the Name of the Lord largely demonstrate it against you Pr. The Scripture is Everlasting Viz. what is contained in them Answ. Confusion Are they both one This is like much more Pr. Is not the Gospel written by the Prophets the Scriptures written by them Aâ—sw Thâ—n Marks Writing was not the beginning of it here 's contradiction and error again the Apostle calls them the Scriptures of the Prophets but speaks of the Gospel Revelation and Mistery before see Rom. 16.25 26. where its very plain he makes a distinction between them and the Scripture Pr. I deny any immediate Teaching by God Answ. Then thou deniest God to Teach his people himself when he dwells in them wherein thou hast denied the truth of the Gospel and New Covenant Pr. Christs Immediate Teaching will no way follow for his opening the understanding to know the Scriptures for he doth by the same supernatural influence shine on the understanding and Scriptures Luk. 24.32 Answ. Doth Christ by a Supernatural Influence shine on the understanding and yet deniest thou his immediate Teaching What a Labyrinth of Confusion and Distraction art thou fallen into And it appears without this Supernatural Influence shining on the understanding the Scriptures are not truely known nor opened Pr. That Christ was first known himself or he gave the knowledg of the Scriptures The Apostle Paul Rom. 16 26. denies your consequence Answ. Have any a Supernatural knowledg or faith of the Scriptures who have not a knowledg of Christ It seemes thou hast forgotten thy former words and the Apostle doth not deny my consequence for he had a knowledg of Christ before he Preached him or writ Epistles concerning him and his knowledg of the Son of God was by his Revlation in him besides the very Order Tenour and Matter of the Apostles words cited by thee makes for me against thy self see Rom. 16.25 26. for they run thus Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the Revelation of the mistery which was kept secret since the world began But now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets according to the commandment of the everlasting God made known to all nations for the obedience of faith c. this thou mayest peruse again to thy owne contradiction Pr. The Cause indeed must be before the Effect and yet not allwayes in order of time but of nature c. If there be a Pryority or Posteriority of Christ in the Soul certainly the Scriptures hath it in the order of nature though the Lord in the communicating the knowledg of them he is in his being first because the Cause must be before the Effect so the giver of knowledg before the knowledge given Answ. This being rightly considered we find both contradiction and Ignorance in them for Is the Cause before the Effect allwayâ—s in order of nature not of time and yet have the Scriptures the priority in the order of Nature Where learnedest thou this distinction not from the Scriptures nor from Christ Surely Christ hath the Priority in order of time for he is in his being first and if the Cause must be before the Effect alwayes in order of nature then he hath it in both for he was the cause both of Scripture and communicating the knowledg thereof as thou confessest as also that the Cause must be before the Effect so the giver of knowledg before the knowledg given And indeed He was before all things and by him all things consists and in all things he is to have the preheminence and priority Who is the First and the Last the Foundation the Beginning and the End But thy saying if there be a Priority or Posteriority of Christ in the soul certainly the Scriptures hath it in the order of nature in this thou comest off but very saintly and dubiously and bringest the controversy to no result nor clearness but art confused for if there be a Priority of Christ in the â—oul then it is not of the Scriptures it bâ—ing a Priority of Christ who also doth by a Supernatural Influence shine on the understanding c. But in these matters much might be said which time would fail thorowly to treat of Pr. The Juditious will think you a pittifull object who expose your self to shame and ludibrie c. Answ. Thy censure anâ— scorn herein I vallue not it will fall upon thy own head and theirs that have taken thy part herein Pr. Without the Sanctifying knowledge of Christ one may understand the Scriptures without error and â—angling Answ. This is both erronious and contradicts much that thou hast said before and after which I need not very often repeat Pr. Most men have both preached the Truths in the Scriptures and maintained them by Writing who never had any Sanctifying Knowledg of Christ. Answ. This is like the former and that most men have preachâ—d Truths in Scriptures is too large