is that Honour that thou so often over and over in thy great wicked Book giveth and applaudeth to J. Story and J. Wilkinson is it from Above or from Below Spiritual or Temporal Heavenly or Earthly Answer Yea or Nay Against W. R's Charge of Popery and others WHereas W. R. 8th Part Pag. 3. as in many other places Chargeth us with Popish Principles and Practices And Page 5. reflects on learning from Authors And in particular R. Baxter as if G. F's Cause were at a low Ebb in being beholding to him and Presbyterians To these few words at present G. F's Cause is no more beholding to him and Presbyterians c. than to W. R. J. S. and J. W. c. when they confess to Truth against themselves or practise it and yet blame it in others To that purpose I cite R. B. and others C. 1. Sect. 45. who in his History of Bishops and Councils speaking of some Papists says he cannot believe they were ill men wherein I compare his Charity though accounted of the riged Sect with W. R's though owning Universal Grace yet excluding Micha's Mother from his and though the Presbyterians now joyn with W. R's abettors against Womens Services in the Church yet formerly they did not so But stood for them as some also of other Perswasions As D. M. Sutcliff Dean of Chelsy Colledge False semblant c. c. 6. a Cheiftain for the Church of England proves from a Sermon of theirs on Rom. 12.8 saying unless they have Deaconesses they exclaim that the Church is maimed and condemn all other Churches because Widows are Members of the Church as a Body shewing mercy c. And the said Doctor confesses that Ancient Churches divers of them had Widows and Virgins but not as Officers which Titles we stand not for * Ibid. cap. 13. from Act. 13.1 Cap. mass Musculus Soc. Com. Of the Nature and Administrations of the Church lib. 2. c. 4. nor single life nor other circumstances which vary with times but substance And says if such were restored they would resemble Nuns But Junius a great light in the Protestant-Church as some call him in the place cited already speaking of Deaconesses says they did partake of the Ministry or Deaconry as far as Women were fitter for it And that some footsteps of this remains in Hospitalls c. where Nunes sometimes are placed for service as Rubbish of a decayed house And wishes that the Ministry of Women were restored according to the Rule of God's Word the Examples of the Ancients and the Lawes of Charity This to stop the scorn and aspersion that I read in Popish Authors Cave Gualter Bucan For besides Langley's Abridgment a Protestant I name three other Protestants besides these here And could do many besides in time I Question not Henoch Clapham who writes also against the Puritans as Sutcliff Clapham Brief of Bible 2. Part. Staff 13. some whereof were for Deaconesses as appears in his Epistle Dedicatory to the Arch Bishop in K. James's Reign yet confesseth that almost all grant easily that there were two sorts of Deacons or Church-servitors the first of men Act. 6 3 c. 1. Tim. 3. â—8 the second of Women 1. Tim. 5.9 c. Rom. 16.1 And that they attended the sick and impotent many held So hee But some as the Priests cry Popery Popery as Papists cried Heresy Heresy to people Ignorant of those things without any proof but as Thieves in the head of the Hue-and-cry by their suspitious clamours to cause the honest man to be taken that they may escape As may be seen in a piece with G. W. I have writ in answer to a Priest about Durham about Justification And in an answer to a Priest in Scotland by Geo. Keith called Quakerism no Popery And now seeing these men cry Popery but prove it not I shall in short at present prove our Assertions not Popery from the Chieftains against Popery Controv. 4. q. 7. l. 2. n. 3. viz. D. Whitaker and Juell against Bellarmin and Stapleton the Great Popish Polemic Doctors The first Whitaker says not only Peter but any the meanest Minister can impose and bind the Consciences of men not as Author Explic. Cat. de peccat Act. dist 3. but as Minister but I find not in him or any other the Condition if they be convinced Nay on the contrary I find in Ursin assented to by Panaeus and Junius all eminent Protestants a distinction of sin against Conscience and sin not against Conscience grounded on 1 Tim. 1.13 with whom Beza agrees Beza on the place In Obenheim pugn Expos pag. 607. that Ignorance is a sin though not so great The like with Brentius an Eminent Protestant also and Theophylact called a Father on Joh. 9.41 and ch 15.22 Juel Act. 27. against D. Cole affirming ignorance to be the Mother of Devotion cites Agustin on Psal 33. saying the Kingdom of Ignorance is the Kingdom of Error Origen Origen on numb hom 27. Conc. Tolet 4. can 24. that the Devils have possession of them that are Ignorant Toletan Council that Ignorance is the mother of all Error But the Libertin Doctrine is If Ignorant of or not seeing it our Duty that is free from Conviction then free from Error free from sin free from Satan free from Church censure c. And then is not Ignorance the mother of Freedom