â—e saith For in the New Covenant Christ is come to fulfiâ—l those Forms and Figures that were in the Old and a for other Sects let them answer for themselves And where did ever the Apostâ—es tâ—at preached the New Covenant tell them that God wouâ—d beautifie some Forms with his presence to day and then he would with-draw himself out of them to morrow and leave them as Idols And R. R. doth advise That all Men walk as they see and have received from the Lord and none to look out at others Then we must not look at R. R. nor his Book nor his Teaching Again R. R. saith Not call any Man Father or Master of their Spirits but God only See that R. R practise what he saith And hath not R. R. Traditions and Forms of his own who cries so much against Forms see his prescriptions and advice in his Book And we have forsaken our Fathers and Mothers Traditions which we were brought up in and do obey God rather then Man And thou that â—akest such work about Siâ—gular and Plural and Hat and Swearing to Magistrates Is not this thy Fathers Traditions and old Customs And G F and we it was alwayes our Principle that all should follow the Light of Christ to be their Guide to Christ from whence it comes and this not as thou scoffingly sayst to leave the Guide and follow thee and this Light leads out of the Apostacy and doth not lead into Vsurpation as thou scoffingly savst it led first out the Church of Rome but it leads into Humility And G. F. is not offended as thou scoffingly sayest at him that makes Conscience or no Conscience of an Idol But G.F. cannot encourage any Consciences to an Idol but to the Light of Christ that turns from Idols to him in which the true Love Liberty and Unity is in the Light of Christ who reconciles to God and all things in Heaven and in Earth And R. R. speaks of Leaving each other to the guiding of the holy Spirit of God in that Form that they are brought up in Answ Then why doth R. R. cry out so much against Forms in the Quakers doth he not here condemn himself and Gods Spirit and Grace and Truth the Apostles preached and brought both Jews and Gentiles out of the old Forms they were in into the New Covenant where they were all taught of God And if R. R. had minded Love Mercy and Truth and brought forth Fruits of true Christianity in Humility Harmlesness and Meekness and the Spirit of Christ he would not have made so much strife about outward Traditions and there would not have been such a Noise as he hath made in his Book about his Brass and Tinklin Simballs and if thou wouldst cease thy Envy and Disputing Back-biting and Surmising and Slandring with thy Tongue if thou and others would learn thi Lesson at home it would do well And R. R. thou sayst With Innocent Harmless Tender Loving Spirit of Crace I commend thee and all men c. And yet didst not thou say before in pag. 33. That G. F. was turned to the Witch of his Mand and in pag. 37. saith that He hath exercised Cruelty against J P. and hunted him as Saul did David by Papers of an Evil Spirit which thou hast begotten and raised in others against him c. Answ R R. this Languaâ—e comes not from a Loving Sober Tender Spirit a the Râ—ader may see which thou often goest over to swell up thy book with thy bitter Railing Language which is the old Liquor that comes out of the old Bottle and not from the new And as for Exercising Cruelty Eâ—mity and Hunting as Saul did David by Papers and an Evil spirit all this R. R. might have applyed to his own Spirit which he thinks to beget in others against the Innocent but one day the Lord will Reward him and them that promote his Work according to their Deeds For the Lord knoweth our tender Care and Love was for the preserving of J. P. though all was slighted And thou sayest That G. F. Accused Threatned and Condâ—mned J. N. as one departed from Truth c. and that he had lost his Authority Answ J N. did confess it when that he came to see himself and Repented But Threatned and Condemning these are thy own aggravating Words For J N diâ— conâ—ess G. F's and others Tenderness to him when he saw himselâ— anâ— Repented And R. R. saith That G. F tempted J N. with fair Speeches and Premises if he would bow down and be obedient to him to which Threats and Promises J. N. heâ—â— siâ—â—nt c. G. F. thereby thinking he was cast under Subjection and head forth his Hand to J. N. to Kiss as a Testimony of his Favoâ—â—â—o him and his Obedience to thee and J. N. refusing then G F â—ffered him his Foot and said He was mistaken And R.R. appeals to G. F's own Conscience for the Truth of this who saith He received it from J. N's own Mouth when he went to Bristol to receive his Crucifixion Therefore R R. concludes That G. F. hath lost his Guide and is led by the Spirit of Diotrephos