Devil did when he brought it is written to Christ and left out half the words so R. E. hath left out the Conditions on the Disciples part and that which was their duty teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you and then lo I am with you c. But R. E. likes not obedience it seems unto Christ's commands and yet he will needs be a sharer in the Promise and of the Power that was given and bind God unto that and he and his Church to be loose to do and to teach what they will but as to all the Scriptures he hath brought and minced them and cut them in piece-meal and all the inferences he makes this we acknowledge without multiplicity of words that whatsoever was promised to the Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ as the Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ the same Promise of Christ doth belong to the Church of Christ and Disciples of Christ in every Age and stands upon the same condition viz. Obedience unto hâ—s will and that they still do teach and no other thing but what he commands them then he is with them according to his Promise but let not R. E. nor his Roman Catholicks look if they teach things repugnant to his mind and contrary to his will and press upon others to believe that which Christ hath never taught that then the Promise of God will be so intailed to them as that they cannot Err and here the deceit of thine and your Hearts hath led you aside and this is one of the cunning sleights of Men and craftiness whereby you lay in wait to deceive and by this you have deceived many because God hath made such large Promises unto his Church how that they should be led into all Truth and preserved out of Error and you are their Successors and must needs Inherit this Promise by way of intail and you cannot Err you cannot be deceived because the Apostles were infallible therefore you must needs be infallible though you Err and go aside never so much from the infallible Spirit the true Guide and Judge of and in the Church of God as though you had been born to infallibility and the Spirit of Truth had come by succession but the inward Light which thou scoffs at and the Spirit of Truth which thou calls a private Spirit often hath discovered you and your Spirit though thou boastest of fifteen Ages that your Doctrine hath been held by the Pastours and Teachers in your Visible Church as in the fifty seventh Page of thy EPISTLE suppose I should grant the fifteen hundred Years which I neither can nor will but I will lead thee to the sixteen hundred years and try thee your Doctrine that you have held this fifteen hundred Years if it be so as thou saist but this thou likes not but seeing thou plead'st Antiquity let us come on and joyn issue prove us Transubstantiation in the first hundred Years nay I will give thee five hundred more and if I give thee five more thou would'st hardly prove it before the Council of Trent prove us the Doctrine of Purgatory in the first hundred Years and if thou take two it shall not offend me prove us the forbidding of Ministers to marry in the first hundred years and abstinence from Meats as though they were unclean which are created by God for the use of Believers prove us that Man hath a two-fold right to the Kingdom of Heaven as your great Bellarmine saith the one by Christ the other by a Man 's own Works prove us Invocation of Angels and Prayer and Sacrifice for the Dead the first hundred years after Christ prove us their selling of Pardons in Christ's and the Apostles dayes for Money prove us setting up of Images as to put Men in mind of the Saints deceased and of their Works prove us Baptism of Infants with Cream and Spittle and singing with the Cross and God-fathers and God-mothers and let us have some example beyond bare report for we dare not relie upon your infallible Spirit in these things therefore convince us for we are Gain-sayers and upon good Ground and we do look upon all these Doctrines and many more not to be of such a great Age as thou tells on neither to have any affinity or congruity with the Church of Christ in his or the Apostles time nor sundry Years after but rather look upon them as Doctrines of Devils and a very novelty a further Scripture R. E. urges 1. Tim. 3.15 the Church of the living God the Pillar and Ground of Truth and may we not relie of that Pillar that God hath erected for us saith he and he that hears you hears me and go teach all Nations and I am with you alwayes and yet if after all these Promises if the Church may not be believed except she teacheth according to the Scriptures and be only infallible but when she doth her duty then the Church hath no more priviledge then the Devil hath for so long as he teaches conformable to the Scripture he may be believed and so long as he teaches Truth he may be believed saith R.E. in page 58 59. Answ. The Church is in God 1 Thes. 1. and is the Pillar and Ground of Truth she is in the World though not of the World and though the Members thereof be visible in the World yet the world that lies in Wickedness never owned them as such either saw the Glory of this Church but alwayes Persecuted it and was so far owning it as Rule and Judge as it altogether gain-sayed its direction but they that did believe in the word of Life and were separated from the World and hated by it were willing to hear the Counsel to receive the instruction of the Church of God and the Church only medled with their own Members as in matter of Judgment and not of the World further then by preaching Repentance in it for the Apostle saith What have we to do to judge them that are without and this Church as in God was secure to relie upon for she had the Oracles of God committed unto her every one may relie upon this Pillar if they dare trust it which I see R. E. dares not because he likes not to be tyed to their Doctrine declared of in the Scriptures but would have all to take what they say for granted without the Scripture or the Apostles example or Spirit and is not this unreasonable in thee that would'st have the Church to be believed or that which calls it self so by Name when she teacheth not conformable to Scriptures and to the Faith which was once delivered among the Saints and wouldst thou have a Church reckoned infallible and to be believed when she doth not her duty the Churches priviledges are in speaking Truth and judging Righteously and the Devil was a Lyer from the beginning and is out of the Truth and where hast thou read that he teaches
Church of God when as Christ saith He is the door none comes into the Fold but by him and none comes to the Father but by him and he is the way so who sets up another entrance unto God or into the Fold or into the Church which is the Pillar and Ground of Truth sets up an Idol and prefers an Idol above the Life and so are in the Idolatry But let none mistake that I say Water is an Idol nay it is a good Creature of God or that I say Johns Baptism with Water was an Idol nay he was in the Power and Spirit of Eliah and his Baptism a Figure of a good thing which was to come which afterward was received by the Disciples and Christ's words made good unto them John indeed Baptized you with Water unto Repentance but ye shall be Baptized with the Holy Ghost and with Fire not many dayes hence that was Christ's Baptism I am not Ignorant of the many and great Contests in this Age that have been about these things and I know many Scriptures that speak of Baptism all which I have searched narrowly with the Measure of God's Spirit given unto me into the true Ground of things and the true State of each administration and in this thing I am satisfied fully that the Baptism with Water was John's Baptism and not Christ's and the Baptism of the Spirit 〈◊〉 Christ's and now John's I have no desire to Wrangle or Jangle about words or contest about Shadows but that all may come to know him in whom all Ministrations end in and there will be Peace and Satisfaction to wit in Christ But to say something to the main Basis and Foundation which Priests and Separatists build much of their Arguments upon the last of Matthew and the last Verse Go teach and baptize all Nations in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost as for all the Priests about their baptizing of Infants here is no Ground at all for here is first teach and then baptize and here is no infants neither and so I know what Consequences have been drawn from this by the unlearned in their Imaginations but them that have the least Measure of true Light will not take a Consequence to build a Foundation on for this is contrary to their own Rule they say the Scripture is their Rule then their Consequence is not the Rule and if the Scriptures be the Rule let all People of your Parishes know if you can by the Scripture shew when John or any Disciple of his or Christ's baptized Infants and taught them Principles of Religion twenty Years after but they are willingly ignorant that see not you to be Idolaters and as for the Baptists Separates who build upon this for their Water-Baptism they are as groundless as the Priests and all their Agruments are as invalid as the rest for here is baptizing the Nations in the Name of the Father in the Name of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and any who are judicious or wise and are in any Measure of God's pure Wisdom will not say that the Name of the Father is Water or the Son or holy Ghost is Water the Name of God is I am and a strong Tower and the Name of the Son is the Word and the Word is the Power but this is not Water but further they say the Disciples had received the holy Ghost and did baptize with Water after and they were baptized with Water after they had received the holy Ghost and they bring divers Scriptures to prove this I shall not deny but Peter baptized with Water and Paul two or three Families and thanks God he baptized no more and said he had declared the whole Counsel of God and he makes not mention in all his Epistles that Baptism was any Part of his Command neither in all his Counsel to the Churches any where doth he exhort either to Timothy Titus or Apollo or any of the Brethren to baptize with Water but as for Peter's baptizing with Water I know no more Command he had then Paul as for the Commission which Matthew writes of Mat. 28. 19. and that Mark mentions Mark 16.15 there is no Water and so it 's the Baptism of John I grant and Christ bearing Witness to John that he was a Prophet and did baptize many and therefore he or they in Honour to John's Ministry might baptize some as well as Paul did circumcise Titus and then in 1 Cor 7.19 said It was nothing and again in another Place Neither Circumcision nor Uncircumcision did avail but a new Creature and because it was a Figure which People did not idolize so much then as they did Circumcision for the Weakness of the People for a time and the wise in Heart may understand that when any Representation or Figure outward was set up it was not easily denyed again nor an easie Thing to be laid down when the thing signified was come for many of the Jews believed in Christ and were said to be Brethren and yet they came from Jerusalem and troubled the Church of Galatia and would have brought them under the Figure Circumcision again and the Apostle in Gal. 4. asks them Now when ye know God why turn ye again to the beggarly Elements Circumcision observing Dayes Moneths Times and Years I would ask the moderate a Question whether Water be not an Element and pertains only to the elementary Part in man which is to pass away and be dissolved when the Seed is raised up whose Nature is not elementary but caelestial I shall say no more to them at this present who are contentious who are so zealous for their Water upon so weak a Ground but take heed that while you are striving about your outward Water you neglect not the washing of Regeneration and the cleansing of the Spirit many have been baptized but which of you have received the holy Ghost there is not one among you dare own or witness an infallible Spirit but count it an Error that any should speak or witness or look to enjoy any such thing in these Dayes well I say unto you your Day is a Day of Darkness and Gloominess you live in and thick Darkness covers your Tabernacle for whoever have received the holy Ghost or Spirit of Truth in any Measure are led by that which is infallible and not fallible and if you look not for this ye are no Sons notwithstanding all your washing the outside For as many as are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God and this is witnessed Praises to the Lord forever the Lord is unto his People an everlasting Light and this is the Sum that Water is owned to be a Figure of the one Baptism and was an Element and pertained to that which is elementary but the Elements shall melt with fervent Heat and be dissolved in the Day of the Lord and then the Seed comes up which is Heir of the Promise which is
Tribute of the Nation And for Heresie both in Doctrine and Worship none are to be compared unto you for Unsoundneâ—s ignorance for I look upon you as the Tail of all the People in the Nation And the Vineyard of God that thou speakst on is no where laid waste so much as among you Mass-house Worshippers for you are like Bryars and Thorns Scratching Rending tearing and hailing and are as a Field untilled and as a waste howling Wilderness that knows not when good comes and that your Ministers are those proud Phantastick Spirits that have taken up them to preach who deny an immediate Call Neither are they approved of his Church which is in God the Pillar and Ground of Truth but only they are approved by man and by the Colledges which were invented by the Pope where more Deceit and foolish Fopperies are practised then in any Society in the Nation besides for them that deny an immediate Call and an infallible Spirit I deny them to be any Ministers of Christ and so doth the Church of Christ who meet in his Name but such are your Ministers therefore we have turned from them many Years ago And the next thing thou art offended at is that a Woman spoke in a meeting near Conil what if ten had spoke if they had spoke by the Spirit of the Lord what offence had it been Did not God promise by Joel that he would pour forth his Spirit upon his Daughters and they should Prophesie and wouldest thou stop them And Priscilla instructed a Minister better then any of your Parish Tything Priests to wit Apollo And had not Philip three Daughters did Prophesie And were there not Women with Clement that were fellow-Labourers in the Gospel And what though she that was in the Transgression was to keep silent in the Church Doth it therefore follow that they are come out of the Transgression are to be silent in the Church Is this good Logick Edward If Christ be in male and in the female may he speak in the male but not in the female Doth not the Apostle say The Man is not without the Woman nor the Woman without the man but both in the Lord And if the Woman be in the Lord as well as the man may not the Lord speak in her Art thou one of them that wilt Limit the Holy one What if he speak in a dumb Ass and reprove the Madness of the Prophet Balaam And if he should do so now to reprove the mad Prophets that are in Balaam's Way loving the Wages of Unrighteousness now as he did then will you reprove God He that reproves him shall answer it and he that Gain-sayes either Son or Daughter shall Perish in the Gain-saying And now I come to thy third Observation The third Observation Thy Eye being evil thou canst not see when good cometh and thou art one of them who watchest for Iniquity that thereby thou mayest Blasspheme the Name of God and his Truth which thou art out of And as for our Tenets which thou sayest thou hast named and shamed thou no more knows us nor our Tenets then thou knowest from whence the Wind comes and whither it goes For all our words are as a Parable to thee and thou knowest not what we say although thou hast Catched and Snatched up some of our words brokenly to quarel with yet we are hidden from thee and a Gulf is between thee and us that as thou canst not apprehend nor Comprehend but first a terrible Day must come upon thee and those things which thou hast laid down to be our tenets thou doubtst whether they be or no manifest by thy own words If we say so and if hold so thou hadst better have been certain before thou hadst shewed thy self too Imperious and arrogant of shaming them when thou knowest not whether we hold them as thou hâ—st laid them down in thy own words the shame at last will come upon thy self and that Rash hasty Raging Spirit by which thou utterest fâ—rth all this Mudd and Dirt every one may see in this Observation thy deceit manifest And the first thing that thy dark Mind Stumbles at is that some have said That they that have the Spirit of God are equal with God He that hath the Spirit of God is in thaâ— which is equal as God is equal and his wayes equal And he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit there is unity and the unity stands in equality it self He that is born from above is the Son of God and he said I and my Father are one And when the Son is revealed and speaks the Father speaks in him and dwells in him and he in the Father In that which is equal in equality it self there is equality in Nature though not in Stature Go learn what these things mean the understanding and Learned will know what I say and this is neither damnable nor Blasphemous but on the contrary it is saving and Precious to them that believe And thou concludest Though they be glorified in Heaven yet are not equal with God Here thou Blasphemest the Son is glorified with the Father in the same Glory he had with him before the World began the Glory is in Purity equality Immortality and eternity but for thy proof thou bringst Pâ—al 86 8. For who among the Gods is like unto our God And again There is none like unto thee O Lord Here thou hast gone about to prove more Gods then one in Heaven Were the Gods glorified in Heaven which were not like the living God Or were they in heaven which were not like the Lord What Blasphemy is this They that are in heaven are like him in his Image and not like any other but in the World there are Gods many and Lords many but that is not in heaven there are no Gods nor Lords in the World nor in the Earth that is like the living God and living Lord of Heaven and Earth And many such non-sensical Phrases hast thou uttered and foolish Impertinences and thou hast scarce cited one Scripture but thou hast either misapplyed or wrested and perverted being very ignorant and unlearned and thy Masters for whom thou contend'st will never receive much Honour nor credit by thy writing or Vindication of them But to the second Particular which thou calls our tenet is That Christ Jesus is not glorified in his human Nature and that he hath no real Body but hâ—s Mystâ—cal Body and this thou sayest is contray to Scripture Luke 24.3 9. and Aâ—â—s 3.20 John 17. And in this thou sayest we are shamed I say thou hast shamed thy self and hast cited those Scriptures to no purpose at all none of all these speak of human Nature or Mystical body but this I say he is glorified with the Father in a spiritual Body in the same Glory he had with the Father before the world began And the same Jesus which was of the Seed of Abraham according to the Flesh
more for fear of Wrath and to please Men then to serve and please the Living God whose Throne is established in the Heavens whose Kingdom is over all how be it Man whose Eyes were Blind the Sons of Adam in Transgression in the fallen State know not the Kingdom nor his Throne further then by report and hear-say and Traditions and Customs though by him Kings Rule and Princes Decree Justice yet few do know him who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords the God of the whole Earth neither do they know that in themselves in which Justice is decreed who are rather continuing Ruling in an usurperd Estate then ruling in the Power of the Lord which would be a Terror to Evil-doers but fallen Man calls well-doing Evil and Evil good and so Judges and Rules according to that in his own Eyes so punishes and afflicts them who do that which is evil as it appeareth in his eyes though it be good in the eyes of the Lord. And upon this Account the Righteous have suffered and such as are dear unto the Lord have been made a prey of through many Generations from Cain downward who slew his Brother and who are in the first birth Born of the Flesh judge that Evil which is born of the Spirit and their Wayes evil who walk in the Spirit and their Worship evil who worship in the Spirit and thus many Kings of Judah and Israel made the Righteous Seed to suffer when they were revolted from the Lord then they set up their own Imaginations Decrees and Laws to be observed who laid the Commandments of the Lord waste and made Havock of them that kept them and caused such to suffer as Evil-doers and as Traytors as Factious and Rebellious in the sight of all the People as Jeroboam Ahab Ahaziah Rehoboam and divers others and the Princes and Dukes of Edom made War against Jacob and his Seed unto which the Promise was and the Blessing was and so accounted them vile that were pretious in the sight of the Lord and reckoned them Righteous that were vile in the Eyes of the Lord. And since the Kingdom of Heaven hath been Preached and Christianity the Name thereof hath been in Reputation and the Gospel hath been published abroad and the Uncircumcised have got the Sound and the unregenerate have got the Fame and the Unconverted have got the Name of Christians and yet alwayes turn against them that were in the Nature of Christ these have made the Righteous to suffer and killed the Children of the free-Woman the true Church the Lamb's Wife And know ye this that since Christ hath been Preached and since the true Church hath been brought forth there hath been a great falling away by many from the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints by which Faith they had Victory over the World and Conquered spiritual Enemies and overcame the Grave and witnessed Victory over it Now the Words of them which had this Faith are retained and the Form of the out-side Practices was held for a while but the Power was denyed And Paul saw many such getting up to a Head and growing into a Body in his time who had the Form but denyed the Power who subverted whole Houses who were covetous and Heady and high-Minded then and lovers of Pleasures more then lovers of God and this kind of false Apostles and Satan's Messengers and false Prophets that Christ said should come Mat. 24. and John saw already come in that Age and Peter Jude and divers others wrote of and yet these were Preachers of the Name of Christ and got the form of Words and the Name of Gospel and yet denyed the Lord that bought them and redeemed them as in 2 Peter 2.1 to wit him in whom was Life and the Life was the Light of men Thus they denyed the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World and yet would be preaching up the Name of Christ and Jesus in Words but denyed the Life which is a Mystery and many followed their Pernicious wayes by whom the Truth was Evil-spoken of these were Enemies to the Cross of Christ which mortifies the Deeds of the Flesh and so lived in the Flesh and yet had the good Words the Sheeps cloathing the out-side but were Erred and ravened from the Spirit greedy after filthy Lucre greedy after Covetousness and worldly Honours greedy after Pleasures and these false Teachers went out into the World from the Light and from the Life and fellowship of the Gospel which is a Mystery and from the Saints Communion and from the Apostles fellowship and from The true Church in God the Ground and Pillar of Truth and then withstood the Apostles and spoke all manner of Evil of them and falsely accused them to be in Bondage and these separated themselves and crept into Houses and lead many away Captive and Captivated their Understanding Captivated the minds of those that were laden with Sin and divers Lusts who were ever learning but never came to the Knowledge of the Truth in which the discerning is And these became great Teachers and the whole World went after them and proselyted many into their false Faith which was Fained and into that Hope which was but as a Spider's webb and into a Profession of Christianity without the Life of Christ and those went into the World and those that were in the Perishing state wondered after them and admired them and set them up who admired them because of Advantage and received them and so held up one another in Deceit and so grew into a Body and got the Name of a Church though they were adulterated from the true Faith and run away from Christ the true Husband after other Lovers and yet because the Name of Christ and Christianity had a good Sound therefore they retained the Name for a Cloak that they might not be discovered And so many Children and false Christians which were not begotten and Born again of the Light Immortal and of the Immortal Word of Life were brought forth and these were adulterated Children and Children of Fornication and Children of falshood who would Lye as the Prophet said as the Mother was so was the Daughter and so are the Children And here did the false Church and false Members arise and false Christians and false Children grew Numerous in so much that they spread themselves over Nations Kindreds Tongues Languages and People and so came to be a Universal Visible Church though indeed an deceitful and abominable Harlot who spread her Feet unto every one that passed by as it is easie to make appear neither did she retain long the Practice and form of the true Apostles but joyned themselves to the Heathen and took in their Practice and mixed themselves with the Jewish Worship and took in their Types Figures Shadows Dayes Fasts and Feasts and mixed all these things together and at last called those Inventions the Apostolick Institutions and Ordinances
Man and all Men and every Church is fallible and subject to Error and with these and the like Words R.E. was extreamly troubled as he saith and knew not how to answer without shuffing Answ. The true Christian Religion stands not only in Name nor in Words nor in conforming or Transforming to this or that outward Practice which the Disciples of Christ were exercised in which divers in the latter days in their old corrupt minds not having their Hearts renewed have taken on the outside and have got the Form and want the Life and the Power and are not partakers of the Divine Nature of Christ and such a bare Profession as this has no certainty nor infallibility in it neither the assurance but that they may be mistaken and may be subject to Err as well as Turks or Jews or any other but the true Christians Religion indeed whom Christ will own as true Worshippers of him stands in Power in Life and in being obedient unto his living commands and precepts which he giveth forth unto his Disciples and manifesteth by his Spirit his Sheep hear his Voice and know it from the Voice of a stranger And he giveth the Knowledge of his will to all that believe in the measure of his eternal Spirit which he hath given every one a Measure of to profit withal and by it to be guided into all Truth out of all Error and this Spirit is infallible and gives certain assurance to all that receive it that they are in that way which is acceptable to God and they feel Comfort unto their Souls coming daily from the presence of Christ who is the Rock of Ages and the sure Foundation upon which his holy Church is founded which is the Pillar and Ground of Truth and they that are living Members are not Grounded upon a fallible certainty or upon a conâ—ectural supposition or a vain hope which is without bottom but upon that which is sure and stedfast lasting everlasting and all men in the unregenerate Estate are Lyars but they that are Born from above are of the Truth and Lye not and are not subject to mistakes because the Seed remains in them and walk in the pure Religion which keeps unspoted of the World and they that have no other Ground for their Religion but only without them and from the report of others are short of the true Foundation for that may be Truth in it self indeed which is not true to another nor he truly partakes of it and here is all the supposing conjectures and mistakes and fallible certainties which it seems R. E. and his lay Gentlemen too when the Axe is laid to the Root of the Tree indeed and notwithstanding all the laying claim to infallibility and certainty its but grounded upon a report without and the Traditions of men from Generation to Generation For them that believe but only because of the true report without and cometh not to Witness the thing assured in their own Hearts by the Spirit of the Lord these will not be long of that Faith 't is true many did believe because of the Apostles â—eclaration and report but at last came to feel the Witness of God in their own Hearts testifying the same in somuch that they could say and truly too though we have believed through your Words at the first yet now we have heard him our selves that which giveth perfect assurance which admits of no doubts nor fallibleness for such evidence all true Members of Christ's Church have in themselves which carries divine Authority and satisfaction in it to every particular Believer and so I say with P. E. in this it seems unreasonable to perswade any to receive this or that for a Truth when they that so perswade are uncertain in themselves neither dare say their Judgment is infallible which is that old Protestant Principle indeed and also the Principle of many Sects who differ from the pretended Catholick Church of Rome who Persecuted one another about outward things even as the Heathen about their Idols and yet will needs sit as Judge in Mens Consciences with their fallible Spirit though I speak not of every individual Person neither can I justifie the Roman Catholick Church so called who lays claim to infallibility and whatsoever they Judge to be Heresie must be reckoned as such though never so manfiest a Truth and to place infallibility in men that may Err and have erred from the Spirit I like not neither for this is to give that to men that belongs to God and to make the Judgment of fallible men above the Judgment of the infâ—llible Spirit of God and this I look to be great Ambition and Pride in any to lay claim to the greatest things as infallibility and certainty of assurance and the most free of Error and yet fall the shortest of it of any as hath been made appear by many Learned and Grave Men of former Ages and also if a necessity were might be made appear that the Church of Rome who saith she cannot err have been as uncertain both in their Doctrine and Worship as any yea more one Pope contradicting and throwing down that which another did establish and one Council Decreeing and another disanulling as I could easily make appear but that I would not be Tedious to the Reader in things that have been so manifest neither do I desire to wade out into diversity of matters in so short a Discourse But that which R. E. and his Catholick instructer calleth late wild and loosâ— Opinions that men of different Faiths may be saved and this countenanceth schism and breeds Rebellion as it is said 't is true Faith is but one which is saving and there is no difference in that for the difference is among Men where that is wanting and only have words and Name of Faith and want the Life and Power Neither am I so narrow Spirited as R. E. and his Catholick as to exclude all out of the Faith who may differ in their perswasions in some Circumstantial things if yet they hold Christ the Head and what makes R. E. so virilent as to judge all in Errour and to be out of the true Faith seeing the Protestants and all sorts of separates profess Justification and Salvation only through Faith in Christ Jesus as well as the Church of Rome and it were unreasonably judged in me if I should conclude a man to be no man because he is not so tall as another but I see R E. and his Catholick would have all Shoes made by their Last though they will not fit every mans Feet Faith is the gift of God there are divers Decrees and measures accoding to the mind and good pleasure of the giver so that he that hath received any measure or degree must not be excluded as having no Faith though he attain not to that degree that some do enjoy and the Apostle's Doctrine was That 〈◊〉 one should be perswaded in his own mind and if
F. H. was called into the Court which they read in which Papers F. H. had come as near them as he could in the Truth that he might leave them the more without Excuse but all would not prevail with them for they were set on to do their Utmost against him Here followeth the Sum of their last Proceedings against F. H. and the most material Passages in open Court at the Assizes holden at Appleby the 22d and 23d of the 6th Moneth 1664. F. H. being called to the Bar. Judge spoke moderately and said Here is an Indictment against you for refusing to take the Oath of Obedience so you must plead to it either guilty or not guilty F. H. with a Heart girded up with Strength and Courage said Judge Turner May I have Liberty to speak and make my Defence for I have none to plead my Cause but the Lord Judge You may F. H. I will lay the true State of my Case before thee and of the Proceedings against me from the first seeing Judge Twisden is not here who had Knowledge of all the Proceedings hitherto I am a Country Man born and brought up in this Country my Carriage and Conversation is known how I have walked peaceably towards all Men as I hope my Country men can testifie about a Year ago being at my neighbouring Market-Town about my reasonable and lawful Occasions I was sent for by an high Constable out of the Market to the Justices of Peace before whom I went and when I came there they had nothing to lay to my Charge but fell to ask me Questions to ensnare me about our Meetings and when they could find no Occasion they seemed to tender the Oath of Allegiance to me though they never read it to me neither did I positively deny it yet they committed me to Prison and so I was brought hither to this Assize and then the Mittimus by which I was committed was called for and the Judge read it and said to the Justices it was insufficient nevertheless Judge Twisden tendred the Oath of Obedience to me many things I did alledge then and many more I have to say now if time will permit from that time I was under an Engagement to appear at the next Assize and so was called and did appear at the last Goal-delivery and a further Obligation was required of me for good Behaviour which I could not do lest I should be brought into a further Snare and since that time I have been committed Prisoner these five Moneths some of which time I have been kept under great Restraint my Friends not permitted to speak to me and thus briefly I have given thee an Account hitherto and as to the Oath the Substance thereof with the Representation of my Case is presented unto the Court already unto which I have set my Hand and also shall in those Words testifie the same in open Court if required and seeing it is the very Substance the Law doth require I desire it may be accepted and I cleared from my Imprisonment Judge I am come to execute the Law and the Law requires an Oath and I cannot alter it do you think the Law must be changed for you or only for a few if this be suffered the Administration of Justice iâ— hindered no Action can be tryed nor Evidence given for the King nor no other particular Cases can be tryed end your Principles are altogether inconsistent with the Law and Government I pray you shew me which Way we shall proceed shew me some Reason and give me some Ground F. H. said I shall in the Mouth of two or three Witnesses every Truth is confirmed and we never denyed to give and still are ready to give Evidence for the King wherein we are concerned and in any other Matter for the ending of Strife between Man and Man in Truth and Righteousness and this answers the Substance of the Law Judge Is this a good Answer think you whether to be given with or without Oath the Law requires an Oath F. H. Still Evidence is and may be given in Truth according to the Substance of the Law so that no Detriment cometh unto any Party seeing that true Testimony may be born without an Oath and I did not speak of changing the Law yet seeing we never refused giving Testimony which answereth the Intent and Substance of the Law I judged it was reasonable to receive our Testimony and not to expose us unto such Sufferings seeing we scrupled an Oath only upon a conscientious Account in Tenderness of our Consciences for Fear of breaking the Command of Christ the Saviour of the World which if he do there is none of you able to plead our Cause for us with him Judge But why do you not go to Church but meet in Houses and private Conventicles which the Law forbids F. H. We meet together only for the Worship of the true God in Spirit and Truth having the primitive Christians for our Example and to no other End but that we may be edified and God glorified and when two or three are met together in the Name of Christ and he in the midst of them there is a Church Judge That is true but how long is it since you have been at Church or will you go to the Church the Law doth allow of give me some Reasons why you do not go F. H. I have many to give thee if thee hast Patience to hear me first God dwells not in Temples made with Mens Hands 2 dly The Parish House hath been a Temple for Idols to wit for the Mass and the Rood and I dare have no Fellowship with Idols nor worship in Idols Temples for what have we to do with Idols their Temples and Worship Judge Were there not Houses called the Houses of God and Temples F. H. Yes under the Law but the Christians who believed in Christ separated from these and the Temple was made and left desolate and from the Gentiles Temples too and met together in Houses and broak Bread from House to House and the Church was not confined then to one particular Place neither is it now many more things I have to say the Judge interrupted Judge Will you answer to your Indictment F. H. I know not what it is I never heard it though I have often desired a Copy Judge Clerk read it So he read it how that F. H. had wilfully obstinately and contemptuously denyed to swear when the Oath was tendered F. H. I deny it Judge What do you deny F. H. The Indictment Judge Did you not deny to swear and the Indictment convicts you that you did not swear F. H. I gave unto the Court the Substance of the Oath as you all know 2 dly I told you I did not deny it out of Obstinacy or Wilfulness neither in Contempt of the Kings Law or Government for my Will would rather choose my Liberty then Bonds and I am sensible it is like to be a great Dammage
