Prophetesses to the Nation as many Sober Men have confessed since though thou and the Old Persecuting Priests in New-England remain in your Blindness and Nakedness But it is as it was of old The Prophet is a Fool and the Spiritual Man is Mad. R. W. And whereas thou say'st It is hard to perswade a Fox or a Woolf that he is so Ans. Now this is thine and the New-England Priests and Professors condition For we grant you that you have the Sheeps-Cloathing but you have shewed the Wâ—lfs Nature in Worrying the Lambs and sucking their blood and tearing their Fleece And are in your filthy Dreams that thou tellest us of and that thou art more acquainted with such Dreams that thou tells us of then thou art with Christ Jesus for thy words savour not of his Spirit R. W. And then thou say'st All that I can hope for without Gods wonderful mercy is to give my Testimony in my Generation for as Solon on speaks of the Whore Few or None of you will return Ans. Nay Roger We see where thou and the New-England Priests and Professors are the Lord has called us from among you your Wolfish Nature who feed upon the husk like the Prodigal and it is the Wonderful Mercy of God who hath called us by his Grace to hear and follow his Son And so it is not like for us To turn to you but as the Lord saith to his Prophet Turn not thou to them but let them turn to thee and therefore we cannot forsake the Living Mercies and turn to your broken Cisterns that cannot bold water And as for Solomon's speaking of the Whore apply that at home Roger. For dost not thou after all thy Lies wipe thy mouth and did not all your Persecuting Priests and Professors after they had Hanged and Cut off Ears and Banisht the Lords Servants wipe their mouths too and is not this the Mark and Die of the Red Whore But God seeth your hearts and mouths and so doth his Holy People which are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles to wit Christ Jesus and we know what your foundation is and your building too they are Lyes and Bloody R. W. And thou say'st I have proved and will prove if God please that Spiritual Pride about Spiritual matters is the Root and Branch of your whole Religion and that the King Eternal who did cast out proud Angels out of his Palace will hardly open his Gates to Proud and Scornful Dust and Ashes Ans. Roger This is as I said before thy own Condition and the New-England Priests and Professors Oh! that your eyes were open that you might see it And so what thou measurest to others it will be measured to thee again pressed down and running over and the God of the World will fail thee in thy proof and hath failed thee and deceived thee as he did thy Mother Eve and thy Father Adam For this is the Mouth of the Pit that thou speakest of and Lucifers boast in thee against the Children of the Lord that are daily in Jeopardy of their Lives and some of them have lost their Lives amongst you in New-England in Obedience to the Command of Christ their Saviour But now since the Indians have risen upon them they have confessed how greatly they have fallen as you may see in the Declaration 1675. but it is well if it prove better then Pharaoh's Confession But the Lord God hath opeâ—ed his Gates of Life and Mercy to us that obey his voice and Christ has opened the Book to us which you cannot shut Glory to his Name forever And though we have the same Portion from thee and such as thou art as the Prophets Christ and the Apostles had the will of the Lord be done and as Christ said If they did so unto the green Tree what would they do unto the dry and we know they hated Christ our Lord and Master without a Cause and so you do us But R. W. may say He doth not Persecute with his hands But let him read p. 200. of his Book wherein he declares himself That a due and moderate Restraint and Punishment he would have inflicted upon us yea though pretending Conscience and he would not have this called Persecution But would R. W. be so served himself No but now he lives in a Peaceable Government where he cannot Exercise his Cruelty and he hath not the Sword in his hand but is in a Restless spirit who grudgeth at the Liberty of others and cannot be content with his own short of the Royal Law of God That would do unto all as they would have others do unto them R. W. And then thou begins with a Flattering Epistle to R. Baxter and J. Owen our Old Persecutors and tells them of G. F.'s silly and scornful Answers Ans. Scornfulness we deny and thou may'st look at home for that in whose Chair thou sittest And as for Silliness Truth was always so called by that Spirit thou art of R. W. And thou say'st Through your sides to wit R. B. and J. O. the Devil by his Claws of this Wily Fox hath tore at the heart of the Son of God it is no wonder then if he tear at the heart of his Love-Letters and the true Professors of his Name who are Innumerable in Abraham's bosom and the rest travailing uprightly thither As to the matters in difference betwixt your selves and me I willingly omitted them c. Ans. Here you may see though there is and hath been great Difference betwixt R. W. R. B. and J. O. yet all these have written against Gods People that are in the Truth And as for the Devils Claws and Tearing at the heart of the Son of God and Tearing at the heart of his Love-Letters and the true Professors of his Name that are in Abrahams bosom and them that are travailing up thitherwards I say all these are Lyes and come from an Eâ—vious Spirit For the Son of God is our Life and all that profess him in Truth and are his followers and all his Love-Letters that he and his holy Prophets and Apostles have given forth we esteem them more then such as thee that make a Trade of them For is it not well known what sufferings the People of God had in Oxford in the days of J. O. are they not upon Record and was not Thomas Goodayr cast into Prison through R. B's means when he was railing against the People of God and T G. said but hum But it 's well if they come to Repentance for what they have done for Imprisoning and Persecuting us and the rest of their Tribe in the day of their Power when they had both the Sword and the Bag. And so R.W. and the rest of the New-England Priests have been One with them in the Spirit of Envy and Malice against the People of God like the Wily Foxes whose Blood lyeth at all your dores R. W. And after thou hast flattered R. B. and
Faith that purifieth their hearts giveth them Victory and Access to God they need not plead for a Purgatory when they are dead nor thou for a Body of Sin and Death to the Grave R. W. Thou sayst The Quakers are Papists in that Infallible Spirit c. to wit the Spirit of Truth which Christ and his Father hath sent to lead us in all Truth Answ. This Holy Ghost the Papists have denied to our Faces and therefore thou Abusest the Papists And ye have confest ye have not the same Holy Ghost that the Apostles had and therefore they and the New-England-priests are of one Nature for they have said the same And this Spirit shall reprove the World of Righteousness c. as Christ saith And if all men did believe in the Light and not turn the Grace of God into Wantonness nor grieve the Spirit which God hath poured out upon them it would Teach them and instruct them And that we do exhort people to that they may escape the Dreadful Judgements of God who will Judge the World in Righteousness And then thou scoffest against our Preachers c. But we have preach'd the Everlasting Gospel in New-England and other places and it had been very well if thou had'st turn'd to the Spirit of God within thee that thou makest slight of R. W. Thou sayst The Quakers are Papists in a high Lofty Conceit of Perfection when in Calvin's time this Spirit came from Hell c. Answ. Dost not thou Contradict thy self and sayst The Papists hold a Purgatory then how are they like the Quakers that hold Perfection And so they are near thee that must have a Combate or a Fighting all thy Life and no Overcoming And how darest thou to say The Spirit and Doctrine of Perfection came from Hell in Calvin's Time c. for it is the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles to his Saints and Followers R. W. And thou sayst The Quakers in the latter Years in Lancashire came from the Grindletonians Answ. This is also false the Grindletonians know otherwise and the people in Lancashire R. W. And thou sayst The Quakers and Papists are great Friends in their Notions and Practice of Revelations c. and Inspirations Answ. How can the Papists own true Revelation that own not the same Holy Ghost as they were in that gave forth Scriptures So their Dreams and Visions are like thine and so not like the Quakers who know the things of God that are reveal'd by the Spirit of God And thou that scoffest at Revelation Inspiration c. knowest not the things of God but art in the Natural dark State thou speakest of And R. W. Thou sayst What a Noise we make about Vncovering the Head Knee Wearing of Lace c. and saying of You and Thou and Musick and Painting and thou callest it Idle Popish Trash and Trumpery Answ. These are thou and thy Protestants that make such a Noise about them Nay would'st thou not have us to be punish'd for doing those things p. 200. And What must we infer from all this R. W. would have his Musick and the Head Vncovered and Knee bowed to him and Wearing of Laces and You instead of Thou said to him and he is offended at us because we deny such things and so are the Papists his Brethren And we tell R. W. and his New-England-priests that they never shall know true Religion till their Flesh be Silent to know what it is to Tremble at the Word of God and to work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling for it is God that worketh in us both to Will and to Do. But this Voice and Motion hath R. W. not known nor heard yet R. W. Thou sayst The Papists and Quakers are Brethren in Iniquity in their Affirming â—hat the Pope is not the Anti-Christ Answ. And how can this be when G. F. said Anti-Christ was come in the Apostles Days and the World went after him And thou and ye New-England-Priests and the Papists that are inwardly Ravening from the Spirit and Grace and Truth in the heart and Anointing and Word and Faith there though ye do profess Christ and the Apostles Words in the Sheeps-Cloathing and drink the Blood of the Saints as the Papists and New-England have done must needs be the Whore and Anti-Christ your Fruits have declared it and thou art Stirring up the Magistrates to punish us who were the Livery of the Bloody Whore R. W. Thou sayst The Papists change their Names and why the Quakers guided by the same Hellish Spirit and Fancy are so tender about owning their Old Names Answ. Let the Reader see how Angry this Old Doting Man is where had any Quakers changed their Names as the Papists have done this is no Comparison But I must tell thee as John said He that overcometh hath a New Name And Our Names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life and doth R. W. think this is the Old Name nay this is not And yet we do not say we are weary of our Old Names which our Parents have called us by But will R. W. say that was a Hellish Spirit that changed Paul's Name and therefore was he like a Papist And if thou dost call the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Truth a Hellish Spirit and so blasphemest against the Holy Ghost remember Christ's Sentence R. W. Thou sayst again The Papists and Quakers are led by one Spirit of feigned Holiness c. Monkish Solitariness c. must be sequestred from Wordly Business is the Beggars Life and Paul wrought night and day with his hands which I never read of any of these Lying Apostles Quakers in all their Travails to have done Answ. All people may Judge thee here Led with a Lying Spirit For of whom hath our people Begg'd and where are our Nuns and our Fryaries thou fillest up thy Book with such Lying Stories The Spirit of God Leadeth us to no such things no more then he did the Apostles But R. W. to prove us that we are not According c. as thou sayst because thou hast not read that we labor night and day in our Travails as the Apostles and therefore our Doctrine our Practice our Faith and our Religion must not he according to the Apostles Herein he hath proved all his Priests in New-England not to be in the Doctrine of the Apostles which have so much a Year which the Apostles had not and that you are gone from the Religion Practice and Profession of the Primitive Messengers and Teachers And it is known that we have Labored night and day in our Travails though he hath not read it and have not been Chargeable to any and coveted no Man's Gold nor Silver And let him enquire in Rode-Island and Long-Island whether J. B. did not work there or no R. W. Thou might'st have kept that at home to say The Quakers Tongues and the Papists are both spitting and belching out Fire from one Fire of Hell Answ. And this is thy
unto therefore he Judgeth that ours Attaineth no higher than his own And poor Man how can he do otherwise when he blasphemeth against the Light of Christ which We are commanded by Christ to believe in and to receive him in us and so no Reprobates R. W. Bringeth forth his Tenth Position That the Popes of Rome do not swell with and exercise a greater Pride then the Quakers have express'd and would aspire unto although many truly humble Souls may be Captivated amongst them And R. W. Thou say'st Thou hast a spacious Field to walk in the Pride of Christ Jesus his pretended Triple-Crowned Vicar and the Pride of the New Papists pretending to be Christ himself and under the Papists he means us Answ. As for the Papists as we have often said let them Answer for themselves And where did ever any of the Quakers pretend to be Christ Jesus we charge R. W. that he shew it there is no such thing in G. F.'s Answer which he quoteth to prove his false Charges But as for his calling us New Papists truly this hits himself and his New-England-persecutors whose Image they have born their BLOODY HANDS and their Laws declare it they be in the Spirit of the Old Papists and not we who suffered Death by both of them both in Rome in France and in New-England and we may very well call it NEW ROME R. W. And thou tell'st us of the Devil's Pride and Condemnation in Spiritual Gifts Priviledges and Excellencies this was the Devil's Break neck and will be of the Pope's and Quakers c. Answ. R. W. and dost not thou say pag. 154. Thy Hope is that many of us may come to Abraham's Bosom and now dost number us with the Devil's Pride and our Necks must be broken with him and the Pope And under the Devil's Condemnation R. W. might have applied this at home better and to many of the New-England-Church then to the Quakers But R W. and the New-England-Priests we would have you make good by Scripture what Spiritual Knowledge the Devil hath and Spiritual Gifts and Priviledges and Spiritual Excellencies For Christ saith There is no Truth in him the Devil and then what spiritual Knowledge spiritual Gifts spiritual Priviledges and spiritual Excellencies hath the Devil describe them and let us see where they be written in the Scriptures that Christ and the Apostles said so much of the Devil as thou hast done R. W. Thou say'st As to the Quakers they know it is not yet time to put on the Eagle's and the Lion's but the Sheep's and Foxe's Skin and say'st But if let loose the Quakers Spirit would scorn to come behind the Pope Answ. Thou and the New-England-priests might very well have applied this at home who have gotten the Sheep's-Skin but have been the Wolves and Foxes devouring the Lambs But it is the Pope's Spirit and not the Quakers who have shed the Blood of Christ's Martyrs So have the New-England-People SHED our BLOOD for the Testimony of Jesus But we and the Reader may understand that their Guilty Consciences are afraid of an Eagle to be let loose upon them And is not the Fourth Angel pouring out his Vial upon your Head that maketh thee to Blaspheme and the Fifth upon the Seat of the Beast that you Gnaw your Tongues so and Blaspheme the God of Heaven So it 's clear that ye are not Come behind the Pope's Spirit who have SHED the BLOOD of the Lambs of Christ And so the Comparison is true between you and the Pope and not the Quakers whom thou wickedly slanderest And W. Edmond saying That thou had'st slandered many people both in Old England c Did this fright thee This was not a Boasting of our Numbers as thou scoffingly say'st W. Edmond was a fit Man