sold their estates and brought it and laid it downe at the Apostles feet Rep. Here J challenge all the Oxford and Cambridge Teachers in England how many of their converts have sold their estates and laid it downe at your feet but you teachers and they are so earthly minded you are fit to sue them at the law and imprison them as Lancaster and Kâ—ndalâ— goals may wittnesse where many suffer now because they will not pay tithes and so you shew you preach another Gospell so let Christ and the Apostles judge you all to be without their doctrine and your convert as thou callest them to be without the Apostles and Christ let their example judge you all and so you shew that you never sowed spirituall things but only as a custome and a cloake thou bringest these words for the Apostle did reape carnal things where he sowed spirituall things Que. 22. What scripture is there to limit God to a place calling it a Church when as the Church is in God 1 Thes. 1.1 Pr. You cry down all distinctions as favouring of humane learning whereby the naked truth might be clearly and distinctly seen as it is in it self Rep. Here let all people take notice whether humane learning can open the naked truth Here thou wouldest make people beleeve that humane learning was before the naked truth and againe let all people take notice and see if the meeting in a steeple-house in England be a Church when so many hath beene moved of the Lord to come into meeting places among them and something hath been revealed to them and they have spoken and he that was the pretended teacher which was in the cheifest place in the Assemblie hath cryed out they disturb mee and then they have hailed them out to the stocks or prison and knockt them or bruized them and may be some have laine a quarter of a year in prison or more Now let all people take notice which have a love to God whether this be the Church which is the pillar and ground of truth or the â—age of uncleane birds which the Scripture speaks of when as the Scripture saith if any thing be revealed to him that stands by lâ—t the first hold his peace and the Church of God we owne but all such Churches as are fighters and which do imprison them who are moved of the Lord to come speake to them such Churches we deny And whereas thou slanderest us that we cry against the Ministers all such Ministers are to be cried against for they are contrary to the scripture Que. What scripture is there to have a Clark say Amen and to have groats apeece of the world for his trade Pr. And for the groat he receives yearly of some persons in the world J conceive it is not so much for saying Amen but he hath other offices Rep. Here thou goest about to justifie the Clarke and his groat and the custome of saying Amen which the Apostles practised no such thing neither had they any Clarke to say Amen which had a groat for his labour and let all the practise of the Apostles judg thee who saith that the Clarke hath other offices then saying Amen that is may be to ring the bell to gather carnall people together to hear such a blind guide as thou art and for laying you a cushion that you may lie soft or opening the booke or giving forth the Psalmes which all this here is no example for that the Apostles had any such thing but it is that you false prophets might utter forth your folly for to the children of light you are discovered and seen to be without the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles and all the Scripture shall judge you and in thy answer thou dost conceive there thou hast brought thy selfe under that state which must be scattered for the Lord will scatter the proud in their vaine â—maginations and conceivings and let the Prophets words judge thee Que. 24. What Scripture is there for taking money for burying the dead or to have ten or twelve Shillings for preaching a Funerall Sermon or to take money for marrying man or woman Pr. For our paines in labouring in the word and doctrine the Apostle gives that general rule the labourer is worthy of his hire And what their wages is is not of our choosing but partly the liberality of founders and benefactors partly custome among all people in all Christian countries hath setled it Rep. Here thou usest the Apostles words which as I have shewed thee before thou art cleared from his life O thou blind guide whose mind is in the earth who art in the customes and art one of them that doth hold them up which all the Ministers of Christ are ashamed on thee and all thy generation who art without the life that gave â—orth the Scriptures who art one of them that goes in the way of Balaam who durst not take the gift though he loved it end as for the Apostles condition I charge thee and command thee to be silent and let it alone who denies immediate revelation from heaven therefore all that thou speakest is from the earth and below and the word thou knowest not which was in the beginning Joh. 1.1 when the letter was not and thâ—refore in it thou canst not learne and the Christians that are baptized into Christ are redeemed put of countries where yet thou art with thy customes and wayes of the Nation as thou dost confesse which Christ coms to redeem from and thou who receivest Balaamâ— wages art spâ—ing forth thy venome against the righteous seed where â—t is rising Que. 27. When did any that was sent of Jesus Christ to preach the Gospel sue men at the Law Pr. Many differences may arise which cannot well be decided without suit at Law Rep. In thy answer to this querie thou dost allow of going to Law which the Apostle did not as in the Corinthians and he was a Minister of Christ and here thou shewest thou art none for thou allowest that he did not and who are come to the doctrine of Christ which is yea and nay there is no difference they need no going to Law there is no contention and many differences are in thy generation which is without Christ and his doctrine which many of you professed Ministers sue men at the Law which the Apostle forbad and here openly I charge you all in the presence of the living God to be no Minister of Christ but are raced from the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles and thou writest a scripture in Acts 19.38 as concerning the rude multitude that was stirred up when truth was spoken these were they which were not brought into the truth and there thou art among such a company let all people see how Acts 19. will justifie thee for going to Law who professes thy self to be a Minister of Jesus Christ which the Ministers of Christ denied and here J charge thee again to be a perverter
