Apostle prayed for the Ephesiâ—ns that believed but it doth not at all prove that the Apostle taught you that are of the World to pray For the Prayers of the Wicked are Abominable and the Apostle would not teach such to pray And though in thy Answer the substance of my Query is confessed yet it doth not serve to prove that thou dost witness it in thy self or own it where it is possessed who wouldst bar it from Youth and limit it to Time and Age and so shewest thy Ignorance of it and that by the False Lights and Delusions of Satan thou art deceived who in thee ruleth as an Angel of Light And so thou art one of those unwary men who takest a Lying Spirit for an Infallible Spirit as is both here and often before proved who art found in Zedekiah's steps and so art one of those False Prophets which the Prophet speaks of who sayest The Lord saith when he never spoak to thee as is before proved And how long have you professed Ministers of this Nation fed the People with Expectations and Hopes That you would confirm what you have spoaken unto them which is not yet come to pass neither likely and thus you have deceived them by your Lying Divinations for your dishonest Gain and therefore for this Cause God hath given you up to strong Delusions that you should believe a Lye that you all might be damned who believe not the Truth now it is come unto you but still take Pleasure in Unrighteousness as in those Scriptures aforesaid which thou hast quoted against thy self and so they shall stand Qu. 8. What is the Gospel which thou art a Minister of and whether thy Gospel be free and without Charge Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou sayest to the first Part That the Gospel which thou preachest is the same which Christ and his Apostles taught which thou sayest is summarily contained in these four Verses Tit. 2. 11 12 13 14. wherein the Apostle speaks of the Grace of God to be their Teacher to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Justly and Godly in this present World c. And to the second Part thou sayest The Apostles Gospel was not every way without Charge which to prove thou quotest 2 Cor. 11. 8. And again thou say'st Nor hath Christ or any of his Apostles imposed it upon you that the Gospel should be altogether without Charge unto them which have it taught which to prove thou quotest Rom. 15. 27. And again thou sayest Nor is James Parnel's Gospel be it Right or Wrong without Charge If he doth not take more then it is worth if duly examined it is well Rep. Thy Spirit is much against James Parnel as Zedekiah's was against Michaiah yet here he can prove thee to be a Lyar and not only against him but of his Lord also and therefore if thou belyest the Lord how much more the Servant For Christ Jesus the Lamb of God was the Gospel which the Apostles preached which was free and not chargeable to any thâ—ugh he was and is a Burdensom Stone to them that believe not in him yet not Chargeable And therefore thou Blasphemer how darest thou to open thy Mouth thus against the Lord and his Anointed who are still in thy Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts who art pleading for the Earth and art a Stranger to the Free Grace of God and therefore these Verses which thou hast set down shall stand to witness against thee which thou sayest containeth the Gospel which thou preachest But the Apostles Gospel could not be contained in Paper and Ink for the Heavens could not contain him for He ascended far above all Heavens that he might fill all things And also of thy Gospel thou makest a Trade and a Gain being many Years at an University as thou callest it to learn to preach it all which the Apostles did not and so thou bringest another Gospel and so art not to be Received but held as Accursed as thou art who art not ashamed to presume to say Thy Gospel is the same with the Apostles and thou dost here yield thy Gospel to be chargeable but this Scripture in 2 Cor 11. 8. doth not at all prove the Apostles to be chargeable who saith He took Wages of other Churches to do them Service for it was but for his Necessities and it was freely communicated to him and therefore no Charge But now you professed Ministers instead of robbing other Churches you rob and oppress the World Ruling over them by a Law with Force and Cruelty for the which you have no Scripture-Rule but amongst the False Shepherds But whom do you spare whether you do them Service or nay if you can but get it either by Fair Means or Foul And therefore in this thou before many others mightst well have laid thy Hand upon thy Mouth For whereas the Apostle there took some Necessaries which were freely communicated to him by the Churches thou takest nigh Three Hundred Pounds by the Year of the World by a Law of Man and none wilt spare who come within thy Bounds whether thou dost them Service or nay And that Christ or any of his Apostles have not imposed it upon you that the Gospel should be altogether without Charge it is true for they never intrusted you with it though for Lucre sake you have run though he never sent you and speak a Divination of your Brain but not from the Mouth of the Lord and so profit not the People at all but like Ravening Wolves make a Prey upon them but your End shall be according to your Works But they that are intrusted with the Ministry of the Gospel have this Charge imposed upon them As they have received Freely Freely to give The Apostle Paul also sheweth the same Example whose Care was to make the Gospel Free and without Charge and said Wo unto him if he preached not the Gospel and therefore because he would not make the Gospel Chargeable he took Necessaries of some and spared others and this was Wisdom which you Earth-Worms are void of and thus he that is taught in the Word may communicate to him that teaches in all Good Things and yet without Charge he that can receive it let him The Workman is worthy of his Meat And in that thou taxest James Parnel he hath not been chargeable to thee nor to thy Generation neither doth any of him complain though thou judgest him according to thy own corrupt Heart yet the Answer of the Just Witness in my Conscience shall be for me before the Righteous Judge of all Hearts when you Hirelings and False Prophets shall with the Mountains to cover you and the Rocks to fall upon you and hide you from his Presence who will give you your Reward in the Lake that burneth with the Beast that now upholds you in this your Wickedness Qu. 9. Whether thou dost hold up the First Priesthood that took Tythes or
A Collection Of the Several WRITINGS Given forth from the Spirit of the Lord through that Meek Patient and Suffering SERVANT of GOD James Parnel Who though a Young Man bore a Faithful Testimony for God and Dyed a Prisoner under the Hands of a Persecuting Generation in Colchester Castle in the Year 1656. In the sight of the Vnwise they seemed to Dye and their Departure is taken for Misery and their going from us to be utter Destruction but they are in Peace For though they be Punished in the Sight of Men yet is their Hope full of Immortality and having been a little Chastized they shall be greatly Rewarded for God proved them and found them worthy for himself Wisd. 3. 2 3 4 5. 5. 4. Being Dead yet speaketh Hebr. 11. 4. Published in the Year 1675. Stephen Crisp HIS TESTIMONY Concerning James Parnel IT was the Care of the Holy Men of Old To keep in Remembrance the Words Works which sprang from the blessed Power of God and therefore did record the Words of many Prophecies and the Histories of many Battels and Wars in which the Arm of God was manifest and whenever God Crown'd any with Worthiness and Honour as his Witnesses of his Word and Power this was commonly added unto the Renown of their Noble Acts and Faithful Testimonies That their Name and Manner of Life was committed unto the Generations that followed after insomuch as one said The Righteous should be had in Everlasting Remembrance and another said The Name of the Righteous was Precious and many other suâ—h like Sayings are there in the Holy Scripture Christ said to her that anointed him with the Box of Oyntment Where-ever the Gospel should be preached this Charity and Love of hers bestowed on him should be spoaken of And if ever any Age had Cause to prize and keep in Remembrance the Words and Sayings Great Deliverances and Spiritual Battels and Mighty and Noble Acts of God wrought by the Finger of his Power sure this Age hath Câ—use to be diligent in gathering up and keeping in Remembrance the Migâ—ty Works of Wonder which our God hath wrought in our Day in which he hath brought forth Life Peace Rest and Joy to a â—emnant by a Way which the Wise and Prudent of this World were not nor are not yet aware of but Babes have been his Messengers and Children have been his Ministers who in Innocency have received the Revelation of his holy Spirit by which the Deep Things both of his Law and of his Glorious Gospel of Life and Salvation were revealed And among these Babes who thus came to receive the Knowledge of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God by the Working of his divine Power was this Noble Child JAMES PARNEL who was a Vessel of Honour indeed and Mighty in the Power and Spirit of Immanuel breaking down and laying desolate many mighty and strong Holds and Towers of Defence in the which the old Deceiver had fortified himself and his Children Much might be spoaken of this Man and a large Testimony doth live in my Heart to his blessed Life and to the Power and Wisdom that abounded in him but I do not intend at this time to write much about him but to give the Reader a brief Account of my Certain Knowledge which I had of Him and his Life and Labours and End As to his Country Manner of Life and how he was about the Age of Fifteen or Sixteen Years brought to the Knowledge of God and to the Working of his Power in him and how he obeyed the same in many Travails and Tryals until he came to be about Eighteen Years of Age all this I say it being spoaken to in another place and before my particular Acquaintance with him I shall pass over and only speak of things within the Compass of my own Knowledge When he was about Eighteen Years of Age the Lord who had heard the Cry of his own Seed put it into the Heart of this Young Man to come inâ—o Essex and to preach the Word of Life and to proclaim the Acceptable Year of the Lord there where it might indeed well have been said Behold the Fields are White unto Harvest For very many were there in that County who were both weary and heavy laden with their Sins and were as weary with running to and fâ—o to seek a Way out of them and having travailed all Mountains and all Hills and High Things that could be travailed and tryed and found no Deliverance and some sate down concluding If there was a Way God would manifest it others concluded There was no Way but we must dye in this Wilderness and never see the Bread of Life some othes set their Wits on work to find out and invent New VVayes and Manners of VVorshipping but all was in vain and great was the Darkness and Sorrow of those dayes which some can yet well remember and when all Hearts were ready to faint and all Hope was almost at an end with some when others had built their Tower of Profession so high that they conceâ—ted it did touch the Heavens it self then I say then did the Lord send this his Fâ—ithful Messenger endued with Power from on High to preach the Acceptable Year of God and the Day of Vengeance to comfort them that mourned His Coming was in the fore-end of the Year 1655. VVhere He preached the Gospel in many parts of that County as Felsted Stebben Witham Coxal Halsted and many other places where many hungry Souls had gladly received the VVord of God and it being mixed with Faith in the Hearts of them who heard it it became Effectual to the saving the Souls of many And after he had passed up down many Parts of that County and planted diâ—ers good Meetings and confirmed them that had believed he at length about the middle of the Summer the same Year came to Colchester upon the seventh day of the week on the day following preached the Gospel unto many Thousands of people first in his Lodging then in a Steeple-house there after the Sermon then in a Great Meeting appointed on purpose and after that disputed with the Town-Lecturer and another Priest in the French-School all in One Day in all which the Wisdom Power and Patience of Christ appeared very Gloriously to the Convincing of my self and many more who were Witnesses of that day's Work So he spent that week in Preaching Prayâ—ng Exhorting and Admonishing turning the Minds of all sorts of Professors to the Light of Jesus which did search their Hearts and shew their Thoughts that they might believe therein and sâ— mâ—ght become Children of the Light and many did Believe and found it so and others were Hardned and Rebell'd against the Appearance of Truth and became Enemies with whom he Disputed daily in great Soundness and in the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit by which also many were reached and convinced of the Truth and the Mouthes of
