from one root and father proud man exalted I know Christ is but one and his light is one in Jew and Gentile the same as to himself in the state of nature that 't is in the state of grace onely in the first 't is natural in the last 't is spiritual and so it s one in the Original but double in the birth Answ Further Thou who art querying of a difference between the light of natural conscience and grace prove such a light by Scripture of natural conscience or else thou must be plunged Repl. Consult that place Rom. 2. 14 15. Rom. 1. 21 22. when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts c. and because when they knew God they did not glorifie him as God and knowing the judgement of God c. here 's a doing of the things of the Law by nature and the witnessing of the conscience as a light either for or against them and may not this be called a natural light a light of natural conscience being a light onely in Gentiles or natural men here I have proved what thou biddest me prove yet thou in darknesse and nature hast sinned away thy light and reason and so canst not see the light of Scripture in all this I do not seek to divide the light but to give every discovery its due place and to stir up men to wait for the hearing and learning of the father Quest 11. What is meant by the Saints judging the world Answ The Scripture means as it speaks but thy dark minde wants clearing when thou knowest a Saints life and him come who is the Judge then thou shalt see the Prince of the Judged and all his subjects condemned Repl. This answer is like thy self savouring of malice and darknesse both and loth thou art to discover and shew a reason of thy faith and hope in this matter of the Saints judging the world when thou knowest him whom thou speakest of then will thy judgement fall upon the Prince thou speakest of and all his subjects not so much upon the Saints of God and the truths of God Quest 12. Whether your cursing condemning all that come not under your light savour not of pride and a spirit of Antichrist seeing Antichrist is said to be one who exalts himself and Christ sayes we must not judge that we be not judged and Paul bids us speak evil of no man Answ This query thou hast made up of lying and false accusations 't is not your practice Repl. How dar'st thou before the face of God and man thus deny thy practice so read thy Papers Sermons carriage is there any greater pride than to be proud of our Gifts Visions Revelations High worth condemning all for Whores Sorcerers Reprobates Beasts Hirelings Dreamers Heathens prating against all sorts of Christians with malicious words casting them out of the Church and Kingdom of God forbidding to receive any as brethren but men of your own model form and way is not this judging and condemning another Where is thy light thy conscience what all asleep and gone to deny thy constant practice But this is not cursing Ans In Scripture language cursing evil speaking are all one Exo. 22. 28. thou shalt not revilâ— the Gods nor curse the ruler of thy people which Paul renders by evil speaking Acts 23. 4 5. revilest thou Gods High-Priest then Paul answered I wist not brethren that he was the High-Priest for it is written Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people whether or no thou and thy party be not deeply guilty of this I leave to all to judge I say guilty of evil speaking and evil and false accusing condemning all instead of speaking evil of none as if all light and truth were bound up in your spirits who wallow in all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse which springs up in the man of sin who exalts himself above all that is called God and vvorshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God here thou seest Antichrist is very devout he 's in the Temple and he 's there as God behold thy figure in this letter and read it in thine own practice and spirit and see whether this savour not of pride and evil speaking Quest 13. What is the reverence and subjection we owe to Magistrates and all higher powers and whether your carriage towards the present Magistrates be not unmannerly and uncivil seeing Paul said we ought not to speak evil of rulers and Jude calls those filthy Dreamers that despise Dominion and speak evil of dignities and bring railing accusations against them Answ The reverence and subjection we owe to Magistrates and all higher powers is that every Soul is to yield unto the power of God and where the Magistrates Soul is subject unto that power there the sword is not born in vain but is a terrour to evil doers and a praise unto them that do well and to that power our Souls are subject and do reverence to such Magistrates who God has honoured with that power yet doth not our reverence stand in respect of persons Repl. As every Magistrate is cloathed with the power of God and is in that power a form or figure of God therefore called Gods so every one is to yield unto that power though the man that be cloathed with it be good or bad yet the power is of God in anger or love unto a people and so the power must still be owned though the man that has it may be evil and wicked the power is of God still I gave them a King in mine anger though in mine anger yet he 's a King and I gave him and by me Kings reign and Princes rule yea Nobles and all the Judges of the earth and the most high ruleth in the Kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will though an Hypocrite reign for the sins of the people yet his power is of God and the Saints alwayes have yielded unto the power though not to the wickednesse in him that had it as the three Children called Nebuchadnezzar King be it known unto thee O King they yielded to the power though not to the golden image even so Christ yielded to the power of wicked Pilate knowest thou not sayes he that I have power to crucifie thee and power to release thee and Jesus answered thou couldest have no power at all against me unlesse it were given thee from above I know thou hast power and that 't is given thee from above and Paul sayes there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordered or ordained of God Rom. 13. 1. and so to the powers must men be subject either in doing or suffering the will of God by them though the power be in Nero a cruel bloudy wicked man yet 't is
God are made and live That soul that is awakened and risen with Christ to live in the light of the inner world or new Creature and to slide from thence forth unto the darke world in the works of righteousnesse and true holiness is the soul that brings his Talent out of the earth it to improve Quest Who are they that hide their Talents in the earth to their condemnation Answ Men that sin away the light and Spirit or promise of the Father made out in their Spirits and consciences by the noble wisdome of God woing and importuning them within in the Center of their souls to turne unto the Lord and so love darkness rather then light to their owne condemnation or rather men who love to live below in flesh and sin and this creation or world rather than above with the Father and the Son making out love and truth and grace in their Spirits to bring them reconciled to God these are they who hide their Talents in the earth to their condemnation Quest Where is it and by what that God speakes unto man Answ God speakes unto man within there he stands in the gate of the soul and by many invitations woings operations which are as so many Angels or messengers of love and life he entreats men to come in and be saved as it is written Looke unto me and be ye saved for I am a God and there is none else This inward speaking of God is backed likewise with outward speakings from the heavens and earth and things that are made from the Scriptures which are a firme testimony and witnesse of the mind of God to man sometimes from Mercies sometimes from judgements sometimes from the words or mind of God put into other mens moneths All which varietie of witnesses declare the one will and mind of the Father which he is pleased more immediately to declare within by his owne voyce Quest What is that which unto the gentiles is manifest shewing unto them what of God may be knowne Answ It is the truth of the Deity or the eternall power and God-head which teaches them by the things that are made to owne and glorifie a Creator and so the unthankefull and stubborne are left without excuse Rom. 1. 20. 21. Quest. What is its operation in all from the rising of the Sun to the going downe thereof Answ The light and truth of the Deity which is manifested to and shewed in every man from the things that are made teaches every man to owne a God and to worship him and so to abstaine from evill and do good which operation being choaked and abused by most hence these wallow in the mire of sin and wickednes and superstitious vanities being given up thereunto by the Lord as a just punishment for their loving darkenes rather than the light of God Quest What is the flaming sword which turnes every way to keepe the tree of life Answ It may be the Administration of the Law within which as a light or flame shewes every man his sin and shame and so as with a sword cuts him off every way in the midst of his best actions performances and obedience from entring into life by his owne power Or the fierceness in the anger of God which turnes every way to keep every uncleance person and thing from entering into the Paradise of God to eat of the tree of life till it be washed and cleansed from its filthines as 't is written Rev. 21. 22. there shall in no wise enter into the holy City any thing that is unclean c. Quest What is the City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt Answ All the unregenerate world which are as Sodom and Egypt full of sin and wickednesse or the Antichristian formal Church which strouts it out with a shew of wisdome learning letter and History as if it were a well built City or a true Church of God but within is Wolvish Envious Dogged full of blood cruelty and persecution against Christ and every appearance of Christ in his saints This is the great City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where our Lord was crucified And in her is found the bloud of Prophets and of Saints and of all that are ssain upon the earth In brief Egypt and Sodom are the kingdome of flesh and darknesse where Christ and the true Church are presecuted and crucified in Spirit Quest What is the language of Egypt Answ Egypt speakes nothing but bondage and warre to the people of God Egypt cannot endure that an holy Church should grow up in his dominions he will murder Abell or the innocent still Egypt is all for himself to manitaine himself in greatnesse and pompe and dominion in the world to rule and be a great potent Lord in the flesh If hee preach or pray or read or hear or appear sometimes as a seeming holy man yet all is ayming at his name greatnesse and credit in the world His heart cannot cleave to and love the Son of God He must persecute and devour the poor and needy in the earth This is the language of Egypt or that which Egypt declares Quest What is the cry of the wildernesse and what is the language of the wildernesse and whether thou wert ever in the wildernesse yea or nay Answ The wildernesse unto some is a state of confusion sin and death where God is not at all remembred minded or known The wildernesse unto others is such a state wherein the soul is awakened by the voice of Christ within to remember and mind the Lord and in the midst of all its confusions to cry and long and wait for his revealing coming manifesting And in this wildernesse I have been and here I have cryed been payned and the Lord hath heard my supplication and delivered me from my feares and brought me out into a wealthy place or into a condition of love joy rest and fullnesse in himself Further the wildernesse unto others is a condition of temptation which the Lord sometimes leades his people into to try and refine them and to make his might and power known in their preservation deliverance salvation Unto others yet the wildernesse is a condition of solitarines and retiredness of spirit where the soul is carried away from the fashions and practises of the world as likewise above the tumults rage and violence of the world sweetly to solace herself in her beloved and to walke in his way which is a way of peace light and holines The cry of the soul in this state of lonenesse is all for God and the will of God it s risen as it were out of the world and gone away from all other company to enjoy a fuller sight of the Lords beauty and to have a more exact communion with his Majestie And this is a wildernesse a gracious heart delights much to be in Quest What is the language of Canaan Answ In Canaan is heard the voice of peace love and meekenesse