perish with the blind and giddy but if he follow such as thou art he doth follow both and in the ditch both will perish together And thou speaks to him of walking in the paths of the just and righteous and such thou privily slanders and their way hateth thou who walketh in the steps of the wicked and with those that forget God and thou must be cut down with the sword of the almighty God to that in thy Conscience I speak when thou art in the terror remember me for that in thy conscience condemn thee and witness me And friend to the light in thy conscience I speak under whose name this book goes there is thy Teacher if thou love it which is the light of Christ if thou love it it will teach thee as thou goes up and down and shew thee the way of the just for it is just it will condemn thee if thou hate And when the book of conscience is opened thou shalt witnesse what I speak that its truth to thy soul Pr. And whereas thou sayst you do neither pretend to any such sublime and eminent gifts neither do you nor ought you to depend upon any such immediate revelation but do use such ordinary means and helps which God in his merciful providence hath in all ages afforded his people viz. by study and industry in the Schools of the Prophets Schools thou sayest they had at Bethel 2 King 2 3 5. and Elisha's Colledge was so full that they enlarged it 2 Kings 6 1. 1 Sam. 14.20 and upon the hill of God 2 Sam. 10.5.10 Rep. Here let all these Scriptures witnesse against thee that thou art no true Prophet nor Minister of Christ which witnessed the end of the Prophets and were all taught of God which thou denies that denieth immediate revelation from heaven And here I charge thee in the presence of the living God to be a lyar and false Prophet and that thou art guided by the father of lyes Where thou tells of Elisha's Colledge and saith that it was so full that it was enlarged and brings in that place of Scripture to colour over thy lyes 2 Kings 6.1 Let that Scripture be a witnesse against thee that thou art a lyar and a perverter of the Scriptures thou full of all subtilties blush for shame thou lyar is there any mention of any Colledge there or is there any mention of the schools of the Prophets where the word of God was studied in those places of Scripture beforementioned as thou sayest let them witness thee All the Prophets where taught of God and there was no studying for what they spoke at Naioth see if they did not receive the Spirit of prophecy and spoke by immediate revelation which thou denies and knows not their maner of teaching and learning 1 Sam. 19.20 to the end of the Chap. and the prophecy came not in the old time by the will of man but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost and the Scripture is of no private interpretation 2 Pet. 1.20 21. Here art thou proved a lyar and a perverter of the Scripture wresting it to thy own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 and the plagues and wrath is due to thee for so doing Rev. 22 Now call not truth railing thou dissembler and enemy of all righteousness the Scripture turns edge against thee and witnesses against thy deceits and filthiness whereby thou seeks to strangle the truth but thou art found out to be among the Dogs Sorcerers and Lyars spoken of in Scripture and art shut out of the kingdom of God art no Minister of Christ Rev. 22.15 18 19. Thou enemy of God how darest thou say that the Prophets studied the word when no prophecy came by the will of man but by the will of God and no man knoweth the father but the son neither knoweth any man the son but the father and he to whom he is revealed Matth 11.27 And here thou deniest both the Father and the Son and the Prophets and Apostles that denieth immediate revelation for they all bear witnesse against thee and such as thou art for the Apostle said Hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ And all the true Prophets witness that which thou denies And here I have proved thee a lyar a false Prophet and a deceiver perverting the Scriptures and they bear witness with me And thou full of all guile and deceit the word of the Lord shall rise up in judgement against thee and such as thou art Something in reply to thy discourse of the Spirit as thou calls it FRiend the Spirit of the living God thou hast not for thou denies immediate revelation from heaven who art discoursing of the Spirit and here thou art made manifest but to be in the pretence of the Spirit and knows nothing that is revealed with the spirit For thou that denies immediate revelation from heaven denies the spirit of the living God The Apostle said Eye hath not seen ear hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him but God hath revealed them to us by his spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 10. And here thou that hast denyed immediate revelation from heaven hast denied the Spirit of God and manifested thy