a word and contrary to what thou saidst before of other Nations but what do these things tend to but to set up unsanctified persons to be Preachers or Priests But too many there are of such already for of them and their pollutions many are grown sick and the earth will vomit them out and all that seek to maintain them against Christ and his Kingdom which he is setting up Pr. For Judas he preached the Truths c. The Scribes and Pharisees that sat in Moses seat preached Truths whereas Christ bad hear them Mat. 23.2 3 4. Answ. But doth this prove that Judas had no sanctifying knowledg of Christ Herein hast thou erred for Judas had part of the Ministery from which by transgression he fell Act. 1.17 25. So transgression was the caâ—â—e of his fall from the Ministery and that Scipture Mat. 23.2 3 4. proves not that Christ bad them hear the Scribes and Pharisees nor that they were true Ministers of Christ though wherein they sat in Moses seat and read or preached his Precepts when in force they were to be obeyed but Christ reprehends them in many places for corruptions got in amongst them contrary to the Law and for their vain Traditions and Precâ—pts of men and therein they were not true Ministers of the Law much less of Christ. Pr. Some preached Châ—ist out of envy and strife and not out of love c. yet preached Christ and the Scriptures without errors Phi. 1.15 16 17. Shall we say they had the Sanctifying Knowledg of Christ who had not love to him who hath not good will to him Answ. Thou hast not proved that they preached Christ and the Scriptures without Errors who were in Envy and Strife for they were guilty of Error in the ground Viz. Envy and Stâ—ife and where that is ther 's confusion and every evil work in that Christ was preached and his Name published in those dayes the Apostles rejoyced but not in the Envy and Error of such as preached him out
that can neither properly be called the Word nor are they words of God as what the Serpent said to Eve Pharaoh to Moses false Priests and Prophets in the true Prophets dayes many things and accusations which the Jewes said to Christ Were these the Word of God Mayest thou not here see thy error and confusion Priest There is nothing so much commendeth the necessity of the knowledge of Scriptures and Learning as the horrid detestable absurdityes which men unlearned c. wresting Scriptures to their own perdition however they revile Study of Scriptures and Learning Answ. There is nothing more discommendeth things and the Priests Way of Learning and Studying the Scriptures as your perverting and abusing them for your own ends and turns and the Pâ—iest making a Trade of them by their Learning and must people depend upon the fruits of your Study and Learning to know the Scriptures And yet other whiles they must expect to find Eternal Life in the Scriptures to be made Wise unto Salvation by them What contradiction's here But if the Scripture given by Divine Inspiration be profitable to the man of God and by the same Inspiration be understood and make Wise to Salvation through Faiâ—h and that the Spirit of Truth lead into all Truth then wee 'l not be beholding to thee and such as thou art for your Learning and Study who deny the immediate Teaching of the Spirit and so are but still unlearnd as to the things of God And why doest thou villify us as unlearned and make a flourish as if thou art some Eminent Learned man This shews thy Shallowness Pride and Conceitedness And were not Peter and John unlearned men and so accounted by the Learned among the Jewes Yet were full of the holy Ghost and learned by it Wouldst thou and thy Companions limmit the Gift of God or a right understanding of Scriptures to your natural drossy Learning and imaginary Study O! The Lord hath raised up and brought to light that Life and Spirit which has brought many to see thorow you and your corrupt Learning and Babylonish stuff And whereas thou dost villify and jeer upon these words Viz. That the word which the Bereans received with all readiness of mind and the Scriptures which they searched are two things and sayest I purposely pass by that which follows Viz. Whether these things were so Answ. Are they not mentioned distinctly as two The Word they received c. the Scriptures they searched to see whether these things were so Now there was more in Preaching then bare words or Scripture For their gospel came not in word onely but in Spirit and in Power which when that had touched their hearts and they had received a sence of the Spirit and Life which the Apostles were Ministers of this prepared them for a further understanding of things and matters relateing to the Testimony of Truth and of the Scriptures when they searched them in