of Christ in the Sanctified which Sanctified are the only true Church of Christ You also say The only difference between the Old and New Testament is that in the Old lies hid the New by an Allegory Which is a Truth to him that hath an Ear to hear what the Spirit in the Letter saith Allelujah On Rom. 4.8 you say The words Imputed or Reputed do not diminish the Truth of Justice and that Justice is not reputed to them that are not made Just and Righteous Which is also a most real Truth On Gen. 22.1 you say There is as much difference betwixt Christ's Divinity and his Humanity as was between Isaac and the Ram and as is 'twixt Elesh and Spirit for what is born of Flesh is Flesh c. The Book Ecclesiasticus you say teacheth to contemn this present evil World and that things Earthly and Sensual are insufficient to give Peace and Rest to our Souls and that true Felicity consisteth not in Natural Knowledg gotten by Wit and Natural Industry nor in Riches Honour Pleasures nor in Authority or Dominion nor in any thing that is Sensual or Carnal but only in the Eternal and Internal fruition of God in our Souls which is procured by Free Grace which enables us to decline Vices and to pursue the ways of Vertue which lead to Beatitude all which are Truths most clear and excellent Allelujah Before Leviticus in which Book saith St. Jerome all Sacrifices Aaron 's Vestments and the whole Levitical Order almost every Syllable breaths forth Heavenly Sacraments I say even as the whole Creation doth breath forth God's Omnipotence his Grace and loving Kindness to Mankind Allelujah Zach. 1.3 When the Scripture saith Convert c. we are admonished that we have Free-Will and when we answer Convert us O Lord to thee and we shall be converted we confess that God's Grace preventeth or enableth us and when he commandeth any good of us it is either to humble or enable us in the performance as James 1.17 Heb. 13.21 which Doctrine is true for we have no other free-will to good but what God giveth us in by and through his Holy Spirit of Grace which appears to and in every Man Allelujah On Gal. 6.16 you say The New Creature is the true Faith and Work of Grace in the Hearts of the Faithful and is the Faith first delivered to and in the Saints A Speech most true Allelujah 1 Cor. 12.3 you say No Man can say Jesus is our Lord but by his Spirit within us which enableth us to be obedient to his Commands and to do the Will of God here on Earth as it is in Heaven for by Christ strengthening us we can do all things pleasing to God our Heavenly Father Allelujah On Heb. 12.28 you say Grace is the only means enabling us to serve and please God Tit. 2.11 And that Man 's free-Will is begot and worketh freely by free-Grace Also you say Free-Will is in Man for that no Sin can be committed without consent of free-Will nor can any Work merit or please God but what is wrought in Man by the free Grace of God's Holy Spirit Thus by Grace we are saved not of our selves it is the free Gift of God to every one Allelujah You say Elias is alive and shall be a fore-runner of Christ's second coming I say Elias in Spirit is alive and now preacheth Repentance and forgiveness of Sins to all that amend their Lives according to God's Holy Word written in every Man's Heart the Volumn of God's Book wherein his Will is known that it may be done here on Earth as in Heaven Allelujah You say also That Enoch is yet alive and shall preach in Antichrist's time with Elias This is also a Truth if you speak this of the Spirit of God that was in Enoch for as Elias's Spirit in John the Baptist's Time preached Repentance and forgiveness of Sins to all that truly repented and forsook their Sins preparing the way for Christ to be begot and born in us So did that Spirit of Elias preach Repentance to the Disobedient in the days of Noah As in this day the same Spirit of Elias preacheth Repentance to all that are dead in Trespasses and Sins Even so likewise Enoch the seventh from Adam in Spirit is alive who shall and now doth as you say preach in Antichrist's time for Christ the Word incarnate the Resurrection and the Life is now preaching in the Sanctified the Resurrection from the Dead to and in all that have bin crucified with Christ and are risen with him from the Death of Sin to the Life of Righteousness Allelujah Which Word Incarnate or Word in the Heart is God's Preacher to all the World and is the Gospel of Christ preached for the Obedience of Faith to and in all Nations and all Religions whatsoever so that all Men may believe and by obeying may be saved Amen Allelujah As it is written Deut. 30.11 to the 15. with Rom. 10.6 to the 9th Rom. 1.5 2 Cor. 10.5 Heb. 5.9 1 Pet. 1.22 Gen. 22.18 Deut. 13.4 Dan. 7.27 Isa 1.19 Job 36.11 12. You say Christ in Soul descended into Hell