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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35122	A defence of the true church called Quakers (come and coming out of the wilderness, Babylon, and the dark night of the apostacy of Antichrist into their own land, which is Sion the mountain of holiness, there to worship the Lord in spirit and truth) against the several sects and sorts of people, called Independants, Separatists or Brownists, Baptists, Fift-Monarchy-Men ...	Crook, John, 1617-1699.; J. C. (John Collens), d. 1682.	1659 (1659)	Wing C7202; ESTC R35612	46,726	58

Principle yet that the tree is known by its fruit I grant and affirm and have affirmed against all loose and ranting spirits in the world who would have no outward action to be a mark or token of the good or evil tree but the light Life or Principle must not be seperated from the action nor the action from it for if so all a mans righteousness becomes unrighteousness as acted from self in the wrong ground and his knowledge like a cloud without water But as for your objecting against our conversation in the world I say we judge our selves first and espie the beam in our own eye for being turned to the light which makes manifest the least thing that appeareth in us contrary thereto is as a beam which while standing clouds and overspreads the pure presence of God wherefore we are not at rest day or night till the beam be be plucked out and so do we espie and reprove the faults of others who either plead for sin as long as they live or excuse their own iniquity by others failings and yet think themselves safe And this I would have none of you be ignorant of that although we believe perfection to be attainable in this world yet we are very sensible that it is not the work of a day moneth or year but that there must be much waiting many a sigh and groan a great spiritual combate with the Dragon and his Angels within a diligent and expert exercising of the whole Armour of light ere such a State be witnessed but this is our comfort that we are truely turned to that which gives the victory in the end and so are not faithless but believe as also that the Lambs War is truely begun in us who fights our battels for us while we stand still and behold his Salvation with which Salvation some are already saved and others saving so every one in his own measure and order so that in few words if any or all of those things by you objected should sometime appear in or among some of us yet know they are not ours but the evil ones to whom they belong for when we speak of our selves as Saints we mind that which is born of God which cannot sin for that is the Elect Seed which is for ever joyned to the Lord and takes his part against the transgressour and this I will say not onely for my self but in the behalf of other brethren and friends in whose defence I have been moved to make this Apologie that there is never a one amongst us who are truely and sincerely come to the light but do love judgement yea wait for his judgements to be brought to light and forth to victory even as the watchman watcheth for the morning and so far are any such from pleading for any one sin in thought word or deed that it is their meat and drink to do the will of the Father and like gall and wormwood to the pure thing of God in them when it is not fulfilled neither can they be in the least content to shrowd themselves under a Profession of truth so as the more freely to act deceit thereby but both desire and witness a growth in truth and righteousness as knowing that not to go forward is to go backward And as for any that come amongst us and seem to walk with us that are otherwise minded and conditioned then I have declared by the light they are judged and by the truth denied and by the fan winnowed and in themselves condemned wherefore stumble not at the light and truth because of offences for that causeth not the offence but by degrees gathereth all things that do offend out of the Fathers Kingdom and maketh fearfulness in due time to surprise the Hypocrite so God is glorified and his truth vindicated thereby Thus the foundation of God standeth sure to the Seed notwithstanding all such objections and the true Church which is the pillar and ground of truth is appeared in this our day so that none hath any more just cause to disown it for some faults and failings that may yet be found among us then the heathen had just cause to deny the Jews outward to be the Lords people when they came out of Babylon to build the Temple because of some things that were not right and comely amongst them against which Nehemiah contested and which were also rectified which was a figure of Christ Jesus the spiritual King the Rectifier reformer and perfecter of his People And as for some outward gestures and behaviour among men which ye account as trivial and indifferent things know that though they are little in themselves yet as they flow from a pure Principle of God in us which makes us outwardly to testifie against the pride and loftiness of man which is to be brought down in this the day of the Lords exaltation they are of great and necessary use and as for taking by the hand it is a manifestation of equality and unity among friends in the life and to be done from a pure moving and not from a tie or custome but as for yea and nay whatever is more either in word or work cometh of evil And so I shall conclude with prayer to the God of all Grace that as he which hath called us by his Son is holy so we may be holy in all manner of conversation more and more till every thing that offendeth within or without be taken away that so the new Heavens and new Earth wherein dwelleth all righteousness may be enjoyed wherein love which the fulfilling thereof doth plentifully flow and not wax cold that the Lord God may be glorified in us and we in him and his Name be written in our fore-heads to the stopping of the mouths of all that oppose the truth to him be praise and glory and everlasting Dominion now and for evermore THE END