Answ In all this R. R. hath manifested himself to be of a malicious Spirit and a Forger of most of these Words For these are Lyes to say that G. F. did tempt with Promises or Threats or he thinking to have brought him under Subjection by it these Words are from R. R's Imaginary Spirit and not from Love And after J. N. had given G. F. many hard words wâ—en the poor maâ— was out and dark G. F. would have taken him by the Hand and J. N. would not and G. F. was many time moved to pray for him and oner on his Knees and J. N's Spirit was so stupified with Darkness that he slighted it as them that were with G.F. then can test fie and alter he had given G. F. many hard words J N. said He would Kiss G. F. But what if G. F. said it was his Fâ—oâ— as a Testimony against that lofty Spirit which â—oor man after he condemned And as for the Spirit of Diotrephos R. R might have kept at home And G. F. did not fall from his Guide because he did not follow J. N. nor J. P. nor R. R. as R. R. would have it be And why could not J. N. R. R. have told G. F. of these things while J. N. was living but R. R. tells it to the World so many Years after J.N. was dead and after J.N. had given forth a Paper of Condemnation of that Spirit that led him others forth but it s like such condemned stuss is Food for R. R. to rake up and to feed on and also to feed the Prejudiced People and the World withal but this is not the Spirit of Christ Jesus nor Love that R. R. talks so much of in Words and we could have wished that R. R. had condemned himself and his Work as J. N. did
G. F. is against Magistrates bearing the Sword nor the Government of Christ Jesus For Christ saith his Kingdom is not of this World if it were his Servants would fight And R. R. after he hath spoken in pag. 30. of the Magistrates Imposing Faith and Worship c. Then he saith Let G. F. consider whether the same Spirit of Imposing upon others hath not been evidently demonstrated in his Vnquiet and Vncharitable proceeding against his Brethren which is no better then the Beast where ever it be found though among the Quakers Answ R. R. why canst not thou speak without Reflection as for Uncharitableness thou hadst better have kept that at home for hadst thou been in the Love thou wouldst not impose upon us to believe J. H's false Articles against G. F. because thou believest them who believest a Lye which G. F. hath sufficiently cleared And in comparing G. F. and the Quakers like to the Magistrates imposing Fâ—ith upon People In this thou art out of Charity and thy comparison is too lite â—or G F. and we turn people to the Light of Câ—rist who is the Author of their Faith And though our Friends in Rhodâ— Island had the Government for many Years though they had many forts of Religions among them yet they did not impose Religions nor Faith upon any And so thou goes on and tellst a Story of the Pope and Lucifer c. and the true Faiâ—h and Worship of Christ c. and how the Apostacy sprang and from whence it sprang and of such whose Tallon are grown like Monsters and such as are supporters of false Prophets c. Answ But R. R. if thou sawest thy self with the Light of Christ and what Spirit thou art of it were better for thee and if thou seest thy own Tallon and what thou hast supported and where thou art And thou speaks of informing G. F. and others how far he owns the Civil Power in pag. 30. and 31. as in things only External and transferring Jurisdiction upon the Shoulders of Christ Jesus So also thou mayst Reflect from hence of thy deportment towards others c. Answ In this thou dost not reach nor hit the matter in thy Accusation For the Government of Christ and the Civil Power we know very well without thy Information and the Lord is to rule in the Conscience with his Light Grace and Spirit and it hath been our desire that all might obey the Lord and the Magistrates either Active or Passive And as for thy many other Reflections indeed they are not worth mentioning And in pag. 32. That which G. F. writ to J. P. which thou callst Reproaching did not he turn like a Dog to the Vomit and what was his End let them of Jamaica speak and what was his pretended Paper of Curses in keeping on his Hat in time of Prayer and afterward could put it off to Men as R. R. often speaks of in this Book And G. F's Words were not from the Spirit of Rabshekey neither are they written against G. F's own Life and Practice neither are they particular'd to himself neither is he fallen upon the point of his own Sword and so wounded that he can never recover Nay it s R. R. that would have it so but he is mistaken And thus saith R. R. hath the Bramble with the consent of the Trees made himself King over the Children of Pride Contention and Strife Nay this