to deliver all just Men Which is a Truth if you mean Christ in Spirit as he is the Light of the World descends into every Man's unclean heart to cleanse and purifie it and so leads Captivity captive bringing the Souls of the Faithful once dead in Trespasses and Sins out of Death out of the Grave out of Hell into Abraham's Bosom where they sit and sing Allelujah You say Sin is always the cause of Reprobation Which is also a Truth most clear for it is our Sins that separate us from God and with-hold good things from us And in our Obedience or disobedience to the Word of God in our Hearts stands Life and Death Election and Reprobation for according to their Works shall every one receive whether they do good or evil Allelujah On Col. 3.9 you say The New Man is an inherent quality of Justice and Righteousness in our Souls and not only an Imputation of Christ's Righteousness but a Work of God's free Grace enabling the Faculties of our Souls to work freely the thing that is good and righteous A Truth most clear and excellent Allelujah 2 Cor. 1.5 you say All the Saints Sufferings and Afflictions are Christ's Sufferings by reason of the Conjunction and Vnion that is betwixt Christ the Head and the Sanctified his Members Allelujah You say Adam was created in Grace and Innocency which he lost only by Disobedience yet by Repentance is saved And thus it is with all the Sons of Adam He that sins against the Light of Christ in his Conscience eats the forbidden Fruit and so sins after the similitude of Adam 's Transgression and is not saved out of Transgression but by Repentance and laying hold of God's Spirit of Grace which obeying brings through the flaming Sword or Sword of the Spirit that turns every way to cut down Sin
worship by a Picture the Image or Likeness of God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost whether thus bowing or worshiping God through the Work of Man's hands be not the highest kind of Idolatry and contrary to God's Commandment in the Old Law and much more contrary to the New which is to worship God in the Spirit of Truth only Allelujah I pray was it not after the Apostacy came in that Men built Churches calling them the House of God the Church and Temple of God and worshipping God in these Temples made with hands after the Old Law and in such outward Observations as Man invented prescribed and imposed in which God is not found nor is an outward thing made by Man the place of his Habitation read Acts 7.48 But it fareth with false Christians in the Apostacy as it did with false Jews in the Prophet Hosea's Time read Hos 8.14 when Israel had forgotten his Maker they built Temples thinking to please God in so doing as Christians do But God dwelleth not in Temples made with hands the true Temple wherein God is pleased to dwell is the sanctified Heart as you may read John 17.21 Isa 66.2 2 Cor. 6.16 Rev. 21.3 1 John 4.13 And as your Translation hath it John 1.14 The Word was made Flesh and dwelt in us Such are the only true Church of God in whom Christ dwelleth bodily who hath now as ever he had a Spiritual Body and makes the Saints by a new Birth even in this World such as he is in Heaven read 1 John 4.17 Allelujah And when came in Prayers in an unknown Tongue I confess a Zeal there may be in such Service but without knowledg of what men want or ask or feeling of God's Presence or Faith in what they ask nor can there be a hope of Return or Answer from God so that such Prayers are altogether vain and fruitless no better than what the Heathens make that know not God being prescribed as yours are by their Priests and Teachers A Worship invented by Man wanting the assistance of God's Spirit can never find acceptance with God for unless our Prayers proceed from a true repentant Heart from a new Heart and a right Spirit which God giveth every Man to profit with that truly desires to forsake Sin and to have Sin pardoned all other Prayers prevail nothing with God though never so many out of custom or never so good words prescribed by Man proceeding from an unregenerate Heart not born again of the Spirt of Love to Truth and Righteousness as Lord have Mercy upon us or Christ have Mercy upon us or never so many Pater Nosters or Ave Maries c. I say all such Prayers not proceeding from the Spirit are accounted by God vain Repetitions which he abhors and he accepts no other Prayers but what proceeds from his own Spirit of Grace such he accepts knowing the meaning of the Spirit though uttered by a Sigh or a Groan Allelujah And when came in Holy Water hallowing material Churches Baptizing of Bells with many other such-like Jewish and Heathenish Observations came not these in with the Apostacy for in the beginning when God's Holy Spirit was the Teacher Leader and Sanctifier of the Faithful