from sin and Satan And how comes that short of the Papists That its the mother of Piety as they say This is the Consequence that Ignorance is a safe State though Christ sayes the blind may be led into the Ditch I know of none that say among us follow us blindly without any sight at all But to keep the single eye open to see in measure to see whom to follow as they follow Christ Joh. 3.19 For if they abide in darkness loving darkness rather than light and hating it by which they should see Rom. 1.2 't is through their evil deeds And if their foolish heart be darkened 't is because they liked not to retain God in their knowledge though that which may be known of God is manifest in them And if given up to believe a lie 2 Thess 2.10 11. t is for not receiving the love of the truth but having pleasure in unrighteousness These causes of Ignorance in Apostates from truth are declared by the Scriptures Primitive Doctrine And if it hath been declared you are not Condemned for what you know not but for what you know and disobey It is to be understood only Comparatively Act. 17.30 as in the places above quoted and that the time of Ignorance has been winked at 1. Cor. 4.4 Paul saith I know nothing by my self or I am not Conscious yet am I not hereby justified And Beza no friend but great Opposite Larger Notes to Papists on that place saith This saying of Paul is to be restreined to a certain supposition For Spirits both are to be judged and we ought to try our selves whether we be in the Faith Neither also doth the Apostle Condemn private Judgments of Charity and much less either Civil or Ecclesiastical Polity But enough of this at this time one may think to ballance with a private uncharitable Judgment that our Doctrin and Practice is Popish without any other proof but that W. R. is so perswaded he hath said it and the people must pin their Faith on his sleeve His Authority is all as all Authors thereby he charges us virtually with them all in Gross in the lump But let us see them single to be tryed seeing herein we must be tryed by them for as Erronious Doctrin must be tryed by the Scriptures as they say and Spirits by the Spirit So Popery being that which came up under the Pope and generally opposed by Protestants can only be proved to be such by their Authors Possevinus in Atheismis cap. 13. For Socinianism denying the divinity of Christ a gross Error yet is not Popery And Papists holding the Contrary is not therefore Popery but was before Popery Truth So herein he has also but exposed himself an evil surmiser to those he has exposed us to as such Gault on Jon. 1. For whose sake also this is to prevent the poison of prejudice and jealousy than which nothing is more fallacious and unjust Argâ—on i st ein Schalck 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the German Proverb To which agrees the Greek vers signifying that More devilish slanders arise from thoughts than deeds Proverb 18.17 He that is first in his own Cause seemeth just but his Neighbour cometh and searcheth him A lover of Truth R. R. FINIS
and Professors and Rabble of unrighteous people may rejoyce Is not this thy work And really so how canst thou have a face to deny it Dost not thou seek to destroy our Lives and Reputations in the Truth by rendring us Apostates and Innovators And what a Hurry and Pudder didst thou and thine Adherents make concerning John Story how we went about to unminister him because we desired him to return into the North and first to be Reconciled to his Brethren before he came and offered his Gift otherwise he would go out in a contentious Spirit to the sowing of Strife and Sedition amongst the Churches Now consider thy own work who hast espoused his Cause what havock thou makest to lay waste the Heritage of God not only according to thy Ability to go about to unminister Gods faithful Labourers in the Work of his Gospel but also to unchristian them by rendring them Apostates and Innovators Oh! wicked Spirit and unbridled Tongue And what parallel is this Thy Publishing of thy wicked Book against Gods People as a common Adversary to Gods Truth and his People endeavouring to be believed in thy wicked work and also as it were to curse Gods Heritage from being his People and faithful Servants if thou hadst power according to thy will as is too evident by the prosecution of thy wicked Work and so art in Balaam's way I say what parallel is this if all had been true what thou hast written writing it in a malicious Spirit to Pauls withstanding Peter to his Face before all men which is false It is not before all men but before them all as is to be further shewn hereafter Did Paul publish this to the World and all men to render him an Apostate and Innovator and all of his Spirit who had Unity with him as thou hast done us Nay it is manifest that Peter received and owned the plain-dealing and love of his Brother Paul and felt it to come from the Spirit of Love and true-heartedness to him And it was so far from making a breach between them that it more nearly united them And