Gâ—insayers stopt which made many gnash their Teeth on him and some undertook to club out the Priests Professors Arguments by beating this dear Lamb with Fists and Staves who took all patiently as particularly one who struck him with a great Staff as he came out of one of the Steeple-houses called Nicholas and said There Take that for Jesus Christ's sake To which he returned this Answer Friend I do Receive it for JESUS CHRIST ' s sake And many other intolerable Affronts were offered him in all which his Spirit was not seen to be raised in Heat or Anger but was a Pattern of Patience and Meekness And having laboured in that great Town about Ten Dayes it lay upon him to go back to Cogshall to a Meeting holden as a Fast of which read more in that part of his Writings called The Fruits of a Fast from whence he was committed to Colchester Castle and from thence had up to Chelsford Assizes in Irons and again thither re-committed where he remained until he offer'd up his Life for his Testimony He lived in that Castle about Ten or Eleven Moneths in great Self-denyal and Carefulness being truly watchful over the Flock of God both in Essex and in Cambridgeshire Huntingtonshire and the Isle of Ely and elsewhere where he had travaled and turned many to God and wrote many blessed and heavenly Epistles both to particular Persons to the Churches in general which were so many that we have no certain Account of them nor cannot place them in order as we would if all could be collected together but those Books and Papers which could be found are here composed for the View of those who desire to taste the first Fruits of this Tender Plant who in the Dayes of his Youth laid down his Life for his blessed Testimony Many Things he suffered in that Prison which is other-where in this Book to be found And as he lay in Prison he laboured for the building up of them that were Convinced and he saw the Desire of his Soul concerning many in whom he saw the Seed which he had sown Multiply and Grow to his Refreshment And at last having passed through many Tryals and Exercises both Inward and Outward and fulfilled his Testimony in Patience Courage and Faithfulness and been a Comfort to us who had believed He at length laid down his Head in Rest and Peace stretching forth Himself saying Here I Dye Innocently And after his Departure he was buried in the Castle Yard where other Prisoners use to be buried because the Cruel Goaler would not deliver his Body without Fees And though he be as to the Outward taken away his Life doth remain and his Testimony doth yet live in the Hearts of many and will live through Generations to come and happy and blessed are and shall all they be who are Partakers thereof and are Faithful therein they shall be also Partakers of that Crown Immortal with which He is Crowned Thus honest Reader have I given thee a brief Account of this dear Plant of God and of his blessed Fruit some whereof thou may'st find in this following Book which if read in Sincerity and in Uprightness of Heart will tend to thy Benefit and will give thee Cause with me and many more to bless the Lord on his Behalf who is the Well-spring of Life from whom all Good Gifts come and to whom all Glory and Honour doth belong now henceforth and forever Amen Stephen Crisp. Samuel Cater's TESTIMONY Concerning James Parnel COncerning our Dear Friend and Brother Iames Parnel I have this Testimony to bear for him in a true Remembrance of him as being Turned unto the Truth of God by him through Obedience unto which Heavenly Light Truth of God within which he turned me unto I have found and do enjoy Peace with God so that although the Dark World and Envious Priests and Professors Raged against him Imprisoned him and Persecuted him unto Death and made Lyes of him when he was dead speaking Evil of him accounting of him a Deceiver when he was alive I do say He was unto Me a True Minister and Messenger sent of God who brought Tidings of the Way of Life and Salvation unto me and many more in these Parts of the Nation whom I know have the same Testimony to bear for this Innocent Man For God hath made us Seals of his Ministâ—y through a blessed Experience of the Work of Regeneration brought to pass by this Heavenly Light Everlasting Truth unto the which he turned our Minds And this I can say also As the Lord was pleased to call him into his Blessed Work so he furnisht him with Virtues suitable for the same according to the Work of the Day in which he brought him forth and did mightily appear for him and with him in giving of him Courage and Wisdom and Power whereby he was Prepared and Fitted for every Service Exercise y â— the Lord called him unto which Service he faithfully perform'd of a Ready Mind with a Willing Heart not neglecting Nor did he refuse to appear in any Service in which his Testimony was concern'd which God had called him to bear although it were to the Ieopardy of his Life which many times he did both in Going to Steeple-Houses amongst the Rude Schollars in Cambridge both in Disputing with them and Declaring the Truth And after he went from Us he was moved of the Lord to go into Essex where he was gladly received by the Honest-hearted which wanted the Knowledge of the Lord and his Wayes which he declared unto them and many there were that Received him and Believed in the Truth which he declared But the Envious Professors roâ—e up against him in Cain's Murdering Spirit and cast him into Prison and there kept him in Hard Bonds until Death at whose Doors Hearts and Consciences the Guilt of this Innocent Man's Blood lies which all their Outward Washings nor Carnal Ordinances nor Outside Performances neither could nor can purge away but the Judgments of the Lord have been and yet will be executed upon all that have had a Hand or have taken a Part with them in shedding of Innocent Blood which the Lord will not acquit And now as to the Person Virtues and Parts of this our Dear Friend it is something upon me to give some Account of as having a Certain Knowledge of him not only because I was turned unto Truth by him but my Heart loved him which Love constrained me as oft as I could to be with him so that what Service he had in these Parts in Meetings of Friends or amongst Professors or with Priests I was frequently with him whereby I was both Eye and Ear Witness of the Mighty Power and Wisdom of God that attended him by the which He was prepared for every Work and Service which he was called unto and which he performed to the Honour of God and Comfort of his People and to the Confounding of those that
his Enemies and testifying against tâ—e gross Hypocrisie of that Day And this I have to say concerning him and it 〈◊〉 in many and shall not dye That he was an Innocent Man and lived in the Testimony and Feaâ— of God that he sought nothing here for himself but alone laboured and traviâ—ed that People might be brought into the Knowledge and Love of God and had he bin otherwise spirited he should have had Acceptance with many of hâ—s Enemies I believe And as he was an Innocent Man so he lived Innocently towards all men and so he dyed Innocently as himself estified a small time before his departure Here I Dye Innocently And as several who were with him were Eye-Witnesses of the sâ—me and is enter'd into the Bosom of the Eternal Rest with God forever His Testimony was That God was Light and that Christ who proceeded and came from God did enlighten every Man that cometh into the World that all Men through him might believe which Testimony of Truth bearing although it was rejected by many and the heavenly Light of the Lord too mean an Appearance for the aspir'd Minds of those Dayes â—o submit unto yet accepted of was it by some who by it soon were taught to take the Yoak of Christ upon them and to receive his holy Fâ—ar into their Hearts and were blessed of the Lord prospered and encreased although therefore persecuted and reviled by the Vngodly Generation who turn away their Eyes from the Reproof of Instruction because of the Reproof thereof and preserved through many grievous Trials Tribulations through their faithful Obedience in the Light Valiant for the Truth upon the Earth so what Acceptance ever had the Righteous in this World by the men and spirit thereof is apparent by Scripture and Historical Account and our Experience doth confirm the same viz. Persecution and Cruelty Prisons and stinking Holes Banishments and Death Destroying of the Goods and Estates of the Innocent and what do I behold at this day I never saw or read of a Lamb worrying a Dog nor an Innocent Sheep to tear or devour a Wolf What Christianity or Holiness is that which hurts and destroyes and thinketh thereby of doing God good Service Surely it is not to be found in all God's Holy Mountain saith the Lord. And so The Name of the Righteous is had in Everlasting Remembrance aâ—d his Memorial shall shine forever and ever In true Faith and Assurance as a Brotherly-Testimony to my deceased Friend's Innocency is this written that it may be known from one who was acquainted with his Life and Death in this Town that the Lord was with him in his Life and Death that those who are yet in being that had a Hand in his Sâ—fferings or consented may Repent Repent unfeignedly and seek the Lord while He is to be found for if thou art found out by Him to be a Blood-guilty Man and knowest not his Hysop in thy Day of Visitation to have purged thee know thou that the Lord God will give thee Blood double to drink in his Day of Judgment with Horror and Destruction for evermore â—olchester the 7th of the 7th Month 1671. Thomas Bayles A TESTIMONY Concerning the Sufferings and Death OF James Parnel I Having a Knowledge of J. P. the Author of these Books and being