limit him to any visible Appearance shall be broken to pieces for his Glory he vvill not give to another This was I moved of the Lord to write in Answer to Tho. Ellyson 's Petition and to the Magistrates A Lover of all those that wait for the Redemption of Israel called after the Flesh Francis Hovvgil THE Fiery Darts Of The Devil QUENCHED Or something in Answer to a BOOK called A second Beacon Fired Presented to the Lord Protector and the Parliament and subscribed by Luke Fawne John Rothwel Samuel Gellibrand Thomas Underhil Joshua Kirton Nathanael Webb Wherein their Lyes and Slanders are made manifest against the Innocent and those Books which have been published by them they call Quakers owned and vindicated and all the rest which is in that Book disowned and their Deceit laid open how they have perverted the Truth our Words in those Books which they cry out of as Blasphemy that the Truth may not suffer under the Reproach of the Heathen FIrst of all you go about and flatter the Powers and the Magistrates and tell them They ought to have a Care of their peoples Souls in keeping them from Infection of Idolatry and Blasphemy and you say you are to inform them of the Dangerousness of great Meetings in London of Quakers whose Opinions are Blasphemous Paganish Anti-scriptural and Anti-Christian even as the former And further the greatest thing that troubles you is Printing and Publishing Books many thousands you say concerning Blasphemous and Heretical and Anti-magistratical Opinions tending to unchristian People and disorder the People of the Nations and to bring in Paganism and Libertinism and this you say you present unto them to provoke their zeal against them Oh you blood-thirsty-minded men all the Care that you would have the Magistrates to take of the People is to destroy them and to have them shut up in Holes and Caves and Dens and Prisons and the Truth ever suffered by your Generation and your Generation hath ever pressed the Magistrates that they might abuse their Power and if they will but hearken to you instead of healing the People they will be Destroyers and instead of making up Breaches they will make desolate and so you would drive them on hastily to satisfie your corrupt Will and to uphold your Diana and your craft that you may make Merchandize of that vvhich hath been long enough sold and printed by you and what hath it done who is turned from Darkness to Light and you that make a trade of others Writings and Words to maintain you in your Lusts and deceive this you would have them to uphold but as for the care of Peoples Souls it 's far enough from you and all along in your filthy lying slanderous Book you are made manifest to be of those that would have Fire to come down from Heaven in your Wills to destroy all those that withstand you and your Imaginations And therefore let all Magistrates in whom the Fear of the Lord is take heed how they take things from the Hands and Mouthes of them who have alwayes persecuted the Power of Truth and called Truth Errour and Light Darkness and Darkness Light and in a blind Zeal for God destroy them whom the Power of the Lord is manifest in for so Paul persecuted Christ and the Saints and so the Jews crucified Christ and all the Saints have suffered And you are offended at our meeting in London while we have been here in the City we have not been in a corner and we challenge you and all the City in the Name of the Lord who is dreadfull to all Lyars and Slanderers to shew what are those blasphemies that you speak of you backbiters shall have your portion with the rest of hypocrites Opinions we deny for the Light of Jesus Christ is spiritual which appears and declares against all Sects and Opinions and Blasphemies and all you who hate it are in Contention and in Opinions and Blaspheme the Truth and here I charge it upon you in the Presence of the living God that you are Blasphemers who call the Light Natural and Paganism and the Lord will plead with you you filthy corrupt minds who calls the Light of Christ Anti-christian for here in the Presence of the Lord of Hosts I speak it no other Light do we own to walk by but that which is spiritual and eternal the Light of Christ which he hath enlightened every one that comes into the World withall and this is not Anti-scriptural as thou calls it for the Scriptures witness the same and Christ bears witness of it and no other Light do we own but the same that ever was which was in the beginning and which convinceth the World of Sin and the same that led up the Saints to knovv the Father and the Son and you that call this Paganism and Heretical and Blasphemous and Anti-christian let all vvho have any Light in them judge and let Shame cover your Faces and Fear take hold upon you for your Words stink and come out of the Mouth of the Dragon ye filthy unclean Frogs vvhich have Poison under your Tongues And as for the Bookes vvhich vve have printed vve ovvn them and are ready to lay dovvn our Lives for the Testimony of Jesus and the Truth of them and seal them vvith our Blood and vvhat are vvritten in them through the eternal Povver of God vvhich is made manifest and that vve have published any thing against any just Magistrate let all our vvritings and all vvho read them judge and if bearing vvitness to Jesus Christ unchristians People let all judge for no other do vve ovvn but the same Christ to Day and Yesterday and forever and here all your petitioning is made manifest from vvhence it did arise and proceed and your shame and Nakedness and envy appears And the Sacraments vvhich you say you use which is appointed in the Scripture and Farnsvvorth in Answer to a Petition did deny them Answer His Ansvver vve ovvn and I challenge you to be Perverters of the Scripture vvhere read you of Sacraments in the Scripture here I charge you to be Lyars and Slanderers and Denyers of the Scripture and Adders to it and the Plagues shall be added to you and as for that vvhich you use among you is traditional and imitatory Yet the Bread vvhich vve break is the Communion of the Body of Christ and the Cup we drink is the Communion of the Blood of Christ and this is that which Paul received from him And Baptism by one Spirit into one Body we own the Baptism is but one and this we own and here you Lyars and Slanderers are seen and denyed Another thing you call Heresie and Blasphemy is that we say that Christ hath enlightened all men but I shall lay down your own Words and prove you Lyars out of that Book called the General good to all People and you say The Light of God that is in all men that is to wit
are like to be tryed Your Armour is Righteousness on the right hand and on the left your City is free The Gates stand open Day and Night a VVolf Lyon nor any Beast cannot enter no not so much as a flying-Fowl Oh how goodly are thy Tents O thou Seed of Jacob the Elect whom he hath chosen O how pleasant is your scituation The Tower of David Mount Sion stands sure and cannot be moved O! who is a People like unto you saved by our God that lives forever His Love is large he is kind he is long-suffering he is faithful and keeps Covenant and his Promises are Yea Yea He is the Amen the first and the last Come forth my dear Brethren set forth his Praise declare his Name among the Heathen publish his Name among the Congregations let the Earth be filled with his Love and power that his Judgments may be declared and his Statutes that they sound in the Ears of Generations to come O ye that are convinced of the Truth of our God wait in that which doth convince and keep your Minds to it and love it and follow it whither it leads you and it will lead you to know the Gift of God which leads to Repentance from dead VVorks to serve the living God who dwells in the Immortal Light and take heed of looking back at the Pleasures of Sin you have formerly lived in but wait upon the pure Light of Christ Jesus in Patience that so you may see the Enmity which is against God and it slain in you daily that so you may see him that is the Saviour of the Soul and take heed of rebelling against the Lord who hath given you a measure of his true Light to lead you from Sin if you love it unto Righteousness from whence it comes even from the righteous Judge of all the VVorld who judgeth every man ouâ— of the Book of his Conscience and so prize the everlasting Love of God to your Souls that you may see him who lives forever And all Babes who are born again who have suffered and Pangs of Death and know the Indignation of the Lord against Sin and the Terrour of the Lord against the man of Sin who have roared for the Disquietness of your Hearts who have born the Indignation of the Lord and are come to the giving forth of the Law where there is Thundring and Earth-quakes and Terrour and great Hail and Fire and Smoke even such as was not since the Beginning insomuch that you could not bear his Voice and live nor see his Face and live Stand still in Patience and let it have its perfect Work in you and hear the Indignation ye that are in it if you endure the Tribulation with Patience Hope you will see and a Time of Refreshment will come endure the Cross that the mortal and earthly and carnal may be judged and the bad ground shaken and taken away and that you may see the living Hope to stay your Minds upon And ye who are enlivened and do witness the Law of Righteousness set up in you which is a School-master and keeps in the Fear stand in it and keep in the Fear low in Soberness and Calmness and then you will see your Hearts purified daily and the cursed Nature judged which is out of its Course and it bridled and subjected and the Law which is pure and holy and eternal which stands forever in Power and force against the Transgressor to judge all Unrighteousness And so wait that you may see the Lyon tamed and the wild Heifer yoked and the Yoke of Christ born and the wild Colt tamed by him upon which never man sate before then and not till then is Hosanna sung And all wait in your Measures dear Babes that the Milk of the Word you may see and be nourished by it and grow up as living Branches about the Table of the Lord. And all you young men and Virgins that know Virginity keep your Virginity you in whom the Prince of this world is judged and cast out and the righteous Law of God revealed and given forth in which you stand and walk and have Peace from him who is the Law-giver and Judge who hath saved you from your Iniquities and blotted out your Sins for his own Name 's sake you who know the living Water and Spirit of which you are born again and witness the Birth which enters into the Kingdom of God where no mortal or unclean Beast can come Keep in the Life and Power of God which limits all and chains all under that the Life of the Son of God may live and speak in you and be bold In the dread of God stand and that which leads into Slavery keep out And now being made Partakers of his everlasting Love walk worthy of his Love and of the high Calling whereunto you are called who hath created you in Christ Jesus unto Holiness and Righteousness forever that to the praise of his Grace which you are saved by by which you have obtained the Remission of Sins and an Inheritance amongst them that are sanctified So wait in the living Hope and the living Faith in which God is well pleased in which you ask and receive of him and are accepted of our heavenly Father And this Faith ye know which is a present Power and a Shield against all Temptations and a Helmet and as a Fortress by which you are preserved safe standing in it and putting it on in the Day of Tryal My dear Brethren of the everlasting Kindred and Heirs of the everlasting Promise wait all in Patience having received an earnest of the Inheritance that never fades away to the End abide in the Father's Counsel and at Wisdom's Gate Ye know what I say I write not unto you because you know not the Truth but because you know and are made free in your Measures by him who is the Truth and the Way in which all our Fathers and you also have obtained a good Report even of all the Houshold of Faith and take heed of the Glory of the World and look not at Hardship for verily all the Suffering is not worthy to be Compared to that Glory which is revealed and to be revealed unto all that wait and abide in Patience and Faithfulness unto the end but be ye as good Souldiers endure hardship that you may receive the End of your Hope and the everlasting Price and the purchased Possession and the Crown of Glory which God will give unto you in his own Day which is coming on towards you if you continue in the Hope in the Faith and in the Love unfeigned which thinks no ill by which and in which Love we have Victory over the Grave Sin and Death which he hath freely shed abroad in our Hearts unto whom be everlasting Praise forever and ever to him which was dead and is alive and lives for evermore the Mediator of the new Covenant of Life and Peace in which we have Access
this Life was Death to him and to his Nature and so all who are out of the Faith are dead while they Live Now after the Transgression in Process of time when the Seed of fallen Adam began to increase in the Earth being driven out from that Presence of the Lord they spread over the whole Earth and sought many Inventions being gone from that of God in themselves by which they were united unto him having broken his Covenant and joyned in Covenant with Death Death acts forth it self against the Seed which is not of its Nature and alwayes sought to imbondage it and to kill it as Cain did Abel and Esau Jacob and Ishmael did unto Isaac and unto his Seed Now the Seed unto which the Promise was received the Law from the Mouth of the Lord and they that persecuted the Seed invented and made Laws of their own according to that Nature in which they lived and so became Heathenish in their Fashions Laws and Customs and Cruelty grew up as it was nourished and leavened into its own Nature and Unbelief grew into a mighty Stature and Monsters were brought forth in such a strange Shape in every thing that the Enmity did appear in as had not been seen in the Earâ—h before and so man being gone astray from the Life of Righteousness every thing is abominable and of a stranger Nature that he brings forth yet take notice of this that as the Seed unto which the Promise was who were in the Faith and obeyed through Faith they had a Law so they in Unbelief had also a Law as the Seed worshipped the living God through a lively and a living Faith and so sinned not in so doing the Seed of the Serpent imitated a Worship and worshipped in Death and Unbelief and as the Laws of one were equal such as David and Solomon the other were unequal such as Jeroboam and Rehoboam and as the one set up Equity by a Law the other made a Law to set up Iniquity And the Seed sought not their own Honour but the Honour of him who was their Reward but the Seed of the Evil-doer sought himself and his own Honour and as the Spirit of the Lord breathed forth it self and spoke the Truth in the Power of God Deceit uttered forth Lyes in Hypocrisie and in the Power of Death and as the upright lived unto God in the Spirit Deceit lived unto the Flesh and unto him who hath the Power of Death which is the Devil and as they fulfilled the Law of God who were led by the holy Spirit of God into all Truth the other followed their own Imaginations and answered the Deceit and foolish Mind and they whose Understanding was darkened loved them and had Pleasure in them So it may be truly said Many Nations Rulers and ruled sit in the Region of the shadow of Death and the living God is forgotten among them and one against another they are seeking one anothers Ruine and all in the Violence and in the Cruelty Therefore all Rulers and Potentates of the Earth Magistrates and Governours under the whole Face of Heaven hearken unto the Words of my Mouth and listen unto Understanding that you may be Partakers of the Happiness and Felicity which God is shedding abroad now in the â—â—â—ter Dayes that so the Restorer you may know in your Regions and the Deliverer in your Nations and the Maker up of the Breach in your dominâ—ons that he who is the desire of all Nations may be revealed among you He which must restore is not born of man nor cometh not to a People or a Nation in the Will of man neither seeks he himself but the Glory of the Father who hath sent him to seek and to save that which is lost and to heal the Breaches and to destroy that which hath made the Breach that so all Nations who receive him and believe in him may be reconciled unto him and one to another that the Earth may enjoy Rest and the Regions Quietness therefore all be warned not to look forth in your Wills for there you will not receive him but slight him as many before you have done and so lye down in Sorrow and weary your selves in Vanity and lye down in Infamy and never come to see his dignity Now he of whom I declare unto you is the Son of God who is the Light of the World and the Life of Man and hath lightned every man that cometh into the World which Light wherewith all men are enlightened is not contrary to the Law of God which indures forever but one with it and this will let you see Violence Treachery Murder Envy Wrath Maliciousness Drunkeness Whoredom Lying Cursed speaking Stealing Defrauding Cheating Cozening Riotousness Pride Arrogancy Emulation Contention Strife Hatred Persecution Cruelty Oppression I say the Light which comes from Christ by whom the World was made will shew you that all these things is Sin and evil in the sight of God and also will let you see there is a ground from whence these and all other evils proceed which ground is in all the Sons of men in the Transgression till it be removed and these things before mentioned be the fruits that grow from it and bud forth themselves in all Nations and in every man in every Nation so the Earth is filled with Violence and the Grapes are as Sodom and the Fruit as Gomorrah whom God overthrew and till these things be done away and these fruits wither and the root from whence they arise be removed out of every particular man who is a Ruler he cannot be a Blessing to a Nation neither rule for God in a Nation neither will he or can he be a Terrour to all these things before mentioned While he himself is in those for he cannot destroy his own Life neither will Iniquity set up Righteousness nor the Worker of Iniquity advance Christ. Therefore listen to the words of my Mouth and despise not Counsel lest you perish among Fools and go down to the horrible Pit where there is everlasting Misery unto all Perpetuity Now God that made both Heaven and Earth and all things that therein are he is Light and with him is no Darkness at all he never changes his Purity nor alters his righteous Decrees his Eye is pure and alwayes fixed to behold all the Works of the Sons of men and he searches the Heart of man with his eye and pierceth through the secret places and is near to every man although man do not see him he is invisible and eternal and his Law indures forever and the unalterable decree by which Sin is judged and reproved in the World and in every particular man and every man who hearkens and hears the Words of the pure Law which judges all Sin in man receiveth the Sentence of Death in himself and is judged by the righteous Words of his Mouth and so Sin in the particular comes to be condemned and all these changeable things
Hardness of Heart will come upon thee and thou wilt be as a Stone which cannot be melted and Wo will be unto such where the Spirit of the Lord in them ceaseth to strive with them having so long rebelled against and gainsaid the pure drawing of it that so the Lord is grieved and wearied with their Impenitency that he gives them up to their vile Affection and to follow the Imaginations of their own Heart who received not the Truth in the Love of it but in the Enmity still remain obstinate doing Despight to the Spirit of Grace his long-suffering comes to an End and his fierce Wrath comes to be kindled against such and that which would have led them out of the World into true pure everlasting Peace now becomes their Tormentor and they banished from his Presence and shut up in Eternal Misery where the Fire is kindled by the Breath of the Lord that burns forever the Sentence of Condemnation being past upon them because they had Pleasure in Unrighteousness and have sold themselves to do wickedly and crucifying the Appearance of God in themselves which Appearance though it lives in the Fountain of Life yet crucified by thee who art out of the Life yet lives still forever in it self to be thy Condemnation eternally How the Spirit of the Father worketh in them who are turned to it and have taken heed unto its Manifestation and are in some Measure Partakers of its Power THere are Differences of Administration but the same Lord and there are Diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit and there are Diversities of Operations but the same God which worketh all in all Now the Spirit of Truth which is Life in it self putteth forth its own pure Act not only to convince and detect him that transgresseth its Appearance and manifesteth Evil which hath been committed by Man but also being turned unto and waited in it shews Man when Motions and Temptations unto Sin arise and as the Creature is still and waiteth in that which manifesteth and singly keeps in his Mind to it it sheds abroad its Power and vanquisheth and subdueth those Lusts which do arise and condemns the Ground from whence they arise and it purely draweth the Mind after it and secretly worketh and breatheth forth its pure Life in him that waiteth in Patience and in Stilness not heeding the vain Thoughts and Imaginations that rise in his Heart but rather heeds the Manifestation of the Spirit at whose bright Appearance all the vain Desires come to be extinguished and there comes to be a Hunger begot within to be made Partakers of its Purity and of its Nature for God through the Operation of the eternal Spirit lets forth his Power which turneth and changeth the Heart and cuts asunder and divides betwixt a man and those Lovers that he hath joyned unto and makes a Separation within and carries a man further from those things which the Measure of the Spirit reproves and this leads nearer unto God And so they that do believe in the Measure of God's Spirit come to feel what Repentance from dead Works is and the Works and the Worker are seen and who it is that hath wrought is manifest in the Light and as there is a diligent waiting upon it there is nothing that passeth through the Mind but it discerns and gives a Discerning unto every particular Heart who singly and quietly wait upon it but yet after the Spirit of Truth in some measure be felt and its living Testimony in something yet it may be a long time before there be a clear Distinguishment in the Understanding so that one cannot clearly discern its Movings from all other false Motions and high Imaginations which are above and hence it is that the hasty and forward Minds follow their vain Motions which lead them into Deceit and then the Questioner gets up and then they question all that ever the Spirit hath made manifest unto them before a Vail then is drawn over and the Enemy lodges in the Vail and in the Darkness which is entered and then as soon as any hearken within to that which is the uppermost and doth abound the Enemy that lodges in that presents Motions as to obey this and that and all is Deceit So therefore all are to keep back that they may sensibly feel between the pure Motions and drawing of the Spirit and the vain Thoughts that arise out of the earthly Heart and when any thing doth arise which the Light doth not bear Witness to it 's not to be followed nor heeded but a quiet still waiting that things may be cleared to the understanding and for Want of this many have run out and have brought forth Satan's Work and acted things forwardly in their Will and so have clean lost the true Sence of that which should guide their Minds and have followed the Spirit of Error have caused the pure Spirit of the Lord to be evil spoken of but as there is a keeping back and a quiet waiting out of willing or running and haste it arises purely and stilly in the Heart shines forth in Brightness in the Heart so that it giveth perfect Evidence and full Testimony of it self that there will be no doubting nor questioning of its Motion for it will apparently shew forth it self in its own transparent Brightness with full Assurance of his own Will and then after it be clearly seen and its Motion then keep under all reasoning and keep out all questioning and give not Way to Temptation and that which moves of the Lord of Life will carry thee through in its own Operation and Power to accomplish the Will of God and so thou wilt have Peace being obedient and thy Strength will be renewed for as any is brought to submit unto the Will of God when it is known and comes to obey by Virtue of its own Power that which is contrary unto God's Spirit in thee comes to loose its Strength and to decay and be weakened but as any disobey the pure Motion of God's holy Spirit after it be known the Enemy is strengthned and that which is of the Flesh nourished and the Spirit comes to be quenched that which would give thee Power if thou submittest to it but yet know this the Spirit in it self never loseth its Purity neither can be quenched in it self but will bear its pure Witness against thee and none shall be able to stop its Reproof thus the Diversity of its Operation comes to be known as it is hearkened unto obeyed loved and believed in it puts forth its pure Power and gives Strength and seals Peace to the obedient but disobeyed and resisted it condemns judgeth reproves and seals Condemnation to the disobedient and yet there is no Variation in it self for it is alwayes one and the same But as it operateth upon different Natures or Objects unto which it joyns or stands at a Distance from that is to say the good Ground it causeth to bring
in that which is pure that it may be received and there the Operation of it comes to be known and its Vertue partaken of by all that do believe in it and receive it and are subject to it they see and feel God's Salvation revealed through it to their Souls and know where their Strength lies not in self-acting but in the free Gift of God the Gift of Righteousness the righteous Gift by which Justification cometh upon all that believe Whether all have received the Grace of God or no declared and whether it be a sufficient Teacher in it self to wit that Grace that hath appeared to all if it be received demonstrated THis wise Generation whose Wisdom is below the Wisdom of God have confounded Peoples Minds with Distinctions as that there is a two-fold Grace First That which they call common which they say hath appeared to all men Secondly That which thy call Special and Saving which hath only appeared to the Saints And by giving heed to these Distinctions in Times past many Years ago I lost my self and my Guide and went from the Appearance of it in my self to hearken to a thing at a Distance from me and heeded not that at home which was near because it was called common and insufficient and so suffered great Loss and there I am moved by him in whose Sight I have found Favour and Mercy and Grace to declare the Truth as the Lord hath made it manifest to me and in me that all who seek after the Lord may be informed and know where to wait upon the Lord for unto that Grace which shewed me Evil and Temptations unto Evil I was made to go back unto after many Years Profession which they called common and insufficient before ever I found the Lord or felt his living Power again For the first they ground upon the Letter as they judge where it is said He causeth the Sun to shine and the Rain to fall upon the Just and the Unjust and where it is said In him we live and move and have our Being Health and Strength and an Understanding in things natural and by which men come to see gross Sins and Evils but that which they call Special is that which the Saints are saved by and are established in in Righteousness and receive the Remission of Sins Now he that causeth the Sun to shine and the Rain to fall and giveth Health Strength and Nourishment to all things living that are visible in the outward visible Creation and that discovereth gross Sins and open Evils to man the same is he who is the Life of the Soul the same is he that sanctifies and purifies and saves them that believe and it 's the same Virtue and Power that upholds the natural man in his pure Nature that upholds the spiritual Man and by which he liveth unto God it 's the same Grace I do not say the same Measure for the same Virtue and Power by which all things that are visible and living were made alive and subsist in their Station and Covenant and Bound where they are set and placed the same Grace Strength Power and Sufficiency upholdeth the heavenly Bodies and moveth and acteth in a higher Sphere or Degree and preserveth all that believe and are quickened by him who is the Power of God in heavenly Places and the same Power and Virtue that discovereth the dark Places and hellish Places and the horrible Pit it 's the same Power Life Strength and Virtue that leadeth all that believe into the Land of the Living into the holy Place into the peaceable Habitation into the holy Mountain and into the heavenly Tabernacle made without Hands And in few Words he that discovereth open Sins the same Grace and the same Purity discovereth hidden and secret Sins though the Measure of its Purity shine in one more then another because them that are in the Unbelief the Darkness overshadows and the Mountains are high and the Vail is thick and the Clouds are many and the Air dark so that its Resplendency and Brightness is not seen because of the Vail which shadows it that it hath not much Entrance but in them that believe and have received that Grace and are joyned to it in which they believe it renteth the Vail and maketh the Shadow to fly away and scatters the Clouds and breatheth forth it self in Purity and makes the Air clearer so that its Brightness shineth more purely forth to them in them because the Heart is more open to receive its Virtues in yet the same Purity and Virtue remains still and the same Grace keeps its Purity and Property in it self and its Power and Sufficiency is alwayes the same though it do not appear so to the Creature So this I say and is my Testimony of the Grace of God which is the Gift of God which hath appeared in some Measure more or less unto all men and convinceth and shews gross and open Evils even the same Grace by its Virtue and Power leadeth from the least or impurest Thought and shews the secretest Evils that lodge in the Heart Unbelief and also every Temptation unto Sin and this shall be witnessed to be Truth by the whole Earth in the Day of the Lords Appearing and is now witnessed by all the Children of Light who believe with whom I have Fellowship in the pure living sufficient perfect Grace of God which is God's free Gift which in some Measure hath appeared to all whereby all are left without Excuse and herein is the wonderful Love of God made manifest to all Mankind and all that turn to his Grace will see he hath long waited to be gracious in his Grace which is near that all Mankind might be Partakers of his Bounty Love Mercy Favour and free Gift by which Justification cometh upon all that believe Therefore my Bowels and Heart are more open in this unto all because many have erred for lack of Knowledge and have wandred aside because they have not found a true Guide Therefore in dear Love unto all upon the Face of the Earth where this may come I write and let out my Bosom into this thing that they may also be Partakers with me of the free Love of God and the free Grace of God by which I am saved and know the Wall which is Salvation and the Gates which are Praise which the Saints are compassed about with and entered in at and for the sake of such who thirst after God and the Knowledge of him I write for their Information and not to satisfie critical men nor them who are in the Philosophy and vain Deceit who are swollen big in their fleshly Understanding and puffed up in their earthly Minds for by such I desire not any Testimony neither Acceptation But now to come to speak of that which many are doubting about that is to say the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation which hath appeared to all Men whether this be a sufficient Leader
Merchants of the Earth shall weep and mourn over her for no Man buyeth her Merchandize any more Rev. 18.11 And every Ship-Master and all the Company in Ships and Sailers and as many as trade by Sea stood afar off and they cast Dust on their Heads and cryed weeping and wailing saying Alas alas that great City wherein were made rich all that had Ships on the Sea for in one Hour she is made desolate Rev. 18.17 19. Mystery Babylon THE Mother of Harlots DISCOVERED Her RISE and when With many of Her SORCERIES IN the End of the primitive Times when the Apostles had finished their Testimony committed unto them and had gathered many out of the World and converted many unto God and many were established in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ which purifieth the Heart and giveth Victory over the World and were led to the Beginning before the World was made and the Churches which were in God which had received the Anointing by which they knew all things even the invisible things of God and the Mysteries of his glorious Kingdom which God through the Spirit did reveal unto them which Spirit they had received being begotten of God by which Spirit they called him Father and by which Spirit of Truth which was manifest from the God of Truth in their Hearts they were led into all Truth and became Sons of God and Heirs of the Promise and this Spirit was their Direction and led them to worship God aright to obey and glorifie him and his Name which brought Salvation unto them and into this Spirit they were all baptized by the one Spirit into one Body and in this one Spirit they met and worshipped God and were of one Heart and of one Mind and did know their Director near them and in them and the Time did come when they worshipped neither at Jerusalem nor at Samaria but in the Spirit and in the Truth wherein the Father was glorified and came to see that fulfilled which the Prophets bore Witness of even him in whom all the Prophets end in Christ made manifest in them the Hope of Glory whose Voice they heard from Heaven by which they were quickened and raised from Death to Life by the effectual working of the mighty Power of God which wrought in them that did believe and they were in the Unity of the Faith by which all their Hearts were purified who held it which is a Mystery held in a pure Conscience by which they received an Assurance and were made Partakers of the Promises and became Inheritors of Life Light and Immortality and Heirs of the Promise and Joynt-heirs with Christ and they sate together with him in Heavenly Places and eat with him and drank with him in the Kingdom of God which stood in Power and in Righteousness Joy and Peace and did not look like the Pharisees lo here or there but first felt it as a Grain of Mustard-seed in themselves or as a Corn of Wheat which afterwards springs up as a Blade or as a Ear of Wheat to Ripeness to a full Corn and they did walk from Faith to Faith from Strength to Strength and did appear before God in Sion and the Hebrews were come to Mount Sion from whence God shined out in perfect Beauty who became their Satisfaction and Peace who had revealed his Son in them whom God had made unto them Justification Sanctification and Wisdom and so they knew one God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and one Faith one Hope one Baptism the one Spirit into which they were all baptized into which they all did drink by which all that did believe were sanctified and did receive the Inheritance among the Saints in Light and this was the Church that was in God which was begotten by God the Father and preserved in Christ Jesus in the lively Faith and in the lively Hope by which their Souls were anchored and they established in the Truth that made free and they had received the Spirit of Prophecy and did speak one by one according to the Revelation of the Spirit which led out of Confusion into Order and they being in the Power of God did walk by its Order in the Order of the Gospel And now was the Woman cloathed with the Sun who had the Crown of twelve Stars upon her Head and the Moon under her Feet who stood in that which was unchangeable and immutable and now was the Man-child brought forth which was to rule the Nations and was revealed to the Church which was in God and he was the Head by which all the Members of the Body were united together in one and reconciled to the Father in one and by his Obedience Justification did come upon all that did believe But since the Woman fled into the Wilderness and the Man-child was caught up unto God the Midnight of Darkness came upon the whole World and the Sincerity was lost and the Image of God lost the Heir caught up out of the World's Sight Faith was lost Hope lost the Spirit lost the Saints Rule and Direction and then the Whore appeared and made all Nations drunk with the Wine of her Fornication and they staggered and reeled to and fro hither and thither having lost the Spirit became all Waters and unstable and all the World wondered after the Beast which then arose after the primitive Times and after the Apostles Dayes and admired him and worshipped him who killed the Woman's Seed and made War against it And then the Whore made Decrees who was gone from the Law-giver and she made Confessions of Faith and Articles of Faith being out of the Power of God who is the Author of true Faith being guided by the Power of the Dragon she made Orders of Worship and gave Directions for Worship having gotten on the free Womans Attire the Outside the Scriptures the Form of Godliness but afterwards became more abominable having both lost the Power and the Form worshipped the Devil's Power and the Dragon's Power and came forth in the Image of him and reached out the Cup of Fornication and made the Nations drunk with her Inchantments and Sorceries and she drunk the Blood of the Martyrs the Blood of the Prophets and them that kept the Testimony of Jesus the Spirit of Prophecy and then prescribed Forms of Worship Forms of Prayer and made Creeds and Faiths and Articles of Faith and many Faiths having lost the Order of the Gospel she made many Orders and sent out many Merchants to carry abroad her Traffick and her Merchandize to the Nations and whole Ships were filled full of it Vessels full of it which went upon the Sea and rode upon the Waters upon Kindreds Tongues Nations and Peoples who received of her Merchandize and bought of several Sorts of Merchandize which the several Merchants traded with who had several Orders prescribed then as Popes Cardinals Jesuites Fryars of many Orders and Monks of many Orders Jesuites of many Orders and all these
rest of the People that buy yet our Merchandize that he holds hereticall Opinions and despises the Ministry and the Ordinances and the Doctrines of our reformed Churches or if any say That the Spirit of the Lord is a sufficient Teacher to lead his People into all Truth without outward Means as natural learning Hebrew Greek and Latin and the ancient Fathers and old Authors and so make void all our Arts and Parts which are the Foundation of our Divinity then let us cry in the Ears of all the People and in the Ears of the Rulers and the Powers of the Earth that this is Blasphemy and Error and ought to be supprest And furthermore if any shall say That he believes he shall be made free from Sin in this Life by the effectual working of Chrâ—st the mighty Power of God which condemns Sin in the Flesh and destroyes the Works of the Devil then let us cry Heresie and Blasphemy and let us tell them that the holiest that ever were upon the Earth sinned and that the Body of Sin was uncut down in them and let us prove it by Paul's Words he complained of a Body of Sin and was never in any other Condition while he lived upon the Earth and so it may be we shall keep them in Blindness that they will continue and trade with us and if any say They are come to the Baptism of the Spirit the one Baptism into which all the Saints were â—aptized in which all other Baptisms end and so being come to this deny all the Figures and the Baptism of Infants then let us cry out that they are Sectaries and deny the Ordinance of God Infants-Baptism and let us give them some Scripture how that Christ took up little Children in his Arms and blessed them and how he hid his Disciples go out into all Nations and baptize them in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost and may be with an Inference or two or two or three Consequences raised from this and the like Scriptures we shall make their Eye blind that we shall put off this counterfeit Ware yet a little while And if any shall deny our Church or Chappel and call it an Holâ— Temple which God never commanded to be built then let us bring some Scriptures how that God commanded a Temple to be built at Jerusalem and how the Jews had Synagogues and how God commanded Store-houses to be built for God's Service and Worship and it may be such a Proof as this will satisfie them that they will come to our Shop another Time at the Hour appointed for the Sale of our Wares when the Marke-Bell rings and the Wares are ready to be set out and so by this Means we may hold on our Trade a while And if any shall deny David's Psalms to be sung in Rhime and Meeter and with Organs and Pipes to be an Ordinance of God in Gospel Times then let us bring them some Scriptures and some Fathers and tell them in the Church of Corinth that he that had a Psalm might sing and it may be they will know no Difference between a Psalm which was given forth by the Spirit the Psalm which is gotten by Tradition from another and let us bring a Proof out of Revelations That they that were redeemed from the Earth played upon the Harps and sung a new Song and it may be they will see no Difference between them that are in the Earth and them that are redeemed from the Earth and so we may keep up this still as an Ordinance invented by our Mother Mystery Babylon And let this be agreed amongst us now when many of us are assembled together whose Lively-hood and Riches stand only in the merchandizing of our Mother Church that to whatsoever Place we sail in our Ships if any be heard to say That the Spirit of the Lord ought to move first before any Teacher Minister or Believer ought to pray that so they may pray with the Spirit and in the Spirit in publick and in private whether with many or few that so without the Spirit none can be edified let us all agree to this that it be voted down as an Error and let us do what in us lyes to prove from Scripture that set Forms of Prayer are lawful and are an Ordinance of God and let us bring the Lord's Prayer called by our Mother-Church the Pater noster and see what that will do and also Hosea 14.2 Take with you Words and turn to the Lord say unto him take away our Iniquity and receive us graciously so with a Deduction from these and the like Scriptures we may happily prove that a set Form of Words invented by our Church or any of us that trade with her Merchandize that this is an Ordinance of God and ought to be practised publickly and privately and is accepted with God although the People have not received the Spirit as they had in the primitive Times and if this will not satisfie then use some prevalent Argument as our reverend Brother and Fellow-merchant with us Mr. Samuel Bolton in the like Case in Hand used this forcible Argument Though you cannot command the Wind said he yet you may spread your Sails and see what such an Argument as this will do but if they will not be content with this as it may be they will not in England Scotland Ireland and Holland and some other Parts who are more quick-sighted then some other Places where we merchandize if we cannot stand it out against them that none can pray to God aright but he that is come to the Spirit and knows by the Signification of it what to ask then let us grant them the thing if we cannot help it if Common-prayer Forms of Prayer will not go off as they use to do amongst our Customers then let us agree to them but let that be the last Shift that without Faith or the Spirit it is impossible to be accepted or heard of God yet before this be granted let us strive as much as in us lyes by forcible Arguments from the Scripture if so be they will not allow the Authority of ancient Fathers nor of our Cannon-Books how that there is a Platform laid down in Scripture and the general Heads of true Prayer are laid down in an Orthodox Method in the Scriptures that is to say Confession Petition Intercession Supplication with giving of Thanks and if this will not stave them off from speaking so much of Prayer by the Spirit and with Understanding for iâ— will be a grievous thing if we let this Ordinance fall of set Form of Prayer which our Mother Mystery Babylon hath allowed so many Years and raâ—â—fied and confirmed in several great Councils as Nice and Lateran and divers others and if nothing will serve them but Prayer by the same Spirit as was in the primitive times before we lose them quite let us grant it them in Words that Prayer by the Spirit