A DEFENCE OF THE True Church Called QUAKERS Come and coming out of the Wildernesse Babylon and the dark Night of the Apostacy of Antichrist into their own Land which is Sion the Mountain of Holinesse there to Worship the Lord in Spirit and Truth against the several Sects and sorts of people called Independants Separatists or Brownists Baptists Fift Monarchy-men Seekers and High Notionists of all sorts who by the True Light are found and discovered to be out of the same Written by J. C. According to the measure of Wisdom given unto him from God who is the giver of every good gift LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1659. WHen the Jewes outward Returned from the Captivity of Babylon which was the true figure of the Saints coming out of the long and dark night of Apostacy from the Doctrine and Life of the Apostles in the Primitive Times which was the Captivity of the spiritual Seed so great and many were their Enemies who endeavoured to cause their Work in repairing the desolate and ruined places of Jerusalem to cease that those who were imployed in that Work with one hand wrought and with the other held the Weapon even so is it and must it be now at the Return of the spiritual Seed not only within by exercising Faith and Prayer upon and to him that is able to save to the uttermost and in his strength wrestling against the Dragon and his Angels Principalities Powers and Spiritual Wickednesses in High Places and sundry temptations so quenching by the Armour of Light all the fiery Darts of the wicked one but also without both by holding forth the Word of their testimony and sealing it with their bloud and sufferings for the conviction and conversion of sinners so fitting stones for Gods spiritual building and also by stopping the mouths of gain-sayers who shall not be able to resist the Spirit by which they speak So standing in the gap and quitting themselves like Spiritual-men against the Beast and false Prophet and all the Armies of the Aliens Hear now therefore all ye that are called Independants Separatists or Brownists Baptists Fift Monarchy-men Seekers high Notionists of all sorts the Apologie or Defence that I in the wisdom and strength of my God for without him I can do nothing do make against you and for the true Church called Quakers against whom and whose standing Profession ye variously have prejudice and do contend And First for you called Independants ye assume a great Name but ye are not found in the Independant nature and so are not the true Church for although ye professe your selves as to the visible Administration of Church-power not to have dependance upon other Congregations or Churches as an inferiour on a superiour yet are there many things apparently seen amongst you which do un-Church you and remove your Candlestick far off for the true golden Candlesticks among whom Christ the Son of God walketh do hold up and hold forth the true light that it may shine before men but ye as do the common multitude reject it sleight it and Dispute against it as invalid and insufficient to lead in the way everlasting and so ye would have it kept under the bushel yea quite extinguished in the hearts of men and would have the Scriptures or Writings to be a light to it and not it an enlightener and opener of them whereby ye stumble at the Scriptures themselves and cannot discern of the times and seasons or of the Saints several states and conditions to God-ward who because they sometime witnessed a war and striving against the body of sin therefore say you they must alway while they live carry it about them as though the Saints fought as those that beat the Air or as though their labour were in vain in the Lord Oh! foolish people and unwise when will ye come to the true Teacher in your selves that ye may believe and know the Promise made unto the seed That there shall be no more a pricking Bryar unto the House of Israel nor a grieving Thorn of all that are round about them that despise them and they shall know that I am the Lord Also that their Enemies which they have seen to day they shall see them again no more for ever And that ye may see their interest in Christs Prayer whom the Father heard alwayes because he did alwayes the things that pleased him who said Neither Pray I for these alone to wit for the Apostles and Saints then in the world that they might be sanctified through the Truth but for them also who shall believe in me through their words that they all may be one c. I in them and thou in me that hey may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Mark This was a state of Saints Perfection in this world that worldly Spirits might be convinced thereby but ye