an Eye-Witness of part of his great Sufferings he under-went for the Testimony of the Blessed Truth which he sealed with his Blood being persecuted by a Professing Generation who though they made great Pretence to Christianity yet they were upon Tryal found to be such who were born of the Flesh who always persecuted them that were born after the Spirit and were like the Professing Jews who reckoned they were of the Stock of Abraham and that he was their Father when they were of their Father the Devil doing his Works Persecuting the Innocent And that the Remembrance of the Great Suffering of this our Dear Friend and Brother JAMES PARNEL may not be extinguished I shall insert a full Relation of his Imprisonment and Death as followeth The said JAMES PARNEL being moved of the Lord to go to a Steeple-House at Coggshall the Priests and the People having appointed a Fast as they said against Error the 12th Day of the 5th Month in the Year One Thousand Six Hundred and Fifty Five after the Priest had Ended James spake a few Words to them so passing forth of the Steeple-House one called Justice WAKERING followed him and clapt him on the back and said He Arrested Him although he shewed no Writ and by the means of divers Priests he was by Dionysius Wakering Herbert Pelham Thomas Cook and William Harlakenden committed to Colchester-Castle and there kept close up and none of his Friends suffered to come near him and from thence at the Assizes was carried to Chelmsford where they kept him on the Chain Day and Night but when he appeared at the Bar the Chain was taken off only had Irons on his Hands where Judge Hill urged the Jury to find him guilty declaring what he could against the Prisoner to them and would not suffer him to speak to the Jury to clear himself so the Judge fined him Forty Pounds and to be committed Close Prisoner till Payment and gave Charge to the Goaler Not to let any Giddy-Headed People as he called them come at him so the Goaler denyed his Friends to come to him to Relieve him and would not let them in but such as came to Abuse Scorn and Beat him they let in to him and the Goaler's Wife did set her Man to Beat him who threatned to Knock him down and make him shake his Heels and she her self did Beat him several times and swore She would have his Blood And sometimes they would not let him have any Victuals brought to him other times they would set Prisoners to take away such Victuals as was brought to him and would not let him have a Trundle-Bed which his Friends would have brought him to lie on but forced him to lie on the Stones which in a wet season would run down with Water and when he was in a Room for which he paid Four Pence a Night he was threatned if he did but walk to and fro in it Then they put him in the Hole in the Wall which is very high from the Ground and where the Ladder was too short by Six Foot and when his Friends would have given him a Cord and a Basket to have taken up his Victuals in they would not let them though they much desired it but he must either come up and down by a Rope or else Famish in the Hole which he did a long time But after a long Suffering in this Hole where there was nought but Misery as to the Outward Man it being no Place either for Air or Smoak and James being much benumbed in his Naturals as he was climbing up the Ladder with his Victuals in one Hand and coming to the top of
by them but all along their Lives and Conversations condemn yours and therefore you Hate them Revile them and Reproach them in whom the Power of the Living God is made manifest the same which ever was Which Shaketh the Earth and maketh the Strong Man to bow himself and the Keepers of the House to Tremble And the same Power which all the Children of God in all Ages witnessed and passed through which then by the same Generation Suffered both by Magistrates Professors Priests and People who were and are Strangers to the Life of God and his Power and therefore Reproached Scoffed and Scorned it as you now do but it is that the Scripture might be fulfilled upon you Who are Despisers of those that do Good Isaac the Seed of the Promise Trembled Gen. 27. 33. who was Mocked by Ishmael the Son of the Bond-Woman who was cast out as the same Seed and now by you Ishmaelites who are the Children of the Bond. Woman who are cast out and are found without Mocking and Scoffing the Righteous Seed Gen. 21 9 10. Gal. 4. 30. And Moses a Servant of God Quaked and Trembled who counted it greater Riches to suffer Affliction with the People of God then to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a Season Heb. 12. 21. Heb. 11. 26. and this you now call Madness and Folly who know not that Godliness is great Gain 1 Tim. 6. 6. And David who was a King Quaked and Trembled and Roared and Watered his Couch with Tears Psal. 69. 12. Psal. 22. 14. Psal. 38. Psalm 6. 6. And Drunkards made a Song on Him And some shut out their Tongues and wagged their Heads and gaped upon him with their Mouthes Psalm 64. and Psalm 122. 7. and this you sing in your Steeple-Houses like Hypocrites without knowledg Psalm 35. 16. and yet scoffe and scorn and reproach those in whom the same Power is made manifest and yet you will say as he said you are not puft in mind nor have no scornfull eye c. but he spoke the Truth and you lye Psalm 131. 1. and thus you deceive your souls and loves to have it so your Leaders cause you to err Isa. 9. 16. and Job a Servant of the Lord quaked who by the same Generation was laughed to scorn Job 4. 14. Job 12. 14. and Jeremiah a Prophet of the Lord quaked who was then persecuted by the same generation Jer. 23. 9. and Daniel a Prophet of the Lord trembled who was cast into the Lyons Den because he would not deny his God Dan. 10. 11. Dan. 6. 16. but by his power he was preserved as we are now from those Lyons Whelps who would us devour and Habbakkuk a Prophet of the Lord his Belly Trembled and his Lips Quivered Hab. 3. 16. And Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ fell down and trembled Acts 9. 4 5 6. who was reviled reproached and persecuted even to death who was one that hazarded his life for the Name of Jesus Acts 6. 26. and said all the day long were they killed and accounted as sheep to the slaughter Rom. 8. 36. now these were all Quakers who then suffered with patience by the same Generation now read what Generation you are of for they that were after the flesh always persecuted them that were after the Spirit Gal. 4. 29. there was always a generation by which the righteous ever suffered since Cain the first-born upon earth in whose way you are found who envy who are in the wrath Iude 10. you kill the just and he lyes slain in the streets Jam. 5. 5 6. at whose hands his blood shall be required Mat. 23. 35. and the Son of man was to eat his bread with quaking and drink his water with trembling Ezek 12. 10. out of which life you are found who are at ease in the flesh feeding without the fear of God spending the Creatures upon your lusts 1 Cor. 10. 7. Jam. 5. scoffing and scorning them who are not one with you in the same liberty but fears before the Throne of God 1 Pet. 4. 4. Rom. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 10. 31. and thus you erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mat. 22. 29. therefore behold ye Dispisers and Wonderers and perish I will work a work in your days which though you see it you shall not believe it Acts 13. 41. Is it not apparent before your eyes the wicked man returns from his wickedness and the ungodly from his ungodliness and the drunkard from his drunkenness and the prophane one from his prophaneness and now seeks after God and fears his powerfull name and this you see and cannot believe but despise scoff and scorn the Power by which this Work is done for it is no new thing but the same which was and is you are in the same adulterous Generation which cannot see the Signes which follow the Truth Mat. 16. 3 4. from whom the Gospel is hid whose eye is Darkned with the Godd of the world 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. and so speaks evil of the things you know not Jude 11. putting Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness Evil for Good and Good for Evil Isa. 5. 20. you are the Scoffers that the Apostle fore-told of to be in the last times Jude 18. who are Despisers of those that are good Incontinent Fierce Traitor Heady High-minded Lovers of Pleasures more then Lovers of God having a Form of Godliness but deny the Life and Power 2 Tim. 3. 3 4 5. and here you are both Priests people and professors who are Scoffing and Scorning Slandring Reproaching Reviling and Persecuting the Righteous Innocent Servants and Messengers of the Most High God who is uttering forth his Voice through them in Power against all Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of men who will you call to Judgment and convince you of all your ungodly Deeds and all your hard Speeches which you have wrongfully spoken against him and his Power and will reward you accordingly Jude 14. 15. Rom. 22. 21. Therefore to that which is of God in all your Consciences I speak which is my Witness against your Ungodly Lives which turning your minds to it and unto it taking heed will let you see you speak Evil of the things you know not loving Darkness rather then Light because your deeds are Evil John 3. 19. Therefore Fear and Dread the Lord God and Repent and take heed of Mocking lest your Bonds be made strong Isa. 28. 22. for God will not be Mocked such as you Sow such must you Reap Gal. 67. Therefore fear before the Lord and try all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Thess. 5. 21. And despise nothing before you know it lest you speak Evil of Gods Elect for it is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God Hebr. 10. 31. Therefore take this for a Warning as from the Mouth of the Lord for no Ignorance is to be pleaded before the Throne of God This was given forth in