afterwards Peter very affectionately speaks of his beloved Brother Paul and of his Epistles in which says he are some things hard lo be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.15 16. As thou hast endeavoured to pervert the plain dealing of Paul with Peter to serve thy own turn and thy false end in Printing us to the World as Apostates and Innovators c. And what if this be now made publick it is a work quite contrary to thine and from another Spirit and to another end O William If thou couldst but see thy work and repent of it how glad should I be I have pitied thee and wished thee better imployment And whereas thou reflects upon me in the sixth part p. 21. saying That I act like such as have had their Education at Bilingsgate amongst the Scolds rather than under the Roof of sober Families Blessed be God I act against thee as the Lord does give me a good understanding and see thee to be of a wicked Spirit in Korah's way and State of Rebellion and of Cain's murtherous Line I mean spiritually and how impudent art thou to compare my Education with the Education of the Scolds at Bilingsgate I have had for this thirty years or thereabouts my Education in the blessed Truth and always was in thy best condition thy Elder in it and have never yet deserved thy base language concerning my Education And before I was convinced of the Truth I was of better behaviour than thou now art for I then loved good and honest people who feared the Lord and wrought Righteousness in their day and Generation and sought and enquired after the knowledge of the Lord from my young and tender years but thou art in a Rebellious State against Gods faithful Servants Alas William is this thy work to abuse Me and many grave Ancients in Israel who have kept their Habitations in the Truth Herein I may a little boast to stop thy mouth Bring forth the Person who this thirty years last past can tax my Life and Conversation or Education that I have not had my Education so in the Truth that I have been in my Life what I have Doctrinally Preached forth I speak this to the Praise of Gods Grace and testifie in the fear of God against thy slanderous tongue But it is like thee who art guided by an unruly and rebellious Spirit who hast corrupted thy manners by thy evil words who art turned against the Truth and thy Tongue is at liberty to abuse those that have kept their Habitations in it Thou art a quarrelsom man and thy impudence is so great that thou endeavourest to supplant the Righteous seed and abuse Gods faithfull Labourers in his Vineyard by rendring them as Apostates and Innovators and so art mischievous in thy undertakings and we know thou art a false Accuser and thou endeavourest to stop the course of our Testimonies that we may not be believed as Christian Ministers by thy false insinuations who would prejudice both Friends and others against us to stop their Ears from hearing the Truth declared by us O wicked envious Spirit do thy worst What canst thou do with all thy power Gods pure simplicity being kept unto amongst his people they easily discern thee to be an Apostate and faln Spirit if ever thou hadst a condition in the Truth And if ever thou hadst then wast thou but a Novice in it and yet hast taken upon thee a mischievous work to run out with thy Horns against such as G. F. G. W. and my self and many others rendring us Apostates and Innovators But we truly comprehend thee to be got up into presumption lifted up with pride and art fallen into the condemnation of the Devil And therefore it is that thou art become malicious and hast not kept thy first State in the Truth but hast left that habitation according to thy measure which thou hadst in it And now thou appearest in thy wickedness against the Living God and in this State except thou canst find a place of Repentance thou art reserved in the everlasting Chains of Darkness unto the Judgment of the Great day And whereas thou reflects and despises that good Government of Christ that the God of Heaven hath erected and established amongst us by his Spirit and Power the ground and foundation of which in my Epistle of Caution I have in measure laid down I believe to the satisfaction of all innocent Friends that fear God Yet thy foul Spirit is so offended at this work that thou art evil affected towards it under the colour of Impositions and Innovations and forcing a Conformity upon Conscience vefore Conviction and without Faith Unto which I answer Without Faith it is impossible to please God And therefore we perswade men by the force