that weak state wherein they were at first receit of Truth for a further or additional confirmation of their understanding of things declared upon Scripture account touching Christ but if according to thy sence the Word which they râ—ceived with all readiness of mind and the Scriptures which they searched to see whether these things were so were but one thing then Is it good Doctrine to say that when they received the Word with all readiness of mind they searched the Word to see if those things in it were true or to try the truth of them How then was it received with all readiness of mind Or was it the Scripture which they received with all readiness of mind and thâ—n when they so received them searched them to see whether those things where so Is this thy excellent Logick If so then thy Doctrine runs thus They received the Scriptrues with all readiness of mind and they searched the Scriptures to see whether the Scriptures were so or for proof that the Scriptures were true they must search the Scriptures to prove them true by themselves Will this be admitted of as excellent Logick in your Schooâ—es to prove an assertion by the same assertion and to beg the question in controversie If so then in all points asserted and disputed of it is so because it is so will serve for proof Priest The Word you say is one How can it be called those things Answ. If the Word which I say is one cannot be called those things thâ—n it proves what I said befâ—re that the Word and Scriptures are two things and that their receiving the Word with all readiness of mind was inward but the Scriptures are outward which they searched after they received the Word Priest Are the things written in the Scriptures and the Scriptures two things What excellent Logick is this Answ. If they be not two things and yet the Word which is but one and those things contained in them be two things How are the Scriptures the Word seeing the Word and those things are two Yet here again thou shâ—west very little Learning as professed by thee for the Writing and the things written of are two things as well as Scriptures and the things contained in them for there is the thing containing and the things contained according to the distinction of them and some of your selves Priest Or ye must take the Scriptures in the abstract for the writen Characters as distinguisht from the things that are writ so nothing can be either searched or found in a number of Characters Answ. I know of none that appear so ridiculous as to search them meerly as a number of Characters so abstract to prove things or matters but to search them for those things or declarations contained in them which appear to the eye of the understanding and not to the outward eye in the bare Characters and yet Scriptures signify Writings Priest Whereas ye ask whether I think none hath Faith so none shall be saved but those that hear the Scriptures by the outward ear or can read them What God may do or doth in an extraordinary is not the question for his absolute Soveranity in his dispensations of Grace is not tied c Answ. Then God and his dispensations of Grace are not limitted or tied as many other times thou and others of you seem to tye up all now to Scripture for Life Eternal for Faith c. other whiles to your Interpretations Learning and the fruits of your study but the way to God and Salvation is Christ And no man comes unâ—o the Father but by him nor none comes to the Son but by the Fathers drawings which are known in the Spirit and Light by which we have access to God Priest The Scriptures search the thoughts as an Instrument and Christ is the principal searcher Answ. That 's Christ or the Word of God which is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart that searches the heart And it s the Lord God of hosts that telleth unto man
unsound in thee and thy fellows to oppose the Light and Spirits imediate teachings and Kingdom within which both teacheth sufficiently and opens the Scriptures and leads into all Truth and to Scoff at the true sence-hereof though under the term Enthusiastick or Enthusiasm however ironically and reproachfully rendred by you which if that be dangerous and unfound then is divinely inspired unsound Is this good Doctrine For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in quo Deus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus divine inspired Enthusiasmus an Inspiration it is the inspiration of the Almighty that gives understanding Is this dangerous No unless to the Priests to discover their ignorance And is not the Light Spirit Kingdom within communicated before the Scriptures are truly understood and opened What darkness and error hast thou here implyed and signified And