Ground of the Religion made manifest to us is God himself for God is the Fountain of all Truth and Truth is Religion and Religion is Truth and this Truth we witness made manifest by God the Life of Truth and here is the Religion which we witness forth and here is the Ground witnessed forth from the Ground and this Religion is pure unspotted and springs from the Light which is pure wherein there is no Deceit neither can be for it discovers all Deceit and leads out of it both within and without but Deceit discovers not Deceit for Satan divided against himself cannot stand bâ—t all Sects and Opinions arise out of Darkness and the End is Confusion and so as Darkness is opposite to Light and Death to Life so are all Sects and Opinions against the true Religion and all will side together against the Truth though they be opposite one to another in Judgment as Pilate and Herod did against Christ and the Scribes and Pharisees and high Priests and Saducees and rude Multitude So it is now both Papist and Protestant as they call them and all other Sects and Opinions which arise out of the Fall for though they differ in Judgment yet they spring from one Root and no Difference in Life but the Light strikes at the Root which is Darkness and layes open the hidden things done in Darkness so Darkness cannot endure the Light and this is the Condemnation of the World who love Darkness rather then Light because their Deeds are evil And this is the Cause why our Religion is spoaken against more then any Profession besides all Drunkards Swearers Lyars Whoremongers Adulterers Thieves Murtherers Proud Covetous Lustful ones and all Unrighteous Persons will speak against it and call it Delusion and Heresie and Witchery and all manner of Evil which the Devil can invent and those stand up for the Priests and persecute the Truth as it was in the time of Christ and his Apostles times and this will all Pharisees and Professors do as they ever did for they can wink at one another and bear with one another in Deceit but Truth cannot at all bear with Deceit because there is perfect Enmity as there was ever in all Ages and it is no new thing And here all your Sects and Opinions are shut out of the Light and are in Darkness and so is Confusion both Popery and all other But the Truth is but one and who dwels in the Truth dwels in the Light and are the Children of the Light and there is no Confusion but all of one Heart and one Mind Epistles written in one anothers Hearts and there is that in every Conscience which shall witness it be the everlasting Truth which ever was is and is to be for ever both in them that believe and in them that perish though to the Condemnation of them that hate it And this I witness by the infallible Spirit of the Lord which cannot lie And now I have discharged my Conscience before all People in the behalf of the Truth of God not that I would have any to speak well of it but from the Ground of it for the Love and the Hatred of the Unrighteous is all one to me but for some Simple ones sake I have laid open my self and freely discharged my Conscience and I doubt not that my Labour is in vain but whosoever owns the Truth of God must own it through good Report and evil Report and must be content to loose their good Name in the World as both Christ and his Servants did and the Servant must not be greater then his Lord. And now a few words to all you Heads and Rulers and Magistrates in what Degree soever who have the Power in your own Hands who by your Power persecute and imprison the Servants and Messengers of Jesus Christ as Deluders and Deceivers Witches and Vagabonds and have no Ground for it but only by Hear-say and the evil Thoughts and Imaginations of your own Hearts and because they cannot please nor satisfie your corrupt proud Wills which is your Law by which you persecute them not weighing nor searching the Ground of things You are they in whom the Beast reigns and his Image you bear which upholds the false Prophet and Tyrannize over the Nations by his corupt Will and cause them to bow to and worship his Image and you oppress and persecute those who cannot You must drink of the Wine of the Wrath of the Almighty poured out without mixture for in the bloody Generation you are found filling up the measure of your Fathers Wrath upon whom must come all the righteous Blood shed from righteous Abel until now and this I say in the Presence of the living God by the Spirit of the living God that all you who have had a hand in persecuting of them Guilt shall follow you in the Conscience until you come to Judgment And therefore I charge you all by the Lord to take heed of medling about Religion or to lay your Law upon any tender Conscience but see that your Law be according to that in the Conscience which is pure and perfect and medle with such Affairs as you are set about and rather give Liberty to Religion then take it away as you own the Grace of God you will and see that you discharge your Consciences there lest that while you are persecuting the Truth you neglect that which you are set about for you will both persecute them your selves and suffer the Bruits to stone strike buffet them which is all contrary to your own Law Neither when they are brought before you can they have the Liberty of the Law to clear such Accusations as are laid against them but you will hear the Accusers but not the Accused and this is contrary to the Heathenish Law and are more unjust then the very Heathen who said Doth our Law judge any one before it hear him And so for Shame profess no more Love to Christ in this Nature who execute your Law upon his Servants upon such a fallible Ground which no Judge ought to do by the Law of God especially about Religion but to search out the Ground of the Matter on both side before he judge but this he cannot do about Religion except he have the Spirit of the Lord therefore take heed of medling about spiritual Matters lest through Ignorance you call Christ Beelzebub and persecute him as a Blasphemer and Deceiver as many of you have done which is written in the Book of Conscience and there you shall read it to your Sorrow And all you blind People who persecute rail and revile and reproach the Truth of God and have no Ground for it but by hear-say and the evil Thoughts and Imaginations of your own Hearts one imagining one Thing and another another Thing as the Multitude which gathered together against Paul one crying one Thing and another
vanishes away pulling down one Judgment and setting up another pulling down one Form and setting up another and thus are building Babel and so are confounded with this Confusion by him who confounds the Wisdom of the Wise and brings to nought the Counsel of the Prudent And so I seeing many poor Creatures in this Distraction tossed about with every Wind of Doctrine and sucking at the Husk for Life and so get into the Comprehension a great deal of light airy notional Knowledge which is all but aâ— Chaff which the Wind will scatter in the Day of the Lord and so it will stand in no stead when the Lord comes to plead with all flesh for nothing will stand in the Day of Tryal but what comes through Death thus I see many a poor Creature lost and tossed in this wide Wilderness even this dark World being Carried Captive by the Prince of the Air not knowing the true Light to be its Guide into the Way of Truth which is the Way of Life and Peace Now in the Light which was before the World was I do comprehend the World and the Ground and End of all Forms Sects and Opinions And so for some Simple Ones Sakes and the Tender-hearted have I here laid them Open and withall directing the Mind how and where to find the true Light by which these Things are seen and read and understood and as it is loved and followed the Mind will be brought into the Life and Power out of these fading empty Shadows unto the Possession of the Substance even the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands the End of all Forms Shadows and Imaginations and thus doth the Stone which the Builders rejected become the Head of the Corner and thus the Creature is turned from the Power of Satan unto God J. P. THE WATCHER Striking at the Feet of the IMAGE c. IN the Dayes of old the Holy Men of God who were indued with the Spirit of God did as they were acted and guided moved and commanded by the Power and Spirit of God which dwelt in them and here was their RULE And also the Serpent as an Angel of Light he acted and worked in his Instruments by the Power of Darkness in Opposition to the Spirit of God the Enmity being placed betwixt the two Seeds and the more gloriously the true Light appear'd in any Age Satan also reform'd himself and appear'd accordingly in the Shape and Form and Likeness thereof as it is now to this Day but his was alwaies but the Form and Likeness of the thing but not the Thing it self His is the false Light the other the true Light and so the true Light all along discover'd him and made him manifest to those in whom it ruled But thus by his Subtilty and Deceit he hath ever deceived the World and blinded the World so that he might keep his Kingdom who is the God of the World as for Example Moses a Servant and Messenger of the most high God to whom God had revealed and made known himself when he and Aaron were sent unto Pharaoh to require him to let Israel ge free for a Sign unto him they cast down their Rod and it became a Serpent and the Magicians of Egypt they were brought and by their Sorceries and Inchantments they cast down their Rods and they became Serpents and thereby Pharaoh's Heart was hardned and they would not obey nor believe And thus the Devil imitated and opposed the Truth but Aaron's Rods swallowed up their Rods so that it was manifest that He that was with them was Greater then he that was in the World And also when Israel had sin'd against God and done that which is Evil in the Sight of God the Lord God sent forth his Prophets and Messengers to declare the Word of the Lord amongst them against Sin and Evil Pride Deceit and Oppression and all Ungodliness Iniquities Disobedience and Rebellion and they had Visions and Revelations and the Word of God dwelt in them by which they were led guided and acted And Satan he also wrought in his Instruments with a Spirit of Delusion and he sent forth his Prophets with their Visions lying Divinations and false Dream and they cried Peace where the true Prophets cried Wo and the People hearkned unto them and set them up and the Prophets prophesied falsly and the Priests bore Rule by their meanes and the People loved to have it so But What will you do in the End thereof saith the Lord by the mouth of his Prophet Jeremiah who declared against it freely and said It was an horrible filthy Thing and he was persecuted And the true Prophets who dwelt in the Light and in the Power of God they saw them to be such as run and the Lord never sent them and therefore they profited not the People at all and they stole the Word from their Neighbour and they spoak a Divination of their own Brain and not from the Mouth of the Lord and say the Lord said when he never spoak to them and they were light and vain and daub'd the People up with untempered Morter and sewed Pillows under their Arm-holes and healed the People slightly crying Peace Peace where there was no Peace but they turnd them not from their Evil Wayes nor from their Evil-doings and the Lord was against them And the true Prophets of God who dwelt in the Light they saw them and plainly freely declar'd against them then whether they would hear or forbear and told them They built up Sion with Blood and Jerusalem with Iniquity and the Heads judged for Rewards and the Priests preach'd for Hire and the Prophets divined for Money and yet said the Prophet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord amongst us as that none Evil can come upon us And they saw them to be such as sought for the Fleeces and regardeâ—â— ot the Flock but fed with the Fat and cloathed with the Wool and made a Prey upon the Sheep but the Prophets of the Lord did not spare them but freely and publickly declared against them and they were persecuted and imprison'd and destroyed by those who upheld sided with the false Prophets Priests Hirelings and Deceivers And they had then a Way of Worship unto God with their New Moons with their Sabbaths with their calling of Assemblies and Prayers and Sacrifices and Burnt-Offerings which were once prescribed by God unto Israel but when their Hearts were gone from him so that they walked not uâ—rightly before the Lord then said he Who hath 〈◊〉 these things at your hands to tread my Couâ—◠〈…〉 were vain 〈◊〉 Iâ—cense is an 〈…〉 the NewMoâ—ns and Sabbaths 〈…〉 I cannot away with It is Iniquity even the 〈…〉 and your appâ—inâ—◠〈…〉 spread forth your Haâ—â—s I wiâ—◠〈…〉 Eyes wheâ— you make many Prayers I will not hearken your Hand are full of Blood wish you