Self-acting was not known now Self-will Self-worship Self-righteousness nay they moved in the Power Righteousness was their covering and as I said before there was no shame I might speak largely in this thing and truly my Tongue is the Pen of a ready writer Oh that all had an Ear to hear that their Soul might live and that every one might be unbottomed of his false rest false and feigned Hope and Faith and of his own ragged Garment and let go his Self-righteousness and his dead Works and come to Christ the Life of men again that man hath run from that so he might have Life and Peace Object But some would say That thou wouldest have all upside down anâ— unchristian the Nations and unchurch Churches and throw down all our Worship and then what should we do all would be as Heathens and turn into Atheism I say a time of fanning and sifting and trying is come when nothing shâ—ll stand but that hath the Image stamp and Character of the living God upon it and all that which hath been brought up and raised up since man hath been in the Transgression must be turned down into the Pit again and all that have got a Name of Christian and wants his Life to live among them and in them shall be scattered as Clouds with the 〈◊〉 wind and all imitated Worships and will-Worshippers and the feigneâ— Faith and the feigned Hope shall be confounded and all will-worships and Worshippers will be overturned who are not come yet to the true Light that lightens every man that comes into the World and till man comes to the Light and tryes his deeds and works by it he never sees what he is doing nor what he is working nor what he works and so all that man doth here in the unbelief it is but Sin or Self-righteousness which is brought forth by him who abode not in the Truth in the Unbelief and so who be come to the Power which was in the Beginning before Sin entered and death by Sin hath and doth measure all deeds and all works and man that is in the loss in the Fall and sees that a dead man cannot act a living work nor bring forth living Fruits unto God nor living works of Righteousness being in the Unrighteousness neither the fruits of Faith being in the unbelief neither the works of the Day being in the Night neither the works of charity being in the Enmity in a word without Christ the Power the Light the Life which was glorified with the Father before the world began I say the said it himself who is the Beginning of the Creation of God the first born of every creature he said and his Testimony will be found true without me ye can do nothing nothing that is well-pleasing to the Lord nothing that ever shall be acceptable and here is the true State of all the Earth discovered and all mankind drove out from God miserable Naked Hâ—peless Helpless Faithless and so can do nothing as to the glorifying of God his Maker or to the ordering of any thing in the Creation to his glory having lost his Dominion and God's Wisdom and this being câ—â—sidered seriously by all and brought to the Light in all and their Deeds tryed by it would make the losty bow and the Stout-hearted fear and the conceited sit down in Solitariness that they should so long deceivâ— their own Souls with a conceit of Righteousness and redemption whâ—â— as Death yet reigns in them and over them and not Life eterna 〈◊〉 the Devil is a distinct being from God and his Works are distinct anâ— his Deeds from the Works of God and neither he nor his works 〈…〉 be numbred among the works of God but he and they tha◠〈◊〉 him and fellow him who is our of the Truth they their work 〈◊〉 whâ—t â—ort soever they may seem unto men to be whose Eyes the 〈◊〉 hâ—â—h â—linded so I say all is to condemned and shut out from God's 〈…〉 â—â—rever and to be Destroyed by him who is a consuming Fire 〈◊〉 all the Righteousness of man burned as combustible stuff in 〈…〉 Aâ—d by what hath been said the Principle of that 〈…〉 become vain in their Imaginations and foolish 〈…〉 being Darkned and are seen and their Principle overthâ—â—â—â— As that Light and Darkness is one and good and Evil one and 〈◊〉 Righteousness one and Truth and a Lye one and that God is all and doth all and whatever is done is of God and that there is no Evil but to him that thinks it so and it is only a false apprehension of things and that there is no such thing as Sin and that Sin is nothing Unto all these things I might speak but the understanding Reader may by what is before written see each of these plainly declared and the true Ground of things laid down as the Spirit gave utterance and this shall at present suffice in this Matter Object But some may object further and say Will not reading the Scriptures and conforming to the practice of the Saints in the use of his Ordinances will not this make us accepted and bring us out of the Fall and make us good Christians Answ. No while Death hath dominion in man and over man and the vail over the Heart man doth not understand the Mystery of God's Kingdom neither understands the Scripture which was spoken from the Spirit of Truth or any thing of Truth as it is in Christ for none understands the things of God but by the Spirit of God so that every man that comes to have a good understanding must come to know the pure Spirit of God in him to direct him and inform him which Spirit was the Original of the Scripture for the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost without the holy Ghost in some measure be known and that which is infallible the sayings the writings the Scriptures cannot be understood because of the want of this all the Earth is run into Heads and Sects and Opinions and large Treatises and Volumes and expositions have been written and yet differing one from another and all from the Spirit and in all these particular Sects Persecuting one another and Envying one another and hating one another and would compell others to believe what they believe in what they say if they had but power and for proof of this it is most evident in the Scripture of Truth and in latter Ages since the Apostles it hath been and it is evidently seen both among the Papists and Protestants and among all them that are called the reformed Churches but all this is in the Fall and in the Transgression and in the Apostacy and is an evident token that they are all under the Power of the Beast whom makes War against the Lamb so all compellation and they that do compell are not Worshippers of the Lamb but of the Beast which is to be destroyed and cast into the Lake For the
here was Worship but it was the Beast's Worship and idolatrous Worship and the Dragon's Worship who sought to destroy the man-child which all the Angels are to worship all this Worship is in the Apostacy So let all take notice of this compelling causing forcing killing and destroying about Worship all they that so do yet are worshipping the Beast on which the Whore rides and this is that Generation who slew the Lamb and they are of the World and this is the Dragon's Brood who sought to devour the man-child and this is the Serpent's Seed and a Seed of Falshood who made War with the Remnant of the Seed of the Woman through all Ages unto this Generation and so all that which is called Christendom is more or less under the Beasts Power and hath his Image even to this Day and yet some of them are professing the Saints Words and imitating their Actions who were Followers of the Lamb and kept the Faith now this that John saw as come in did grow Deceivers Anti-christs false Prophets who were before and troubled the Churches Galatia and Corinth and made Havock brought in Deceit and infected many as Coloss. Pergamus Sardis and Laodicea Rev. 3. But now all Nations were erred and gone from their Maker their Husband and did drink of the Cup of the Whore and were adulterated from the Life Faith and Power and now worshipped the Beast and the whole World went after him there was some of his Adultery Whoredom and Fornication in the Apostles Dayes and some had drunken then but now Nations Kindreds Tongues and People drunk the Cup of Fornication and now Jezabel who slew the Prophets and drunk the Blood of the Saints she reaches out her Cup Kings Merchants noble men great men Nations Kindreds Tongues and People were made drunk the man-child sought to be devoured Floods cast out after the Woman the Saints Blood drunk the World worships the Dragon and the Beast and his great Authority and wonders after him now Jezabel the VVhore who made the Nations drunk she prophesies all the Nations made drunk with her Cup of Fornication and drinks in all her false Doctrines and devised Fables now she is as a Queen now the Nations worship after a Beast ariseth she gets upon him and rides she and the Beast become one she drinks the Blood of the Saints the Beast makes VVar compels kills being of one mind with the VVhore none to buy or sell but they that have his Mark or his Name or at least some of the Number of his Name and who were not defiled were killed or sought to be killed this is since the Apostles Dayes So now we have found the Whore her Beginning in the Apostacy having lost the Faith and Power that the Saints were in we have found out the Rise of the Beast in the Apostacy since the Apostles that all the World wondred after and worshipped Now Rome we have found thy Foundation and the Beginning of thy Rise and see how thou art elevated we have thee and all that sprang out of thy Stock and Root betwixt this time and the Apostles and we read beyond thee though thou boast thy self of Antiquity and glory in thy Councils and Convocations for thy Proof we have sounded thy Bottom I have thee and all the Apostates sprang from thee betwixt me and the Apostles the Anti-christs false Prophets Deceivers false Apostles they began they laid thy Foundation who went out from the Apostles and denyed the Cross of Christ and the Power of God and the Apostle prophesied of their Increase here thy visible Members began to gather and they went out into the World and the World received them according to Christ's Saying out of the Light out of the Power out of the Faith out of the Life that the holy men of God were in being ravened from the Spirit whored from the Life they went out in an outward Dress had a Shew a Form of Godliness the Nations received the Cup and Kings of the Earth the Nobles and the mighty men thou boasts of they drank of thy Cup and were inflamed with Adultery after thee and then the Nations over which the Whoredoms spread Kindreds Dominions Tongues Nations and Peoples became Fornicators all became as a Sea rolling tossing foming raging casting up Mire and Dirt unstable reeling then the Kings the great men thy Nobles who were Rulers over the People being drunk with the Nations Cup of Fornication they sprang up as a great Beast with so many Heads and Horns and their Teeth became as Lyons their Feet as Bears and then thou begannest to ride in the Nations and to sit as a Queen then thou associatedst they drunken Fornicators together then thou began to usurp Authority and sitedâ—t as Judge over the Heritage of God and of the Saints of the Apostles and of them that kept the Testimony of Jesus then thou beganedst to kill and destroy and suck the Blood of the Saints and to be drunk with it and then thy Kings whom thou callest Converts and Christians having drunkken thy Cup they formed Laws and made Laws to guard thy Whoredoms and Adulteries and Idolatries then thy became they Executioners and what thou saidst was good the Beast maintained and what thou condemnedst by thy Councils for Heresie they became Executioners of then came in compelling to worship by the Beast that rose out of the Sea and then thou cryedst Hereticks and condemnedst the just and then thou got'st a Cover thou wouldst not kill but the Beast must upon whom thou ridest then if there were any that kept their Virginity and the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ which was in the Apostles Dayes then thou condemnedst them for Hereticks then the Beast compelled and caused to worship but if they would not bow to his Image then thy Merchants cry up they despise Governours and Rulers when thy Doctrine and thy Lawes are corrupt then the Beast must kill then he blasphemes the God of Heaven and his Tabernacle and then thou sayedst thou killest none but the Beast must upon which thou rides and shall have a whole Council to confirm it to be lawful and now thou call'st thy self the Catholick and Apostolical Church and thy Seat the Apostolical Chair and the Rulers and Leaders Defenders of the Faith Nay we find thee contrary to the primitive Church and thy Seat and Chair is raised up since and thy Bed of Whoredoms made since and the Kings and Rulers in thy Dominions are become Defenders of thy Idolatries and VVhoredoms and are indeed the Beast that makes VVar with the Saints and hath prevailed and Truth overcome but he is risen who is able to make VVar with the Beast and to take the VVhore and to burn her Flesh with fire for he is able to judge her and the Beast's VVeapons and thine are carnal but the Lamb's and the Saints are spiritual and so thy Doctrine and Practice is quite another thing patched Stuff some brought in from the
is their Lord and King who lives forever and they shall see his Face and his Name shall be in their Foreheads and the Lord God shall give them Light and shall be unto them an everlasting Light and they shall reign with him forever and evermore over the Whore Beast false Prophet Antichrists Deceivers Seducers the Pit Death Hell and the Grave and shall triumph in his Strength over all the Powers of Darkness and sing Praises to him that abides forever these things are true and faithful and shall be fulfilled and the time is at Hand blessed are they that wait and watch that they may discern the Signs of the times and the coming of the Bridegroom that they may enter into the Chamber of â—est and into the Palace of eternal Life into the City of the greâ—â— King to sit with him and eat with him and rejoyce with him in the Glory Eternal which was before the World began and shall be when it shall be no more the End hastens he is blessed that is come and coming to the End of It for that which is immutable and eternally glorious shall appear the Lord hasten it saith my Spirit Amen F. H. DARKNESS AND IGNORANCE EXPELLED BY THE Light shining forth AND THE Appearance of the Day In Answer to a Book called INNOCENTS NO SAINTS Publish'd by one Edward Dodd wherein he hath labour'd to prove Tythes lawful and Tything Priests and Hirelings to be the true Ministers of the Word and the Mass-house the Church and calls Idolatry Civility and Heathenish Complements Courtisie and hath perverted many Scriptures His Deceit laid open his Vindication made void and his Argument confounded and Truth laid open in all these Particulars for the sake of the upright in Heart who rejoyce in Truth 's Prosperity By one of the Lamb's Followers who makes War against the Head of the Dragon and against the Rear of the Beast F. H. And the Merchants of the Earth shall weep and mourn over her for no Man buyeth her Merchandize any more Rev. 18.11 And cryed when they saw the Smoak of her Burning saying what City is like unto this City Rev. 18.18 DARKNESS AND IGNORANCE EXPELLED THE man-Child which was caught up unto the Throne of God when the red Dragon sought to devour and Destroy him hath appeared again in Power and great Glory after the long and cruel Tyranny of the Dragon wherein she hath killed the Saints and hath prevailed against them and hath made great War Spoil and Havock of the Remnant of the Womans Seed this 13. or 14. hundred Years and hath compelled all both small and great whose Names have not been written in the Lamb's book of Life to Worship him and the Beast unto whom he hath given great Authority to Kill and to Destroy whosoever worshipped the God of Heaven that so they might be worn out and all the Earth might Worship him and fear him and extol him and his Authority Now the time times and half being near an end that John saw the Woman should be retired in the Wilderness she appearing again in her beautifull Garments and her heir and her Seed appearing again in after the long Night of Darkness Now when the Lord in this the day of his Power is appearing again and the man-Child that is to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron Now the Dragon Beast VVhore and false Prophet and all the Mystery of Iniquity Gog and Magog and all the Apostates Deceivers and Merchants of Babylon that have traded upon the waters upon which the whore sits they are all up in Arms every one with his weapons which he hath formed in the bottomless Pit is now set in array against the Lamb who is risen the Priests Hirelings and Babylon's Merchants who have got so great gain by Sea they have given the first on-set in the Front of the black Army of the Dragon and this six or seven Years have made a great Noise and have raised so much Smoke out of the Pit that they have darkned the Ayr and made it cloudy and have filled the Earth with a great Noise that many have admired what the Issue would be and what the event might prove and that many who have waited in Patience have seen the Lamb appear and have seen his rising in Majesty and hath prevailed And many of them who have the first on-set grow weary seeing the Battel grows too hard against them and the Lamb and his followers prevail And now comes on the Tail of the Dragon as the reserve and the rear of the Beast among whom Edward Dod appears and he thinks to prevail and get himself a Name and to do exploits but alas all his weapons are but the old broken Bows and the Spears that are strewed up and down the Field of confusion which we have run over and over and Trample upon and esteem them no more then rotten Wood He hath raked up those things which have been answered over and over and that which the rest of the Dragon's army hath vomited up before in the Beginning he hath licked up and now Vomits it out again and casts out Floods of Poysoned Words false Accusations and arrogant Reproaches and proud Disdainful Speeches as though his Tongue were his own And like one of Ishmaels Brood Scorning and Deriding at Innocency and saith he hath laid down some of our Tenets and named them and shamed them All sober People who know any thing of God will see thou hast shamed thy self and not us in uttering forth thy Folly And thy Title of thy Book demonstrates what is within it the Beginning is Scorn and Derision the end is Folly and Madness and many ignorant words uttered forth from a corrupt Heart and unbridled Tongue which is bent to do Mischief and to speak falshood but lest thou shouldst Glory in the old rotten broken Weapons which thou hast taken up which were formed by thy Leaders and not by thee which we have answered again and again and have over-run them as Stubble which answers have cleared the Truth to all sober People that they see all your Weapons are but Carnall and not spiritual and they have no might in them at all to stand against the Truth nor them who are made free by it whose weapons are spiritual and mighty through God to beat down strong Holds of Darkness and the Towers of ignorance Many are beat down already and the Lamb is risen and upon the white Horse and a numberless number is following him who rides on after him who shall subdue the Nations to himself and break the Yoak of the Ungodly and deliver the Oppressed and no Weapon that is formed against him shall Prosper I say lest thou shouldst boast I shall return these Lines in answer to thy Book Thy Book thou Titlest A pair of Spectacles for a dark-sighted Quaker I say thy Spectacles are more like to make ones sight dimmer then through them to be made to see they are such wooden Ones
and Justices with Persecution falls flat to the Ground We are no Boasters but rejoyce in our sufferings for Christ's sake neither are we weary but are willing to bear and suffer till the Lord arise and plead our Cause and our sufferings are Recorded and the Lord hath considered them though men would not and hath overturned many and Rebuked many for our sakes and it is he that Justifies us and who art thou that Condemns us the Testimony of our Innocency and the causeless suffering hath a Witness in many thousands Hearts who are not like thine as Flint and what uncivility hath any to lay to our charge as against Mâ—gistracy whom have we wronged or what Violence have we done to any except thou Judge that incivility because we do not Complement Bow and flatter and make feigned Addresses like thy Generation and this your Highness and the other your Excellency and another my Illustrious Lord and the next Week or next Month call them Traytors Tyrants and Usurpers and as I told thee before that which was order among the Churches is accounted Disturbance by thee which evidently manifests that you are in the Apostacy and out of the Christian Religion which was Professed and Practiced among the Primitive Christians and for any known wickedness among us I am out of all doubt if thou hadst any thing thou wouldst preach it upon the House top known wickedness hath God redeemed us from which thou yet Wallowst in and yet takest delight in And therefore all these known Wicked abominable falshoods Lyes are come forth besides the abusing of our words and false representing what we have written as our Doctrines to the World and this thou hast done sometimes added to our Words and sometimes detracted from them and sometimes addest thy own Collections then presentst them to publick view as our Errors and Blasphemies and as for Courts and Justices Magistrates and Rulers many of them hitherto have ruled by the Dragon's Powers and not by the Power of God in that many have incouraged the Evil-doers and have not listned to the cry of the Oppressed therefore hath the Lord God overturned them and their day is past and our charges against their Wickedness and Persecution neither our Testimony neither our sufferings have fallen to the Ground but stand as a Record against them And thou saist It is high time for all the redeemed Ones and sanctified Ones and Children of Grace the Favourites of Heaven Honest Godly sincere Christians Children that will not Lye to improve their intrust in God for this sinful divided Nation What dost thou own any to be redeemed and Sanctified or to be Children of Grace or that do not lye and yet cryest out of Perfection as Blasphemy or that any should come to or live by that which is perfect if thou excludest the Quakers to be any of these they will not findm any redeemed Sanctified Honest Godly sincere Christians and all your Improvement and your intrust which you have in God and in Christ will but amount to a small dram you all of you hitherto as you have said have improved your intrust and have sought God as you have said by your Prayers and Humiliations for the suppressing of that which you call Heresie and yet you have had no answer neither hath he listned nor will he listen nor bow down his Ear unto because your Hearts are full of Abominations and as for relapsing into Popery you never came out of it witness the Priests Popish Ordination their Popish Attire your Popish Mass-houses your Cross and Bells your Popish Tythes Easter-reckonings and Mid-summer dues your Popish Colledges your Popish Crosses and your Popish Images in and about your Idols Temple and because of the holding up of these things the Hearts of many of God's People are made sad and because you would hold up your Religion by Swords and Clubs and Persecute others who dissent from you in this you are one with the Papists And is this all thy Reformation that thy godly Ministry can bring forth You have travailed in vain and spent your strength for nought and because of these things the Hand of God is against all in the Nation who hold them up and who is he that can alter the Counsel of the Lord and God will not be reconciled to the Nation till these things be done away because of these things and many more grievous Oppressions which have been holden up therefore God hath broken them in the midst of their Counsels and confounded them in the midst of their devices and will confound and overthrow all deceitful Workers and unprofitable talkers such as thou art and one Hill shall fall after another till there shall be a great plain that the ransomed of the Lord may walk over and Worship the Lord together in Spirit and Love and Truth in Joy and gladness of Heart even as when Israel kept the Feast of Tabernacles And now I shall come to let the Reader see how thou hast falsified our Words which thou hast added thy own Imaginations to and then hast quoted our Books to make People believe they are our words whenas they are thy own forged lyes the which I shall return upon thee First Thou sayest George Fox In Truth defended saith that Preaching the Word Praying and singing are no Appointments of Christ whenas he saith no such thing but the Hireling Priests divinations and feigned Prayers and other mens words in Rhime and Meeter are the Inventions of men and not the Ordinances of Christ. Secondly Thou saist E. B. In Truth defended saith The Priest taking Tythes in the time of the Law was Evil and proved them to be false Prophets and Deceivers Whenas he saith quite contray that the Priests took Tythes under the Law according to the Command of God but now the Priesthood was changed and the Law was changed and them what Preach for Hire and seek for their Gain from their quarter or take Tythes are in the steps of false Prophets and Deceivers and no Ministers of Christ. Thirdly That it 's dangerous for the ignorant and Unlearned to read the Scripture and the Ministers of it are the Ministers of Death Now thou hast detracted from the Words There it is said that it is dangerous for thee to take the Scripture to War against the Saints withal and to make a trade with it and give carnal Exposition and then sell them for Money Fourthly Thou tellest of one Master Kellet in Lancashire and his Queries Whether did not Christ Institute his last Supper with Bread and Wine and R. H. saith the Bread which Christ called his Body is his Church which words thou hast mangled and perverted as thou hast done the most thou hast medled with and there is no such man as Master Kellet the words are these in Truth 's Defence p. 103. Christ did not â—peak of Bread and Wine but he took Bread and brake it and said This is my Body and we
in the Life thereof they are judged though the Truth in it self stands clear and so whâ—t as they were in their Principles Practiâ—e in Life or in Doctrine must they give Account for But thou like the rest of the Hireling Priests of England use alwayes to be confuting your Adversaries when they were at a great Distance when they were dead and could not reply or at such a Distance that they could not hear and you are such valiant Champions for the most Part as to Disputation except you have Club-men and Prison-doors standing open to fight or to shut them in you will hardly enter into a Dispute publickly or it may be if they be afraid that they shall be worsted and their Deceit laid open put a Key in the Mouth of one as some did in the Mouth of Humphrey Norton when he was with one of thy Brethren and then cry The Opposite or Quaker hath nothing to say for himself and such dark muddy Stories you used to fill up your Hour with as to confute Arrius and Pelagius men that were Hundreds of Years dead and no such Principles holden in a Nation and such dead Stories you fill Peoples Minds with and confute the Pope when your Elbows were leaning upon the soft Cushions on the Pulpit and twenty or thirty Shillings for such a dead Story as you told People but when have you gone amongst them and reasoned of the Things of the Kingdom of God into their Dominions and convinced them by sound Doctrine and yet you will say Christ said Go into all Nations and preach and plead that for your Commission and it may be stay fourty Years over an hundred Families As for the Heterodoxes of the Quakers concerning the Heads of Religion as thou hast set down this I say to thee and to all the World we do not hold them because any Man before did hold them or may hold them after but because God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit which also may be confirmed by the Testimony of the Scripture of Truth As to those which thou settest down as our Tenets I shall answer on the Lord's Behalf for Truth 's sake and for the rest thou may'st take them home to thy self First Concerning the Trinity thou say'st The confess the Father Son and holy Ghost and yet they deny the Trinity and those to be three distinct Persons for Confutation of this thou bringest Heb. 1. 3. He is the express Image of his Father's Person Thy Trinity is an old Popish Term and we love to keep to sound Words but by Trinity I suppose thou meanest three and thy own Words shall confute thee thou confessest we say there is Father Son and Hâ—ly Ghost and yet but one God or one Eternal Being or Substance in which they all subsist but thy Word distinct is thy own and not the Spirit 's yet to distinguish betwixt Father Son and Spirit we deny not and as for Heb. 1. it is in another Translation rendered The express Image of his Suâ—stance for Perâ—on is too gross a Word as to express an Eternal and Divine Being in and if thou dost hâ—lâ—l three distinct Substances thou errest in they Judgment for that were to make three Gods Secondly They deny Christ to be God and Man in one Person and Christ to be a distinct Person from the Father and they acknowledge such a Christ as unchrists Christ and when they say Christ manifest in the Flesh they mean not as the Scripture but fallaciously Answ. We say according to the Scripture of Truth and not according to thy Fallacy that In the man Christ did the fulness of the God-head dwell and God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself and he saith I and my Father are one and the Father the Son and the Spirit subsist in one Eternal Power Life and Glory which thou with all thy stupid Generation are Ignorant of and that Christ we acknowledge is such a Christ as is able to save to the utmost them that come unto him and receive him and believe in him and is such a Christ as is able to raise them that have been Dead and such a Christ giveth eternal Life to them that believe And so that Christ that we own doth not un-christ Christ but by your Doctrine who plead Imperfection and the continuation thereof and a continuation in Sin for term of Life as one of thy own said Sin will dwell in the House till the House he pull'd down speaking of the natural Body which some other of thy own Generation have called the Body of Sin and so it is you that hold such a Christ as un-christ's the true Christ in thy own Words and when didst thou enter into our Thoughts and into our Heart or with what dost thou search that thou sitst as Judge over the Heart who knowest not Judgment in thy self nor what Spirit thou art of and so thy lyes and deceit are turned upon thee when we say Christ manifest in the Flesh we say that Holy thing which was brought forth and born of a Virgin and Conceived of the Holy Ghost in whom the fulness of the God-head dwells in whom the Eternal Power of the Father was manifested that he was the Christ which was manifested in the Flesh and Justified in the Spirit Preached among the Gentiles seen of Angels and received up into Glory and this is according to the Scripture of Truth and thy Judgment must be judged Thirdly Concerning the Scripture considered as the Rule of Life They deny the Scripture or written word to be the rule of Life and they make the Spirit without the Scripture to be their guide they account Church instituted Worship and waiting upon God for the Efficacious presence and Operation of the Spirit of Grace in the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament for Conversion and Edâ—fication to be Idolatry and the Political order of Church Officers and Members they affirm to be an Image Answ. Concerning the Scripture we say they are Scriptures of Truth and words of Truth spoken from the Spirit of Truth that which gave them a being is greater then they as he that Creates is greater then they that are Created which is perferred above and before and yet no Diminishing or Detracting from the Creature so the Spirit is greater above and before the words and yet this doth not Diminish neither Derogate from the Scripture these and the like sound Words we have spoken to thy deaf Generation yet a Spirit of slumber being upon them all they could not hear that which gives Life and bringeth to Life and preserves in the Life is a rule and a Guide to them that are enlightned the Sons of God who were quickned by the Eternal Spirit of their Father and of Christ and raised from Death to Life this was their rule as it is written as many as are the Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God and we say it is a sufficient rule of
Spirit without the Scripture and that the Words in the 17th of John 22. That they may be one as we are one these Words give an uncertain Sound thou say'st and further thou say'st Surely they are under â— Rule of Lâ—fe who have not the Spirit since the Canon of the Scripture is closeâ— so far is the Spirit from being a Rule of Life that to us it is not the Spirit except 〈◊〉 move in the written Word Answ. Gross Darkness is thy dwelling Place and out of thiâ—k Darkneâ—s all this pitiful Confusion cometh the Doctrine of Life was communicated according to the VVill and Mind of God sometime by Dream sometime by Vision sometime by Revelation to the Patriarchs and Believers from Abel till Moses and by Faith they were Followers of Christ and doubtless they did communicate in their Generation those â—hings that were â—â—nifest unto them by the Spirit which was the then Rule and Guide to the Feet of the upright in the way of Peace before any Scripture was writtâ—â— and if the Scripture be not necessary absolutely thou hast said as much as we say therefore we speak of a Rule and a Way which is absolute necessary without which no man can know the Father or the Son nor the Way of Peace but by the Spirit of Truth which gave â—orth the VVords of Truth which may manifest and doth maniâ—est it self as it will when where and how it will for it is unlimited and it will not be limited by its own VVords as to Sound but may speak VVords which it never spoke before as for instance Paul by the Spirit said The second Adam the Lord from Heaven is a Quickening Spirit which none of the Scriptures before-written speak in these very VVords and if the Spirit be not Spirit without the Letter then where the Letter is wanting the Spirit is wanting and consequently them that have the Scripture have the Spirit which were no less then Ignorance and Darkness to say and what Rule are they under who have not the Spirit or no Measure of it there is but the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error and they that are not ruled by the Spirit of Truth they are ruled by the Spirit of Error though they may have the words to fight with and quarrel about without the Life but last of all thou hast in plain words set the dead Letter before the living Spirit and say'st That the Spirit is no Spirit except it speak by the Scripture and if the words of Christ in John 17. give an uncertain Sound it is but to thy deaf Ear and to thy blind Understanding for he spoak soundly and certainly and prayed to the Father that as the Father and he were one so they alsâ— might be one being guided by the one Spirit of the Father in the Son and that they might live in the Unity of it and have Unity with one another in it and with the Father and the Son In thy 15th page though thou hast set up the Letter for a perfect Rule of Life yet here thou throwest it down again and say'st It is to be unâ—erstood as including Consequences for the greatest Part of Scripture is Conâ—equences and the Scripture cannot be true without Consequences for Thomas and Mary are neither câ—mmanded Obedience or forbidden Diâ—obedience for we no where read thou Thomas or thou Mary are therein commanded Obedience or forbidden Disobedience such an one by Name do this or that Answ. I told thee the Spirit of God is unlimited and whether it speaks of Degrees or Measures of a greater or less thing or whether it speaks the greater first and the lesser after whether it speaks from Major to Minor or from Minor to Major or what may truly follow either from the greater to the less or from the less to the greater it is all Truth but thy Consequences are no Part of this the Spirit still demonstrates its own Mind by what words and Terms and Expressions it pleaseth and will not be limitâ—ed or confined to this or that Form of words and thou errest grosly neither knowing the Scripture nor the Power of God and thy Consequences are false for there are the individual Persons or Names of Thomas and Mary both commanded Obedience and forbidden Disobedience and if thou hast never read this in Scripture I inform thee and instruct thee thou may'st read John 20.16 17. where Jesus saith unto Mary she turned her self and said unto him Rabboni which is to say Master Jesus said unto her Touch me not for I am not yet ascended here is a Prohibition and forbidding that she should not touch him Secondly here is a Command of Obedience But go unto my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father to my God and your God and in the same Chapter thou may'st read in ver 27. where Christ spoke unto Thomas by Name after his Resurrection Then said he to Thomas reach hither thy Finger and behold my Hands and reach hither thy Hand and thrust it into my Side here was a Command to be obeyed and be not faithless there is a Prohibition or a forbidding of Unbelief and so thy Foolishness is manifest and Ignorance of the Scripture some of it thou sayest is an uncertain Sound and the Scriptures fore-mentioned thou hast denyed or else never hast read it and so art unacquainted with thy Rule which thou quarrellest and fightest so much about And then thou comest and say'st Thou wilt vindicate some Scriptures and citest 1 John 9. That this was the true Light which lighteth every Man that cometh into the World hence they affirm that there is a Light in every man which being followed is an infallible Guide and that this Light which lighteth every man is the Rule of Life and not the written Word thy Answer is The Sense of the Text is notoriously false and thy Reason is If Christ the true Light that liâ—hteth every man be the Rule then Righteousness should be by the Law for the Light which is in every Man is not Gospel-Light but there is a natural Light or the Light of Nature which is to be construed in Opposition to spiritual and the Light of Nature and the Light of the Spirit are contra-distinct and by this Light of Nature there is a Difference put betwixt that which is good and bad and it will teach us not to lye nor steal and it will lead to the Knowledge of one God and yet it is in Opposition to one Spirit and it will lead to know Eternity Omnipotency and it will lead to know the Creator yet it is contra-distinct to the Spirit Answ. The Scripture needs none of thy Vindication for thou hast defamed it and sayest Christ's Words are an uncertain Sound and thou hast said that neither Mary nor Thomas was commanded Obedience thou may'st look back of thy Lyes and repent of them and why is the Sense of the Text utterly false that Christ was the