self to be in the natuâ—al state therefore I command thee and charge thee in the presence of the living God to be silent and to give over deceiving of the people 2. Thou that denies immediate revelation from heaven thou denies the grace that was to be brought unto the Saints whose mindes was to be girded up which grace was to be brought unto them at the revelation of Jesus Christ and this thou hast denied again as all people may see 1 Pet. 1.13 and here thou hast denyed Jesus Christ and this grace who denies immediate revelation and art in the fashion of the world and a blasphemer 3. Thou that hast denied immediate revelation from heaven hast denied the Spirit to pray with all and so all thy prayers is hypocrisie 4. Thou that hast denied immediate revellation from heaven hast denied the son of God For none knows the father but ths son and to whom the son reveals him Mat. 11.27 5. And thou that hast denied immediate and miraculous revelation from heaven hast not denied the son of God only but the father also And those that hast not the son of God hath not life Pr. The power is originally from God as the fountain but conveyed through the ministry of man as the conduit p. 90. Rep. Paul an Apostle not of man nor by man but by the will of God and here thou art proved to be a seducer and thy ministry contrary to his here thy spirit is tryed And thou slanders them who hears the voyce of God and art scorning them and in a deriding way calls it a deceitful eccho but we know
leâ— all who are in the light see if it be not natural then and if thou be not him that study a difinition of thy ovvne braine and instead of the blessing the curse of God comes upon it for how many is there that was Preists as you are that now cries against you which is come out of your generation and sees the curse of God upon all your practices Pr. And thou saiest the flesh which is quickened with the spirit of life brings forth some kinde of fleshly fâ—uits or other Rep. Here thou hast shewed thy selfe to be death indeed doth the spirit cause fruits of the flesh or is the fruits of the spirit the fruits of the flesh O thou lier and high blasphemer which thou saiest is cleare from manifold texts of Scripture all the Scriptures will wittnesse thee to be a lier and these Scriptures thou brings to maintaine the spirit of life to bring forth some kinde of fleshly fruits and the fruits of the spirit to be the fruits of the flesh Here all who are in the spirit will judge thee to be a blasphemer of the holy spirit of God for the spirit brings forth no fruits of the flesh Pr And thou saiest in thy Answer to the first querie you do â—ot go to Oxford and Cambridge to learne the Gospel you preach but to learne the knowledge of tongues and languages arts and sciences Rep. O for shame stop thy mouth here thou hast shamed thy selfe and all your Schooles with an external meanes to open the Gospell people are blind indeed that do follow thee but thy bottle is open and what is within powres out And the fountaine runs and thy external stuffe powres out which hath poisoned many people which thou saiest thou shouldest open the Gospel withall All that have the least convincement may see thee to be a seducer for what is external is natural and what is natural knowes not the things of God but the Lord be praised thou hast declaired thy selfe abroad Que. 12. Whether that any ministers of God were made ministers by the will of man yea or no shew it me by the Scripture Pr. And in thy answer to this querie thou saiest there is no minister of God made by the will of man only but by man in subordination Rep. Here thou crossest the scripture Paul an Apostle not of man nor by man and here the lying spirit hath shewed it selfe indeed Pr. And thou saiest there is no such hope of any such calling as was in the time of the Apostles Rep. And here thou hast câ—st thy selfe and thy fellows and all thy study to be without the Doctrine life of the Apostles for thou concludest there is no such calling yet thou talkest of laying on hands there thou and you are making likenesses which is forbidden and to be confounded and so we conclude and all the children of light shall judge that your hope and your calling and your Ministery made by the will of man and not only by God to be without God and contrary to the Apostles Que. 13. Shew mee by the scripture whether a man shall grow up to that condition that he need no man teach him but the Lord or no Pr. We must not looke for any immediate extraordinary miraculous teaching by revelation from the Lord and yet all men are taught of God too Rep. What confused stuffe is this and blasphemy that comes out of thy bottle thou wouldest make God not an immediate doth not God teach immediate here thou shewest that thou dost not know the living God for the teaching of God is immediate in the least degree Pr. None aimes to such a perfection of knowledge in his gifts as not to need teaching Rep. Here I charge thee to be a lier who speaks contrary to the scripture and here I charge thee in the presence of the living God to be a slanderer who speaks of being taught of the Lord Jesuâ— Christ outwardly by the spirit what confused stuffe is this And here againe I charge thee to be a lier for the words of our Lord Jesus Christ are spirit and life but such as thou who lookest upon the outward thing cannot receive his words though you have the letter of the Gospel as they had the letter of the law Que. 14. Whether they be not Antichrist and disobey Christ that have the chiefest places in the assemblies stand praying in the synagouges which Christ did forbid his disciples to act such things â—nd câ—ied woe against those that did act them In thy answer to this querie thou ramblest up and downe