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truth_n	lead_v	scripture_n	spirit_n	6,729	5	5.9292	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65886	A serious account in XXXV evident reasons (to all who desire satisfaction) why the people of the lord, called Quakers, cannot go to worship at those places called churches and chappels, and to inform the magistrates and ministers that such consciencious people (as are separated from these places) ought not to be compelled (from their peaceable meetings) to their worship and churches, so called, being a short discovery of the way, worship, and principles of the true ministers and persecuted people of God, in several exceptions against the practices, worship, and principles of the priests, both of the Presbyterians, and Episcopal-men, and others of the same affinity, in some of which principles the Presbyterians are the rather concerned, but in others of them, both are concerned in the general / by Geo. Whitehead.	Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.	1661 (1661)	Wing W1956; ESTC R20306	27,063	42

reconcile the Scriptures to themselves by their Meanings wherein they intimately accuse the Scriptures to disagree and to be false and imperfect in many things And many of the Priests contradict one another in their meanings upon Scripture when as the Scriptures of Truth were given forth from the Spirit of Truth in the Saints and cannot be broken Joh. 10.35 2 Tim. 3.16 which Spirit is that which must open the Scriptures and give men the true understanding of them Joh. 16.13 and not the Priests confused and invented meanings and senses which proceed from the spirit of Error in them who have denyed that they have the Infallible Spirit or Inspiration in them from Heaven from which the Scripture was given when as it is the Inspiration of the Almighty that giveth understanding Job 32.8 So that they who have not that have not the understanding of the Scriptures and such we cannot own to be our Teachers who being out of that Spirit which the holy men of God were in it 's evident they know nothing but what they know naturally and in these things they corrupt themselves Jude v. 10. XIII Of the Gospel ALso the Priests have shewed their Error and Ignorance about the Gospel in calling the four Books of Matthew Mark Luke and John the Gospel when as the Gospel is Everlasting being the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth Rom. 1.16 And the Gospel was preached to Abraham before the four Evangelists were Gal. 3.8 And there is not to be another Gospel preached than that which is the Power of God which the Apostles preached for he that preacheth another is to be accursed Gal. 1.8 XIV Of the Foundation and only Rule ANd the Priests in affirming the Scriptures to be the Foundation and only Rule of Faith and Life and the Word c. They affirm contrary to the Scriptures themselves and contrary to the Apostles Doctrine who said That another Foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Christ who is the Foundation of Faith 1 Cor. 3.11 though the Priests have preached another and though one while they profess the Scriptures to be their Rule yet another while they set their meanings above them as to reconcile them and act contrary to them and thus shew their Confusion but it is the Spirit of Truth that leads into all Truth And so the Saints had the Rule of Faith and Life before the Scriptures were written as had Abel Enoch Abraham Moses c. And the Gentiles who had the Law written in their hearts who had not the letter of it without had a true Rule of Life in them as many have who cannot read the Scriptures and whereunto the Saints had attained in the Spirit and Life of Christ they were to walk by the same Rule Rom. 2.15 Phil. 3.16 2 Cor. 10.13 14 15. And the Word was in the beginning and was in the hearts of the holy men of God before they spake forth the Words or writ the Scriptures wherein are the words that God spake which are a true Declaration of those things that were surely believed amongst the Saints but the Word of God liveth for ever and was before the words or writings of Scripture without were Psal. 119.11 Joh. 1.1 Luke 1.1 So that the Priests who have so much shewed their Ignorance about the Gospel the Foundation the Word the only Rule and yet say they are Ministers of the Gospel and of the Word we have sufficient cause never to own them as our Teachers XV. Of Swearing ANd the Priests in pleading for Swearing and teaching men that it is lawful for them to swear chiefly bringing Heb. 6.16 for it and some of them telling people that Swearing is a part of the Worship of God The Priests herein have shewed themselves to transgress Christs Doctrine and teach others so to do and so they have not God 2 Joh. ver 9. for Christ who is the end of the Law for Righteousness and the end of the Shadows under it he said to his Disciples It hath been said by them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths which Oaths were under the Law and in their time were commanded of God and were not vain nor needless Oaths nor by the Creatures But in opposition to these Oaths as ending them Christ said But I say unto you Swear not at all neither by Heaven nor by Earth c. Mat. 5.33 34. Now he that sweareth by Heaven sweareth by the Throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon Matth. 