Plato's and Diogenes's discourses and to omit Seneca because R. I. saith Ambrose hath reckoned him in the Bead-row of Saints it may be with Saint Dominick and Saint Patrick Saint Francis and some other of the Popes Canonizing but however I shall let many of his Envious and frivolous and impertinent Arguments pass as thing of no Validity or worth being they have been Answered over and over by many Hands and all the Fortresses and strong Holds thrown down so that to any Judicious man they will appear to be but Rubbish however R. I. would be gathering together the Rubbish again and would make it appear as goodly a fabrick as he can when indeed there is no thing in it all so thou may'st see Reader in R. I. his Vindication of this Mouldy cankered Ware of Babylon which he would hold up his own Folly Ignorance and Errour made manifest in the ensuing discourse of his Doctrines and most of his Principles thou may view and see which I have taken up and answer'd and his Confusion and Blindness thou mayst see and also view the Spirits that acts this Man and how this man is like to Convince any who hath not Power over his Tongue but lets it run to utter forth the deceit that proceeds out of his own corrupt Heart thinking thereby to blind Peoples Eyes that they should not see how Ignorant and Light vain and Treacherous these Priests are who would monopolize all into their own Hand nay though God commanded and move by his Spirit yet this must not speak nor declare the mind of God except these Priests will allow of it in whom the Welfare of all People lies if thou wilt believe R. I. in the 11 page of his Book yet if these count it disorderly for any to speak as h1 hath received of the Lord from his Spirit it must go for such and be accounted such as disorderly In the Epistle to the Reader R. I. saith such Schiâ—maticks as these Quakers have torn the Church in Pieces and its Authority condemned and the Ministry slighted and false Religion advanced Answ. It seems that the Church that R. I. is of is none of the true Church which is built upon the Rock Christ which the Gates of Hell prevaileth not aâ—ainst neither any weapon that is formed against it can prosper but R. I. his Church is torn in pieces and may be prevailed against sure it is but Babylon whose Stones must be scattered and whose Building must be thrown down it is but the Whâ—râ—s Aâ—â—re that is sending off that her Nakedness may appear and her Deceit made manifest and the Authority which is condemned and reproved is no Authâ—rity but the Authority of the Beast upon which the false Church hath riden and hath câ—lled it by the Name of the higher Power and the Ministry is but such as traffick with the Whore's Sorceries by which she hath deceived the Nations and this indeed and those Ministers indeed are slighted by us because we know him who is the Minister of the everlâ—sting Covenant whose Spirit is manifest according to his Promise to lead his People into all Truth and so the Religion which standeth only in the Traditions of Men and in Idolatry such things as R. I. goeth about to maintain as Images Crosses and Piâ—â—ures Mass-houses Hireling Prâ—â—sts Popish Tythes and Pâ—pish Ceremonies which R. I. so much pleads for all these are slighted as not to be consistant with the true Religion or the true Church of Christ. Yet nevertheless saith R. I. in his Epistle I have adventured voluntarily to side with those that contend for the Truth agaâ—nst the Quakers and yet in the same Epistle saith He was moved of the Lord thus to declare Answ. What Confusion and Lying and Blasphemy is here hath R. I. adventured voluntarily in his own Wilfulness and Perversness to take part with those Contenders against the Truth in which the Quakers live and worship and God must be made the Author of this and all the Heap of Lyes and Confusion which is declared and uttered forth in his Ignis fatuus which if no more were said then hath been were answer enough unto his railing Discourse and yet what Impudency this Man hath to say he was moved of the Lord when as he hath confest he hath voluntarily took part with the Contenders so that it is manifest to all reasonable men who set thee on work and whose Work thou hast been doing for which thou shalt be sure to receive a Reward in the mighty Day of the Lord. And R. I. saith Forasmuch as their counterfeit Coin hath been offered to me for good Sâ—lver I thought it fit to nail it to the Market pâ—st that it might not decieve others and instead thereof I have here made a tender of other Money viz. this ensuing Treatise which I doubt not but it may pass with Truth 's approbation Answ. That which R. I. calls counterfeit Coin was made publick by our selves and it hath been and shall be received by them that know God's Image and the inscription of the Spirit and though R. I. hath denyed it when it was proffered to him the Value and Worth of that which hath been proffered to him is no worse For though a Price be put into the Hand of a Fool he regards it not And now Reader thou shalt see what kind of Coin he hath tendered and how thou judgest it may pass with Truth 's Approbation as hereafter will be made manifest in his further Discourse Wherefore Reader saith R. I. Have not so great Regard to the Authority of the writer as the Truth of the Matter written by him who was moved of the Lord as thâ— to declare against those who are Adversaries to Truth Answ. Indeed the Authority of a writer or of that which is written is of no great moment seeing he is but one of Anti-Christ's Voluntiers who hath not only belyed them that feared the Lord but also hath uttered forth many damnable Doctrines and yet would fasten all these upon the Lord so that his Deceit might be of more Authority and none might question the matter thereof because the Lord alwayes moveth to Truth and Righteousness and so R. I. is one of them that hath taken the Name of the Lord in vain which will not be holden guiltless but will be found guilty when the Searcher of all Hearts shall make all things manifest And then R. I. further saith That sprinkling of Infants is commanded by the Scrptures and is a Seal of the Covenant and Baptism of Infâ—nts is that which answers to Circumcision for Mortification of the Flesh and Remission of Sins and Admission into the Church are sealed unto Infants by sprinkling or that which R. I. calleth baptizing I say Baptism of infants is a Popish-Tradition as hath been proved by divers so that of it I need not say much but where it is commanded in the Scripture as R. I. saith Coll. 2.11 12. is but a
Doctrine and further say'st Charity though shooting at Random cannot miss the right Mark Answ. It is one thing what God accounteth true Honour it is another thing what R. I. counteth Honour True Honour is to obey the Commands of Superiours who rule in the Power of God and this the Quakers do submitting to all the just and equal Commands which are required of them that rule in the Power of God and this is not to blaspheme the Name of God and his Doctrine but this Fellow would have accused the Apostles as his Generation did who put them out of the Cities charging them to speak no more in the Name of Jesus and then when the Apostles return'd plead their Authority saying Did not we command you to speak no more in his Name and now you are disobedient blaspheming the Name of God and his Doctrine Is this Good Reasoning R. I. And Charity shoots not at random neither misses the Mark but it is pure and singles out its Obâ—ect to joyn unto and joyns not unto Deceit but this is R. I. his Charity to think well of them that are doing Evil and joyn to them who are doing the Devil's Work but this Man honours Charity as he doth the Scriptures he saith Charity shoots at random and the Scriptures are the true Cards as hereafter thou shalt see And saith R. I. F. H. labours to disgrace if not to deface our Churches he like a cunning Gamster knows how to alter the Course of true Cards the Scripture as R. I calls them Answ. Because F. H. would have them to take away their Crosses and Pictures and Images which were set up in the time of gross Idolâ—try this R. I. counts graces and adorns their Churches and so he is joyned to Idols I shall let him alone and the Reader may see how R. I. honours the Scriptures when in one Place he pleads for the same Titles to be given unto them which are given to God and saith No Man can dâ—shonour Christ by giving as honoura le Titles to the Scriptures as to God or Christ then by his own Argument he hath brought a great Dishonour to God and Christ and the Scripture by giving them so base a Title as the Name of Cards and so in going about to exalt his own Imaginations he hath vilified the Scriptures of Truth And saith R. I. To call Steeple-houses Churches is no Addition to the Scripture but a true Exposition thereof and what if there be some Reliques of Idolatry in our material Temples is there are some Reliques of Sin in our living Temples 〈◊〉 they therefore be called Idol-Temples Answ. The Temple in which the Jews worshipped was builded by the Command of God which all these Steeple houses cannot be compared unto which were invented and set up in the Apostacy since Men have departed from the Faith and ruined into Formalities and Idolatry when Christ was offered up the everlasting Offering them that did believe in Christ â—eparated from the Temple and the Gentiles who believed separated from their Idols Temples and they met together in Houses which we do not read of were filled with Pictures Images and Crosses and Steeple-houses were not then invented and the Council of Nice divers hundred Years after the Apostles decreed that Images and Crosses were to be placed in the Churches and also worshipped and there is the Original of those things which R.I. saith do grace and adorn their Church And if some of the reliques of Idolatry do abide in your Temples then it demonstrates that you are in the same Spirit they were that set them up And if your Temples take their Denomination from the People that meet therein as R. I. saith in page 32. then they may be truly called Popish Houses and Mass-houses from the People that meet therein and if the reliques of Sin abide in your living Temples and bear rule there then they that defile the Temple will God destroy for Holiness becomes the Habitation of his Hâ—use forever and 1 Kings 8.11 will be but a bad Proof for thee For the Glory of the Lord shall fill the House of the Lord for that is the Temple blind man which was commanded by God and the Glory of God did appear there but if this will not serve we must have another Proof Psal. 76.2 In Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling-place in Sion which may be understood allegorically of our Temple saith R. I. Doth the Glory of the Lord fill your Mass-houses you glory in Deceit and in Pride and your Glorying is not good and thy Allegory is false though his Tabernacle was in Salem and his Dwelling in Sion and his Presence in the Temple is yours the Temple or Salem or Sion or the Tabernacle if not for Shame pervert not the Scripture nor bring it to cover your idolatrous Practices which R. I. pleads for and saith Images Pictures and Crosses may be continued in some Places and it is like R.I. would count it Sacriledge to take them away he is far from the Exhortation of the Apostle Abstain from every Appearance of Evil and hate the Garment that is spotted with the Flesh. And R.I. saith I plead not for Baal nor for proud phantastick Spirits and yet a little while after saith that putting off Lace Ribbons and costly Apparel may be putting on of Pride Now who will believe this R.I. that he pleads not for Baal when he pleads for Pictures Crosses and Images for Cuffs Ribbonds Lace and costly Apparel Now Reader thou may'st observe by R.I. his Decorum how the Wheels go within And further R. I. saith It is utterly unlawful for any Christian whatsoever gifted or not gifted to preach the Word in the Name of the Lord before the Church publickly assembled unless they be ordained and set apart by the Church for such a Work Answ. this man is far from Moses's Spirit who wished that all the Lord's People were Prophets and would not forbid Eldad and Medad to prophesie in the Camp which was a publick Assembly and Israel then the Church of God and R. I. hath made too hasty a Conclusion who would prohibit all from speaking the Word of God if they wanted outward Ordination then Paul was a great Transgressor who consulted not with Flesh and Blood neither with any other of the Brethren nor went not up to Jerusalem for Orâ—ination but preached three years the Word of God and then afterward went up to Jerusalem and saw none except Peter and James and no Ordaination as we read of and afetrward went into Syrâ—a and Cilicia and furthermore saith he that was not known by Face to the Churches of Judea So who ordained him all this time for there were no Churches of the Gentiles but what he had planted then and so they could not ordain him Gal. 1.17 18 19 21 22. And who ordained Apollo but it may be that R. I. will say that Paul was ordained at Antioch Acts 12.2 but I would have R. I. to
understand that here was seventeen years that he preached publickly before that and where was his Ordination Many of the Brethren who were scattered abroad in the Persecution that was at Jerusalem went every where preaching the Word of God and when or where were these ordained And who ordained the Brethren that were persecuted after Steven's being put to death who travailed as far as Phenicia and Cyprus and Antioch preaching the Word and the Hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and were turned unto the Lord Acts 11.19 20 21. yet these things I bring not as to deny but that many went out with the consent of the Church and many were ordained and many were ordained Elders who were grown up in the Truth and established who had received the holy Ghost by whom many were confirmed and strengthned in the Faith but what is all this R. I. to your Ordination and who ordained you the Pope a Bishop or a Council or a Parliament and what are they you ordain Such as learn the Art of Speech seven years at Oxford who have read Homer and Aristotle Plato and Diogenes and learn to play on a Fiddle these are no Mechanicks but gifted Men indeed and qualified and fit to be ordained and made Ministers Pastors and Elders to carry abroad the Traffick of Mystery-Babylon but this R. I. is very peremptory and saith it is utterly unlawful for any that are gifted to preach the Word contrary to the Apostle's Doctrine who saith as every one hath received the Gift so let him administer and not such as R. I. would have to be Ministers who have learned an Art to speak and this must be called a Gift and a Qualification and a fit Man to be a Pastor and thus they have ordained one another and have set up a Trade of preaching and with their confused Stories have filled the World with Darkness And as concerning an infallible Spirit saith R. I. None except Christ who was without sin can challenge it or lay claim to it and I may say of such Runnagates and wandering Stars as this F. H. and the Quakers are as John did 1 John 2.9 They are gone out from us because they were not of us Answ. However this R. I. hath cleared himself and the rest of his Brethren for being Ministers of Christ for they do not only deny an infallible Spirit neither look to be made Partakers thereof but quite shut out all the Saints from enjoying it and though in Christ the fulness of the Godhead dwelt who was full of Grace and Truth he is the Root from whence all that believe come to be made partakers of his Virtue and so many of his Members may lay claim to it as they have received it by a free Gift according to the Promise of Christ I will send you the Spirit of Truth whâ—ch shall lead you into all Truth and the Apostle had received the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus who had freed him from the Law of Sin and Death and the Sons of God had received it and they were led by it and the Ministers of Christ were made Ministers of it who hath made us able Ministers as it is written not of the Letter but of the Spirit and that Spirit was infallible and true and that Spirit which they declared of was an unerring Spirit and as they were led by it they erred not but were kept by it that the Evil one touched them not and they spoke from it and ordered the Church in it in the wisdom of God But what do these Men minister from who wait not to be made Partakers of this but deny that ever any had it or ever shall have so are but a company of Dreamers and tell their dream that they dreamed in the Night or at best steal the Words from their Neighbour and say Thus saith the Lord when God hath never spoken to them And though thou mayest say we are Runnagates because we sit not dreaming over thirty or forty Families twenty years but travail from City from Country to Country to publish the Word of Truth freely as the Apostles Ministers of Christ did we must by such as this R. I. and his Brethren who have gotten Holes and Nests in the Earth to creep into be counted as Runnagates though John said They are gone out from us because they were not of us this he spoke of them who went out of the Light in which he and the rest of the Disciples had Fellowship with God and one with another and they that went out from this went into the Spirit of the World and you are such as they that are gone out already and blasphemously call the Light of Christ Ignis fatuâ—â— and so all that fear the Lord will come out from you and out from Babylon where the Blood of the Prophets hath been shed and the Witnesses killed you who deny an infallible Spirit are like to be in blindness and follow the Spirit of Error for you have nought else to cleave unto And further R I. saith when the Lord said by Joel that he would pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh and his Sons and his Daughters should prophesie the Prophet speaks not of a ghostly Power to open the Kingdom of Heaven given by Christ to his Apostles and Successors but of an extraordinary Measure of enlightning Grace and a more copious effusion of the Spirit and also to Pastors to whom more is given more is required and this Text doth not prove that all Sheep shall be Pastors and all Schollars Teachers An. Nay this Text doth not prove all Sheep to be Pastors neither all that are taught to be Teachers for all are not Prophets neither Pastors nor Teachers for as Christ said the Labourers are but few but this Man 's afraid that there should be too many indeed there are too many hireling Loiterers that are ready to supplant one another for filthy Lucre though many may be said to believe yet all have not received the Spirit of prophecy or a Gift to be Pastors but only they to whom it is given of the Lord for the Work sake yet notwithstanding they who have received it ought not to be limited either Son or Daughter for they who do quench the Spirit and dâ—â—pise Prophecy as this R. I. doth and how should he do otherwise seeing he hath denyed the infallible Spirit from which all the Ministers ministred and all the Prophets prohesied and spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost but R. I. saith the Prophet spoke not of a Ghostly Power to open the Kingdom of Heaven if by ghostly Power he means the Spirit 's Power as I believe he will not deny then was it not by a spiritual Power Sons Daughters prophesied and did not this Power open the Kingdom of Heaven and if it be a more copious Effusion of the Spirit which is given under the Gospel then the Law
cast into the Lake and all those tyranous cruel wicked changeable murderous Laws which he hath made and forced upon Men to uphold the Power of his Dominion shall be trodden under Foot and be had in Contempt and Dishonour by all the Followers of the Lamb who is gone out conquering and to conquer and shall subdue his Enemies and overcome them and slay the wicked by the Sword that proceeds out of his Mouth And Oh what a Havock hath the Devil made in the Earth since the Dayes of the Apostles since he hath got the Form of Godliness and hath transformed himself into all outward Appearances of Worship and Anti-christ hath been exalted above the true God in the Earth and hath turned Christian in Name and hath preached Christ in Words and hath covered himself with the Sheeps Clothing the outside that he might not appear as he is an Enemy to the Power and Life of the true God that so he might deceive and hath deceived Thousands for since the Dayes of the Apostacy that the Power and the Life hath been lost the Devil and Anti-christ have turned Law-makers and Law-givers and Law-executors and Rulers of Nations and Kingdoms have made Spoil in the Nations under that Name of higher Power nay further Anti-christ hath turned Church-Member nay Church-Officer Preacher and a great Ordinance-man a Preacher a Prayer a Singer a Baptizer a Worshipper of the strictest sort in the Nations and hath taken up the visibles Actions and Practices of the Disciples Apostles Ministers and Believers so far as they have been outward and now in these things and by this stolen cover deceives Peoples and opposes the true Christ and his Life and Power and coming in the Spirit and yet notwithstanding all this large Philactary and long and large Garment yet the in-side is Devilish Hellish Murderous Cruel ravenous and devouring And who will but look back and take a view from the Beginning of the Devil's Kingdom until Christ was manifest in the Flesh shall finde these things true that under the Name of higher Power and under the Name of Holy Church he hath destroyed the Naâ—iâ—ns and hath laid waste God's Heritage and hath defaced his Image and destroyed his Workmanship and hath laid all the Blame upon the Righteous Seed and condemned them for Evil-doers for not being subject to Authority for Law-breakers and for Seditious and Tumultuous and for Heresie and Errour and Blasphemy and as Ungodly for all the Righteous Prophets and Believers in former Time were Judged and suffered as Ungodly in the Account of the Devil and his Agents as though he and his Instruments had been the greatest Friends of God and of Believers And who will but view the Scriptures of Truth from the manifesting of Christ in the Flesh till his Ascention and also afterward may see that the Devil under the Name of higher Power and under the Name of Authority hath made Spoil and Havock of men and their Estates and hath killed and destroyed the Just as Evil-doers and have exacted upon the Righteous by wicked Impositions and Cruel corrupt Laws made to uphold his Authority which standeth in Darkness And the false Church under the Name of a Holy Church hath sentenced them as Blasphemers as Erronious and as Enemies to God who kept his Commands and did the Will of our Heavenly Father as the blind Jews in their ignorance judged Christ as a Blasphemer and as an Enemy to the Law and Crucified him and Persecuted the Apostles and put them in Prison as Seditious and Tumultuous and as Pestilent and assaulted the House of Jason and beat and abused Scourged and Whipped them with Stripes and loaded them with Reproaches and haled them before Magistrates and Rulers and falsely accused them and followed them from place to Place and stirred up the ruder sort and cryed out Help men of Israel for they turn the World upside down and so Persecuted them from City to City as Evil-doers And after the dayes of the Apostles when there was a defection made from the Faith and the Power was denyed and lost yet the Form retained then Mystery Babylon began to rise and the Murderous City began to be builded and the Nations to drink of her Fornication and swallowed down her deceit Then began the Nations to be Waters and Kindreds and Tongues to reel to and fro Then all became as a Sea with Waves and Boisterous then the Beast rose out of it and he got the Name of Authority and higher Power and then turned against the Righteous and made Laws in the wicked Nature that all that would not be subject to him must be killed and they were Killed under the Name of Evil-doers for that Title they must bear and both the Beast the first and the second with the Mother of Harlots shed the Blood of the Saints as Erronious Seditious Blasphemous all this long Night of Anti-christ's Reign they that keep the Testimony of Jesus have been Killed Destroyed Persecuted some as being Enemies to the Higher Power and some as Law-breakers and Seditious and some as Erronious and Dangerous so these many hundred Years hath the Devil been exalted and Anti-christ advanced under the Name of Christ and under this Title have killed and wasted the Creatures and destroyed the Creation by the Name of Higher Power and by the Name of Holy Church and by the Name of Christians hath devoured and destroyed Thousands by Cruel Deaths Tortures Blood-shed Fining Prisoning Hailing to Prison Whipping Scourging the Righteous as Malefactors and Evil-doers them that were dear in the eyes of the Lord and were not defiled with the Abominations of the times and all them that bore Testimony to Righteousness were condemned for Unrighteous and censured as evil-doers and thus in short all may see how the Devil hath disguised himself and transformed himself into the likeness of Truth as an asserter of Righteousness and a Vindicator of Holiness and so hath deceived the Nations and led them into Blindness that he might hold up his Kingdom and Government in the Earth and that he might be Worshipped and Honoured above the True and living God and who hath but taken a view of the Ecclesiastical Histories of the affairs of things since the Apostacy may clearly see that great and many have been the sufferings of the Righteous by this Generation of Evil-doers who have got the Name of Higher Power and also of Holiness and so have turned against the Saints and faithful Witnesses of God who lived in the Life and Power thereof and have shed their Blood and made Havock and Spoil of God's Heritage and have destroyed his Workmanship and have made the Hearts of the Righteous sad whom God never made sad But what need I go backward to Ages and Generations past to demonstrate this when our Age and Generation bringeth forth so many and sad Evidences of these things which if the Sufferings and sad Persecutions were summed up of these seven Years last past
of the true Church and so came the Nations to be Cheated then she reached forth her Golden Cup of Fornication her fair out-side to the Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and they were made Drunk and there they Stumbled Reeled and Staggered till at last they became all like a Sea like Waters which swell and roar and Foam and stand at no stay take notice of this here was the false Church's Foundation laid in the Waters upon this was the fear of the Mother of Harlots which John saw fourteen hundred Years ago but the Foundation of the true Church which was before this was Planted in Christ in the Apostles dayes and was builded upon the True Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World upon Christ the Power of God the Corner-Stone the Rock of Ages and the Members of her Body which were Elect and Precious a few at Corinth at Jerusalem at Asia at Antioch at Colos Ephesus and other places who believed and were changed into their Hearts by the word of God which the Ministers of Christ preached which was in their Hearts and them who came to be established in the Truth in Meekness Patience Long-suffering who walked together in Love to wit in the Love of God which was shed abroad in their Hearts became a Habitation for God through the Spirit and Christ was the Head of this Body and ruled over it and in it and by him were they led and were subject to him who was their Husband and Shepherd Who preserved them and ordered and provided for them Who gave unto them the Bread and Water of Life and reached unto them the Cup of Salvation and Blessing whereby they came to be Nourished and grew in Wisdom and Knowledge Obedience and Subjection and in the Power and in the Dominion so were more then Conquerers thorow him that was their Law-giver King Judge and Saviour and these as I have said came to know the Truth Christ in their Hearts ruling and this was the seat of the true Church And herein is the true Church of God and her Seat and Members manifested and the false Church her Seat and Members manifested the one upon the Rock the other upon the Sand the one in the Life the other on the Words without Life the Seat of the one amongst those that were established in the Truth who bore the Image of Christ and did walk in Love and the Seat of the other was in the Waters and upon the Waters and upon unstable Minds and upon them that were in Cain's Way and the Seat of the one upon them and among them who had received freely of the Lord and Ministred freely out unto others of that which they had received but the Seat of the other upon them and among them that went in Balaam's Way who were greedy of filthy Lucre and followed after Gifts and Rewards the Seat of the one upon and among them who had submitted unto the teachings of God's holy Spirit in them the Seat of the other upon them and among them who had Erred from the Spirit and Quenched it and cryed Revelations were ceased who went in Corah's Way in the Gain-saying and resisting of the Holy Ghost the one upon them that were in the Power of God the other upon them who had the Form but denyed the Power the one among them who were the Servants of Righteousness the other amongst them whose Throats were as an open Sepulchre whose Feet were swift to shed Blood and Eyes full of adultery who could not cease from Sin the one among them who took up the daily Cross of Christ and denyed themselves and the other among them who followed their own Wayes and not the Cross of Christ but denyers of it the one amongst them who were Crucified to the Flesh and the deeds thereof the other among them that were alive in the Flesh and following the Affections and Lusts thereof So much more I might say according to the Wisdom given of the Lord but by what hath been said herein you may see the differences betwixt the true Church of God and the Mother of Harlots betwixt Jerusalem which is above a Mystery and the Mystery of Babylon and betwixt The Bride of the Lamb's Wife and the Harlot that hath run from her Husband and the differences of the Members of each Body and the differences between each Seat made manifest by their Effect and Fruits which is brought forth by each sort so read your selves whether you are in the Apostacy or out of the Apostacy whether of the Members of Christ and of his Body or of Anti-christ and so Members of the Harlot and of her Body to the Measure of God's Spirit in all your Consciences as you take heed to it will give you a true Understanding And so when these Waters Nations Tongues Kindreds and Peoples came to be drunken with the Cup of Fornication not only the Common sort of People but also the Kings the Captains and Nobles were polluted amongst all these professing Christians who had the Name of being Christians but are not arose the great Scarlet coloured Beast who had the Names of Blasphemy written in hâ—s forhead with seven Heads and ten Horns Perfect cruelty and great Strength who compelled all to Worship him and here was the Beginning of earthly Powers who came to meddle and compel in Spiritual Matters and the Kings of the Earth gave their Aid force and Strength to the Beast who compelled all both great smal whose Names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life to Worship him and he Killed the Saints and Persecuted them which kept the Testimony of Jesus and the Word of God and the false Church which had laid her Foundation and sate as a Queen got upon the Beast and travelled in the greatness of his Strength made War against the free-Woman the Lamb's Wife made her flee into the Wilderness for two times and a half and all this was since the Apostles dayes that so now they that boast of Visibility and Universality alwayes since the Apostles dayes by this Argument they overthrow themselves for that which hath alwayes been so Visible in Power Force and Strength and so Universality seen and spread over all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People cannot be the Church of Christ for she hath been in the Wilderness and Christ the Head of his Church the Body compelleth none by carnal Weapons to Worship the Lord but he that takes hold of the Sword shall Perish by the Sword and he said again Love your Enemies do good to them that hate you and Pray for them that Persecute you and this is he who is the higher Power unto whom all Power is given both in Heaven and Earth and unto him the Spouse is subject and the Body is subject and they fear him and Honour his holy Name for he is worthy to be Praised and to receive all Honour Glory and Strength forever But the Beast compelleth all who
hasty heady Teachers and Speakers which know not the Lord's Voice cannot profit the People at all and all these tellers of Dreams and dreamers dream in the Night but what is the Chaff to the Wheat but he that hath heard God and knows his Voice and his Word which is a Spirit may speak it freely and that will answer the just in all People and the Witness of God will testifie in all Consciences to the Truth thereof and feels the Power of it and will remember it when the dreamers that dream will be forgotten And all ye that are broken into many Opinions and Sects and divers Judgments wait that you may know that which will unite you to God and one unto another that you may come all to be of one Heart and of one Mind and of one Soul into the Unity of the one Spirit as the Saints of old were in and many there are now unto whom the mind of the Lord is known blessed be the Name of the Lord forever and that you may all come to know him that healeth the Nations and leadeth out of Wars and maketh them to cease to the End of the Earth for VVars saith the Apostle James proceed from Mens Lusts and so wait in the Light which Christ hath given you for Power from God to be revealed in you which killeth the Lusts in your selves That your Swords may be broken into Plow-shares 〈◊〉 your Spears and VVeapons of War into Pruning Hooks then the Occasion and Ground of War is gone then you will come to be Follwers of Christ who came not to destroy mens Lives but to save them and to love Enemies anâ— bless them that curse you and do Good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you and this is the Way to conquer the Spirits of your Enemies Therefore stop not your Ears nor slight 〈◊〉 the Day of your Visitation for the joyful Sound of the everlasting Gospel is now to be preached again unto all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and towards you in Germany is that coming wherein Remission of Sins is obtained and Life and Immortality is brought to Light and blessed and happy will you be if you be found worthy to receive it which many Nations and People have put away from them and thereby have made themselves unworthy of everlasting Life And now this is a Message of Love and a free Gift unto you the Princes and People and Rulers in Germany that you may all be warned to be in a Readiness to meet the Lord in his Judgments and also to receive the tender Proffers of Life and Salvation to you and your People Nation Rulers and ruled may be happy and so come to witness Blessedness and Peace in all your Habitations which the Lord hath brought many unto in this the Day of his mighty Power wherein he hath shewed himself in the Earth and made many Witnesses of his noble Acts and of his wondrous Works that he hath done amongst us to the Intent they may be Testimonies thereof that other Nations may be invited to taste and see how good and gracious the Lord is who is the Light of his People and how pleasant the Way is that lighteth every man that cometh into the World and these Things I testifie unto you who have tasted how good and pleasant his dwelling-place is and how precious the Fold of the Lord is and how green and pleasant are his Pastures into which he leadeth his Sheep unto them hath he given everlasting Life and perfect Assurance of his Love forever These Sayings are faithful holy just and true and blessed is he that hath an Ear to hear and a Heart ready to receive understand thaâ— which is now declared of they even they shall be Witnesses of the same Glory in themselves and not only believe because of the Sound and Repâ—â—t thereof but see handle and understand these things in their own Hearts and feel it in their own Breasts So this is God's Visitation of Love to you 〈◊〉 Oh prize it lest it pass over your Heads and you never attain unto the Comfort of that which belongeth unto your eternal Rest and Peace From one who loves the Lord and all the Children of the Light and 〈◊〉 the Salvation and Welfare of all Men who is at perfect Unity with 〈◊〉 the Creation of God F. H. From England the 26 th of the 1 st Moneth 1661. THE GLORY OF THE True Church DISCOVERED As it was in its PURITY IN THE PRIMITIVE TIMES ALSO A Manifestation how and when the Apostacy came and how long it hath continued in the Church ROME proved to be in it because she differs in Doctrine and Practice from the Church of Christ in the Apostles Dayes Published for this End that People may be informed and their Understandings opened to discern the Times and Seasons and see the Difference between the Lamb's Wife and the Mother of Harlots By one who desires that all may come to the Knowledge of the Truth and be saved and walk in the Light of the Lord. F. H. TO THE Reader or Readers GReat hath been the Wisdom which God hath shed abroad in the Hearts of his People and made known unto his Servants through Ages wherein he hath made known his Mind and Will at sundry times and in divers manners sometimes by Types sometimes by Shadows and Representations sometimes by Dreams sometimes by Visions sometimes by Prophecy there was not the least Ministration but it had a Glory in it and the one living God manifested his Mind unto the Sons of men who feared his Name in every Generation and shewed unto them and signified his mind unto them what he was and shewed unto them how he would be worshipped and they that were obedient unto that which was made manifest in every Age and Ministration found Acceptance with the Lord and the Peace of God in their Hearts After man had transgressed and gone from his Maker and lost the Guide of his Youth and broken God's Covenant then Blindness came upon him and a Vail was betwixt him and his Maker and man increased and grew in an earthly Part and lusted after earthly Things which fed and increased that Part and the Image of God was lost in which the Creature delighted yet notwithstanding such was and is the Love of God towards his Creation and to his Workmanship that he did not utterly cast off man forever but followed him to draw him back again out of the Transgression to have Unity with him who was his Maker and when man was gone unto Darkness the Lord stooped so low as to come near him and to that State he was in and made a Covenant with man when mans Heart was outward upon outward Things and gave him Commands outward and Statutes and Ordinances outward that he might worship therein which were Shadows and Types of some better Things to come and these were the Ordinances of