to make a Bonifacius or a Hildebrand and J. S. also c. and all of them are ready to cry up Diana whom all Asia and the World worshippeth Answ. Now let the Reader see whether R. W. speak Truth or no Do All call Christ the Light with which he Lighteth every Man that cometh into the World and God whom we worship in Spirit and Truth as Christ commanded above Sixteen hundred Years since Diana whom the World worshippeth What an Enmity is in R. W. against Christ his Light and the Worship of God! as John 4. And as for his Saying Bonifacius and Hildebrand which W. Edmond and J. S. is so fit to make This he might have very well applied at home to his New-England-Priests and see his Boniface there and BLOODY persâ—cution ready made J. S. they cast him in the Goal and Nicholas Alexander a Justice of Peace of Jamaica when they came to visit their Friends they cast him in the Goal And this was their Entertainment in New-England R. W. And thou say'st In their first Creeping like Hercules out of the Cradle how doth this Spirit dare the Spirits of Kings c. to Thou and Thee to the Faces of Mighty Monarchs with what â—râ—zen Faces c. Answ. The Reader may see what a plague the word THEE and THOV is to R. W yet was the Language of Christ and the holy Men of God both to Superior and Inferior And R. W. who calleth himself an Orator what hath he not read his Accidence and Grammar Plural and Singular Is the Practice of this called Brazen Face by R. W Then why do they teach the Children Plural and Singular AND for their First Creeping like Hercules c. Plainly this might the New England-priests and professors very well applied to themselves What Protestations of Religion have they made in their First Creeping out And how at last they threw it all down and turn'd it into Persecution both among themselves and Strangers R. W. And thou art offended because we do not Bow our Knee and Vncover our Heads which thou call'st Reverence c. Answ. Is not R W. worse then the Turk here and more fonder of his superstitious Honor For doth not the Turk say The Christian spends most of his time in shewing of his Bare Head But where did the Apostles or Christ command that the Christians should Put off their Hats one to another and Bow their Knee and say YOV to a Single Person We do charge R. W. and the New-England-priests to give some Scripture for it seeing they make so much to do about it And W. Edmond saying Whist Whist upon this thou scoffingly call'st him Pope Edmondson Nicholas Easton the Governour was not offended at it and what should R. W but only proud Pharisee-like seeking the honour one of another and is offâ—nded because he hath it not And if the Honor was sought which cometh down from above this would be laid into the Dust. BVT hath not R. W. who looketh so much at Putting off the Hat and Bowing the Knee proved himself to be Like the Pope here and not the Quakers who Put off the Hat and Bow their Knee neither to him nor the
Author and Finisher of their Faith nor a Means of their Faith for had not they Faith in God before and Solomon and Moses did that which God commanded them And wilt thou say that Clay and Spittle was the Author of the Faith of Christ and none of these threw out God or the Father as being the Author of their Faith for those things were done by Faith R W. And thou say'st O what a throwing Spirit who toss and throw the Eternal and the Invisible God and his only begotten Son in their wild fancies as if they were Wool and Feathers of Lambs and Chickens which these Foxians have devoured Answ. As to Devouring Lambs and Chickens of Christ thou might have kept this at home for it 's thy own work And we must tell thee that the Eternal Invisible God cannot be tossed nor his only begotten Son who sits at his Right Hand cannot be tossed at all much less like Wool and Feathers as thou wickedly speakest and in this thou hast manifested that thou hast little knowledge of God or Christ who say'st They can be tossed like Feathers And is this the Mad Doctrine of the Priests in New England let the Reader see if Nebuchadnezar and Darius had not more Knowledge of God then R W. who saith God may be tossed like Feathers read Dan. 4 3 34. and c. 7 14 27. Isa. 40 28. Psal. 41 13. Psal. 19 2. 1 Pet. 1 11. 1 Tim. 6 16. And as for thy Throwing Spirit and Wild Fox thou may'st keep it at home for our desires are that all may come to Christ their Saviour and Salvation and not have them devoured by such a Spirit as thine is And thou must not think that the Eternal God can be tossed like thy self this is a base Language but the Lord will rebuke thy Spirit and it is a shame to the New-England-Priests if they have any to encourage this Orator in Printing this Unworthy stuff And the Quakers do not deny that the Scriptures are a Record of Heaven and a Record of the being of the Eternal Power and God-head of the Practice of the holy men of God and the death and sufferings of Christ and of the holy Men of God c. And is not the Scripture a Declaration of the Faith of God and of Christ and the holy Men of God Luk. 1. R W. And thou say'st For is it not a writing or Record of Heaven Answ. These are thy own words For the Quakers say The holy men of God spoke forth the Scriptures as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and they do believe that the Scriptures are a True Record of the glorious works of his Creating and Forming the Earth and the Sea and all things therein and of Making Man and Woman in his Image and of the Fall of Man-kind from their glorious First State in Paradise which R W. saith some talk Idly to be Every day Roger go and tell them of it to their faces and not backbite them R W. And thou say'st Which mysteries the Quakers have only from the Scriptures Answ. For the Apostle saith Through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear Heb. 11. now what will R W. and his Company say to the Apostle here And we say that the Scripture doth declare of the Promise of the Father of Mercies and of Christ a Restorer a Redeemer of fallen Man-kind who is a Maker-up of the breach and how that the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head that made the breach And the Scriptures are a Record of all the Travails of the Children of Israel with all their Types and Figures which Christ is the Substance of who set up his worship in Spirit in Truth above 1600. years ago Joh. 4. And we say and believe that the Scriptures are a True Record of Christ's fulfilling the Promise of the Father and Prophets and of his Birth Life Doctrine Miracles Death Resurrection Ascension of the Son of God the Man Christ Jesus And it 's a true Record of the Believers in the Light of Christ before he was Crucified and after his Ascension and of his glorious Church in the Primitive times which he was the Head of And we believe it 's a true Record of the Apostacy of such as are err'd from the Faith and from the Spirit and inwardly ravened and become Anti-Christs and went forth from the Apostles and such as went in Balaam's Cain's and Korah's way and became Raging waves of the Sea casting up mire and dirt like R W. spoken of in Jude and became Gain-sayers of the Truth and Killers about Religion like Cain and the New England Priests and People And R W. c. would have us punished and here you appear with your Horns like them that are spoken of in the Revelations against the Lamb and his followers but the Lamb will have the Victory Glory to God for ever And the Writing in the Revelations is a true Record of the Whore drinking the blood of the Saints and the Beast making War with them which Beast rise out of the Sea and out of the Earth and so not from Heaven and the Beast received his power from the Dragon and so not from God nor Christ by which he persecutes his Saints And of the Witnesses Rising and of the Church's going into the Wilderness and of the Beast taken and the Dragon and the false Prophet cast alive into the Lake of Fire and of the burning up of the Whore and of the Marriage of the Lamb and the Everlasting Gospel Preached again to all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and of the Heavenly Jerusalem and of the Nations of them that are saved shall walk in the Light of the Lamb c And doth any come into this City but by the Light of Christ and the Scriptures are a true Record of such as are without the City Whoremongers Dogs and Lyars c. like R W. that hath so belyed the People of God And the Spirit and the Bride saith Come to this City and Tree of Life and Let him that heareth say Come let him that is a thirst Come and whosoever will let him take of the water of Life freely And we believe all that is written in the Scriptures of Truth and can sing Hallelujah and praise the Lord for all his Mercies that he hath revealed to us through his Son And the Scripture is a true Record of the Joys of the Saints in this life and after this life and of the Torment of the wicked as Christ saith Go ye Cursed c. in his day of Judgment And thou say'st It may be G F. and the Quakers will say they grant all this Answ Yes and more too which is not mentioned here R W. Saith I question whether you speak bona fide and in truth without Jesuitical Equivocations Answ. We abhor thy words and
up his Cross and deny himself he that will be his Disciple and they must Die with Christ if they Live with him and suffer with him if they Reign with him and his Spirit teacheth Temperance Patience and Holiness yea to deny that which is Unholy both in Word and in Thought And the Righteousness of Christ Jesus is our Fine Linnen and it is God and Christ that doth justifie by the Spirit who art thou that dost Condemn And where did we say that Our Holiness is Christ and God though we cannot deny Christ to be Our Holiness c. who deny Self-holiness R. W. And thou say'st I know the Writers of the Quakers make this high Obedience to be the Crown of some high Saints among them as the Papists do and that others come not so high are taken by the fleshly Spirit and Repent and Confess and be more watchful as they say in a Contradiction of J. Naylor Answ. These are most horrid Lyes and Reader see if G. F. speaketh any of these words in his Answer to T. H. as to the Crowning of high Saints like the Papists for their Obedience or Making their Obedience a Crown for it is the Lord Jesus Christ that Crowneth his Saints that believe in his Name and grow up in his Grace and Truth And as for a Fleshly Spirit and Repent and Confess this you may apply at home for we own no Repentance nor Confession but what is made by the Spirit of God in which we have Unity and for Exhorting to the watchful that is Christ's Doctrine And it is no Contradiction to say He that is born of God cannot sin for the Apostle John explaineth this in his Epistles better than thou can'st which the Quakers own which thou makest a great Jumble about For the Apostle saith He that believeth is born of God and overcometh the world and is not that the world in mens hearts and he writeth to Young-men and Fathers which had Overcome the Wicked one and to Little Children that they sin not and if any man sinneth we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is a Propitiation for our sins and not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole World 1 Joh. 2. R. W. Thou say'st Yet again in a horrible Mystery of Iniquity they exclaim against the Protestants for saying A Child of God cannot fall from the true Grace Finally or Totally Answ. Here are no such words in G. F.'s Answer to T. H. Or how hangeth this together thou say'st They say He that is born of God cannot sin then how Can they Fall from the true Grace But what say'st thou to them that Crucifie the Son of God afresh and do despite against the Spirit of Grace and turn it into Wantonness and these are such as do not Own the True Grace of God which is their Teacher though it hath appeared to them nor do not Believe in the Light of Christ Jesus but hate it And If the Righteous Fall they rise again but the Wicked Fall into Mischief R. W. And thou say'st Here is a Mystery of Hellish Iniquity in that they confess such a Man Christ to have been and his Blood-shedding the Types and real Predictions and Figures of him a real Death Resurrection and Ascension yet upon the point by a Devilish Chymistry evaporate all these and leave nothing but a Christ within as God and Man whose Name is now Light c. Motions within Answ. As for Hellish Mystery of Iniquity and Devilish Chymistry thou may'st keep at home for according to the Scriptures of Truth we do believe Christ Jesus his Birth Sufferings Resurrection and Ascension who fulfilled the Prophets and the Types and Shadows of him And what must we not call God and Christ as the Scriptures call them for God is called the Light and Christ saith I am the Light And though Christ is Risen and Sitteth at the Right hand of God yet he doth dwell In his Saints his Temple according to the Apostle's Doctrine as you may see 1 Cor. 6. and 2 Cor. 6. And what must not God's people Obey the Motions of the Spirit of Christ and his Light and to take heed to it by which they may see Christ their Saviour and Justification and Salvation and the Lord their Righteousness and the Apostle stirred up to Perfection and to Holiness which all the Saints are to follow R W. And thou say'st It is a Hellish Mystery of the Devil to Cosen poor souls with a Notion of the Difficulty and Hight of their profession and of Worshipping God in Spirit and Truth which they say no body in the world doth but they Spirit within Answ. Our good Profession which we make is of Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour who hath enlightned us to follow him and his Worship that he hath set up in Spirit and Truth and they that quench the Spirit and hate the Light and will not come to Truth cannot worship God in Spirit and Truth John 3.4 And this Truth and Spirit of God is Within people and thou or they that draw people from the Truth in the Inward parts and Spirit within you draw them into the Hellish Mystery and Cosen poor souls as thou speakest of for coming to Christ and his Worship And whereas thou say'st Thou toldest them of an Image in the Bed but David was gone c. but this is thy own Condition And then thou say'st That their Religion is one of the Easiest in the world Nay thou never trod the Path thou do'st not know what it is the Gallowses and Goals and Whip-Stocks manifest whether Our Religion be Easie. R. W And whereas thou tellest us What will delight our Ears and Minds to wit various Tunes of Musick c. Answ. But that which Delighteth Vs is the Lord Jesus Christ and his Holy Ghost and the Joy of the Lord is our Strength And that which thou applyest to Us thou may'st keep at home it 's thy own and none of ours R. W. And thou say'st If a poor soul give way an Inch and lets in one thought of yielding to the Voice of a Spirit within they are filled and ravished with Curious Notions of Justification Holiness and Righteousness God and Christ and the Spirit within them Answ. How endlesly do'st thou speak against the Voice of the Spirit of God in his People And the Apostle exhorteth Not to walk after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8 1 2 5 6 9 10 11 13 16 26 27. Rom. 12 11. and 1 Cor. 6 20 34. 1 Cor. 12 13. Gal. 5 5 16 18 25. Eph. 4 3 5 9. Phil. 1 27 That you stand fast in one Spirit Phil. 2 1 If any fellowship of the Spirit c and those are the Poor souls that do not hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches And they that Obey the Voice of God and Christ must Obey the motions of the Spirit and the Holy Spirit leadeth to Holiness