being in the unbelief are even as the multitude alwayes hanging upon the lips of men whose tongues are not touched as the Prophets was with a Coal from Gods Altar who witnessed his sin purged and so are ever learning and never come to the true knowledge for the Pastors and Teachers of your Congregations have not yet witnessed the Vrim of the Sanctuary I mean the true spiritual Gift by believing and waiting on the true light which shineth in their dark hearts that should give them power from on high to minister in but are either men learned with the learning of this world or such who through strength of Brain and often reading of the Letter of the Scriptures can compose a Form of Words and deliver it unto you after a Priestly manner so that ye as still unsatisfied heap to your selves National Priests also for Teachers sometimes hearing the one and sometimes the other Yea some of your Pastors so called are National Priests also Oh! Friends it might shame you and make you blush for shame if ye could rightly consider to call your selves the Churches of Christ and Independants and be thus so dependant on mans Teachings Yea joyning with the National Priests about the way of sending out a Ministrie and bearing the Beasts very Mark in your Foreheads while ye are so called owning your Baptism in your Infancie to be true though ministred to a blank and by those who sprang from a Popish stock and sprinkling your own Infants now from a false apprehension of the Promise made to you and your seed after the flesh so calling that the seed whereas the true Churches of Christ knew no such seed nor owned any but that which sprang out of Christs womb in the Regeneration who is a quickning Spirit So Christ the Corner-stone and Head of the Church even the true and universal Light is come to fight against you with the sword of his mouth and to testifie to your faces That though ye call

by whom all things were made and in which they all subsist and by which all hearts are bridled Saul was a stout and valiant Warriour and higher than the rest by the head and shoulders and went in and out a notable Chieftain before the People but when Gods witness accused him he was as weak as water yea fell down upon his face to the ground So now we keeping close to this as the Head-stone in the Corner the Weapon we War withal though it be managed with much Meekness and Patience as it ought to be is far stronger than yours that keeps a greater clattering for yours hath yet wrought no deliverance in the earth nor never will but thousands Glory be to the Lord God of Power can witness deliverance from the unjust power and from Injustice and unrighteousness in thought word and deed even by the Armour of light which is Gods faithful witness within them and the Government placed upon his shoulders who by his most powerful and good Spirit will in due time Govern the Nations Righteously upon the earth and in no other way Therefore I advise you to put up your Sword of Steel into his Sheath for ever yea to break him into a Plow-share for so he may be of some good use among mankind and wrestle not so against flesh and blood as to kill the Creature which is Gods Workmanship but come to know the Weapons of the Saints Warfare which are not carnal but spiritual yet mighty through God to the pulling down all the Strong-holds of sin and sinners both within and without for saith Paul They have in readiness to revenge every disobedience when your obedience speaking to the Saints is fulfilled So then if ye will be accounted of the number of the Saints that follow the Lamb in his Holy War wait to feel his living Power in your own Particulars which may fulfil your obedience towards him and then shall the same Power appearing in you be able to revenge all disobedience in others be they Magistrates Priests or People but if ye live in the disobedience your selves against Gods faithful witness which is his true light within you and come not to the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ which maketh Humble and Meek slayeth the earthly mind and brings out of self and all selfish wayes into the true self-denial which is to Love and give Glory onely to God and to love ones Neighbour as ones self which to do aright the light waited in in truth will discover your out-cries against others wickedness and injustice will be but as the espial of a Mote in anothers eye when as a Beam is still in your own But ye will say That Christ Luke 22.36 a little before his suffering bad the Disciples That he who had not a Sword should sell his Garment and buy one which could not be but for some great and necessary use that the having of it should be preferred before a necessary Garment Can ye say in truth of heart and nothing within you tell you that ye lye that what Christ in this Particular said to the eleven that he in them spake to all Saints who should come after As he did when he exhorted them to Watch saying What I say unto you I say unto all Watch Or was this Sword that he bid them to buy onely for some special use at the time of his apprehension Which was to hold forth that all such fighting with the Sword by the Saints was now to take its farewel in the world Christ was made under the Law which both tolerated and oft times commanded the Jews not onely to defend themselves but to offend their enemies so