ground or sued men as Law or cast them into Prison if they could not pay them neither did they cast men in Prison for asking them a question as you have done and threatneth and here thou and you and powering disgrace upon your selves and your Ministry and I am clear from contemning or falsly accusing you for your fruit makes you manifest and they are blind that doth not see your loven Pr. They turn many soules to righteousnesse and shall shine as stars in the firmament for even and even Dan. 12.3 which the envious one in you indeavours by you to deprive them of their present comfort though he cannot keep from them their future Corwne Ans How long wilt thou goe about to cover thy and your skirts as though we were ignorant of your untempered morrer nay man know thou that we have followed you in a blind ceale with fasting mourning and prayers and we are well experienced what profit is reaped from you even open war at the Assizes and Sessions if we put not in at your mouthes yea Justices Warrants as you call them Bayliffs Prisons Flnes and if we speak to you in the feare of the Lord you cry up your weapons that props up your Gospel as Church-wardens Stocks Justices Warrants as you call them then a Fine and so long Imprisonment yea double worse then Queen Maries Jesuiticall Priest-hood for Persecution Therefore I say take heed leaft in stead of shining your cry be not woe alas for evermore So S. A. thou art found far unlike them spoken of Dan. 12.3 it s in vain for thee to borrow these expressions to cover that nature in which thou with thy Fellows livest your nakednes appears under this covering because it s not your own who is found out of Gods wisdom in lyes and false accusations herein is envy known And as for depriving you of your present comfort that is utâ—erly false except you call Tythes and Augmentations and set slypends your present comfort which you strive after as though gain were godlines So let the Reader take notice that we doe not harbour an envious spirit but we speak the truth by the spirit of truth which hath blown its Trumpet against the seed of the Serpent and the day is springing over the head of all your Assirian Army which fills the Countries Pr. These are able through God to cast down the strong holds of the Devil in the hearts of the children of men and to convince through the spirit of sin of righteousnes and judgement whom the Devill impatient of the down fall of his Kingdom rageth in you most furiously Ans They that are spoken of Dan. 12.3 indeed is able to doe these things thou here speaks of but ye are not like them thou and thy Fellows which denyes the light the manifester of transgression Eph. 5.13 and denies perfection and an equality with the head of the body here thou shews that ye are not members and that you do not turn people to righteousnes for he that doth no righteousnes is not of God 1 John 3.10 but he that doth righteousnes is born of God 1 John 2.29 and so a Son and an Heir Gal. 4.5 6 7. and so a member Eph. 5.30 and thou that denies and equality and pleads against it rents the members from the head and so is not wise and the spirit of truth in us beats testimony unto those Dan. 12.3 but against you leveners lyers and slanderers men in whom the Devilll rageth as in Dometrius of old and the rest of the Crafts-men who gained by their Trade as you doe by yours And now thou would make people beleeve that the Kingdom of Satan and his rage is in and amongst us Reader mark I appeal to thee whether the Devill rage in the persecutor or in the persecuted in them that doth imprison for a word or in them that is imprisoned in them that suffers the spoyling of their goods or in them that takes away mens Cows Horses Sheep Pots Kettles or other houshold-stuffe from them for whom they do not work so Reader judge even as thou would be judged of between us and the Priests so S. A. I charge thee and the rest of thy Function whose Fruits makes you manifest to be the agents of Satan and Ministers of his rage and you fight for his Kingdom to wit for imperfection and a continuance in sin contrary to Rom. 6.1.2 so thine accusation turns home again to thee and thy Fellows who is found in the guilt thereof Pr. And truely you doe approve your selves to be his most faithful Facters and the potent promoters of his interest that ever he imployed in any age that I have Read of well may you look for liberall wages for your unwearied working c. you run at his book when God bids you not sends you not c. you compasse many Countries to make proselites c. Ans Here thou blind man cannot get into Lots house to apprehend the messenger to wit that of God in the consciences of men but thou art groping in the dark and lifting up thy lying voyce in the streets of Sodom take notice of that and I appeale to the considerate Reader whether they that plead for sin and liveth in it