Spirit as literally and properly as the Scripture declareth him And thou say'st again That W. Edm. shewed but little Philosophy and Divinity Doth not the Apostle bid the Saints Beware of Philosophy and if they had known God and Divinity by it the Apostle would not have bidden them beware of it surely And thou say'st That W. Edm. affirmed that properly and really that Scripture of Wolves coming in Sheeps-Cloathing was to be understood Literally without Meaning And what meaning wilt thou give to Christ's Words are not Men called Wolves really that worry Christ's Sheep about Religion for Christ doth not say They are Wolves with four Feet and when Christ spoke Parables he said He that hath an Ear let him hear and sometimes he expounded them to his Disciples And the Scripture calling God a Father and a Husband and Christ a Rock and Christ's Believers are called a Body a House a Flock are they not really so for it doth not say They are a Flock of Sheep as outwardly or other Creatures nor an outward House c. And then thou goest on with a great Tale and tell'st What the Papists hold and what is amongst them Roger though thou and you of New-England are separated from the Church of Rome yet you are found in the same Old Spirit of Persecution R. W. And whereas thou say'st By God's holy and wise Permission the Devil sends out his old known Spirit of pure Invisibles and pure Immediate and pure Worshippers in Spirit and Truth Answ. Roger do not Blaspheme against the Holy Spirit of God For is not God's Spirit and Truth Holy and Pure in which he is Worshipped and is not God's Holy Spirit Invisible or is it Mediate R. W. And thou say'st This Spirit to wit of the Quakers being Cozen German to or Sworn Brother in Hellish Equivocation with the Jesuites c. Answ. These are thine and the New-England Priests Conditions as your Fruits have declared it for the Quakers obey the Commands of Christ who saith Swear not at all R. W. For thou say'st The Quakers Churches they are as they Childishly vapour Bodies without Wants or Distempers c. Answ. Reader see if there be any such Words in G. F's Answer for G. F. speaketh of the Mystical or Spiritual Body he doth not speak of Naturals nor Bodies of outward Families or Bodies of Nations and Cities or Armies Nor Visible Churches nor the Body of Visible Churches but the Spiritual Body For doth not the Apostle speak of a Spiritual Body and a Natural Body and so it is God that doth supply both And G. F. doth not speak of the outward Bodies of the Saints for is that Mystical R. W. And then thou say'st What known Divisions and Passions about J. Naylor's and others Cases what Envyings Cursings Apostasies and Moral Idolatry as that of Covetousness in this Colony known notoriously Answ. Thou hast not particulariz'd who they be and what is their Covetousness who is known so notoriously as thou say'st in that Colony therefore we look upon this as a Slandering of thy Neighbours for we question whether thou hast admonished them if it was so before thou told the World And as for Cursings and Envyings and Divisions thou mightst have kept that amongst you New-England Professors but if any one do not walk as becometh the Gospel we do Admonish them And if there be any Difference about outward Matters according to the Apostle's Doctrine we do end it amongst our selves according to Truth and Righteousness 1 Cor. 6 and God hath given us Judgment in such Matters as well as Spiritual R. W. And thou say'st I have fairly Collected that the Spirit of the Quakers tends to Incivility and Barbarisme and to suddain Assassinations Murthers and Persecutions Answ. This is thine and the New-England Spirits whose Persecution is known for you have proved it already And thou wouldst have us punished and yet thou wouldst not have it called Persecution as in thy 200 page Is not your Law standing by which you Murdered God's People and do not your Laws and thy stirring up to Punishment Collect or declare your own Spirit not to be the Spirit of Christ for where would it have any to be punished for Matters of Religion and Conscience towards God And so as for thy Lies and abusive Speeches we can say The Lord forgive thee if it be his Will R. W. And thou say'st I believe that I have and can further make it good that the Eternal Father of Mercies stops millions of Mischiefs in the world daily which the Natures Grounds and Principles of Men and the Quakers Spirit also now to turn and overwhelme the world withal Answ. Here thou hast manifested thy self to be of the Spirit of them that opposed Paul who said he was a Pestilent Fellow and a Turner of the World upside down And as for the Principles of Men beside the Quakers they may answer for themselves and thy Slanders may serve such as are given up to believe Lies but sober People that know us will not receive nor believe thy Lies but it will make more to believe the Truth which thou canst not stop But let the Reader see if R. W. in all his Rambling Reply hath said any thing to the Spiritual or Mystical Body which was G. F's Question R. W. And thou bringst J. Clapham his saying Men may be called of Men Masters and it is but a Cavel to deny it and they may deny to be called Father as well as Master And G. F. Ans. Thou hast in this denyed the Doctrine of Christ and slighted it who saith Be not ye called of Men Master for ye have all one Master which is Christ and ye are all Brethren and thou hast shewed thy self out of that Brotherhood And there is a Birth to be born which calls no Man Father upon Earth which thou art ignorant of And R. W. replyeth and falleth a Railing and calleth it G. Foxs's lame Answer Answ. Let the Reader see if it be not Christ's Doctrine which he might as well have called Christ's Doctrine Lame which he Preached to his Disciples R. W. And thou say'st Among other Foolish Passions and Affections haunting all Men and the Quakers especially these two are notorious viz. Pride and a lazy Ignorance these two are the Sir and Dame of most of these Wild Monsters Answ. R. W. might have kept this at home for it is his own Condition who kicketh at Christ's Doctrine that G. F. brings who saith Neither be ye called of Men Master for one is your Master even Christ and ye are all Brethren And he manifests himself to be in the steps of the Pharisees who love to be called of Men Rabbi And so for his Foolish Passion and Pride c. and Lazy Ignorance and wild Monstrous Spirit he may apply at home who doth not obey Christ's Doctrine And we know that those Opposites have written against Christ's Doctrine who love to be called of Men Masters and against us
c. And how can G. F. say That Christ suffered without his Person without the Gates of Jerusalem who yet is manifest within his People according to the Apostle's Doctrine And it was the Favour of Christ and the Love of God that Christ should die for Sinners and it is the Love and Favour of God that he should be made manifest in his People R. W. And then thou tellest a story of a King and General or Admiral which is to no purpose And the writings of G. F. where they come there is not G. F. except he be there Answ. But what is this to the purpose that Christ that suffered without the Gates of Jerusalem must not be manifest in his people by his Spirit Many may have the Scriptures that speak of Christ but if they have not the Son they have not Life as John saith And if thou owned'st that in the Truth which is spoken of Ephes. 2. and Gal. 2. thou wouldst not oppose the Quakers R. W. And thou confessest Faith is given of God c. and this Faith and belief is wrought by Christ Jesus and finished by him and may with a good sence be called Christ himself Answ. Let the sober Reader see if G. F. do mention in his Answer or any where else that Christ is Faith but the Authour and Finisher of it And how can Faith be wrought in Men's Hearts if Christ the Worker of it be not there also by his Spirit And then thou goest on in thy Story and tellst us a Story of Humph. Norton That he resolved Christ only into a Spirit c. This is like the rest of thy Slanders for we do not believe thee that Humphry Norton owned not the Man Christ Jesus but the Question is Whether R. W. and the New-England Priests will own Christ to be a quickning Spirit And as for Paul's saying to the Corinthians He was absent in Body yet present in Spirit this will prove that Christ by his Spirit is in his People though he be at the Right Hand of God And then thou tellest us a Story of Souldiers to no purpose against G. F's Answer of Christ being manifest in his Saints that suffered without And can any see Christ Jesus at the Right Hand of God but by his Spirit and his Light within did not Stephen see him by the Holy Ghost and was not that within And that is true which was sent to them that stood gazing As they saw him go so should he come as in Acts 1 10 11 which also said Ye men of Gallilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven the same Jesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall come in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven And did not Christ appear to his Disciples after his Ascension and to Paul and was manifest in his Saints and will come and Reward every man according to his Works as in Revelations And thou goest on and usest many words but to no purpose And if Christ be felt in the bruised Reed and the smoaking flax and the poor in Spirit and to feed the Hungry and Thirsty is not this all within and is not he the Hope of Glory manifested within his People and doth not the sup with the Saints and the Saints sup with him the Heavenly Supper And doth not he stand at the door and knock but you will not open and cleave to his Light and receive him And without his Light you may seek Day and Night and grope in the dark and never find him R. W. And thou sayst There is a false Feeling of Christ a false Conception in a Woman and how many are bold to cry Lord Lord open for we have Prophecy'd in thy Name Answ. Truly Roger this is thy own Condition and the New-England Priests and Professors in the False Feeling and Conception that do not believe in the Light as Christ Commands but persecute them that believe in the Light and truly feel and are become Children of the Light and have brought forth the true Birth and are graffted into Christ. R. W. Thou say'st I will not say as G. F. hath said All that have not my Feeling or Working of Christ are Reprâ—bates Answ. G. F's Words are the Apostle's Doctrine who saith If Christ be not in you you are Reprobates c. 2 Cor. 13 and therefore he bids them Prove and Examine themselves and so it is every true Christian's Duty R. W. And whereas thou say'st Yet this I say as Solomon A Whore is loud and clamorous Truly R. W. thou art of her for I never heard so many clamorous Words from a Man's Mouth in my Life as from thine but it is well thou hast shewed thy Spirit which will be abhorred by all sober Men and Women And then thou say'st The Devil spoke as Holy and Heavenly VVords as Angels could have spoken yet it was but the Devil in Samuel's Mantle Answ. R. W. this is thy own Condition for thou may'st bring the Scriptures as the Jews and the Devil did that tempted Christ and oppose him as the Jews did in they days of his flesh as he being the man Christ So now thou opposest his Divinity and the divine Light which is the Life in the Word which Light his believers believed in and which Light shines in their hearts and gives them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus 2 Cor. 4. R. W. And thou bring'st Giles Ferman G. F. Fol. 117. Saying Paul Swore after Christ and the Angels Swore I wonder Paul should so forget himself and Sin so fearfully in Swearing So the Quakers Light that denyes Swearing is of Satan and not the Light of Christ. G. F. Answers to G. Ferman Christ the Light which Satan is out of who is the Oath of God endeth all Oaths Sworn by Prophets or Angels whatsoever and who Swear be fallen into the Condemnation of the Devil And it is no where said that Paul Swore but such as thou art matter not what you speak So that spirit that Preaches for Swearing is not the spirit of Christ. But the Spirit of Anti-Christ Preacheth up that which Christ and the Apostles Preached down and Preached condemnation to them that Swear R. W. Replyeth though he hath left out Preacheth Condemnation to them that Swear of G. F. words and also hath left out That which thou preachest up to wit Swearing Christ and the Apostles Preached down So here and there thou hast taken some of G. F's Words And further thou say'st that G. F. dare not deny but the Angel and Paul Swore after Christ and yet thou say'st that Christ put an end to Swearing and that it is not said that Paul Swore and callest it G. F.'s old Song Answ. Here thou contradicts thy self for G. F. saith It is no where said that Paul Swore And if the Angel did Swear is it not said in the Scripture I will bring forth my Begotten into the world let all
word Lye and is it Civil for thee with the Mittins And we know that Christ after his Resurrection appeared unto his Disciples and that the Holy Ghost came to his Disciples after his Ascension but what is all this to the purpose to disprove G. F's Answer That Christ doth not dwell in his Saints now and that the Holy Ghost is not in them now And we do believe of Christ's birth sufferings Death and Resurrection and Manifest in people who will Judge the world in Righteousness R. W. And thou say'st That we maintain Christ's Second Coming to be Spiritual And doth R. W. maintain his coming to be Carnal And thou say'st They count all gazing fools that look after a man for Christ is come unto them in Spirit and in them he maintains his great Assizes and now passeth Judgment upon men by them c. Answ. Doth not Christ dwell in his peoples hearts by his Spirit and doth not he there Judge down Sin Evil that is in the hearts of Men and doth not he give a Judgement to his Saints to Judge the Evil of the world read 1 Cor. 5 And must the Saints deny this Judgement that he giveth his people because Christ will Judge the world in Righteousness and reward every man according to his works Nay Roger thou must feel it for belying and vilifying his people And if you look after Christ as a Carnal Man may they not call you Fools who is called the Second Adam THE LORD FROM HEAVEN R. W. And thou say'st If these poor filthy dreamers lived without food and Physick c. without procreation c. Answ. We may say to thee as Christ said to the Devil Man liveth not by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God And as for thy saying VVithout procreation and bringing forth of Children without the Stinks of Nature c. and a great deal of such Rambling stuff which thou hast filled thy book up withall thou may'st keep at home and where did ever the Prophets or Apostles use such Language concerning Marriage which is an Ordinance of God or of Nature which is good in it self And as for thy speaking of Eating of the flesh of Christ until they bâ—come Christ himself which thou say'st is Simple Monstrous and Blasphemous c. let the Reader see if there be any such words in G. F's Answer or if they be not words of his own forging and Lyes But we cannot deny our bread from Heaven for all R. W's Lyes and Slanders for which we can praise God for it as the Apostles did who are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone And thou tell'st of Manicheans and of a Frantick Spirit As for the Manicheans these thou might'st have kept at home R. W. And thou say'st This Frantick Spirit saith Is not Christ in us how is he distinct from us what need you ask me how I do can Christ be sick can Christ do but well speaking of themselves And thou Observest God's wonderful Stroke in this world upon three sorts of persons c. Answ. It were well if R. W. did see the Stroke of God upon himself and let others alone to stand or fall to their own Master And Reader is there any of these Expressions in G. F's Answer to Tho. Moor for he hath not named any that hath spoken such words as he hath forged here And was that a Frantick Spirit in the Apostle who said Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates but doth not Christ say I was thirsty hungry naked in prison a stranger and sick c. whether this was not Christ in his members and if so then whether R. W. and the New-England-Professors have not been persecuting him all this while as the persecuting Jews did who looked on him as a Deceiver And as for the other Scoffing words we leave them they are not worth mentioning as in the 62 63 64 pages may be seen R. W. And thou bring'st S. Hamond Fol. 186 who saith What Warrant have you to go out to the Quakers shall a Man go hear the Jews and Popish Mass because Paul bids Try all things No no. And G. F. answereth Paul biddeth us Quench not the Spirit and where the Spirit is not quenched they may try Papists Jews Protestants who quench not the Spirit But who quench the Spirit and draw People from the Light within they draw them from that they should See withal then you stuff them up with Old Authors and Lying Stories as you Print abroad R. W. instead of Replying he asketh Questions Whether the Jews Papists or Idolaters have the Holy Spirit and whether they may go to hear God speaking in his Holy Promise among them c. Answ. Have not the Jews the Old Testament and the Papists the Old and New as well as thou to speak of And do not they hate the Light of Christ and quench the Spirit as well as thou and persecute them that believe and walk in it and I ask R. W Whether he can judge of them without hearing of them or reading of their Books And doth not the Lord say He would pour out of his Spirit upon all Flesh as well as thee though they grieve it and lighteth all as well as thee though they and thou hate it R. W. And thou say'st May I hear a Papist a Jew or an Idolater a False Worshipper c. when I am convinced that they speak not from the Holy Spirit c. Or May I go to worship God with them when thou believest they worship a False God Answ. If thou wast convinced with the Holy Spirit of God as we are then thou couldst not join with any false Worship nor hear them to uphold them in it for with the Spirit they are tryed and not followed in which Spirit of Truth God is worshipped But is it not Sam. Hamond's and R. William's Intent here that they would not have the People to hear the Quakers and to worship God in the Spirit and Truth Though the Apostles went up and down into all Nations to Preach the Gospel yet they did not join with their VVorships and hold them up and they that are convinced of the Falseness of them they have tryed them R. W. And thou say'st May I hear a False Prophet or be present at any False Worship but with Actual Reproving of them and labouring to reduce them c. Answ. If thou werest in the true Spirit out of the false lying slandering Spirit thou mightst Admonish and Reprove if thou wast in the Spirit of God as the Apostles were in but how cometh it to pass that the New-England Professors who are the Pesecutors and False Prophets cannot bear such as Actually reprove them And why do the New-England Professors make the Quakers pay Five shillings a day that do not go to hear them when they are convinced and have proved them and tryed them that they do not speak from the Spirit of God