R. R. might have applyed at home for is there not Contention and Strife in thy own Breast and hath lodged there this many Years and now is come forth concerning so many persons after they were dead which thou hast published to the World and we knew J. P. very well and thee and would he and thee had known your own Spirits And thou sayest Where hath J. P. smitten at G. F. in all his writings and this he challenges G. F. to prove with all his Men of War c. Answ These are scoffing Expressions and let the Reader see in J. P's long paper read pag. 4. where I suffered T. R. to Taunt very sharply at him c. These are false Expression and where he goeth over and over how we told him of his Charges and Costs which was his own fault speaking that to others which we spoke privately to him and making comparison in abusive way of divers Ministers Expences at home and his Reflecting upon Friends for telling him of his Evening-Meetings that brought Persecution and Sufferings upon Friends that some turned their Backs of the Truth and making comparison with the Meetings kept at G. Roberts's And what are these words Perfideous-dealing Truce-breaking as in pag. 12. and 13. and G. F's Judgment Hasty and Rash and G. W's forwardness see a Catalogue of these things in pag. 13. Thy ill dealing with me a Catalogue of his bad Language might be gathered up though he scossingly saith I have proof of thy piety what they are Besides his Language in other Papers and all these things were false and not true for the Lord knoweth our Tenderness and G. F's towards him But all these things have been buried in Oblivion But R. R. this raises the Dead and not the Living And if J. P. and R. R. had been in that Love that can bear all things then why did you so complain and if J. P. had denyed himself and was of no Reputation his Letters nor thine do not shew it so and if he had waited for the Resurrection from the Dead his End would have manifested it and not gone into such loose Actions And as for thy speaking of that Shame and Reproach wherewith his Enemies did cover him if not from the Generation G. F. calls Friends and yet from others that must succeed him as David did Saul in the Kingdom Answ And if R. R. and his others do succeed J. P. take heed lest your end be like his and not like Davids but Sauls And as for Reproaches that R. R. might have kept at home the Lord knoweth we sought his good in Writing or Speaking to him and not to Reproach him And R. R. saith G. F. is now turned to the Witch of the Mind man 's own Wisdom c. which can certainly raise all man's fancies or fears to trouble him and then walk like him possessed among the Tombs and Ghosts of Darkness and converses with those evil Familiars Zims and Imms of the Desart c. Answ If R. R. hath not manifested a great deal of Enmity here in these Railing Expressions let the sober in Heart judge and whether he hath not banished the Spirit of Faith Love and Charity from him and his slandrous foul Mouth had better have kept these Lyes at home and applyed them to his own Spirit and to such as prâ—nted his Book for G. F. is clear of them And then R. R. makes a great Noise about J. P's Amity and Vnity and about the papers concerning his Hat and saith That J. P. sometimes pluckt off
his Hat in time of Prayer and at other times kept it on and this was his freedom pag. 33. Answ And in pag. 7. J P. saith The Lord required it on him to keep on his Hat in time of prayer and for him to do contrary to the Motion of the Spirit and thereby to Sin against his God So here R. R. and J. P. contradict one another And R. R. saith Even as his Light and freedom led him to shew that the thing was to him indifferent What R. R. a command of God and sin against God and yet a thing indifferent and father this upon the Light Oh father not such Imaginations of your own Brain upon the motion of the Light and Spirit of God! but dread and fear the living God And G. F. doth not by Subtilty and Craft endeavour to bless that which God hath cursed neither doth G. F. preach to the World that the Light is an uncertain thing But that R. R. might have kept at home Neither is G. F. an Enemy to the Leadings of the Light nor a Judge above it nor his Friends called Quakers the Lord knoweth this R. R. might have kept at home But R. R. saith Whether G. F. be clear from presecribing and imposing upon others what himself practices as his pretended Form c. this will be worth the pains to examine because it may tend to undeceive the minds of the simple Ones who are engaged to follow him as their Lord and Leader either for love of the Loaves or some Carnal Ends c. Answ Now let the sober Reader see whether this again be not the Spirit of Malice and Scoffing Expressions For it was