the sins of the world nor that he tasted death for every man thou art altogether silent in this Doctrine of Christs dying for man in the body of his flesh c. And his second proof is in these words viz. 2. Because as is thy word of mouth even so is thy writings for amongst them all and in them all there is not one line which teacheth that Christ did dye for the sins of the world and freely laid down his life as a ransome for sinners c. Answer As his charge is universal against all that preach up the light within it is both false and slanderous as also all his proofs for it so that he might as well have said that the light of Christ in all men and the Doctrine of Christ which directs to it doth deny Christ and his coming in the flesh when as on the contrary all who truly own and believe in the light of Christ-in them by it they come to be led to the knowledge of Christ from whence it comes and to the power of his death and the vertue of his life which none can truly know but as they are led by the light of Christ within which giveth the Knowledge of the Glory of God and of those things that are freely given to us of God and Christ said believe in the 〈…〉 t that you may be children of the light John 12.36 Did Christ herein deny himself or his coming in the flesh as falsly J. VV. accuseth all that preach the light within and in that we are included in his proofs as never mentioning Christs tasting death for every man either in our Preaching or writings in this he hath notoriously belyed us as thousands may witness against him who have heard us both Preach up and contend for the free Grace of God to all men and thereby that Christ tasted death for every man and dyed for all men and gave him self a ransom for all to be testified of in due time Heb. 2.9 1 Tim. 2.6
Water Baptism nor is it of necessity for Salvation and thus you confound your selves and thy confusion and idolatry as much appears touching these things thou hast busied thy self about as any that ever opposed us And let all that read this further mark thy confusion and see thy deceit in thy so absolutely judging us for the mist of darknesse for ever and giving such a final sentence of condemnation upon us as if there were no hope of Salvation or remedy for us when as in thy Epistle to us thou hast told us thou shalt onely receive a sober Antagonist or else expect our renouncing our errour repenting believing and obeying the Gospel Now if either of these viz. either a sober Antagonist or repenting believing and obeying the Gospel be to be expected among us then there remains some hope of Salvation for us and that we are not given up for destruction or for the mist of darknesse for ever as thou hast judged us without any restriction or exception and thus all may see what an unjust Judge thou art and how thou are spoiled in thy wicked ends and designs and what an irrational man thou art so absolutely to judge them for the mist of darknesse for ever whom thou hast expected to believe and obey the Gospel if not a sober Antagonist or at least wise thou hast pretended it truly its high time for thee to repent for thou art far from the Life of the Gospel or its faith and obedience who notwithstanding hast accounted us more proud then others for judging or reproving yet in such a high degree hast set thy self to be a Judge as to judge such as preach the Light within for the mist of darknesse for ever though thou hast pretended to have an expectation of Repentance Faith and Obedience from such as thou hast so judged And you Baptists were wont to exclaim against others for judging though now you can so peremptorily judge such to be rewarded with the mist of darknesse for ever who do both preach and own the Light of Christ within which they that follow shall not abide in darknesse but shall receive the Light of Life The Lord open your eyes who have been deceived and misled by such blind guides and defenders as J. W. is that you may escape out of their snares and come out of the darknesse and confusion wherein they have led you that you may know the Light of the Truth to open your understandings and to guide your feet into the way of Truth and the path of the just which is the shining Light that shineth more and more untill the perfect day in them that believe and obey the Light of the Lord and his Truth in them CHAP. VI. Concerning Quaking and Trembling THe next particular observable is about Quaking and Trembling and about this J. W. makes a great stir with several vain stories And in p. 154. He saith It is a woful visitation for it doth not come with a still soft voice but with Earthquakes and rending the Rocks putting the poor creature into a woful condition for oh what quakings and shakings tremblings and fearings what pulling and dragging is at that time as if the very heart must be pulled out and all the bowels torn in pieces and one limb rent from another and when the unclean spirit hath pronounced such woes terrours and judgements as long as he thinks fit which by them is called Hell then the said Spirit speaks peace to them c. And also sayest that this Spirit speaks with a vocal voice in the bottom of the bellies of them that aâ—e possessed therewith burrying the creature up and down with motions revelations and commands c. Answ. To all which we answer J. W. hath here shewed not onely ignorance