of Truth and the Word of the Lord to be reconciled to every thing that is good as to good Order and Government and not to stand in opposition against it And a great clamour thou makest about Government and Orders and fillest people full of stories of this kind and rendrest us little better in these matters than Papists and Popishly affected And yet notwithstanding dost not set down what all these Orders are Thou malitious man begin from first to last and tell such to whom thou Writes and Prints what all these Orders are thou so openst thy Mouth against If they be good in themselves as some of thy Friends have said and confessed therefore why not practicable and why should they be opposed But ye are in confusion Should we not endeavour that every simple-hearted person may be informed and truly Instructed in that which is Pure Decent Good and Commendable that all things may be done in good Order by the spirit of God to the praise of the Name of the Great God who is the God of Order and not of Confusion or Anarchy They that plead for Liberty Contrary to the pure Spirit Life and Power of Jesus Christ are out of the Faith and not faithful to God And in that state they are blind and Ignorant of Gods way and Truth in this his Gospel Dispensation And so they become wilful Opposers of that which is good in a Disobedient mind and so call Good Evil and Evil Good And that Government that is erected by the Eternal God in the hearts of his people they despise and contemn because they are not in a Condition to Answer it because of their sinful disobedience and love Darkness more than Light And if People be Simple-minded We know the faithful-hearted that fear God into whom he gives a good understanding will endeavour to inform such as at any time may conscientiously scruple any thing in this matter And we say None should oppose who do not see and who do not believe those things which others both truly see and to be of God lest they fight like blind men but thou in thy wilful mind teachest Rebellion and to make the minds of the simple-hearted evill affected with the Government of God and Christ Jesus Which he hath and is still Estableshing amongst us and like Iannes and Iambres thy mind is corrupted to oppose the Truth being Reprobate or of no Judgment concerning the Faith For they that are faithful to God know us and our work who are his Servants and Ministers through his Grace Excercised in his Work and Service And that we are neither Apostates nor Innovators for that 's thy own condition as thy lying Tongue would Insinuate And that Government and Grder we have Estableshed by the Lord amongst us is so far from the Spirit of Antichrist in the Estableshment of it that it is no less than the product of Gods Power and Heavenly Wisdom which is pure and peaceable from above But thy Folly will be fully Mannifest and thy shame will appear though thou wouldst hide it by endeavouring grosly to abuse such Ancients in Jsrael as God hath clothed with his Heavenly Righteousness I say thy shame will appear and thy work of Wickedness will be made manifest to all the Simple-hearted who in their Souls truely desire to be tought by the Lord that they may be truly Established in his Righteousness And whereas In thy Eigth Part page 11. thou hast these words And if this small Tract as well as other Discoveries of Apostacy and Innovation become as so many Darts to pierce the bowels of that Cause espowsed by those nameless persons terming themselves the second Days Meeting even as an Arrow shot at an Adventure pierced Ahab between the Joints of his Harnass when disguised to save himself then let us say blessed be the God of our Solvation Now William thy Drift Intent as what thou aimest at we clearly perceive and it is easy so to do For the Darts thou shootest thou aimest at Gods servants the Second Days Meeting to pierce the bowels of their cause which cause is the Cause of God and they are and have been concerned against thee to bear Testimony against that Graceless ungodly Spirit with which thy heart is possessed that so the Truth being espoused by them may still prevail over thy Lyes and base Slanders in thy wicked Works who carest little what thou doest or sayest if thou canst but make the Truth and the Professors of it who are exercised in the Work and service of God Odious But all the simple-hearted who read that Book Intitled The Accuser c. may easily see thy Lies and Slanders detected and thy wicked heart to thy shame made Manifest that thou mayst be read as thou art in thy own Nature viz. As an Apostate and Common Adversary to Gods Truth and his faithful Servants who have kept their habitations in the Truth and stand against thy design which is wicked Thou shewest thou art of a Murthering spirit with thy Arrows but they are turned back upon thee again to pierce thy own Bowels Read Psalms the 11.2 Where thou mayst see into thy Work and condition For Loe the Wicked bend their Bow they make ready their Arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the Upright in heart but thou hast mist the Mark c. W. R. thou sayst Part 8. Page 10. Our Ancient Friends J. S. and J. W. when Articled against for not acting against their conscience c. And Page 3. thou speakest of J. W. and J. S. again and Page 6. thou sayest There is no ground either from the Scriptures of Truth without or the Light of Christ within us to believe that any Christian Professor can in Truth affirm that there are outward Prescriptions and Orders given forth by the Spirit of God through any one or more