it was not so And had not you these from the Jews or from the Heathens for among true Christians the Worship stood not in such outward beggarly Rudiments but in the Spirit of Truth the Law in the Heart the New Covenant which circumciseth and purifieth the Heart Allelujah Read John 4.21 23 24. And did not the Name of Most Holy Father the Pope Christ's Vicar Peter's Successor Vniversal Bishop and Peter's Person the Rook whereon you say Christ's Church is built came not these in with the Apostacy And did not the Apostacy create Lord-Bishops Priests and Deacons made by a carnal Ordinance of Man and not by the Holy Ghost as all the Ministers of Christ ever were And when came in forbidding to Marry and shutting up in Monasteries and Nunneries that they should not Marry And were it not better to marry and live chast with a Wife than to burn in Lust as I have bin credibly informed by some Merchants that lived in Portugal who had such devout Nuns to be their Mistresses as acted those abominable things both by way of writing and sending Signs and Tokens of their burning Lusts to their Lovers as is not fit to be once named among Christians And have you not read in Histories how that the Pope's Legat sent into England against married Priests was himself taken in Bed with a Harlot And is it not better and a less sin to marry than to live in Whoredom which destroys both Body and Soul as it is written Prov. 23.27 Ephes 5.5 Heb. 13.4 Rev. 21.8 22.15 Also that abundance of Sculls and Bones of new-born Children have bin found in the Motes and Ditches belonging to Nunneries when cleansed And is it not therefore as St. Paul saith the Doctrine of Devils that preacheth Marriage which is an Ordinance of God and one of your Sacraments to be sinful and are not such Doctors and Teachers think you guilty of the Abominations committed in those Nunneries and polluting of their Neighbour's Marriage-Bed by Monks and Friars c. And when came in the Infallibility of the Pope came it not in with the Apostacy And why may not the Pope be as fallible and fall as Peter did by savouring the Things of Man more than the Revelations of God And I have read in Histories that there have bin many wicked Popes and sometimes no Pope in Rome at all and at other times three Anti-Popes one against the other endeavouring to murther and destroy each other And did not St. Cyprian and Pope Stephen excommunicate each other And I pray was not the Church of Rome without a Head when there was no Pope as oft it hapned in several Intervals as in Anno 1243. Anno 1272. and Anno 1316. And a Church without a Head cannot be Christ's Church nor can any Man save the New Man that is born of the Spirit be Head of Christ's Church whose Members are made of Living Stones Elect and Pretious And how can that Body live and subsist that is without a Head And if the Church of Rome have a wicked Pope as oft it hapned for their Head that cannot be Christ's Church for the Head of Christ's Church and his Members the New Man in the Saints are all Pure Holy and Righteous even as God the Father is Pure Holy and Righteous and such a Head and Members as are not Holy and Pure is the False Church the Body of Antichrist the Synagogue of Satan and Children of their Father the Devil whose Works they do who is their Head and governs them And when came in Man's making of Saints visiting and worshipping their Tombs their Reliques and Shrines such as Thomas of Becket Arch-Bishop of Canterbury who was a great Champion for the Clergie the
Church of Rome and a great Rbel to his Prince I pray tell me Whether any comers to these things are made the more holy and perfect by the use of them as appearing to the Conscience Or do they take away the guilt of Sin in the Conscience whilst the Witness of God condemns I say nothing besides the Grace or Spirit of God in the Heart the Blood of Christ can give Repentance and sprinkle the Conscience from dead Works to serve the Living God Allelujah And who brought in pious Frauds setting forth false Miracles never truly wrought c. for pious Ends Is not this Man's Wisdom a Lie and contrary to the Wisdom and Truth of God And when came in your Index Expurgatorius wherein Books are purged or condemned that set forth the Prince's Right over the Clergy in Temporals also expunging out of Ancient Fathers and Decrees of Councils what you like not Who invented the Mass-Book Invocation and Prayers to the Saints departed for the Living and for the Dead Were these things brought into the Church from the beginning and by the Command of God or in the dark night of Apostacy by Man's prescription when the false Church the Whore and false Prophet ruled after the True Church was fled into the Wilderness out of the sight and reach of them that sought to devour her