received the Holy Ghost they went abroad preaching Christ and shewing thereby the fulfilling the Law and the Prophets which figured sorth and prophesied of Christ and this they declared in their Temples and in their Synagogues and they haled them out of the Temple and out of their Synagogues and brought them before Governors Rulers and Magistrates and the chief Priests and their Kindred and the chiefest Professors which were the Pharisees were the head-Actors therein but never the less they went on boldly being filled with the Power of the Holy Ghost without the Fear of Man obeying God rather then Man so they were not subject to the Authority of Man in that respect but they were subject unto the Law of Man so far as it was subject to the Law of God and so they went on preaching Christ and many believed and were baptized and received the Holy Ghost and were converted and it was so that the multitude that believed was of one Heart and of one Mind and they were so far of one being exalted over another or seeking themselves that not any of them said that ought of the things which he possessed was his Own and the Works of God went on in much Power the Ministers being acted guided by the Holy Ghost And also Stephen a man full of Faith and the Holy Ghost he declared against the Temple which God had once commanded to be built and said Solomon built him an House yet nevertheless God that made the World and all things therein dwells not in Temples made with Hands as saith the Prophet Heaven is my Throne and Earth is my Foot stool and where is the House that ye will build me and where is the Place of my Rest hath not mine Hand made all things and he judged them and said Ye Stiff-necked and Uncircumcised in Hearts and Ears ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost as did your Fathers so do ye and they gnashed upon him with their Teeth and fell upon him and stoned him And when Saul was converted and became Paul his Message was for to turn Peoples minds from the Darkness to the Light and then saith Paul when it pleased God to reveal his Son in me that I might preach him amongst the Heathen immediately I conferred not with Flesh and Blood and here was Paul's call to the Ministry and they were made manifest to every Man's Conscience and were a sweet Savour unto God both in them that believed and them that perished And Paul declared against the Temple and told them that worshipped there they were too superstitious and he went into their Synagogues on Sabbath-Days and reasoned with them and they persecuted him and haled him before Rulers and there complained of him to be one that prophaned the Temple and a Ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazareans and a pestilent Fellow and a Raiser of Sedition and many cry'd out away with such a Fellow he is not worthy to live and thus they suffered by the zealous Professors in those Daies but they whose minds were turned to the Light they were translated out of Darkness into the Light and became the Children of Light and were baptized by one Spirit into one Body and had passed from Death unto Life and had put off the Old Man and put on the New the old Man being crucified with Christ though some of them were Drunkards some Swearers some Proud some Covetous Idolaters Adulterers yet then they were cleansed and washed and sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God and here was the Church which witnessed the Spiritual Baptism into the Spiritual Body of which Christ is Head and they being thereby set free from Sin their Union and Communion was here and the Bread which the Saints brake was the Communion of the Body of Christ and the Cup which they drank was the Communion of the Blood of Christ and they were in Christ new Creatures all Members of one Body and needed not that any man should teach them because the Anointing was in them and to them the Cross was the Power of God unto Salvation though to the Greeks Foolishness and to the Jews a Stumbling-block and in this Cross Paul rejoyced by which he was Crucified to to the World and the World to him and they were not conformed unto the World but transformed by the Renewing of their Minds and had one Lord one Faith one Baptism one Way one Teacher one Life and one Shepherd and one Priest over the Houshould of God and one God and Father of all being united by one Spirit into the bond of Peace and their Conversation was in Heaven and there were the Christians And though there was a time that when Christ was preached after the Flesh some preached Christ through Envy and Strife and Contention to add Affliction to Paul's Bonds yet in all this he rejoyced that the Name of Christ was spread abroad for there were many that believed not that that was the Christ that suffered at Jerusalem and was crucified as Paul himself had not and as there are many such to this Day and so it rejoyced him that the Name of Christ was spread abroad but after his Name was spread abroad and many believed that that was the Christ then the Apostle declared against such who had the Form but denyed the Life and Power and said from such turn away for as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do they withstand the Truth being men of corrupt minds and reprobates concerning the Faith and said the Apostle we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a Stumbling block and the Greeks Foolishness but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God and said the Apostle hence know me no man after the Flesh and though we have known Christ after the Flesh hence know we him no more but he that is in Christ is a 〈◊〉 Creature old things are passed away and all things become new and they that are Christs have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts and the Apostl◠preached Christ within the Hope of Glory the Mystery which had been hid from Ages and Generations they that could not witness Christ in them were Reprobates And here it was not sufficient for them to say they believed Christ dyed for them but he that believeth hath the Witness within himself and he that believeth is passed from Death unto Life and he that believeth is born of God and he that is born of God doth not commit Sin and those were they who were made Partakers of Christ's divine Nature therefore saith John As he is so are we in this Present World and we are of God and the whole World lyeth in Wickedness and they that are of God hear us and they that are not with us are against us And then the Apostle Paul he
would do the Works of Abraham and he also said If God were your Father then would you love me for I proceeded forth and came from him but saith he ye are of your Father the Devil and his Works you do and will do And thus are the Pharisaical Professors of these Times marked out to be in the Steps of their Fore-fathers for this is the same Christ that suffered at Jerusalem but they are blind and cannot see neither indeed do believe the Scripture nor walk according to it but are in the old and broad Way of the World wherein their Fore-fathers walked and led many to Destruction but if these did believe the Scripture they would believe on this Light which is come into the World which the Scripture bears Testimony of even the Spirit of Truth which the World cannot receive and some of them scoff and scorn and revile reproach and slander and rail at the Messengers of Truth and some strike them and stone them and buffet them and stock them and whip them and imprison them and despightfully use them yet they are made able through the Power of him that hath sent them for to go on in Boldness but those Persecutors are not found worthy Therefore the Lord will send forth his Armies and destroy these Murderers and burn up their City and these are they that have professed to be his near Kindred Friends and Acquaintance but now are found Strangers who prophesied in his Name and in his Name done many woundrous Works and yet they must depart for Workers of Iniquity he knows them not Now read your selves you Wicked Ones you Murderers you Rude Multitude you Priests you Pharisees and Professors you Formalists Self-Actors and Imitators for now all joyn Hand in Hand and Gog and Magog joyn in Battel against the Lamb and Pilate and Herod are made Friends and you chief Priests and Pharisees who are the Professors of these Times and you Rulers and you rude and brutish ones and you Formalists and Sectaries now at the coming of Christ in the Spirit even the Substance of what you have long talked of all joyned together in one who formerly have been at great Division Wars among your selves but now you are made Friends and muster up all your Strength against the Substance even Jesus Christ whom you as your Fore-fathers did call a Blasphemer a Seducer a Deceiver and a Devil and now the rude Multitude they stand up for their Priests and they fall upon the Messengers of Christ when they come into their Synagogues and they hale them out of their Synagogues and strike them and buffeâ— them and despightfully use them and stone them as their Fore-fathers ever did and the Priests they seek to Rulers and Magistrates and hale them before them and they persecute them and imprison them as their Fore-fathers ever did and the Pharisees and ancient hypocritical rotten Professors they side with the Priests and go about railing and evil speaking of the Truth learning and incensing Peoples Minds against it with their Lyes and Slanders and Reproaches to present it odious to all People and also fawning and crouching and seeking to Magistrates to act in their Wills and persecute as their Fore-Fathers alwayes did against the same Seed and likewise the Formalists and Sectaries do the same and thus they that were after the Flesh alwayes persecuted them that were after the Spirit and yet these are ready to cry out What Hard-hearted Jews wâ—re those that crucified Christ and persecuted his Apostles and if they had been in those dayes they would not have been Partakers with them in the Blood of Christ and his Apostles Whenas they are now found the same Generation of Persecutors persecuting the Righteous Seed and so they fill up the Measure of their Fathers Wrath that upon them might come all the Righteous Blood-shed from Righteous Abel until now And now the Priests and the Baptists can agree and they joyn together and the Priests call them Honest Men and the Baptists call them Gentlemen of Divinity And the Baptists and Independents they joyn together and the Independents and the Presbyterians they joyn together all against the Life and Power which the Lord hath now manifested in his Sons and Daughters and hath sent them to declare and lay open their Hypocrisie and Deceit which they have long covered with a Gospel-like Profession but now all their Coverings are found too Narrow before the Light which is come now into the World to convince and reprove them of their Sin of their Righteousness and of their Judgment and therefore now they have enough to do to joyn together with all their Strength and Wisdom to put out this Light and so they endeavour to sow their Tares in Peoples Hearts and all the Wayes they can invent to destroy the Work which now is begun and as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so do they withstand the Truth according to the Prophesie of the Apostle Being men of Corrupt Minds and Reprobates concerning the Faith which I have much experienced in several Meetings