Darkness to Light turn People to the God of the World what Blasphemy is this R. W. But thou say'st The Scripture is but a Dead Letter the true Christ is within thee he will turn thee from thy Sins and make thee Perfect as he is and he is come in us Ten Thousand of his Saints c. Thus thou mockest Answ. R. W. hath not proved that the Letter of the Scripture is Living for Christ saith Search or Ye search the Scriptures but ye will not come unto me that you may have Life for they are they that Testifie of me they Testifie of the Life but Christ doth not say They are Life or Living And doth not Christ shew People their Sin else how doth he Convince them of their ungodly Deâ—ds And doth not Christ say to his Apostles Be ye Perfect as your Heavenly Father is Perfect and what dost thou kick against this Doctrine We do confess that Christ Liveth in our Hearts and if he live not in your Hearts you are Roprobates the Apostle saith R. W. And whereas he scoffingly saith He within thee is the Word of God the Christ of God the Light of God the Spirit of God God himself and He seeks Worshippers in Spirit and Truth And then thou say'st What is in all this but the noise of Fenny Bitter in Hollow Canes c what is here but that two Common Businesses may reach to 1. The Conscience of Good and Evil which every Savage Indian in the world hath 2. The Whisperings the Blindings and Cheatings of the Devil in Samuel's Mantle Answ. Here the Reader may see that R. W's Words are nothing in Answer to G. F's Assertion But what must we infer from R. W's Words but that the Preaching of the Word of God in the Heart and Christ within People except they be Reprobates and God Walking and Tabernacling in his Saints and the Spirit of God to lead his Saints into all Truth that they may be his Sons and the Light that shineth in their Hearts that giveth them the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ Jesus and the Worship of God that is in the Spirit in which he seeketh People to worship him These Doctrines saith R. W. are such a Conscience of Good and Evil as every Savage Indian in the world hath And further he saith These Doctrines are the Whisperings Blindings and Cheatings of the Devil pretending saith R. W. Vowing and Swearing to be the Word of the Lord to be Jesus Christ yea and that to your Feeling c. This is an Horrid Lie he knoweth it in his own Conscience for we neither Vow nor Swear but Christ Jesus the Word we feel to our Comfort and Salvation but what Comfort in this Doctrine hath he to poor Sinners And after this thou Contradictest thy self and say'st That Christ Jesus is the Door of Hope to poor Sinners here thou grantest what G. F. asserts and what thou hast been Cavilling against and so Contradictest thy self which is frequent with thee But Roger is the Worship of God in Spirit and Truth a Temporal and Visible thing prove this by Scripture and prove to us by Scripture That God and Christ and his Spirit is called a Conscience of Good and Evil and whisperings and blindings and cheatings in Samuel's Mantle Also pag. 74. he saith to this purpose Natural Men until Chang'd and Born again do but prate as the Devils do but in Contradiction to that he saith pag. 79. That it is by Outward hearing or reading and inward Convictions of Natural Conscience God hath passed Sentence of Eternal Death R. W. must this then be an Inward or Spiritual Hearing of this Sentence And when People come to see their Sins by the Light of Christ then People Cry out to Christ the Saviour the Gospel the Good News for Salvation from him they Receive this Gospel their Healing and Setteth them out of Prison and free from their Sin and with his Light it is they see themselves Blind and with his Light they see his Spiritual Eye-Salve and his precious Blood which Cleanseth from all Sin But these are too good and soft Words for thy foul Spirit and full Stomack who hast cast out so many Lies against God's People R. W. And thou bringest-in Ellis Bradshaw Fol. G. F. 224. saying There is more Words than one G. F. Answ. God is the Word and the Scriptures are the Words which Christ fulfilleth And R. W. replyeth As the Design of the Bloody Pope and Jesuites are to kindle Wars between the Protestants that the Protestants may do the Papists work so deals the Devil the old Serpent with Christ Jesus and the Holy Scripture which are but one in a Sense as the Sun and the Sun-Dial his end is to tear down the Sun-Dial c. under pretence that the Sun is within them and they need no Dials or Clocks no Visible thing that is Temporal c. and so to destroy the Person and Commands of Christ as Visible and Fleshly pretending all to be Light and Spirit Answ. Reader what is this to G. F's Answer But R. W. have not the New-England Priests and Professors done the BLOODY Pope's work as thou call'st him and art not thou a doing it and would they be so careful of the Scripture but that they make a Trade of it and under a pretence of Scripture and Dials without do the Devil's work to throw at the Spirit and Christ in Peoples Hearts and tear him out there if you could But I must tell thee R. W. that as to Christ himself and his Person though he was Dead yet he is Alive and Dies no more and he is out of your Reach and you cannot persecute him any more though they and thou may persecute him in his Members that keep the Commands of Jesus And as to Visible and Fleshly pretending and the Visible and Temporal things thy Clocks and Dials which are thy Helps to know the Invisible know this thou may'st pore on them till thy Eyes rot in their Holes and never know the Lord Jesus Christ but by Revelation R. W. Thou say'st The word Dabar in Hebrew and Logos in Greek signifie the Word c. and that it is a Metaphor to say God is the Word for God is no more a Word than he is a Man or a Spirit c. Answ. Dost thou not here gain-say John's Doctrine who saith The Word was God and wilt thou give Christ the Lie that saith God is a Spirit Joh. 4. but prove this by Scripture that John did say That it is a Metaphor to call God the Word Then dost not thou Contradict thy self and say'st The Man Christ Jesus is called the Word but was not he called the Word that was called God and did not this Word take Flesh did Christ suffer and die as he was God or according to the Flesh since 't is said The Word liveth and abideth and endureth for ever Thou say'st That G. F. confesseth that
of Christ's mouth that which is not of him was not that of Christ that he breathed upon his disciples when he said Receive ye the Holy Ghost what was that a Figure of if not of a Participation of his own Breath Life and Spirit and if so it seemeth this that cometh out of Christ's mouth must be his breath By the Brightness of his Coming and the Breath of his mouth he shall destroy the man of sin that is by his Spirit what now Roger is it not Christ's Breath that goeth out of his Mouth that destroyeth and is it not his Breath his Spirit doth not both the Hebrew and the Greek say so wherefore the Sword with Two Edges that cometh out of Christ's mouth is the Spirit by which he destroyeth and will destroy the man of sin and all such scornful men as thou art if you repent not R. W. Theâ—e great Interpreters are confounded in themselves for in Ephes. 4. the Spirit must be the Sword but in Hebr. 4. Christ must be the Sword with two edges being the Word of God and not the Spirit Answ. Thou writest as if thou ravest there is no such passage in Ephes. 4. Next for Hebr. 4 there is no such thing as making Christ the Two-edged Sword For the words are That the Word of God is sharper then any Two-edged Sword but that the Scriptures are not Christ and the Spirit as thou wouldst have it neither can they pierce even to the dividing asunder of soul and Spirit and of the joynts and marrow nor are they a discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart this were to make the Scripture a Spiritual and Invisible Being yea an Omnipresent one yea God For they declare that he that searcheth the Heart and trieth the Reins and telleth unto man his Thoughts the LORD OF HOSTS is his Name Thou art like the Apostate Jews that by thinking to Honour the Scripture dishonour God Christ Spirit and Scripture too But thou callest us Juglers for shifting from Christ to Spirit and Spirit to Christ again what Vnsavoury Words hast thou Is not Christ Jesus called the Word of God and is he not called the Quickning Spirit and is not the Spirit Christ's Spirit and can Christ be separated from his own Spirit but thou art Ignorant of that Vnion being in the Death and Alienation from Christ and his Spirit R. W. But it is Objected by G. F. That the Spirit was before the Scripture and gave forth the Scripture I answer What then G. F. is before his Book and gave it forth is it not therefore G. F's Word and Writing but G. F. himself Or is not the King's Majesty before his Declaration to the World is it not therefore the King's Word or is it the King himself Answ. What I say is true and R. W. shall not be able to deny it if he own plain Scripture For before the Scriptures were the Word was it was In the Beginning so were not the Scriptures The Word was with God and was God so were never the Scriptures All things were made by it that were made but nothing was ever Created by the Scriptures therefore not the Word of God but Words Again the Word of God that came to the Prophets was not the Written Word yet the Word therefore the Written Word was not that Word but a Declaration of that Word and came from the Word so that which was before the Scriptures and from whence they came is the Word and not themselves So that what thou Alludest to confoundeth thy self G. F. is before his Writing and the Writing is not G. F the King is bâ—fore his Declaration and the Declaration is not the King In like manner the Word is before the Scripture and the Scripture is not the Word but a Declaration of that Word and the Words of that great Word So we are for the Form of Sound Words that proceed from that Divine Word that dwelt in Enoch Abraham and the Patriarchs before the Scriptures were and in the Holy Prophets and Apostles before they gave forth the Old and New-Testament-Writings which they directed the Antient Saints to and desired that it might dwell richly in them R. W. Thou say'st This Immediate Inspiration of the Holy Scripture from the Spirit makes it a Word so powerful a Standard Touch-stone or Weights so perfect for the Tryal of all Spirits Writings Doctrines Religions Worships Actions c. Answ. The Immediate Inspiration of the Holy Scripture is no Scripture-saying neither can the Scripture Inspire Thou bringest-in From the Spirit if thou meanest that they are Given forth by Inspiration we own it if thou intendest more 't is Erroneous for Inspiration is by the Spirit of God only Now the Scripture is a Sâ—aled Book to thee and thy Generation neither knowest thou the Meaning of it for it is only given to the Spiritual Man to Discern he that is lead and guided by the Spirit but thou shuttest the Spirit out the Scripture is sufficient Wherefore thou art ignorant of the Scriptures for they are not to be learned but by the Spirit that gave them forth they are shut up from all the Wisdom of this World therefore the Jews understood them not but persecuted Jesus by them as they dâ—rkly imagin'd as thou dost us and thought in them to find Eternal Life and not in Christ whom they discerned not as thou dost not the Children of Light But do the Scriptures try Spirits they say the Anointing is to do it whom shall we believe But Roger Tryal of Spirits is more than Tryal of Doctrines Writings and External Truth What! if a Man profess all the Doctrines of the Apostles and were outwardly not to be condemned in his Conversation yet might have a Deceitful Spirit to gather to himself and endeavour to supplant the true Servants of God and an all occasions use the Words of the Prophets and Apostles and say Thus saith the Lord but God never spoke by him how wouldst thou try this Spirit and this Power what Chapter or Verse would give thee a Savour and Discerning of the Spirit of this Deceiver this Wolf in the Sheeps-Cloathing to try not the Words but the Nature Life and Spirit that useth them But it hath ever been the Devil's Way in his Instruments since the Scriptures were given forth to pretend to Stand up for the Scripture when the Design is to war against and undervalue the Power Spirit and Anointing endeavouring to bring it into Disgrace But the Lord beholds these things and he will overtake such Evil Instruments with his Judgments and his Power and Spirit and Seed of Life and Holy Anointing which the Scriptures of Truth testifie of shall appear more and more and go over all R. W. Thou say'st further But the Pharisees saith G. F. had the Scriptures but they had not the Sword of the Spirit I answer The Jews had and have and so the Turks have had much of it the Papists and the Quakers