mortal men in this our Day which others ought to obey or follow whether they see it their Duty or no so far W. R. Answers The Insinuation of our giving out Instructions to be practised whilst people do not see them their Duty is a false Insinuation for Instructions of Duty may be given out before they see them such as believing that God will by his Light discover to them their Duty therein if they be not obstinate that they may practise them in the Light Persons not seeing their duty does not make that voyd which is in itself their duty Nor yet ought mens blindness to debar true Ministers from Preaching to them what is their Duty for many see it not their Duty to believe the light of Christ in them and yet it must be Preached to them to open their eyes c. Then doth it not plainly appear that I. Wilkinson and W. Rogers are not in the light of Christ and Spirit of God but are as yet blind and do not see that which is given forth from the Light and Spirit of God to be their Duty to Obey
and follow And such by W. Rogers must be Accounted Honourable Elders and Preachers And yet in his Sixth Part Page 12. tells us The Kingdom of God stands in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and tells us again in his Sixth Part. Page 3. of his Inward peace with the Lord c. and in his Second Page Part 8. there he speaks of the Government of Christ who alone is Lord over the Conscience and Page 10. Part 6. he tells us He is breathing to the Lord of Heaven That we and G. F. may be humbled before the Lord and G. F. in Particular that High and Lofty one may not utterly fall c. What a mad Prayer is this how canst thou be at peace and breath unto the Lord and be thus Wicked for thy Prayers are an Abomination to the Lord. And thou hast not only Judged G. F but as thou scoffingly saist his party also to be Apostates that is such as have blessed Unity with him in the Truth which is the whole Body of Friends who have kept their Habitations in the Living Truth and Faith of Gods Elect which thou art gone from And by what Spirit dost thou pretend thou hast Peace with God and breathest to God and tellest of his Kingdom and yet art blind and dost not see it s thy Duty to obey and follow that which is given forth from the Spirit of God c. How can thy Spirit and the Spirit of those thou termest thy Honourable Brethren be accounted any otherwise then a loose frivolous Spirit And doth W. R. and those that Encouraged him to publick his confused Books stuffed full of Contradictions and with a Rabble of false charges as hath been shewn in other Answers in Print believe that they proceeded from Gods Spirit when he doth not see it to be his Duty to Obey that which is given forth from the Spirit of God are you all of his Mind And he saith Speaking of the Unction That by it all things are known And yet he doth not see it his Duty to Obey that which is given forth from the Spirit of God For this is applied to William Rogers J. Story J. Wilkinson and their Followers for he doth not mention any others who are thus Blind that they do not see for we who are the Members of that Body which Christ is the Head of do see it is our Duty to Obey that which is given forth from the Spirit of God in our day Do we not Read that under the Dipensation of the Law which came by Moses the Priests lips were to preserve the Peoples Knowledge and to be Instructers to the People in all things pertaining to that Dispensation that the People might not be Ignorant of the Law of God but might fully know it And where they doubted in any thing that Priesthood was to Compleat their Knowledge in it that they might not plead Ignorance in any thing contained in the Law to be done for God was able by his Spirit then both Immidiatly and Instrumentally by his Priesthood appointed under that Dispensation to Instruct them fully and none then could say they did not see or they did not believe what was the mind of God under that Dispensation But those that wilfully stopped their Ears and shut their Eyes least they should hear and see understand and obey the will of God who Rebel'd against the Spirit And such came to be hardined in their Sins and Rebel against the Truth and despise the Government of it as Korah and his Company in the Conspiracy against Moses and Aaron c. Much more now in our day under the clear Gospel Ministration may the Israel of God be fully Instructed both Immediately and Instrumentally by his Spirit in all things pertaining to the Doctrine and Discipline of Truth and Gospel Government that their hearts may be subject thereunto and they need not plead Ignorance and say I see not this or I believe not this and If I do this or Obey t'otheir it will be a blind Obedience and I shall do it without Faith or sight I say none need plead thus and upon this ground and with their blind Minds and dark Understandings in their Disobedience oppose Gods People in what they both see and believe to be given forth by his Spirit For Christ hath enlightned them all and hath poured his Spirit upon all Flesh that they may