give to the stronger such as was suteable for them And while the People was so contending about Orders and Ordinances the Apostle judged them but as carnall and was but to be fed with Childrens meate 1 Cor. 3. 1. 2. 3. and while they were to be fed with such food they were not in a capacity of living of any other thing and such were these who could not see beyond the Ordinances which was but the first Principals of Religion Heb. 5. 12. And who dare say that the Apostle was led with a false light when he seemed to slight Gospel-Ordinances and leave them as low things being but as the Alphabet of Christians and so reach out to higher even to that which is the substance of all things wherein perfection was to be attained Phil. 3. 13. 15. for though the Apostle had to doe with Children in his time yet he had to doe with men who was more excellent and was not in bondage to weake and beggarly rudyments nor lived upon shaddowes nor was fed with Childrens meate of Ordinances or busying themselves with the Principles of Religion but was men of full age who through the great mortification and selfe-denyall was brought to understand what was good and what was evill and would not take things for good because they seemed to be so Heb. 5. 13. And amongst such the Apostle could be understood when he spoke of the mystery of the Wisedome of God 1 Corinthians 2. 6. and these were of like spirit with him led out and beyond or above Ordinances Laws and inferiour Rules and aymed at nothing but the price of the high calling and the attaining to the Resurrection of the Dead and to him there was but one Rule to walke by and that was the Rule of the Crosse of Christ by which the world became Crucified to him and he to it and those that were perfect and aymed at perfection was to walke by the same Rule Phil. 3. 15. But now perfection is cryed downe and a man may almost as well speake blasphemy as speake of perfection and any rule or ordinance is highly esteemed buâ— the chiefe Ordinance and the rule and imitation of that Ordinance viz. the Crosse of Christ Nay the very appearance of this scareth all men in a Forme or out of a Forme For this rule of the Crosse is that which will try all hypocrites in the world for they are not able to abide it for it destroyeth all faire seeming holinesse and all worldly mindednesse and all pleasure prayse and reputation and therefore no marvaile if there be so few who dare take up that Crosse and walke by that Rule and that those who have closed with it should be the reproach of all men The Apostle himselfe was not a little troubled with Professors who was the very Enemies of the Crosse of Christ and with weeping Teares tould his beloved Hearers that sad story but if he were alive in these dayes he might have weeping enough for such Professors as are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose God is their belly who glory in that which should be their shame who minde earthly things Phil. 3. 17. And I make no doubt if the Apostle Paul and those to whom he spake the Mystery of the Wisedom of God unto were amongst us but that these Professors who pretend ordinances so much and yet in these ordinances the very Enemies of the Crosse would call them deluded men and carryed away by a false light But I hope the Author will know hereafter what it is to live under ordinances and what life that is that is led above ordinances But I am somewhat affraid that the Author is somewhat mistaken about the ordinances of God and that he taketh the ordinances of men for the ordinances of God but at present I will not stand upon defining every ordinance whether it be of God or Man but one onely and by that let him and all other judge the rest I doubt he takes the Priests of these times for Gods Ministers and so may call them an ordinance of God nay and amongst Fools they are accounted one of the chiefe ordinances and so they call themselves but if the Author thinks so he is mistaken and so are all other that take them so for they are none of the ordinances of God for he never sent them neither have they any Commission from him but they are an ordinance of men and by men were they sent out and of men have they learned their Ministery and of men they have their Commission and for gaine it is they seek and for prosit it is they Preach and runne as greedily after it as the hungry dog doth after his prey and if hire were but taken away from them all the world might see who ordained them and these have been the greatest enemies of the Crosse of Christ in all the world and by them hath the eyes of men been blinded from the true beholding of the Truth but let but the Free borne Sonns have patience a while and they shall see that brought to passe which all the Preaching Praying Consultations and Petitions of all the Priests in England shall not be able to turne away their feare is upon them already and their fall is not farre off for God hath born fourteen hundred yeares with them but his patience is well-nigh at a period their guilt beginneth to stir and their feare is such that they thinke every bush is a boggle this is truely apparant amongst them â—or the very name of these simple despised people called Quakers doth scare them and make them runne together as so many Wolves which is scared by the bark of a dog and all their Consultations is how to get these poore people destroyed for their heart tells them if these increase their Kingdom will be destroyed but of that no more at present The Author of that Discourse taketh it in high disdaine that these people should say they have a light in them equall to Scripture and that that light should be the holy Ghost and so need not Scripture because the same is fulfilled in them c. If this Author had but taken good notice of the Scripture he need not have slighted these sayings for in saying so they doe not vary from the truth of God declared in Scripture nor from the promise of Christ made out to those that are his followers as may plainely appeare in these sayings When the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth c. John 16. 13. and further his promise was that when he was departed He would send the Comforter even the spirit of truth which proceeded from the Father which should testifie of him John 15. 26. And moreover our Saviour saith againe When the Comforter which is the holy Ghost is come whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all truth and bring all things to your remembrance c. John 14. 26. I
