render it a perswasion of Sathan for us to follow it art not thou hee the Apostle speakes on 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. I answer that if James Naylor have any Scripture Rule that bindeth us to it I will observe it and confesse my errour in pleading against it But this Scripture hee bringeth hath nothing in it to this purpose but against it the words are these which hee citeth but in part least it touch himselfe to wit If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse hee is proud knowing nothing but doating about questions and striffes of words whereof cometh envy strife Raylings evill surmisings perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth supposing that gaine is godlinesse from such withdraw thy selfe Now I know nothing by my selfe but I doe consent to the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the doctrine which is according to godlinesse But is this doctrine according to godlinesse to binde us up to the word thee and thou because it was the ordinarie language of Christ and his Apostles when there is no such obligation in any of their words and yet they tould us all things that pertained to life and godlinesse and kept backe nothing but declared even the whole counsaile of God see Job 18.2 3. for the word you to a single person How long will it be ere you make an end of words mark and afterwards we will speak Wherefore are wee counted as beasts and reputed vile in your sight But if this were intended then wee must not varie in our prayers from the words of the Lords prayer or the prayers of the Apostles upon paine of damnation But carnall men make carnall interpretations such as Nicodemus did not knowing what it meant to be borne againe unlesse he should enter into his mothers wombe first Nor no more doth James Naylor what that doctrine is which is according to godlinesse and therefore maketh this carnall use of it which was never intended by the Holy Ghost and therefore it is hee that is doating about questions and striffe of words which produce no better fruits but as the Apostle relates and yet hee is puft up with pride and triumpheth as if hee had got a great conquest But doth James Naylor consent to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse why then doth hee make such a carnall interpretation which was never intended I say it was never intended let him proove it to the contrary if hee can let him proove any unwholsomnesse or ungodlinesse in using the word you to a single person from any Scripture ground else hee but doateth and befooleth poore simple people and bringeth them into a suare without a cause I referre the Reader to my booke for further satisfaction by reason Againe hee saith thou pleads for bowing unto men and putting off the hatt and sayes the Spirit of God teaches it wherein thou belyes the Spirit of God I answer a very heavie charge if it were true but the lyar is one of the Quakers who might have quaked to have writt this charge Considering I tould him this curtesie is included under that command to wit Bee yee courteous and tender-hearted towards all men And that it were easie to proove that bowing of the body was the customarie Reverence in old time But I rather asked them what courtesie at all they shew to any man upon any occasion And that taking off the hart is a proper Reverend duty to those whom wee honour and doe and ought to reverence is easie to proove And that wee are commanded to honour all men so that if wee know them to be dutyes either of love or honour wee are bound to use them Nay that if they be proper expressions either of love or honour and that wee have any spirit of love or honour in us it will naturally ingage us to use such expressions one to another if wee were not so commanded Now for bowing of the body this is cleare from examples and those unrepeald by the coming of Christ For as the Apostle adviseth women that professe the feare of God to follow the examples of Sarah and other holy women So I thinke I may from the same ground advise to follow the example of Jacob and other holy men my ground is from Now it is well knowne that before Jacob mett his brother Esau hee bowed himselfe to the ground seaven times untill hee came neare to his brother And so also did his wives and children and maids see Gen. 33.3 4 5 6 7. Now this bowing and calling him Lord was but to his brother and that prophane Esau and yet the Spirit of God ingaged him to this humble and courteous demeanour and to such humble appellations calling him My Lord. Now this being cordiall was no honour but such as cometh of God Nor doe I seeke either honour from James Naylor nor any other neither care I for it And therefore I said that by my consent they shall never be perswaded to use them at all till their cordiall love and respects ingage them sincerely to it I onely pleaded for the lawfulnesse and engagement that lay upon us to use it for it is not proper for them till the spirit of love and honour be in them for they should but deceive us as so I said in my booke And for courteous and honourable and respective appellations see Luke the 1.3 to Theophilus most excellent Theophilus and Paul to Aprippa Oh King Agrippa and to Festus though hee thought him to be mad Most Noble Festus see Acts 26.19.25 This was not like that spirit in the Quakers by which they were guided And for putting off the hatt when wee expresse any courtesie or honour or Reverence either to God or men it is clearely Required of men by the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 11.7 For saith he a man ought not to cover his head for as much as hee is the Image and glorie of God That is to say hee ought not to cover the Majestie of God which appeareth in his face but unvaile his countenance which is much in shew upon any occation according to the temper of the heart and minde whether it be tempered with love or anger love maketh the countenance amiable and chearfull and an honourable Respect is much seene in the humble feare of the countenance And so is anger and scorne on the other part for the temper of a mans spirit will appeare in the forehead and eyes and can scarce be dissembled And therefore if there be any love or Respect and honour in the heart it will naturally ingage us to uncover it neither need wee be ashamed of it for such affections are Reall fruits of the Spirit of God which ought not to be vailed but discovered and exprest according to the truth and sinceritie thereof they being lovely in themselves and much inducive to the