now mark this that by which the Apostle gathered them from the Jewish Temples and Priest-hood and the Gentiles from their Idols Temples was by the Preaching of the everlasting Gospel to wit not the Law nor the Ordinances of the first Covenant but the Power of God and the word of Reconciliation for the first Covenant of the Jews made not the Comers thereunto perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Neither the Gentiles Idols Temples nor Worships made them perfect as pertaining to the Conscience but rather made them worse and more corrupted Heb. 9.9 But the Preaching and publishing of the Word of Reconciliation that did it was committed to the Disciples it was received and believed in by many both Jews and Gentiles as at Ephesus and elsewhere and they were made a Habitation of God through the Spirit Ephes. 2.22 Now mark this they preached not up the Letâ—er of the Law nor that which was written in Tables of Stone for the first Priest-hood that was ended and the Ministry of that and the Vail was over their Hearts while Moses was read and their ability stood not in the Litteral knowledge or in that which was written But they were able Ministers of the New-Testament of the Spirit and so all that did believe both Jews and Gentiles who received the word of Faith which was nigh in the Mâ—uth and in the Heart Rom. 10.8 they grew up in the Knowledge of God and of his holy Spirit and great Gifts grew amongst them as of Prophecy of speaking with Tongues of Interpretation and there was diversity of gifts and diversity of Operations yet all by the same Spirit which the Apostles were made Ministers of and which they that did believe and receive and received gifts from it and knew the Operation of it which wrought in them mightily to the throwing down the strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 And the principalities and Powers of Darkness and to the Translating and changing of them from Darkness to Light and from Satans Power to the Power of God even into the Kinâ—dom of his dear Son Col. 1.13 And several Congregations in divers Places were all one Body whereof Christ the Life was the Head in which they had believed and of whose Power they had tasted grew up in Knowledge and Wisdom and gifts and the Day of Christ approached which Abraham saw And they exhorted one another and admonished one another and when they met together at several Places every one according to the Gift of God as he had received not from the Letterâ— but from the Spirit did and might administer to the Edification one of another and to the building up and comforting one another in the most holy Faith which gave them Victory over Sin which Faith was wrought in them by hearing of the Word that was nigh them in the Mouth and in the Heart which was the Word of Consolation which was in the Beginning Moreover when they met together they might Prophesie one by one and every one Exercise his own gift to the edification and Comfort of the Body as the Spirit did lead them in Order and if any went out from his Measure he was judged by them that were in the Spirit Furthermore they that had believed the Gospel which was published to them for remission of Sin they grew up into great Enjoyments and Attainments in the righteous Life of Christ which was manifest in them And though first they knew the Ministration of Condemnation and the sentence of Death yet afterwards came to know the Ministration of the Spirit and the sweet Assurance and Testimony of it bearing Witness to the Spirit that they were the Sons of God and they were made Heirs according to the Promise Heb. 6.17 and were made joynt-heirs and co-heirs with Christ in the Kingdom which is Immortal which faâ—es not away and did dome to know Mount Sion and the City of the living God Heb. 12.22 and it were large to speak of the Glory and the Transcendent Excellency of the Church of Christ which became a purchased Possession to him in the Primitive Times or the first hundred Years after the manifestation of Christ in the Flesh. But take notice of this that they that were sent out who had received freely of the Father of Christ and of the Spirit Ministred freely as they had received freely without making any Covenants or enquiries after worldly revenews but went from City to City Preaching the Gâ—spel of Christ freely as they hâ—d received without any conditionâ— frâ—m the People And as many as believed and received the Gospel did Minister freely their Hearts being open unto them who had declared unto them spiritual Things Acts 4.34 Mat. 10.8 c. So that we read of no compulsion or forcing Maintenance from any of the Cities whether they believed or not believed the Father took care of such Harvest-men and and what they received was given freely and there was no Complaint though often they denyed that which was proferred to them and thâ—ir Câ—re was to make the Gospel of Christ not Burdensome or chargeable but rather their Hands should Minister unto their Necessities Acts 18.3 Again though divers gifts were given unto the Disciples before and after Christ's Ascension as some to be Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors some Teachers and some Elders or Bishops yet they were all made Ministers by the holy Ghost yet it were large to speak of the Power and of the Wisdom and of the Enjoyments of God in that day and time and of the Gifts and of the order which was in the Church at that time But in a Word the Son of God was made manifest and gave them an Understanding and they knew him that was true Truth it self and Christ was revealed in them and manifested to them the Hope of their Glory Col. 1.27 Furthermore they come to see over the new Moons and Fâ—sts and Feasts and Dayes and Times and Meats and Drinks and none could judge of them or ought to judge of them in those Cases for they saw the Body Christ for the man-Child was brought forth and the Woman was Cloathed with the Sun who had the Crowd of twelve Stars upon her head who brought forth the holy Child Jesus who saves his People from their Sins In whom all Shadows Types Figures Representations end This in short was part of the Glory of the Primitive Church which would be large to speak of as it was in the first State of its Purity But hereafter some fuller thing the Lord may bring forth in his own time and day CHAP. II. Concerning the entring in of the Apostacy and the Declination from the Purity of Doctrine Worship and Practice and when it began downwards from the entring of it in until this present Age and Time CHrist the true Prophet which Moses spake of whom the Lord raised up and manifested in the Fulness of time he prohesied and declared of false Prophets that should arise Mat. 7.15 Beware of
a Service for such a Day and such a Worship for such a Day we find not in the first hundred Years after Christ. And for your Lent which one of your Fathers invented and this was his Ground because God had the tenth of the increase of Tythes due to himself and for his Ministers under the Law therefore it was necessary that the tenth part of Dayes should be allowed as Tythes to the Lord Oh! Gross ignorance and palpable Blindness mid-Night it self came upon you in the time of your Visibility when the True Church was fled into the Wilderness As though the Lord was not the Lord of all Dayes and as though all dayes were not his and to be used to his Glory And your prohibiting Meats and distinguishing of Meats one Holy for such a day another for such a day Flesh one day and Fish another day as though there were not the Flesh of Fish or one thing were clean and another Unclean And this invented Trumpery hath been observed for Catholick and Apostolick Doctrine but by whom we must needs tell you by the Nations Kindreds and Tongues and People upon which the Whore sits and out of which the Beast rose And we will grant you antiquity enough this many hundred Years and yet we will prefer the Primitive Times before you and bring their Doctrine and Practice to reprove you though we do not desire to go in Cain's Way and to kill Creatures that are out of the Doctrine of Christ and contrary to Apostolick and Catholick Doctrine which wrestled not with Flesh and Blood but with spiritual wickedness whose Weapons were not carnal but spiritual and yet they hâ—d great might in them and threw down by these weapons that which never could be by carnal 2 Cor. 10.4 Again your forbidding to Marry which is reckoned by the Apostles Doctrine to be a Doctrine of Devils and contrary unto that the Apostle's Doctrine was Marriage is Honourable in all Estates the Bâ—d undefiled Heb. 13.4 And seeing you plead Peter was at Rome and Peters Chair and that the Bishop of Rome doth succeed him and hath the Keys as Peter had Why do you exclude the chief Bishops as you account them from Marrying and divers other Orders seeing Peter had a Wife and seeing that it is Catholick and Apostolick Doctrine before you could claim the Name of visible Church that a Bishop should be the Husband of one Wife and should not be Covetous nor no striker nor given to Wine nor filthy Lâ—cre c. But since the Bishop of Rome hath Appropriated to himself to be the Head of the Church and the chief-Bishop over all â—he Catholick Church it hath been manifested how much covetousness and covetous Practices have been Acted as Money for Pardons and Indulgences and get Money for the living and the dead and the invented Purgatory hath filled your Coffers and your Meritorious works have been Sold at a dear rate Insomuch that a poor Woman who hath lost her Husband and he deceased must pay ten Shillings for a mortuary that he may be Prayed for or some of your Merits may be accounted to him which you have in store as a Stock to sell to any who come with a Prize in their Hands And from whence have you all these Tythes have you not borrowed them of the Jews and yet you are no Jews and such things we do not read among the Jews were Tythable Pigs Eggs Hens and Geese to omit greater matters and the Smoak passing up the chimneys and that which you call your Peter-Pence And this is contrary to the Catholick and Apostolick Doctrine which Peter would have been ashamed to ever have mentioned either amongst Jews or Gentiles And now I would ask you a Question or two seeing John saw the true Church flee into the Wilderness the Woman that was cloathed with the Sun who brought forth the Man-child what cause have you to boast of Visibility or Universality Now when were you in the Wilderness if your Church hath not been so then it Demonstrates that your Church is not the Woman cloathed with the Sun for she did fly into the Wilderness as with the Wings of an Eagle Secondly Whether hath your Gospel been universally publickly preached these sixteen hundred Years or nay And is it the very same that was Preached in the first hundred or two hundred Years seeing that John saith that all Nations did drink of the Whore's cup of Fornication And then Nations were Waters seeing he saith the Gospel shall be preached again to Nations Kindreds and Tongues which clearly demonstrates there was a time when the everlasting Gospel was not preached to the Kindreds Tongues which are the Waters upon which your Church is Situated And it is evidently manifested that yours hath been another Gospel then that which was preached in the Apostolick Church and in the Catholick Church the first hundred or two hundred Years after Christ was manifested in the Flesh Much might be said to Demonstrate the Truth which is in Hand that there hath been an Apostacy the Beginners thereof came forth in the Apostles dayes and afterwards grew into a Body and became like a great Sea which according to the best Ecclesiastical writerâ— which have given a Narrative of the first five hundred Years declared that there was great loss within 300. Years but in five hundred Years or less the very Power of Godliness was denyed and very much of the Form And though your pleads Antiquity for a Thousand Years for these things aforementioned which they would be hard to prove For although it should be granted them yet we will joyn issue with them in this thing and are able to prove all these Doctrines and Practices not to be as it was in the first two hundred Years except they will own such as taught the Doctrine of Balaam and taught the Doctrine of Devils and went in Cain's and Chore's Way for an Example It were not hard to prove the introducing of all these things before mentioned and how they have come in by degrees one Council that rose out of the Waters ordaining this another ordaining that and so have risen up into this great Body of Darkness some of the Practices borrowed from the Jews and some from the Heathen and some invented of themselves in latter Ages so that the Worship that was in the Spirit and in Truth in Christ's and the Apostles dayes is turned from and such a numberless Number of vain Traditions Ave-maries Creeds and Pater-nosters and such a deal a do as there is about their unbloody Sacrifice of the Mass that they are glad to be counted by their beads on strings as many very well know By all that which hath been said may easily be Collected that there hath been a great Deviation and Apostacy from the Doctrine and Practice of the Primitive times thus far as I am descended I leave it to the Reader to judge and compare these things with the Churches Doctrine and
insomuch that many Papists abhor the very Name and Mention of it and to the Death withstand the bringing in of this Slavery amongst them the Extremity and Rigor of this Inquisition until the year· 1609. In Philip the third King of Spain's Time notwithstanding though the Moors did make a Shew of the Papists Religion because of the Inquisition yet eleven hundred thousand of them were forced to quit the Country it was so dreadful And all these kind of Ordinances and Institutions before-mentioned compare them with the Scriptures and the Cruelty and Severity which hath been exercised towards them who could not receive them none who have their Eyes open in any Measure but must needs conclude that all this is in the Apostacy and so all who profess Reformation flee from these things and from this Spirit and from this Church who forces and kills all them that oppose who are under his Power and why should any plead for the holding up of those Practices as good and warrantable whereas so many have been killed about them and so many have been led from the Life and Power of Godliness while they received and practised these humane Inventions and vain and customary Traditions for the Doctrine of Christ and for Apostolick Ordinances and must it not needs be concluded them who would tye People up and bind Men to observe such and such things as are mentioned before in this Book and persecute for not observing that they are they who draw back to Perdition and keep People from laying hold upon eternal Life Many more vain Practices and Doctrines which have been brought in since the Apostles Dayes might be mentioned but in that which is said already the understanding will see that there hath been a great Apostacy both in Life Doctrine and Practice from the Apostles Time downward until now and that which is called the Catholick Church in Rome is in it and likewise divers of them who are separated from her stick too much in these Things because of the Custom Tradition and Antiquity of them In part I have shewn their Antiquity and their Rise and also shewn that which is more ancient then they from which they have swerved to the Intent that all may come out of Babylon and drink no more of the Cup nor buy no more of the Merchandize nor wear no more the Harlots Cognizance nor the false Churches Attire but that all may come to see before this Heap of dark Confusion and beyond the vain Obervations which have been introduced which make no Man through the Observation thereof more acceptable unto God but rather two-fold more like Children of the wicked one who abode not in the Truth CHAP. XIV Something further of the Decrees and Ordinances of the Church of Rome which are holden out for Apostolical Ordinances POpe Paul about the Year 757. condemned the Council at Constantinople for condemning worshipping of Images he wrote a Book of the worshipping and Utility of Images calling them the Lay-mens Calender Pope Adrian about the Year 770. cloathed the Image of St. Peter with Silver and covered the Altar of St. Paul with a pall of Gold and condemned them for Hereticks who kept Peter and Paul's Doctrine which declared against Idols Pope Nicholas about the Year 858. enlarged the Popes Decrees equalling them to the Writings of the Apostles he decreed that Service should be said in Latine And although by the Emperor the Pope was first elected yet now having got Head did climb up so high in Power and Pride and Arrogancy endeavoured that no Emperor should be crown'd without his Leave in Germany And Pope Clement the fifth excommunicated Andronicus Peleogus Emperor of Constantinople as an Heretick because he would not suffer the Greek Church to appeal to Rome And when any Kings or Princes had displeased him he hath excommunicated them and given away their Kingdoms to some other teaching their People to rebel and also instigating other Princes to make War against them and to kill one another for trifles and if any displeased him he caused many Kings to do Penance and to pay great Sums of Money to get an absolution from Excommunication and the Rule and Power of the Empire which gave him first his being to be Universal Bishop and to be called Pope he hath raised War often against and if he like not the Election of the Emperour he hath deposed them and one he brought into such Subjection that he caused him to hold his Sirrop a thing that the Emperour was not accustomed with he happened to hold it on the wrong side for which he received a sharp Reproof by his holiness Likewise some difference being between Pope Innocent the fourth in the Year 1250. and the Emperour Frederick the second the Pope would not be Reconciled though the King of France strongly interceeded and offered full satisfaction for all pretended Wrongs would go out of his Empire if the Pope could not endure him there never to return into Europe again so as that his Son with the Popes Approbation might but Succeed him in the Empire which the Pope would not do And how England and divers Nations have been troubled with his Oppression is well known and what exactions and great sums of Money â—here have been enhausted and squeezed out of his Dominions where he 〈◊〉 Power the Nations well remember to maintain the Pride of his Court at Rome which abounded with all manner of Vitiousness insomuch that it was grown to that height that Vincentius Clement the Popeâ— Legate said it was now too late and past reforming But to take the Legate's own words as follow against his Master the Pope and his Court W. H. in his Book called a Description of England in the 136 page saith thus that this Vincentius Clement in the year 1452. being Legate for the Pope was here in England about the Pope's business and hearing that the Clergy had given the King two tenths for the repaying â—f his losses which he had sustained in France and for the recovering of Bourdeaux this Legate Vincentius coming into the Convocation House he earnestly required the Clergy to be no less favourable to their Spiritual Father the Pope and their Mother the See of Rome then they had been to his vassal and inferiour meaning the King and in his Speech in the Convocation he shewed them how that his Holiness the Pope was much disturbed and daily in danger of his Life by Cut-throats Varlots and Harlots which did much abound as he said in Rome but the Clergy in the Convocation slighted his Speech and said how should we contribute towards the Suppression of such whereas he and such as you continually uphold them I grant saith the Legate that there wanteth just Reformation of many Things in the City of Rome which should have been made sooner but now is it too late and past reforming never the less I beseech you send the Legate to write unto his holiness the Pope to request him that
he pleadâ— that Peter was at Rome and as he saith was Christ's Vicar and Bishop and if becauâ—e of this Rome doth excell which the Scripture is silent in Jerusalem might claim Priority before Rome in this for he we read of was more conversant at Jerusalem and a Minister of Circumcision and Paul ministred to Gentiles who preached two whole Years both to Jews and Romans which were Gentiles but it seems the very imagining Peter to be Bishop of Rome hath made Paul's Work void and hath turned his Work out of Doors but however he which hath usurped the Name of Christ's Vicar hâ—th turned both Peter and Paul their Life Doctrine and Practice out of Doors to set up Pride and Deceit But what Blindness and Ignorance is this to judge that God hath bound himself so by Promise to any Place thâ—t â—e will alwayes continue with them whether they abide in his Dâ—ctrine 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 And though Christ said The Gates of Hell should not 〈…〉 the Church had this only a Limitation to one Place if i◠〈…〉 understood of a Place outward because of these Words afore mentiâ—ned theâ— why is it not extended as well to Antâ—och and the seven Châ—rches 〈◊〉 Asiâ— and the rest afore-mentioned have not the Gates of Hell and 〈◊〉 of Dâ—rkness prevailed agâ—inst them Places and the Turks taken Pâ—sâ—ession thereof And as for your Church at Rome which thou say'st 〈◊〉 err and hath alwayes been visible and universal what sayâ—st thou to Marcilianus Christ's Vicar as you judge whether did he not loose his Key when he sacrified to Idols in the tenth Year of Dioclâ—sian But it may be then thy Church must not reside in Christ's Vicar but in a general Council but hereafter we will consider whether they have been alwayes one and could not err Secondly That whereby the Roman Church gives us a Mark and Sign to be the true Church to wit Universality and Viâ—ibility makes her clearly to be an Harlot for John saw the true Church fly into the Wilderness for Time Times and half of Time now if yours hath been visible and universal all this Time Times and a half then you are not the true Church for Universality comprehends all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and if this be the Seat of your Church then absolutely your Church is Mystery-Babylon and not the Lamb's Wife for she sate upon Nations Kindreds Tongues Peoples and Languages which were Waters And here is your Catholick Visible Church measured with God's Measuring-rod First To be the Harlot because she was never in the Wilderness Secondly Because her Seat hath been so universal and catholick as Nations Kindreds Tongues Peoples and Languages have been the Seat of your Church which are the Waters which John saw and so truly may be called the great City And as for Infidels being oblieged to joyn to you this hath been because you have forced and compelled by your Power and outward Force where you had Dominion and to escape your Tortures rather then by sound Doctrine or an holy Example Or Secondly Because your Religion hath stood in so many Formalities and Ceremonies which have been very pleasing and so near unto the Heathens Nature And thou say'st That one cannot be bound to seek that which is invisible I say through Faith God hath been seen who is invisible and Christ said Seek and ye shall find and the Kingdom of God is spiritual and invisible and the natural and visible Eye never discerned it for the Church is in God and God is a Spirit and Christ is the quickning Spirit who is the Head of the Church which is his Body and the spiritual and invisible Eye is that which discerns the Head and the Body and you that look gazing after Things that are visible have never discerned the Members of the true Church of God as such neither have known them but have condemned them as Hereticks in all Ages as your Generation hath done who have been in Cain's Way Secondly If Unity Holiness Universal and Apostolick be the marks and signs of a true Church then yours is not the true Church no more then they you count Sectaries and Hereticks which thou saist are no more one then Cats and Dogs The comparison is odious and like a Snâ—rling catching Spirit who would tear every one that cometh nigh thee And what if there be Protestants Puritans Anabaptists Independents and Quakers these Titles are but nominal and there is not one amongst all there but they acknowledge one God and Jesus Christ to be the Head of the Body which is his Church and one Spirit by which the Saints are Sanctified and they acknowledge Christ's Doctrine in Words and his Worship thâ—t it is in Spirit and in Truth and walketh nearer to the Practice of the Apostles and the Church in their dayes then you do And if in some things they do vary why may not variety be allowed by thee where it is only nominal and Circumstantial as well as thou canst allow Variety of Ave Maryes Creeds Pater Nosters which thou saist delighteth But why hast thou not judged at home Thou must not think to lead us like Animals by the Head as your Church doth poor ignorant People to receive every thing for Apostolick Doctrine because the Church of Rome calls it so and cryes Unity Might not the Sectaries as thou callest them return this upon your selves that you are not at Unity and not one What meaneth the diversity of Orders in your Church which may be called Sects that is Jerom's Order Austin's Order Gregory's Order Carmelites Crouched Fryars Francâ—â— Anthony's Bennet's Dominick's Trinity Bâ—sil Brigandine's Orders All these kind of Orders and many more with every one their distinct Service Formalities and ceremonies what a heap of Sectaries are here and yet Rome cryes Unity Besides what contradiction in your Councils may hereafter be made manifest and in your Vicars one throwing down condemning that which others have set up for Apostolick Doctrine So if Unity be a mark for the true church then you are without this mark and sign more then they which you call Sectaries Thirdly If Holiness be a sign of the true church you are without this sign also more then the Sectaries as you are pleased to call them What cruel Murthers Massacres Tortures Blood-sheds have been acted by your church and that by Commission from his Holiness so called Christ's Vicar against them that have dissented from you upon good and warrantable Ground only upon the account of Religion because they could not acknowledge the Pope to be the Head and Christ's Vicar and receive all Decrees though never so repugnant unto the Doctrine of Christ yet because for Conscience sake many have denyed such things nothing but Fire and Sword hath been threatned and the force thereof hath been known in many Nations as for instance in Germany and the Low-Countries France Pyedmount Holland England and Ireland of late years many Thousands Massacreed not in War
but in Holes hundreds of Houses burnt Men Women and Children Children taken from their Mothers Breasts and knockt against the Walls toss'd upon Pikes Spears wounded with Swords thrown into Lakes and Rivers stript Naked starv'd in cold Seasons through such like in human and Savage cruelty Commissions given from your Nuntio's and Agents to Rob to Steal even Servants from their Masters even upon this account only to weaken and enfeeble the Sectaries and Hereticks as you stile them to advance your Holiness's Chair and to propagate your holy or rather Unholy Church and Religion which things remain fresh in the memory of many Nations to this Day besides doth not your Church tolerate Stews and Adulterous Houses in the Cities where you have Dominion Besides Pride abounds amongst you more then the Nation beside And so your Church hath neither this Mark nor Sign of Holiness Fourthly As for your Church being Cathâ—lick and Universal you want this Sign also If it be One Universal comprehends all Nations like aâ— all the World in comparison were your Church What is Germany France England Scotland and Ireland nothing What is all the Turks Dominions of your Faith And thou saist In Asia Affrica and America all is coming to an End There is that risen and arising in America which must spread over the Nations the Breath of the Lord bloweth which will daily dry up the Waters which is the Seat of your Church which you so much Boast of And what have you converted all the Indians nay have you not hardned their Hearts against the Name of Christ because of your cruelty and unholy conversation among them So that the Name of Christ and christian is become as Odious unto them as Mahomet is unto you And so you are without this Sign as that you are the true church Lastly That your church is Apostolick if this be the Mark of the true church then you are without this also for you are neither Apostolick in Doctrine nor Practice your Weapons are carnal theirs spiritual their Head was Christ the Light of the World your Head is visible and carnal which darkens the World they turned People from Darkness to Light and to the Word of Faith in their Hearts and to know Christ in them to justifie them But one of your Rabbies told us lately you had no such Doctrine in the church of Rome as Christ in you The Apostles turn'd them to the Anointing and to the Spirit to be taught by it and to be led by it into to all Truth and to worship in it and you turn them to Images Pictures Crucifixes Beads and Altars and so keep People in outward things which feed the Sensual and corrupt part Lastly they said Bodily exercise profiteth little and most of your Worship stands in observing of Days Meats Drinks Washings Sprinklings Altars Tapers lighting and bearing Candles Bowing creeping to the Cross turning wheeling this way and that way in all time and parts of your Worship so that there is no time left for the Heart to be exercised towards God And so you are not Apostolical and so are without this true sign of being the true Church of God But I shall descend to particular things which are asserted and seem to be proved but very weakly But we can expect no Wine but such as is in the Bottle It is asserted by this Author That the Pope is the Head of the true Church in which Salvation is only to be expected And his proof he brings is this Christ hath so ordained it in saying to Peter Matth. 16.18.19 Upon this Rock will I build my Church and Christ hath given Power to him and his Successors to be a Head to rule and govern the Church and as there is an Emperour to be the Head of the Empire and a King of the Kingdom so Peter and hâ—s Successors are the Head of the Church and have the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven to bind and to loose and to remit and to retain Sins The Apostolick Church hath this Doctrine That Christ was given to be the Head of the Body which is the Church which is spiritual though in the World yet not of the World and the Father hath committed all Power in Heaven and Earth to the Son and hath ordained him to be a Leader a Teacher and Feeder of his Flock and to be his Salvation to the Ends of the Earth and his Glory he will not give unto another But it seemes the Church of Rome hath soared so high in their Conceiâ—s and Imaginations that they judge all this Power to be given unto the Pope Peter's Successor as thâ—y say Now we do not read of two Heads to the one Body which is the true Church Ephes. 4.4.15 And so this is a contrary Doctrine then that of the Primitive Church and Christ who is the Head of the Body he said Lo I am with you to the End of the World And so it is the meer Arrogancy and Pride of the Pope to be called the head of the Church and an intrenching Christ's Power and Prerogative and that ever Peter was called the Head of the Church we do not read and that of the 16 th of Matthew is but a poor Proof to prove Peter to be the Head of the Church for Christ spoke unto his Disciples ver 15. and asked them Whom say ye that I am Peter as one amongst the rest said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God and Christ said Upon this Rock will I build my Church viz. Upon him which was reveal'd unto Peter by the Father the Son of God which was the Rock which the Fathers eat of and drank of Christ the Rock of Ages and another Foundation can no man lay said the Apostle then that which is laid already Christ the Rock and Corner-Stone and not Peter for Christ is unchangeable and abideth for ever and so was not Peter though Peter and the rest of the Apostles received Power from Christ yet in the 22 d. and 23 d. verses of the same chapter he was gone out of the savour and discerning and Christ said unto him Get thee behind me Satan for thou savourest not the things of God and what though it could be proved that Peter was at Rome a Pastor an Elder or a Bishop who fed the Flock and did feed the Flock and so might be reckoned as an Elder and worthy of Honour in respect of his Labour and Diligence in the Work of Christ is the Promise so entailed to Rome or to any Place that the next that succeeds in that Place must needs receive the same Honour when he doth not the same Work which is worthy of Honour neither is in the same Power but this I am sure of though the Church of Rome lay claim unto Peter's Bishoprick as they say yet they have not done his Work And secondly If Peter was at Rome and a Pastor yet he was not a Lord for Christ reproved that when they strove which
Ishmael Judas and all the Seed of Evil-doers as well as the Image of Christ or Peter Paul or Mary for any thing that they know which they have but received by Story and is but as Old Wives Fables which Paul to Timothy reproved And hath the Church of Rome no better Thing to put them in Mind of the Saints Life then a dead Picture or Image made by the Hand of the Crafts-man upon a Wall or a Board or Parchment or Paper this is Idolatry for Christ promised to his Disciples and to the true Church That he would send his Spirit to lead them into all Truth which is an invisible Thing and to bring to Remembrance whatever Christ had spoken and whatsoever was necessary as to Salvation whether the Saints Life and holy Practices which they lived in or whatsoever else as conduced to their Peace and Justification with God and what Images did God make Use of to shew his Miracles by This is but an old Fable formed by the Apostate Christians whose Minds are turned after Shadows and vain Shews and are erred from the invisible Life and worship the Works of mens Hands 2. Though Moâ—es did put off his Shoe 's according to the command of the Lord where God appeared in Power and Glory to him What is this to your purpose as to Create and form places and Consecrate them as Holy and then command Reverence and Honour unto them this is but to Worship the work of your own Hands and though David say in the 99 Psal. 5 vers Exalt the Lord God and worship at his foot-Stool for he is Holy What of all this doth God call Reliques or Images his Foot-stool And if the Author do judge that it was spoken of Zion and Jerusalem outward where Aaron and the rest of the Priests Worshipped doth not Christ say It â—s not at Jerusalem c. But they that â—orship God Worship him in spirit and Truth What! doth not the Church of Rome profess Christianity and Apostolick Doctrine and will now turn Jews or â—mitaters of them What is Rome Jerusalem or Zion And must Pictures invented and dead Pieces of Bones and Wood be recommended unto the Nations as holy things This is contrary to the Apostolick Church and with the Life of God is judged and the Life of the Saints whom you honour in Words and make Pictures of and worship the Works of your own Hands and Crucifie the Life where-ever it appears that they lived in and teach a contrary Doctrine 3. Confession may be made in Words of the true God and talk may be of his wonderous Works and yet People Idolâ—ters the church of the Jews who acknowledge the true God and had seen and heard of his wonderous works they eat and drank and rose up to Play and these were Idolaters and such is the church of Rome who take Peoples minds up with Garments and Vestments with Altars and Canales with Crucifixes and Agnus Dei with Images formed by Painters with a piece of Bread called a Holy Host and Eucharist an Unbloody Sacrâ—fice who neglect the Life and him that is the Head of the Body and his witness in their Hearts and consciences and lead them to worship and honour visible and carnal things and to busie their minds in the exercise of outward things which profit little or nothing at all and so are Idolaters Worshipping the works of your own Hands which Christ and the Apostolick church bore Testimony against for that which the creature's mind goes out after besides or without that which may be known of God in the Heart is made an Idol of and the true God is not minded and them that Honour God's Friends and Saints walk in their Foot steps live their Life and honour their sayings but your church is contrary who would Kill and have killed about these invented Fopperies which is contrary to the Apostles Doctrine God accepts not Prayers by number or tale nor for multitude of Words which are without understanding and without the Spirit this Christ counted as Evil and reprehended the Pharisees and said It was like the vain repetitions of the Heathen who thought to be heard for their much babling and the Salutation which the Angel gave to Mary is no prayer And that which is called the Apostles Creed is no prayer and them that are unconverted unto God may prattle and prate over the Words in the unbelief and never have any acceptance of God And though the Prophet did pray seven times a day it was according to the motion of God's Spirit in his own Heart which shewed him his State and necessity and what is this to imitators when they pray not with the same Spirit neither in the same words And what if Mary lived threescore and three Years who gave commandment that Hail Mary should be said threescore and three times over The rest of the Saints are like to have but small shares of worship and honour if she go with all this in a day And what five wounds is that which the Church of Rome dreams of that five Pater Nosters must be said for the honour of With Deceit and Ignorance you wound him every day and your Pater-Nosters do not honor him at all pattred 〈◊〉 over with your polluted Lips who are given to speak Lyes and yoâ—r Tongues to speak Mischief which Christ accepteth not What are you all new creatures that say Our Father which art in Heaven Are you born again Are your Natures changed Sin you not Do you hallow his Name who do not love that which shews your Evil deeds Would you see his Kingdom come which stands in Righteousness Where will you appear Or how will you stand when he appears in his Power and Glory to take Vengeance on all them that will not that he should rule in their Hearts who is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World Would you see his will done on Earth as it is in Heaven when you walk contrary to his Doctrine which the Apostolick Church walked in and set up a numberless number of Traditions and Inventions of Men instead thereof which the Lord accepteth not and you pray not with Understanding 5. As for your Beads which are neither Jewish nor Christian but meer Heathenish as to reckon the number or tale of that which you call your Prayers by and though Kings Popes Cardinals and Bishops do the same this is but a small proof as for Authority Kings have drunk of the Whore's Cup and Popes and Cardinals have usurped Power that Christ never gave as to exercise Lord-ship and be Law-givers unto others for the Lord is the Saints Law-giver and the Saints Life and Judge and he will not give his Glory to another for Kings have drunk of the Whore's Cup of Fornication and Popes have usurped Authority and Cardinals have exercised Lord-ship over mens Consciences yea and over great Kingdoms and States too And if they pray by Beads as others do set