the justice of God upon his soule in such a measute as hath made all his bones to quake let him not judge those who have been so dealt withall for before any soule be truely brought to live in the power of the life of God he shall undoubtedly passe through the justice of God in such a measure as shall make both his bones and all his faire prosession quake and though the Author have not knowne this by experience yet I marvaile that such a one as he who cryeth up Scripture so high as to make it no lesse then God himseife as shall be shewed afterwards should be so unacquainted with Gods dealing with some of his people in former time For sure if he had lived in those dayes he would have called Moses a Quaker and that his trembling proceeded from the Devill when the appearance of the Majesty of God in the terrible giving out of the Law was manifested to him Heb. 12. 21. And sure he would have said that Ezekiel was a Quaker and his trembling was of the Devill when he eate his bread with quaking Ezek. 12. 18. And of Daniel and those with him would he have said the same when the Majesty of God was manifested to to them Dan. 10. 7. And if this Author had been beside the Campe of the Israelites before the giving out of the Law he might have seen Quakers great store Exod. 19. 16. And if he had lived in Ezraes time he might have seen Quakers enough Ezra 9. 4. What would this Author have said if he had seen Habakkuk tremble at the appearance of the Majesty of God Hab. 3. 16. What doth this Author thinke of Mary James and Salome who trembled at the rising of Jesus Marke 16. 8. Or of David when his Flesh trembled for the feare of God Psal. 119. 120. And of Foelix who trembled at the words of Paul A s 24. 25. And of Job who trembled at Gods dealing with him Job 4. 14. 21. 6. And is not trembling an evident symptome of the soules undergoing the wrath of God for sinne as may be seen in Esay 51. 17. 22. Was not Ephraim exalted when he spake trembling Hos. 13. 1. What was Paul when he was converted to the Truth Acts 9. 6. From what spirit came the Jaylours trembling when he fell at the feet of the Apostles Is quaking such a strange thing and of such an evill nature when the Apostle commanded the People to worke out their Salvation with feare and trembling Phil. 2. 12. It were too tedious to rehearse all presidents in Scripture which is of like nature which beareth witnesse of the truth of quaking but this Author layeth not to heart what People the Scripture saith should arise in the last time such as should be false accusers and mockers at the workings of God But I would have this Author and all other of his Fellow Formalists to consider the Word of the Lord spoken by Esay in the 66. Chapter for there are you all Pictured out and spoken to And so are the poore despised People also whom you call Quakers I will not rehearse the words but wiâ—â— you and all other accusers and mockers to reade the same and the Lord give you the true understanding of it and I wish that that Author may be better informed in his judgement concerning the workings of God in his creatures and I wish him to Pray that his lyes and the evill thought of his heart may be pardoned Further this Author saith That these People are possessed with an aussere Devill because they take no more of the creatures then will serve necessity And in opposition to them he is speaking of a People called Raunters who exceedeth in these things but as for such I have nothing to say for what they doe cxcept God let such a People rise to be aâ— signes of the pride and rich deckings of the Harlot in those and by those who have a Forme of godlinesse and yet live not in the power of God But as for these whom he calleth Quakers my spirit is led out to justifie them in what they doe as concerning the bringing downe their pride of heart and mortifying the sences but such worke as this is not tollerable amongst Formalists who can have the liberty to feed their sences and uphold their pride and keep reputation amongst men and runne after profit as greedily as any in the world nay is not almost all knavery in the world masked with a Forme of Religion in these dayes Formes of Religion is the fashion of the times and now adayes Priests and witty men and Taylors is all hard put to it the one to invent the finest Forme and the other to invent new Fashion of Apparell for these Formalists to weare And when God is pleased to raise up a People of his owne accord to forsake the folly of these things and to cry out against the evill in these things O how doth the Harlot in the Formalist begin to stir her selfe and by all meanes possible seeke to scandalize or root out such people as would have her skirts turned over her Face that her nakednesse and naughtinesse might appeare But this is no strange thing to me for it hath alwayes been the fashion of the Sonns of the Bond-woman to persecute the Free-borne Sons and I make no doubt but if Christ and John Baptist were both in Person among us but that the one would be called a friend of the Publicans and the other that he had to doe with a Devill For wheresoever there is a Forme of godlinesse and the power awanting these people cannot chuse but be the enemies of God and the greatest opposers of his Worke when he Worketh or bringeth any thing to passe contrary to the order they have limited foâ— him The Author in his proceeding takes it for a strange delution that these People live above Ordinances and that they should have a light in them equall to Scripture and that that light should be the holy Ghost and that they need not Scripture to be taught by because the same is fulfilled in them and what they speake or write is equall to Scripture And then bringeth in a saying of Christs to admonish People to take heed of such light the which he applyeth as truely as quaking and trembling comes by the Devill the which is cleerely confuted before As to the first of these viz. That People should be led to live above Ordinances I would know of the Author what Ordinances he meaneth of whether the Ordinance of God or the Ordinances of men and I would have him to know what an Ordinance is and for what end Ordinances was ordained and I would have him to know a difference between an Ordinance of God and that which is but the Ordinance of men but I feare he cannot as yet see a difference between them and therefore maketh a humble jumble of both together But for the clearing of the same I would