23.22 So that from Christ's Command we are now to swear by neither And the Apostle James as confirming to the same Testimony said Above all things my Brethren swear not neither by Heaven nor by Earth nor by any other Oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay left you fall into condemnation Jam. 5.12 And as to that of Heb. 6.16 where it 's said For men verily Swear by the Greater and an Oath for confirmation is to them an End of all Strife which the the Priests object for Swearing In this they are very dark for the Apostle doth but mention this as a Practice which had relation to the Jewes who were under the Law and such as were in the Strife but he gives no Command for Swearing neither doth he vindicate it any more than he doth receiving of Tythes in his saying here men that die receive Tythes Heb. 7.8 which was but a mentioning that as a practice which the Jews upheld as was the other of Swearing for he witnessed the Commandment disanulled by which Tythes were received and the Priesthood changed by which they were upheld Heb. 7.12 18. So that the bare relation of a Practice is no command for it nor vindication of it And the Oath which God sware to Abraham wherein he makes known the Immutability of his Counsel to the Heirs of Promise is greater than man's swearing to end strife for where that Oath of God is received and fulfilled the Blessing to the Seed is manifested and the Strife is ended and the ground of it removed and of this Oath and Covenant mens swearing to end strife without was but a figure type or shadow And as to the Priests saying that Swearing is a part of the Worship of God From this then it follows that it 's an easie thing for Drunkards and Prophane Persons to be in the Worship of God if Swearing be a part of it for what case is it such cannot swear in either by the Lord or otherwise and then they might as well say it's part of the Worship of God to transgress Christ's Doctrine as say Swearing is part of his Worship Surely this is a bad Worship which the Priests preach and set up for Christ commanded not to swear at all and he is the End of all Strife about which the Swearing was and the End of the Law and of the Oaths under it for

Consciences would compel and force all to be of their Church and to conform to their Worship though it be never so much contrary to their Consciences and though they have counted them Hereticks Deceivers Seducers and what not yet if they could force them outwardly to conform to their Worship they should be received and help to make up their Church and what a confused Church of Hypocrites that would be may be easily judged but I say their lording it over men's Consciences and compelling them to their Worships and persecuting men for their Religion is never the way to convince them nor to gain them to God what outward formality soever they may force them to by an outward Power for it is the gentle meek and tender Spirit of the Lamb that must appear in Ministers and convince and regain People to God and into the love of his Truth or else they are not fit Instruments for God's work XXIII Of the Common-prayer-Book ANd we do not read in the Scripture of a Common-prayer-Book that the Saints ever had to direct them how to pray and to sing for they prayed with the Spirit and sung with the Spirit but the Common-prayer-Book was devised by men since the Apostles dayes much of which is agreeable to the Masse-Book from whence it had its derivation though some of the Ceremonies of the Masse are left out yet after the Preface near the beginning of the Common-prayer touching those Ceremonies that were reserved in their Church it is said that those Ceremonies have been devised by men c. Now we being led by the Spirit of God and therein brought to worship him we must not follow man's devices and invented Ceremonies for they are not truly called the Divine Service but the Service which is in the Spirit of God is divine and not the following of men's Devices And is it not evident that they that set up the Common-prayer-Book were Popish from their saying in their Commination against sinners That in the Primitive Church there was a Godly Discipline that at the beginning of Lent such persons as were notorious sinners were put to open Penance and punished in this world that their souls might be saved c. Was not that Discipline Popery which there they called Godly and which Discipline they much wished might be restored again instead whereof they pronounced several Curses XXIV Of the Priests gross Ignorance about their Publick Baptism ANd