God in his Saints breathing nothing but bloud persecution and blasphemy against the Tabernacle of God and them that dwell in Heaven And so the false and formal Church and Christian are the great vvhore who denies the Lord to be her husband and being married to her own fleshly reason and wisdom she wholly bends the same against every beloved appearance of God by persecution and blasphemy This is the woman upon the Scarlet coloured beast full of names of blasphemy Quest Whether any come to the opening and fulfilling of Scripture and to see those things which Iohn saw but onely those who have the same spirit which Iohn and the holy men of God had yea or nay And whether he be Christ that hath not the same spirit yea or nay Answ As all Scripture was given by inspiration so onely truely understood and known by inspiration The Letter may be understood by the help of tongues and sciences of study and learning and other mens interpretations so far as these are lights to open the Letter but the spirit and truth of Scripture cannot be seen and known but by the breathings and operations of the same spirit which the holy man of God had And this is the Key of the Lord which hath opened the Scriptures in some measure unto me and through this power of the spirit of the Lord I have seen the Scriptures in some measure fulfilled And this is the power I wait upon to make good and fulfill all that is written within and without he that hath not this spirit to rule over him in love light and life is no true Christian no true Christ or anointed one of God Quest Whether as well he that payes Tythes as he that takes Tythes be not Antichrist holding up the first priest-hood which took Tythe by a Law and denying Christ the unchangeable Priest who put an end to Tythe to the first priest-hood and to the Law Answ If any take Tythes as a Priest of the Tribe of Levi in a way of holding up shadows and figures and carnall ordinances in room of the substance and truth of these and lookes more to his own gain than the things of Iesus Christ this man is an Antichrist that denies Christs coming in the flesh and is a thief and robber that comes not in by the door into the sheepfold but some other way But if a man take Tythes as a Tribute and portion of the earth which the Lord hath reserved and given to him to nourish himself and his family and the Church of God for a Minister must be Hospitable if a man take Tythes though it be for preaching and his waiting upon the Ministery of the Gospel to declare what he hath seen and heard of God aiming onely at the advancement of the Kingdome of Christ in the hearts of the people and take onely for his livelihood in the flesh this man is no Antichrist that denies Christs coming in the flesh for the Gospel holds clearly forth a maintenance and double honour due to the preachers of it And if but a tenth of old were to be given for the nourishing of them that hold forth the shadow surely not a tenth onely but much more ought to be given for the nourishing of them that hold forth the substance And whereas it may be said that Ministers preach up themselves and shadows still not Christ the Lord and themselves the peoples servants for Christs sake and many thrust themselves into the office of the Ministery for a piece of bread and take unto themselves this honour before they are called of God for filthy lucres sake I answer those that are found in this posture I know there is a sad viall of wrath to be poured out upon them as for mine own part I finde all sorts of people rayling on me and speaking all manner of evil of me and though the pretence be Tythes and other grievous things that their hearts have imagined yet the truth is 't is not my Tythes nor infirmities so much as my light and freedom and enlargement that makes my being an eye-sore unto the world For my taking of Tythes I know it is with so much moderation and respect unto all mens conditions with whom I deal that no wise man or honest man can ever say I dealt harshly or unbeseeming a Christian with him in this busines of Tythes But thou takest Tythes Answer Wel I do and for the present I finde the Lord giving me this maintenance as an incouragement from himself and so long as I finde it made clean or sanctified to my use and my spirit not defiled nor divided from God by it and God maintaining my liberty of conscience to serve him in my generation and place so long I shall be free to take it with thankfullnesse well knowing that nothing is unclean of it self but to him who esteemeth any thing to be unclean to him it is uncleaness The scornfull QUAKERS railing Reply refuted Tho Lawson I Have read thy papers and in them art thou seen to be full of lying railing accusing condemning according to the spirit of thy Father who was a Murderer and a lyar from the beginning The truth thou canst not own in another no more than the Jews could in Christ The pride and hautines of thine heart hath deceived thee through hopes to Lord it in thy dark forme where thy folly is manifest to all I call it thy dark form where God is veiled crucified dead and neither scripture nor light within is made any more than a Ladder to helpe thee up into Gods throne and here Lucifer-like thou must needs be in Heaven and there thou seest all the wayes and works that are done under the Sun and here thou canst call all but thine own party flesh Devils Sorcerers and damnest all that wear not thy mark and form and from thy presence they must go into the lake that burns with fire and brim-stone among the Drunkards and Whoremongers Dogs and Murderers and Idolaters and Ranters and Atheists and whosoever loves and makes a lye This is the language that flowes from thy proud pen See read consider thy papers let the light that is in thee be judge and the light that is in all men And yet like the Harlot thou criest out aloud such an one is an Whore I am none The Priest rails scoffes jeers but my tongue is a wonderfull stranger to all this Thus a dark Whorish heart knows no shame Michael durst not bring railing accusation against the Devil but said The Lord rebuke thee He durst not rail against the very Devil knowing that as he is a creature he hath his life and being in God but as hé lives in himself in his own will and pride so he becomes a Devil But this truth thou knowest not through thy darknesse and so art found railing and that not at the Devil onely but men who are made after the similitude of God and yet it may be the Lord
judged out of thine own mouth to speak contrary unto thy own light And though thou wouldest infer from the Apostles words 2 Pet. 1. 19. That there is a light which shines in the creature before Christ come yet that light thou art faine to acknowledge doth proceed from the Son and lead unto him so that Christ is still the Fountain and first cause of light and by the light of Christ within we come to see and know that the Scriptures are the sure Word of God and so we are led into the pure Religion according to what is written in the Scriptures of truth and the end of this Scripture is again to turn us unto Christ who is the spirit and truth of the Scriptures and so Christ is still the first and last in all the discoveries we have of God he is all the light we have by night and day and though the Scriptures are a precious light yet all the light that is in them is but borrowed from the Son and if we see them not know them not in his light and through his light they may shine long enough before the day will break in our hearts but when Christ leads us into the meaning of Scriptures and brings us to live in the power and truth of them which is himself then by degrees it becomes day with us and this day still leads us into the pure Religion according to what is written within and without and when we wander in the least is as a voice behinde us saying this is the way walke in it this is the old way And this voice of Christ alone hath such power in it both to begin and perfect us in Religion that without it all we do is not well done and so is but the sacrifice of the wicked which is an abomination And so to sum up this know 1. That ye cannot know the meaning of the Scriptures without Christ 2. Ye cannot live the life of the Scriptures without Christ lead ye into it 3. Ye cannot be in the pure Religion without Christ first work it and bring it into being and light in the heart 4. Ye cannot be in the volume of the book in a clear reading of what is written much lesse in the life and body of the book which is Christ the substance without Christ himself manifested in you And so thou who seemest to be Religious learn to bridle thine own tongue otherwise thou doest but deceive thine own heart and all thy Religion is vaine and learn to know thine own light who in thine answer to my ten queries about the light that is in heathens and the light that is peculiar to the Saints of God sayest that the light of Christ is the only guide to them that follow it and besides it there is no guide to Jew or Gentile And so if this light of Christ be the onely guide surely it must be the onely guide into all pure Religion and so the first principle of that which is pure And thou who criest out O shame art judged out of thine own mouth to be shamelesse impudent in scoffing at the first principle of pure Religion to be the Son of God dwelling in us Repl. In mine answer to thy second Question thou deniest the Fathers work and will to be the yoke of Christ and tellest me That I who am a stranger to the first principle of pure Religion from me is the yoke of Christ and the burden of Christ hid and so I am coming about the thing in words but the thing it self is hid from me c. Answ The Pharisees were full of questions and in their fastings disfiguring their faces sad countenances outside holines great abstinence vain repetitions striving and contending against every thing but what themselves did or spake were a fit figure of this questioning generation Thou dark Pharisee thou lookest so much upon thy questions thou canst not look at all upon the answer If thou speak of the Person of Christ the Mediator which thou deniest his work was to glorify his Father on earth to finish the work which he gave him to do If thou speak of Christ the manifestation of the Father in his Children his work is there likewise to do the will of his Father by subjecting the creature to the yoke or will of God that God may be glorified so that the Fathers work and will is Christs yoke which he was contented to be subject unto And this is the Christians yoke that Christ teaches the soul wherein he lives to put his neck under and be subject unto And so the yoke of Christ what was it and what is it but to be subject to his Fathers will Not to be his own but his Fathers I came not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me But what was the work of God which Christ had to do Answer It lay in two things 1. To bear our griefs and carry our sorrows to be smitten wounded and grieved for our iniquities to bear our sin and all the sorrow grief and Hell due unto us for them 2. His work was likewise to make reconciliation and peace manifest unto the World and to work mens hearts into a belief of what he hath done and wrought for them to bring about their deliverance and salvation Wert thou rightly acquainted with this work and the meeknesse and lowlinesse of the person who wrought it thou wouldst soon see this to be a great yoke and taske to come under and do But this is History and to shew thy self wise this is trampled under thy feet and of no account with thee and so thou deniest the Lord that bought thee and in thy dark fancie leapest into the mystery and sayest I see not that which turns the creature into the work and will of God Here thou art upon the light within and thâ—s thou art still dreaming of though thou know not what it is nor whence it comes for this would never move thee to slight the letter the History the bloud of Christ without but would bring thee into a rejoycing in all the Fathers work and will which the Son lived in Repl. Further thou sayest The yoke of Christ is where the work and wil of the Devil is lived in for Christ is the true light Answ And so say I too The work and will of God ought to be lived in by that man who wrests his neck from the yoke and scorns to be subject unto God as his father And thus the light tells me it is with thee thou livest in the nature which spurns off the yoke living in pride and high conceit of thine own worth in haughtinesse envy and strife and this makes thee fancy thy self to be a Christ and God and so instead of judging thy self and confessing thine own vilenesse and nothingnesse thou must speak evil of thy brother and condemne all besides thy self Nay God and Christ and Scripture and light within must all concurre