1. As first That Church is not to be heard whose Authors and Doctors are Cozeners and Impostors 2. But all are Cozeners and Impostors but the Church of Rome Again That the Church of Rome hath the Marks of the true Church and no other as Antiquity Miracles holiness of Life Universality Again That the Church of Rome takes the narrow Way that leads to Life Again Because the Church of Rome keeps Sunady instead of Saturday by Tradition therefore she is the Church of Christ. To the first If that church is not to be heard neither her censures regarded whose Authors and Teachers have been cozeners and Impostors then the Church of Rome is not to be heard nor her censures regarded because the chief Authors have been Cozeners Cheaters and Impostors who have been out of the Power of God and have taught for Doctrine the Traditions of men as Purgatory Prayer for the dead only to cozen and cheat by to fill the Bags and Coffers of the Popish Clergy which Doctrine is contrary unto the Doctrine of Christ the Apostolick church therefore the church of Rome is not to be heard 2. That the Church of Rome hath the Marks of the true Church and no other as Antiquity holiness of Life Miracles and Universality This is false there were Churches before Rome that had these Marks and there have been since and are now more then the church of Rome Antiquity some of them called Sectaries will allow you a Thousand Years to be called a Church and yet prove you apostates both in Doctrine and Practice Your Miracles are but cheats deceits and lying Stories if your own Authors be serched you confess most of your Miracles are wrought by your Images Works of your own Hands 2. Antiquity without Truth proveth nothing and Holiness of Life if your Church be holy which is prophane tolerating as I said before Whoredoms Stage-plays vain Sports and Pastimes which draw People from the fear of God and many foolish fopperies which I shall not now mention so that there are them that have dissented from you which are more ancient in the Faith more holy in Life and Conversation more agreable in Doctrine and Practice to the true Primitive Church then you are And as for Miracles which are wrought by the true Power and Finger of God there have been and are more amongst them called Sectaries then in the Church of Rome The blind have received their sight the Lepers have been cleansed the Lame have been made to walk and the deaf have heard and the Dumb have spoken the dead have been raised and many that have bound by Satan fourty Years are loosed and there are thousands that are Witnesses of it and can testifie the Truth thereof even in this time and in this Year in Scotland England Ireland Germany and America 1662. So there is a true Church which hath the Marks of the true Church of Christ more then the Church of Rome therefore the Roman church is not the alone true Church 3. To the third Argument That the Church of Rome keeps God's Commandments and walks in the narrow way of Christ's Counâ—el therefore she is to be head How she keepeth the Commandments of God is known if he mean the ten Commandments Thou shalt not make to thy self any Graven Image nor the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven or Earth neither bow down to Worship them Now you make Images of things in Heaven as of God and Christ and the Holy Ghost and of Mary and as for things in Earth you have Images of all sorts witness your Mass-Houses called Churches your Cloisters Fryaries and Covents so that every place is filled full and Worship unto them is taught by you for Doctrine contrary to God's Doctrine and your distinction of Latria and Dulia will not serve for it 's meer Deceit he that Honours an Image and bows down before it in his Heart whether you may judge it represents this or that is an absolute Idolater and knoweth not the Spirit which Christ said he would send to the true Church which should bring all things to their remembrance both what he did and said and the Saints Life and Example to remembrance without your Pictures And how you are in the narrow Way is known to many thousands that you do not walk in it at all neither take up the Cross of Christ which is to crucifie the Lusts affections and desires of the Flesh but taketh up outward Crosses and bear them on your Necks or Pin them on your sleeves or hang them about your Necks and all because Christ was crucified on the Cross And here you are honourers of Pilate and the Jews who crucified Christ upon the Cross as a Blasphemer rather then honourers of Christ and the strait and narrow Way you are ignorant of and Christ's sufferings you are all strangers to What! your Popes are as Emperors your Cardinals as Law-givers your Ecclesiastical Officers as Lords of great Possessions in the Earth except some begging Fryars which you have prest into a Voluntary humility without necessity And how do you love your Enemies How many Indians have you destroyed and killed as Dogs and how many that have professed the Name of Christ have you Burned destroyed as though they had been Wood and only Fewel for the Fire And how can you say your Pater-Noster about which you make so much ado and say Forgive our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us if the Heathen have trespassed against you if them you call Sectaries have trespassed against your church how do you forgive them and how do you fulfil the Law of Christ and keep his counsel seeing that you are out of his Doctrine away with such Deceit and Hypocrisie God hath found it out and is judging it by his Saints who rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the Flesh nor in fleshly Traditions and Imaginations but live in the Power of God and walk in the Spirit and therefore because you walk contrary to the command of God and Christ's Counsel and are out of the narrow Way that leads to Life your church is neither to be heard minded nor heeded The fourth Argument That the Church of Rome is the true Church because they keep their Sabbath of the Sunday by Tradition and not upon the Saturday as the Jews did and therefore the Church of Rome is to be heard because they have Tradition and solid Reason on their side Thy Speech bewrayes thee which bespeaks thee rather a Heathen then a Christian for the Heathens had a day that they celebrated to an Idol made like the Sun caled Sunday and another day which they celebrated to an Idol called Saturnus called Saturday and in this your Church is not to be heard who is out of the form of sound Words but the Seventh day was the Jews Sabbath which none that profess Christianity ought to keep seeing that Christ put an End to the shadows and the
Saints Sabbath is a stranger to the church of Rome he that hath overcome the World and the Devil only knows God's rest and the true Sabbath of which the Jews was a Figure and the Sunday thou callst it is no more a Sabbath reckoned by the Lord of Life then that which thou callst Saturday for every day is kept Holy to the Lord by him that witnesses the work of Redemtion and this is according to the Apostolick Doctrine and if because of example the Christians whom you are pleased to Stile Sectaries do observe the first day of the Week in the Power of God for his Worship then they are as much if not more to be heard then you and have as much Solid reason on their side as you and thou must not think to carry the Matter on with such frivolous Arguments as this to advance Mystery Babylon for this is a knowing Age blessed be the Lord wherein the Wisdom of God is revealed and that which comprehendeth all shadows Types Dayes Times Years Meats Drinks Washings and other Figures they are all seen over and he is come manifest which is Head of the true church and not the Pope who was is and is to come Life it self Truth it self Power Strength and everlasting satisfaction to thousands and ten thousands who have believed and to a numberless Number which are yet to be gathered into God's Sheep-fold and into the narrow way of Christ which will deny and doth deny upon good Grounds and infallible Testimony from the Eternal Spirit that the Church of Rome is either in whole or in part any part of the true Church of Christ. And seeing this valiant Champion hath made so fair a Proffer That 〈◊〉 their Priests Jesuites and Catholicks over all the World will turn to the Sectaries Way as he calls them if they can but get a clear and satisfaâ—tory Resâ—lâ—tion to the following Doubts Answ. I am one which do acknowledge my self to be reckoned by him as a Sectarian yet as a Sectarian is reckoned by the true Church of God in the Primitive Time in the Apostles and Christ's Dayes I do not reckon my self as such and that I am a Minister of the everlasting Gospel I dare not deny seeing a Necessity is laid upon me to acknowledge the same yet herein I do not glory but in him who hath call'd me for the Work sake and I know the Teaching of Christ Jesus and his Doctrine and no other Thing these many Years have I published but that which I received of the Lord and from him by his Spirit which is according to the true Faith and Godliness which was in the primitive Church before ever Rome did lay claim to be the only true catholick Church excluding all others but her self to be in the Way that leads to Salvation I which am as one amongst many Thousands which God hath manifested his Mind unto shall answer in clearness and according to Apostolick Doctrine and the Manifestation of his Spirit but when I have so done I am afraid this Champion with the rest of the Priests and Jesuits and the rest of the Catholicks over the World will hardly own his Challenge or confess that Doubts are answered yet however if it satisfie but one of a Thousand I have my Reward and shall put it to Tryal The first thing the Author who it seems knows the Mind of the Church of Rome in all things both as to Doctrine and Practice which they do allow of and the contrary they will deny he knows to the full or else he would never sure have made such a bold challenge The first thing that they would be resolved in is Whether any can clearly shew that any Teachers Doctors or Ministers are sent of Almighty God to preach and reform the Roman Catholick Church and that they are not some who say the Lord saith when the Lord hath not spoken unto them neither sent them Ezek. 13.2 Answ. What the Roman Church and their Members will take for a satisfactory Resolution as to themselves I sometimes question and do doubt the resolving of the most but however by the same Commandment that the Apostles did evidence their commission that they were sent to reform the Church of the Jews also them that had made Defection from the Faith amongst the Gentiles this may be shown 1. The Apostles of Christ Jesus did declare their Commission which they had received from Christ and for other Proof they sought none amongst them that were Auditors or Hearers but the Witness and Testimony of God unto which they desired to be approved in the Sight of God 2. They shewed the Jews that they held the Types and Figures but did not receive or believe him who was the Substance in whom they all ended they were sent to bear Testimony to the true Light that lightetâ— every one that cometh into the World and to preach down Dayes Times Moneths Years Fasts Feasts Sabbaths Circumcision Temples and Offerings the Priesthood and the Sacrifice which were but to continue until the time of Reformation and the bringing in of a better Hope by which they drew nigh unto God and had an Access unto him and they declared their commission against a voluntary Humility and worshipping of Angels all which things the Church of Rome do stick in and vindicate for Apostolick Doctrine and many more things which the Church of Rome is run into contrary to the true Church of Christ and therefore had need of Reformation So that which is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles and Practice of the primitive Church in the first hundred years is in the Apostacy but Rome is in many Practices and Doctrines contrary to the true Church therefore needs reforming And so God hath manifested himself in this his Day of Power and hath discovered the Church of Rome to be contrary in Doctrine and Practice to the true Spouse of Christ and hath stirred up and moved many by his Power and Spirit to preach the everlasting Gospel and to declare also against the Defection of the Church of Rome and her apostatizing from the Faith and they are not of those whom the Prophets spoke of which ran and the Lord sent them not for them were the false Prophets in Israel and they were manifest by their Fruits of which there are great Store in Rome who are manifest by their Fruits and they are such as are in Cain's Way who would kill and such as are Seekers of Gain from their Quarters and such as take the Jews Tythes and these the Lord nâ—ver sent to be Teachers or Ministers to bring to the Knowledge of Christ but we deny all these things and your Church in the very Ground and Foundation and know that it will be swept away when the Beast is taken alive upon which your Church now rides then shall you see that that which you long put off among People as Apostolick Doctrine will not be received any more
which are but fabulous Stories and now let them who are lightned with the true Light of Christ judge who are in the Delusion and now let all judge whether these be not satisfactory Resolutions unto the aforesaid Doubts or Questions which may convince them that have erred from Christ the Power of God and gone in their own Traditions and Inventions and have forsaken the straiâ— Way and the narrow Path that leadeth to Life and all are exhorted to come unto him who is the Light and Life of Men that their Souls may live and that they may witness Assurance of the Love of God unto them by his Spirit 's Manifestation And now let us see whether the Author will keep to his Word whether the Church of Rome will all turn unto our Way which is Christ the Way the Truth and the Life or whether follow their Visible Head the Pope who is changeable and doth not abide forever who leadeth only to an Observance of outward things but neglect the weightier things to walk in And now I shall come to some Propâ—sitions which the Author saith have been propounded which are unanswerable and the Propositions are against all Sectaries and the Propositions are laid down by Francis Costerus as the Author saith of the Society of Jesus which have been laid down fifty Years ago and they are in Number eight and with them eight Propositions the Author sâ—ith he hath put all the ablest Ministers of Germany and the Low Countries unto their Wits End now I hope some will be able to give an answer and yet keep both their Faith Wit and Reason 1. The first Poposition is this That never since the Apostles Time till the Year 1517. wherein Luther began his Doctrine were any found in the World who did consent with either the Lutherans Calvinists or Anabaptists or other Sectaries Opinions nor ever shall any of the Sectaries prove that any of the Apostles or Evangelists were of their Faith and so by Consequence the Sectaries are without Faith and they are the Men whom the Scriptures in several Places affirm that should come In the latter times false Prophets c. Answ. As I said before any Opinion which Luther Calvin or the baptized People do hold I shall not stand to vindicate it because they have so holden yet in many things they are separated from you upon good Ground and their Doctrine and Worship was far more consonant and agreeable unto the Apostles Dayes then yours are but I am one that own my self a Protestant who deny the Church of Rome and I do say this Proposition is silly poor and feeble and I do not believe that any were so hard put to it as to be brought to their Wits End by answering of it for what need he talk of since the Apostles time till such a Year we shall come to the Apostles time and age and if any Society of People now are found the same in Faith in Doctrine in Worship in Life Practice and Conversation then they are the true Church and let Francis Costerus with the rest of the Roman Merchants take that Faith to themselves and that Doctrine to themselves and those particular Points of Worship and Tradition to themselves since all the World hath wondered after the Beast and hath worshipped his Image and this was since the Apostles Dayes And if the Church of Rome pleads the whole World as for a Proof John saw that Anti-christs false Prophets Deceivers were entered in then fifteen hundred Years ago and the World went after them and he saw the whole World wonder after the Beast and the Whore sit upon the Waters Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and this comprehends the World the Whore's Seat and we matter not for her Consent neither to Doctrines and Principles nor Opinions nor for the Approbation of them that have drunk of her Cup But if we can prove a People which are gathered by the Word of God and through the preaching of the Gospel into the same Faith Hope Doctrine Life and Practice which the Apostles walked in then this is the Church which is coming out of the Wilderness again where she hath been preserved while the Mother of Harlots hath sit as a Queen and hath been so visible as over all the VVorld and hath made the Nations drink her Cup of Fornication and therefore your Unity in this thing and in this time is clear that the Church of Rome is not the Church of Christ but there are some whom Rome is pleased to call Sectaries that own the same Practice the same Doctrine the same Faith which the Apostles walked in and therefore this great Proposition is false That all that have separated from the Church of Rome have no Faith or a new fancied Faith and now I come to his second Proposition 2. Proposition The Religion and Faith of the Roman Church hath not been any Way changed in any Article that belongs to Religion by any Pope Councils or catholick Bishops but it is the very same Faith hath remained intire and inviolate from the Apâ—stles to this present Day There were churches planted before there were any at Rome and the Faith which they received was that which did overcome the World and gave them Victory over Sin and Death and the Religion which the churches of Christ professed as Corinth Galatia Thessalonica and the rest of the churches which the Apostles planted is no more like the Faith and Religion of the church of Rome now then Black is to White as for instance Prove us out of the Scripture what Foundation you have for Purgatory for selling Indulgences and Pardons for Sins and what Scripture have you for Auricular confession for an Unbloody Sacrifice for Prayer to Saints for worshipping of Images in the New-Testament for observing of Lent consisting of so many days what Scripture example from the churches that were in the Apostles days before Rome was called a church concerning Prayer for the Dead for your crosses your tapers and candles for anointing with Oyle and cream in Baptism which was only invented by Pope â—lement which another Pope Pope Silvester confirmed 315. Plat Volat. Sabil And what example from the true church of Baptizing of Infants and for God-fathers and God-mothers in Christ's day when he planted the church And that Infants should be Baptized and only at Easter and Whitsuntide was not this ordained by Pope Leo in the Year 676. Lib. Council Volat. Pol. Chron. and was not Transubstantiation which you call the Body and Blood of Christ after the consecration when the Priest hath Whispered over the Bread and Wine a few Latine Words as Hoc est Corpus meum Hic est enim sanguis meus c. The Bread is turned into the Natural Body of Christ's Flesh Blood and Bone was not this ordained by Pope Innocent held at LATERAN by Twelve Hundred Romish Priests Monks and Fryars in the Year 1215. decret de summa Trinitate Cap. Firmiter And whether
in Heresie in Schism so that there is an absolute Defection from the Life and Power of God which was manifested in the Apostles dayes and therefore the Church of Rome is not the true Church What I have said as to the Doctrines and Grounds which have been laid down by the Author I shall refer it and the Answer unto God's Witness in every Man's Conscience and if I hear any more of the Author his great Boasts or ambitious Challenges which may reach to all that do dissent from the Church of Rome as to be Hereticks I shall engage in the Strength of the Lord to vindicate the Truth however opposed and shall further if God permit be ready to give a more large and full answer unto the Doctrines and Practices and Worship of the Church of Rome and prove them to be contrary to the Scriptures and the Apostolick Doctrine and the Faith that was once delivered to the Saints So in what I have said I hope may convince the Author of his vain Assertions and them that are enclined towards Babylon it may put a Stop to that which would too readily close with every thing which goes under the Name of Antiquity But in what I have said upon the whole Matter I hope will be sufficient unto all who read with a single Eye without Prejudice and unto such I say the Lord give them an Understanding that they see and discern the Way which leadeth to Life and Felicity from that which leadeth to the Chambers of Death and the Pathes that take hold on Destruction A GENERAL EPISTLE TO THE Seed of God DEar Friends every where who have believed in our Lord Jesus Christ and called with an holy Calling to the great Salvation of God which is manifest in this the Day of his Power keep your first Love and let not the Threats of Men neither the Browns of the World affright you from that which you have prized more then all the World now the Sun is up and a time of scorching is come and that which hath not Root will wither now every Ground will be tryed and blessed is the Good that brings forth the Seed which must inherit the Promise Oh let not the Cares of this present Life choak that which God hath begotten and seeing the Lord hath so marvelously wrought for us hitherto in the midst of great Opposition let not your Faith fail nor your Confidence in God who delivered Jacob of old out of his Adversity and Israel out of all his Troubles whose Care is over his People now and having seen the Emptiness of the World and its Way and Worship let nothing blind your Eye again and let not the things present nor things to come separate you from the Love of God in Christ Jesus and mind not them that draw back to Perdition but let it teach you all more Diligence to be as those that press after Glory Immortality and Everlasting Life the Way of God was ever hated by the World and the Powers thereof never heed the rough Spirit nor the heavy for their Bound is set and their Limit known but mind the Seed which hath Dominion over all and forsake not the assembling of your selves together in which you have found God and his Promise and Power amongst you and Blessing your Understandings opened Oh rather suffer all things then let go that which you have believed fâ—r whoso doth will loose the Evidence of God's Spirit in them and their Peace and Joy will be lost the Lord God preserve you all unto the End faithful Your Dear Brother for the Testimony of Jesus F. H. Aâ—â—elby Goal the 10th of the 3d Moneth 1664. A Visitation of Love Peace and Good-will from the Spirit of the Lord sent unto the whole Flock of God now in this their Day of Tryal and Hour of Temptation DEar Friends and Brethren who have been called to believe by the holy calling of the Lord unto Sanctification and Holiness that ye might inherit the Promises of God and that your Souls might live in the Land of the living and partake of his Goodness that you might admire him and praise his Name forever And seeing the Lord out of his rich Love and Mercy hath visited you who sometime sate in the Region of the Shadow of Death and were cast out of his Presence in the time of Unbelief seeing he hath caused his miraculous Light to shine upon you in his gracious Visitation of you and hath given you to believe in his Name prize his Love unto you and let not his gracious Benefits slip out of your Minds lest your Hearts be filled with other things that will corrupt your Hearts and make you an unmeet Habitation for the Lord to dwell in and among Dear Friends hear my Brotherly Admonition and Exhortation for the Lord moved in my Heart to write unto you and in the Bowels of his kind and tender Love and Motion of his heavenly Spirit to stir up your pure Minds and Consciences unto Stedfastness in the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and so much the more that you all be watchful seeing the times be perilous for now the Adversary goes about roaring and ravening on the right Hand and on the left to destroy and devour that which God hath brought forth in you that so he might regain you too under his Power and Government and that ye might revolt from the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ that stands in Power and Righteousness which is come and hath been of a Truth manifest in great Glory and this is an Hour the Power of Darkness is let loose to try the Faith and them that dwell upon the Earth and he is let loose for a Season blessed are they that hide themselves under the Shadow of the Almighty and under the Wings of Christ Jesus who is given for a Redeemer a Saviour and a Preserver of Men that the wicked One touch them not and now the Devil rages because he knows his Kingdom is but short and but for a small time is like to stand in many because a stronger then he that rules in the World is come and hath began to dispossess the strong Man and bind him and cast him out and now he rages and stirs up all the Temptations within and without and all his Instruments to joyn with him to make War for him that he might not rule who is the Heir of all things and given for a Leader and to be the Head of the Body his Church in which alone he hath Right to rule because the Lord of the whole Earth yea of Heaven and Earth hath put all Power into his Hands to bind and to lose to bring out of Captivity and to lead Captivity Captive that Life and Immortality might again inhabit in the Sons of Men that Truth and Righteousness might sway that Mercy and Love might sit on the Throne that his Salvation might take hold on the Ends of the Earth and his Power made known
should pay so much he that payed a sixtieth part was discharged but â—â—me of better devotion payed the fortieth The Offerings spoken of in Ezekiel This is the Theruma that ye shall offer the sixth part of an Ephah of an Homer of wheat or of Barley It is the same as if he had said ye shall offer the sixtieth part of an Homer for an Ephâ—h being the same measure with a Bath that is near our common Bushel and after this offered to the Priests every kind being given in Season out of the rest were taken Tythes which are best divided into the first and second time The first Tythes were payed to the Levites out of the remainder at Jerusalem and out of this tenth received by the Levites the Levites payed another Tenâ—h to the Priests which is called the Tythes of the Tythes for this is to be taken notice of that Priests receiâ—ed Tythes of Husband-menâ— but now them that are no Levites neither of Aarons Priesthood they take Tythes of Husband-men and wâ—â—re it is not offered â—reely they take it Violently and by force so now in these latter dayes in the Apostacy the late Priests from that Example have payed Tythes to the Pope being as they reckon him chief-Vicar upon Earth And also now since the Popes Supremacy hath ceas'd with us in England a late Law hath been made to pay the first-fruits to the Crown yet notwithstanding the Possessor was not to spend the rest till he had taken out of these nine other Tythe which he was the first two Years to carry to Jerusalem in kind or to Convert it into Money adding a fifth part of the value after these tenths thus disposed of the remainder was every way prepared fit for common use of the Husband man Some make a third Tythe but that was only the Tythe of the third year after the first was payed of every year which was laid up by the Husband-man within his own Gates for the Leâ—â—ite that is within his Gate the stranger the Fatherless the Widdow not carryed to Jerusalem this Tythe bestowed every hâ—rd Year was called â—he Poor man's Tythe that third year the second years Tythe ceased to be payed at Jerusalem so then every third year the Levites at the Temple received not their second Tythe at their Feasts but according to the Law it was spent at home in the Gates of the Husband-man neither doth the second Tythe and the poor mans Tythe differ in substance but only in Circumstance 〈◊〉 place where the bestowing was makes only the difference as the Septuagint Translates it When thou hast ended the Tythe of all the Fruits of thy Ground in the third Year the second Tythe thou shalt give to the Levite and to the stranger c. But after the second Temple was destroyed and the dispersion of the Jews then the Laws of first Fruits Offerings and Tythes with them ceased for their Doctors determin'd that regularly or according to the Law no Inhabitants but of the Land of Israel were to pay any First Because they then wanted their Priesthood and Temple Secondly Because the Law did restrain the Paymâ—â—â— thereof to Cannan and herein they all agree Also Eusebius agrees with the Jewish Rabbinâ— herein That Tythes were only limited to the Land of Israel How the Payment of these tenths was either observed or discontinued partly appears in the Scripâ—â—â—â— and partly in the institution of more trusty Overseers in their great Sanhedrim or Court of 70 Elders wherein they agreed that the Overseers should be chosen of more honest men By which hath been said may be perceived the state of the Jews Tything by the Commandment of God and likewise the Judgment of their own Rabbins and Doctors of the Law which gives a clear Judgment of the Practice according as was in use or exercised among them and all do agree that they by a due right did belong to the Aaronical Priesthood and to the Levites and other officers in the Temple and Tabernacle and for the Service there according to God's appointment for bearing the Tabernacle and setting it up and for serving Aaron and his Sons and for the better ordering of things they were divided into three parts to wiâ—â— the Levites as the Coathites Gershonites and the Marrarites and these did receive the tenths of the People and gave to the Priests their part which belonged to them according to the Law of God in that Covenant and after the Sons of Aaron grew and mutiplyed then the Priests were divided into 24 ranks or courses to serve at the Temple of which our â—â—ehends Deans and Chapters take their example or imitation so to serve by their turns at Cathedrals as they are called or else from the Church of Rome but the latter I am rather enclin'd to believe because there was 〈◊〉 such name of any Minister among the Jews neither in the Primitive Church truly so called but the Priests of Aaron gave attendance to Execute their Office and to Burn incense as their turn and 〈◊〉 came And hereupon Zacharias is said to be of the course 〈◊〉 Abba The Levites that were singers were also divided into 〈◊〉 â—anks or courses of which I believe the present Quiristers of Singers 〈◊〉 Surplies men do have their imitation and bring the Levâ—tes for proof◠〈◊〉 Christ. But how these things do agree with the Primitive Practice of Christ his Apostles and Ministers and the Churches planted by them 〈…〉 day is easily seen in that which is written in sundry places of the New Testament so called and how it comes to pass that they which 〈◊〉 another Priest-hood and to be Ministers of Christ should receive the tenth of all clean and unclean Beasts as Pigs Geese Eggs Fowls Turneps Wood and Faggots for the Fire all which things we do not find mentioned but some of them forbidden to be offered unto the Law and yet they pretend to be Bishops and Elders of the Christian Church so that it seems they cannot distinguish of the time nor yet of the ministration for if so then they would be ashamed to lay claim to Aaron's tythes and the Levites and yet do none of their Work which is contrary to all Reason Truth and Equity for that was given to them that had no Portion among their Brethren in the Land but these Bishops Presbyters and Priests have their Inheritances among their Brethren and besides have a great part of some Counties and Diocesses for their revenue and their inferiour Officers tythes of all things yea of such things as was never at all tythable in the Law as is said before so what damnable deceit and Hypocrisie is this is it any other but the Popes Yoak an absolute Apostate for hundreds of years and must this be received as Apostolick Doctrine and Practice and enjoyned O! for shame let it never be made mention amongst them that do call themselves Ministers of Christ neither any who do
not out of use till more then one hundred Years after Augustin's coming that is till past seven hundred Years after Christ as may be conjectured out of the Testimony of Bede which extends so far in the City of London till the time of Henry the third no Tythes as Tythes were generally payed but only a Decree made that for every twenty Shillings rent a farthing a Sunday was to be paid which came to fifty two farthings yearly and this was given by way of Offering but was supposed as due and the tenth part of the yearly Rent of their Houses As concerning Laws and Canons for Tythes among the Saxons it is reported that in the year 786. in the time of Pope Adrian when his Power began to grow great he sent two Legates with Letters into England for Reformation as it was call'd first to Offa King of Merceland and Alfewold King of Northumberland who call'd a Council in the North and Offa and Kenulph call'd a Council for the South wherein they ordained That a tenth of the Fruit of the Earth should be Payed as it was written in the Law of Moses and when this Council had thus concluded by Alfwold the Legates and Embassadors took all the Decrees and Canons of the Council and carryed to Offa and he and his Bishops and Abbots did subscribe it with a Cross to it likewise Selden makes mention That Ethelulfe King of the West Saxons in the year 855. he made a Law That the Tythe of all his own Lands should be given to God and his Servants and should be freed from all Taxes But there is great difference among Historians about his Grant some restrain it to the Tythe of his own demesne Lands others to the tenth part of his Land and others to the Tythe of the whole Nation About this time heavy pressures by Danish Invasions and great Wars came on so that he called a Council where were present Bernereddus King of Mercia and Edmond King of East Angles and they to remove the heavy Judgment that was upon them gives the Tythe of all the Land to God and his Servants as the Phrase then was King Athelstone about the year 930. and King Edmond about the year 940. and King Edgar about 970. King Ethelred about 1010. King Knute about 1020 Edward the Confessor and others of the Saxon Kings made several Laws for Tythes as Histories do relate Likewise the Normans afterwards entring this Kingdom and subduing it William the Conqueror confirmed the Liberties of the Church Also Henr. 1. and Hen. 2. did the like and King Stephen also The Reader may understand the Principles upon which these men acted and the Doctrine then was believed by them and maintained to be good by Prelates of that Age that Heaven was merited by good Works and Sins pardoned for Works of charity which Works were chiefly reckoned to be good by the Prelates of that Age when some Monastery was builded Church or Chappel so called and dedication of Lands and Goods to such places for the health and happiness of their Souls they had perswaded many men almost out of their Estates leaving their Heirs and children very poor Many instances thereof might be given but one or two for manifesting the Truth of this King Stephen in his dayes gave to the Priory of Eye in Suffolk as may be seen in an Original charter of his made to the said priory wherein he gives the tenths of all his Mannors of Stedbrook Rading Seldia Bedima with divers other places for the pardon of his Sins and obtaining the joyes of Heaven and not only he gave it for the health of his own Soul but for the Soul of his Father and of his Mother and of his Uncle and interceding Kings to the use and End aforesaid Likewise out of another old Charter granted by Ralph then Bishop of Chichester to the Abby of Battel the tenths of Voulwaine of Hennam and of Servin and of Lezein and Badhurst and the tenths of many other places to the said Abbey for the health of his own Soul and the health of the Souls of his Ancestors Also out of the charter of the Monastery of Ridding in Herefordshire in the time of King John Walter Clifford for the health of his Fathers Soul and of his Wifes and children doth give the whole Tenth of Hamenesca unto the Church of Lempster But notwithstanding the many Laws Canons and Decrees of Kings Popes Councils and Bishops allâ—ding to the page before that every man ought to pay the tenth part of his encrease yet it was left to the owner to confer it where he pleased which made so many rich Aâ—bies and Monasteries And till the year 1200. or thereabouts every one gave their Tythe at their own Pleasure which made Pope Innocent the third send his Decretal Epistle to the Bishop of Canterâ—ury commanding him to enioyn every man to pay his Temporal goods to those that Ministred Spiritual things to them which was enforced by Ecclesiastical Censures and this was the first beginning of general Parochial Payment of Tythes in England this his Decretal was admitted and enjoyned by the Law of the Nation King and People being then Papists The Decree of the Pope receiving all possible assistance from the Bishops and the Priests in whose behalf it was made did not only in a short time take away the Peoples then deâ—â—red right to give their Tythes to those that best deserved them but did also so much corrupt the Clergy that in the time of Richard the second Wickliff our famous Reformer did make a heavy complaint to the Parliament in these Words following Ah Lord God where this be reason to constrain the poor People to find a Worldly Priest sometime unable both of Life and cunning in Pomp and Pride Covetous and Envy Gluttonness Drunkeness and Lechery in Simony and Heresie with fat Horse and Jolly and gay Saddles and Bridles ringing by the way and himself in costly Cloaths and pelure and to suffer their Wives and Children and their poor Neighbours perish for Hunger thirst and Cold and other mischiefs of the World Ah Lord Jesus Christ sith within few Years men paid their Tythes and Offerings at their own will free to good men and able to great Worship of God to profit and fairness of holy Church fighting in Earth why it were lawful and needful that a worldly Priest should destroy this holy and approved Custome constraining men to leave this freedom turning Tythes and Offerings unto wicked uses A cloud of Witnesses might be brought out of the Ancient Fathers and also latter Testimonies who witnessed against them and divers Martyrs some whereof were put to Death others grievously troubled and suffered long and great Imprisonments as John Huâ— Jerâ—me of Prague the famous Reformer John Wickliff who is spoken of before and Walter Brute William Thorpe William Swinderâ—y and it was generally the Judgment of all the Wickliffans and the predecessors of the
delivered unto the Saints is vindicated and the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles against the pretended Faith and false Doctrines which have been held forth by the Church of Rome among Christians as infallible By a suffering Member of that Church which fled into the Wilderness when Mystery-Babylon sate as a Queen upon the Waters F. H. THE TRUE Rule Judge and Guide OF THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD DISCOVERED c. AFter Variouâ— reports and upbraidings and insultings of divers men in my heâ—â—ing of a certain great Pillar and a leading man among the Non conformists who it was said had reliâ—quished his Errors and had conformed and also written and published a Book for the convincement of all others to Uniformity and Conformity also the Weekly Intelligencer willing to take advantage sometime when there is little or no occasion doth signifie to the whole Nation in his News book of the Conversion of a great Non-conformist for the strengthening and Supporting of those desires only in People who are willing to make Shipwrâ—ck of all Faiâ—h Hope Religion and whatsoever also that is of the greatest moment for a little ease and Liberty in the Flesh and the imbracement of this present World is willing to joyn with that which is the upper mâ—st and to Sail with Wind and Tide not minding the Harbour nor the way which they are passing but only present enioyment and such whose Faiâ—h is builded upon men and not upon God and chuse rather to run with the Multitude to do Evil then with a few despised and afflicted who keep Faith and a good Conscience such flashes and airy ungrounded Rumours stagger'd their mind and make them afraid and troubled when there 's no cause At last this great and magniâ—icent Piece of Conversion came published in the News book boasted on by the Clergy and divers other great Mountains of Earth came to my hand providentially unlooked for unsought for or desired which is Titled An Epâ—stle to the several Congregations of the Non-confrimists Subscribed by Captain Robert Everard as he stiled himself a Member of the Catholick Church which Book hath been spread up and down the Counties â—t seems as some rare Weighty and great matter to induce others to be of the same mind But why the Members of the Church of Eâ—gland should extoll this and reâ—oyce in this great Convert I know not except they have a mind to shake Hands with the Roman Church to receive their Catholick Faith so called as unquestionable but Deceit loves to sport it self and to make merry and triumph over any who do but relinquish the seeming Appearance of Truth to turn into the common Road of Darkness they hug such a one for a while and set him out as an Ensign to Glory in and over against others After the said Book came to my Hand amongst divers others I was wiling to take a Survey and to make inspection into those things contained in it and to see what demonstrative Grounds and solid and Weighty matter was contained in it which I have diligently weighed and without a Prejudiced Spirit read finding the matter in it chiefly to set up a Council of men to be absolute Judge of all matters of Faith and Doctrine though never so Repugnant unto the Doctrine and Practice once delivered and received and walked in by the Saints setting up this both above the Holy Spirit of God which is the only and Sole tryer of all Spirits but also above the Scripture wherein I have taken notice his own Eye being blinded he would Captivate all others and make them Blind also and lay waste the Spirit of God and its office the Scriptures and their Translation making them as uncertain as much as in him lyes as the Turkish Alcoran and all solid and weighty Arguments and Reasons that have been produced these many Years by many Godly and moderate Dissenters in divers Ages from the Church of Rome this he strikes over all by whole Sail labouring to set all a jarr and to make every thing look with a Face contrary way to represent them uncomely and at last he hath concluded that the Catholick visible Church is the absolute Judge and Director both in matters of Faith and Doctrine without distinguishing of their abiding in the Faith or falling from it as though the Promise of God had been intailed to a certain place as Rome or to a certain sort of Men that may call themselves Peters Successors and Ministers of Christ though they walk as far wide both in Doctrine and Practice as Heaven is from Earth from Peter and would assume the Title of Name and Office for honour and profit's sake but do none of Peter's Work feed not the Flock of Christ but worry them and kill them that Christ Feeds and shear off the Wool from off their Backs and pull off the Skin too and instead of saving have Destroyed hundreds of mens Lives in Europe and America some under the Name of Hereticks and some under the Name of Infidels have been most mercilessly and cruelly destroyed by the Power of this Holy visible Church as â— E. calls it as the true Chronologies of Ages past do testifie so that the Nations have been made like Akeldama by that Mystery Babylon which hath drunk the Blood of the Saints and slain the Prophets and Martyrs under the Name of Hereticks quite out of the Doctrine of Christ and erred from his infallible Spirit who came not to destroy mens Lives but to save them and to save People from their Sins But this false visible Church hath destroyed their Lives under the Name of Heresie and so hath destroyed them in their Sins if they count that Heresie be a Sin But of this something more afterwards may be said if God permit But it is a great piece of Confidence in R. E. that after fifteen hundred years as he saith this Church hath continued as a Judge a Director unto which all Christians are to submit Page 20 th that he that is but a man of yesterday should be so stout a Champion as to make a flourish and seem to over-ride all the weighty Things that have been spoken by the Blessed Martyrs and Sufferers for Christ and Righteous dissenters from this Româ—n Church at one clap and again to exalt his own feeble things that he hath brought forth and exhibit them so confidently to all Non-conformists as unanswerable matter or how he judged in himself that his Reasons or Arguments should be of that weight to Convince or Convert any seeing he hath rendered himself they that know him can testifie he hath alwayes been a changeable man and unstable in all his wayes tossed up and down like the Waves of the Sea and now at last fallen into the black Gulf of Darkness but it seems by his own Writing in his Epistle that it hath been his former Method being filled with a scribling Humour in the days of his Ignorance as he saith when the