what Ignorance is it for Teachers at their publick Baptism to say That God by the Baptism of his beloved Son did sanctifie the flood Jordan and all other Waters to the mystical washing away of Sin when as many are sprinkled or dipped when Infants and washed with outward water who are yet unwashed from their sins as Drunkards Swearers Lyars covetous and prophane Persons And yet to say that Infants by their Sureties must faithfully promise obediently to keep God's Commandments and that they will forsake the Devil and all his works the vain pomp and glory of the world with all the covetous desires of the same the carnal desires of the flesh and that they will not follow nor be led by them and then for them called Godfathers to answer as in the Infants name and say I forsake them all viz. the Devil and all his works when as the Infants are not capable of any such Promises neither do they that promise so for them fulfill what they promise themselves And after they say that the Children have promised to forsake the Devil and all his works c. those called Godfathers and Godmothers must see that the Infants be taught as soon as they can learn what a solemn Vow Promise and Profession they have made what Confusion and Darkness is this And yet notwithstanding all this promising to forsake the Devil and all his works and after that by this Baptism so called they say they are regenerate and grafted into the Body of Christ and say they are made the Children of God and Inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven notwithstanding all this both Priests and People confess that they have offended against the holy Laws and followed the desires of their own hearts and that there is no health in them and cry as they do often Lord have mercy upon us miserable offenders And thus they confound themselves and break their Promises of forsaking the Devil and all his works and of obediently keeping God's Commandments when as they daily break them and so are in the Devil's work who is the Author of all unrighteousness and such Teachers as in whom there is no health are none of Christ's Ministers neither can we own such for our Teachers for who are Ministers of Christ have his Spirit dwelling in them and so have health in them And how can such absolve men from all their sins as they say in their Visitation of the Sick who themselves are miserable Sinners and have no health in them XXV Of the true Church and its Head MUch more of the Priests Ignorance Errors and Superstitions both in their Doctrines and Practices might be shewed which I omit mentioning for the present here being so many Reasons as may satisfie the Reasonable why we cannot joyn with them in their Worships at their Steeple-houses nor own them in their Ministry for the Lord hath united us by his mighty Power and incorporated us into the true Body which is the Church of CHRIST whom he hath espoused and married unto himself to be as a chast wife unto the husband and Christ is the Head and Law-giver to his Church and therefore we cannot joyn with the false Church that is made up of such members as profess they be married to Christ and yet they know neither the true Baptism into the true Church nor the true Communion of the Body which is the Church nor have they ever heard his Voice as to be married to him neither were they ever cloathed upon with the Wedding Garment to wit Christ's Righteousness but are in their own Righteousness and the Traditions and Devices of men which are but as filthy Rags which they have set up without instead of the Life and Mystery of Godliness within and such are in Babylon drinking of the Whores Cup and following the Beast which hath long born up the Whore which hath persecuted and drunk the Blood of the Saints and which is come in Remembrance before the LORD who is confounding Babylon So who are espoused as a chast Virgin to Christ and married to Him and come to know Him their Head and Law-giver must not commit Adultery with the Whore nor drink of her Cup anymore nor joyn with the false Church for Christ is the Head of his Church even as the husband is the head of the wife and the wife is bound by the Law to her husband so long as he liveth so that if while her husband liveth she be married to another man she shall be called an Adulteress Rom. 7. Ephes. 5.23 So that Christ being the Head of his Church as the husband is the head of the wife his Church is not to set up another Head than Christ over it and so neither to own the Pope as Supream Head of the Church nor any man else but CHRIST according to the Scriptures of Truth So blessed are they who own the LIGHT of CHRIST in their hearts that they may follow Him into the City of our God where the Lord God and the Lamb may be their Light and Teacher that they may no more be carried away captive in Mystery Babylon the false Church and her whorish practices neither be any more deceived by her Sorceries nor drink any longer of her Cup. Written in Norwich Castle about the latter end of the second Month 1661. G. W. THE END