bee drowned in thee before thine entrance into Canaan or else thou must look to fall either in the wildernesse with the murmurers or to be drowned in the Sea with the Egyptians Repl. Further thou art telling me I am imagining what the beast is which John saw was like unto a Leopard saying that I have read of the Leopard that is an exceeding wild beast which cannot be tamed very cunning and crafty in tatching of his prey and furious and raging c. Answ For fear thou mightest finde this beast in thy self here thou art stopping and raging thus in thy wonted fury like a mad Pharisee that scorns to learn thou beginnest to teach and say Repl. Who in the light which never changes dwells which comes from God these see the beast where he is and what he is and all his spots discern Answ Here thou hast spoken truth though thou understand it not so as to apply it unto thy self which if thou didst great large spots of the beast would discover themselves in thee but being in the darknesse of thy Fathers minde thou canst not read thy self and therefore art thou seeking to discern the beast abroad in me and sayest in me is his denne And here thou thankest God thou art not as other men are stand by thy self I am holier than thou And so thou comest with much delight to see the beast in me and eatest and drinkest and gluttest thy self with a sight of the beast in me and nothing but the beast canst thou here see in his Denne thus art thou glorying over anothers spots and infirmities which thou thy self makest in thy fancy and then art glad to see in thy brother the beast is too cunning for thee he lies hid within thee and laughes to see thee his vassall and slave I say no more than what thou hast made manifest the beast in thee is in his Denne Thy pride and scoffing and railing against all others are spots and plain markes of the beast in thy fleshly heart dwelling for werâ— thou in the light and overcome by it that would make thee poor in thine own eyes and to condemne thy self in those things which thou condemnest in another and would teach thee to own a God and Christ above thy self This light of the Lord ruling in thee would have kept thee in the fear of the Lord and taught thee to own the Crosse and sufferings of Christ as the price of thy redemption which thou like a vile wretch tramplest under thy feet This light would have taught thee to bewail thine own infirmities and have kept thee low in thine own eyes and have made thee own trembling indeed which thou doest in the letter and flesh but not in truth and spirit and so art given over to strong delusions to believe a lye Repl. Thou tellest me I am covetous Answ I am so indeed by nature but I see the world loves me not it flies away and the Lord teacheth me to be crucified to it and to presse towards himself as my riches fulnesse and highest treasure Repl. Thou tellest me further That which hath led me from the light hath led me from the Lord and the same hath let the world into mine heart where the Sea is flowing even the salt Sea thence the beast ariseth with seven heads Answ The light in which I live hath led me to see the light and in the light I see the Lord and he hath ravished mine heart and caught me up to himself as to mine exceeding joy and though the world were so confounded and divided as to leave me alone yet I am not alone the father is my friend and the son is my companion And I can return unto my Father and Saviour living with me who alwayes takes me in when the world casts me out And this quickens me to live more above where all my treasure is and lesse below or in the creature where I finde confusion and tribulation As for the flowing of the salt Sea whence the beast arises with seven heads this I have seen according to my measure dried up and the beast with seven heads withering for want of his native heat and moisture in me And friend I beseech thee read the meaning of this at home in thy self read the bitternesse in thy self the evil eye that envies because God is good the folly and haughtinesse of thine own heart Here is the salt Sea in which thou art drowned though thou see it not and out of this Sea comes that Monster with seven heads which destroyes some with flatteries others with violence and rage aiming at his own Kingdom and greatnesse whoever perish with him this beast lies covered under all thine Hypocrisie and thou seest him not Further thou sayest Repl. I arm my self with all the wisdom and subtlety of the beast against the truth and with many Horns am I pushing at the Lamb. Answ This I have done in the dayes of mine unbelief when I consulted with flesh and bloud But since the day of the Lord hath begun to dawn in my spirit truth hath been my companion I have ventured all for her and laid my self open to the violence of all sorts of men for the truths sake And that I have suffered no more than I have considering the malice of carnal men and formal men this I look upon as a notable passage of wisdom and providence in God Further know that this truth in me which hath in some measure acquainted me with the will and nature of God my Saviour this teacheth me to plead against the errours and evils and blasphemies and idols of all not against any truth I see in my meanest brethren Neither am I with my Horns pushing against the Lamb no the Lamb is my well-beloved he shall lye all night betwixt my breasts he is my fair one when he withdraws my Soul faints when he appears my Soul lives and is exceeding merry This is he whom I can own in all the Sons of God even in those who cannot own the Lamb in me In all this he is my witnesse though thou know it not But thou sayest Repl. In me is the earth set who am drove from God Gen. 3. 23 24. And upon the earth is the Leopards Denne and foure-footed beasts and creeping things Answ When I was in the earth that indeed drove me from God but God hath lifted me up into Heaven in some manifestation of light and grace and here he keeps me in his own fellowship and presence above the earth and so I can leave the Leopards Denne full of wilde beasts and filthy things for the inhabitans of the earth And friend if thine eye were open thou mightest see how sadly thou art driven out from God and what a fool thou art in all thy professing thy self to be wise and how this hath made thee change the truth of God into alye and led thee away to worship thy self and thine empty companions who are poor creatures more than
part till that which is perfect is come 1 Cor. 13. 9 10. and what is that but the excellent way and spirit of love charity which he speaks of all along in that Chapter which is called perfect love 1 Joh. 4. 12. when this rules the heart then that which is perfect is come that is that is come which do's more perfect us in the sight of man and our experiences then all our Prophesies tongues and knowledge which we had before which are all to vanish away 1 Cor. 13. 8 10. and so charity is the most excellent way this weans us from our childishnesse peevishnesse and frowardnesse one towards another and declares us to be much in the state of our man-hood perfection in loving one another as Christ speaks Joh. 13. 34 35. Nay charity do's to the world more witnesse our perfection than our faith and hope 1 Cor. 13. 13. now remains these 3. sayes the Apostle faith hope and charity and the greatest of these is charity Nay in this we may see the very face of God and therefore it s a seeing face to face 1 Cor. 13. 12. this is the Apostles scope in that Chapter to set charity up in the top of all as that which to us and men does more witnesse our perfection than any other grace and yet before the Lord 't is not our charity but our faith justifies and so upon another account as faith gives a taste of love and grace in God towards us and so begets this charity in us or causes it to send forth the smell therefore in our conversations so faith is the foundation of grace as being the root of all our charity and therefore where charity do's not spring and grow there 's no faith but where faith is there charity springs up therefore faith works by love but now when all is done and charity is called the most excellent way and that which is perfect yet this charity is still growing and increasing it self in the Saints till the whole body and eve-very Member there of be together with the head Christ in the glory of the Father Eph. 4. 14 15 16. Col. 2. 19. and so Saints must still be adding to brotherly kindnesse charity and above all things put on charity let this grow and abound in ye more and more this charity reaches farther than the brother-hood not to one party but to all even to a blessing and praying for our very enemies and whether this sweet flower grow up and flourish in thy generation let thine own conscience and let the light in all be judge Answ Further Prophesie must cease Repl. So must faith to when we come to see him as he is and yet in this life knowledge Prophesie faith and hope must in no case be despised Answ Further when he 's come who finishes transgression puts an end to sin makes reconciliation for iniquity brings in everlasting righteousnesse and anoints the most holy Dan. 9. 24. The same seals up the Vision and Prophesie and is the end of Vision and Prophesie Repl. He even he to the praise of the glory of his grace who has conquered the power of the Dragon for me put an end to his reign in me made reconciliation for mine iniquities brought his everlasting righteousnesse to be my cloathing anointed and set up the most holy in me he is the end of the Prophesie or Vision of these things to me and through his appearing in me according to my anointing with his spirit the Vision of him which I had by Prophesie is sealed up and yet I am not to despise Prophesie or further teaching upon the account of the spirit and Gospel 1 Thess 5. 19 20. As if I had presently all faith and knowledge and charity which is the dream of some to whom I commend these Scriptures 1 Cor. 14. 22. Ephes 4. 12 13. Hebr. 10. 25 26. Answ Further Paul wrote to some who knew perfectly 1 Thess 5. 1. Repl. What did they know perfectly but that the day of the Lord so comes as a Thief in the night What day the day when those who sleep in Jesus God will bring with him and those who are alive and remain untill that notable day of the Lords coming shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall be ever with the Lord this is a day they had no need to be instructed in for they knew it perfectly or were fully perswaded of it in their own spirits read the former chapter the beginning of this together and thou who despisest the letter or truth of this day shalt know one day though thou know it not now the terrour of the Lord against the world on that day Answ Further a growing in knowledge that we owne and an encreasing for to this end were the ministers of Christ sent forth to convince of sin and that such as were convinced might grow till they came to be perfect men Eph. 4. 