and Writing deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God and only that Frantick Light of Christ imagin'd by them to be in all Mankind to be the only Word of God yea is it of any use or more Value to them that have the Scriptures in their hearts as they say then a Dead Letter and an Old Almanack c. and thou say'st They undermine the Scriptures Answ. As for Face of Brass R. W. might have kept for himself his Face of Brass and Frantick Spirit he speaketh of we do not in no place in any of our Books or Writings as the Reader may see deny undermine or slight the Scriptures but do esteem them with the Spirit that led the Holy Men that gave them forth who learned them of God And they are called the Words of God and Christ is the Word of God who lighteth every man that cometh into the World with the Light which is the Life in the Word And this we must own if we own God and Christ and the Scriptures and are not a shamed of it afore men to wit of Christ the Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the World which thou callest Blasphemously that Frantick Light or Christ but Roger it will be thy Condemnation And we never compared the Scriptures with an Old Almanack or esteemed them so in that thou belyest us and we cannot give the Titles to Scriptures which are belonging to God and Christ for the Word became Flesh and so not the Scriptures And Christ doth not say that the Life is in the Letter but in him and they testify of him who is the Life But R. W. is the Life in the Letter and is the Letter Living seeing thou say'st The Scripture availeth nothing except the Spirit of God set them home upon us pag. 94 and dost thou not say then The Word is good for nothing as thou callest the Scripture without Life and what sense is this R. W And can any people know the Scriptures except by the Spirit of God which leadeth into all Truth of them which we say in Truth and Sincerity as Christ and his Prophets call them to be the Words of God and thou that say'st otherwise dost not thou Add to the Scriptures and read thy Portion Revelat. the last And when thou hast forged many Words of thy own then thou makest a Reply to them and fall'st a railing at them and dost not reply to G. F's Words and the Reader may see there is none of these bad Words in G. F's answer as thou here falsly assertest R. W. quoteth a Book from Holland G. F.'s fol. 356 saying That God hath put out the Remembrance of your sins and the Corruptions within you wherein you must fight all your life time G. F. Answ. Whilst the Sins you are fighting with-al are not blotted out in your own Particulars this is not the Life of the Saints that are not fighting all their Life-time but come to the Kingdom of God witnessing Sin and Iniquity blotted out and the Everlasting Covenant of Peace and Life with God R. W. replyeth and falleth a railing with many Vnsavoury Words and saith He shews no Knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek whence our English Scriptures come from them as a Daughter from the Mother and falls short of many English Writers who scorn to disgrace their Mother English by so much Bastard and False English c. Answ. Here R. W. would seem to be some Body in his Hebrew Greek and Latin and let the Reader see if he hath not Condemn'd himself in Judging G. F though some Words may have been mist in the Printing or in Paging as many have in his but he hath not shewn which is the False English in this Place R. W. saith further If ever any poor empty Soul have talked of God without God and the Holy Spirit within without them or any true Savour of them and of the Holy Writings c. without them or any true Reverence of them and Love to them of Light without any Spark of true Illumination c. Answ. How angry and furious is R. W. here this is thy own Talk R. W. and not G. F's And Poor Empty Soul thou mightst have kept at home for can any Talk of the Holy Spirit within and have not a Savour or Sense if it be truly there within which we witness and we do Reverence the Scriptures and God and Christ with his Holy Ghost by which the Holy Men of God did speak them forth But how now R. W. do I Talk of the Light without any Spark of true Illumination and yet so great a Talent of Wit and Reason which the Father of Lights hath given me what hast thou forgotten this in thy App. p. 108. R. W. Thou say'st That no Sin is blotted ouâ— until there be no more Root or Seed of it in the Soul to Fight against and these are thy own Words of which thou makest a large Reply and not mine for my Words are The Saints are not Fighting all their Life-time And thou bringest Paul and the Galatians to Combate with Flesh and Spirit Gal. 5. and Paul did not the things that he would c. and Eph. 6 and Luk. 21 and 2 Cor. 7. c. and Christ speaking to the Churches to Watch to Overcome to Repent c. Answ. What is all this to the purpose to prove That the Saints were Fighting all their Life-time and had a Combate all their Life-time all these Scriptures do not prove it nor Paul's Warfare For Paul as I said before to thee said He had FOVGHT the good Fight and he was made free by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus from the Law of Sin and Death though the Apostles and the Saints went through many Conditions before they came to this And the Prayer of Christ to Pray against Temptations c. so it is not a Sin to be tempted but a Sin to Enter into Temptation is owned And Christ's Prayer Forgive us as we forgive others c. if New-England-Priests and Professors had minded the Practice of this Prayer they had not CVT OFF THE EARS nor WHIPT or BANISHT SPOIL'D Goods and HANG'D God's People And doth not the Lord say I will blot out your Sins and your Sins and Iniquities I will remember no more and must not the Saints witness this upon the Earth in Growth in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the New-Covenant of Light R. W. saith If all that are in their Fancied Kingdom are freed from Sin and come to Peace and Joy why then do they themselves still confess to be subject to Quaking and Trembling as if they were at the Foot of Mount Sinai which indeed they are And then thou tellst of a False Peace Joy False Repentance Mortification Sanctification and Salvation c. Answ. R. W. that is thy own and Priests and Professors in New-England Condition and not ours And to Mount Sinai the
Light and an Idol thou and they deny Christ that bought you Worse than Peter that Deny the Light which he Commandeth to believe in And so you are Come Short of every Good Work but not of the Evil who would parallel your selves with the Faithful Messengers of Christ and finding Fault with them ye do not see your own selves for the Faithful had Victory R. W. He bringeth Thomas Hodges G.F. Fol 372. saying The Scripture speaketh of God after the Manner of Men. G. F. Ans. The Scripture speaketh of God after the Manner of the Spirit and to the Spirit whereby Men may receive him and know him by the Spirit which Natural Man cannot R. W. replyeth and beginneth with Railing Language as he useth to do and saith Here he denyeth the Heavenly Mystery of God revealing himself to us after the Manner of Men having Head Eyes and Mouth c. Answ. His Heavenly Mysteries God Revealeth by his Spirit doth he not doth not the Apostle say The Mysteries and Things of God are Revealed by the Spirit and R. W. can the Things and Heavenly Mysteries of God be Revealed but by his Spirit to Men And if God be likened to a Husband-man a Shield a Rock c. he is not these Outwardly for when God Revealed himself to Abraham and them he spoke those things to he Revealed them to them by his Spirit by which they understood them and by the same Spirit he Revealeth them now R. W. Thou tell'st us of a Late Speech of one of the best Philosophers and of the best Christians that Old or New-England ever had viz. Then shall we know to wit in the Next Life in Heaven in the Heavenly State to come how to answer that Great Question What is God but this Poor Wild-Asses-Colt G. F. he can resolve that Question c. and so goest on Scoffing Answ The Apostle saith He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Hebr. 11. and did not the Saints know what God is while they were upon Earth and must this be laugh'd at by you Philolosophers and is this the best Christian both of Old and New-England that saith We must know what God is in the heavenly State to come and what not in this Life then how will they know him to be a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him if they do not know what God is in this Life how can they know how to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth if they do not know him to be the Spirit in this Life and what must we Infer from R. W's Words his best Philosophers and best Christians That we must not know what God is in this Life Then you may know what the Devil is and not what God is in this Life and the Great Reason and Abilities he hath as R. W. saith And do not the Scriptures say God will dwell in the Saints and walk in them see Corinth and they were to glorify God in their Spirits and in their Bodies which were God's And is not he called a God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and God said unto him Walk thou before me and be thou perfect for I am God Almighty and All-sufficient and did not he know what God is and did not all the Saints know what God is that gave forth Scripture while they were upon Earth And did not John say We are of God 1 Joh. 4 and did not he know him what he is and John said God dwelled in him and he in God Joh. 4 15 16. and whosoever confesseth the Son of God hath God and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 Joh. 4. And G. F. doth know That God is and is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him blessed be his Name for ever And did not the Apostles and Prophets know this while they were upon the Earth before the Next Life and Heavenly State to come else how could they declare it if they did not know it That God is and is the Rewarder of all that diligently seek him whil'st they were upon Earth But R. W. thou art out of this Diligence and in an Evil Work against God's People that are diligently seeking him that know That God is c. R. W. Thou speak'st of the Devil blowing out the Candle and Torch and Sun of the holy Books and Records c. and then thou say'st Is it not the Devil's Trade to play the suttle Hunter as do also his Journey-men who ly in wait to Catch men and to trim his Pits and Gins and Snares with Green Leaves c. viz. Fair Pretences of the Spirit Immediate Spirit Infallible Spirit Teachings of the Spirit the Manner of the Spirit Speaking to the Spirit and Christ within you the Hope of Glory c. and these are fair Leaves thou say'st and sweet and heavenly green Boughs on which the Old Serpent twineth and from whence he uttereth even Scripture it self and the names of God and Christ and Spirit in a Frantick Purpose to Stab the holy Scriptures and God and Christ and Spirit also Answ. R. W. Thou must apply this at home and the New-England Priests and Professors Can the Devil blow out the Torch and Sun of the holy Books and Records what is this Sun thou hast not manifest it if he could he would have blown it out afore now but the Sun of Righteousness or Substance of the Holy Records is too hot for him to blow out for Christ will destroy and consume him with the breath of his Mouth and the Brightness of his Coming And the Devil and Antichrist may get the Form of Godliness and the Sheeps-cloathing and so from that to talk of Christ without but neither the Devil nor thou nor Antichrist can endure to hear the Talk of the Spirit within Christ within and of his Infallible Spirit and the Teaching of the Spirit and the Manner of the Spirit 's speaking to the Churches and Christ in you the Hope of Glory was not this the Doctrine the Apostles preached He that hath an Ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches and the Apostle was Minister of the Spirit And what dost thou Blasphemously call this Doctrine of the Apostles a Trimming of the Devil and his Journey-men its Gins and Snares and the Serpent's Twining with these fair Leaves green Boughs And so dost thou call the Apostle's Doctrine a Frentick purpose to stab the holy Scriptures and God and Christ and Spirit also and is not this Blasphemy in thee can the Devil catch God and Christ and his Spirit and stab them what is the Devil here greater then God Christ and his Spirit O R. W. the Envy hath blinded thee I must tell thee Christ destroyeth the Devil and his Works the Devil can not stab Christ nor God nor his Spirit but he will cast him alive in the Lake of Fire and the Lord will judge thee
without Distinction have the Spirit of God to profit withal 63 69. R. W. pag. 182 183 Swearing Paul Swore after Christ and the Angel Swore c. So the Quakers Light that denies Swearing is of Satan and not the Light of Christ. Giles Fermin pag. 119 120 Why may not Paul call God to Record 122. R. W. pag. 121 Sword The Sword of the Spirit the Word of God 161 155-157 159. pag. 158 Saints see Christ. Savor of the Spirit 183. Scriptures the Gospel 174. A Written Pardon ib. Separation see Gospel Jews Serpents 106. Sight 74 79 90. Sight of Sin 145 146. Sinai 197. Sinful see Spirit Sorceries 168. The Spirit the Leader 182. The Reprover 182 183. Supper within 33 94 118 pag. 126 128 T. TEacher They need no Scriptures no Teacher 154. R.W. pag. 69 Teaching We must not look for an Immediate Extra-ordinary Miraculous Teaching from the Lord. 202. R. Sherlock pag. 153 G. F. affirms That the Teachings of the Lord are not Mediate but Immediate and This great Wrester of Holy Scriptures saith They shall be all Taught of God 63 100 R. W. pag. 153 154 Teeth There is a Generation whose Teeth are as Swords pag. Id. 163 THEE and THOV They can Thee and Thou and Disrespect all Superiors c. 43 44 69. pag. Id. 36 Tindal W. Without the Spirit it is impossible to Vnderstand the Scriptures pag. 95 Tongues The Scriptures may be Vnderstood by the Help of Tongues Fol. p. 84. 96 97. Helps 149. M Bine pag. 93 If no Knowledge of Tongues then no Preaching Translating Reading c. which the Devil aims at with all his Might 98 99. R. W. pag. 94 95 Turk Their going to the Turk and Pope as they pretend pag. Id. 99 Sol. Temple 53. Titles 113. Rabbi 115. Father 116. Tongues Helps 149. Trembling 197. See Kingdom Trial pag. 130 160 V. VOice I dare these Self-Confidents to particularize any Scripture where the Spirit of God directs any poor Soul to Listen and Hearken to a Light and Voice within him affirming that this is the Hearing by which Faith is wrought 68 85-88 107 108 184 198 206. R. W. pag. 86 87 W. WEapons They prate against Carnal Weapons 45 137 139. New-England Weapons 31 32. R.W. pag. 34 Wolf When he turns the Wolf into a Lamb then we are Meek c. 111 152 189. pag. Id. 75 Woman The Woman is the Weaker Vessel and not so fitted for Manly Actions c. 57. pag. Id. 58 Women to pretend to be Preachers in Publick Assemblies 154. pag. Id. 59 Women to have no Commission by Christ to Preach c. are forbidden c. Vnnatural Boldness pag. Id. Ib. Womens Vailing to make much more for their Silence in Praying and Preaching pag. Id. 60 They to Instruct other Women as Occasion calls them from Home pag. Id. 61 Word There is more Words than one 30 88 94 147 150. Ellis Bradshaw pag. 149 God is no more a Word than he is a Man or a Spirit 84 94 156. R. W. pag. Ib. Whether the Written Word of the Prophets of which Peter speaketh be not a more Sure Word of Command and Comfort to us 74 155. pag. Id. 54 55 God calls his Mind his Word his Writings his Word c. pag. Id. Ib. Words Surely there shall be no other Words in their Mouths than what were the First Messengers c. 40 41 73. pag. Id. 47 World I find not that ever any Man or Men by all their Natural Light or Wit or Christ within could find out how the World or himself Man or Woman were Created 126. pag. Id. 62 63 Plato grants a Creation c. Aristotle asserts the World to have no Beginning nor Ending pag. Id. 51 52 The World in Men 's Hearts 67. Worldly Advantages pag. 152 153 Worship Worshipping God in Spirit and Truth they say no Body in the World doth but they 31 33 36 37 93 111 112 130 166. pag. Id. 68 They Worship a Dumb Devil in their Dumb Meetings c. and Listen pag. Id. 132 Writing What Fancy is it to Hearken ta a Pardon to a Writing within c. 19. pag. Id. 56 57 His End is To destroy the Coming of God 's Holy Records and Writings to poor lost Men to their Salvation 22. see Scriptures pag. Id. 94 Woods 143 189. Works 198 200 see Duty False Worships 63 64 121 122 130 147 148. Wrath 78 pag. 100 101 Y. YEA Yea Yea Nay Nay pag. 120 Z. ZION The CHVRCH of CHRIST is come to Mount ZION the City of the Living GOD c. pag. 13 14 A New-England Fire-brand Quenched OR An Answer to a Lying Slanderous Book Printed at Boston in the Year 1676. by one Roger Williams of Providence in New-England which he Dedicateth to the KING with Desires That if the most-High please Old and New-England may flourish when the Pope and Mahomet Rome and Constantinople are in their Ashes c. R. W. ANd in his Title-Page he begins thus George Fox digged out of his Burrowes Or an Offer of a Skirmish upon R. W 's 14 Proposals made this last Summer 1672. unto G. F. present on Rode-Island and that G. F. slily departing the Disputation went on as aforesaid And in his Narration of the Conference or Dispute he again asserts that he challenged G. F. by writing and all his Friends then met at Rode-Island and that then G. F. withdrew And farther in his second Page says he sent his Paper of Proposals unto G. F. at Newport And in the 4 and 5 pages he says he sent his Paper to Capt. Cranston Deputy Governour of Rode Island And further scornfully says The old Fox thought it best to run for it and leave the work to his Journey-men and Chaplains c. And in the 22 and 23 Pages he further says Within some few days after the Deputy Governour had delivered his Paper to them the strange Quakers as was agreed with G. Fox c. Answ. How dare R. W. to Dedicate such palpable Lies to the King For this R. W. never spoke to G. F. nor did G. F. receive any Letter from this R. W. and yet he impudently says p. 23 As was agreed with G. F. Nor did G. F. receive any of these 14 Proposals from him though he says These 14 Proposals were made last Summer unto G. F. and that he digged him out of his Burroughs Which Proposals G. F. not only never received but never saw nor so much as knew of them though R. W. scornfully and falsly says G. F. slily departed and that G. F. hath pluckt in his Horns as J. T. did c. But in this doth R. W.'s wickedness farther appear in that J. T. might have received Letters from him but G. F. never received any from him nor knew R. W. farther says He sent his Proposals to G. F. to Newport and yet pag. 4 says He sent them to the Deputy Governour Cranston But G. F. never so much as received or saw