And can Prayers prevail with God that are invented by Man which do not proceed from the Spirit of God which Prayer is heard in all that it asketh But Prayers made by and proceeding from Man in the Fall in the unregenerate state are an abomination to the Lord for God heareth not Sinners but hears and answers them only who by Christ's mediation in our hearts truly repent hate and forsake their Sin and who are Regenerate and born again of his Spirit and that pray in the Power and Demonstration of this Spiritual Birth such and only such though in a Groan or Sigh God the Father hears answers and shews Mercy unto according as they desire Allelujah And when was Purgatory found out a Place to purge the Souls of Men that repent not but live and die in Trespasses and Sins Had ye not this from the Jews or from Man in the Fall I declare and say as I am a Priest of God in the New Covenant of Grace That there is no other Purgatory neither in this World nor in any other World to come save the Blood of Christ the Lamb of God slain by Sin ever since the Foundation of the World even when Cain killed innocent Abel then did Christ who was before Abraham was suffer in Abel which Blood of Christ the New Covenant cries for vengeance against and upon all that spill it and upon all that crucifie the Lord of Life and such as resist and quench God's Holy Spirit of Grace in themselves the only one Sacrificer and Mediator between God and Man the Saints only Redeemer Sanctifier and Saviour Allelujah And woe be to them from the Lord God under whose Skirts is found the Blood of the Souls of the poor Innocent the Church of Christ whom he hath purchased washed and cleansed with his own Blood his own Light and Life in themselves which the Faithful eat and drink and is the Blood of Sprinkling which speaketh better things than did the Blood of Abel whose Blood crieth for vengeance against them that spill it which Blood of Christ God's Spirit of Grace is that which washeth and cleanseth true Believers from all Sin and which Blood redeems up to God out of the Fall into Abraham's Bosom the Habitation of the Faithful where God's Honour and Glory dwelleth Thus God's Spirit only is that which purifieth and redeemeth the Soul from all pollution of Flesh and Spirit Amen Allelujah As it is written Isa 1.25 Psal 51.7 Mal. 3.3 Prov. 16.6 1 Pet. 1.22 23. 1 John 3.3 And this I have further to say to the Church of Rome both to the Clergie and Laity That whosoever amongst them hath not the Spirit of Christ to wash and cleanse and to lead them into Truth and Righteousness is no true Christian no true Member of Christ's Church nor can be saved or inherit the Kingdom of Heaven as it is written John 3.3 Rom. 8.9 11. 1 Cor. 2.10 and 12.13 2 Cor. 13.5 Who made Parish-Churches supplying them with Parish-Priests made by a carnal Ordinance of Man and set forth Tithes forcing the payment of them by carnal Weapons the Magistrate's Sword no Gospel-way of maintenance For as Christ's Ministers receive freely of his fulness Grace for Grace so they give and where only they sow Spiritual Things of them they reap Carnal without Hire or for filthy Lucre much less by force of Man's Law For most certainly this forced Maintenance was a thing of Man's Institution and brought in by the false Church the Whore the false Prophet riding the Beast the Civil Magistrate in the dark night of Apostacy after the True Church was fled into the Wilderness not seen of Man but well known of God and whose Life was hid in Christ with God Allelujah And when were Indulgences and Pardons brought in by the Pope's Bulls and when Limbus Patrum and Processions on Palm-Sunday c. Were these things the Command of God or the Command of Man known or practised by the Primitive Saints or came they in in the dark Night of Apostacy after the True Church was fled into the Wilderness yea or nay Who brought in or when came in the Inquisition that takes away Mens Lives for Opinion's sake Was this Christian like by God's Command or by Man's think you And was not the Jewish Jubile brought in by Boniface the third more to increase the Riches and to shew the outward Pomp of the Church of Rome than by any Command or Example of Christ for the same And did not Christ foretel That many should come in his Name but not in his Spirit false Christs and false Prophets and should deceive many and those were they that came in Sheeps cloathing outwardly seeming holy but inwardly were ravenous Wolves destroying all that differed from them or refused to receive their Mark their outward Superstitions and shews of Holiness and though roved from the Spirit of God yet spake good words of Truth by which they deceived the Hearts of the Simple and brought in the Old Covenant which was but a Type Figure and Shadow of the New standing in outward observations which shadow of the Old drove out the substance of the New Covenant Christ in Spirit which New Covenant stands in the inward Spiritual Grace the Word in the Heart And was not this bringing in the Old and setting up the Old a denying Christ the New to be come in the Flesh of the Saints the new and living Way So that whosoever comes to God must come by through and in him who is the Way the Truth and Life of God Allelujah And in this roving from the Spirit and setting up the Old Law of