doth not the Light and Spirit bring to the right use and end of the Scriptures which was given by inspiration Priest There is no man free from sin in this life c. Christ doth not totally subdue it in this life For that place 1 Joh. 3 of Christs being manifest to destroy the works of the devil if ye take it so may as well prove that Sathan shall not tempt a Child of God Aâ—sw This plainly enough shews thy confusion and ignorance of Christs manifestation and work and of his Vertue and Blood which destroyes the devils works cleanseth from all sin thorowly purgeth them that believe and follow him Secondly Thy Inference is gross and absurd To charge all with sin whom Sathan Tempts or to make his Tempting Gods Children a reason of their not having â—n totally subdued for Christ was Tempted yet sinned not for the Pâ—ince of darkness found nothing in him And he that abids in him sins not And we being made free from sin and become the Servants of God we have our fruit unto holiness Was not this the good end of Christs coming What sayes Antichrist Satan and his Agents and Sophisters to it Priest Neither doth these Scriptures 1 Joh. 3.6 Whoever is born of God sinneth not Or that ver 9. He that abids in him commits not sin and chap. 5.18 The evill one toucheth him not prove any thing c. Do they not prove any thing Sad Doctrine Is this divulg'd in the Kirk of Scotland Thus to oppose not onely Christs work but the words of plain Scripture and say they do not prove any thing when as they Viz. 1 Joh. 3.6 9. chap. 5.18 prove that Whoever is born of God sinneth not He that abids in Christ sins not The evil one toucheth him not Doth this prove nothing Doth not this equally reflect upon Christs Apostles as well as us And implicitly say they should have been silent and not so have pleaded Christs manifestation and the state of him that 's born of God against Sin Antichrist and Decievers whereas they John wrot to were plainly cautioned not to be decieved For he that doth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous Priest It 's not the words of Scripture pickt out which explain the sence c. This is nothing but a silly and gross cavilling to insist upon bare words contrary to their sence Answ. Must we then go to the Priests for their sence contrary to plain Scripture where t is neither parable nor allegory who pick out and reject plain Scripture according to their own private imaginations and conceptions and yet other whiles in contradiction to themselves tell us the Scripture is the Rule Life is to be had in it and not communicated without it but yet such Scriptures as apparently contradict their gross and Antichristian Principles they can throw by and reject as proving nothing as this corrupt minded man hath Priest By this way a man may prove the grossest blasphemies as the Polythrites saying there are many Gods from 1 Cor. 8.5 yet in the next verse there is but one God c. Answ. First Not by our use of the Scriptures both fro maâ— right mind and for a good end namely against sin Secondly And if in the next verse after He that is born of God sinneth not thou hadst proved that he doth Sin in that he is Tempted thou hadst said somâ—hing to thy business of accusing all Gods Children with Sin term of life but herein the Scriptures own thee not Priest That 1 Joh. 3.6 9. is to be understood in a limitted sence namely that they do not continue in Sin wilfully and with delight without repentance Answ. That 's not Johns sence but thine which is as much as to say his was not true for do they continue in Sin and yet Sin not This is a contradiction or do tâ—ey continue in it and still repent of it Where 's then the fruits and effects of true repentance Or is there not a time of confessing repenting and time of forsaking Sin And casting off every weight and burthen and of being cleansed from all unrighteousness Priest They do not commit Sin with full consent without controuling of the motions The evil one toucheth them not to entangle them in such a way of sinning c. Answ. As much as to say they do commit Sin and the evil one doth touch them but thâ—y Sin not with full consent which is all one as to say John did not say true when he said Whoever is born of God sinneth not The wicked one toucheth him not c. he commits not Sin but we have ground to believe him before Sathans Messengers who thus have contended and disputed for his work Priest He is an Advocate for our Sins is meant of the Sins present and to come Answ. Not that Sin should allwayes remain in beliâ—vers but that they should be called and delivered out of it and become Gods Righteousness in him Priest His saying if we Sin implyeth as much as when we Sin Answ. Is this thy Learning thou hast boasted