see and perceive that which is given forth from the Spirit Therefore we do affirm that every Imprejudiced simple-harted Friend waiting and following on to know the Lord in his Light and Spirit will grow up in the Faith and not oppose the Faithful in their Faithfulness towards God in what he makes known of his Will And so the Simple-minded will mind the Lord and his power which will preserve them in Unity and fellowship with the Brethren the Members of Christ in the Spirit and Light according to their growth in the Truth and if at any time there be any Conscientious Scrupling concerning any thing as to matter of Discipline or Government or any thing else they will be desirous and willing to Ask Counsil of the Lord and in Gentleness and Meekness of his Faithful People in sinserity without Opposition as the Corinthians did to Paul who answered them cencerning the things they had wrote to him that they might be Convinced and helped in matters pertaining to Faith and Conscience And where did ever the Jews say to Moses and the Prophets They were not convinced and did not see if their Duty to follow and obey that which they declared from the Lord to them And also where did ever the Disciples of Christ say We are not convinced and do not see it our Duty to follow and obey that which thou Commandest us And forasmuch as it is on Record that the Apostles and the Elders wrote their Orders and Decrees and Traditions to the Churches where did ever the Churches and true believers tell the Apostles and the Elders they did not see nor beliebe and had not Faith in their words and therefore it was not their Duty to Obey that which they writ and spoke to them from the Lord by his Spirit but called it Imposition and blind Obedience this always was a marke of the false Apostles and Christians who opposed the true and it was and is the Devil that did and does blind People now that they do not see their Duty to God to do what he commands them Are the Ranters excusable because they say they do not see or believe the wickedness they commit to be sin or evil Will this excuse them in the the day of Judgment take warning and take heed Must not the secrets of Men be Judged by Jesus Christ according to the Gospell which is Preached to or in every Creature under Heaven And canst thou and thine Abettors be excused in your wilfulness and wicked rebellion against God and his People under pretence that you do not see
nor believe Nay William thou and you are seen and your wicked work is weighed in the Ballance of Truth and found too light and Woe and Misery from God will be your Portion except you Repent Your Nakedness doth appear for want of anointing your eyes with eye-salve that you might see c. For truly since you went from the Light of Christ by which you were convinced by which all God's People are now at this day kept in Unity I do plainly see with that eye-salve God hath given me that you are got into a Spirit of Rudeness Lightness Scornfulness and despising those that truly fear the Lord so that it is enough to convince every sober-minded person what Spirit you are led and acted by that they may see with the Light of Christ how you are fallen from the pure truth of the Gospel into Looseness like so many Way-marks for God's people to shun c. W. R. Thou makest a great Pudder and muddlest thy head about our Orders in part 8. p. 5. and twice in pag. 6. And about outward prescriptions in the same Page twice and pag. 10. there thou art at it again and speakest of Decrees and Prescriptions twice over then pag. 13. thou art at it again c. Answ But William why dost thou make such a confused noise about our Orders as though thy Head was amazed And dost so worry them with thy muddled Head that thou hast not been able to give a perfect list of them though it has been of thee demanded What those Orders are that our Friends have imposed upon you For with thy own muddled Head thou thinkest to muddle others Heads with thy making a noise about our Orders Prescriptions Decrees and Government but neither thou nor J. S. nor J. Wilkinson have yet given a full and particular Account of them what they are and stated them aright with the day when and the Year they were given forth that people might have seen them together with a Catalogue of thy own I. Wilkinson's and I. Story 's Decrees and Orders what they are thou shouldst have brought them forth that people might have seen them and been able to judge of them So give over thy making a Noise and Clamouring and Brawling against our Orders Prescriptions and Decrees as long as thou dost not discover them all to the people what they are that people may not be deceived by thee and pin their Faith on thy Sleeve for in this thy empty work thou hast but been beating the Air. And as for the Fruits of a Careless Loose Libertine Dark Spirit W. R. with all his Iâ—'s in all his Writings hath not proved against G. F. but hath manifested them to be the Fruits of his own Spirit whose Tongue is become no slander nor words of any Credit with them that fear the