the Ground of the Saints Faith and yet he saith The Scripture availeth nothing is of no value without the Spirit c Append. p. 94. And further we say If the Scripture was the Ground of the Saints Faith and the Scripture availeth nothing without the Spirit How was it that the Pharisees and the Papists whom thou mentionest so often had not Faith from that Ground for they all say they believe Scripture But what must we Observe from R. VV.'s Words here That the Scripture is the Ground of Christ's Faith and yet he will acknowledge Christ was before Scripture and Abraham Isaac and Jacob Abel Enoch and Noah had Faith before Scripture was written And now if Christ be the Author and Finisher of the Saints Faith and they are to look unto him I query Whether he be Scripture if it be the Ground of the Saints Faith And the Spirit of God which lead his Saints to give forth Scriptures leadeth into all Truth of them And the Spirit and the Scriptures are not at Odds one with another neither did we ever set them so as thou us in Effect chargest neither can the Children of God know the Scriptures given forth by the Spirit of God but by the Spirit of God within which thou scoffingly callest a Secret Whispering Voice within contrary to Scriptures And the Voice that owneth not the Scripture is not the Voice of the Spirit of God that gave them forth both before Christ's Coming in the Flesh and since And R. W. As to the Spirit 's Leading into all Truth the Sons of God thou answerest and say'st Is not Fox here in his Burrough not distinguishing betwixt the Extra-ordinary Leading of the Holy Apostles appointed to be the Eye-witnesses of Christ's Death and Resurrection c. Answ. What must we Infer from R. W's Words That because the Leading of the Apostles and Preaching the Resurrection of Christ Jesus by the Holy Ghost that others therefore were not reproved by the holy Ghost and must not every Son of God be led into all Truth to know Christ and his Resurrection but G. F. doth not say that all were Messengers and Apostles c. 1. Cor. 12. And thou â—urther sayst Yet all God's Children are Regenerated and Sanctified and dost thou not say in another place They must have a Combate all their Life and thou sayst That God's Children are Guided and Built up together an Habitation c. And then R. W. must not the Spirit of God be within and if so then thou ownest the Quakers Principle and confessest that which thou all this while hast been fighting against And as for what David said if he had been in thy Day thou wouldst have cried against him as thou dost against us who said I have hid thy Word in my Heart R. W. And this is the Devil's the Old Fox his Devilish Subtlety to make the Cloak of the Spirit 's extra-ordinary Assistance c. and the Angels Extra-ordinary Protection a Ground of Christ Jesus and his Servants flinging themselves down from the Pinnacle of the Temple and thou pretendest to tell us from God that this will be the Break-neck of the People called Quakers without Repentance every Soul of them Answ. How now R. W hast thou not here given rash Judgement against the Assistance and Protection and Sufficiency of the Spirit of Christ and his Grace which God saith is Sufficient to Paul in his Trouble And hast not thou broken thy own Neck here and falln down from the Pinnacle who dost not look at the Grace of God and his Light and Spirit to be Sufficient Is it sufficient to condemn them that Erre from the Spirit and turn the Grace of God into Wantonness And God sent an Angel and brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt and Exod. 23 20. Behold I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the Way vers 23. For my Angel shall go before thee and bring thee c. and Chap. 22 24 And behold my Angel shall go before thee And was not this Angel sufficient to bring them into the Land of Canaan if they hearkened unto him and is not Christ Sufficient by his Light Power and Spirit to bring us out of Spiritual Egypt and Christ saith to his Sheep that hear his Voice I give unto them Eternal Life and they shaâ—l never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my Hand John 10 28. But R. W. how canst thou say Thou passest thy false Judgement upon us from the God of Truth and yet sayst There is no Voice nor Motion within to be lissen'd or hearken'd unto in Heavenly Things in Matters that are Super natural pag. 83. R W. Thou say'st Our Principles and Practices are fâ—ll of Contradiction and Hypocrisy Answ. Our Principles and Professiâ—n are Holy and Pure and Contradictions and Hyppocrisy thou might'st have kept at Home for we Profess the Lord Jesus Christ and all the Prophecies and Things in the Law that Figured them forth and the Things in the Law as truly as the Prophets and the Apostles did Profess him and own all that is Written in the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation And we own the Worship in the Spirit and Truth and are in it that Christ set up Sixteen-hundred Years since and the Religion that the Apostle describeth above Sixteen-hundred Years since which is Pure and Vndefiled before God And the One Faith which Chriâ—t is the Author of and the One Baptism and the One Spirit into One Body and One God and Father of All who is above All and through All and in you All as the Apostle speaketh And the Lord Jesus Christ who was Born of the Virgin Conceived by the Holy Ghost c. and Preach'd and Suffered under Pontius Pilate before whom he made a Good Confession and Died and Rose again and is at the Right Hand of God and remaineth in the Heavens till all things are Restored c. who will Judge the World in Righteousness and Reward every Man according to his Works and therefore no Salvation in any other Name but in the Name of Jesus c. And let New-England-Professors see if our Principles and Practice Life and Doctrine hath not Out-stript theirs let the Witness of God in them Answer And R. W. saith He told us of False Gods and Worships and Prophets c. but this is nothing to the Purpose to prove his False Charge for we are Not to Believe thee and the False Prophets but to Try them but thou say'st We must Try them with Fire it self Answ. Yea R. W. Ye and the New-England-Priests did Try us God's True Prophets with FIRE whom ye Tried with your HOT IRON when ye BRANDED them and your GALLOWS when you HANGED them And so ye are TRIED not to be in the true Principles and Profession of the Apostles and of Christ. And didst not thou say afore That the Scripture was to Try and what R. W is the Scripture now become a FIRE where
not suffered as for Childrens Baubels Fantastical Traditions of Men Inventions and Dreams nor Earthly Dignities c. but for the Pure Life of Truth and the Name of JESUS the Lord knoweth it by such as got the Form of Godliness and the Sheeps-Clothing and persecuted the true Sheep that heard Christ's Voice And we do not Endevour to Trample as ye and the Pope do the Bodies of Saints under Feet And John in Revel he speaketh of his Sufferings and Tribulations which we hâ—ve a Fellow-Feeling of which our Persecutors that cannot own the Light of Christ IESVS have not who scoff at us and so he would have done at the Apostle John if he had been in his Days And so as for Fierce Heady Proud Conceit R. W. might have kept at home R. W. And thou say'st No question some of them have a Notion of Wrath yet to come and therefore rather then to endure Fire of Hell they will give up their Lives to the Flames and others of them Fast 40. Days c. Answ. R. W. thou hast manifest thy persecuting Birth and Ignorance both of us and the holy Men of God for it 's not in Wrath we suffer but in Love to God and his Son And ye Foul and Adulterous spirits would make Rapes of his Virgins and before they will loose their Dignity and their Testimony of IESVS they will DIE in Love to their Saviour that died for themâ— And why dost thou scoff at Fasting many of us have Fasted 30. or 40. Days together And thou often tellest of a John Fox but I must tell thee and the New-England-Men ye have no Lot nor Part in that neither who are Persecutors in the Spirit of them that persecuted them And did not the Martyrs turn their Sufferings unto the Glory of God and so have we though Ungodly Men like Wolves have hunted us like Innocent Lambs and Christ's Chickens And when ye have done we have said The Lord forgive you if it be his Will And have not ye been Vnthankful for your Peace and Liberties and forgotten the time when ye were called to an Account And now ye are at Ease your selves persecuting others with Pen Tongue and Hand And it 's known the Quakers have Confess'd their Sins to him that is able to forgive and pardon them and hath died for them therefore they do not come to the New-England-priests and R. W. and make them Popes to Confess their Sins to them who are Miserable Comforters and will tell them They must have a Warfare with their Sins while they Live till they go to the Grave R. W. And thou say'st Some of them say they can sin no more against God then God can sin against them Answ. It 's like this is some of the Ranters had it been the Quakers R. W. would have told their Names in print But however R. W. might have put their Names in print and where they lived then we might have known the truth of his Assertion and where they had been for we deny all such Blasphemy and Blasphemers But doth not R. W. say often That Repentance is a turning the Soul to God as God from all Sin in his 6. false Charge But is not your Confessing of Sin like Pharaoh's and Judas's For have not ye been Confessing these 20. or 30. or 40. years but when will ye Forsake Pharaoh was such a Confessor as ye are and yet persecuted so your Confession is Just like Pharaoh's But hath R. W. and the New England-Priests and Professors shewed any Meek or Patient Spirit or Thankfulness either But we do not say but they said over these Words and so R. W. saith as the Papist Parrot said over the Pater Noster but ye have Persecuted the Meek Patient Thankful Sufferers of Christ Jesus And ye like a Frozen Hard-hearted People have not been Sensiâ—le of his People nor God's Mercies to you And as for a People thou speakest of professing Christianity so Fierce so Heady High-minded Hardned Censuring Reviling Cursing Damning Savage Barbarous c. R. W. might very well have kept this at Home And G. F. and G. B. do not Spit out Fire and Brimstone against New-England-Persecutors but tell you what will be your Portion and our Desires are that you might Repent R. W. And thou say'st Some of their Predictions have and may come to pass as do also of Conjurers and Witches Answ. Nay R. W. ye shall find it the True Spirit and Power of God and the New-England People and not like Saul's Cause that went to the Witch But R. W. we do very well remember how the New-England-Professors Searched Two Women of the Servants of God under pretence of being Witches to the Shame of all Modesty and Christianity But the Proverb concerning the Cow with Short Horns we have found the New-England-Priests and Professors Horns Long enough but thine is Short enough because thou livest under a Government which doth not Persecute for Religion But it hath pleased God to put a Hook in your Jaws that ye take no more the Lives of the Saints of God And R. W. Thou say'st VVhen the Devil is a Fisher longing for troubled and bloody VVaters yet God hath graciously proved so many of the bloody Prophecies of thâ—se VVaspish Prophets and Prophetesses c. Answ. R. W. might have applied this at home and his New-England-Priests and his Sister with him as in p. 114. her Prophecy there AND what hath R. W. and New-England-Priests and Professors been Fishing in and whose Fishers are they let their BLOODY hands and GALLOVSES speak to be Persecutors of the Lambs of Christ Jesus and Kickers against the Pricks Saul-like they prickt their own Heels R. W.'s Thirteenth false Charge These many Books and VVritings are extreamly poor lame and naked swell'd up only with High Titles words of Boasting Vapour I could never pick out any Wheat of solid rational heavenly Truth out of their Heap's of Chaff and Dreams and Fancies of New Christs New Spirits c. Answ. No more then the Chief Priests could pick out of Christ's and the Apostles Doctrine who looked upon him as a Babbler and pestilent Fellow and a Setter-forth of New Gods And we do believe that those Persecutors never read our Books for any Good with any good mind but that which is Chaffy It was not like that the Persecutors with tongue pen and hand should read the Persecuteds Books for any Good R. W. And W. E. said The Word was as a Fire and a Hammer c. and thou say'st The Word that we meant was but a Painted Fire and Hammer and never broke nor burned up Sin Answ. It 's like R. W. never Felt nor Heard the Word of God yet at least Received it and it 's not like when he is pleading so much for his Hat and Knee and his Honor. But the Saying of Christ is come upon thee I know you that ye have not the Love of God in you and ye have not
of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do he was a Murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him mark no truth in him to wit the Devil when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a Lyar and the Father of it Mark this R W. Christ saith there is No Truth in him to wit the Devil and God is the God of truth and that which is of him or of his power and wisdom is True which thou say'st There is something of God that is from the power and wisdom of God c. in the fallen Spirits and the Devils themselves mark in them and Christ plainly saith There is no truth in the Devil Is not something of God to wit his power and wisdom Truth so do'st thou not here oppose Christ's doctrine as well as ours and we charge him and the N. England Priests to make this good by Scripture R W. And whereas thou say'st G F. meanes God himself pressed down as a Cart with sheaves the holy Seed Christ Jesus under the clods the holy Spirit in Prison for the Soul is a part of the Essence or being of God himself But that there is here a word or title of colour to any of this dirt and filth flung in the face of the Majesty of Heaven Ans. Here R. W. surely wants matter when he gives his meanings to G F's words and when he has done he says This dirt and filth flung in the face of the Majesty of Heaven R W This is thy own dirt and filth but in the face of the Majesty of God in Heaven thou cannot fling it he is too high above thee or any one else to fling so far dirt and filth in his face Oh R W that ever thou professing thy self to be a Christian should'st utter forth such words And it may be seen Amos 2 13 how the Lord said to the transgressing Jews I am prest under you as a Cart is pressed that is full of Shâ—aves and this was not Flinging dirt in the face of the Most High and may not the same be said to the Christians and to you Priests professors in N. England that rebell against Gods Spirit that they press it and quench it And doth not Christ say I was in Prison and ye visited me not to wit in his members and what must not these Scriptures be owned And doth not Christ say he is the Seeds-man thas Sowes the good Seed in all grounds and is not the same Seed Sown upon the Thorny ground c. as well as the Good and doth not this spring through the gooâ— Earth and bring forth 30 50 c And did not God breath into Man the breath of life and he became a Living Soul and is not that part of his breath c. R W. And thou say'st This Scripture Rom. 1 2. speaks of the works or working of the written Law in their hearts here thou art made to confess the truth But thou say'st What is this to the second writing or the