be not the potent promoters or mighty advancers of Satans Kingdom or not so here S. A. thou and you Priests are found the faithfull Factors or men interested in hellish wars who counts it horrible to hold perfection and equality with the head And as for looking for Wages thou that art in Balaams way must look for that who pleads for the Kingdom of darknesse viz. imperfection c contrary to 2 Cor. 13.9 11. for that which keepeth from perfection is sin and I must tell thee that so long as you have put in at your mouthes you will not be weary but sease wages and you tyre as is largely seen but we run not at the book of Satan but by the Commission and permission of our God even the living God to turne people from darknes to the light a Cor. 4.6 which shines in their hearts which leads out of and preserves from the motions of transgressions as it is minded and obeyed and for that end doe we labour in travell as the Apostles did and we are ashamed to call them the Ministers of Christ who is settled Masters in their Parishes at ease in the flesh as a hog in the stall but if you be Ministers Goe reach all Nations and let the Heathen as you call them heare your Message If it be the same that Iohns was 1 Iohn 1.5.6.7 or els I conclude you justly to be idle drones jumbling in your notions amongst your Natives so thy false accusations touches us not but is retorted into thine own budget Pr. And when they are made they are two-fold more the c. having onely changed some of their impiety into deeper hypocrisie and all their Religion into damnable Haeresie Ans The Children
to receive thy rusty stuffe back again into its own bottle from whence it was broached for it hath no place amongst us for by us all wickednesse and your leven and trash is denyed Pr. Who are not only as the Devill himselfe accusers of the Brethren but also contemners of the generation of Gods children Rev. 12.10 doe you not discover this apparantly in all your reproach full pratlings slanders seriblings and oppositions against the most godly and pretious both ministers and people whom the world batch Ans As for accusing the Saints or Children of light that 's false or for contemning godly and pretious Ministers and People far be if from us but Kaines generation Hams off-sping and Ishmaels brood and them that say they are Christians and Ministers of Christ Jesus and are not them we write and speak against in whose steps you are sound in envie and covetousnesse suing at Law straining mens goods Preaching for hire for filthy lucre therefore let Rev. 12.10 turne edge against thee who is not onely found accusing but falsely accusing and fiercely despising the innocent writing in wrath and contempt concluding us to be deluders and deluded becaus e the Lord hath opened our Eyes to see your cunning deceipt and hypocrisie for which cause you are angry because your trade is like to perish or be set at naught and if the rest of your Brethren the children of Mammon hate you yet know thou that you are both in one ground albeit you be a little more in words and seeming somthing more like the truth then the other yet receive them for thy Brethren for you are sound in the unity of enmity against the seed of the woman and teaching of Gods spirit within man contrary to Iohn 14.26 Pr. And will God thank you or will not the Devill rather for sadding the soules of the Saints whom the Lord would not have sadded Ans We are bound to give thanks unto God but not God to give us thanks here thou art seen in thy drunken wisedome speaking thou knows not what and as for the Devill he sights to maintain his Kingdom against us and therefore will not thank us for his peace is broken which thou calls sadding the soules of the Saints I say take heed that it be not the Devils peace that is broken in you for no other Kingdom doe we strive against but that of darknesse and if you were out of it in the election of grace then would you know us what we justifie what we condemn but thou and you knows us not therefore it is fulfilled which was spoken by our head they hated me without a cause even so doe you his members who are content to bear your hatred the Lord lay it not to your charge Pr. Or will he accept of your accusations charges and condemnations against his own Elect Is it not he that justifieth them who and what are you that you condemne them Ans God accepts the righteous and they shall judge the world and their accusations charges and condemnations is just against evill doers but that we condemn such is false but the spirit of truth in us condemneth such as is not acted by it and led out of pride and covetousnesse and out of Kaines Corahs and Balaams way where you are found And if you say God justifieth such I say its false and thou wilt find it so we are clear from accusing and condemning the Elect and justified of God so here thou art found a lyar