ever And notwithstanding the Priests that have counted the Light in every man but natural and not saving yet some of them have affirmed that Christ giveth to every man a supernatural convincing Light as GOD touching the Law-Truths but not as MEDIATOR touching the Gospel-Truths And thus have they confounded themselves and blindly distinguished about the LIGHT for the LIGHT of GOD within which leads to the Truths of his Righteous Law within it being supernatural is spiritual as the Law is and is the LIGHT of CHRIST the MEDIATOR in whose hand the Law is which by his Light is manifest in man and where obeyed it is a School-master to lead to Christ the Mediator who with his Light is one with the Father not divided and hath all things given to him of the Father And thus with the LIGHT we are come to see over the Priests Babylonish Confusion and Ignorance of CHRIST and his LIGHT about which they are most confounded and do greatly erre as is apparent III. Of the Offer of Salvation ANd the Priests and Professors who affirm That Salvation is offered to All men but not intended for all as free for them but only for a few In this they greatly shew their Ignorance and Error for this would make the offer of Salvation and Grace to the greater part of people to be but in hypocrisie as a cheat or a mock as is the Priests pretending to offer CHRIST to all and bidding all believe when they do not believe GRACE to be free for all nor that All may believe but that God hath determined the greater part of people otherwise when as GOD would not the death of a sinner but rather to return and live and Christ would that All should come into the knowledge of the Truth and be saved And God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved Ezek. 18.32 33.11 Joh. 3.17 1 Tim. 2.4 So that the Grace which saveth is free for all having appeared to all men without respect of persons but men's turning from it into Lasciviousness and perversly rejecting the Salvation that God offers to them is the cause of their condemnation as this is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and men love Darkness rather than Light because their deeds are evil IV. Of the Death of Christ. ANd the Priests and Professors affirming That Christ dyed not for all men in the world but only for a few is contrary to the Apostles Doctrine who said That Christ dyed for All that as many as live should not live unto themselves but unto Him who dyed and rose again and that Christ gave himself a Ransom for all to be testified in due time and tasted death for every man and is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole World 2 Cor. 5.14 15. 1 Tim. 2.6 Heb. 2.9 1 Joh. 2.2 Which was a true Testimony of the free Grace and Love of God which is extended to all men in Christ Jesus So that the Priests preaching which is otherwise we may not own nor be Disciples under it V. Of Perfection ALso the Priests in preaching against Perfection and Freedom from Sin in this Life and pleading for sin to remain in all the term of Life In this they do greatly erre and this their preaching and pleading for sin is both against the Scriptures and against the Commands and Promises and Work of God and against both the preaching and praying of Christ and the Saints who were to receive whatsoever they asked in the Faith in Christ's Name Mark 11.24 as also this sinfull Doctrine of the Priests for Sin and Imperfection is against what the Saints attained to by the Power of God before their decease For 1. God commanded his People to be perfect with the Lord their God and to love him with all their heart soul and might Gen. 17.1 Deut. 18.13 chap. 6.5 and 10.12 Mat. 22.37 And 2ly God promised to wash and cleanse his People from all their filthiness and that they should be all Righteous and do no Iniquity Ezek. 36.25 Isa. 60. Zeph. 3.13 And 3ly Christ exhorted his to be perfect as their heavenly Father is perfect and prayed that they might be perfect in one as he and his Father were one Matth. 5.48 Joh. 17.22 23. And 4ly The Saints preached to present men perfect in Christ and exhorted them not to sin but exhorted them to the perfecting of Holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 Col. 1.28 Eph. 4.12 And 5ly Christ is made manifest to destroy Sin and to cleanse his People from all Sin 1 Joh. 1.7 chap. 3. And 6ly the Saints who passed thorow the Law and ●horow the Warfare till they had fought the good fight of Faith witnessed Victory over Sin and the body of Sin destroyed and came to a perfect man in Christ that they could do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth as the Apostle said 1 Cor. 13.8 Rom. 6.6 Col. 2.11 2 Tim. 4.7 And here the Saints prayers and desires to God came to be fulfilled who prayed that his Kingdom might come and his Will might be done in Earth as it is in Heaven where no sin is So that the Priests do greatly erre and