should blame him for producing that Scripture Rom. 10.8 11. That I bring not one Scripture that saith the letter is the word 12. That I set my selfe in the stead of Christ These last five are in pag. 2. 13. Hee calleth mee an exalted wretch 14. That I confound my selfe in what I would disproove the truth these pag. 3. 15. That hee denyed but that the Scriptures given by Inspiration of God are words of God 16. That the Jewes had all the Scripture in their hand or in their braine and yet had not the word 17. That I deny the letter it selfe and the letter denyes mee 18. That I bring those Scriptures Rom. 7. to wit the Law is spirituall and Prov. 3.1 to oppose the new Covenant and the Law in the heart these pag. 4. 19. That all the Scriptures I bring turne against mee and for the truth 20. That I steale Scripture words out of Scripture to plead for pride and vaine-glory and creature worships and an Idoll Ministrie contrary to Scripture set up in will and inventions of men in my booke these pag. 5. 21. That of the words of God there is a famine and greatest amongst such as trade with the letter 22. That I increase in mischiefe and know not the plant of Gods renowne how it growes nor what the increase of God is 23. That they know what it is to grow in Christ and that Christ is in them these pag. 7. 24. That I bring Scriptures to proove the light of Christ Insufficient pag. 8. 25. That mine eye was so much abroad to discover errours in James Naylor till I could not see mine owne 26. That I have drunke deeply of the Cup full of abominations and errours from the mother of confusions 27. That the meanes I am pleading for is come through so many severall hands till it have lost both life and power these pag. 9. 28. That I love mine iniquities and am pleading for them pride Imperfection and fulse worships pag. 10. 29. That I am hee who turnes the Scriptures as a nose of wax to plead for such things as the Scripture condemnes 30. That as a meanes to turne people to that light within James Naylor is 31. That I am one of those people that are of no understanding therefore hee that made mee will have no mercy on mee 32. That I have got the Serpents subtiltie to thrust in my words to abuse the Scriptures pag. 11. 33. That I shall one day know that I have blasphemed against the spirit and gift of God pag. 12. 34. That now wee have got a little peace wee are turning backe to Rome 35. That wee pleade against the Spirit pag. 13. 36. That I am hee who am leading forth from the kingdome of God within 37. That the Ranters are my brethren all of one kingdome in the flesh and the lusts thereof pag. 14. 38. That by reviling the workes of Righteousnesse and teachings of the Spirit and spirituall light I have made it odious for any man to follow as the Devill himselfe 39. That my third thing is for my maintenance and for my Ministers 40. That I put in the poore with the Ministers that I might seeme charitable like as Judas did pag. 15. 41. That I have sett a stint for Ministers maintenance and for the poore though before I denyed it pag. 16. 42. That accounting such spirituall fathers who have not begotten us is to account of a lye and that I teach them to it pag. 20. 43. That my booke hath a heape of confusion in it fitt for the fire 44. That I preferre the Devills pride and the worlds fashions before the example of Christ and his Apostles 45. That such as I preferre the words of pride before the words of Christ 46. That I belye the Spirit of God for the Spirit of God forbids bowing unto men and putting off the hatt 47. That wee seeke honour of men and grudge if wee have it not 48. That the demeanour of Christ and his Saints is become a Reproach and not manners and courtesie to give us content 49. That wee are seeking for that honour which God is laying in the dust 50. That there is much more such stuffe in my booke not worth reading nor answering which rises out of the corruption of mine owne heart and busie minde and that Ishmaell-like my hand is against every man and eyes abroad but cannot see mine owne folly but am boasting of it pag. 27. 51. That wee have found out so many words in our inventions and so many lights and all without us that wee are become heart-blinde 52. That the Lord God and the Lambe will they worship for ever FINIS
Christ yea or no see Gala 1.8 And if hee doth not repent his Judgement is passed already by the spirit of truth who cannot lye And then againe hee beginneth to charge mee for pleading for Reverent gestures to worship God in as well as in spirit The which I confesse I did For page 27. I asked where it is said in Scripture that God is not to be worshipped with reverend gestures of the body as well as in spirit and truth To which hee answereth And whereas thou art pleading for reverend gestures to worship God in as well as in spirit I say in at that doore came your Altars your bowings your surplices and conformities wherein the teachers of this Nation was leading back to Rome the mother of these witchcrafts if God had not stopt the way by his hand And now have you got a little peace and thither are you turning againe even in bloody persecuting against all who witnesse against you who testifies against these false wayes c. To which I answer that for ought I know there is no man enforced to worship either with Reverend gestures or without nor any man persecuted or troubled for any such things by any of the powers of this Nation And therefore this is a lye and a slander against those in Authoritie as is well knowne I need not proove it But I onely asked whether the Scripture forbid Reverend gestures of the body as well as in spirit and truth To which he doth not answer properly but sheweth his dislike thereof and that they testifie against such false wayes and gestures set up by the man of sinne In which he clearely condemneth the practice of Christ himselfe Luk. 22.41 And of Poter Act. 9.40 And of Paul Chap. 20.36 Chap. 21.5 Eph. 3.14 And of Daniell Dan. 6.11 And of Solomon 1 Kings 8.54 and 2 Chron. 