of Thus to pervert Scripture and the very plain sence of words as to make if we Sin as positive or absolute as when we Sin so if in other cases may as well be taken for when as if we say we have not sined we make him a liar is as much as when we say we have not sinned c. what an absurdity would this imply against the Apostles according to thy sence of him who but one impudent would not be ashamed thus grosly to abuse the Scriptures Which else where thou seemest to lay such great stress upon Priest We know in part is an imperfect degree of knowledge and so sinful Answ. As this intends the Apostle it s a false and erronious conclusion it s neâ—ther true morrally nor spiritually degrees vary not the property of the thing their knowledge they had by degrees was Gods gift to them and was spiritual from above an effect of Life and Truth which to say is sinful so accuseth the cause of it which is blasphemous and if the Apostles knowledg was sinful because in part
then what were their Epistles Prâ—achings Testimonies c. which proceeded from or were effects of their knowledge they had of God Were they sinful If not the cause and ground thereof could not be sinful therefore away with such sinful stuff and false conclusions upon the Apostles as thou hast uttered For the Wisdom which is from above is pure but yours is from beneath which is corrupt and sinful Priest It s false absurdity put upon our Doctrine that we by it strengthen the hands of wickedness For Answ. Your bad fruits and those that follow you who have learned from your corrupt Doctrines to plead and contend for Sin both from the Pulpits to the Alehouses Taverns and Play-houses do manifest you guilty herein and we not to have wronged you in saying you have strengthened the hands of wickedness by your sinful Doctrine and many of you by your corrupt Lives also Priest For we teach that believers should be dayly by the strength of the Spirit fighting against the flesh Answ. That 's but a cover what incouragment give you them to fight against it when you deny they shall ever over-come and be freed here Priest Paul and Barnabas sinned either both or one of them in that sharp contention Answ. Not all their Life time that contention held not so long as thy and your pleading for sin Priest Who strengtheneth then the hands of wickedness Whether you who teach a believer may not onely Sin but fall away from Truth Grace c. Or we who teach that we do sin but that we cannot thereby fall wholly from Faith from Grace from God c. Answ. Not we but you We exhort to diligence and watchfulness to keep the Faith to make their Calling and Election sure that they may never fall as the Apostles did and warn such as are not come to that growth least they fall and draw back to perdition which tends to beget into more fear watchfulness and circumspection and not into a false security ease and liberty as your Doctrine doth which is for Sin term of Life and yet tell people they shall not therâ—by fall away from Grace c. Priest Dare any of you say there is never any vain thoughts c. in Prayer or anger against those that injure you If you dare say so your Light within is but meer darkness c. Answ. The Controversy is not about our attainment and for us to affirm what we have in that case would not decide it but we do affirm that state is attainable through Faith in the power of God which purifies the heart and our Light is not darkness and the thoughts of the just are right and you that are in your vain thoughts and having anger when you Pray How do you fullfil Gods Command and the Apostles Doctrine To hold up holy hands without wrath and doubting Do not you offer up a Cains sacrifice herein And is not your Light or that which you put for Light darkness Priest There is need even for a David to say cleanse me from my secret sins Answ. Not all his Life time for then he received not an answer to his â—rayer but hâ— testifies otherwise That God heard his Prayer and granted his requests and câ—mmended the state of the undefiled in the way who do no iniquity c. but to argue that because he prayed to be cleansed from his secret sins and therefore was not clean so long as he lived is all one to say therefore God heard him not which is gross and absurd Priest The Commands of God are of use to a believer that cannot fulfil them in his Graces namely to convince him of sin that he may be driven to lay hold on Christ for imputed Righteousness for further supply of his Grace c. Answ. The intent of Gods Commands were that they might be obeyed and fulfillâ—d through that grace and ability God gives for that end and not to be broken and transgressed for unbeleivers yea the world many times are convinced of Sin by the Spirit so thou