never the practice of G. F. to direct People to follow him neither for Loaves nor Carnal ends but to follow Christ their Lord and Leader for such would soon fall off in the time of Sufferings and Tryals as follow for Carnal ends And as for Pastors spoiling Gods Heritage R. R. might have kept that at home with many more Reproachful words he hath in this pag. 33. And we and G. F. uncovering our Heads in time of Prayer in publick Assembies it hath been our practice in the Spirit and Power of God from the beginning before either J P. or R. R. came among us or the Ranters did oppose us and t was the practice of the Church in the Apostles day the Men to be uncovered and the Women covered And R. R. might as well find fault with the Apostle and call it his Set-Form and pretended Custom as ours For if it had been good for Males to have prayed covered the Spirit of God in the Apostle would not forbid it in which Spirit the worship of God is and if R. R. doth pray with his Head covered in an Assembly doth not he pray like a Woman covered and so Transgresses the Apostle's Doctrine and his Spirit And doth not the Apostle reprove such men as pray covered or would have the Women uncovered like the Men and so make no distinction in the Sexes And so G. F. preached the Apostles practice and in this he was no more an opposer then the Apostle So the Apostle nor G. F. were no opposers of the Faith first delivered to the Saints the wise in Heart can judge though the Ranters oppose it and thou and J. P. have kept Hats on in time or Prayer but R. R. can deceive none but such as himself and in this G. F. doth not judge his Innocent Brethren and we know that God doth not justifie you in keeping on your Hats in time of Prayer publick Assemblies no more then he did the Ranters And R. R. saith Why must Hat be kept on in common Civility and put Hat off in worshipping of God Answ And R. R. why must it be put off to Man and not to God in time of Prayer in which they shew forth the Image of God and why are men so offended if they have not that honour and is R. R. offended because he hath it not or the printers of his Book and if he be wiser men then he and they are not And all this that R. R. hath said concerning J. P of wearing Hat in time of Prayer and himself he hath not undeceived any neither will he please any that is sincere and sober except it be the Ranters and was there not a time that R. R. could not bow and is there now a time that he can put off Hat to Men and Women and bow and scrape hath R. R. in this followed the Light that convinced the Saints and him if ever he was and now come to be seared as with an hot Iron Let him examine whether that was the true Faith and Light the Apostles were in that led him from such things which now he is gone into again and if so whether hath he not made himself a Transgressor according to the Apostles Doctrine And R. R. Queries What is the Name Quaker which thou givest to thy self c. was this done that it might be known who thou ownests and who are thy men of War to fight under the Number of thy Name c. Answ Let all People see if R. R. and the Printer of this Book be not in the same Nature as the persecuting Independant Justices who Scoffingly called us Quakers in the Year 1650. because we did Tremble at the Word of God And as for Men of War and Fighters R. R. and J. P. might have applyed that at home with their Guns and Carnal Swords for we are men of Peace and the believing in the Light of Christ Jesus doth distinguish us from the Haters of the Light So its Malice in thee to say that either G. F. or we gave the Name Quaker to himself And R. R. saith What is thy form of Words in Thee and Thou but a customary Singular Speech another Node of speaking then is commonly used which no way respects the Truth of what is spoken c Answ Was it not the Language of God and the Language of Moses and the Prophets and the Language of Christ and the Apostles in the Declarations of Truth Plural and Singular And was not that the true form of words that they declared the Truth in and so acceptable and is it not Confusion to speak Plural when they should speak Singular contrary to the Bible and all teaching Books and didst not thou once speak it thy selâ— and what art thou now so far degenerated from it that thou fight st against us in and like the Spirit of the World and though the Disciples declared the Truth to every man in their own Language did they not declare it Singular and Plural Read the Acts. And R. R. saith What is the refusing to Swear after the manner as the Magistrates command while in the m an time you will call God to witness to what you affirm for Truth Is this any more then to oppose the Magistrates Form by your own c Answ Nay R. R. this