which I have had with the Teachers of the Baptized People which shall follow in order afterward But the more they strive in their Wills and Wisdoms the more doth the Work of the Lord Prosper and go on and flourish by his Mighty Power and Out-stretched Arm and their Shame and Folly and Down-fal the more appears and when they have done all they can they shall be glad to lay down their Cronws and bow unto this Truth which they now so oppose and every Tongue shall confess it though to their Condemnation who do now oppose and gain-say it Wo unto such they shall perish in the Gain-saying of Core And the Time shall come that when the Master of the House shall have shut the Door they shall knock and shall strive to enter and shall not be able all who now oppose and reject the Counsel of the Lord and will not hearken now they are called And thus the LORD will exalt his SON in his Saints when his ENEMIES shall be his Foot-stool and be made to bow before him And thus do all Sects Judgments and Opinions joyn in one against the Life and Substance they being all sprung from one Root so make up all one Image whose Head is Gold Breast of Silver whose Thighs are Brass and Legs of Iron and Feet Part of Iron and Part of Clay and the Stone cut out of the Mountain without Hands which strikes at the Feet of the Image Now the Head of the Image which is of Gold and those that have had a Light shining into them and have had a Sight of many things and have seen the Emptiness of many Forms and have gotten the Thing in their Comprehension and have a Notion above others of much of that which is now witnessed and possest in Life by the Faithful and there have been exalted and gotten up a Life therein and a False Rest but have lost
Church of Christ was met together and there it was agreed upon by the Elders That Samuel Cater and Ezekiel Cater who were formerly Elders of the Church of Christ in this Town namely Littleport and being they have departed from the sweet Fellowship of the Church of Christ c. and after so many Admonitions would not be reconciled should be delivered unto Satan I was there appointed to be the Messenger And so he ran on with his Excommunication according to their Form with their stoln Words Reply Now for the Truth 's sake for which thou John Ray hast cast us out of your Society we shall hereby clear our selves from what is or may be cast upon us in this Matter by thee John Ray and the rest of thy Society whom we know to be most bitter Slanderers of the Truth This we deny that ever we were Elders in the Church of Christ you made us Elders in your Church who call your selves Jews and are not but the Synagogue of Satan out of which you have cast us but not before we forsaked you We by the Light of Jesus Christ through the Love of God seeing both you we setting ourselves of Acting Imitating the Apostles in our Wills with a blind Zeal for Life but Strangers to the Life and Power neither could witness the same Infallible Spirit as they had as you know we all confessed and therefore we had nothing but what we got into our Brains of their Words and so got a Notion with adding to our own Imaginations of them and wresting the same with our Fallible Spirits for we durst not say It was Infallible as you also confessed your selves then it must needs be fallible for there are but two kinds of Spirits and if not the Infallible then the Fallible and though we did the very same things and spoak the same words and not from the same Spirit it was all false and as nothing as they that swore God lived swore falsly for They that have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his and his Spirit is Infallible in the least measure And thus you are shut out in all that you can do of your selves with your formed Ordinances And this we know We were also Strangers to the Cross of Christ and the Light and Life and Power of Christ which the Apostles lived in and also the One Baptism of Christ without which none can be his Disciple so we were only Jews outwardly washing the Out-side but within as foul as ever as you also are yet we say not but we had a Zeal in the same though not according to Knowledge But now the True Light is sprung in through the Mighty Love of God towards us so that we see the Weakness of our own Actings and Formings in our own Wills for Liâ—e and now are made willing through the Power of God to lay down our Crowns at the Feet of Jesus and to wait in what he hath given us of his Light and we have tasted of his powerful Word through his gracious Love towards us and now we have a Witness within our selves whenas before we knew it not but murdered it as you also do and for this you have cast us out of your Society but not for Fornication as he was in that place of Scripture which you imitate nor for making Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience for we witness an Increase of both but the Discerning and Power is wanting in you and so you know not what you do but know this We are not falleâ— to a looser Life but to a more stricter severe Life for to serve the Lord Jesus Christ But remember this That if they that believed your Form to be the Truth could but patter over a few words of Faith and call it Theirs and then according to your Form they were put into the Water and taken out again and then received into your Church and Communion though no change of Life or Nature and this must needs be the Synagogue of Satan And this I Samuel Cater can witness for so I have Baptized and ye allowed of it but now my Eye is opened I do see it and do testifie against it That all I did so by I deceived them though then I confess it was Ignorance and so was yours but now you might see if you would therefore it shall no more be called Ignorance but Wilful Blindness But I know you will alledge You teach Godliness and Holiness But I answer You run and the Lord never senâ— you as we also did therefore you profit not the People at all and if you had not the Words of Godliness and the Form then the Ministers of Antichrist would not be like the Ministers of Christ but you are But I say Your Lives come short of what you profess for in them there is no Change but they that are Earthly-Minded and Covetous are so still and your Lives are in Pride Ambition and Arrogancy puffed up with your Vain Knowledge and with Respect of Persons and so are out of the Faith of Christ and in Wrath and Anger and Envy and Bitterness and in Lying and Slandering and Backbiting and Lust and Fleshliness we formerly being in the same Society do witness it now our Eyes are open out of which Society you have cast us and praised be the Lord that we have escaped the Snares of Darkness by the bright Shining of his Light into our dark Hearts to the which Light do we speak in you all by it to read your selves and judge your selves for by it are you seen and judged to be in Darkness and in Confusion out of the Faith and Society of the Saints but these things do we not speak out of Envy or Revenge but for the clearing of the Truth and our Consciences from your Slanderous Tongues and to lay open your Deceit and Way of Delusion to the Simple that they may escape the Delusion which we were ensnared in and that so you may proceed no further with it that your Folly might be manifest unto all as theirs was who withstood Moses Ezekiel Cater Samuel Cater A Copy of the most of the Queries aforesaid were given to this Ray but no Answer did he return A Word to all who are still in your own Forming Self-Actings and Imitatings YOU are acting in that Nature which is at Enmity with God which is not subject to the Law of God neither can be So all your Formings and Actings are in vain for they are not from Life but from Death for Life but Life comes from Death for in the Destruction of Death Life is obtained Therefore to the Light of the Lord Jesus in all your Consciences take heed which is the Witness for God to which I speak in you all which witnesseth for God against the Secrets of your Hearts which reproves you in secret for your secret Actions and Deeds of Darkness and it will search you through and let you see what
a Despiser thereof and therefore out from among the Ministers of Christ thou art raised and thy Answer is not according to Truth but a Lye as shall further be made to appear hereafter by him whom thou callest the Young Quack and it seems Fear surpriseth the Heart of the Hypocrite so that thou art ashamed to own thy Work with thy Name Priest And whereas thou saist Courteous Reader we are forced notwithstanding so many Pamphlets extant against the People called Quakers to give Answer to thirty six Queries of James Parnel's the Young Quaker Reply Although thou hast boasted thy self an ancient Minister and contemnest me as a young Boy yet here it appears that thou art glad of others to help thee to answer my Queries as these Words before mentioned do testifie and yet it is but a Pamphlet as thou and thy Helpers do confess that those many are that are extant against the People called Quakers And then thou runst on in Way of Reproach and Scorn against me because of my Youth but the Wisdom of Solomon answereth you That a poor and wise Child is better then an old foolish King who will no more be admonished and therefore when you think of your Age consider also your Folly and let that stop your Mouthes from professing your selves Ancients who manifest such a light scornful Spirit and hate to be reformed Priest And whereas thou saist Thou doubtest not but his Queries are the Dictates of others deceiving and being deceived which yet they put under the Boy 's Name for the Credit of their Cause Here also without Doubt thy unbelieving Heart is manifested who without Ground measurest others according to thine own Heart who because thou makest Use of the Dictates of others as here doth plainly appear therefore censurest others which doth not add Credit to thy Cause because thou boasts of thy Age. Priest But according as thou believest so be it to thee yet nevertheless thou shalt find that the Truth I shall maintain against thee who with thy Unbelieving Heart art deceiving and being deceived and then thou runnest on in the Pride of thy Spirit accusing of me to be Ignorant of the Truth of God because as thou sayst of the false wording of my Queries Reply But with Shame mightst thou speak it for openly hast thou manifested to the Understanding Reader thy self to be a meer Stranger both to God and his Truth also who wouldst limit the Truth of God to an human Art which many of the Children of God had not and therefore the Power of God was the more manifested And when Peter and John were brought before the learned Men to wit the chief Priests and the Rulers and they wondred at them because they perceived they were unlearned Men and thus with thy Wisdom and thy great Learning thou art shut out of the Truth in the natural but by this I do not own thy Accusation to be Truth against me for I have a Copy of the Queries of my own Hand-writing which was the Original of those that were sent to thee which will bear Testimony against thee to be a false Accuser and how thou thy self hast wronged them and misworded them because they were in the Cross unto thy Wisdom and to maintain this thou bringest a Story in Erasmus nevertheless the Story which thou bringest doth not at all touch me but may fitly be returned into thy own Bosom where it shall lâ—e Then thou and thy Agent do beseech the Reader to read without Partiality which if he do he will judge no otherwise of you then as I have declared but will see how you have uttered forth your Folly and foamed out your Shame in going about to contradict the truth And at the End of this your Epistle to the Reader I find W. P. which I judge to be one of thy Agents to this your shameful Work to which thou darest not own thy Name My first Query Where and how and by what wast thou called to the Ministry which thou professest Pr. Answ. And in thy Auswer thou goest about to plead many Excuses whereby to flee the Answering of my Queries saying It is easier for him that is yet in Darkness to propound Doubts and Queries then for some of the Children of Light to auswer them on a suddain Which to prove thou quotest Daniel and that our Saviour thou say'st himself refused to answer the Pharisees Interogatories till they had first answered his Mat. 21. 