8 to 13. Repl. Here thou seemest to yield unto the truth but still thine own heart deceives thee with the fond imagination of a perfect man though Paul plainly speaks of a growing afterward in this Chapter even after the new man is born or the perfect nature of a man-childe is come and else where he confesses he has not already attained but is still pressing towards it Psal 3. 12. to 16. Where is then thy proportion in knowledge Had the Saints of God at Ephesus that were in Christ Jesus Ephes 1. 1. need of a further spirit of wisdom and revelation that the eyes of their understanding being opened they might have a clearer sight and sense of the hope of their calling and of their riches and of the exceeding greatnesse of Gods power to them who did believe already art thou so full that thou hast no need of a spirit of prayer to be poured out unto the Lord for an encrease of these things in thy self Did David cry out Lord teach me give me understanding open mine eyes and the Church Cant. 1. 7. Tell me O thou whom my Soulloves where thou feedest and hast thou no need of the Lords counsell and teaching Why hast Satan filled thine heart with fully Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God in saying the night is all gone and this knowledge is full Answ Further Paul in the time of his warfare cried out of a body of sin and of a Thorn in the flesh this was the time of his warfare when he witnessed no peace to the earth but a sword then who shall deliver me sayes he Repl. I know thou canst not chuse but see that Paul speaks in that 7. to the Rom. of a warfare within in his own spirit with Satan and flesh within not of a warfare without with Satan and flesh in the world so doest thou cover the truth which Paul there witnesses he cryes out I am carnall I do that which I
Crosse both within and without is the same as he was hated persecuted crucified so are we according as 't is given unto us from our heavenly father as he was dead to his own will and alive to his fathers so are we according as we have power and life from the father given to us in all these and the like there is a similitude between Christ and his Church they are of his bone and flesh one every way so far as he and his father are pleased to lead them forth into it and this was that which Christ prayed for Joh. 17. 21. 22. and Paul spake of Rom. 8. 29. and desired to live in Phil. 3. 8. to 15. and this Iohn witnessed when he said as he is so are we in this world behold your likenesse friends all ye the Lords portion and challenge as much as ye will or can in this matter so as it flow from light and truth accompanied with humility and the fear of the Lord and ye cannot anger the Lord his spirit nor his son but withall be not high proud lofty there is a dissimilitude to as well as a likenesse between Christ and his Church First He 's the father of all God over all the fulnesse of the God-head dwells in him bodily This is no where said of the Saints though they partake of the nature of God and of the fulnesse of God according as their being can receive yet they are not the father they are not the God-head neither in fullnesse nor part no friends away with such blasphemies this is a Babylonian that sayes I am and there 's none else besides me a false Prophet that cries out I am Christ an Antichrist that sits in the Temple of God as God away with this conceit we are creatures still poor nothings drops of the bucket compared to the incomprehensible Majesty Further Christ was anointed with the Oyl of gladnesse above his fellows above measure but we are anointed in measure according to the gift of Christ we have no more than we receive by the grace of God I am what I am Further Christ knows our thoughts afar off and is acquainted with all our wayes there is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knowest it altogether Christ knew from the beginning who should betray him and he saw the thoughts and carnal reasonings of the carnal dark world but what do's poor man know though the Quaker is bolder then all his fore-fathers he knows a man as soon as ever he sees him and whether he be a Saint or a Devil though the man discover not himself by word or action yet the Quaker knows him and all that he may be as Christ is and yet the Apostle sayes what man knows the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him 1 Cor. 2. 11. and the Apostles knew not the Traitor but they were low then and so art thou friend in this thy dream for Christ sayes ye shall know them by their fruit and ye shall know my Disciples by their love so that our knowledge of others is by observation fruits and appearances of things in the outward man or by special revelation and discovery from God otherwise all other mens spirits are in the dark to us we have not a vision of their hearts afar off we know them not before they are born we know not the way of God in their spirits till it be written upon their fore-heads and so are not as Christ is in this respect Further Christ â—lwayes spake the truth was alwayes free from errour never in the least errour nor in the least deceived where 's the man besides that can challenge this unto himself who can understand his errours though so far as we are lighted by the Candle of the Lord so far we are led out of errour and all delusions but he 's the original truth and we receive from him as he is manifested so we have the truth no farther for he 's the truth lo still a difference which should teach us all to be humble meek and low Further Christ created all things all things were made by him and without him was nothing made that was made and Christ preserves all things by him all things consist and he upholds all by the word of his power where 's the man that can appropriate this power unto himself hast thou an arm like God canst thou make a new body or quicken an image with a Soul and make life appear canst thou retain the spirit of man or beast when the Lord commands it away I know there are that will attempt miracles and wonders but all vanishes still nothing is for ever but what the Lord do's let this teach us to fear before him knowing that 't is he who made us and not we our selves we are his off-spring and by him we have life and motion and all things Further Yet Christ was the onely begotten son of God the first-born his son by nature begotten by his power and brought forth by a Virgin but we are the sons of God by grace if we speak of the Saints nature do's not make us sons but the new birth the regeneration without which there 's no entring into the Kingdom of God Further Christ he 's the husband we the spouse and though the husband and wife be one yet the head of the woman is the man I speak of Christ and his Church he 's the man the root the head still and he 's the King we the subjects he the vine we the branches he 's the Lord and Master we the servants he 's the fountain we the streams he 's the father we the sons he 's all in all we are nothing in all this I hope I do not lessen the glory of Christ the Lord nor of his Church his Saints neither do I sad the Souls of any but such as are lifted up to forget their Saviour therefore come away friends glory as much as you will and can in your greatnesse and glory there is a likenesse between Christ and Saints that they be filled with joy and rest and abundance of consolation yet withall there 's an unlikenesse to Christ is infinitely more above us all than all the men in the world above the lowest creature therefore away away with somethingnesse self-glorying this is enough for the world to be proud and high-minded but let all the Lords people be content to lose their lives themselves their excellencies gifts Crowns throw all down at the feet of the Lambe saying thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created and thou high big flesh that sayest thou art as Christ in this present world without the least darknesse the least sin when thou knowest not the ground why he was and could not but be without sin and no man so as he whilest in this house of clay he was
Here 's no judging murmuring complaining dividing persecuting murdering These are the wayes of Egypt and Babell In Canaan there is rest from all the works of Egypt and darknesse Here 's unity in the midst of variety Here all are looking into the onenesse into the pure image and nature of the Father and this light keeps harmony and agreement between all the sons of Canaan And so in Canaan there 's joy melody singing Halleluja's Here the world is not mentioned flesh and bloud is not at all remembred with delight the former things are passed away and all is become new God alone is made mention of to be Lord and King and set up upon the Throne for ever Quest What is the vail which divides between the holy and most holy Answ It 's the flesh of Christ and all outward dispensations which divide and keep Saints whilest in weaknesse and bondage though holy in some measure from entring into the most holy into the substance truth it self or into the choisest glory of the father This vail of flesh in Christ was rent when he suffered death or was crucified in the flesh Through which death or rending of the vail of flesh he entred himself and made way also for us to enter into glory Hebâ— 10. 19. 20. Having therefore boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh And when this vail of flesh of letter and shadows and outward dispensations is rent and crucified by the eternall spirit in the true Christian then he the Christian enters into the holiest into the glory and joy of his Father Quest What is the death which over all men is passed and how camest thou to live Answ It 's first the breaking of the body or this earthly Tabernacle which comes upon all without exception for sin Rom. 5. 12. Secondly it's the dying unto Paradise and the Kingdom of God which man hath drawn upon himself by his lusting after and eating of the fruit of the four elements By this lusting and eating he becomes infected poysoned in his minde and will with the fruit of the Sun and Stars And this is the taking and eating of the Tree of temptation and his leaving the Tree of life and the heavenly fruit And thus he becomes an earthly man and dead Death stickes in his minde and soul and man is dead to all feeding upon God and the Son of God who is the Tree of life Man can no more feed upon the fruit which grows upon this Tree of life which is Christ till Christ awake and arise in the center of his soul and carry him through all the Trees of temptation or the pleasures pompe and glory of the outward world into the inward or holy pure element of this spirituall body and pure nature and there awaken him to eat of the Tree of life and live for ever And this is the way whereby I and all the Sons of God come to passe from the spirituall death into the spirituall life in the pure nature of Jesus Christ Quest What is deaths reign from Adam to Moses And to Moses how didst thou come Answ From Adam to Moses there was no law written without all the law was within upon the conscience here was the rule or law which God gave the worlds to walk by Now the world acting against this light and law within kept sin in the world from Adam to Moses for till the law viz. given out by Moses sin was in the world Rom. 5. 