any were otherwise minded they were to be let alone till God revealed it to them And whatsoever People or Church though they claim infallibility that teach a contrary Dâ—ctrine unto this we have good Reason to suâ—peâ—â— it to be that hasty dâ—â—ving and overdriving Spirit that would force a Faith 〈◊〉 God hâ—th not given it not to be the infallible Spirit of 〈…〉 the Church of Rome hath given a vehement 〈…〉 and Tortures they have exercised towards them who 〈…〉 their Principles and own their Judgment in all things Bâ—t 〈…〉 Gentleman blinded thy Eye 〈◊〉 he made thee 〈…〉 question 〈◊〉 truth of Scripture and â—hat it proceeâ—ed from the iâ—fall his Testimony of God's Spâ—râ—t and if thou hadst a certain feeling of the same in thy 〈…〉 Conscience to let this go and mâ—ke this void as an iâ—â—uffâ—cient Ground to receive Christianity upon and to lean to a Prop without thee and to â—e judged by men who have been as fallible and changeable in their Judgments as the Moon which have assumed the Name of Catholick Church whose Testimony thy Instrucâ—er I perceivâ— told thee ought to be received concerning what was pretended to be revealed or not revealed by God yet all must be obliged to stand to their Judgment though never so repugnant to the Doctrine of Christ and Practice of the Church of Christ in the first Primitive times truly so called yet it is granted that the Church of Christ are the dispersed Members through the World though not of it agreeing in one Faith being in the Power of God and being led and guided by the Holy Ghost their Judgments ought to be received which cannot as lead by the Spirit fail in giving true Judgment in matters of Faith which pertains to Salvation but as men they may fail and as erring from the Spirit they may fail and infallibility is not intailed to the Persons of any men but as they continue in the Grace of God and walk in the Spirit and bring forth the Fruits thereof nor to any place or City but as they continue in Covenant with God for the Promise of God was to Jerusalem and Mount Zion and to many other places and People in divers Cities where the Glory of God once appeared but now through their Apostacy and unbelief and disobâ—dience they are desâ—late as to the presence and Power of God and their Sun is set and they are covered as with the Shadow of a Cloud but this true Church whereof I have spoken was seen to Fly into the Wilderness for time times and half and that since the Apostles dayes and then was she not so Visible and Universal as she had been before the Man-child was caught up unto God now if thou reckonst the Roman Church to be this true Church shew the time times and half a time wherein she fled into the Wilderness and how long she hath been there and when was the time of her return and if ever she was there how that will hang together with yâ—ur assertion that she hath been visiâ—le and so Universal these fifteen hundred Years and if this could be proved that Rome hath been so whether doth it not rather demostrate her to be the Whore that sate upon the many Waters which Waters are Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and what Church instance if thou can doth lay claim to the Nations Kindreds Tongues and People to be your and to Rule over so many Kings of the Earth as you lay claim to be Universally of your Faith and of your Church which gives us a shrewd Character to believe that indeed you are Mystery Babylon besides the Blood of the Saints hath been shed under the Name of Hereticks by thâ—â— vâ—sible Catholick Church among the Nations this twelve hundred Years doth give clear evidence that it can be reckoned or imputed unto none but you But I would not Grate too hard upon thee being but a new Convert but when thy instructer had made thee doubt of thy won state and questioned the Foundation whereupon thou hadst received Christianity the next thing he labours to make void is the Spirit of God its Testimony which thou didst lay claim to but I feel had little Portion in what thou saidst at last he makes thee doubt of the infallibility of this Spirit which thou hadst spoken on might for ought thou knew be the Spirit of Error and thou not able to distinguish betwixt the Spirit of God in thy self which is infallible and the Spirit of error nor to distinguish betwixt their Operations he perswaded thee that all was uncertain and therefore no confidence to be given to any Spirit of Faith in ones own particular which is the most absurd and ridiculous thing in the World so to judge For if there be no certainty or assurance given to any man or means to every man wherein he may be assured of the certainty of God's will then whither should any go or upon whom should any lean seeing that no credit can be given to any thing that any man believes and this were but tossing up and down Men from Mountain to Hill that they might never have Rest for their Souls And as for Jer. 17. and Eccles. 9. Rev. 3. The Heart of man is deceitful c. No man knows love or hatred And because thou sayest I am Richand increased with Goods and have need of nothing c. These Scriptures were brought unto thee to make thee more Blind the first is spoken of the Degenerate estate where deceit bears Rule and not Truth the second is spoken of visible enjoyments which are common to all and the third was spoken to one who had erred from the Spirit and was exalted in Pride because of external performances but having lost the Power was miserable c. But what of all this doth this any whit at all detract from the certainty assurance of the Spirit of God in them that have it what shall we Reason thus because some have been led aside and are deceived by their own Hearts Lusts that therefore all may be deceived even them that have the Spirit of God God forbid and we have some-what more to Answer an Arian a Jew or a Turk if they should urge the like knowledge and feeling with the like confidence to prove they were in the Truth and Christianity a delusion and thy intructer said what would you reply to them We have more to reply in such Cases then time will permit now or the state of the Case require seeing it is but a supposition and we take no thought what to answer the Gain-sayers of Truth withall but rely upon the Promise of the Father and of his Son Jesus Christ who said to his Disciples take no thought for it shall be given you what to answer in that day which Promise all that are true Disciples shall find true to the end of the World but some-what more we have to say it may be then thou said when thou
suffered thy self to be made blind and carried Captive with another Man's Judgment neglected the measure of God's Spirit in thy self at home through which alone the secret things of God are Revealed in which true certainty and infallibility is Witnessed and not in Men who are fallible and changeable If an Arian Jew or Turk should urge their own interpertation of Scriptures which is of no private interpretation contrary to the mind of him that gave it forth I would say he perverted the Words of the Scripture which 〈◊〉 in Harmony Unity one with another as to the states and conditions they were spâ—ken to and are plain and are only read by that Spirit that gave them forth except it be in some Historical or Chronology or Genealogy of Names and Generâ—tions which might be some gathered from anothers Hands and different hands taking notice of them as to Record them there might be some variation yet the substance of the report is true but what is Calculation of Years or Dayes or reckoning up of Genealogies as to the matter of Salvation and what if we had never had them no more then we have other Histories and things that fell out among the Jews but if there be any contradiction for ought I know we may blame the Church of Rome the most of any who will needs affirm they received all or most of the things from the Apostles and if the Translations differ or be some-what uncertain what have they been doing this fifteen hundred Years with their infallible Spirit that they could not have rectified them according to their first Original and if any the foresaid Sects should pretend the certainty of the Spirit and yet not have it I should answer the Spirit is known by its Fruits and the Fruits of the Spirit are manifest and they that pretend to it and bring forth contrary Fruits are manifest to be Deceivers and deceived but their States are different and therefore require different Answers which time will not now permit to insist upon but over and beside all other Arguments perswade any man to or from any thing the witness of God in the party unto whom he speaketh is to be reached and that is beyond the understanding of Man and greater then it and more convincing then any Arguments that can be used without and he that cannot speak to this is not skilful in the Word of Righteousness That Christ was an infallible Guide who is the way the Truth and the Life is granted by all Christians and that the Apostles received the Promise of the Father and the infallible Spirit of God which led them into all Truth and this infallible assurance the Christians had that lived in the Apostles time thuâ— iâ— granted and the Apostles were infallible Guides not as Men meerly but as Men full of the Holy Ghost as Men who were filled with the Spirit of God and therefore the Apostle said be Followers of us as we are Fâ—llowers of Christ and if any controversie did arise as some there did and doubts among the then Christians the Apostles and Elders meeting together in the Power of the Holy Ghost did write their minds and Letters to the Christians to pacifie all and good Reason that they that had believed through their Word should Suâ—miâ— unto the Holy Ghost and unto them by whom they were begotten unto God by the word of Life for the ending of strife about Words and Shadows and outward things and they whose minds were outward then in Ages since and now ran into contention about outward things and such for the most part do Err from the Spirit of God in themselves But I would have thee to take notice of this and all you Catholick Members so called The Apostles of Christ only did exhort and did not force their Decrees by Penal Statutes and to be observed under the penalty of loosing Life and Limbs as since their pretended Successors have done who have Erred from the Spirit and have goâ— the Saints Words and turned against the Life and Power but the Decrees as you call them are not many nor burdensome which the Apostles wrote at Jerusalem as the many Counsels since have made they are so endless and numberless and burdensome and so contradictory one to another in divers things who will but look into the Decrees of the Counsels since the Apostles dayes that we can find little certainty in any of their Decrees but rather as thy Instructer saith the Sword of the Flesh and not the Spirit hath been the Rule and Law to Christianity but the Masters of great wit and Power and Interest have framed and made parties unto themselves and have Wars been raised among your selves about deciding your Controversies hath not the Pope Warred against the Emperour and the Emperour against the Pope were noâ— Wars raised about the Decrees when Pope Eugenius was deposed as a Heretick by the Council of Bazell and one while the Pope must be infallible as Peter's Successor and above all Councils and Churches another while the Council is above the Pope Excommunicates him as a Heretick and excludes his Infallibility and now where is the certainty and whether should one go or appeal for true Judgment so though the Church of Rome boast of Unity yet how hath one Nation made War against another and yet Professing the same Faith at divers times and in sundry Ages And to tell thee plainly and to speak the naked Truth according to the Apostles Prophecy after their Departure there was a great Apostacy and a great Falling away from the Faith and a giving heed to Lying Seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils and many were suhverted from the Faith by them that spake Lyes in Hypocrisie and took up the Priests Office for filthy Lucre and they went out into the World and the World wondred after them and they had the Form and the Sheeps Cloathing and the Saints Words but were Enemies to the Cross of Christ and to the Power of Godliness and the Kings of the Earth were bewitched with her Sorceries and then forced all and compelled all to receive and believe such Decrees and such Articles as were then set forth by a Pack of those Hirelings who minded their own Profit and their own Bellies who mingled their own Inventions and Traditions with the Doctrine of Christ and brought the Scripture for a Cloak and the Apostles Practice for a President and could â—ay falsly as the Apostles said in Truth It seems good to us and the holy Ghost that these our Decrees be observed for God hath placed us as Judges and directors as them that are appointed of God himself to which all Christians are to submit and none to question and if any do question and will not obey it is the Kings and Princes Duty in all Countries to cause all to submit to these our Decrees and Orders or else to be punished as Hereticks with Death for we are the Apostles Successors and
had not that Sufficiency which many look upon now they have to wit natural Tongues and Languages yet it was sufficient in them to give them Wisdom to declare the things of the Kingdom of God to the Salvation of many that did believe through their Words it was sufficient to comfort Paul and Silas when they were shut in the inner Room and their Feet fast in the Stocks when there was no outward Cause of Joy but rather of Sorrow yet they were made to sing and rejoyce because of the great Comfort and Joy that the Spirit of God filled their Hearts with again it was sufficient in the midst of great Conflicts and Tribulations which Paul and the rest suffered for the Gospel's sake and for Christ's sake and yet as Suffering did abound it was sufficient to make Consolation to super-abound to ballance the Suffering and to make it easie Fifthly It is that everlasting Covenant which the Lord promised by the Mouth of his Prophets in â—ormer Dayes that he would fulfil in the latter Dayes or after times That he would write his Law in their Hearts and put his Spirit in their inward Parts and that they should not teach every Man his Neighbour saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest and again in another Place I will pour upon them the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication and they shall see him whom they have pierced and again I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and my Sons and my Daughters shall prophecy c. And this was fulfilled at Pentecost in Jerusalem when the Disciples met together and the Promise of the Father came to be fulfilled and the Unbelievers said They were filled with new VVine and the Lord hath a Care of his People through Ages and hath not left them comfortless not without a Guide and a certain and sure one too which Spirit is manifest among some Non-conformists whom thou takest Liberty to call Sects and the Sufficiency of it is witnessed praised be the Lord in our Assemblies both as to convince to convert to save to judge to guide to instruct to comfort and is that alone in which all true Christian Men can worship God in the Silence of all Flesh fleshly Motions Thoughts it 's that that giveth Assurance also of Acceptation with God and is that which makes the Prayers of the Saints as sweet Incense in the Nostrils of the Lord it is that which makes the Words of him like Butter as pleasant as Hony or sweet Oyl who speaks by it through it and from it whereby the Hearts of many have been pricked and the Thoughts of many have been revealed and many have been comforted with Joy unspeakable and filled with pure Love from the sensible Feeling of the Sufficiency of its Power operating in the inward Man even as when the Harvest had been gathered in and the Press been full of Grapes and the Fat 's had overflown with Abundance so that they could have rejoyced and sung and danced for Joy as sometimes David did when the Ark of God was brought from the House of Obed-Edom and placed in Jerusalem when David danced for Joy and all Israel was filled with Gladness what might I say for the Certainty Sufficiency and All-sufficiency of this holy Spirit of God I might fill my Mouth with Arguments and time might fail me in Speech to speak of the Excellency Certainty and Infallibility thereof against all Opposers and Quarellers In a Word it is that alone means through which God conveys Eternal Life to all Man-kind and it is that Rule by which all the Sons of God were led Rom. 8.14 It is that only sure Guide Judge Way Rule in which there is Certainty and Assurance of the Love of God to Man-kind it is that by which the Deeds of the Flesh are mortified and men quickened and enlivened unto God in their Hearts in which the Saints are accepted by which they are regenerated and through which they become Heirs of the Promise what shall I say but this let all Flesh be confounded before it and all Deceit stop its Mouth and all the Sons of Men bow before it all Councils and Churches all Rulers and Elders all Reason and Comprehension all Words and Writings of Men and holy Men yea of the Scriptures of Truth it gave them all a Being it was and is and is to come and will remain when all visible things are past away it is that by which God will plead with all Flesh and bring a Consumption upon all the honourable of the Earth and burn up the Mountains and make the Hills to melt and make all a Plain before him therefore make room make room make way ye Potsherds and cease all your contending and babling and bow to it and learn of it in your Hearts which R. E. like an ignorant Man calls a private Spirit that your Souls may be saved in the Day of the Lord and you may escape his Wrath which is to come against all Resisters of it Sixthly Your Catholick Church falsely so called who hath Erred from the Spirit the infallible Guide though you much boast of it both in Doctrine and Practise abundantly insomuch that your Faces seem altogether to look another way and your course to arrive at another Haven then the Apostles and all the Primitive Christians attained unto to wit everlasting Happiness and Rest of their Souls and acceptation with God in their performances and Sacrifices which they offered unto him in the Spirit of which they and all that believe in it and have received it received perfect assurance in their Hearts by the immediate Spirit of God and likewise the Protestants in general whether Lutherans or Calvinists or other Sects known by denomination are of so narrow and a pinching Spirit as that you would Pinch and shut up the Universal love of God unto all Mankind in a narrow Corner and monopolize the free Grace of God that hath appeared unto all Men that teaches all Men that receive it to deny all Heresie Falshood Opinions and Humours private Spirits and Spirits of Error which leadeth from all these and is sufficient to lead out of all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to do that which is acceptable in the sight of God and this all Sects since the Woman cloathed with the Sun fled into the Wilderness viz. the true Church and all parties have laid claim to and excluded all other that were not of the Opinion as from having any share in it as though it were given only to such a company of Men that succeeded the Apostles and by Arts and parts and Natural Language in the Course and Term or Years and at such such places as the Apostles were sometime conversant at and other Sects besides you who have kept more nearer in Conformity in Doctrine and Worship and unto the Apostles then you have done they have laid claim to the Spirit of God and to
them that bring them forth like them in Bedlam and what though Turks Jews Pagans Mahomet and the false Christians do pretend to the Spirit and guidance by it and yet bring forth the Fruits of the Flesh doth this make the Spirit of God void or the certainty of it to them that believe or do make their Fruits of none effect God forbid thy Ignorance is manifest but here thou ceasest not thy Tongue being thy own and thou being at liberty and speakest thy own words which in the end shall become thy Burden Thou vapours and vants over them to wit all the Nonconformists and saist What can you say for your selves any of you which these Enthusiasts who have gone before you to maintain their Errours but the Rule and judge and then thou concludes That which God hath appointed to be rule and judge to all the World and capable of being known and heard by all and cannot contradict it self nor must be contradicted by any under pain of Damnation if you cannot shew it to have been your Rule you ought to lay aside your Folly as destructive to human Society and them that have pretended the Spirit the strongest party and Sword upon the vote will prove it self the most convincing Spirit and force the weaker Spirits to submit or cry for thou concludes the Nonconformists have no other Testimony to try your contradicting Spirits in matters of greatest moment but force and success if you have I pray you inform me what it is Answ. If the Wind had not turned into another door divers Non-conformists believe we should have had another Song from thee if time had but favoured thee so far as to have granted thee priviledge of thy Troop to be Captain which Name thou holds up yet in the pride of thy Heart though thou hast lost thy force success and Pay which was the greatest plea when time was with thee and not long since too which makest thee measure every Man's Foot by thy Last and thou might receive information before thou hadst made a Conclusion had been the part of a Wise man before thou hadst set thy self as Judge over all thy former Fellowships which thou fianedly pretends so great love to and before thou hadst discovered their nakedness if it be nakedness to all the World in such a publick insulting bravado as this like Goliah of Gath and as for whatsome Non-conformists both of the Church of Rome and to the Church of England to which thou creeping and sneakingly flatters and saist it 's established and therefore thou will not meddle thou might have said dare not for thy Spirit is well enough seen by them only to have the Spirit of a Slave and not a free Member of the true Church of God and it 's no part of a Vertue nor Honour for thee to insult and glory over them who are in suffering and Adversity whenas thou darest not meddle with them who are as contrary to thee as the former this is but the Spirit of a Coward and is ignoble and base and ever so to be accounted by all the Children of Light who dare put all to venture which they do enjoy on this side of Immortality and to suffer the loss of all visible things for their Testimony and the Truth which they believe and for bearing witness against that which is contrary unto their Faith as did the valiant Primitive Christians of old and that which some Non-conformists can say is more then thou canst believe although demonstrated in the evidence of the Spirit of God with sound reason and evident Example from the Scriptures of Truth and though thou and thy former fellowships then and thy new fellowships now have made this vapour which for ought I know might lay your Hands upon your Mouths all considering what contradictory Doctrines and Fruits have been brought forth since the Night of Apostacy entred in and all the World wondered after the Beast some have this to say He that pretends to the Spirit and the thing cometh not to pass that they speak or Prophesie let him be accounted a false Prophet again they that pretend guidance of the Spirit as some formerly have done and yet bring forth the Fruits of the Flesh as variance Hatred Emulation Strife Contention Heresie false Doctrine Persecution force and violence let them be counted as truly they are Deceivers and Delâ—ders which have gone out into the World and deceived a great part of Mankind of which Rome hath not had the least share clear it when thou canst Morever he that pretends to have the Spirit of God and layes down another Foundation to build upon in matter of Faith in matter of Rule in matter of Judgment in matter of Doctrine then that which the Lord of Life and Glory hath laid down he is a Deceiver and an Anti-christ but R. E. hath laid down another Rule another way another Judge another Foundation for Faith and let himself make the Conclusion if he once dare joyn to true Judgment other Foundation can none lay then that which is â—lready laid to wiâ— Christ Jesus the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles and of the Church of God by which they were all builded up as a holy Habitation for God to dwell in through the Spirit Again the Apostle saith All Judgment is committed to the Son both in Heaven and Earth and again he saith himself I am the Way the Truth and the Life and none can come to the Father but by me and again the Spirit of Truth shall lead and direct hâ—â— Disciples into all Truth and sealeth unto them their Justification Redemption and Salvation And this R. E. would lay all waste and void and why because many have pretended to it and have fallen short therefore all the aforesaid things must be laid aside as uncertain and not to be trusted unto and a certain sort of Men called the Apostles Successors who have sought their gain and worldly Interest and to enlarge their Dominions and to make themselves Lords over mens Faith and over mens Consciences whatsoever they say though never so contradictory to the Primitive Doctrine delivered in Christ and the Apostles dayes yet all must be received upon pain of Damnation as R. E. saith and this he calls the Visible Church and the infallible Judge and Rule and Director and hath laid waste the Office of Christ and turned the Spirit out of doors and made it ineffectual and would perswade all others to look to this from the Foundation and so is a deceiver and an Anti-christ Again we have this to say he that teacheth a contrary Doctrine then that which was once delivered unto the Saints is a Deceiver and deceived and this was Christ's Doctrine once delivered unto the Saints Swear not at all and love your Enemies pray for them that Persecute you do good to them that hate you And many more precepts which this visible Guide to wit the Roman Church holds not but hath made void
of them yet they said falsly Thus saith the Lord in their revolted Estate for they were erred from the Spirit and gone from the Seed and joyned to another Seed and their holy Flesh was departed from them though as Men they had the same Flesh still go learn what that means and yet notwithstanding all this the Promise of God was not violated neither unfulfilled on God's Part for the Promise was not then neither now is to Natural Generations or that which is born after the Flesh or to men as men and Creatures but as they are the Seed and as they are Men of God and as they are born again and new Creatures and if thou wilt have an intailing here it is intailed which cannot be cut off for the Covenant stands not to Men in such a Place that carries the Name of Office or Authority but as they are led by the Spirit the infallible Judge Rule or Guide as they walk by this and in this they cannot err and they erring from this they are subject to be deceived and to be mistaken in all things and every thing of which there are evident Examples in the Scriptures of Truth in divers Ages of them that professed themselves Members of the Church of God and so visible as R. E. speaks of yea and the greater Part too that have erred and their Pathes have been reckoned by the Lord as crooked and perverse and their Habitations full of Cruelty and this is given for an Instance the visible Church of the Jews did err and go aside notwithstanding all the Promises of God to them and as they looked that it still belonged to them because they were in visible Profession though they had turned their Backs upon the Lord and their Hearts too and violated his Covenant yet still as I said the Promise of God and the Covenant of God is not made of none Effect nor broken on God's Part but stands with the Seed forever who are circumcised in Heart and who worship God in Spirit and Truth and in Uprightness of Heart and hath no Confidence in the Flesh nor fleshly Priviledges nor external Performances but only trusts unto the Gift of Righteousness manifest in them by which Justification comes upon all that believe and the Fulness of the Blessing of the Gospel of Christ and the Fulness of the Promise of God but these things I know though they be Holy Faithful and True are a sealed Book and hid from all Eyes living in the Flesh who have not been baptized into the Death and Suffering of Christ. Fourthly That Christ by his own Mouth and the mouths of the Apostles did Promise that there should be a Church which the Gates of Hell should not prevail against and this Church was established upon the everlasting Foundation and the Rock of Ages and was endued with Power from on High and with a great measure of the Spirit of God according unto Christ's Promise which more plentifully was poured forth after Christs departure and after his Ascension and great Gifts were given unto them the Word of Knowledge the Word of Wisdom the Interpretation of Tongues and the gift of Tongues the Gift of Prophesie the gift of discerning Spirits healing the Sick working of Miracles c. and all these foresaid gifts were given for the Work of the Ministry for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come into the Unity of the Faith and the knowledge of the Son of God and unto a perfect Man and to the measure and Stature of the fulness of Christ Ephes. 4.11 12 13. And all these were instrumental though the Spirit of God which was with them and in them the only means to bear witness unto those things that they had learned and believed and to publish the word of Faith abroad unto the World and for these aforesaid ends above-mentioned which though R. E. and his Catholicks will needs lay claim to the Succession by way of Office yet by their Doctrine deny in part the very end wherefore such gifts were given to wit the Doctrine of Purgatory for if they did perfect the Saints or were brought up to the knowledge of the Son of God and to perfect Men in Christ Jesus and to be without Sin what need had there been of raising up this damnable Doctrine out of the Pit to purge from Sin after they be dead seeing they were to be perfect Men while they were alive and the Ministry was given for this End but yours it seems cannot have these effects on this side of the Grave and therefore they perfect them in the grave and so be ministers in another World And this Church thus gathered and endued before-mentioned with the infallible Spirit of God if any that did sometime believe and were joyned unto it did walk disorderly as not becoming the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ they were to be admonished and Exhorted and if they persisted in their disorder it was to be told to the Church or the whole Body and if such a one would not hear the Church he was to be reckoned as a Publican or a Heathen and to be denyed as to have any Fellowship with him till manifest Repentance was shewn but we never read that this Church did shed any man's Blood or Burn any or give consent to Destroy any iâ—stance if thou canst though obstinate and Hereticâ— too and in this amongst many other things the Spirit of your Church is seen to be contrary to the Primitive Church and you out of Christ's Doctrine but R. E. Argues further and saith but if Christ by his Spirit doth not preserve this Church from all possibility of teaching Error instead of Truth I may receive such Errors as may damn me unto which I say Christ by his Spirit doth preserve this Church from all possibility of teaching error if they continue in the Guidance thereof and Err not from the Spirit of Christ as some Churches did which were as truly Christian and might lay claim unto Christ's promise of preservation out of error as ever Rome could do and yet six of the Seven Churches of Asia were reproved by the Spirit of Christ some of them for holding gross Error and some for suffering it but where was the fault did not Christ perform his promise to his Church or to these and other particular Churches as Corinth and Galatia yes but there was an erring from the Spirit but all that R. E. goes about is to prove which he will never be able to do that Christ is bound by Promise to make it good to them that he hath once Promised unto though they perform nothing of their part in taking heed to his direction and thus would limit the Lord and let Men go free with obedience to his commands and he cites Mat. 28.20 how the promise of Christ was and lo I am alwayes with you even to the end of the World but he hath done as the
conformable to Scripture and so may be believed is not the Promise of God to his Disciples as they continued to the End and as they kept his Commandments and were they not known to be the Church of God and Disciples of Christ by this and was not the Promise to them that hungred and thirsted after Righteousness and to them that did overcome and was not the Exhortation to the Church of Philadelphia hold fast that which thou hast that none take thy Crown Rev. 3.11 12. Was there not a possibility of letting go that which they had and of loosing the Crown or else why is the Exhortation But I see R. E. would lay claim to Promises and Priviledges without all condition and will not be tyed to keep the commands of Christ nor would not have the Church tyed to follow the Doctrine of the Primitive Church noâ— will not admit of any possibility or probability of failing or Erring nay not so much as a mistake but as to infallibility and certainty I have said enough before and the confidence or rather the impudence of R. E. is easily seen and to make up all he concludes the Apostles as Men were subject to error in their private affairs yet were they by the assistance of God's Spirit infallible in delivering matters of Faith I say as they were assisted by the holy Spirit of God they neither erred in private affairs nor matters of Faith but as they were not assisted by this they were subject to Err for in this stood their only Ability to Teach Instruct Exhort and judge and as they were guided by this Spirit they were infallible and so R. E. saith That the Prelates â—f the holy Catholick Church as Men they are fallible in their own private actions and affairs yet when they are assembled in a general Council with their supream Pastor they are still made infallible in determining matters of Faith It is well that R. E. will grant that there is any possibility for their Prelates to fail either publick or private but I say he that is not faithful in his own actions affairs can never be faithful in the Lord's but it seems â— General Council cannot faâ—l when the supream Pastor the Pope is there but if he be not it seems by R. E's discourse it is more doubtful the like he also judges if the eleven Disciples and the seventy too with the Brethren and Elders if they had all been to define matters of Faith if Peter had been wanting which this Catholick Church calls the Prince of the Apostles there had been some doubt of their infallibility in point of Faith as though the Promise of God and the Spirit of God had not been with the rest of the Apostles as well as Peter but a word or two and more hereafter of the infallibility of General Councils the Nicean Council decreed flat Idolatry about Worshipping of Images the Council at Constantinople condemned their Proceedings and made void their Decrees yet both these in R. E's account must needs be infallible the Council at Basil as Albertus Phigious saith Decreed against all Reason and against Scriptures the Council of Calcedon which was one of the four that Gregory the great compares to the four Gospels that their Decrees were as certain and infallible yet Pope Leo did not stick to condemn it and all them as unadvised Stephanus Bishop of Rome made void the Decrees of Formosus and Sabinian the Pope commanded that Pope Gregory's Mass and all his Writings should be Burned Leo the fourth abrogated and made void the Acts of Adrian the Basil Council determined that the Council of Bishops was above the Pope but the Latteran Council under Leo determined that the Pope was above the Council and they decreed also that he that should think otherwise should be held for a Heretick but the Council of Basil aforesaid decreed that they that judged that the Council was not above the Pope they were Hereticks Innumerable more instances I might give but that I will not trouble my Reader with such unprofitable Stories and all these Popes said They were Peter's Successors and had the Keys of binding and loosing and all these Councils and many more which were of the Roman Faith which in R. E's account could not err but must needs be infallible and yet are as contradictory one to another as Light is to Darkness and black to white and look with their Faces several ways like Sampson's Foxes and therefore let not R.E. nor none of his Catholicks think that the Church of Christ now coming out of the Wilderâ—ess again can receive all their contradictory Decrees and invented Fopperies Constitutions of Men for infallible the Day is broken the Light hath taken hold of the Ends of the Earth the Sun is risen which shall make all Foggy mists of Darkness Clouds of Ignorance to fly away But R. E. ceases not here but heaps up one Peice of Darkness upon another till Blackness of Darkness appears and he tells of a Visible Church Mat. 16. which is builded upon Peter that Visible Rock for that Rock there spoken of is not Christ saith he but Peter for immediately after he names Peter whereas saith he if he had meaned himself or Peter 's Confession for that saith he is too remote or mediate and antecedent for if Christ had meaned himself or Peter's Confession he should have spoken according to the Grammar Rule and Construction Upon that Rock or upon this Rock I have built I do build and not I will build In the 63d Page and in the 64th Page he tells of a Church Visible having two Heads of an Independent Head and a Dependent Head and in the 66th Page he saith He hopes that it will appear clear to all as it did to him that the Visible Church is that Rule and Judge appointed by God and all upon Pain of Damnation are to submit unto it Where R. E. hath read of a visible Church with two Heads I know not and to take it for infallible I intend not and where is Peter called a visible Rock and the chief Pastor among the Apostles doth not this contradict Scripture doth not Christ say The Gentiles exercise Dominion one over another but it shall not be so amongst you he that will be greatest among you let him be your Servant and he that will be chief let him be your Minister and as for thy visible and militant Church we read no such Words in the Scriptures of Truth we read of a Church of God of the first-born whereof Christ was the Rock and the Foundation and another Foundation can no Man lay then that which is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 And Paul saith in ver 10. As a wise Master-Builder I have laid the Foundation I hope R.E. will not be so impudent as to say he had laid Peter or that he had preached up Peter to believe in for Remission of Sins nor for the Foundation