23 24. And albeit thou say'st Thou might'st put me off with Solomon's Words Prov. 26. 4. Answer not a Fool according to his Folly lest thou also be like unto him Reply I did not propound the Queries unto thee as any Doubts of mine but that thou in thy Answer thereunto mightst either prove thy Practice by the Scriptures unto them that are in Doubt thereof or unto them manifest thy self to be a Deceiver which last thou hast plainly done to the least Child of Light and therefore it doth not follow that I am in Darkness or that thou art a Child of Light Neither didst thou suddainly answer the Queries though they concerned thy own Condition and therefore this Place in Daniel doth not at all stand for thee for it was for Daniel to tell and interpret Nebuchadnezzer's Dream which was a hard thing for any to tell unless it was immediately revealed to them by God's Spirit as it was to Daniel but all the Magicians and Learned Men could not find it out by their Arts But most of these Queries unto thee were concerning thy present Condition and Practice and herein thou manifestest thy self to be in Darkness who thus wrests the Scripture out of its Place for thy own Ends. And also Daniel was a Man that Feared the Lord and Trembled at his Power which now thou denyest and scoffest at and yet art not ashamed to take Daniel's Words for a Refuge against the Light And as for that Scripture in Mat. 21. 23 24. it shall be returned into thine own Bosom for it is thee and such as thee who are set up by the Will of Man and Authorized by the Authority of Man who joyn with the Pharisees and Scribes of these Times and combine together with the Earthly Powers to call us to question By what Authority we go abroad preaching the Truth from Place to Place and Crying against Deceivers and where we had our Commission because we receive it not from Man as you do but do witness the same Power and Authority as the Ministers of God did in all Ages and the same Commission for they received not their Commission from Man but were immediately called and immediately fitted and sent forth into the Work of the Ministry freely to give as freely they had received and were persecuted by them that were set up by the Will of Man which also we do witness and therefore the Scripture afore-mentioned belongeth unto thy Generation who were ever Persecutors And if by propounding Queries thou judgest
say'st This Trade of interprâ—ting the Scripturs is an Old and a Good Trade which to prove thou quotest Job 33. 23. Psal. 10. 2 3. Prov. 1. 6. Acts 8. 3. Rep. Here thou blind Guide thy Nakedness is open to the World and thy Hearers may consider it who have looked upon thee as their Teacher these many Years and yet thou thy self still to learn which is the best Way whenas there is but one true Way then thou who art Ignorant of this true Way must needs be in a false Way then how hast thou deluded thy Hearers these many Years and also belyed thy self in thy Book and if the Teacher be ever learning then what must the Hearers of such an one be let the Wise-hearted judge and I believe and know that your Hearers would soon believe the same if the Preachers of Truth might have Liberty to speak when they come amongst you but if any come in that Intent you are ready to set your People upon them to hale them out with Force and also you have a Law to cast them into Prison as many of us do witness at this Day and therefore thou Lyar the Convincing of your Hearers of a better Way is not your greatest Care but rather your greatest Fear lest any should be drawn from you and so your Trade come to fail as thou callest it but this I know is your greatest Care that any Body would shew you a better Way to get Money by and also perswade your Hearers into it or else thou think'st you are never the better and then you would leave interpreting the Scripture which now thou callest a Good Trade but thou Merchant of Babylon where do any of these Scriptures which thou hast quoted prove or term interpreting the Scripture a Trade though you Merchants of Babylon make a Trade of it to get Luere by and so call it a Trade who think Gain is Godliness but well may others accuse you for making a Trade and a Gain of the Scriptures while yâ—â— your selves confess it and thus thou wrests the Scripture for thine own Ends and paintest thy Work with Scripture for to make the Ignorant believe it is grounded upon Scripture Oh be ashamed to take it into thy Mouth to make a Trade of it which was freely spoken forth by the Holy Men of God as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and thou makest the People believe it is of some private Interpretation and so thou makest Merchandize of the People and so out of thy own Mouth art judged to be a Lyar who before denyedst it Qu. 20. Whether thou dost speak as thou art moved by the Holy Ghost as they did who spoaâ— forth the Scripture Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou say'st That thou hast answered to this already that thou usually dost speak at the Motion or Assistance of the Holy Ghost thou praisest God for it Rep. But thou Hypocrite I have also in this alreadly proved thee a Lyar and thy God to be the Father of Lyes who is the God of the blind World in which thou art a blind Guide and an Enemy to the Holy Ghost where he is witnessed to rule and this James Parnel and those thou callest his Fellows can discern in thee though thou art blind and canst not them see Qu. 21. What Scripture hast thou for sprinkling Infants with Water on their Faces And whether all are Christians and in the Faith of Christ that are so done by Or what doth it profit Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer the Deceit of thy Heart thou utterest so that the simple may easily discern thy Folly and also see how thou and the rest of thy Brethren have deluded and bewitched the Nation for thou say'st Thou holdst not the Baptism of Infants absolutely necessary but lawful only and to prove the Lawfulness of it thou say'st It is sufficient that thou hast no Command in the Scripture against the Sprinkling of Infants in the Face with Baptismal Water but thou say'st Thou hast the Commandment of Governours and thou art commanded to be subject to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake Rep. Here the People now may see how they have been long deluded for thy own Mouth utters it for when as many of the People of this Nation who follow you blind Guides have perswaded themselves through your evil incensing and leavening of their Minds to this Day this to be absolutely necessary to Salvation and that their Children could not be saved if they dyed without it And now thou comest to the Tryal to prove it thou confessest It is not necessary but lawful only and that is because there is no Command of God against it thou say'st neither a Command for it but by Man and thus you have long deluded the Nations with your own Inventions for the which you have no Scripture then how is it your Rule Here you run besides your Rule teaching for Doctrine the Commandments and Traditions of Men which the Scripture is against and therefore against Infants Baptism Mat. 15. 9. Col. 2. 22. 23. which by thy own Confession is but an Ordinance of Man but God is to be obeyed rather then Man and you do it not for the Lord's sake but for to please Man for the Lord doth not require it at your Hands And now all the ignorant People who have been in this bewitched by you may see your Blindness who have long made them believe that it was an Ordinance of Christ that their Children should be sprinkled and one of the Points of Salvation as you call them and now nothing but an Ordinance of Man which will not stand for thee neither for in that thou lyest also to say It is the Commandment of thy Governours for in that they leave every one to the Liberty of their Consciences and all Laws and Ordinances afore-time to the contrary are made by this null and void And now doth the Holy Ghost teach thee to lye Oh thou Lyar and Blasphemer of the Holy Ghost who said'st That usually thou speakest by the Motion of the Holy Ghost and now art taken in a Lye Oh Satan is high in thee and thy Wickedness is great And which dost thou call thy Baptismal Water this also is the Deceit of thy Heart and that which is not of Faith is Sin therefore Infants Baptism for you say Your Faith is grounded upon Scripture then where is your Scripture for Infants Baptism and thus out of the Doctrine of Christ you are found acting and doing your own Works And therefore the rest of thy pretended Answer I shall leave to the Impartial Reader to judge of wherein thou hast much manifested thy Ignorance and Blindness and in vain hast thou quoted any Scripture for if any of it would stand for Infants Baptism then it would be necessary which thou confessest it is not and therefore thou Serpent why wrestest thou the Scripture thus to uphold that which is not necessary And