13. Now sin alwayes brings men under the reign of death and so death reigned over all from Adam to Moses All had a law given within otherwise they could have had no sin for where there is no law there is no transgression Now mens breaking of this inward law was their sin and this their sin brought them all under the power and reign of death And thus it is still though there had been no Moses to write Gods commands in outward tables or Scripture yet the law being written within upon the conscience by the finger of God we sinning against this law do plunge our selves into the reign of death wrath and condemnation we kindle the Root of the fire and that being awakened makes our Hell or self-comdemnation within because we have sinned against our light Now by this light and law within we come to know Moses and that all the law she hath written are holy just and good because we finde the same within that he hath written without and nothing without but what is in spirit and power within Quest. Who are they which sin not after the similitude of Adams transgression which till Moses death reigned over Answ They are infants in years according to some who although they sin not actually after the manner of Adam yet they have sin and death written in their nature according to the weaknesse of this creation Or they are infants in knowledge who although they have not such full discoveries of the minde of God and such strength to stand as Adam had and so their sin be not so great as Adam which is to sin after his similitude yet they have a plain law within as before which bids them not act or eat that which the Lord forbids They living contrary unto this law fall into sin and death And in this childish condition are we all sound till the Lord quicken and save us Quest Art thou called immediately by the great God of Heaven and earth into the Ministery yea or nay Answ That Ministery I act in I have the anointing of the Spirit which doth sufficiently warrant my call But as for those who are called through Arts and Sciences and mens ordinations without this anointing I know they are the Pillars of Antichrist which I cannot own for the Apostles of Christ My calling teacheth me to renounce my fleshly wisdom and to live upon the grace and love of God commending that manifestation of the truth that is in me to every mans conscience in the sight of Christ Quest Hast thou seen Gods face yea or nay Answ To see the invisible God with carnal eyes I never did nor shall for no man hath heard his voice nor seen his shape but with the enlightned minde I have in some measure seen his face nay his heart in the precious revelations and discoveries of his Son towards me in love which Son is the face and heart and brightnesse of God opened in love wherein he shews and speaks forth plainly his exceeding kindnesse and goodnesse to all his Children This face of God I have thus seen which is more to me than a thousand vvorlds Quest Hast thou heard Gods voice immediately from Heaven and earth yea or nay Answ I have heard his voice as I have seen his face viz. inwardly spiritually which voice of his hath fetched me out of the grave of darknesse sin
of men But friend look into the Scriptures and be ashamed of thine ignorance in this matter was all this no suffering of Christ no part of his Crosse Doth not Peter tell us Christ suffered for us in the flesh 1 Pet. 4. 1. and was there not a real thing done by it And therefore the Scriptures say once he appeared in the end of the world to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself once he appeared And in another place the way into the holiest is by the bloud of Jesus not by our bloud as if we were our own Saviours but by the bloud of Jesus And Christ laid down his life a ransome for many And we are redeemed not with Gold and Silver but with the precious bloud of the Son of God Why cannot all this Doctrine be remembred as well as thou and thee Is not this that Crosse of Christ which is foolishnesse to them that perish and a stumbling block to the wise Jews And did not the Apostle preach through this Crosse reconciliation to the world and forgivenesse of sins to all that believe Rom. 3. 24 25. Eph. 1. 7. 1 Joh. 10 7. Heb. 9. 22. to the end 10. 10. Do not all these places speak of Christs crucifying and sufferings in which crosse lies the foundation of our comfort and salvation And must all this stand onely for a figure and cypher Is thine heart so lifted up to despise what Christ hath done and suffered for thee Surely then thou hast no lot nor portion in this matter But all this is historie and hath wrought in me thou sayest we dying and suffering in the flesh and so I am still a stranger to the crosse of Christ But friend before thou judge another judge thy self and lay thy foundation low otherwise thy building will fall Lay it in the bloud of Christ otherwise there 's no remission no salvation Then descend into thine own heart and see how Christ hath layen bleeding under his crosse how thou hast made him to serve with thine iniquities and whether this have touched thine heart to bleed with him to suffer and die with him in thy flesh 1 Pet. 4. 1. And consider now if thy pride live thou thy self and thy will live then Christ is still under his crosse to thee and thou canst not bear witnesse unto his crosse but if thou even thou thy self art dead and crucified with Christ then thou knowest his crosse and art conformable to him in death and then thy sin and flesh will die and thy painted holinesse thy blameless life thy strictnesse righteousnesse and all thine observations will die and wither too in justification as it was with Paul Phil. 3 7 8. And so thou wilt glory in nothing but Christ and what he acts for thee and works in thee who was dead but now is alive for evermore and so thou wilt empty thy self of thy self thou wilt be nothing base and vile in thine own eyes humble meek and lowly But this thou art a stranger unto and see the root of thy sins remaines within in the pride of thine heart and this makes thee binde heavy burdens upon others but if they want thine helpe thou wilt not touch it with one of thy fingers they must look for nothing but Pharaohs cruelty and chiding As for mine own part I look for nothing from man my help is in the name of the Lord and my share in the crosse and death of Christ and in his resurrection I look for no help from man who is a lyar And this lyar in thee tels thee I am an enemy unto the crosse of Christ live in the flesh dead to the life of God But to thee I say so long as mine own heart condemnes me not I can see mine enemy is slain my will crucified and I am quickened to passe more and more into the life of God A sense of this within upon my spirit makes void all the accusations and condemnations of the world Repl. But thou tellest me I minde earthly things my God is my belly I have got the Tythes of two Parishes to maintain me in pride fulnesse Answ Though the old man minde the earthly with thee yet Christ in me minds the heavenly and he teacheth me to make the Father of all my comforts not my belly my God Further know my Tythe of two Parishes is not so much of mine own getting as thy Pigge and Duck and maintenance thou gettest from silly women in their husbands absence for saying an old tale â—ver that thou hadst said fourty times over before If thou wilt know where this was ask thy conscience and that will tell thee As for that providence that feeds me and thee thou knowest it not and so art angry at all which God gives unto thy fellow-servant Repl. Further thou sayest I reproach such who run not into the same excesse of riot with me Answ As for excesse in evil the grace of my God teacheth me to abhorre it and so I cannot chuse but reproach such with it who run into it but if I see men modest sober and scrupleing outward things as Tythes or the like out of meer conscience such I cannot but own and love especially if I see them free from pride and glorying in what they do which is the spoil of all Repl. But thou seest destruction to be mine end thou sayest and an Antichrist I am and all Tythe-mongers Answ Yet surely with God there is mercy and I shall look to him not man to be saved Further thou knowest he is an Antichrist who exalts himself and denies the Father and the Son this is Scripture not he who takes Tythes or denies Tythes that 's not Scripture And so though thou denie Tythes yet thou art still an Antichrist who exaltest thy self not the Father and the Son Therefore look to it that destruction and condemnation be not thy portion for ever Repl. Further thou sayest though I have glorious words of Christ yet I know not the Crosse of Christ being alive in the flesh not crucified not dead to sin for where the dying is that nature is limited c. Answ Here thou makest a vain repetition of Words and like the Pharisee thou canst acknowledge no truth in another for this would spoil the sale of thy perfect form Hadst thou read mine answer with understanding thou mightest have learned in it that the Crosse of Christ must be passed under by every truely anointed Christian as well as by Christ the head And so we must suffer in our flesh as he did in his flesh and when we thus suffer the man of sin is crucified and limitted This thou mightest have seen in mine answer hadst thou eyes to see but the pride and fulnesse of thy fleshly heart hath closed them up As for my dying and suffering in flesh and sin I desire the just God not unjust man to be the Judge he knows what sin is and the dying is but the heart of man is
against me Repl. Oh thou hard-hearted one how darest thou utter these things and not be pricked in thy heart who livest in the old and the new not known Is thy conscience seared with an hot iron Thou art he who calls evil good so the woe is upon thee Isa 5. 20. Answ Behold thou despiser and wonder and perish thou who deniest the Lord that bought thee and so art ordained for condemnation and learn if thou canst what this means I will have mercy saith the Lord and not sacrifice Salvation shall be of grace not of works lest man should boast David shall be a man after mine own heart notwithstandinding all his blemishes and errours which I see him bewailing I 'le accept of the will for the deed where I finde the will real and true And thou furious evil mind know that old things are passed away and all things become new there in Gods estimation where new and old are fighting one against another no sooner is this fight begun but the Soul presently begins to taste of Canaan or rest because it findes the house of David waxing stronger and strongerâ— and the house of Saul weaker and weaker and so the elder stoops to the younger Esau to Jacob flesh to spirit and though it rage furiously yet its head is broken its strength decaying and its spirit goes out more and more And here I am wrestling with the beast and false Prophet with all the powers of darknesse and Hell and so my conscience is not seared though I say old things are passed away and all things become new If thou look into thine own heart with a single eye thou wilt finde old things enough there to manifest thou art not yet at full rest in Canaan where thou must meet Gyants mighty enemies to fight with which will be as goads and pricks in thy side to keep thee humble sober and watchfull all thy life long and yet if thou wert in the good land thou wouldest have rest though not in fulnesse here And so this tedious war in Canaan is no bringing up an evil report of the good land because there the people of God have more with them than against them and so are more than Conquerours in the Lord which gives them some rest and peace and joy in the midst of all their warres and so cause of singing and triumphing in the God of their salvation All this I know is a riddle to thy fancie of perfection in thy self and actings and so the passing away of the old life and the springing up of the new is not truely known of thee Repl. Thou sayest I am ghessing what the veyl is between the holy and the holiest and tellest me neither in the holy nor the holiest am I found for who own the light that comes from Christ into the holy it leads them and in the holy who are that is bridled which leads into sin which in me is at liberty as thou sayest as my fruits and the fruits of my Ministery make it manifest Answ What I declared about the veyl thou neither understandest I see or art able to gain-say and therefore after thy wonted manner I finde thee scoffing But to thee I say the revelation of the Son in me by the Father hath led me into the holy place where I finde the Lord perfecting strength in weaknesse and sweetly delighting in me and in his own