the Kingdom of Heaven Which Holy Spirit wrought so mightily as to beget the New Man Christ Jesus in me by whom I had peace with God and good will to all his Creation Which Spirit of Love moved me to send Thirty Pounds to be distributed amongst the Poor of the Roman-Catholick Church as a sign of my Love and good Will to them which I understood you received in the same Spirit of loving-kindness I sent it Not as Judas that betrayed his Master into the hands of Sinners for Thirty pieces of Silver but from one that witnesseth the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead whom by my sins I had formerly crucified and put to open shame but having repented and amended my former bad Life by help of his Holy Spirit of Grace Christ in me I came to see that those of all Religions that feared God and acted righteously towards Men were accepted of him and dearly beloved by me in which Spirit of Love the Ground and Pillar of Truth the End of the Law and Bond of Perfection I found freedom in my self to look into all sorts of Religions and knowing the Rock Christ Jesus on whom all the Holy Men of God are built and having a discerning by God's Grace between the Precious and the Vile between him that serveth God in the Spirit of Truth and him that only pretendeth to serve him but with a false Spirit in which Spirit of God I saw the difference between the true Church of God and that which is the false Church In this Understanding I did read many Books written and allowed by the Roman Church viz. The Bible translated out of the Vulgar Latin by St. Jerom the Old Testament Printed in two Tomes by the English-College at Doway and the New Testament printed at Rhemes and have weighed and considered the Reasons St. Jerome gives for translating it out of the Vulgar Latin rather than out of the Hebrew and Greek which were much corrupted as he saith by Jews and Hereticks c. And having purged the Latin Version from Faults committed by Writers c. laying aside all other Latin Editions which St. Jerome saith were in his time almost innumerable which Translation out of Vulgar Latin though in many things defective yet in some I find better to agree with the Truth than that translated into English out of the Hebrew and Greek As for Instance The Vulgar Latin translates Isa 12.3 You shall draw Water in joy out of the Saviour's Fountains The other You shall draw Waters out of the Wells of Salvation Psal 38.6 the Vulgar Latin saith Doubtless all things are Vanity The other Psal 39.5 saith Verily every Man at his best estate is altogether vanity which seems not to be true for the Regenerate Man which is born of the Spirit and hath Christ the New Man in him is not altogether Vanity for Christ is the Eternal and only begotten Son of God full of Grace and full of Truth Allelujah John 1.14 the Vulgar Latin saith The Word was made Flesh and dwelt IN us The other The Word was made Flesh and dwelt AMONGST us Which Translation I apprehend was to gratify those that deny Christ come in the Flesh of the Sanctified and so exalt the Flesh of Jesus equal to or above the Spirit which dwelleth in all true Believers Allelujah 1 Pet. 1.13 the Vulgar saith Trust perfectly in the Grace which is offered you in the Revelation of Jesus Christ The other Hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ This I also apprehend was to gratify those that say Revelation is ceased and also deny Revelation to continue in the Church of Christ to the end of the World which is contrary to Scripture and the Saints experience Read Mat. 11.27 Gal. 1.16 1 Cor. 2.10 Mat. 28.10 Romans 16.26 the Vulgar Latin saith To the obedience of Faith in all Gentiles The other saith Made known to all Nations This I suppose is also to gratify those that deny Christ the true Light that enlightneth every Man that cometh into the World whom to obey is Eternal Life and Salvation both to Jew and Gentile Allelujah Heb. 1.1 The Latin saith God spake to the Fathers in the Prophets and last of all spake to us IN his Son The other saith God spoke to the Fathers by the Prophets and hath in the last days spoken to us BY his Son Which Translation is to set up Man the Letter to be our Teacher and to lay aside Christ the Word in the Heart the Saints only Teacher