an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth and he was not yet offered up which put an end to the Law also observe his reason for his so speaking for saith he I say unto you that this which is written must be accomplished in me And he was reckoned among the transgressours for the things concerning me have an end intimating hereby that the buying of the Sword was for the very forementioned purpose and when the things written concerning his sufferings were finished then the outward Sword must be put up and laid aside as he bid Peter to do when he had once smitten with it least he perished by it Likewise mark his answer to them when they said there were two Swords saith he It is enough although he seemed to say before that every one should sell his Garment that had not a Sword to buy one shewing thereby that this thing was not of Universal use as ye would understand therefore when Judas had betrayed him to the multitude and those about him said unto him Lord shall we smite with the sword And one of them had smitten and cut off the High Priests servants ear Christ answered and said Suffer ye thus far Shewing that now the Sword had done his Office And so he touched his ear healed him Thus exercising his Power of love in requiting good for evil and even making up the breach that the Sword had made in revenge neither was any sign of a Sword seen in the hands of any of the Apostles and Saints after Christs departure but they suffered with all Patience through faith in the Power of God so must do the Lambs true followers in this his day of restoring the desolate Places as John testifies in his Book of Revelation he that killeth with the Sword must be killed by the Sword here is the Patience and Faith of the Saints And as for divers Scriptures that speak of the Lords overturning again again till he come to Reign whose Right it is and of punishing the stout heart of the Oppressour and of wasting utterly those Nations that will not serve the Church and such like they must be understood of the exercising of Christs Power in Peoples hearts and also of justly suffering the false and unrighteous powers of the earth to scourge and destroy each other for their iniquity till they come to serve and fear the Lord in Truth which brings into Peace and Unity for the Devils kingdom is divided against it self but Jerusalem is a City in Unity with it self but that the Saints shall and ought to have a hand in these outward desolations as moved thereto by the Spirit of the Lord I deny for his Kingdom in them stands in righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Spirit which they are to hold forth visibly before all men and not their hands to act contrary to their hearts Now come we to you called Seekers to try what ye seek after stick at and whether ye seek the Lord in a right way that it is a pretious thing to seek the Lord and his Way of Righteousness in truth all the Righteous and upright in heart do experimentally know for seek and ye shall find saith Christ the true light to his and blessed are they that keep his Testimonies and seek him

with the whole heart and saith David in another place Let all those that seek thee rejoyce and be glad in thee and it is Prophesied by the Prophet Jeremy that when the Jews had been in the captivity of Babylon they should go and seek the Lord their God asking their way to Sion from which they had been captivated with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten Mark when they were weary of their captivity they should go and seek not stand still and enquire onely but aske with their faces thitherward saying Come let us joyn to the Lord c. actually to set about the work Therefore saith the Lord by the Prophet in the 8th vers of the 50th Chapter Remove out of the midst of Babylon and go forth out of the Land of the Chaldeans c. which the Prophet Zachary also secondeth saying Deliver thy self oh Sion that dwelleth with the Daughter of Babylon So here is a lively representation of the Lords bringing his spiritual Seed out of spiritual captivity after the long night of Apostacy Babylon or Confusion was the state they were to depart from Sion or the Mountain of Holiness was the State they were to come to and in order hereunto they were to move and set forward neither was there any station by the way where they were to set down or continue This I speak for your sakes who for divers years have seemed to turn your backs upon the Whore of Babylon as seeing and disliking the false doctrines wayes and worships of Antichrist whereby you have been deceived and captivated but as though the Passage to Sion or Jerusalem was stopped up ye have sit down by the way saying The Church is yet in the Wilderness where she must abide till God makes way for her coming forth which is by raising up his witnesses who must appear with Miracles and such signs as the Apostles did to confirm their Ministry by till which time there is no true Gospel Ministry nor Administration of Baptism or any Ordinances of a visible Church This seems indeed to carry a face of truth with it and hath stumbled many but consider first whether ye are not some of those false prophets which Christ said should come and say Lo here and lo there whether ye are not those that say Christ is in the Desart as yet retired as to his visible appearance in the world whom to go forth after the Saints must