6.13 And that as unlawfull and the pleading for the lawfullnesse of it an opening of a doore to Altars and bowings Surplices and conformities c. and a making way for an unparalelld persecution and a hasting on to destruction which he sees saith he to be the end of our Reverend gestures And saith he will not the gestures of the Saints serve your worship that which lookes so much out neglects that within so you plead against the Spirit Oh prophane and ungodly spirits It is not enough with them to slander the Magistrates and all that are in authoritie but they will slander the footsteps of the Lords anoynted even the Lord Jesus himselfe and all his anoynted ones from the beginning of the world who have all practised such Reverend gestures in their worshipping of God And then he saith will not the gestures of the Saints serve your worship Oh damnable hypocrisie are they Saints that reproach the practise and footsteps of the Lords anoynted see Psal 89.51 see whose enemies they are And doe they not therein Reproach the footsteps and wayes and gestures of all the Saints that ever lived on the earth And yet they will call themselves Saints as so alwayes did the Popes and Papists that were Devills incarnate and as absolute enemies to the Saints of God and so by consequence to the Lord himselfe as any in the world But for all his scornes it is the practise of the Saints that will serve our worships and all the Saints gestures that were Saints indeed wee cordially approve and account it lawfull to follow their stepps as occasion requires But as for the gestures of Saint James Naylor nor these his doctrines and slanders they will not serve our worships to approve or practise because the Spirit of truth and holines Ingageth us otherwise wee are naturally ingaged by the Spirit of God out of Reverend Respect to his glorious Majestie to serve him with Reverence and godly feare knowing that hee that is our God is a consuming fire see Heb 12.28 29. But if hee that privily slandereth his neighbour shall be cut off see Psal 101.5 Of how much sorer punishment shall hee be counted worthy that slandereth and Reproacheth even the sonne of God and his Reverend gestures in his prayers unto God Can this be any lesse then cleare despite unto the spirit of grace see Heb 10.29 It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God see verse 31. It is no strange thing to mee to reade his scornes and reproaches and slanders and censures that in all his bookes hee houldeth forth and fumeth out most bitterly and maliciously against others or my selfe considering his fullnesse of venome and malice cannot be kept in but must burst forth like filthy vomit against the Lord of glory as in this appeares I shall not therefore much care nor take any great notice what hee saith by mee but shall as breifly as possible answer his maine points and referre the Reader to the bookes themselves for Resolution where the wickednesse lyeth for I desire no more but that they reade them both and then let them Judge Againe Pag. 15. hee falleth to worke about the Ministers which is the third maine head saying Thy third thing is for thy maintenance and for thy Ministerie I answer as for my maintenance there is not one word in all my booke as the Reader may see and that hee maketh lyes his Refuge when hee hath nothing to answer that is like the truth And as for Ministers maintenance and for the poore I have pleaded it and prooved it also and that from divers grounds and arguments from Scripture yea and Gospell foundations such as James Naylor never heard before nor have they been published before that I know off either by word or writing as I said in my Epistle the which hee calleth boasting but doth not nor cannot make it appeare to the contrary in the least neither can hee contradict the truth thereof nor blame them justly by any Rationall or spirituall argument though hee reciteth many of them as though hee intended a confutation but in the end cometh off with a faile perverting both my words and meaning that hee might finde breadth for a Reproofe which are but poore shifts for so eminent a Quaker For saith hee and that thou may get something or make a shew for this Religious worke thou art about and that thou may seeme to be a charitable man as Judas did thou putst in the poore with them but seeing there is as much difference betwixt them and the poore as betwixt Masters and beggers I shall therefore set the poore by themselves concerning whom I say be as liberall to them as thou wilt I answer that for my ends in this hee must not be Judge But for what cause hee should set apart the poore by themselves who were ever joyned together by the Lord himselfe when tithes were commanded they to have part as see And whom God hath joyned together I dare not seperate neither did the Apostles in the primitive times but what was given was distributed to all as