Lord. And J. Wilkinson and W. Rogers have not answer'd G. F's Question yet though W. R. be at it again in his 8th part pag. 8. viz. Whether or no an Heavenly Member of Christ's Body that is such as are born again of the Spirit and of the Immortal seed by the word of God turns to Dust Yea or Nay For G. F's Query was not about an Earthly Member nor an Earthly Corruptible Body but an Heavenly Member Part 8. pag. 2 3. W. R. says It 's the duty of some c. to pin their Faith on the sleeves of C. T. c. Again This small Tract is now written for the sakes of such among the people called Quakers as are not yet Principle'd to pin their Faith upon other mens sleeves Answ Are not the spreaders and the sellers of W. R's malitious Books the pinners of their Faith upon his sleeve And yet they are so confused that they will not stand by him in it But it was always my Judgment to Judge such as Pin their Faith upon thy sleeve or J. S's or J. W's or upon any else For the Faith of God's Elect stands in Christ the Author and Finisher of it And what need was there that any one that reads my Book against thee should pin their Faith on my slieve But W. R. hast not thou Judged us often over in thy malitious slanderous Book to be Apostates and Innovators Was not this a just ground for me to declare thee to be of Korahs Spirit and of Cains Line And if thou hast not in thy Book rendred us such as Apostates and Innovators unto which I refer the Reader then clear thy self if thou canst or else the Burthen of my words in my Testimony against thee in that Spirit thou writ that Book must certainly lie upon thee And herein I have not wronged thee I affirm it and still charge thee in the same true Judgment to be of Korahs and Cains Line to be sealed down under Eternal Judgment and Condemnation from God for ever except thou Repent and we stand over thee in the Authority of God's Power and of such as Abet to thee and adhere to thee in that Malitious Proud and Lofty Spirit thou art entred into W. R. saith part 8. pag. 5. That 't was safer to have a Dependency on this measure of Christs Light in our selves than to have an Eye out to the measures of others Answ Hath not W. R. shewed his Darkness and theirs that incouraged him to Print his Book For can any see the measure of the Spirit of Christ and his Light in others but by the measure of the Spirit of God in themselves in which they come into Unity But where did ever either I or any of our faithful Brethren bring any to look and have a Dependency upon the Measure in others and neglect the measure of the Spirit of God in themselves by which they should be guided to become the Sons and Daughters of God This was never our Principle but thou wouldst insinuate such a thing W. R. And in Part 8. pag. 10. thou speakest of a Visible man to be an Eye to see for the rest of the Body and pag. 11. thou bringest the same and Part 6. pag. 16. thou art muddling thy head again about the same thing and tellest of a late Doctrine viz. Have your Eye to the Brethren And sayst further The substance of this Doctrine hath of late been publish'd also in Publick Meetings c. As in the Natural Body the Eye is placed to see for all the rest of the Members so also in the Spiritual and hath been explained so as it hath been sometimes taken that G. F. is an Eye for the whole Body and other times as if some other Persons were an Eye for a Meeting c. Answ But who have publish'd these Doctrines whom thou hast so backbited in Print thou hast not named their names so must I pin my Faith on thy slieve for the proof thereof But hath not my Caution to the simple-hearted that they should not be deceived by thy lying slanderous Book tormented thee and thy Spirit because of thy wicked Works
And doth not W. R. think himself to be an Eye to his Brethren And doth he not take himself to be an Eye for John Story J. Wilkinson and the rest of the Seperate Company And have not they made him their Eye and Tongue and Mouth to Publish their Writings and Words and their silly false Certifficate Or is their Body without an Eye But the living Members which are the Church and the Body o Christ which he is head of he hath given a Spiritual Eye unto for he is their Eye by his Light and Spirit and without him we can do nothing By which Light all Members do see for themselves and to edifie one another in the most Holy Faith And I would have all people to have an Eye from Christ in themselves that they may see both thy Spirit and thy Books which many do now more fully see than before W. R. saith in Part 6. pag. 3 4. When I consider what Multitudes of the weaker sort of people are apt to be deceived by Embracing Shadows instead of Substance and Lies instead of Truth c. it hath been one motive amongst others occasioned me once more to appear in Print Answ Hath not W. R. appeared here to make the weaker and them that are apt to be deceived to believe him to be a strong man and an Eye to see for them that which they are not able to see for themselves nor help themselves who are weak so doth not he pretend