not but must keep their own Habitations in the light to which they have been turned for saith he As the lightning riseth in the East and shineth even unto the West so shall the coming of the Son of man be and Luke addeth in his day So then here is a plain token of the Day of the Son of man or the sign of the Son of man in Heaven to wit in the true Church visible at his coming when he cometh as a Universal light that hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world by whose guidance and direction they believing in it all may come out of the false wayes and worships and deceits of the Whore of Babylon or of the whole world and out of all sin into the way of Truth Purity Peace and true Worship to serve the Lord in Spirit and Truth with one consent and those who have believed in this true light themselves which makes manifest all sin and deceit and having waited therein have felt it to be the light of life unto them quickning their Souls up to God and Baptizing them with its Holy Fire so making his living Word to be as fire in their bones and putting words into their mouths to testifie and declare against the Beast and false prophet and against the world that their deeds are evil and to call them to Repentance by believing in the same light in themselves which is Christ the true Prophet Gods faithful witness and are true and living witnesses for his Name and such as preach the Everlasting Gospel or glad Tidings although they speak in no Language but their Mother Tongue do no outward Miracles as to heal the sick cleanse the Lepers or the like nor do at all practise Baptizing with water laying on of hands or breaking of bread And thus I plainly demonstrate it to any that are not wilfully blind The Jewish state of old was the true figure of the Gospel Church after the Son of God his being manifested in the flesh who was the end of all figures and shadows look then in what manner the Lord brought forth and led the Jew outward then so doth he bring forth and lead the Jew inward afterwards Now when the Children of Israel came first out of Aegypt they were brought out of that house of bondage with a high hand and stretched-out arm as to the outward Moses was loath to go as thinking they would not believe him therefore the Lord gave him a signe of turning the Rod into a Serpent which he did also before hard-hearted Pharaoh upon whom were ten visible Plagues also sent the Sea was divided the Aegyptians drowned the Rock gushed out water Jericho fell by the blowing of Rams Horns and the like in this high manner came they to Canaan but when they for their iniquity were led into captivity by the King of Babylon at their coming out the second time there was no such outward sign shewen or any such visible work wrought in order to their deliverance but as those who had a right to a restauration of that which once they gained by such hardships and mighty works this was Gods way of proceeding towards them he raised up Cyrus to make a Proclamation of liberty and to restore the treasure and vessels of the Temple which was a lively figure of Christ the spiritual King Proclaming in the hearts of his People by the true light which is his word that they should now leave all false and wicked and deceitful wayes of the Whore of Babylon and bring back the vessels of the spiritual Temple to serve and worship God in his holy mountain Jerusalem that they be no longer defiled and profaned by Idol wayes and worships then upon this Proclamation of Cyrus those whose hearts were touched and whose spirits were stirred up as Zerubbabel Joshuah and others stood not still but set about the work leading many Jewes to Jerusalem without any more ado as Nehemiah did also afterwards by the permission of Artaxerxes and when they came thither they went to build the Temple although the enemies made them cease a while by force then the Prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesied but did no miracle unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the Name of the Lord God of Israel Ezra 5. vers 1. whereupon Zerubbabel and Joshua arose up and began to build the house of God for it is said Hag. 1. the Lord stirred up their spirits so to do and

mouth and heart as Moses also witnessed and so do we now by the same Spirit they were for taking up and standing in the Cross fulfilling of all Righteousness and for separation from every Idol and all Idolatrous wayes and so are we now and that not only in word but in deed and in truth they would not go forth to speak and suffer in their own strength without power from above felt to enable them thereunto neither dare we the like without the same Power so then here are now Judges as at the first the same Spirit of Judgment proceeding yea the Lord in his People rather coming more near to Judgement and Counsellours as at the beginning those that exhort and reprove in the same Authority whose words the earthly mind is even less able to bear than formerly for Plagues and Woes unsufferable and so scorching vials are now pouring forth upon the seat of the Beast and the Whore and hail-stones fall from Heaven upon the wicked like the weight of a talent and those who speak in all wisdom to the Saints themselves are seen so ministring from the life to the same immortal life whereby they are built up unto a perfect man so that neither are they to be denied