Pr. And if God have long patience with you yet will not he alwayes forget nor at all forgive such great impiety except you Repent consider this you that forget God c. Ans While we were in the night of Apostasie and in darknesse under your fruitlesse ministry then were we forgetters of God as thou and you are which saith and doth not in which time the Lord might justly have cut us off in his hot displeasure but now he hath turned us toward himselfe by repentance in selfe denyall which repentance is never to be repented of and wouldst thou have us back again into the puddle of your imaginations we know your spirits if we could give you Tythes and let you goe on in your own wayes unreproved then we might be accepted and have peace with you by putting into your mouthes as well as others then we might escape the spoyling of our goods and the imprisoning of our bodies by you as well as the Papists and others Pr. Are not you they also that justifie the worst and wickâ—â—st of the people above the godly Does not your more ordinary silence towards them with your feined and false faxning sly and subtle insinuation abundantly testifie this Ans Here thou false accuser I charge thee with a lye and it remains for thee to prove wherein and what wickednesse or wicked people we justifie how long will thou not cease to lye thou would fain be Capernaum-like but thou must come down to the sides of the pit for thy lyes and slanders except thou repent for I tell thee that our silence is not at all towards thee and you the leaders nor towards them that are led by you but wheresoever we meet with deceipt we warn people to fly from it And thou the leader of the blind must take thy portion with them that are blindly led except you repent And as for subtilly insinuating our selves into the wicked that 's false for out teaching is not with inâ—â—cing words but we Preach the crosse of Christ which is a dying unto sin and a growing towards persection which is foolishnesse to you which teacheth people and tells them they shall never be persect here thou and you are sound subtilly to insinuate your perswasions into the transgressing part in people and there you lodge in the hearts of your hearers and by your bloody instigations stirs them up to fight for your trade take notice of that and be ashamed thus to bely the innocent who is under persecution by you Pr. Yea and most especially your own justification evinceth your guilt in this Ans Here I doe utterly deny thy assertion for selfe-justification we deny and all that remains in the flesh which is of the flesh and doth account it to be as rotten rags and menstruous clothes and doth abhor our selves and our own righteousnesse and perfection cleaving onely to that of Christ Jesus who hath and doth perfect juslifie sanctifie and glorifie and worketh in us both to will and to doe so a lyar thou art and as I said before not onely an accuser but a false accuser so be content to own it for thou hast set thy selse to act it to thy shame Pr. Who although as I said before you are a generation of evill doers decemblers and deceivers as is abundantly evident by all your unfruitfull words and works of darknesse notoriously known of all c. yet doe you justifie your selves more then the Pharisee though
pillaging poor people Houses Cavelleer-like and so is found as a Troupe of Robbers Hos 6.9 so the spirit of holines is not your clothing for you execed your Fore-Fathers the Scribes and Phasisees or the Lesuits in Queen Maries dayes for persecuting Here you are found to be filthy Dreamers speaking the Visions of your owne hearts studying invented for money your Church is your Shop your Sabbath is your Market day which makes me cry Oh miserable Reformers and Reformation for shame desist thy leven Pr. You are given up to beleeve lyes for that you received not the truth in the love of at nor liked to retain God in your Knowledge therefore are you given up to these strong Delusions Ans All lyes and lyaâ—s we doe deny who saith they are Ministers of Christ Iesus and yet makes a trade of the Letter and we have received the truth in the love of it which is the light and grace of God Iohn 8.12 Tit. 2.11 which teacheth us to turn away from all covetous hirelings who calls the Scripture their rule and the tryar of spirits but is neither guided by spirit nor Scripture I say we are taught to turn from such to the light which shines in our hearts and to the anoynting 2 Cor. 4.6 1 Iohn 2.26 by which we come to know God and to retain him in our Knowledge by whose power we are brought from darknesse deluders false Apostles and from all them who are murmurers complainers walking after their own lusts whose mouthes speaks great swelling words having mens persons in admiration because of advantage Iude 16. who serves not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies so S. A. thine