hast grosly wronged the beleivers in representing their state here but as a convinced state which many who are unconverted are come to whereas they to whom God imputeth Righteousness and not Sin their Sin is covered and in their Spirits is no guiâ—e Psal. 32.1 2. see thy error and confusion Priest For Perfect Righteousness Inherent there is no promises to this sence in all the Scriptures to any beleiver Answ. The work of God and his Righteousness or Image which man was made in is Perfect and this Christ comes to restore into again and God hath promised and made known him for this end And I will wash them from all their filthiness saith the Lord c. The word Inherent is not mine but obtruded upon me from a false intent Priest There are promises of a growth unto Believers and of a fullness but this is to be meant of such as is consistent with some defects and a body of Sin Answ. A growth and a fullness and yet denies Peâ—fection and so the Apostles Doctrine Eph. 4. A gâ—owth and a fullness consistent with a body of Sin Is this the Principle and Faith of the Kirk of Scotland Surely here 's darknâ—ss to be felt Who can raise an absurdiy and confusion from this grosser then it self Doâ—h not this growth and fullness consist by Christ and in him If so By whom consists Sin and its body Do they consist together Or is not the body of Sin put off where the Circumcision of Christ is experienced Priest Zecharias his walking in all the Commands and Ordinances of God blameless This Perfection was consisting with misbelief Luke 1.6 20. Answ. A gross errour again his blamelesness was in his walking in all the Commands of God but his mis-belief was after and was reproved or blamed by the Angel for he was smitten for it But thy Doctrine tells us quite contrary as much as mis-belief is blameless because blamlesness consists with it as thou implyest But this is like much more Priest David Job Daniel their failings are noted which I might cite if I did not study brevity Answ. So are their deliverances noted and if thou wert not partial and of a wrong Spirit thou wouldest note them How hast thou studied brevity to stuff up near 10 sheets of paper with quarrelling and cavilling against us in reply to so little as was writ to thee Priest How shall they believe without a Preacher Gods ordinary appointed Way for begeting Faith is by Preaching and not by immediate teaching alone without Preaching Answ. Gods appointed Way for begeting Faith is the Word of Faith whcih is nigh in the heart which the Apostles Preached and the inward teaching of the Spirit without which there is no true and effectual Preaching which directs and brings to the Word Christ the Word is the Author of Faith whom God hath appointed for Salvation and he teaches both immediatly and instrumentally both inwardly and
which the Light within would never have discovered if there had not been the knowledg of the Law contained in the Scriptures An. Are all unbelievers then and have no Light in them but who have the Scriptures Thy blindness in this is detected before And What contradiction is it to tell of some having no Light in them when before thou hast confessed all men to have a natural Light or the Light of a natural Conscience in them Secondly And was it the Scriptures or the Law as it is in the Letter that discovered to Paul his sins and desires or the Law inward For he had the Law outward before he knew or was turned to the Law in his mind or was clâ—arly convinced in himsâ—lf Pr. Did ever the Prophets or Apostles try the Doctrines of persons deluded by Satan with the Spirit without the Scripture Deut. 13. An. The Prophets and Apostles had the Spirit and knew its sufficiency before they gave forth Scriptures and these were not deluded by Satan as falsly thou hast accused us to be An. Have not some of your way been so blasphemous as to aver Jesus Christ to be a type as to call themselves the Messiah to whom Hosanna should be said An. I know none in our way that either calls themselves the Messiah or that own such a thing but coâ—fess to Jesus Christ as bâ—ing the substance and the end of types shadows and figures but as for those whom thou hints of about their saying Hosanna they were not in our way but testified against and some of themselves came after to see confess and repent of their error so to upbraid us with any one 's failings or miscarriage espetially when t is both disowned and testifyed against by us this is both unequal and unjust and wouldest thou be so dealt by if I should go to reckon up how many drunken and whoreing Priests thâ—re be and should charge all of you and your whole Kirk with their wickedness Wouldest thou take it well Which indeed I might better do whilest such