with many words to justifie that which Christ cried woe against to justifie the cheifest place in the Assemblies and to be called of men Master and for standing praying in the Synagouges which Christ pronounced woe against and so let all people see if thou and you be not such as are called of men Masters and stand praying in the Synagouges wâ—ich the woe was and is upon Math. 23. and there is neither shelter nor hole for thee to hide thy selfe for them that walke in the truth will find thee out and praised be the Lord God of heaven and earth who hath given us a spirit of discerning and we are able to judge you who live in deceit for the Apostle prophecied with the spirit of the Lord that such should come and we see with the same spirit you are come and with the same spirit you are judged Que. 15. Whether they be not Antichrists and of the Devill and no Ministers of Christ which do not abide in the Doctrine of Christ Pr. They that swerve from the Doctrine of Christ are of the spirit of Antichrist Rep. There thou art this is thy owne condition who deniest immediate revelation and thou that deniest immediate revelation deniest Christ for Paul said the Son was revealed in him and so all that thou speakest is with the lying spirit in the wicked generation and wherâ—aâ— thou slanderest and saiest we raile that iâ— false And againe thou speakest of love because the letter declares it but the love of God who dwells in it to such thou art an enemy and as touching using plainnesse of speech to people because we do not flatter nor use enticing words of mens wisedom which thou dost so thou hast cleared thy selfe from the children of God and to be in the generation of them that swerve from the doctrine of Christ who seekest to justifie that which he cried woe against as Math. 23. And whereas thou accusest us for railing upon people thou art a lier for love useth plainnesse of speech and love and charity is out of deceit if we should flatter we should hold it up and should be pleading for thy generation who talks of God and confesses that you have not the same knowledge and understanding that the Apostles had Therefore how can you know God then And whereas thou speakest of trying the spirits the fruits of it is love here with
of Christ Pr. 'T is the very ground whereupon this last upstart crew of Quakers build all their resolutions and strange fanatick opinions and heresies even that which they call the light within us whereunto we must only give ear pag. 112. Rep. O thou impudent God will make thee an example thou lying spirit Is the Light which Christ hath enlightned every one withal that comes into the world a strange fanatick opinion which one he loves it and the other he hates it and he that hates it it is condemnation Here thou art against Christ and the Apostle for the Apostle did exhort the Saints to take heed unto the light within them untill the day dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts O thou Lyar did the Prophet call the true light a deceit of the heart or is the light of God a false vision Christ Jesus which doth enlighten every one that comes into the world which is witnessed among the Quakers and he that walks in the Light shall have the Light of Life and thou that hates this light speaks a divination of thy own brain and a lying imagination and with this light of Christ thou shalt be condemned thou blasphemer who calls the light of Christ heresie and fanatick opinions but here thou doest but fill up the measure of thy Fathers who calls this light which is Christ in us Heresie pag. 113. To all you Readers of his Book I speak to the Light of of Christ in you which if you love it it will bring you to weigh and comprehend his words and if you walk in it you shall have the light of life and you that hate it it shall be your Condemnation when the book of Conscience is opened you shall witness that I speak the truth to every one of your souls R. Sherlock thou bids them beware of false Prophets and saith the tryal of the spirit is the Word of God Rep. By the Word of God thou art tryed who art in the conceivings Again thou speakest of the High-priests and Pharisees that councelled against Christ to put him to Death Rep. So do you now where he is made manifest shewing your selves to be in the same generation Pr. It was this spirit also that stirred up Demetrius the Silver-smith with the rest of the Crafts-men against St. Paul and his companions because his profit and gain which he got by making silver shrines for Diana was in danger to be lost pag. 116. Rep. The same spirit now being made manifest it cryes against your Trades-men and Crafts-men and your Diana and your two great Schools where you learn your trade which are puddles of darkness and the same spirit being stirred up to crye against your profession it sets you in an uproar now as in the Synagogues we do witness Pr. And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed Corah and all his Company a fair warning for Lay-persons pag. 86. Rep. The judgment did not come upon Corah because they was Lay-persons but it was for gainsaying the truth as thou doest For many of them that gave forth the Scripture was plain men Paul a Tent-maker and most of the Apostles Fishermen Moses a keeper of Sheâ—â— thou mayest call these Lay-men which gave forth the Scripture who make a trade of their words And here thou hast shewed that thou hast not the knowledge and understanding which the Apostles had which thou confessedst thou hadst not therefore thou art as a bruit beast and there I leave thee to be condemned with the light which thou callest Heresie RICHARD HUBBERTHORN FINIS Acts 33. Rom. 4 11. John 5.3 Jer. 1.5 6 Luk. 1.66.80 1 King 8.46 Joh. 14.4 Pro. 20 9. Joh. 18.10 Eccl. 7.22