and Monks commonly and frequently go to confess their Sins and to receive Absolutions before they come to Rome and so continues to this day I cannot forget indeed the notable Miracle wrought by Austin the Monk of which R. E. glories so in wrought at Cometon in Oxfordshire touching the Doctrine of due Payment of Tythes a profitable Doctrine to Austin and his Monks the first Bishop of Canterbury confirmed by a Miracle and such as it is you shall have it About the Year 600. as it is said Austin comes to Preach at Cometon in Oxfordshire the Priest of the place complains to him how that the Lord of the Manour would not pay his Tythes Austin Questioning the Lord aâ—out the fault in his Devotion he stoutly Answered That the Tenth sheaf doubtless was his that had the Interest in the Nine and therefore would pay none presently Austin denounceth him Excommunicate and turning to the Altar to say Mass publickly forbad that any Excommunicated Person should be present there suddenly a Dead Corps that had â—een buried at the Church Door arose and went out of the Church and stood while the Mass continued which ended Austin comes to thâ—s living or dead whether you will and charges him in the Name of God to declare who he was he tells him That in the time of the British State hujus Villi Patronus and although he was often urged by the Doctrine of the Priest to pay his Tythes yet he never could be brought to it for the which he saith after he was dead he was carried to Hell Austin desired to know where the Priest that Excommunicated him was buried thâ— dead shewed him the place where he makes an Invocation of the dead Priest and bids him arise because they wanted his help the Priest arises Austin asks him if he knew that other that was riâ—en he tells him yes but wishes he had never known him for saith he he was in all things ever averse to the Church and a detainer of hâ— Tythes a great Sinner to his Death and therefore I Excommunicated him But Austin declares that it was fit Mercy should â—e used towards him and that he had suffered long in Hell for his Offence You must suppose the Author meant Purgatory wherefore he gives him Absolution and sends him to his Grave whâ—re he fell again to Dust and Ashes he gone the Priest new risen tells that his Corps had lien there about 170 Years and Austin would gladly have hâ—d him to have â—ontinued on Earth for instruction of Souls but could not thereto intreat him so he returned to his fâ—rmer Lâ—dging The Lord of the Town standing by all this while and Trembling was now demanded If he would pay his Tythes but he presently fell down at Austin's Feet weeping and confessing his Offence and submits to pay Tythes and receives Pardon and became all his Life time a follower of Austin Besides the common Legend of our Saints it is in some Volumes put alone for a most observable Miracle and it is found to be bound up at the end of the Ms. Liâ—e of Thâ— Becket Arch Bishop of Canterbury written by John Degraâ—deâ—ono and it remains in the publick Library at Oxford there also it is relâ—ted in Jâ—hâ—nnes Anglicâ—â— his History Aurea Bâ—sides Seâ—len in his Histâ—ry of Tytheâ— makes mention of it and in the 274. page of this Book And as concerning the Miracles which are reported by certain Jesuites to be done in the West Iâ—dies by them of that Society after they had converted them to the Christian Faith as they call it in confirmation of their Doctrine they write of great Miracles that were wrought by them how that with Holy Water They had Calmed the Sea in great Tempests and with Holy Water they had driven Mice out of the Country and how that by Holy Water they had made Barren Women to bear Children See Cope's Dialogue the first page the 18th And many devised and fained Miracles are Storied among you and kept up to deceive and blind the People withal Dead Images have been forced to Sweat to Weep to Laugh and to Shift themselves from place to place and as among the Panimâ— and Infidels the Image of Jupiter was able by art to cry aloud Let all the Christians be Banished the Country Euseb. l. 8. even so among the false Christians Images have been able to speak whatsoever his Keeper or Sexton listeth and the Image of our Lady hath been able to attend her own Candle and other Images have been able to Heal all Diseases believe it who can Nicholaus saith in the Church of God the Priests often times deceive the People with fained Miracles for Lucre's sake and thus the World hath been born in Hand that Images were not only bare Images but had some secret divine Power hidden within them but I shall conclude and say as Hierome saith The Truth of Christ shall devour and consume the falshood of Anti-christ and all his fained Miracles and lying Wonders and Inchantments and Sorceries with which he hath deceived the Nations Alexander Hales saith p. 4. quâ— 53. men 4. In the Sacrament it self there appears Flesh sometimes by the conveyance of Men and sometimes by the working of the Devil And hath not R. E. heard and read of a certain Catholick of theirs and no Lay-man neither not many Ages ago that did pennance at Pauls Cross and made a publick Confession of his Dissimulation when he pricked his Finger and made it Bleed when he gave that which you call your Eucharist or Sacrament of the Altar as you call it unto the People to delude them making them believe that as the phrase is Christ by Miracle had conveyed the Blood into the Bread after the words of Consecration but enough of this hath been said by others and written largly of by other Hands and Pens so that I need not say much But Miracles be not ever more undoubted proofs of a true Doctrine nor such absolute Signs of a true Church nor such infallible Arguments as from Heaven as R. E. saith his are And so I conclude with that which Austin said unto Faustus the Manichee Ye Work no Miracles and yet if ye wrought any at your Hands we would take heed of them And Jer. 23. saith The false Prophets have deceived my People by their Lyes and by their Lightness and by their Dreams and Miracles And so hath this false fained pretended Catholick Church done deceived the Nations and bewitched them with such Lying fabulous Stories and false and ridiculous Miracles and Sorceries and Inchantments as is above-mentioned and many more of the like Nature might be mentioned but that I would not be tedious to the Reader which if they were all sum'd up would hardly make up a Heavenly Argument and Proof as R. E. saith it doth That their Church is the only true Church and fit to be the Rule and Judge of all matters of Faith And now Reader view over their Miracles
before-mentioned and see if thou canst receive them because the Church of Rome saith they are true and must not be questioned for if thou do thou art like to come under a hard censure by the verdict of R. E. and his Catholick Church first to be reckoned as an Unbeliever secondly to be a Hater of God and thirdly in not believing these Miracles or whatsoever else shall be declared unto thee by the said Church or else thou comest under no less Penalty then Eternal Damnation as R. E. saith in the 80th page of his Epistle but it is a small thing to be judged by man and especially such a man who hath gadded abroad and changed his way so oft so that he hath forgotten the true Path of Righteousness to walk in or else never knew it and hath turned and wheeled about and now at last doth as the poor Indian doth with his Deer-skin hangs it upon one Shoulder and so upon the other shoulder to shelter him from the Wind and Tempest that comes of that side But the day is dawned and mens Spirits are discovered beyond their Words and all the turnings and wheelings of things upside down is but as the Potter's Clay for God measures every man not by his Words but by his Heart and Spirit and Works and will judge every one in Righteousness according to their deeds And R. E. goes on as confident that his Arguments and Reasons laid down have prevailed and almost takes its for granted that it must needs be evident to all that the Roman Church is the true Church and saith He knows but one single Point between the Catholicks and them that stand divided from them and that is saith he That we follow a several Rule to Guide and Judge in the great affairs of Faith for all sides are bound to believe all Truth sufficiently propounded to them to be revealed of God and therefore if the presence of Christ in the Sacrament Purgatory Worshipping of Images Invocation of Saints and Prayer to the Dead and for the Dead If these or any other Point of Faith be sufficiently propounded by denying them God's Veracity is denyed and God thereby made a Lyar. The difference stands betwixt you and them that are divided from you in more particulars then thou art aware of or ever wilt be able sufficiently to propound them to be revealed of God though it is true some are divided from you in Circumstantials and Ceremonies and some others in some points of Faith and Worship yet some deny you in the very ground though 't is true the different Rule by which each party are directed is a great and a main thing Thou sayest This Cathâ—lick Church is the Rule but I say and am not alone that Christ is the Way to the Father and the Way to the Kingdom and the Rule and Means by which his Church is Governed and he is the Law giver and the Judge and all Judgment is committed to the Son and it is he alone that propounds Truth sufficiently and they that are in him are new Creatures and that which is the New-Creature Rule Guide and Judge is the Rule Guide and Judge of the Church of God and Christ is the Author of Faith and it is nothing that avails any thing with God but the New-Creature and as many as walk according to this Rule Peace is to them Gal. 3.16 And Christ hath not left his People without a Guide for he said Lo I am with you to the End of the World so as to commit the guidance thereof to fallible men who may assume Authority without his Power and to fasten those things upon God as to be revealed from him when the Lord hath spoken nothing and we are so far from looking that the main grounds that thou lâ—yest down to prove your Church to be this Rule Guide the many Doctrines propounded by you are not sufficiently propounded to be revealed of God but rather they are the Imaginations of your own Brain and things packt up since the Apostles dayes by different Popes and different Mutations and Alterations in your Church â—or filthy Lucres sake and so to deny them is not to deny God's Veracity neither to make God a Lyar as thou falsely sayest but thou and you are the Lyars as to propound those things to be revealed from God and to be received by all under pain of Damnation when God hath revealed no such thing but the contrary and so thy own Words at last shall turn to be thy burden because thou sayest the Lord saith and hath revealed and sufficiently proposed the real presence of Christ in your Sacrament of the Altar as a divine Revelation Worshipping of Images Prayer to the dead and for the dead and all â—hese foolish Imaginations which you have brought in and introduced and thrust upon People by force and these are sufficiently propounded as thou sayest as divine Revelations and the Father Son and Holy Ghost or the incarnation of Christ Silence deceit and for shame blush so to say the Prophets who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and Prophesied of things to come they declared of the Father Son and Holy Ghost all and prophesied long before that a Virgin should bring forth a Son whose Name should be called Emanuel God with us and the Government should be upon his Shoulders This the Pope hath usurped and you put it upon his Shoulders but your invented Doctrines aforesaid are meerly the Imaginations of your own Brain which neither the Prophets nor Apostles bore Witness unto but against And therefore it is thy and your great Presumption to make God Christ and Apostles the Foundation of all this Rubbish Straw and Stubble which thou would'st put off as divine Revelation and as sufficiently proposed as the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles was nay blush for shame they brought in the Prophets for the Peoples sake to prove that they had testified of the same before and had declared the coming of the Just One besides they commended themselves to the Witness of God in every man's Conscience and upon waiting upon the Lord and in the measure of his Spirit they found the things even so and by searching the Scriptures as the Bereans did found the things even so as had been declared of but upon due consideration we find not these foresaid doctrines so propounded as to have the Testimony of the Prophets and Apostles neither doth your Doctrine and Worship answer the Witness of God in every mans Conscience and so to deny you is not to make God a Lyar but God true the Prophets and Apostles and the Witness of God true and you Lyâ—rs who contradict them and their Testimony and the Power of God and would assume it to your selves though you be erred from the Spirit and would put all under the Name of Infallibility and by such Heavenly Arguments as R. E. calls them to wit the Miracles aforesaid by which you have deceived
thereunto was witnessed by divers in after Ages before-mentioned which A. S. would condemn as Hereticks and why the Church of Rome hath called them so and them that sate at the Stern who alwayes called themselves Orthodox and others Heterodox that did not sing to the same Tune in Swearing and every Thing else when once they had got up into pompious lordly Dominion over Mens Faith but what doth this prove nothing at all and what doth this prove that A. S inserts in his marginal Notes that the Ministers who are inferiour in Hungary and Transilvania swear Canonical Obedience to their Bishops or the Church of England or the Confessions of Helvetia Basil or others whom he calls reformed what of all this what doth this prove from the Scripture of Truth or as to the Convincement of them who hold it unlawful to swear under the Gospel because Christ hath prohibited it by his Doctrine what is all that A.S. hath said in his Arguments to Dissenters Satisfaction who know Hundreds of Things wherein as much as they fall out and fight even to Blood with each other about their fancied Formalities they all agree in against the Light and Power of Godliness and against the very Appearance of the Image of him in his Holiness who is the substantial Truth it self we say what is all this to some that dissent from A. S. his Judgment and others he calls reformed whose Faith stands higher then the Wisdom and Thoughts of Men who cannot consent so as to lead their Faith and Reason captive after them to try this or any other Truth seeing it is the Gift of God and the Inspiration of the Almighty gives Understanding and though the Church of Rome and you agree in this though you damn one another in other Matters what is this to us It shews only they erred from the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles you in this and many other Things are not separated from them and thy Conclusion which thou accordest with is false that though God in the old Testament commanded it yet it doth not follow that Christ in the new did not forbid it neither that Christ and his Apostles practised it who were under another Covenant and for ought can be perceived by A. S. by that he calls voluntary Swearing which he hath no Ground for though in other Places he seems to condemn vain Swearing and customary Oaths yet in this he looks not like himself but seems to tolerate a kind of Oaths we find no mention made of in the new Testament and yet we shall not conclude as A. S. sayes that all were so ignorant as not to understand Christ's Mind nor so wicked as to teach the quite contrary to his Mind for it is manifest many have been of the Mind of Christ in former Ages and latter though we shall never strive to bring in all the World or the Heathen or Nations that became as Waters after the Publication of the Gospel nor that Rabble which he calls the Christian World which hath wondred after the Beast Rev. 13.4 and yet there hath been still some Testimony born through Ages unto the Doctrine of Christ and Christ's Doctrine stands in Force and in that Latitude that he intended it notwithstanding A.S. his Reasons and Arguments and many more as to forbid all Oaths in the second Covenant to his Disciples truly such in these Words Swear not at all Many Instances might be brought of particular Bishops as Otha Bishop of Bamberg in Germany and Basilius of Chalcedon who refused to swear and though A. S. cannot trace it beyond Pelagius or Manicheus yet we know that both Christ and the Apostles confirm it and also the Esseans among the Jews did refuse to swear at all even in Judicature for Josephus a Jew saith of them Whatsoever they say is as firm as an Oath and so swear among them was counted a Thing superfluous likewise St Basil commends Chinas a famous Greek that he suffered a Fine of three Talents rather then he would save it by Swearing to the Loss of his Honour and shall Christians truly such with whom Truth abideth and in whom it dwelleth come short of that Exactness that was among some of the Jews and the best and most virtuous of them called Heathen shall not this kind of Christianity which is professed in this Day who are in Unbelief Frauds Infirmities Contentions be condemned by these shall not this Circumcision become Uncircumcision and shall not they that fear to swear and deny all Oaths be set above this whose Yea is Yea and Nay Nay in all their Communication according unto Christ's Doctrine shall not this inherit the Promise and is not this more Gospel-like to say speak testifie do the Truth rather then to go back to Judaism or into Contention Strife Emulation and Distrusts that the Swearers are in falsly reputed Christians and yet abide not in his Doctrine But having done with A.S. his negative Part I come to his affirmative Part which is no other then hath been answered over and over again yet he thinks he hath said more in clearing of it then others have said that Christ only forbad Swearing by Creatures and that indeed is the Sum of his affirmative Discourse and the Pharisees Interpretation and he brings the Judgment of divers Expositors upon this Text First promisary Oaths are here chiefly forbidden 2dly Others think that Christ here forbad such Oaths as then were used in common Discourse 3dly others say that prophane false rash and vain Oaths are generally here prohibited 4thly Many understand that by these Words of Christ all Swearing by Creatures is forbidden but not that by God himself and last of all A.S. gives his Thoughts which are as follow That Christ did not forbid what the Law had commanded but only the Pharisaical corrupt Glosses thereon and the irreligious Practices of the mis-informed Jews and cites Origen and Chrysostome who say upon this Place they were accustomed to swear by Heaven and by Creatures and A. S. further sayes The Pharisees taught them to affirm whatever they had promised swearing by God they under a specious Pretention that they would not take God's Name in vain upon a slight Occasion fell to swear by Creatures which Grotius shows out of Philo Judeus which the Pharisees did not disallow the easier thereby to delude such credulous People as believed those Oaths which themselves neither thought obligatory nor meant to keep and it 's certain the Scribes and Pharisees taught the People that to swear by several Creatures as by the Temple and Altar was not binding Christ reproves them as blind Guides upon that Account Mat. 23.16 and further they taught it was Perjury indeed to break an Oath if a Man had sworn by God but not if he had only sworn by Creatures in Exposition of which Christ forbids all Swearing by Creatures and teacheth câ—ntrary to the Jews Rabbies that such Oaths ought not to be taken yet being
taken are binding in Respect of Creatures Relation to the Creator and Christ reckons them among sinful Oaths and teacheth them to use only bare Affirmations or Denyals in their Communication And this is the very Sum of his Judgment and the Words of Christ are only to be limitted to this Sense and no further that is not to swear at all by Creatures in their mutual Converse or Communications and this he hath repeated over and over in his Book and this is the furthest latitude that he will allow unto Christ's Prohibition Swear not at all and this Interpretation before-mentioned he looks upon to be the genuine meaning thereof and is the Judgment of Doctor Gauden also who hath contended as hard for some Swearing as A. S. hath and I perceive that A. S. hath read the Answer to Bishop Gauden published by that precious Servant of the Lord Samuel Fisher who finished his Life in Bonds for the gospel-Gospel-Truth against all Swearing whose Answer stands firm and his demonstrative Arguments of Force and are yet unanswered though A. S. hath a little here and there carped at and hath bitten at the Heel but hath not made void at all his Answer which will live as a living Testimony in Generations to come as consonant unto Christ's Doctrine wherein he prohibits all Oaths under the Gospel Reply Though there be some Truth in the different Authors that are alledged and also in A.S. his Words that swearing by Creatures as Heaven and Earth Jerusalem and vain Oaths is forbidden and customary Oaths and the corrupt Glosses of the Pharisees and the false Interpretations yet all this comes short of Christ's mind and of the true genuine sense of the words the scope of Christ's Sermon as is manifest in the Chapter and in his Testament and all he hath said will not help him to carry on that Work he hath undertaken viz. the Justification of any or the lawfulness of any Swearing or the defence of that limited sense he would put upon the Universal terms in the 2. Texts wherein Christ and the Apostle forbids all Swearing And though A. S. often tells us Christ did not forbid what the Law had commanded neither gave any new positive Law before his Death he sure hath forgot himself much what will become of the two great Ordinances still upheld as Baptism and breaking of Bread and whether was this a new Institution of Christ or was it an Institution in the Law and if it was an Institution of Christ as the Church of England doth hold and not of the Law nor of Moses as indeed it was not then A. S. his Argument is fallen to the Ground that he gave no new Commandment neither instituted any new Ordinance and then what is become of these two great Mysteries as they have been called but he hath ravelled out and spun out his Threed so long that he often runs off his Legs and though A. S. does often urge that he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it and therefore hath said falsly that Christ Sware before the High Priest after he had given forth this Commandment Swear not at all which if it had been true it had been no more president for Christians then eating the Passeover and though he sometimes urge that such Oaths as were commanded under the Law are not forbidden by that Text Mat. 5.38 because it was spoken sometime before his Death and the Ministration of the first Covenant was not ended till his death and therefore he concludes That all Oaths would not be forbidden by Christ in this Text for saith he Christ did not forbid what the Law commanded but though this prohibition was given out before his Death yet with reference to the Gospel-times after his Death It is evident by the Texts before it and behind it viz. of divorce and of deportment towards injurious Ones and Enemies so in this of Oaths Christ prohibites and condemns not only those gross Abuses of those things that they had a Dispensation for under the Law and that by Divine indulgency which abuses crept in by the Pharisaical false Glosses too much loosing the meaning of God's Law by Moses by their depraved examples or popular Customes but Christ condemned and prohibited those very things which in regard of the hardness of their Hearts distrust and wicked Cruelties God himself in that very Letter of the Law indulged them in and gave them both a dispensation and a precept for in the Law for the Law said of old time before the false gloss of Scribes and Pharisees came in some things so as it was not said from the beginning when Man was in Innocency and was merciful as his Heavenly Father was merciful and the Law said Deut. 24.12 whosoever shall put away his wise let him give her a Bill of divorcement then she may go be another man's Wife but I say whose putteth away his Wife causeth her to commit Abultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth Adultery Mat. 5.32 So that not only the corrupt Glosses and irregular Practices of the mis-informed Jews are forbidden but even that which the Law not only permitted and allowed and dispensed with but commanded is for bidden and another thing injoyned and in cause of injury as he hath done so shall it be done unto him ye have heard it hath been said an Eye for an eye and a Tooth for a tooth this was the Law Exod. 21.44 Levit. 24.20 Deut. 19.20 and this was commanded But Christ saith I say unto you that ye resist not Evil whosoever shall smite thee on the one Cheek turn the other also and if a Man sue thee at Law and take away thy Coat let him have thy Cloak also and whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him twain Mat. 5.39 40 41. So here is not only a further thing but even another thing commanded by Christ. Further the Law said Exod. 20.14 thou shalt not commit Adultery but Christ the wisdom of God saith Mat. 5.28 whosoever looketh upon a Woman and lusteth after her hath committed Adultery with her in his Heart again ye have heard that it hath been said that thou love thy Neighbour and hate thy Enemy though A. S. sayes That is not found in the Law but a corrupt Gloss of the Pharisees I say that is found which amounts to as much as hath been shewed for the Jews that were of the Law might and did spoyle their Enemies the Gentiles and Canaanites and Egyptians and Amalekites and had a command so to do and kill them and Root them out and yet to help his Enemies Oxe or Asse under a burthen if he were belonging to a Jew that personally hated him and not an Amalekite one of that cursed race but this is a ridle to many But I say unto you love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despightfully use you and
sure Word of Prophecy here is to be understood first a sure Word secondly a more sure Word for the Apostle in that Chapter speaking of their Diligence towards them that did believe and declared unto them That they had not followed devised Fables when we made known unto you the Power and Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but are Eye-Witnesses of his Majesty verse 16. and heard the Voice from this excellent Glory this is my beloved Son in â—hâ—m I am well-pleased when we were with him in the Mount This was as sure a Word to the Apostles as any that ever the Prophets had spoken before was to them so the Old Testament could not be more sure then this which they heard from the excellent Glory but this was not so sure unto them to whom Peter wrote and this was only the Apostles Declaration but the Word of Prophecy unto which he exhorted them was nearer then any of the Prophets Words or the Apostles Testimony of what they heard in the Mount the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prâ—phecy to wit that which bears witness against Sin and to Righteousness from this the Prophets spoke and this was that publick Thing or Spirit and they that speak not from it speak from a private Spirit of their own and this Word of Prophecy or that wherein they could see or foresee Things to come they were to take heed unto as unto a Light which shined in a dark Place and this was the more sure Word which he directed to which in all thy Book thou quarrelest against and through this they saw the Apppearance and knew the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in Power and great Glory and did see the Day dawn and the Day-star arise in their Hearts and they were to attend to this not only before but also after for by the Word of his Testimony the Saints did overcome And so all thy Interpretations are false and thine is the private Interpretation and not from that sure word of Prophecy which the Prophets and Believers took heed unto and through which they interpreted Things truly according to the Mind of God As for the Story of false Teachers arising and prevailing among People and what the signal Nature is and thou say'st They are sent as Scourges and as Judgments to them who have not received the Truth in the Love of it and thou bringest a Scripture I came in my Father's Name and ye received me not John 5. but if another shall come in his own Name him you will receive It 's manifest that thou comest not in his Name nor in Christ's Name and if not so in thy own Name thou comest by the Appointment of the General Court at Boston and so there will few believe thy fabulous Stories which are not worth rehearsing which will cast a Mist before the Eyes of them who cannot see through thy Deceit and the Sum is thou say'st of all that the Doctrines of Devils audaciously disseminated pretending themselves to be sent of God are signal Signs of evil Times The Doctrines of Devils have long been audaciously seminated by numerous false Teachers and false Prophets as Christ foretold in Mat. 23. 24. which John saw come 1 John 2.18 Little Children it is the last Time ye have heard that Anti-christs should come and even now there are many and they have ruled long in most Parts of the Earth that John said The whole World wondered after the Beast and this hath been a sad Time these thirteen or fourteen Hundred Years wherein the true Church the Woman cloathed with the Sun hath been in the Wilderness in a solitary Place exiled because of the Beast's Power and the Dragon's Power and the false Prophets Miracles and because of the Doctrines of Devils have made it a sad Time and an evil Time such as thou hast taught viz. That the Light which every Man is lighted with is gross Darkness and worse then gross Darkness and that Christ left Political Officers and â—hat the Lord's Supper 〈◊〉 a visiâ—le Political Church Ordinance and that Baptism is a visiâ—le Political Church-Ordinance and that it is Blasphemy to hold Perfection â—f Degrees in thâ—s Life and that none can be cleansed from Sin while upon Earth These and the like Doctrines of Devils have been sown which thou now audaciously seminates by the Appointment of the General Court at Boston but the Time draws near an End the Night is far spent and the Day is at Hand when the Beast shall be taken alive and the old Dragon laid hold on and the Mother of Harlots burned with Fire and the false Prophets which have wrought Miracles before the Beast and have cryed as thou cryest him up in New-England Who is able to make War with him who hath shed the Blood of the Saints of the most high God which will lye as a Stain upon your Political Church as thou callest it which will not easily be washed away the Time of your Mirth in Sodom Egypt is near an End though you strengthen one another and make merry yet Wo will come when all these before-mentioned go down alive into the Pit together and when the Sea is dryed up that your Traffick will not go off then Alas shall be the Note of her Merchants who have traded with her Sorceries and Witchcrafts and have made People drunk that they have reeled and staggered and have been all like a Sea unstable and have not known the Rock of Ages upon whom all that do believe are established Thou say'st The Gospel is a Constitution or Effeâ—t tempered of the Grace of God and of the Blood of Christ. Answ. The Gospel thou knowest not but buildest with thy untempered Morter and unseasonable VVords and what is the Gospel an Effect of it is not only an Effect of an Operation but it is that which operates and is the Power of God which will confound all this Mud and all these 〈…〉 dy Traditions which you mix with the Scriptures and call them Goâ—pel And now thou comest to the destructiveness of the Doctrine of the Quakers to Religion the Churches of Christ and Christian States because thou say'st It appears in this from the Nature of the Oâ—ject they single out to fight against as the Trinity Christ the Scripture Order â—oth Civil and Ecclesiastical as instituted in the Gospel As to those Principles I have answered before in part but dost thou tell of Civil Order in your State or in your Political Church as thou callest it is that to be counted a Civil State who destroyes the Creatures God's VVorkmanship and destroyes Mens Estates and sells their free-born Children as Bond-slaves dost thou judge that these Rule well according to the Appointment of God who is a Terror to them that do well and an Encourager of Violence and Cruelty as your late Actions have sufficiently evinced And as for the Order of your Political Church we have heard of it that you are as
a Company of wild Bears rending and tearing and stop Gloves and Napkins and bind Keys over their Mouthes that they may not speak the Word of Truth amongst yâ—u contrary to Primitive Order And as for the Doctrine of the Quakers many who know it better then thee know it to be dâ—structive to nâ—â—hiâ—g but to the Doctrine of Anti-christ and such ungodly Doctrines as thou hast laid down in this Book as that that Light which Christ hath enlightned every one withal is gross Darkness and worse then gross Darkness and that the Supper of the Lord is a visible Political Ordinance and suâ—h black Doctrines as these our Doctrines are destuctive unto And further thou goest on and tellest The Work against Order is Policy against Policy the Policy of Hell against the Policy of Heaven Answ. It seems your Order stands in Policy both in your Church and State and in Craft Fraud and Deceit and thou judged that Heâ—ven stands in Policy too but he that sits in Heaven laughs you to Scorn with all your Deceit and Policy And now thou comest to thy Proof and say'st That Doctrine that denyes Obedience to Magistracy in his due Subject in Effect denyes the Order of Magistracy but their Doctrine denyes Obedience to Magistracy in its due Subject therefore their Doâ—â—rine denyes the Order of Magistracy Answ. The Major and Minor are both false for we own Magistracy in its due Subject which stands in the Power of God and in the higher Power and that which leads into Order and out of Confusion and Destruction and thou must not think to fasten Stork and Munâ—er upon us for thy Proof what they did stands upon their Account and not upon ours and that mischievous Spirit of thine is that which presseth on the Magistrate to abuse his power and to intrude into those Things which belong not to him to keep up your confused Babel which thou callest a Political Church which must all be scattered with the Breath of his Mouth and with the Brightness of his coming whom thou yet judgest to be gross Darkness In thy 18th page and in the 44th page thou speak'st That visible Political Church Church-Officers and Church-Ordinances are Gospel Institutâ—ons appointed by Christ to continue to the End of the World and that Command which Paul gave to Timothy is to be kept and that visible Political Church Estate is to continue to the End of the World Answ. I see thou art ignorant of God Christ Heaven Church Church-Officers Ordinances and Institutions the Churches of Christ were established by and in the Power of God and the Ministers thereof ministred walked and ruled in the Power of God and the Ordinances and Institutions of the true Church of God are pure and spiritual but the Church that thou art pleading for the Continuation thereof is a Political Church Political Ordinances Political Officers Political Institutions Political Pastors and Teachers the Lord's Supper a Political Ordinance Bâ—ptism a Political Ordinance the spiritual Counsâ—l which Paul gave to Timothy about the Elders of the Church and about the Holy Practice which they were to walk in and the godly Conversation this thou calls Political nay furthermore thou saist Heaven stands in Policy and in thy fourth Chap. say'st To Christ belongs the Prerogative of being the only Politician these and the like damnable Doctrines and Heresies thou hast uttered forth and these must be proved from the first of Tim. 3.15 and Chap. 4. did Paul when he wrote to Timothy when he gave him direction about Elders and such as took care of the Church of God did he say a Bishop is a Political Officer and must be blameless or did he say a Deacon is a Political Officer and must be grave And therefore Reader thou may'st read these Scriptures 1 Tim. 9.14 1 Cor. 14.33 and thou maist see this Sophister and this man that is void of understanding who cryeth up the Scripture for a Rule of Life and yet holds such a Church such Pastors such Officers such Ordinances such Institutions which the Scripture makes no mention of and therefore this man having made a Monstrous Body a Politick Church he imagines a Head like it and therefore Blasphemously saith Christ is the greatest Politician much I need not say unto this black Dark stuff which is to be confounded which is imaginary and Deceit which the wrath of God must scatter but this I say to thee there were no Officers in the Church of Christ but they were Ministers made so by the Spirit and were made so by the Holy Ghost and were Ministers of the Spirit and not of the Letter and some were Elders and Ruled in the Church and Churches which was Sanctified by God the Father and preserved in Christ Jesus and these were spiritual and not Political but thou hast cleared and quitted your selves from being any such Church and that which you call the Sacrament which thou callst Visible and Political and bringst 1 Cor. 12. for thy proof did Paul say as often as ye eat this Political Bread and drink this Visible Political Cup shew forth the Lord's Death till he come and did Christ when he sent his Disciples to Preach and to Baptize in the 28th of March 16. which thou plead must continue until the end of the World did he send them and say go and Teach and Preach the visible and Politick Word of the Kingdom and Baptize them with visible Political Water and that this should continue to the End of the World And little marvel if the Throne of Satan be exalted among you and such Ministers as thou who Ministers deceit and Unrighteousness and Ungodliness art set to be a Teacher and appointed so by the General Court who canst not speak a Form of sound Words but like a Phylosopher a Star-gazer an Astrologian or a Stage-player which them that read thy Book will see thy Tract frothed with such black dark Sentences which are like Enchantments As for Beckold and Knipperdâ—lling and Quintinius and Poquius thou mightst have taken up thy Pen ere now and not have brought all this rambling stuff out of the History of the Germans which thou wouldst cast upon our Backs the Bishops used to cast it upon your Backs and you upon the Baptists backs but now we must bear all and thou in Envy unto us that thereby thou mightst represent us Odious to the World hast made them all Quakers and saist they are our Predecessours take them to thy self and joyn them to your Political Church and your Political Ordinances and your Politick Doctrines which is of the same Nature with theirs which you maintain and uphold with carnal Weapons as they did theirs And last of all thou art coming to the Magistrates Power in matters of Religion under the Gospel and thou saist Notwitstanding manifold Evils prevail and the Wiles of the Devil are great and malignant and Heresie which is a horrid aspect yet thou saith There is Balm in Gilead a Physician