accusation stands recorded against thy slefo Pr. Vunder which you lye as spectieles of Divine wrath which is come upon you as heretofore upon the Iowes for the like sins see 1 Thes 2.15.16 in which sad case we are forced to leave you not knowing whether ever the Lord will deliver you because you despise our help and sets light by our cousells and hates our instruction your hearts being utterly and desperately hardened Ans Reader thou may take notice how that the Apostle in this 1 Thes 2. who used not a cloake of covetonsnes ver 5. But laboured and travelled that he might not be chargoable ver 9. I say take notice how he declares against the Jews in the 15.16 v who kiled the Lord Iesus Christ and their own Prophets and forbad the Apostles to speake to the Goutiles They had their Synagogues to ateep into as the Priests of our time the Papists Masle-houses to creep into not labouring in travell as the Apostles did 1 Thes 2. 8.9.10.11 but despising them that doth Iewes-like 1 Thes 2. 15.16 but you are more subtile holding up the first Priest-hoods maintenance under the cloake of Gospel maintenance crying against them that speaks what they have received freely so the 1 Thes 2.15.16 is fulfilled amongst you that is called of men Masters stands praying in your Masle houses or Synagognes striving to draw from the spirits teachings c. but we are delivered from you and knows your voyces to be the voyces of strangers and the Lord hath brought us into that one Fould where he is the Shepherd alone from the mouthes of all ye dumbe shepherds which made a prey upon us and so your help we deny for you help into spirituall whoredom but not out And your counsell we deny its invented trash and you are found and proved lyars but he is our Counseller whose name is called Wonderfull Counsellor Isay 9.6 who is also our hope of glory Col. 1.26.27 who is our Instructer who faith learne of me Mat. 11.29 he hath turned unto us his pure Language by taking away out stony hearts for whose Instruction we utterly deny all your leven and you leveners who faith and doth not so S. A. thou and thy Fellows shall proceed no further undiscovered to the Children of Light and except you repent of your lewdnesse divine wrath will be the portion of your spirtuall Witcheraft wherein you keep people alwayes learning and you your selves alwayes pleading against perfection Oh ye Caterpillars and Grasse-hoppers how long will ye not cause to destroy the blossomes of the vine which increaseth dayly before your bloody devouring jawes and envious instigations Oh that ye would be warned Pr. And now to come to the conclusion of the Paper which contains some simple Quaries c. and why Quaries c. Ans The end of my quaering was and is for the clearing of the truth and try all of thy spirit whether patlent or perverse and not tempt thee with evill as thou hast enviously judged but that by slighty cunning might be made manifest as after will appear Pr. Thou shewes thy selfe without shame to doe the works of thy Father who was a tempter c. Mat. 22.17.18 19.3 c. Mar. 8.11 9.14 Luke 10.25 John 8.56 Ans Here thou hast eited some Scriptures unto which thou compares me for asking of thee a question Ah thou judge of evill thoughts the Scribes and Pharisees had better cause to call Christ a tempter then thou hath to call me for the knew from whence the Baptisms of John was better then they as Mat. 21.25 and whose Son he was better then they Mat. 22.45 although he asked them I say they mocked him and subtilly layd waite to intangle him but I have not quaeried of thee in that nature but for clearing of truth because of diversity of judgements so I deny them that sought to intangle Christ to be my fore-fathers although thy actions with thy Fellows cannot deny them to be your fore-fathers as is proved for innoceney will clears me and the Lord be judge between thee and me Pr. And now though I might send thee away as Christ did thy fore-fathers Mat. 21.25 chap. 22.45 c. yet because I know thee and the rest of thy generation to be lesse ingonuous and more impedent and apt to be lifted up upon light oceasion and least my total silence should afford any fuell for the fire of thy pride I shal shape thee such answers as may possibly have no more wisedome then thy Quaries though probably more truth then thou quaries after Ans I have not asked after the nature of the Scribes and Pharisees to intangle thee although thou hath intangled thy slefe but for the causes afore said have I quaered and thou art found the immetator of those who first consulted to lye Mat. 21.25.26.27 and then answered plainly ver 31. 41. as thou hast done â—s after will appeare But first thou hast made thy Kaine-like Jewish spirit manifest Christ Jesus asked many questions although he knew And the Apostle exhorted to give a reason of the hope that was in them but albeit thou pretend to be a Minister of Christ yet thou art found unwilling to answer but is lifted up in contempt and false accusations for I tell thee we know what