works wrought in me by himself in the midst of all mine infirmities And here I finde a dispensation of light and power from the new man which bridles the old and so Satan bound by a stronger than he that he is not at liberty in me as before though thou strongly take his part And as concerning my Ministery taxed by thee know that Paul may endeavour but it is God who gives the increase All that I can do is to commend the truth and grace of God to every mans conscience and he that hath an ear to hear let him hear And that my Ministery hath awakened some and shewed them their wounds and shame it matters not whether thou believe or not and that it hath been a faithfull witnesse against the many delusions and traditions of men it matters not whether thou believe or not and that it hath been a light to some that since are turned Atheists Quakers c. it matters not whether thou believe or not Onely this concerns thee and others that through your lying railing reviling and condemning one who loves you all dearly in the Lord by this as much as in you lies you have sought to make void my Ministery and to make it an offence to those who are setled upon their lees therefore woe unto thee from whom the offence comes Repl. But the light thou sayest which comes from Christs guides into the holy shews the veyl and in the patience rents it and lets into the holiest whither the High-priest alone enters even Jesus Christ and one High-priest over the house of God we witnesse in our measures come who put an end to Tythes c. Answ Your murmuring impatience and want of meeknesse and love to the weak ones of Christ is a strong witnesse that the light that is in you is turned into utter darknesse even darknesse that may be felt Hence your folly and nakednesse is seen of all and judged of all even those who have the least light appearing in them Further if the light have truely shined in you led you into the holy place rent the veyl and led you into the holiest whither the fore-runner is for us entred What mean ye then like other earthlings to be thus exalting and admiring one another seeking honour one of another though ye deny it to the world But your drift is fame you would be in the Heavens in the Holiest nay above all that is called God and Worshipped and this ye are led into by the light within and all must believe it not at all question it upon pain of being accursed by you But stay friends Hope indeed enters within the veil Heb. 6. 17. and this hope keeps the Soul groaning and longing and waiting all the while we are in this earthly Tabernacle after a full possession of our inheritance Rom. 8. 23 24 25. If thou art in the highest possession of God now thine hope is out for that which is seen and enjoyed is not hoped for But stay let the light of Jesus first enter thee into the holy place and there make thee a Priest which name thou so deridest before thou fondly conceit to be in the holiest and in this holy place thou wilt learn to despise thy self and all thine own righteousnesse Till Job came hither he had a great conceit of his own goodnesse and worth but now he abhorres himself and so will ye I know ye put your selves into a posture of suffering and reviling yet all this ye may suffer not for conscience towards God but in reference unto the idoll that ye have made
and so not for Christ but for your selves And surely so long as so much of thy self lives that thou must needs be Christ not with him or in him but he himself all this while thou dost not suffer thy self to come under the Crosse of Christ Further know friend what it means to be saved by hope to hope for that we see not and so with patience to wait for it Ye know Pauls desire was to be dissolved and to be with Christ and he cries out if in this life onely wee have hope in him we are of all men most miserable therefore wait the day and time of your dissolution Read 2 Cor. 5. 1. to 10. The life of hope is a sweet life seeing the grace came from heaven looks back into heaven and never leaves groaning and longing till it return into the bosom of the Father and the earthly house be changed into the heavenly Therefore be not over-hasty thou knowest the men that would enter in without God were slain therefore be not high-minded but fear It 's a sad thing to be undone by our own works undone by Religion observation abstinence as many an Hermit Monk and man hath been Be as holy as thou wilt in the holy place in Christ onely glory not in thy formall holinesse Thou dreamest thou art Christ and in the holiest and yet all can see thee in weaknesse darknesse and in infirmities like other men But I would not break thy neck but rebuke thee with patience though all this will provoke thee to scorn and to turn again and rent me And therefore I 'le let thee alone to be discovered by the light and day of God Repl. Thou goest on to spend a little more breath against Tythes and Tythepriest and hirelings who denie Christ Answ This is no news therefore I 'le let it passe in silence till we come more fully to speak of Tythes But thou sayest Repl. Vnto us a reed is given like unto a rod and the Temple of God we know and the Altar and them that worship therein and thee to be in the Gentiles court I see among the prophane Answ Here thou wilt be measuring though thou want the rod of strength that is out of Sion and so knowest not how to measure the Temple and the Altar and the worship that God sets up in Sion What is below thee thou mayest measure but what is above thy reason thou canst not see to measure well till thou art born into it Therefore be not wise in thine own conceit boasting of things beyond thy measure seeing not hee who commends himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth That I am in the Gentiles Court by nature I know is true But that God hath led me out to worship in his Temple and to sacrifice upon his Altar according to the measure of his son in me this thou canst not see and yet I dare not commend my self as thou dost knowing I have nothing but what I have received and so must not glory in my self but in the Lord But thou sayest Repl. I have slain the witnesse which quickened shall be and kindle my torment and none shall quench it Answ The witnesse that was living in me is living still he is not slain and dead but alive to reprove me when I wander and to heal and revive me again with the sweetnesse and comelinesse of his voice and countenance And by this faithfull and true witnesse the false witnesse is slain the floud of the Dragon swallowed up and though he be quickned in thee and others to affright me yet he torments me not his fire is quenched by the Lords goodnesse and mercy and so I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Repl. But death hath passed over me and reigns over me thou sayest Answ Yet can see deliverance from his sting and power in my spirit though I know he dwels in my flesh and reigns there and so he doth in thee And notwithstanding thy passing the first and second resurrection yet there is a resurrection which yet remains and a last day too which thou shalt know to thy torment and wo who knowest not the Scripture in this nor the power of God Repl. Thou sayest further Them which sin not after the similitude of Adams transgression I know not nor what it is that death hath passed over and so am I reasoning and ghessing it may be infants in yeares who have death written in their natures and thou biddest me shew such a Scripture that infants have death written in their natures else the plagues I must have Rev. 22. 18. Answ What I spake of Infants was and is a clear truth they sin not as Adam did and yet they die And that they have death written in their natures I wonder with what face thou canst deny Doth not their dayly dying shew that this enemy death lives in their natures And for Scripture to prove this what thinkest thou by Davids Childe by Bathsheba that died 2 Sam. 12. 18. Was not death written in this Childs nature See how wise thou art But thou goest on to tell me Repl. I say it may be Infants in knowledge and here I am ghessing which shews forth another spirit then wrote the Scriptures and so thou sayest neither of Infants in year nor of Infants in knowledge did Paul speak but said death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them c. Rom 5. 14. But that them I know not therefore put my ghessings and meanings to the Scripture Answ That which I spake concerning Infants in knowledge is a truth too who though they have not such knowledge as Adam had and so their sin be not so great because their light is not so great yet they have a light which being sinned against that sin lets in death upon them To confute this thou bringest nothing but thy bare word that it is not so and so let it go I could have told thee that that Scripture was to be understood of your fruitfull generation as you call it that death reigns over you even you also that have not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression that are not so bad as Adam found sinning and eating of the forbidden Tree yet even you must dye This I know you dream is the truth of that Scripture yet this is but a ghesse too and as little true as mine Understand it of whom you will you must put your own meaning when you are asked who is meant by that particle them seeing the Scripture doth not there deteâ—mine it And if your meaning may go why not anothers that hath as much face of truth as yours But when you discover your selves I shall know better what to reply unto Further thou tellest me Repl. Once there was some tendernesse in me because of sin some groaning for deliverance setting my feet in a way that leadeth out of Egypt but a Captain I chose wheeled about into Egypt and in the lusts
to be consecrated unto the Lord in holinesse as well as the spirit and therefore saith the Apostle in the last verse of that Chapter Glorifie God with your bodies and with your spirits which are Gods This body must be kept clean for the Lord not defiled with fornication flie fornication every sin that a man doth is without the body but he who committeth fornication sins against his own body intimating that this sin leaves a greater defilement upon the body than other sins so that by body there cannot be meant the Church of God which are all the body of Christ and so that place is wrested by thee to the proving of the spotlesse perfection of every Member of Christ and yet in the Lord I acknowledge every Member is compleat righteous holy but look upon the Member it self there we finde it lyable to all manner of infirmities yea to sin too onely the Lord Christ the righteous one the root he is free from all sin And therefore Christ teacheth us to pray for forgivenesse of sin This I know will be looked upon as a low thing and yet it is a truth of God and should teach us all to hunger continually after more of the righteousnesse of sanctification and after a plainer manifestation too of the righteousnesse of Christ in our justification Thou sayest Repl. I am ghessing what the baptisme unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea should be and thou sayest I tell thee of Metaphorical that word thou deniest and tellest me my shifts are seen and my darknesse found Answ Did ever wretch in the world so plainly confute his words in his constant practice as thou doest who dreamest of persecution and yet hast nothing in all thy Paper appearing but vanity pride and folly Surely the spirit said not in vain A wise man feareth and departeth from evil but the fool rageth and is confident And the heart of the righteous studieth to answer but the mouth of the wicked poureth forth evil things And there is that maketh himself pure yet his heart is not cleansed from his filthinesse Look upon all these things in thy self But to return to thy reply wherein instead of answering something thou talkest of ghessing and carpest at Metaphorical But didst thou never read in Scripture a thing like this Look Gal. 4. 