are owned and upheld as teachers of others among you thâ—n thou mights accuse us with persons and actions that are cast out from amongst us Pr. What is the Rule whereby the motions of the Spirit are to be tryed whether they be such or the motions of Satan and our deceitful hearts Ye answer the Spirit is the Rule but this cannot be for the Spirit hath given the Scriptures Secondly Neither is that place which ye cite to the purpose Viz. The Anoynting teacheth all things for though he teach it is by this Rule An. Yes The Spirit of God is sufficient a Rule sufficient both to try the motions of Satan and your deceitful hearts it searcheth all things The Lord searcheth the hearts and tryeth the reines telleth unto man his thoughts And if the Anoynting within teacheth of all things Must the Scriptures be a Rule to the Anoynting that thou seemest to tye it to the Scriptures Or Is not the teaching of the Anoynting Scripture as well as it was in them that spoke Scripture from it Or Must not people believe the Anoynting till they have searched the Scriptures to try it by them If so then when the Anoynting would tell and shew them their perticular states and thoughts and motions which the Scriptures do not tell them nor perticularly charge upon them then they are not at all in such cases to believe nor follow the Anoynting according to thy Doctrine and what is this but to set up the Scriptures above the Anoynting and the Letter above the Spirit which is a gross error and bespeaks great ignorance Pr. In the Synod at Jerusalem Act. 15. the Apostles searched the Scriptures for what they determined before they said it seemed good to the holy ghost and us An. Where provest thou that they searched the Scriptures for what they determined before they said it seemed good to the holy ghost and us Doth not this plainly confute thee that what they said was from the holy ghost And Was not its teaching their Rule then And What Scripture had they then to forbid Circumcision as they did Nay Had they not Scripture raâ—her for it If then they had not Scripture to forbid it they should not have dâ—nied or forbid it nor have believed the holy ghost in this case by thy Doctrine what silly work hast thou made on 't and How hast thou broken the neck of thy own cause Pr. The gift of discerning of Spirits was a peculiar gift given but to some but this was not for tryal of Doctrine None who had that gift of discerning of Spirits did try any Truths or Doctrine or practice but by the Scripture An. This is a strange Doctrine that they must onely try Spirits by the gift or Spirit of Truth and not any Truths or Doctrine Whether is greater the tryal of Spirits or of Doctrines Whâ—reas the Spirit searchâ—th all things and is a Spirit of true Judgment that giveth true understanding but according to thy false Doctrine that none who had discerning of Spirits did try any Truths or Doctrine or practice but by the Scriptures Then by this when the Apostles in their Epistles writ divers things that were not before in the Scriptures they were not to be believed by them in the Churches that had the gift of discerning and when the Spirit of Truth shall lead to speak or prophesie concerning a perticular Place People or Nation that which they have no Scripture for this therefore is not to be believed for want of Scripture to prove it by Thy ignorant and sottish stuff which also excludes all those Books and Prophesies of the holy men of God spoken of which are not recordâ—d in the Bible And those of our Friends which foretold of the late calamities befallen the City of London both that of the â—lague and that of the Fire which were both fore-seen and fore-told yet they had no Scripture to prove it but alass such as thou are silly and shallow in these matters being but as those Seers and Watchmen that are blind who would insinuate into people that both Prophesying Visions and Revelations are ceasâ—d and lay all upon the Scriptures and then how know you the Doctrine contained in them to be true without the Spirit Pr. Ye say Must the Scriptures be the Rule to discern or try false Spirits when they speak Scripture Ans. When the Devil spake Scripture to Christ he confuted him by Scripture which shewed he had perverted them and so he confounded the Scribes and Pharisees alwayes An. But could not Christ discerne the Devils spirit without the Scriptures What gross error and ignorance is implyed and couched in this thy impertinent answer Thou tellest us Christ confuted him by the Scripture which was when the Devil brought Scripture words to back his Temptations withal which is not an answer besides the Devils tempting Christ in these words Command that these stones be made bread and Cast thy self down