Body and Blood of Christ for thou saist thou hast declared the Mystery of both more distinctly and evidently then ever thou readst in our Writings And then by thy vain Philosophy thou goest about to justifie the Word Sacrament for the which thou hast no Scripture and many of your Blind Dâ—luded People do not know what it means Rep. But all this is no true Ground to believe thy words to be Truth for thy Hope is alreadâ— disproved and found to be Deceit and thy Lying Tongue hath been many times reproved as before thou boastest that thou uâ—ually spoakest by the Motion of the Holy Ghost and then wast presently found in a Lye so that there is no Credit to be given to thy Words without a sufficient Proof for here also thou may'st easily be proved a Lyar for out of thy own Mouth both thou thy self and thy Church were proved to be no Christians Then for your Discerning the Body of Christ or declaring the Mystery from your own Experiences yea and though thou couldest declare the Mystery from others Words who experienced it they that hear thee could not discern it without a Single Eye which appeareth they have not who are still Earthly-minded by thy own Confession And dost thou profess here now to have such a Spiritual People and yet durst not trust them for thy Maintenance without a Compulsive Law This also manifests thy self to be Earthly-minded and so ignorant of the Mystery And thus every way thou Deceiver thy Confusion is seen and by the Truth art thou overwhelmed and catched in thy own Craftiness Qu. 25. And whether dost thou not give Bread and Wine to Natural Men and Women yea or nay Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou confessest Thou dost give to Natural Men anâ— Women and also to Spiritual Ones as thou saist Christ himself did to all the Twelve Disciples Luke 22. 14 15. c. whereof thou saist Judas was one and the Apostle for a time thou saist gave the same to those that professed Repentance Faith and new Obedience but fell away afterwards which to prove thou quotest 1 Cor. 11. 18 19. 1 John 2. 19. Rep. Here thou Murderer of Souls by thy own Confession thou confessest the People to eat and drink Damnation to themselves not discerning the Lord's Body which the Natural Man and Woman cannot do and as for Spiritual Ones thou hast none in thy Flock for thou confessest they are Earthly minded And for what Christ did is a Mystery to thee and that which might be done for the fulfilling of what was before decreed which is nothing for thee to imitate And did not Judas eat and drink his own Damnation Neither doth these Scriptures prove that the Apostles did the same as thou dost for he was far absent from them when he writ this Epistle to them as a Warning to take heed what they did neither doth that in John prove any thing to this Purpose for thine can fall no lower then they are who are not yet Christians neither thou that teachest them as is before proved out of thy own Mouth And though here thou confessest they are a Mixt Multitude yet thou makest no Difference when thou takest thy Tythes neither appeareth it when thou givest them that thou callest a Sacrament Qu. 26. Can any be set free from Sin so long at they are upon the Earth and where must they be clensed if not upon the Earth Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou in words confessest That man may be Wholely set Free and that thou knowest no other Place of Purgation and also boastest That thou hast held forth this Doctrine long before the Quakers came as thou callest them Rep. But I find in Life thou still denyest it neither art thou thy self come up to it nor any that are taught by thee and therefore I hold thee the greater Hypocrite and Deceiver then if with the rest of thy Brethren thou didst in words deny it unless in Life thou didst seal it for Profession without Life and Power hath ever been a Dishonour to Truth and Religion Therefore silence Deceit and cause not the Truth to be blasphemed Qu. 27. What Scripture hast thou for thy Rule to give David's Conditions to be sung in a Meeter Pr. Answ. And in thy Answer thou canst bring no Scripture-Proof to maintain what thou dost but saist All are not of the World whom we take to be of the World to wit who are no Quakers thou saist And secondly thou saist Israel in the general to whom David gave his Psalms to be sung were the greatest part Unregenerate and men of the World Thirdly thou saist He gave them in Meeter or Measure to be sung as the Learned in the Hebrew Tongue know well Rep. All are of the World that are not Christians which neither thou nor thine are as before out of thy own Mouth is proved and also all that own not Quaking and Trembling by the Power of God are also of the World and know not God for all the Holy Men of God and David for one as is before proved witnessed Quaking and Trembling and the Son of Man was to eat his Bread with Quaking and drink his Water with Trembling And so you that despise Quaking and Trembling are Heathens that know not God And also the Way is but one and they that are not with us are against us But All Israel Trembled before the Lord who were not of the World as thou belyest them who were the Lord 's chosen People in the Figure whom he had chosen out of the World though when they forgot their God they were defiled with the World Neither canst thou bring any Scripture-Proof to maintain that David gave forth his Prayers his Prophecies his Quakings his Roarings his Cryings and his Lamentations â—o be sung in a Meeter as thou saist the Learned Ones know but thy Learned Ones may be Lyars like Thee and therefore I have no Ground to believe them seeing also that I have a Proof to the contrary for by your own Confession they were turned into English Meeter by Sternhold and Hopkinson and therefore stop thy Mouth thou Lyar. And fourthly Thou askest what Condition David was in into which every Man may not come in Time And fifthly thou say'st Are not David ' s Psalms Part of the Holy Scriptures which are permitted to all Men and are profitable for all Men to read And sixthly thou say'st The Jews did read all the Old Testament in Publick with a singing Voice as the Learned know And seventhly thou say'st Did not the Lord by his Servant Moses teach all Israel a Song of his own making as in Deut. 31. 19 20 21 22. Deut. 32. And thou say'st We will not deny but David ' s Psalms may have the same Effects even upon the Wicked c. which is false for we will deny it for the Wicked have nothing to do with them for unto the Wicked God saith What hast thou to do to declare my
his Praise Therefore henceforward stop thy Mouth from despising any because of their Youth but know this That whomsoever God calls to his Ministry he by his Power and Wisdom doth fit them for the same and contrary to the Reason of Man doth the Lord work Therefore it thou wast not blind thou wouldest not so much look at the Creature but at the Power of God in the Creature But as it is written He hath hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and revealed them unto Babes And here thy Eighty Fourth Query is also answered Qu. 85. Whether Lord will break his own Orders and Commands expresly set down in his Word where he saith as you already heard by Paul 1 Tim. 3. 6. Answ. And unto this I have already answer'd as to thy Thirty Seventh Query Therefore thou Blasphemer stop thy Mouth and be ashamed thus to accuse the Lord because he is pleased to make his Power known in Babes and Youth for Timothy To whom Paul writes this Epistle was himself but a Youth as Paul wrâ—tes 1 Tim. 4. 11 12. and there read thy Rebâ—ke Qu. 6. Where did Christ or his Apostles send forth Women to be publick Prophetesses as you have done many and some of them not long since Inâ—amous for Lewdness of Life Answ. Oh thou Impudent One How dost thou provoak the Lord to Indignation against thee that darest lay any such thing to the Charge of God's Elect Oh thou Lyar Whom dost thou accuse of Lewdness We abhor thy words for all Lewdness Prophaness we testifie against wheresoever it doth appear or any thing contrary to the Pure Divine Light which now is thy Conscience and many other Consciences doth bear witness for us against thee who arâ— given up to believe Lyes and report them Therefore read thy Portion in Rev. 21. 8. and read an Answer to thy Query in Joel 2. 28. where the Lord saith the Sons and Daughters shall prophesie And none other do we own but who immediately are carryed forth by the Spirit of the Lord without the Commission of Man therefore thou falsly accusest us who saist we send â—orth any Qu. 87. If you be extraordinary Prophets Immediately Inspired as many of you pretend to be where are the Miracles which such inspired Men wrought in Times past Answ. But that we are so inspired thou dost not believe as may easily be discerned by thy querying and therefore unto thee no Sign shall be given who art in the Adulterous Generation who cannot see the Signs that follow the Truth Mat. 16. 4. Qu. 88. What have you foreâ—told by way of Prediction which hath accordingly come to pass as the Prophets Apostles aud Inspired Men were wont to do Answ. If thou canst tax us to the contrary thou may'st we bear not witness of our selves but he that believeth hath the witness within himself And as for thy Eighty Nineth Ninetieth Ninety One and Ninety Two Queries they are answered in my Reply to thy Answer to my Sixtee Qnth uery And thy Ninety Third Query is answered in my Answer to thy Query concerning Salutations Qu. 94. Whether is a Multitude of Disciples and Followers a sure Sign that his Doctrine is from Heaven who is followed seeing the Way is broad that leads to Destruction and many there be that find it And thou quotest Mat. 7. 13. and 2 Pet. 2. 22. Answ. Many are called but few chosen and many for a time followed Christ so that a Ruler said If we let this Fellow alone all men will go after him which is the Cry of you and your Rulers now against the Messengers of Truth And hast thou never read of the Multitudes that followed Christ but few there be that enter because strait is the Gate But divide England into Parts and see if the greatest Number belong not unto you who are in the broad Way your lives preach you forth Therefore now thou shouldst have first asked thy self this Query and said Is it I and so have laid thy Hand upon thy Mouth Qu. 95. Seeing this Age is Earthly minded and willing to serve God with that which costs them nothing contrary to the Pious Nobâ—e Spirit of David 2 Sam. 24. 24. is it any great Wonder that your Doctrine against Tythes should find so many willing yea greedy Entertainers of it as it hath done since it was first broached Answ. The more is your Shame who are Teachers in this Age that are so Earthly-minded who have so long taken their Money for that which is not Bread and their Labour for that which profitteth not Do You not herein manifest your selves to be such as run and the Lord never sent You and therefore You profit not the People at all but they are still Earthly-minded How have You then sown Spiritual Things But I shall prove that the Earthly minded Ones still stick unto you for you have a Law made by the Will of Man so that if they refuse to pay You and forsake You then by it You cast them into Prison and by Your Law take Tribble Dammage and this they know and therefore consult with their Earthly Minds that it is better to pay the Lesser then the Greater though the Lesser is a greater Oppression thus many deny the Truth though they are convinced in their Consciences thereof Therefore that which leads any from You to take up this Cross to own the Truth and deny You of Tythes the same crucifies the Earthly Mind and leads to suffer for Conscience And the Noble Spirit of David condemns You for whereas he refused upon Gift You take upon Gift and if They will not give it You You will take it by Force therefore this Scripture affords Witnesses against You But hereby thou confessest our Doctrine costs them nothing then how saidst thou before That James Parnel 's Gospel was not without Charge and thus out of thy own Mouth thou art proved a Lyar. Qu. 96. Did ever Christ or the Apostles disturb the Priests and Ministers of those Times while they were teaching the People as many of you and yours have done Answ. Both the Prophets Christ and the Apostles declared against the Deceivers False Prophets False Priests and Hirelings and the Apostles were haled out of the Synagogues and out of the Temple as Christ told them John 16. 2. as we by the same Spirit do now against You whom we find in the same Steps and here thou art answered if this be it thou callest Disturbance But it is because You would bear rule by Your Means and suffer nothing to be published that is against You or strikes at Your Diana Qu. 97. Doth the Gospel ordinarily call any man from his outward Calling whereby he should maintain himself and his Family And thou quotest 1 Cor. 7. 20. Ephes. 4. 28. Answ. Yea it doth and the Scripture holds forth the same that they were ordinarily called from their Outward Callings to preach the Gospel