strengthen many in their sins by preaching against Perfection which Perfection is Christ's work and contending and pleading for Sin which is the Devil's work which they are in and therefore we cannot own them as our Teachers VI. Of the Priests Exhorting to endeavour after it ALso the Priests exhorting men to endeavour after Perfection and to labour to be clean when they do not believe that such a state is attainable Their so exhorting men is but in unbelief and hypocrisie as is their praying to God to make them clean and righteous and that his Will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven when they do not believe that they may be clean from sin in this Life nor that the Will of God may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven This their praying is in unbelief and so they ask and receive not Jam. 4.3 So that their preaching and praying which is not in the Faith is neither effectual nor available with the Lord For whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin VII Of Election and Reprobation ANd the Priests and Professors who affirm a particular Election and Reprobation of particular persons from eternity and yet pretend to offer Christ to all and bid all believe as also they take money of all in general that hear them for their preaching to them Herein do they greatly erre and shew their preaching and pretended offering Christ to the greater part to be but in hypocrisie and deceit For how should they receive Christ or believe in him if God hath determined them from eternity to be condemned or reprobated Herein the Priests would make God a respecter of persons and then they may be

it shall be for meat Gen. 1.29 and the fruit of such a Tree that beareth seed is an Apple So that could not be the Forbidden Fruit. And the Serpent was that which tempted Man from the simplicity of the Truth and through subtilty led him out from the Innocency and Life wherein God had placed him to feed upon the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge which was desirable to the Carnal or Woman's part that was not content with the pure innocent and simple Being wherein God at first placed Man over the rest of the Creation and wherein he was more peculiar and near to the Lord than the other Creatures and might have fed upon the Tree of Life which was above the Serpent and his subtilty and beyond that knowledge of good and evil which that got into which went out from the Life of Truth and Innocency and which let in the Temptation and Subtilty that betrayed the Simplicity in Man and brought in the Enmity Disobedience and Misery which caused the Curse to come upon him and when the Enmity and Disobedience was entered into the Devil who before was called the Serpent who abode not in the Truth and whom Cod for his Rebellion cursed and said Upon thy Belly shalt thou go and Dust shalt thou eat he got power over the Creature and ruleth in the Children of Disobedience And of this Serpent who beguiled Eve the Apostle was jealous left that the Corinths should be deceived by him and their minds corrupted and led away through his subtilty from the simplicity of the Gospel which was in Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 3. Now where the Seed of the Woman which is CHRIST is received he bruiseth the Serpents head who hath led Man out from the Life and Simplicity of Truth and so CHRIST the Promised Seed being received and made manifest in Man he frees Man from the Devil and his Power and redeems him out of the disobedient nature and so from the Wrath and Curse and brings him to have dominion over the Serpent and his enmity and to see through all his Subtilty and Temptations and to know Victory over them and to inherit a Kingdom into which no unclean thing can come and which none can enter into but such who follow Christ Jesus the true Light in whom the wicked one hath nothing thorow the work of Regeneration and Renewing till the New-Birth be born in them and the New-Creature in Christ be brought forth where the Man and the Woman who is not without one another in the Lord are restored in the Seed and who come to witness this must deny themselves and forsake their own corrupt knowledge thoughts and imaginations which they and the Priests have run into about these things which have been hid and sealed from them as in Parables as they ●re from all such as are disobedient to the Light of Christ in them which is the true Key which opens where no man can shut and shutteth where no man can open X. Of Justification and of Sanctification ANd those Teachers and Professors who affirm That Justification is before Sanctification and that men are justified by the Imputation of Christs Righteousness when they are sinners and say that Righteousness which justifies is not within them but the Righteousness which sanctifies is within And so they tell of two Righteousnesses one that justifies and another that sanctifies Herein they shew their Error and Blindness