you fall short of him c. Ans This was thy accusation in thy former Paper which thou promised to prove positively and particularly but being required to doe it thou now goes about to shift it off with false excuses for art not thou ashamed to say it is unâ—chtistian-like in us to say unto thee we require thee to prove that which thou thy selfe promised to doe but now thou goes about to cast a snare upon the innocent and by thy windy wisdome strives to drive thy Clouds to vail then Sun Oh Elimas-like how long wilt thou not cease to pervert the right wayes of the Lord Pr. But thou Joseph Hilling hath sent me a proud Challenge and Charge to doe it Ans I Charge thee to be a lyar here again and I appeale to these words which I sent unto thee thou having layd down some accusations as before this was my words For all which we require thee to bring in proofe positively and particularly c. not challenging nor charging thee at all to prove it but onely requiring thee therefore own thy condemnation thou hast belyed me and the lying spirit in the sets at naught the way of life Pr. And why should Pearles be cast before Swine that will trample them under feet and turne againe and rend us Ans We doe not look for Pearles at your hands for how can a Fountain send forth at one hole sweet water and bitter Or how can a lyar and a false Accuser communicate Pearles and although thou tearm us to Swine yet doe we chew our Cud and knows our Manna the food of life and the Swine we know thou that feeds upon the huske putting the letter for the word and try all of spirits and for your rule and not the new Creature Therefore I say deale honestly with thy soule and take heed that thou be not found a Swincherd in stead of a Shepherd take notice of that thou that trades with the letter Pr. And why should you require this of me or nay of us sith thou dost deny and renounce the power which the Lord hath given us to edification and not to destruction which if thou hast no experience of thy selfe yet take head of condemning them that have for wisedome is justified of her children and they that are of God hears Gods Word c. Ans I have required nothing concerning this of thee nor of any of you but that which thou thy selse prosered and why dost thou profer that which thou dost not performe this is truce-breaking and thou art a truce-breaker herein And as for denying the power which thou saith the Lord hath given you as above thou hast given me good cause to deny thee and the power by which thou art acted whose impudent lyes declares thee to have no power given of the Lord but thy power is the power of darknesse which pleads against the light transformed into the likenesse of truth before them whom the God of this world hath blinded who sees not your life nor discerns not your voyces And as for having experience of my selfe It tell thee The spirit of truth in me condemns all whose experience is but selfe experience for I know nothing of God by my selfe nor of my selfe for that cannot justifie wisdom but thou whose experience is of thy selfe is not a child of wisdom for if thou were thou would be ashamed to lye as thou hast done as is proved And as for them that are of God who hears Gods word them I dearly own and imbrace for they are gathered into the sold unto the one Shepherd and shall be no more meat for you Ezek. 34.10 to the end neither shall you be numbred with them so long as thou lyes falsely accuseth is called of men Master and sells thy selfe-experiences for money thou must stoup the stone is descending against thy Image and the Sun is risen which will seatter thy mist therefore beware betime Pr. Thou art angry with me because I say you are poor miserable c. Ans Thou speaks thou knows not what for we are no more the blinder for thy so saying but our blindnesse and miserablenesse was when we were deprived of the food of life and of the light which giveth the knowledge of God by your cunning sophisticall Doctrine by which you insinuate your selves into the peoples affections keeping them alwayes learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth which maketh free and here is blindnesse and cause of anger war and fighting in the unperfect unruly part marke that Pr. Pardon me I had but almost forgot what you say you see with them John 9.41 and with Laodicea Rev. â— 17 that you are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing c. Ans Here thou mocker shews thy selfe in belying of us we doe not see with them Iohn 9.41 who did not own Christ but we see with them that suffered the spoyling of their goods and with them that was counted as the off-scouring of all things and as sheep for the slaughter for Christs sake yea and with such as was