here to see for them and to be a strength to them which he says Hath been one motive amongst others occasioning him once more to appear in Print so hath he not made himself a Seer or an Overseer here among others which thing in effect he Judges in the Body of Christ of which Body we are Now doth not here W. R. confound himself For why should not those Weak hear for themselves and see for themselves with the Light and Grace of Christ which thou W. R. confessest to be sufficient And dost not thou speak of an Unction within them by which all things were known Part 8. pag. 11. But Is not this the occasion that thou once more appearedst in Print that those Weak and such as are apt to be deceived may look at thy Writings For thou dost not say they should try thy Writings by the Light and Grace of Christ within them in the Third and Fourth Pages Part Six But is it not really thy mind that they should believe thee to see for them and help them and to pin their Faith on thy Slieve If not to what end is thy Writing For if thou seest neither for their Body nor for the separate Meeting what doth all thy Scribling then signifie W. R. Part 8. pag. 10. That the Grace of God is sufficient and that every one is to be left to their own measure Thou needst not tell us that who obey it And whereas thou goest over and over in thy Book telling us of G. F's Party but this is from thy malicious foul Spirit We are not such a Party as thou wouldst insinuate but are for Christ and all his Believers in the Light which is the Life in Christ Jesus before Parties were And that in the Light Grace and Spirit of Christ we might all exalt Christ both in Males and Females and by it we may know him to Reign in all our hearts W. R. And whereas thou keepest a Railing against the Second Days Meeting in several places in thy Book Answ I must tell thee the least Babe in Christ that is of that Meeting hath an Understanding with the Light and Spirit of Christ to see over thy foul Spirit and its Works and God hath given them the Spiritual Judgment to Judge them both And thou shalt proceed no further but art detected and thy Folly will be made manifest to all men that hear or see thy Books And the God of Heaven and Earth hath suffered thee a while that when thou hast run thy Race he may fasten his Hook in thy Jaws And how dare W. R. Part 8. pag. 6. say That the Second Days Meeting is Guilty of the like Crime of that nameless Book that W. P. answered Whereas Ellis Hooks his name was set to the Book on the behalf of the Second-Days-Meeting whose Credit did go as far as W. R's and farther among them that fear God And others also of us do own it and will stand by it And W. R. Part 6. pag. 9. speaks Of Saul 's hearkning to Samuel the Prophet c. ' Which he thinks should be a warning to G. F. and others of his Party to hearken unto the Word of the Lord that came through his Servant John Wilkinson on the Twentieth Day of the Sixth Month 1675. on this wise viz. To Repent and turn from your Proceedings and leave Gods people to the Order of his Gospel and Command and that if they would not then the Lord himself would break them and turn them one against another about their Orders so far W. R. of John Wilkinson Answ But neither W. R's nor J. W's Words do answer the Light of the Spirit of God in our Consciences to believe his words as the word of the Lord which proceeded from his Imaginations and lying perverse Spirit For all the Believers in the Light which are the Children of Light are in the Glorious Order of his Gospel the Power of God and Command and others are exhorted to it And J. Wilkinson might see and thou also if thou and he will believe Truth that he is a false Prophet and his false Prophecy is come upon himself For how many hath the Lord broken off from them in the North and also in the South And through thy Wicked Printings many have come to see with the Light of Christ your Wicked Spirit and its Work And especially when they see J. S's and J. Wilkinson's Orders of giving power to meet and those that would not take them but would meet without their Power and Orders were called Usurpers of Authority And many of these Simple-hearted which were ensnared by Subscribing to them are come off from them and have given Certificates against J. Story and J. Wilkinson which W. R. saith It was an Endeavouring to uncover the pretended Nakedness of them to wit his Brothers or Brethren sending Certificates abroad thereof Spread amongst Friends and Enemies Now I do understand that those Enemies were such as J. W. and J. S. had deceived and drawn into a Seperation or did Abet them and the Friends were the faithful that kept to Christ their head and did not follow J. S. nor J. Wilkinson in their Seperation And to such they were sent that they might see how they had been betrayed and as a Warning to others that they might not be deceived as thou hadst been So the Spreading of those Certificates according to the mind of those who had been seduc'd into a joyning with the Seperate Meeting and were brought off through