and their Doctrine to be contrary to the Doctrine of the Apostles who preached that it was not the hearers of the Law that were Just before God but the doers that should be justified Rom. 2.13 So that here men were not justified while sinners and unsanctified but when sanctified and obedient to the righteous Law of God written in their hearts and the Righteousness of the Law did Christ fulfil in them that walked not after the flesh but after the Spirit which some Priests falsly say is meant that the Righteousness of the Law was fulfilled in Christ and not in Believers persons when it 's expresly said that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8.4 As also the Apostle desired to be found in Christ not having his own righteousness but that which was through the Faith of Christ the Righteousness of God by Faith by which he knew Christ and the power of his Resurrection and fellowship of his Sufferings and was made conformable unto his Death Phil. 3.9 10. So here he witnessed Sanctification and Justification through one and the same Righteousness which was imputed to him in the Faith of Christ which was in him and said he but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 So here they were not justified when sinners but when washed and sanctified by the Spirit of God from sin by which Spirit they were justified and this was within and so God does not justifie men in their ungodliness but from it and no where doth the Apostle tell of two Righteousnesses one without to justifie and another within to sanctifie as many of the Priests and Professors do XI Of the Believer's Faith and its Work ANd the Priests and Professors who affirm That the work of Sanctification and the Believers Faith is Imperfect in this life and that the Believers have Sin mixed with their Grace In this they do greatly erre for the Believer's Faith and Grace is the gift of God from whom every good and perfect gift cometh which saveth them and purifieth them from sin and Faith purifieth their hearts and overcometh the world Act. 15.9 1 Joh. 5.4 and so this Grace and Faith is pure or else how could it purifie and the work of it is perfect and its fruits pure And the Saints witnessed the Blood of Christ through Faith to cleanse them from all sin and a perfecting Holiness in the fear of God till they were compleat in Christ and sanctified throughout 2 Cor. 7.1 Col. 2.10 1 Thess. 5.23 So that Sanctification came to be perfected in them as the Work of God is perfect So that the Priests and Professors which profess Faith that is mixed with Sin and so imperfect and which is a Faith without Works and so a dead Faith that leaves them still in their sins we deny it for the Faith of God's Elect which is of Christ is pure in the least measure of it and from that Faith are Righteous Works and Fruits brought forth of its own nature and kind for that Faith which doth not purifie and is a Faith without Works is but a false and dead Faith Jam. 2.20 which the sinful Priests and Professors are in XII Of the Priests meanings upon the Scripture ALso the Priests do greatly shew their Error and Confusion in giving their sundry invented Meanings to the Scripture contrary to what the words of Scripture do import in many places as they say and in saying they must

subject to Ordinances c. Touch not tast not handle not which are all to perish with the using after the Commandments and Doctrines of men Col. 2. Eph. 2.15 So Christ through suffering made way for a further dispensation of the Mystery of Life than was in the Shadows or Figures and they who were come into this Mystery were come to witness that the Bread which they brake was the Communion of the Body of Christ and the Cup which they drank was the Communion of the Blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 and Christ the living Bread is in the Saints 2 Cor. 13.5 and we are come to sup with him and he with us and so are come to his Table and his Supper which Drunkards Covetous Worldlings and Earth-worms who can receive the Priests Sacrament so called cannot eat nor drink at and by the knowledge of the Mystery which is CHRIST WITHIN are we come to see beyond the Shadows and Figures and beyond the Traditions and Inventions of men which the world are doting about And we may not turn back again from the Substance into the Shadows nor into the Traditions of men like the world nor yet eat with them in their Idol-Temples or Popish Mass-houses contrary to the Apostle's Doctrine 1 Cor. 8.10 2 Cor. 6.17 XIX Of the Church ANd the Priests in calling a Steeple-house or Popish-Masse-house a Church do erre contrary to the Scriptures for the Church is the Body of Christ and the Church is in God built up of living stones Eph. 1.22 23. 1 Thess. 