of the works of the Lord and his waies but hatred and malice against them and hath uttered many reviling words against that which he knows not and if he had lived in the dayes of old when the Servants of the Lord quaked and trembled and roared out because of the terrour of the Lord that was upon them what would he have said surely no lesse of them then he hath done of us at this day and would have called it an unclean spirit and a woful visitation and condition and therefore we shall first prove out of the Scriptures that there was such a thing as trembling and quaking and roaring out even as men distracted among the Servants of the Lord in generations past and then shall vindicate such a thing in these our dayes upon this reason That God and his works and discoveries are the same in this age according to the manifestation of his power amongst his People as ever they were So dreadful was the appearance of God that Moses saw that he said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12.21 and David roared out by reason of the disquietnesse of his heart and his heart panted and his strength failed and there was no foundnesse in his flesh nor any rest in his bones Psal. 38. and his flesh trembled because of the Judgements of God Psal. 119.120 And it s said while I suffer the terrours of the Lord I am as a distracted man Psal. 88.15 And Ezra said I rent my garment and my mantle and pluckt off the hair of my head and of my beard and sat down astonished and there were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel Isa. 9.3 4. And Jeremy also said that he trembled and his bones did shake and he was like a drunken man Jer. 23.9 And the Prophet Habakkuk said my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottennesse entered my bones and I trembled in my self chap. 3.16 and St. Paul was among the Corinths in much trembling and exhorted the Saints to work out their Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 And thus it is manifest throughout the Scriptures of both Old and New Testament that the Saints and Servants of God did tremble and were astonished and were as distracted persons and there were earthquakes among them rending of the rocks and quakings and shakings and tremblings and fearings as J. W. his words are and the appearance of the Lord was wonderful and wrought wonderful effects and operations upon them though this same J. VV. seems ignorant of like as if he had never read the Scriptures though in place elsewhere he speaks highly of them yet 't is manifest he is not in that Truth and Power of God which they declare of but is a scorner and reviler and one with the prophane wretches that believes not the Truth of the Scriptures but scorns at the work of God and such as tremble and quake at his words whom he regards Isa 66. And seeing that the Scriptures do thus plentifully prove such an operation as quaking and trembling and trouble and terrour through the manifestation of the Power of God we cannot but for the name of the Lords sake
Saints will not do the business as thou scornfully sayest to us but thou Communicate an unclean spirit and thou writest Epistles and spreads thy Doctrine by Letters or Books and the Apostles run up and down from one Nation Country and City to another and what need you do this if the annointing within be sufficient to teach them and if it be sufficient why does not every particular Saint do that which some do Why doth not every one of the Christians go up and down Preaching as well as some few of you Apostles Thus and after this manner might thou J. W. have reasoned against the Apostles and Saints as well as against us and doubtless hadest thou lived in their dayes thou wouldest have said no less by them then thou dost by us but this is to manifest thy own folly and weaknesse who cannot understand how the annointing dwells in the Saints and teacheth them into all Truth and how notwithstanding they edifie one another and instructs one another by words and writings this same thing was true amongst the Apostles and Primitive Christians and is true also at this day among us though thou objects against it nay reviles and slanders the witness of the same at this day and this is thy ignorance and weakness who art not worthy to be named a defender of the Gospel of Christ as thy works makes to appear And as for J. W. his saying as if we should say They should receive virtue and life from us and that we intend to give a spirit and of taking hold of the wrists of some c. And that we lay aside Gods Word and reject Scriptures and exalts our own unholy writings c. These are slanderous accusations and malitious suggestions as if we were Witches and such like And this is spoken by him with a tendency as doth appear to enrage the spirits of ungodly men against us We do not say they shall receive Life from us but if they wait upon God in the Ministration of his Life and Spirit they shall receive Life from him and sufficient instruction by his Grace and Gift within them if they never see us more and they shall receive the Spirit of Truth from God though we are made Ministers of the Spirit which the Father giveth to all his Children and as for our taking one another by the hands by way of kind Salutation one of another Why doth he wickedly surmize against us for this practice but that out of the abundance