counted deceivers by the Sect of the Learned to wit the Scribes and Pharisees therefore be willing to receive it home again for it shall stand for thine own condition with the rest of thy Function who is the successors of the Scribes and Pharisees there spoken of Iohn 9.41 take them for your predecessors and fill yee up their meisures for In their steps you are found And as for the Laâ—diceaus Rev. 3.17 that we are in their steps there spoken of is another lye for the Lord is our witnes we doe not boast of riches by increase of goods neither doe we say that we have need of nothing and here thou art exercising thy selfe in the war against the Lambe for God forbid that we should glory in any thing save in the Crosse of Christ or delight in any other increase but the increase of grace for we have need of patience that after we have done the will of God we might receive the promise Heb. 10 36. so here thou art found in thy falsification wresting and twining of Scripture to thy ows destruction against the innocent Pr. But let me tell thee that I doe not nor shall not at all beleeve you in this matter though you trumpet out your own prayses and blaâ—e your owne perfections never so much Ans Man when we trumpet out our own prayses and blaxe out our own perfections then you may have cause not to beleeve us and though you seem to lay it upon us yet we are cleave and if thou affirme it thou affirmeth a lye as thou hast done many as is proved already for there is nothing of us to wit of flesh and blood that 's prayse-worthy but we prayse the Lord the the perfector and perfection of his Saints in whom is all fulnesse unto whom we fly for teachings which makes you seers and diviners of our dayes in such a
we are in good report and bad so far be it from us to be lifted up upon any oceasion And as for the shape of thy Answers in them thy wisedome is seen and I appeale to the Reader whether there be any truer thing to be quaried after then the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse of it and whether S. A. be not in felse-exaltation who saith his answers hath more truth then I quarie after for the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse doe I quaerie after And now to come to the Answer of my Quaeties the first Word of my first quaerie being transcribed where or what Quae. 1. Where or what is the Kingdome and where is it to be found and what is the Righteousnesse of it Pr. Ans Where it is there is it to be found This answer is just as wise as thy question But secondly it is not amongst you though it is in and amongst the Saints I woane the Kingdome of grace for that ye are fallow from common grace and from the means of spirituall grace from Christ the King and from the standing Lawes of his Kingdoms so that truely you have need to inquire more seriously after is then you doe for you are far from it and quite out of the way to it A. Here thou are found a vain jangler mocking simplicity with thy fallen wisedom saying the Kingdom of God is nothing though in and amongst the Saints as though the Kingdom of God were in none but the Saints Reader mark Christ saith to the Scribes and Pharisees that the Kingdom of God was in them although they were opposers of him Luke 17.21 But S. A. sâ—ilf it is not amongst us viz. the Kingdom of grace contrary to Tit. 2.11 Iohn 1.9.10 which grace and light hath enlightened and appeared unto all men and it is both spirituall and common unto all in its appearance Tit 2.11 or else the world should be excusabl but the light shining and the grace appearing there is therefore now no cloake for sin But that we are fallen from this grace is false or from the means or from Christ or from his standing Law for this grace we own to be our Teacher as the Apostle did Tit. 2.12 and not a hireling Priest whose own the sheep are not and the means we own viz. the gist of God Christ the light who is given unto the Gentiles as well as unto the Jews Isay 49.6 and his Law we own according to the Prophets and Apostles testimony Ier. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 and these things we own and heare testimony of to be within us so that we need not goe forth as saith Christ and his Apostles Mat. 24.26.1 Iohn 2.27 whose command we have learned by his grace to be obedient unto and he viz. Christ Iesus is our way to the Kingdom who saith learne of me and got not forth he doth not say learn of Hirelings that makes bargales with their Parishioners for so much a yeare but he saith learne of me and he is our High-Priest whose lips preserve our Knowledge So I charge thee 8. A. to be a false-accuser and a lyar in this thy Answer to the first part of my quâ—rie Pr. To the other part of thy quarie viz. What is the righteousnes of it I answer Not our own righteousnes which is imperfect Isa 64.6 but the righteousnes of Christ by faith imputed c. Phil. 3.9 