to be Counsellours as at the beginning because they do not exhort People to be Baptized with water c. for they find not that in their spiritual Commission yea see by the internal light the end of all shadows which must and do flee away at the very dawning of this bright day of the coming of the Son of man which shall never set more for saith the Lord to the Church Thy Sun shall no more go down at noon increase it shall but not decrease So here now is the true Tryal of the true Church and Ministry when the sign of the Son of man is seen in Heaven even himself appearing in his People as a universal light enlightning every one as the lightning which shineth from one end of Heaven to the other as also by the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Spirit which is felt really amongst us for as Eliah in Jezabels time said when there was a contest about his being a true Prophet or whether Baals prophets who were 450 were such or no he that answereth by fire let him be God so the Lord answering Eliah by fire a lively figure of this spiritual Baptism it licked up the water which was in the ditch and wood and fleshly offering a true representation of the consuming outward shadows the hay wood and stubble that Paul speaketh of whereby he alone was known to be the Lords own Prophet and the other though many to be false ones and so he had dominion over them and slew them So say I now to all Sects and Gatherings and Opinions in the world where the Lord God Baptizeth with fire consuming and burning up the dross filling his People that wait on him with a Holy Jealousie for his Holy Name and against all evil in thought word and deed where the outward earthly tabernacle as well as the inward is shaken where all shadows are made to vanish as needless in such a day as this there is the true Church visible and the true Prophets and Witnesses who slay all false prophets with the Sword of Christs mouth laying them by spiritual Judgement under Eternal Condemnation they repenting not and so casting them into the lake of fire And in this sense is that place in Jer. 30. to be understood which I believe ye called S●ekers much stick at where the Prophet fore-telling the Restauration of the Church after the captivity said The City should be builded upon her own Heap and the Palace remain after the manner thereof and that their Children should be as aforetime and their Congregation be established before the Lord and their Nobles should be of themselves and their Governour proceed from the midst of them c. to wit by the building the Church upon the same true Foundation as formerly even Christ the true light and bestowing on it the same spiritual gift which was the Spirit of truth the Fathers Promise to all true believers So establishing them upon the Rock of ages against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail out of whom should go forth such Ministers who should be Noble and Valiant for the Truth Christ himself the Head of the Church being their Governour who from the midst of them ariseth in his strength to scatter all their enemies and to punish all that oppresse them as the Lord hath said he will do by the same Prophet so that the Palace remains after the manner of the former as enjoying the substance though the shadowes and same gifts in all things be not practised by the Saints or found amongst them for the Prophet Amos Chap. 9. fore-telling of the raising up of the Tabernacle of Dav●d that was fallen down c. said That the Lord would build it as in the dayes of old Now we find that the Apostle James in Acts 15. applieth this Prophesie to the raising up of the Gentile Church in those dayes which was truly applied thereunto because although the Jewish Church of old was very far different both in matter and manner of Administration from the Churches of Christ then yet it was builded as in the dayes of old because it was established upon the Foundation of Abraham with whom the Covenant was made both to the carnal and spiritual seed and because the substance was felt and witnessed which was the same in the Saints in all ages Wherefore I exhort ye all called Seekers if ye will find what ye say ye se●k after to come to the light in your own selves and wait low in it so shall you find the vail to remove from off your understandings whereby the true faithful witness Christ Jesus will be seen to stand up and so all impediments stumbling blocks taken up from the Letter without will be removed and a right understanding of the Scriptures be given so as to discern of the times and seasons but ye must first come to the Cross by owning your Reprover for sin and deny the pride pleasures interests folly and vanities of this world so as not the longer ye seek the worse ye grow as 't is too manifest some of you have done for it is the humble that he will teach and his secret is with them that fear him so as to shew them his Covenant for so have I found it by experience which Covenant of light being witnessed ye will easily see your way to Sion and your Leader thither not standing still for lack of gifts in others or wanting an Administrator of external ordinances but will keep to your own and find in due time such pure Power to arise as will administer to you in his own Sanctuary and make you Minister that to others which will plainly shew that ye are those who are called chosen