of his malitious heart his tongue speakes fraudilently as if we did bewitch people thereby thus much he seems to intimate by his reproachful expressions that we intend by taking one another by the hands to communicate a spirit which is onely his ignorant and malitious suggestion and as for our denying the Word of God and rejecting Scriptures we shall pass it here onely tell thee J. W. thou hast slandred us and speak fuller to it by and by 1. But concerning immediate teaching of God by the light and anointing within I would yet more fully explain that I might be understood of all First We do not affirm that every man in the world to wit unbelievers as well as believers have received the anointing and spirit within them so as they need no man to teach them for this is onely proper to the Saints of God who have believed in and received Christ Jesus and his Spirit that anointing which teacheth them all things and leadeth into all Truth and they abiding in this anointing they need no man to teach them but as it teacheth and this is the new Covenant of God and according to his promise I will put my spirit within them and write my Law in their hearts and they shall need no man to say know the Lord but from the least to the greatest they shall all know me saith the Lord But as we have said this is only proper to the Believers and Sanctified in Christ Jesus and this state is not proper to the unbelievers in the world in their state of unbelief who rejects the Counsel of God and refuses to be taught by him and led of him and quenches the Spirit of the Lord. 2. But though this state was promised by the Lord that his people should be thus taught and the Saints did in the Apostles dayes witness it as in Johns Epistle before cited and the Saints of God now in this age do witness the same Yet notwithstanding the Saints did and may edifie one another and build up one another in the most holy Faith and Comfort one another by advice and Counsel and instruction through declaring the Word of the Lord one to another and Ministring the Gospel of Christ and of his free gift one to another as the anointing within moveth and teacheth this was the Saints practice in the dayes of old and is their practice at this day for let none mistake us as if any were so taught of God by the anointing and Light within that they were thereby uncapable of and freed from all good instruction edification and counsel visitations and salutations of Love amongst them and one towards another like as if they were so taught of God as their state admited of carelesness and rejecting of love and exhortations one from another we tell thee nay but we are so taught of God at this day as the Saints before us were by the light and annointing within which we have received from God that alwayes we are capable of and willing to receive edification and counsel and advice through the Word of the Lord and by his Spirit that dwells in us and extends one to another by good advice and counsel consolation and comfort so that these two do agree to wit immediate Teaching by the anointing and light within us and exhortation and edification one of another by the same spirit and anointing among us and these two are not contrary one to the other 3. Yet we do say though the unbelievers have not so received the anointing and spirit within them as that they need no man to teach them as the believers have received it yet the Gift of the Spirit of God and the light of it is given to them and manifested in their Consciences and hath its operation of conviction and reproof because of their unbelief and Iniquities and these needs to be taught without them even turned and directed to this same light within them that they may believe in Christ Jesus and wait upon the Lord in it thereby to receive the anointing and pouring forth of the Spirit through Faith in Christ Jesus that they may be also-taught of God as believers and regenerate persons and may need none to teach them but as the Gift and Grace of God within them and such in the state of their unbelief have need to be Preached unto that they may believe and be renewed and receive more of the Spirit and of the Grace of God in a greater measure and may
I known any of us ever set his feet upon the Bible in contempt and abuse of the Scriptures as he saith though it is very true there was one Richard Stokes in the North of England that was then an Anabaptist so called and so yet for ought I know that did in contempt and scorn tread upon the Bible in the presence of many witnesses so it may be J. W. mistakes one of his own friends and thinks he is one of ours for it is not delightful in us to abuse the Scriptures nor are we filled with rage against the Word of God nor do we foam out disdain against the Scriptures these things are utterly false 2. This Testimony we have often given concerning the Scriptures and here again I give it upon this occasion The Scriptures are writings in which are contained many words of God and may be properly called the words of God declared by writing and as they were given forth by the Spirit of God and no whit altered in Translation they are a perfect Testimony of God and his works of Christ and his Salvation and of the Experiences and Testimonies of the Servants and holy men of God and also in the Scripture is contained many words of the Devil and