this is the onely perfect righteousnesse in it selfe though the righteousnessse of Saints is also perfect in him but not meritorious his is the righteousnesse of God which is revealed from Faith to c. Rom. 1.17 the everlasting righteousnesse c. which first the Jews Secondly the Papists And thirdly the Quakers being ignorant of and all going about to establish their owne righteousnesse have not submitted to Rom. 10.3 9.10 c. Ans That it s not our righteousnesse it s granted neverthelesse we must not cease to worke out our salvation seeing that man is justified by workes and not by Faith onely Iames 2.24 Secondly That it is the righteousnesse of Christ by Faith and that that righteousnesse is perfect in him and in the saints and that not meritorious as of themselves but by the righteousnesse of God which is revealed according to Rom. 1.17 is granted But lyart and false accusers is out of this righteousnesse albeit they may say as the Scripture saith as thou S. A. hath done who saith that the Quakers is agnorant of Gods righteousnesse and goes about to establish their own righteousnesse Here I charge thee again to be a lyar for Gods righteousnesse which it the righteousnesse of Faith we own which righteousnesse speaketh on this wise c. as in Rom. 10.6 but what saith it the Word is nigh thee in thy month and in thy heart Rom. 10.8 this is the Word of Faith and the righteousnes which is of Faith which we beleeve and Preach and if we or any other Preach another Gospel then the power of God Rom. 1.16 or another power than Christ the Power and Wisedome of God 1 Cor. 1.24 or any other righteousnesse then that which is of Faith which saith The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart I say let him be accursed so man be ashamed for thou art found one of them that saith The Scriptures is the Word of God and so hath not submitted unto the righteousnesse of God which saith The Word is nigh in the mouth and heart as before so in the gall of bitternesse thou art sound soming out thy own shame 2. Querie What it is that giveth the Knowledge of God and how Priests Ans God himselfe onely giveth the Knowledge of himselfe Iam. 1.5.17 Ier. 24.7 I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord. Ans That God onely gives the Knowledge of himselfe is granted and seeing that God gives man an heart to know him and is the onely giver of Knowledge Why then dost thou judge us because we doe not own your help counsell and Instruction here thou art manifest for God having given us hearts to beleeve and know him by his light which shineth in us as in them 2 Cor. 4.6 I say this light or grace which is one is sufficient for us as it was for them 2 Cor. 12.9 so him we own and witnesse to be the onely giver of Knowledge without the help of all the Learned Rabbies in the World who is of it Pr. Now he gives it I answer He gives it effectually onely by his Spirit but instrumentally by his Word Preached ordinarily he gives also some kind of Knowledge of himselfe by his Works both of Creation and Providence when he exercises the minds of men to consider them this answer is a truth though I know it wil not satisfie thy foolish fancy Ans That God gives the Knowledge of himselfe onely and effectually by himselfe who is a spirit is granted therefore to God who is a spirit and who is
and teachers so 〈◊〉 art found â—onle in that wherein thou seared me and now thou must take the papists for thy and your brethren and hearers and let them bâ—ate your testimony for they pay you Tythes or wages and you injoy their shâ—pps marke that Pr. 9. Ac. The â—arsts know that the great thing that must be done before they can â—â—duce amongst us is to make them reject their teachers and there fore they bond all their wits and endeavours to viâ—â—fie them and drow the hearts of the people from them end so do the Quakers Ans What the papists your owners doth it is nothing to us we deny them and your pastets and teachers who is thus found in discord First thou saith they call you no true Ministers but deceivers Secondly thou saith they own you for their pastors and teachers And now thou saith they strave to visâ—â—fie you and draw people form you Oh bottomles pit consasion no wonder if they mist or vapour darken the ayre and obscure the Sn but that we bend our wits and endeavours to debase you or villisie you contrary to truth and righteousnes I say that false for we lye in the will of God who is gathering people from all dumbe shepherds himselfe that they may be no more meat for them Eze. 34.10 so we rest in his counsell and in his promise â—zo 34.11.10.17 Iohn 10.16 so we rest in his counsell who treads the winepressâ— alone Isay 63.3.4.5.6 by whose power the refuge of lyars is violated and he hath a controversie with you all and is risen in righteous judgement to render a reward to the proud Psal 94.2 Pr. 10. Ac. The