hope the Author will not deny the truth of these Scriptures and if these promises be fulfilled in any man what need hath such of Scripture reaching without them when they have received the same spirit within them by which all true Scripture was written and how much is the words proceeding from that spirit inferiour to Scripture except the holy Ghost have changed its nature and be not what it was formerly for it is not time and persons that make mens words differ or not be in equallity to the word in Scripture but the spirit from whence they flow And doth not all ordinances point out or leade to that very end that God and Man should be united in one spirit that he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified may be one And if any soule be so made one with God who dare deny but all true Scripture is fulfilled in them and that such soules have no need of any to teach them because that anointing which they have received is able to teach them all things 1 Iohn 2. 27. But I say no more to that because the truth of what they say herein is so largely amplified in Scripture except it be to poore blind iddeots whose envy against others have shut their eyes from seeing and their hearts from understanding the Truth of Scripture The Author of that Discourse proceedeth still in questioning the light which is in these people and amongst the rest of his scandals east upon them would make people beleeve that these people deny the Scriptures the which is a most false aspersion for there is not a people in England that is more conformable to the very outward requiring of Scripture then these people and that light within them doth leade them and causeth them to act according to what the Scripture requireth in the practicall part thereof in their obedience to which their very outward practice doth condemne all men in the Land both religious and irreligious for they follow the words of our Saviour where he saith Take no thought for to morrow And having Food and Rayment therewith be content c. Mat. 6. 26. 27. And in mortifying their Sences and Members they follow the command of the Apostle to divers of the people he taught which Rule he followed himselfe 1 Cor. 9. 27. and yet this Author saith They are possessed with an austere Devill and denyes Scripture for so doing but let but a wise man judge whether those who pretend Scripture and talke of Scripture or those that practice Scripture deny it most for every one that cryeth up Scripture with their Tongue are not those that confesse Scripture but those are they that truely confesse it that in their practice is conformable to it for every one shall not enter into Heaven for talking of Scripture and making discourses of God out of Scripture nor that sayeth Lord Lord but they that doe the Will of the Father But it is no marvaile to me if these people be so cryed out against with all people for their very outward life is a Witnesse against all sorts both Formalists and others For there is no difference between the Formalists and men who are not conformed for both are alike for pride and sensuality and for the love of the world and for reputation amongst men all of them having hearts alike in the worship of the god of the World onely the Formalists differ from the other in their head by which they are carryed beyond the other into a faire seeming Forme in which they worship God according to their good-thinking but yet their Forme will admit their hearts to worship the gods of the Heathen I may speak it with sadnesse of heart seeing the truth hereof so clearely and cannot deny but all Formalists and unconformed are but hornes springing out of the same head of the Beast which John saw in his Revelation Further the light that is in these people is not at all contrary to what the Scripture holdeth out in the Mystery but the same being truely fulfilled in them they are made able to witnesse the truth in the Scripture and no other way can any soule be a true witnesse of the truth of Scripture but by having the same truely fulfilled in them for all other are but false witnesses and speaketh but of it from what they have heard or received from others and these people is made able by the light which is in them to witnesse the truth of the love of God made knowne to their soules and of other of Gods dealing with them and will not vary from Scripture but owne it and take it to witnesse the truth of what they doe declare to others And I am sure that many of the Priests in England can witnesse the truth of what I say if their malice would but let them for the time hath been and not long since that some of the Priests made tryall of them thinking to confute them and make them appeare as erronious but it proved the contrary way for not long had they dissoursed with them but the Priests was strucken dumbe before them and had not a word to say but was forced to fly like beaten Cockes in so much that the very vulgar people shouted at the beaten Priests and some did averre that they conceived that no fewer then an hundred soules was convinced of the truth at that time And yet these beaten Priests deviseth all wayes possible to root out these people but they are but like the people with whom Steven conversed who was not able to resist the spirit he spake from yet they stoned him to death Acts 7. â—7 c. The Author of that Discourse proceedeth about the exhaltation of Scripture and sayes whatsoever is essentiall to God the same is appropriated to Scripture the which saying if well considered is no lesse then blasphemy Whether was it God or the Scripture that Created the World and all other things Or whether was it Scripture or Christ that suffered for the sinne of man or whether is it Scripture or Christ that reconcileth God to man or whether is it Scripture or God that maketh the Winde blow where it listeth and the Raine to fall in its appointed season c. If that be true which he saith why is not every one sanctified and made holy that Heareth or Readeth Scripture Alas when men have no other light but the light of reason to beare witnesse to the truth of Scripture what soule mistakes doe they light on in medling with Scripture for as some being led by their wilde wandering wit make lesse of the Scripture then it is so this Author is carried by that light to make more of the Scripture then it is and to make good what he affirmeth he quoteth Gal. 3. 8. where the Apostle is speaking of things in the dayes of Abraham which was before any Scripture was Written and because the Apostle sayes The Scripture foreseeiâ—g such things therefore it is like God who fore-seeth