like Returnes of Reciprocall Communication of love and honour where it is sincere For the looking forth of the spirit of love through the eyes and face is as an invitation to the same spirit if it be in another to looke forth also and salute each other beeing not two but one and the same spirit though in two persons by operation in both their spirits to shew its onenesse and make them so likewise if they doe apply yea that they may be one as God is one for nothing but love can make two one as God is one and there is no spirit of love but one and that is God I meane of love that is true and lawfull Now this spirit of love is the same spirit in us which was in the Patriarkes before the Law was given forth and did ingage them to such humble honourable and amiable affections and to such expressions as are naturall to it And if we have any little measure of the same spirit it will ingage us also to doe the like if wee doe not resist it and wee are forbid to resist the spirit Now it sometimes ingageth those in whom it dwells to lift up their eyes or their hands towards heaven and sometimes both according as it ingageth the heart and affections the which if wee resist wee resist the spirit And it is easily discernable through the eyes whether such their motions come from the heart or they are but fained especially by such who are also acquainted with such ejaculations of their owne hearts and of their eyes and hands as they are affected And I doe beleeve that many of the Quakers have resisted the spirit and quenched it also before they could get their hearts to comply with such uncourteous carriage as not to put off their hatts and bow their bodies and use the word you to such whom they formerly had been so accustomed So that now they are growne to such hardnesse of heart and searednesse of spirit that nothing can be seene in them of naturall affection but more like bruite beasts made to be taken and to be destroyed see 2 Tim. 3.3 2 Pet. 2.12 as was prophesied of them in these last dayes And whereas hee telleth mee that I belye the spirit of God for saith he the spirit of God forbids it James 2. even that which setts up pride and respects persons I answer so doe I also forbid pride and respect of persons in that sense there meant and in many other and I can love and honour the poore that are virtuous more then the rich that are either wicked or not so virtuous nor would I debase or depresse the poore because he is poore to exalt the rich in partiall respect But I must honour all men and give them due respect and shall I hope as I know what it is but to shew no respect to any at all as so the Quakers doe is to shew plainly that I have not any love or Respect in mee And againe saith hee Christ himselfe saith How can you beleeve that Receive honour one of another John 5.44 And if they could not beleeve that received honour how much lesse can you beleeve that seeke it and grudge if you have it not I answer let them that seeke it or Receive it either that which cometh but from men answer for themselves I seeke it not nor receive it neither but that which cometh of God onely if I know it from the other Now that which cometh of God is really cordiall and I must receive it and Returne the like as so I am naturally ingaged by the love and honour which is of God in my owne soule nor doe I dissemble any more then they Now there is a common love and a common respect and customarie honour to which I am bound by that command to wit honour all men but there is a nearer and more particular love and honour and courtesie which will induce mee to a fuller expression both in word and deed and I am so ingaged by the same spirit and in all this there is no partiallitie or respect of persons but as I ought to doe And so his comparison of mee to Haman and Saul I have good ground to deny And againe saith hee not having any Scripture to plead for these things thou wouldst plead for them under the pretence of love and being courteous and tender-hearted I say saith he silence deceite you have sett up these things till you have lost all love but what is selfish c. I answer I did produce diverse Scriptures but they are none it seemes with him is there no Scripture that commandeth love and to be courteous and tender-hearted What spirit is this but a lying Devill that proceedeth on upon this lying foundation to rayling and reviling and prophesying the destruction of all our fading glorie because wee maintaine the lawfullnesse of these customarie Civilities but because his bookes are so full of lyes I doe not much regard either his rayling or prophesying but to cleare up the truth which the Lord assisting mee I have in some measure done and doe commit the same to his blessing and disposall to whom be all the honour and glorie and praise for ever and ever Amen Amen The End A Postscript to fill up a sheet that wanted being a Catalogue of some of James Naylors lyes gathered out of his booke in five or six houres time to let the Reader see hee is none of those children that will not lye but when hee can no otherwise shift off the dint of a Scripture or argument hee maketh lyes his Refuge and under vanitie would hide himselfe if such coverings were not too narrow but that hee could wrapp himselfe How faine would hee appeare to be all in sheepes cloathing though Inwardly hee is ravening and Woolffish A Catalogue of some of James Naylors lyes 1. HEE saith my booke is much boasted off by the Author but as little worth as the boast is great 2. Hee saith it was my envie that carried me with such envie against the Innocent till I spake I knew not what 3. Hee saith hee hath set downe some markes and maintenance of the true Ministers and also of the false their fruits differing them according to Christs Rules in Scripture with diverse other things to keepe the simple from deceit 4. Hee saith it is by a friend to the worke of God but an enemy to the Devills worke where it is found and pleaded for called by the world James Naylor These foure lyes are in his Title page and are answered pag. 1 2 3. 5. Hee saith I have boasted much of my worke 6. That I have forgot that teaching to let other men praise mee and not my owne mouth 7. That I have prooved nothing against James Naylor but against my selfe These three are in his first page 8. That I have writ against the light of Christ being sufficient 9. That I would binde them to creature-worships and Nationall customes 10. That I