Papists main error consists in the contempt of the Soriptures they say they will not take it for the Word of God but on the authority of the Church and that it is but part of his Word and that Decrees and Constitutions of Popes and Counsels are of equall authority with it the Quakers say it s not the Word of God but onely a Declaration of the Word that was in them that gave it forth and that what themsâ—lves speak or write is from the same spirit therfore equal with it A. Here we deny both you and the papists who holds the Scripture to be the Word either in part or in whole and also we do deny both the Popes Decrees Constitutions Counsels and your divinations and practises to be equal with or agreeable either to the Scripture as it is or to the spirit that gave them forth and you that say they are the Word and they that say they are in part the Word of God I say unto you you are both Idolaters for the Scripture which you call the Word saith God was the Word John 1.1 and that Word became Flesh John 1.14 so you Priests is forming a whole idoll and the Papists but part of an idoll so you are found filling up the measure of your fathers greater idolaters then the paâ—ifâ—s And whereas thou saith the Quakers say it s but onely a Declaration I say the Evangelist saith also so Luke 1.1 and God is the Word who also is a spirit which did inspire his mind and will into his servants which they recorded for a restimony unto future ages which testimony is perverted wrested idolized and made a trade upon by the Parish-masters of England and else-where who is owned of the Papists for Pastors and Teachers according to S. A. his own consession but as touching the Word of God I have spoken largely to it in the 15 pag. so I say he that speaketh and writeth truth in sincerity speaketh and â—riteth from the spirit of truth viz. the spirit of God and so from the same spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and so as it is truth equall with the Scriptures of truth according to its measure Pr. 11. Ac. The Papists say it is but a dead letter so do the Quakers A. Thou said before that the papists owned you to be their pastors and teachers so you popish pastors and teachers we deny your testimony if you say that inke and paper in it selfe is living but we own it that it was the inspired words and will of God freely revealed and freely recorded by them to whom it was inspired by the moveings of the holy Ghost and so written freely for our learning but not to make a trade of as the Papists Bishops and Iesuites did of old after five or six or seven years learning as Prentises at some University and as the Parish masters doe now who after 5.6 or 7. years Prentises at some University or great Schoole gets a place or Parish in the Country and so much in the year and teaches there it may be all his life-time and will tell people that three parts of the world hath never heard of Christ and yet he abides in his Parish and once in seven dayes stands up in his shop where he is accompaniâ—d by some may be 40.50 or 60. years with some and more or lesse with most part and still they are like the crackling of Thornes under a pot unbridled unstable not so much of Christs Doctrine lived in and obeyed as yea nay in their communication or not to sweare at all so you Priests are found hatched in the Popes Nest but deeper in the mistery of witchcraft by sayrer painted profession Pr. 12. Ac. The Papists say it is not fit to be judge of controversies the Quakers say the touchstone of tryall is not the word without but the light within Ans I say I deny the Papists herein for the Scriptures is fit to judge of some controversies if it be held in the righteous part but I doe not say neither with the Papists that it is not fit nor with you popish pastors and teachers that it is the tryar of spirits so here I deny both the Papists and you And whereas thou salst We say the touchstone is not the Word without but the light within I say that God it light John 1.5 who fils Heaven and Earth with his presence let 23.24 and this is the word which we own which is like a sire and a hammar before whose eyes all things are naked and open Heb. 4.12.13 who is a discerner of the thoughts and searches the heart and tryes the reignes of people this is our touchstone the Word nigh in our mouthes and hearts Rom. 10 8. the ingrofied Word I am 1.21 and this is the light which shineth in our hearts which giveth us the knowledge of the glory of God 2 Cor. 4 6. and reproves and makes manifest all things Eph. 5.13 and thou that contemns the light within comtemns that which gave the Apostles knowledge 2 Cor. 4 6 for Christ was given for a light see the promise Isay 49.6 and also his own testimony Ioh. 8.12 12.46 and it was not a Christ without the Gentiles which was the hope of glory but Christ in them Col. 1.27 and this Christ is the