holy Scriptures or writing inspired into the hearts by the most Holy Spirit yea or what is this to a third writing of their names in Heaven in the Lambs book of Life and what is this to a fourth writing of the New Covenant consisting of sin and a new heart a heart of flesh in which the Law was written as formerly in tables of stone Ans. The New Covenant doth exceed the Old for the one was in Tables of Stone and they had their Offerings and Sacrifices c. and the Priests Lips were to preserve the peoples knowledge But Christ is come our High-Priest which ends the Priesthood of Aron and so he is the New-Covenant promised Heb. 8 And the Lord saith Jer. 31 33. I will put my Laws in their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a People and this writing is with the Spirit or Finger of God And they shall not teach every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest And I will be merciful to their Vnrighteousness and their Sins and Iniquities I will remember no more So the First Covenant waxeth old and decayes but this is an Everlasting Covenant the New Covenant and Christ is an unchangable Priest who is holy harmless separate from Sinners and made higher then the Heavens And so they that know Christ to be their High-Priest know him to be a more greater and perfect Tabernacle then that made with hands all the true believers in him can say he is the Treasure of Wisdom and Knowledge And such as be in Christ Jesus are New Creatures and the old things passe away whether they be Jewes oâ— Gentiles And the Church of Christ which is in the New Covenant the true Believers is come to Mount Sion and unto the City of the Living God and to New Jerusalem and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the blood of Sprinkling c. and to the general Assembly and Church of the First born which are written in Heaven and here the Saints did and do know the Heavenly Genealogies and their Names written in the Lambs book of Life before the foundation of the World glory to his Name for ever And such can say that the Blood of Christ ends the blood of Bulls and Goates and he the offering ends the offerings in the times of the Law and so Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness sake to them that believe And the work of the Law written in the hearts which doth the work of the Law is not opposite to the written Law for it Judged them that had the written Law and did not live in it And the Children of the New Covenant can say If the Ministration of death written and graven in stone was glorious c. how shall not the Ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious for if the Ministration of Condemnation be glorious much more doth the Ministration of Righteousness exceed in glory for even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excells it c. 2 Cor. 3. So we can praise the Lord through Jesus Christ who is come and has ended the Priesthood of Aaron and his Temple and Tythes and his Services who said to his Disciplâ—s and Ministers Freely ye have received freely give And Christ is our New and Living Way to the Father praises be given to the Lord God for ever And what dost thou talk of these 4. Writings and hast No motion in Heavenly things within thee R W And then thou tells us of a New Covenant consisting of Sin and a new heart and a heart of flesh Answ. All the Believers in the New Covenant have a new heart and a heart of flesh and Christ
declare against the vain Formalities either in Prayer or Preaching yet they own the true Preachers which are able Ministers in the Spirit and true Prayâ—ng in the Spirit and the One Baptisme Ephes. 4. And as the Apostle saith to the Corinthians They were Baptized by one Spirit into one body 1 Cor. 12 13. R. W. And thou say'st This is Treason and Rebellion in any Atheists or whomsoever but more abominable Hypocritical in these Pharisaical Quakers who cry out against the Apish Imitatours and yet themselves practise Preaching Praying Congregations Singings Conventings and Addings to Castings out c. full well as the Lord Jesus speaks abrogating the word and appointments of God that they may set up and establish their own Traditions c. Answ. Thou hast not told the Reader what our Traditions are which Christ told the Jews But here of all thy Abusive Expressions we are clear of thy Treason and Rebellion and abominâ—ble Hypocritical and Pharisaical which words suit thy own Spirit and thou may'st apply them at home And our Religion and Way and Preaching and Praying and Singing is according to Scripture and we are gathered in the Name of Jesus Christ where we find him in the mid'st of us a Prophet a Priest and a Bishop and a King to rule in our hearts who exerciseth his Offices in his Church And if any professes the Truth and doth not walk in it such we deny and the Believers are Added to Christs Church daily praised be the Lord. And why dost thou and you Priests of New-England separate your selves from the Papists and call her the bloody Whore of Rome when you are found in her Spirit and not in the Spirit of the First Primitive Christians R. W. And whereas thou say'st G. F. crys out against all Scriptures and common Sense and against all Forms Answ. These are more of thy Vntruths For he owns all Holy Scripture and doth not cry against all Forms but such as have the Form of Godliness and deny the power turn away from such And he and the Quakers own God's ways and manners of Gods worship in Spirit and Truth R. W. And thou say'st G. F. cryes up a Christ within a Scripture within and a Church within and Ministers within and Baptism and Supper within yet practises the most of these so many as their Idol requires will serve his turn as outwardly visibly as any in the world Answ. Is not Baptism of the Spirit within that burneth up the Chaff within how dark art thou and have not the Ministers of the Spirit the Spirit within And doth not the Apostle Preach Christ within the Saints and doth not Christ say I stand at the door knock and if any man will hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will Sup with him and he with me Revel 3 But where did ever the Quakers say in any of their books that the Church or Congregation was within them and these are thy own forged words not ours and is not the Spirit and the Truth within in which God is worshipped R. W. After thou hast commended R. Baxtâ—r our old Persecutor thou say'st It hath been his Observation viz. that the Churches of the Independents and Baptists have been the source and spring whence have flown the Generation of the Quakers And then thou contradicts him and say'st For my self I have observed the contrary in these parts Answ. Nay the Quakers spring is from that Fountain of Life which the Primitive Church was in Glory to the Lord God for ever who are built upon the Rock and Foundation Christ Jesus And R. W. do'st thou say That the Quakers sprung from the Ranters and Grindletonians what Babel is this R. W. And whereas thou say'st Although some rotten Professors or weak souls though true have been bewitched by these Soul-Witches yet generally where they have any Liberty the National Church fills up their numbers Answ Here thou judgest others as well as the Quakers but it is best to pply it to thy own Spirit and to see thy self first and your own Rotten profession at home And where they have any Liberty thou say'st but we know thy Spirit and the New-England Priests and Professors that call Light Darkness and persecute the Truth that is it you would not have to Have Liberty and call it the Soul-witches and therefore the Soul-witches thou may apply at home R. W. And thou say'st W. Edmonson boasted of their Numbers viz. their Religion is so Easiâ— never coming near the Roots of Rotten Nature but so wonderfully agreing with it and changing one Devil for another Answ. If the Quakers have Changed one Devil for another as thou say'st they are changed from your Religion of New-England and them that upheld it and from thee then thou do'st acknowledge that thou and the New-England Profession was a Devil and the Independents and the Baptists according to Baxter but thy Fore fathers the Jews said That Christ Jesus our Lord and Master whom we are Changed to that he had a Devil and by the Prince of Devils cast out Devils And as for the Roots of Rotten Nature that thou and you may apply to your selves which your Religion is made up of which thou would'st accuse the People of God withall which are in the pure Religion James 1 26 27. but thou hast manifested thy Religion with thy Unbridled Tongue And W. Edm. did not boast of our Numbers for that is the Abuses of thy Tongue but we can praise the Lord through Jesus Christ who adds to his Church daily R. W. And then thou say'st Thou adorest the Infinite power c. that they were not ten thousand-fold more c. then they are and then thou say'st I can demonstrate that if G. F. for all their Hypocritical prating against Carnal Weapons get a Sword as Mahomet did most of the Popish and Protestant and Pagan world will easily be brought to dance after him Answ. This is from thy Evil Thoughts and Cains Fear G. F. and the Quakers abhor thy words But this is your Condition in New-England and because the People of God will not dance after them therefore they have Hanged them and Banished them and Spoiled their goods For the Lord and his Son knoweth that Our Weapons are Spiritual that he hath armed us withall and if ever thou had'st set foot in the pure Religion which the Primitive Church and the Quakers walked and walk in thou would'st not say It is so easie But thou speakest Evil of that which thou knowest not and utterest forth the malice and envy of thy heart And we do pray to the Father to send forth Labourers into his Vineyard and that is his Work and not Mens and can praise the Lord at the Conversion of Sinners And as for Hypocritical prating that is thy own R. W. And thou say'st to M. B. Was there ever a Child of God in this world but he was a Nazarite separate from worldly
Reveal the things of God doth make them Overseers R. W. And thou say'st The Christian Profession and Professours how-ever they were wrought and prepared and by divers Means by God's Spirit yet c. Answ. But what these divers Means are R. W. hath not told the World But what is this in opposition that the Holy Ghost made not Overseers in the Church in the Apostles days it is nothing to that R. W. And thou say'st Yet the Lord Jesus Christ compareth them to the most Visible Conspicuous and Glorious Things and Persons to the Sun and Moon in the Heavens and the Heavens and Stars also to Mountains and Cities c. and to Kings their Houses and Palaces c. R. W. What is all this to oppose the Apostle's Doctrine and say The Holy Ghost did not make them Overseers which is the Consequence of R. W's Jangling For we do grant what the Lord Jesus Christ doth compare his Holy People to in Scriptures but that 's not thy State R. W. And thou say'st Although the Lord Mayor of London and the several Officers of the City are not made and ordained in the publick Streets nor Generals c. are they not therefore Visible c. Answ. What a Story is this who opposeth thee in this who saith They are not Visible But what is this to oppose the Apostle's Doctrine still who said The Holy Ghost that is Invisible made them Overseers Will R. W. say It is the Holy Ghost that maketh all Mayors and Generals and Officers which are Visible Officers by Visible Commissioners else what doth he bring this Comparison for The Work of Christ's Overseers is Spiritual it is with a Spiritual Eye and a Spiritual Discerning and by a Spiritual Power and to watch over the Invisible Spirits of People the Souls of Men and Women R. W. It is most true c. that the Church is in God and then thou Contradictest thy self and say'st And is it not also true in one Sense that is thy Sense not the Apostle's 1 Thess. We live in God and move in God and have our being in God c. Answ. What Roger one while a Church and not in God and yet Live in him and move in him as thou confessest Thou say'st The whole Creation is Gloriously Visible Who saith to the contrary of that which is Outward R. W. And thou say'st The Saints their Assemblies and Officers are in God Visible to the world c. though in an Heavenly Spiritual Sense transcending the being of the Creation Answ. And yet R. W. bringeth J. M. to Contradict himself in his Append. pag. 21. and saith The Wise Heathen Philosophers had a greater measure of Light in them which is the first Adam than any I can find now And R. W. opposeth G. F. for setting up Christ the Second Adam and his New Covenant and his New Creatures above the First Adam and the Heathen-Philosophers and now in his 42 Page he confesseth This transcends the being of the First Creation Why didst thou oppose G. F. then in thy 21 Page and there Contradict what thou say'st in page 42 But where doth the Scripture say That the Saints and their Assemblies and Officers are in God Visible for God is a Spirit and they that are joined to the Lord and are in the Lord it must be by the Spirit for none knoweth his things but by his Spirit that is Invisible And G. F. never denyed that the Bodies of the Saints and Officers and Assemblies were Visible now and in the Apostles dayes and they were and are to be seen with Visible Eyes or else how could they have been persecuted in the Apostles days and in New-England if you had not seen Quakers there you could not have Hanged them And thou say'st It is most true and most sweet that the Church is in God yet again G. F's Reason is notoriously Silly and Impudent because he saith to the Priest R. W. defendeth that the Church is in God So Roger put thy Words together and see what Sense thou canst make of them R. W. Thou say'st Yea G. F. and his c. for all their being in God and some of their proud and silly Answerings in Courts that they Live in God and Dwell in God c. Answ. See R. W's Contradiction before in the same page where he saith We live in God and move in God and have our Being in God c we must not now confess this that he just now owned without being called Proud and Silly But why must not we tell where our Living and Being is before your Courts and are not they Silly and Proud as thou speakest and live not in God that cannot endure to hear People tell you where their Living and Being is And yet thou say'st They disown not their own Visible Congregations c. Why should they disown their Visible Assemblies or Teachers or Overseers which are gathered together in the Name of Jesus and are Ministers of the Spirit and are made Overseers by the Holy Ghost that is Invisible and their Singing and Praying in the Spirit they own As for those Audible Performances thou speakest of the Saints perform their Worship Praying Preaching c. by the Spirit is the Spirit and Truth Visible in which God is worshipped let R. W. and all the Priests prove that by Scripture if they can R. W. And thou say'st VVhy doth this poor notoriously Visible Cheater thus prate of Invisibilities especially in times of Peace and not in Elias his Case Answ. What! must they not talk of Faith by which the Invisible God is seen nor the VVord of God which was made Flesh by which all things were made nor talk of the Holy Ghost which made Overseers And did not the Apostle say Ye are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit Rom. 8 9. and yet all these were upon the Earth but thou art dark not knowing the things of God But you Professors that prate so much of Visibility are Invisible enough at Times running away and flying your Testimony but the things that are seen that are Temporal your striving is in and so thou pleadst for Visibility And though we are for God's Invisible things against your Carnal envious Minds yet have we not been visible in Tryals and Persecutions did we hide from you R. W. And thou bringst M. Bine which saith The Scriptures may be understood by the Help of Tongues And G. F. Answ. All Scriptures were given forth by Inspiration and so without the same Inspiration it is not understood Again Pilate had the Scriptures and Tongues and yet did not understand the Scriptures nor Christ the Substance of them and this you have set up since the Apostacy your Tongues you Raveners from the Spirit R. W. replyeth and saith That G. F. confesseth that every Syllable or Title in the Scripture is the Word or immediately revealed VVill of God against his and the Quakers common Song hath God any more Words than one Answ.