the words of wicked men so that the Scriptures are a true Testimony as they were first given forth of all these things and we believe that the Scriptures were spoken forth by the holy Spirit as the holy men of God were moved thereunto and whatsoever is written ought to be believed and received for Truth and a true relation given by the Spirit of God but the Scriptures cannot properly be called the Word of God for they are words and writings and admits of alteration and change and therefore cannot properly be called the word of God but onely a Declaration of the Word and of that Truth which lives and abides for ever and which must be believed and practised for Salvation and the Scriptures do say that the Word of God was in the beginning but the Scriptures began but to be written by Moses which was many hundred of years since the beginning and therefore the Scriptures cannot be the word of God which was in the beginning Again the Scriptures do say that the Word of God made the world and lives and abides for ever but the Bible the Scriptures did not make the World nor can abide for ever but will passe away as we see daily Books wears away though the Truth therein declared of shall abide for ever and therefore the Scriptures are not the Word of God which must endure for ever and thus we do distinguish and we would have all to do so between the Book the writings which are most properly called Scripture and that Truth Salvation Word of Life and the things declared of in Scriptures the one endures for ever the other not the one is the Word of God the other a Testimony of it and thus we distinguish and yet not denying the Truth and Life and Salvation and Redemption nor the Christ which the Scriptures speaks of but fully acknowledging that they are infinite and everlasting and the Scripture declare of these things but are not the things themselves neither do we deny to ascribe all lawful Dignity and Title and Reverence to the Scriptures but yet we cannot account them what they are not nor give that honour to them which God gives not nor which he appointed them to receive though further we do acknowledge there is no other Gospel nor way of Life and Salvation nor no other Christ for Redemption and Eternal Life nor no other Truth for substance but what is declared of in the Bible which we do account as I have said as it was given forth by the Spirit of God to be a true Testimony of all these things this and such like Testimonies we have often given concerning the Scriptures yet still acknowledged Christ Jesus to be the word of Eternal Life he and no other and yet this confession we make not contrary unto or to oppose but according unto the Scriptures and our Testimonie concerning the Scriptures is so well known both by word and writing for these many years that I need not here say much more in this case onely that the Scriptures all along calls Christ the Word of God and no where that I know of in the Scriptures doth it call it self the Word of God but a Declaration and a Treatise Luke 1. Acts 1. And whereas J. W. saith Is not the Truth exprest in the Scriptures eternal and incorruptible and what lesse then an Almighty hand hath preserved that Book and this is devised deceitful Doctrine to teach all men to hearken to the Light within them thereby to turn away their minds from the Scriptures And he mentions that Scripture the words of the Lord and every word of God are pure and the entrance of thy word gives Light and my words shall not passe away and whosoever shall be ashamed of my words c. page 208 c. Answ. To all this I answer why is J. W. so blind as to bring this in opposition to us as if he confuted us in something we held contrary to this when as it is nothing so for we say the same as these Scriptures testifie that the Truth expressed in the Scriptures is eternal and incorruptible yet the writings which are properly Scriptures will corrupt and change and alter and we do know the hand of God hath been in preserving of that Book to this day and our benefit by the Scriptures are not the least of others as I might instance in divers particulars and we confesse fully to the Truth of all these Scriptures cited by him and there is not any one of them opposite to us in any thing that we hold but why doth he secretly here weave in his slander as if we did direct People to the Light within them thereby to turn their minds from the Doctrine of the Scriptures which is utterly false for we direct People to the Light of the Spirit of God within them not contrary to or to make void the Scriptures to them but according to the Scriptures and that they may come to the fulfilling of them and witnesse the Truth wrought in them whereof they speak and therefore his secret slander is turned out of doors and further he falls out in high tearms that God will punish such severely as do speak against the Scriptures and do disdain and reproach them and that do add to or take from them and against such as do vent their rage against the Scriptures and tread them under their feet as the Adversaries of Christ the Preachers up of the Light within do saith he who are Blasphemers of God and his Truth when they cast the Scriptures on the ground and call the Scriptures lifeless c. page 212. Answer These Threatnings and Judgements do not belong to us as not being guilty of his charge so