24. which things saith the Apostle are an Allegory The difference between these two it may be thy learning may ghesse for thou tellest the people thou art a Scholar and hast been a Priest and yet never sawest a Metaphor in Scripture But to go on Thou tellest me Repl. I darken counsel by words without knowledge Answ Whether this be thy practice or mine let all men judge who sometimes turnest all the Scriptures into an Allegory and deniest the truth of the Letter as in the Crosse of Christ the resurrection and the like and yet sometimes there must be nothing but Letter when thou seest thy self alive in the Allegory as about the name Master Father Lord and the like But see how thou art presently found in an Allegory ghessing at the baptisme of Moses and saying Moses as a servant in his house was faithfull But thou must be the Master not a servant and this makes thee unfaithfull in the house of God like a Thief coming in to steal and to kill and destroy And hence thou criest out and liftest up thy voice in the street against all but such as wear thy mark thou art flesh thou art damned thou art a witch a ravenous beast there 's no pity nor mercy nor anointing with Christs nature appearing in thee and all because thou art not content to be servant but must be Master of all mens faith Repl. But thou sayest Moses saw the Egyptians drowned in the Sea and over them he sang which thou doest not know Answ Here 's an Allegory indeed see the question is what is the baptisme unto Moses in the Cloud and in the sea Answer Moses saw the Egyptians drowned in the Sea and over them he sang And is not this a learned Metaphoricall answer coming from a perfect man But by good ghesse thou hast spoken a truth though besides the mark It is so indeed Moses saw the Egyptians drowned in the Sea and yet there 's one Egyptian still alive in thee and he prattles on and saith Repl. I am in the fruits of the flesh and act contrary to the light of my conscience and so am for condemnation with the light Answ What 's all this to the baptisme of Moses Seeing our answer was denied we looked to have had some satisfaction from thee but all that I hear of is I must be condemned with the light Here thou alterest the phrase of Scripture to make void no doubt all other condemnation and Hell but what is within from the light This is good news for the World and so thy Religion like to prevail much with the vessels of wrath fitting for destruction But I must be condemned with the light The phrase is not proper nor savouring of the light of God for it seems as if the light and I should be condemned together and so we are by this dark generation But thy meaning is the light shall condemne me because I act contrary unto it And yet I desire to stand or fall unto the light of the Lord not to the judgement of this wise generation who put darknesse for light and light for darknesse and so the wo is upon them Isa 3. 10. Repl. But I oppresse the just lay heavy burdens upon them who out of the house of bondage would go the living God to worship so that a rest there is but I and all Magicians who deceive people with liknesses no further than the Sea must come there must I and all my glory Perish Answ Here no doubt are some of the Egyptians mentioned which I never saw drowned in me yet Yet know friend that I am so farre delivered from these Egyptians that I cannot oppresse either the just or unjust it is against my nature I cannot lay heavy burdens upon them and not touch them with one of my fingers this is enough for a Pharisee Neither am I desirous to see any soul in the house of bondage longer than the appointed time of the Father All that ever I aimed at was this to let people know that God goes down with his into Egypt is with them in their forms and bondage where they will be and stay till the day and time of their redemption and freedom But thee I see not going out of Egypt the living God to worship but to make thy self a God so know though a rest there be yet thou and all murmurers against thy fellow-servants and contemners of the wise dispensations of God because he goes down with his into Egypt together with all thy Magick and enchantments images and liknesses of holinesse and purity when the bitter root of pride remaines undestroyed all these Persons and things must
so that all light it seemes is not the same though it come from the same root 't is not the same to us in it self 't is one and the same but to us 't is called natural spiritual reason grace and so there is the natural man and the spiritual man and each one of these have their light and that is the same to it self and in it self but in the natural man 't is but reason 't is but gathering and discerning of things by discourse and arguments from things that are made and so the natural man seeks after God in this Creation Rom. 1. 19. 20. and this light of the natural man is far below the light that is in the spiritual man even as far as the light and life that is in beasts is below the light and life that is in men and so the natural man receives not the things of the spirit neither can he know them for they are beyond his principle of light but the spiritual man discerneth all thingh 1 Cor. 2. 14 15. And yet the naturall man has a light too I call him the natural man because he 's first and to us more manifest as the Apostle sayes that which is first is naturall afterwards that which is spiritual this first man according to his principle has a light and life and that flows from the root Christ in him which he sees not for the head of every man is Christ and in him all live and move and have their being and this light or Christ shines in the darknesse but the darknesse knows it not and so man has skill and understanding in things of nature and as far as this creation teaches him and this is his light and the root which is Christ he sees not and so is still in darknesse as to Christ the hidden things of God now all this light or reason sets man in a sphere above beasts which are therefore called irrational man rational and this light through low and faint yet teaches man to feel and groap after a God and to worship yet still 't is to the unknown God it shines and glimmers in the darknesse of the first man fallen and as it came from God so it returns to God feels after him in this and that without and wearies it self about the knowledge of good and evill and many times puts some faint desires in man after God enough to bear witnesse of it self unto man and to leave him inexcusable but this light is but an imperfect weak faint light as I may so call it not that any thing is so to God but to us 't is so as vailed by our fleshly minde thoughts longings so it grows weaker and weary and in the end goes out and we see it no more and so man in the first state has need of a new birth a new man that is spirit and power from God a new fountain to break up in him or rather to have that awakened which before lay dead left us in darknes man has need of this as we see in the case of Paul and our own experiences this is he whom we are to wait for the coming of Christ the new man to visit us with light and salvation and when Christ and grace and love from the father springs up in us and shews it self to be our light and guide then the true light is come it was but flesh before but reason and nature and law now 't is the truth and it brings grace and truth to us and now God is come Christ is come they were there before but now we are awakened and we see them to be there and this coming of Christ in power as to Paul is the coming of light and life indeed unto our Souls before this was revealed in Paul he knew something indeed of the Law and the Tree of knowledge of good and evil but he knew nothing of the Gospel of the Tree of life of the truth as 't is in Jesus and of his own wicked false heart but when Christ was revealed then he leaves off flesh and bloud and consults with Christ alone and he makes all things manifest and shews him what to do and thus you see a vast difference between the light that is in the first man and the light that is in the second man I mean the light that is in us whilest we are in the state of nature and the light that is in us when we come to be in the state of grace in the first 't is but reason and it tends to the building up of man and self because 't is weak and knows not the Lord in truth nor the way to him and 't is onely sufficient to witnesse there is a God and so to condemne us because we run into sin but 't is not sufficient by the highest improvement of it to bring us acquainted with Christ and salvation by him as we see in the case of Paul but as for the light which springs up in us in us through a manifestation or revelation of Christ in to our Souls this shews us the father in love and brings us reconciled and leads us to feed and live upon him for evermore and so is a bringing of us out of darknesse into his marvellous light Answ Thou sayest Christ is natural to none Repl. If thou mean that he 's not in nature as a spark under the ashes so 't is false but if thou mean that the natural man knows him not so 't is true Further Thou sayest Christ is not in their conscience but is a witnesse against all natural inclinations and works acted in the corrupt nature Repl. Here thou contradicts thy self for if Christ witnesse against natural works where do's he witnesse but in the conscience and what is the conscience but a certain witnesse within according unto the spark of Christ that is in the conscience or knowledge unto the evil or good we do and so conscience do's either excuse us or accuse us according unto our works and is not this all the light of Christ that is in the Gentiles Rom. 2. 14 15. therefore why doest thou say that Christ is not in the Gentiles conscience according to some measure of light and if he be there in light then this light is in the conscience Answ Further who are of Christ partake of the Divine nature where he 's law and life to them Repl. This is true And those thou sayest have no Letter being brought into that nature But why then doest thou so much trouble the world with the Letter when it seems to favour thy ceremonies traditions and observationss if they who partake of Christ have no use nor need of Letter Answ Thou sayest Christ is but one who is the light of the world and lighteth every man who cometh into the world Jew and Gentile and in them both this light is but one Repl. And so is thy talk still but one one in darknesse and comes