Blood was Corruptible and Corrupted and that you were Washt and Cleansed by such a Blood then ye might have said What a Hellish Doctrine is this indeed Which we abhor and such Doctriâ—es as R. W. hath preached to us in the Dispute And our Desires are that the Lord God of Heaven may deliver all people from such Doctrines Of all the Doctrines that ever we read we never heard the like And this is New-England's Orator that so doth Flatter the King But let the King but read his former Books and his Book of the Bloody Tenant in 1652. and there he may see R. W. was in another Mind when he flattered the Parliament and justified their High Court of Justice against the Opposers And yet he pleadeth for Liberty of Conscience and against Persecution But R. W. is fallen from that Plea who now desireth the Magistrates to persecute us and punish us c. and it must not be called Persecution neither as in his pag. 200. And many things we could bring out of his former Books which would render him very Vncertain but we shall forbear at present and leave him to the Lord for his Books declare themselves what he said then and what he saith now But the Reader may see how R. W. hath invented and Forged many Words against us the People of God in Scorn called Quakers which we never spake nor wrote so that they are none of ours but his own And of those his own invented blasphemous Words he hath made an Image and set it up and hath proclaimed an Herault against it and us but is fallen upon him self And so the Light of Christ he calleth Fancy and a Dunghil a Feigned Whimsical Light a Frantick Light and an Idol and he hath affirmed that the Man Christ is Corruptible and his Blood is Corruptible and Corrupted And this is like the Priest's Saying which R. W. hath printed in his Book p. 57. because we say Christ is in his People viz. Can any Man Contain Christ a Man of four Foot long Might not the Bad and Ignorant people like him have said so to Paul when he told them Know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates So thou art Ignorant of Christ and his Spirit how he dwelleth in his people and art far degenerated from the Apostle's Doctrine else R. W. would never have brought this against us as to say We did not own the true Lord Jesus because that a Man cannot contain a Man of four Foot long in him therefore Christ doth not dwell in the Hearts of his Saints by Faith But this is a gross Ignorance and Error from the Apostle's Doctrine For we never asserted That a Man should contain a Man of four Foot long this is the Priest's Doctrine and not ours who are the People of God And have not the New-England-Men Priests and Professors Burn'd Scriptures yea many very good Scriptures when they Burn'd our Books which were full of Scriptures and how could they Burn them without Burning Scriptures Yet we cannot but believe we have so much Charity that all the people nay all the Professors in New-England are not of the same wicked Judgment with R. W. and the rest of the New-England-priests and professors whose Hands have been deep in the BLOOD of our Brethren So our Design is all that are Simple and Tender-Hearted and have a Love to the true Lord Jesus Christ whose Flesh saw no Corruption and doth Redeem with his Pretious Blood and not with Corruptible things that they may Repent and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ who saith Learn of me who is the Way the Truth and the Life and No Man cometh to the Father but by him And God saith This is my Well-Beloved Son Hear ye him And so we say Hear him by his Light Grace and Truth and do not hate his Light nor turn his Grace into Wantonness nor quench his Spirit least the Light be your Condemnation For we declare unto you God will pour out his Fury upon all the Families upon Earth that call not upon his Name And God saith In the last Days which are the Days of his New Covenant he will pour out of his Spirit upon all Flesh That so with his Spirit they may call upon his Name from whom they have both Help and Strength through Jesus Christ who is the Beginning and Ending the First and the Last who is manifest in his People by his Light Grace Power and Spirit through whom they can Sing HALLELVIAH and PRAISE THE LORD And R. W. saith Append. p. 76. I observe the Instrumental and Purchasing Cause or Price is said to be his Blood which argues the Infinite Value of his Sufferings in which Respect only it is called the Blood of God I know the Light Esteem that some of these Foxians have of the Blood of the Lord Jesus saying That wicked Men the Soldiers shed it that it was spilt upon the Ground and there was no difference between that Blood and the Blood of another Saint Answ. R. W. We desire thee to observe if it be us whom thou meanest in thy scornful Word Foxians how thou chargest upon us a Light Esteem of the Blood of the Lord Jesus in sayiny That wicked Men shed it and that it was spilt upon the Ground and that there was no difference between that Blood and the Blood of another Saint Which Charge we do believe is false like the rest of thy Charges and the Matter we do disown from ever entering into our Thoughts to think much less to speak of his Pretious Blood by which we have been Redeemed That there was no difference between that Blood and the Blood of another Saint For none are Saints but such as are Redeemed by it and have Faith in it and therefore is above the Blood of all Saints But Roger recollect thy Thoughts and call to mind thy own Sayings at Newport if thy Memory be so good as thou in thy Book seemest to hold forth in writing things from thy Memory for thou say'st None writ for thee And when thou hast reviewed thy lines in page 76. of the Append. and called thy Words at Newport into Remembrance and then see if this saying be not fulfilled upon thee The Wise are taken in their own Craft In thy Book thou say'st It is called the Blood of God though at Newport thou said'st It was Material Blood as another Man's and was Corruptible and Corrupted and further said'st Thou did'st not know but that the Fowls or some other Creatures might eat it up How now Roger Art not thou now fallen into the Pit thou digged'st for others As thou did'st at Newport when thou charged'st the like thing upon G. F. and thought'st thereby to prove our Christ not to be the true Christ which upon Trial did prove to be the Sayings of the Priest And when thou found'st it to be his Sayings and G. F.'s to the Contrary than that which thou had'st Condemned in G.
over in his Book who remaineth still in his Envious spirit Which some in New-England have done the same and have gone as a SIGN and a Shame of your Nakedness of that which ye professed yet in the Innocency of God's holy Spirit Which they rather had chosen Death in their own Wills then to have gone as they have done And God Almighty will Judge R. W. for his Hard Speeches against them AND yet for all these Sufferings and Persecution Pharaoh â— like as the Jews Outward did grow so the Jews Inward do grow for all the Persecutions of the Spiritual Pharaohs And Christ Jesus the Captain of their Salvation doth lead them in the Land of the Living whose Praise is of God and not of Man And we would have all the VVorld to know and all the New-England-Professors with R. W. that we seek not the Praise of Men and do expect no other but that they should speak all manner of Evil of us that they might fulfil Christ's words R. W. But we do perceive that R. W. is troubled That we should print our Sufferings and give forth such a Catalogue of them Answ. To evidence God's supporting Power and Hand that doth support them and to manifest New-England's BLOODY Hands though we Appealed Three-Times to England but ye BLODY Persecutors regarded it not although R. W. now in his Epistle seemeth to Flatter the KING yet in time ye may be reckon'd withal when ye have fill'd up your Measure the Al-seeing God will Reward you And the LORD GOD alone who hath been our Protector and Helper and Supporter and we had none in the Earth to help us but him and HE is the Revenger of our Cause And so we leave it to him And Deut 13 The false Prophets with the Signs and VVonders R. W. with his New-England-Priests may keep at home with all the rest that is got up since Yet the Christians were not to do unto the false Prophets and Blasphemers as they did in the time of the Law which was To run them through and Stone them to Death If so Christ and the Apostles might have Run many false Prophets and Blasphemers through that blasphemed against him But he told them the Judgements and Condemnation and the Misery that would come upon all them that sin against the Holy Ghost as R. W. is found in Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and the Light of Christ and calleth it an Idol Christ came not to destroy mens Lives but to save them And R. W. Bringeth G. F. fol. p. 64 Jerem Ives saying The Writings of the Scriptures may be burned but the Word of God contained in them may not bâ— burned G. F.'s Answ If he had said The Word that it speaketh of or testifieth of he had spoken proper like Scripture but to say The Word of God is contained in the Writings and the VVritings say It testifieth of Christ the Word there is a Proof to thee that the Quakers are sent of God who speak to thee of the Scriptures right as they are So R. W. hath taken a few of G. F.'s words and left out the Ground and Reason of the Matter And R. W. bringeth his words to no purpose meaning to maintain his false Position by And then thou tellest a Story of the Jews Papists Manasse Ben-Israel and Paul in his mad Conscience c. p. 178. Answ. And in Paul's mad Conscience thou and the Priests and Professors in New England and the Papists are in who belâ—eve not in the Light of Christ that ye may become Children of Light And so ye are in the Vnconverted State like Saul R. W. And then thou tell'st a great Story of David slaying Uriah and the best Kings of Judah suffering the High-places and Asa's Imprisoning the Prophet c. Answ. But did not that Prophet Suffer truly for the sake of the VVord of God And so did the Apostles And have not we amongst you Yet we tell you the VVord of God is not Bound R. W. And then thou tellest us of Peter's rash Vsing the Sword to wit the Outward Answ. But Peter did not Vse it always it hath been the Devil's Aim in you all To Afflict to Punish one another to Death and Destroy about Religion which was not the Practice of Christ and his Disciples And how can we slight the Saints or Fellow-sufferers in all Ages when our Brethren Souls cry under the Altar as the Martyrs of IESVS did of Old whom ye have HANGED and put to Death And R. W. bringeth G. F.'s Fol. p. 51 253 99. Who forbids to receive into their Houses Answ. Such as bring not the Doctrine of Christ as John saith Who-so-ever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God Therefore if any come unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your Houses neither bid him God speed Now how can we Bid R. W. and the New-England-priests GOD SPEED in their Persecutions with Pen Tongue and Hand Yet we can receive them as Men but not as Christians in the Doctrine of Christ nor his Believers in the Light as Christ commandeth for that he calleth an Idol And how canst thou be Received in our Houses as a Christian And how can we Receive any of the New-England-Persecutors as Christians which have so persecuted with the Sword which thou say'st are no true Christians nor Followers of Jesus yet as Men we can but not as Ministers of Christ. And had'st thou been in the Days of the Sufferings of the Martyrs thou would'st have spoken then as much against John Fox and the Martyrs as thou dost against us as the Papists now speak against them and would not look upon them then as true Sufferers no more then thou and the New-England-priests and professors look upon Us now as true Sufferers R. W. And whereas thou say'st As it is possible for God's own Children to hold and that obstinately false Principles so it is possible for other of God's Children as obstinately to afflict and punish those others to Death c. Answ. This is contrary to Scripture to affirm That any of God's Children who are born of the Spirit can be found in such a Practice as to punish God's Children and true Christians with Death according to thy own Assertion or any other upon a Religious Account For though the Apostle saith He that was born after the Flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit yet we never read that he that was born of the Spirit did persecute him that was born of the Spirit that was a Child of God And so in this thou hast affirmed a false Assertion And so our Sufferings differ from the Persecutors as Light from Darkness For we maintain the Purity of the holy Scriptures and the Words of God there against all the vain Traditions vain Meanings and vain Imaginations of Men and say They are plain to all that have an Understanding of them by the Spirit of God And we have