1.1 but so are not the Popish Masse-houses which the Priests do falsly call Churches XX. Of the Seal of the Covenant AS also they do erre in counting that they are the Church of Christ from their Infant Baptism which is Popish as imagining themselves thereby to be baptized into the Church and calling that the Seal of the Covenant when as the Saints were baptized by one Spirit into one Body which was the Church and they were sealed with the Spirit of Promise unto the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 1 Cor. 12.13 XXI Of Bishops and Presbyters ANd all that go under the names of Bishops and Presbyters and Elders who are out of the Spirit that the holy men of God were in who gave forth the Scriptures and are ordained or instituted and set up by the wills of men who are neither truly called ordained nor qualified according to God's Will They have gotten the names but are out of the true nature which the Saints and Elders in the true Church were in for covetous proud lordly men and Persecutors who would lord it over God's Heritage and over men's Consciences and Faith such are out of the life and state of the true Ministers and so are of Antichrist for the true Elders and Bishops were such as were endued with the Power and Gift of God which brought them into the blameless Life and to shew forth a good Example to others and so made them apt to teach others And these Bishops were not given to Wine nor strikers nor greedy of filthy Lucre nor Brawlers nor Covetous nor lifted up with Pride but patient 2 Tim. 3. And the Apostle Peter who was a true Elder and a Witness of the Sufferings of Christ and a partaker of the Glory that was to be revealed he exhorted the Elders to feed the Flock of God taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind neither as Lords over God's Heritage but being Ensamples to the Flock and such were to receive a Crown of Glory that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5. and such were instrumental in the hand of God to gain and convert others to the Truth but where we find Ministers of a contrary spirit and in contrary practices though they go under the same names that the other had we cannot own them And therefore these lordly proud envious covetous and persecuting Ministers are to be denyed whether they go under the names of Bishops Elders Pastors or Teachers for it is not the names that make men true Ministers but it is the gift of God which brings into the true nature and life of Righteousness yet we read not in Scripture of Arch-Bishops and Lord Bishops that were set up in the true Church nor of Deans Arch-Deacons Prebends Chapters Curates c. nor that the Ministers of Christ as Peter Paul Timothy Titus or any others of them did wear Surplices in their Worship nor that they kept a company of Singing-Boys or Queristers in the true Church to sing in Surplices in a Popish House or to repeat an invented form one after another but these things were invented and set up in the night of Apostacy when men were degenerated from the Life and Worship of the true Christians and fallen into Antichristianism and Popery XXII Of the Priests Ordination ANd when the Priests could not prove their Education and fitting to their Ministry at Schools and Colledges by natural Learning to be according to the Scriptures and practices of the true Ministers then have they fled to that of 1 Tim. 4.14 to prove their Ordination by the laying on of hands to be right where Paul said to Timothy Neglect not the Gift that is in thee which was given thee by Prophecy with the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytery or Company of Eldership and this have the Presbyterian Priests brought to prove themselves true Ministers and yet these Priests have told us That immediate Teaching Revelation and Prophesying is ceased and so they have overthrown themselves and shewed themselves to be neither truly called nor ordained neither are they fit to ordain others and the Scriptures they bring for themselves are against them for Timothy and the Elders in the true Church were truly qualified and made Ministers by the Gift of God and the Revelation of Christ in them which Gift was given them by Prophecy and that they were not to neglect so they did not say that Prophesying Revelation and immediate Inspiration were ceased as the Priests do but the true Elders in the laying on of Hands which they did in the Power of God and not in man's will approved of such for the Ministry whom they knew were fitted for the work of it by the Gift of God in them And Peter and John were Elders in the true Church 1 Pet. 5.2 2 Joh. 1. 3 Joh. 1. but they were not brought up at Schools and Colledges to their Ministry neither did they say that Revelation and Prophecying was ceased like the Priests but were Fishermen who through following Christ and his Revelation of Life and Power came to be fishers of men and true Ministers so that such as are out of their Doctrine Life and Spirit as the hireling Priests are who are set up and ordained by the wills of men as corrupt as themselves are neither fit to ordain others nor to minister to others And such as do hate and persecute men for their