and this builds the Temple and makes the Soul the Citie and House and Church of God by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God this grace springs out of the heart of God not out of the will of man and it's grace makes us his workmanship Citie and dwelling place and where 't is created that Soul is said to be of God and Christ is made unto it wisdom and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption efficiently and formally by working these and forming these in the heart of man and this pure building Babylon and Egypt cannot endure to see neither any that make it their businesse to wander abroad from God and go down into the Sea in ships and this Citie is the Lilly among the Thorns planted under the shadow of the Almighty where she sits down with great delight and inward recreation my Meditation of him shall be sweet I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live and I will go unto him mine exceeding joy This is she who rejoyces because the Bridegroom is come and though she have infirmities yet she 's washed and washing in the bloud of the Lambe and so the dayes of her sorrow and widdow-hood flee away this is she who is still adorning till the head and all the Members meet together in the fulnesse and joy of God and this spouse is nâ— Adulteres she loves not the voice nor love of strangers she is not something and great in her self for she is nothing but what she is in her husband by the grace of God I am what I am she cannot vvorship a shadow or form or idel as others to get her self a name in the vvorld she makes no mention but of one and to him she bowes and because all this glory is powred upon her therefore she 's despised of men hated persecuted and every where evil spoken of yet blessed because great is her reward in Heaven out if this Cities are all Harlots all vvorldlings shut all Hypocrites Backbiters strikers of their fellow servants all that make a mock of Christ of the sufferings and precious bloud of Christ all that say they are Christ lo here lo there all that stand upon their toyes ceremonies vvil-worships making the commands of God of none effect by their traditions see whether or no thou hast the name of this Citie written upon the forehead where so much railing flows from thy tongue and heart Quest 22. What is the Garden of Eden out of which Adam was driven whether it be the same with Paradise Quest 23. What is the Paradise of God and the Tree of life in the midst of it of which whosoever overcomes shall eat Quest 24. What is the hidden Manna and the white stone and the new name written in the stone which he that overcomes shall know Answ To these three queries he sayes Eden is no Garden known to the vvorld where 't is overcome with weeds and who are driven out of it is not the same with Paradise but who are come to the Tree of life the old Adam dead the man quickned which death passed over there the Garden is pressed and dressing here Eden and Paradise came to be known Repl. All this gives no satisfaction to what Eden and Paradise is though some truth there be in thy words for though Eden be every where where the presence of God is in Christ and this presence fills all places and all things we see yet 't is not known unto the world who are cast out and see Christ no more Eden was a figure of heaven where 's no want but all fulnesse all pleasure and this heaven is all over within and without unto a childe of God within he sees the Lord raiguing in his spirit without he sees the Lord in every creature the heavens declare his glory and the firmament sheweth his handy work all creatures are as Jacobs ladder to him with God at the top these are the Angels assending and dessending in continual motion but God who stands at the top hidden from the world but known unto his Saints he 's still the same and his presence in love and light is the Garden of Eden and within is Paradise joy singing and so in the presence of God in love every place is a place of joy every condition every dispensation heavenly and here the Soul has learned to discern between the form and the truth the out-birth and the father he looks unto God he 's the wheeâ—â—ithin the wheel and so a gracious Soul will honour God who is the 〈◊〉 being in every created being he can converse with God in all he sees anâ— say of every place creature condition and thing this is none other but 〈◊〉 house of God and the Gate of Heaven into this Garden the righteous 〈◊〉 and here they are inclosed and kept by the Almighties arm and here they 〈◊〉 not upon the shadow but upon the substance within they feed not upon the earthly but upon the heavenly fruit the vertue and power of God And so they live upon God in the Creatures upon God in the Scriptures upon God in every thing but the man in darknesse sees not God has not the benefit and comfort of God and so he is cast out of the Paradise and joy thus you see that Eden the wicked man knows not he sees not the presence of the great King and so he can not feed upon him the Weeds cover God and among them he hides himself and there he feeds upon the flesh not upon the substance the Tree of life this he dares not middle with being a guilty sinner and so if he would enter into the Garden he can not there is a whole principale between and the Sword is set and dye he must and come in by a Saviour and in him he must be born before the entrance can be made and when this is done and the man of sin in some measure crucified then the vilest sinner may go boldly in because the way is open by regeneration and live with God and know Eden Paradise And thou who grutchest another entrance into this Garden of Eden into the Lords presence there to be in joy and rest by feeding upon the bread of life it appears that thou art a stranger unto the Garden it is not drest for thee and though faign thou would'st put forth thine hand eat live for ever be thine own Judge enter into life through thine own power and crucifying yet there is an Angel will keep thy out till the old man begin to be annihilated and he who was dead begin to leave in thee who onely prepares the Soul for the Lord and brings it into his joy Answ Further thou sayest as the Serpent is overcome by the seed of God the Tree of life is seen and fed on which stands in the midst of the Paradise of God Repl. All this is true when man is nothing
must hold his peace for Christ must be all thou must not sacrifice to thine own net either thy righteousnesse or thine unrighteousnesse unto thy self to merit as thou weakly dreamest by thy Crosse though all must be offered up to him that he may reign and in his reign the life and power of the creature stands and whereas I must be a Ranter for talking of high things and doest not thou the same talk of the highest things that can be imagined perfection fulnesse resurrection first and last and art not thou in all this like thy brethren who thou callest Ranters they are full and rich and have need of nothing and know not that they are poor and miserable and naked and have need of all things and art not you the same they have the single eye they are the seers and art not thou the same thou seest all things thou knowest all things they are sinlesse spotlesse in the midst of all their madnesse so thou in the midst of all thy nakednesse and so thou and they are of one and in one father both given over to strong delusions to believe lies because ye have not embraced the truth in the love of it onely with this difference ye are they are over-wicked and ye are over-righteous and yet both these meet in one center of flesh and man and end in one center of sorrow and woe and so both the righteous and the wicked are alike abomination and under condemnation when their righteousnesse as well as their wickednesse springs but out of the first man hence is that of Solomon Eccles 7. 16 17. be not righteous over-much neither make thy self over-wise why should'st thou destroy thy self be not over-much wicked neither be thou foolish why shouldest thou dye before thy time and so as Job speaks God shall destroy both the righteous and the wicked and where then wilt thou appear who gloriest so much in thy Crosse Quest 28. What is the ground of your commission and call to speak and preach and how ye came by it seeing all you speak must needs be Scripture and infallible Answ The ground of our commission and call to preach is Christ revealed in us and by the will of God contrary to the will of man came we into the Ministry Repl. Here according to thine own language thou stealest the Apostles words and makest use of them to deceive the simple but thy shifts are seen and thou thy self has pulled off the cover and manifested by all thy carriage that thy commission comes from another power even thine own will thy proud haughty minde that takest this honour upon thee before thou art anointed of God and therefore thou art found to be a striker brawler of no good behaviour not apt to teach but to scoffe and rail a novice lifted up with pride a little knowledge and wisdom thou hast received formerly but it has perverted thee puffed thee up and so 't is taken away and fallen thou art into the snare and condemnation of the Devil and so all thy preaching which thou art anointed to tends to the bringing up an evil report upon the lowest degree of a man brotherly and orderly humanity much more upon the highest the high profession of Christianity so far thou art from the spirit of a Christian that thou art not a man so far from being a man that thou art below a beast for the Oxe knows his honour and the Asse his Masters Crib but thou regardest not the Lord nor man and yet thy father has deluded thee and told thee thou hast a commission from Christ revealed in thee but when did Christ revealed in any teach them to preach another Gospel and to say 't is a great sin to pull off the hat and to make any shadow of respect to honour fear or reverence any to whom 't is due nay not the image of God in fathers masters aged people and governours contrary to the Letter and meaning both of Law and Gospel and where did Christ say it was a great sin nay the language of Egypt to say you instead of thou and yes instead of yea to wear Bands Cuffs Ribbins or the like so as men did it with gravity surely Christ has something else to declare where he anoints to preach Further where did Christ command to preach up the light of nature instead of the light of grace as if the poor dark world had had light sufficient within and there had been no need of his coming or spirit or Scripture and where did Christ command to preach up the power and freedom and will of man as if man had all already and had no need to be endued with power from an high and where did Christ command to preach up our merits our holinesse our observations or so much as the bloud of our own sins to justifie us in the sight of God and to make his merits and bloud and Crosse a scorn and derision among the Heathen where did Christ thus dishonour himself to exalt proud flesh and man where did Christ call the Scriptures Letter Ink and Paper not known to any till this generation Friend I know notwithstanding all this thou canst not see thy shame but art like an hungry man that dreams he eats but when he awakes his Soul is empty so in thy dream thou eatest and thou drinkest and thou hast passed through all death judgement resurrection not in part but in whole and through thine own poor weak light and power and skill thou art gone up out of Egypt passed through the wildernesse through the Red-sea and hast seen all the Egyptians drowned and hast entred into thy full rest in Canaan and no more doest thou look for that is to come thus art thou high in thine imagination though low enough in thy foundation even building upon the sand of thine own will and though you strike at the very foundations of all society humanity charity Christianity endeavouring to lay all desolute and even with the ground yet thou and thy wandring generation must all have their Commissions from God and be infallible and all that will not believe it must be Anathema Maranatha Alas poor wretches ye have need of pity but ye cannot pity your selves ye have need of grace rich mercy great grace but ye want none I say no more to yee but this the spirit of the Lord cannot stoop to proud mens will therefore remember your Creatour betimes look to the Rock from whence ye are hewen pity Abraham your father and Sarah your mother leave off building up the Babel of your own light power merits will lest ye be made an hissing astonishment and desolation by the Lord of Hosts return to your first husband your first love that we with you may live with him in brotherly-kindnesse and charity seek not to make the breaches wider but rather to repair the breaches and to reconcile people that wander in the dark unto one another in the Lord seek the righteousnesse joy and peace of the Kingdom which comes down from the father walk in the light of the Lord which will reach you to be as the Lord is unto all men according to your measure you receive and so it may be lead some more of your feet out of this cunning snare as for me notwithstanding all your hard speeches which the evil one in ye has uttered against me yet I shall not cease to be your friend before the Throne of grace desiring to see and finde your hearts filled with sorrow and trembling for all your errours and mystical infatuations that so the name of Babylon may not still be written upon your fore-heads who is called Mystery Babylon the great the Mother of Harlots and of the abominations of the earth but rather the new name the name of God of the new Citie the new Jerusalem which comes down from heaven that so you may see your perfection here in the midst of imperfections and may come to that perfection hereafter which is in the midst of the fulnesse and joy of God FINIS