Heb. 12.15 The Latin saith Lest any Man be wanting to the Grace of God The other Lest any Man fail of the Grace of God Which seems to deny that the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation and hath appeared to and in every Man to be sufficient to Salvation And in the Margent the Latin saith on that Text If we be not good there is no lack on God's part who offereth his Grace freely to all the defect is in our selves that answer not God's calling by his Grace Which I take to be sound Orthodox Doctrine Jude 14. The Vulgar Latin hath it Our Lord is come in his holy Thousands that numberless number which no Man can number The other saith The Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints Which doubtless is to countenance a carnal personal appearance of Christ at his second coming who as he went a Cloud received him out of their sight even so in the like manner shall he return in a Cloud of Witnesses in his holy Thousands Allelujah Zach. 5.10 The Vulgar Latin hath it And I said to the Angel that spake in me The other I spake to the Angel that talked with me Which later Translation most assuredly was to gratify them that deny Christ God's Angel to come in the Flesh of the Sanctified Allelujah 1 Pet. 1.3 4. The Latin hath it Who according to his great Mercy hath regenerated us into an Inheritance that cannot fade conserved in the Heavens in you The other saith Reserved in the Heavens for you This likewise I apprehend is to gratify that Spirit which denies Christ to be in the Saints and Heaven to be there where Christ is which Spirit I take to be the Spirit of Antichrist I have likewise read and considered the Arguments Annotations Tables and other helps for the better understanding of the Text which I find in Divine things both useful and profitable As for Example Annotation before the Psalms saith That the whole Sacred Bible is a sealed Book and not rightly understood till the Seals be opened by the Key of God's Spirit And you say on Gal. 4.24 The Scriptures besides the literal Sense have a more deep spiritual and allegorical Sense not to be understood but by the same Spirit that writ them And you also say That there is no way to know Canonical Scriptures but by the Church Which is a Truth if you mean the Spirit
and dare call God Father such are truly blessed and happy that can alway continually and ever-more pray God's Will be done here on Earth as it is in Heaven Allelujah O God make clean our Hearts within us and take not thy Holy Spirit from us And such only are true Christians that have God's Holy Spirit to wash and cleanse and to guide into Truth and Righteousness those that have gone astray YOu that are born of the Spirit Nune Dimittis and so have Christ Jesus in you may sing the Song of Old Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word Christ the Word in the Heart who speaketh Peace to all the sanctified People of God for mine eyes the Eye of the Spirit have seen thy Salvation Allelujah I have also perused the second Collect for Peace the third Collect for Grace the Prayer for the King and Royal Family the Prayer for the Clergie the Absolution Magnificat Deus Misereatur Cantate Domino Second Collect for Evening-Prayer the Litany the Collects for the second and third Sunday in Advent for the Nativity for St. Stephen 's St. John 's and Innocents days for the Circumcision for the first fifth and sixth Sunday after Epiphany for the first and second Sunday in Lent for the Sunday before Easter for Good Friday for Easter Even for Easter day for the third and fifth Sunday after for Ascension day for Whitfunday for the 7 9 11 16 17 18 19th Sundays after Trinity for Simon and Jude Philip and Jacob and All-Saints days In which foregoing Prayers Collects c. I take to be words of Truth and Soberness and do recommend them to all those that can pray them with a sincere Heart in the power and demonstration of the Spirit of Truth Allelujah Yet as I am a Priest of God by having Christ Jesus in me my Priest my Prophet my King I have somewhat to say and declare to the Heads and Governors of the Church of England That none amongst them presume to call or own themselves Ministers of Christ and his Gospel for not every one that crieth Lord Lord is a true Servant or Minister of Christ or fit to Teach Preach or Pray in his Name unless they first be called of God and baptized into the same Name and assisted by his Holy Spirit as Aaron was else none are fit Ministers of Christ read Exod. 4.30 6.13 26. 7.1 6. 28.30 Heb. 5.4 And that the Spirit of Christ be their Induction and Commission what to Preach and what to Pray Let such as are not regenerate and born anew take heed how they meddle with the Things of God that they touch not Holy Things with unclean and unsanctified Hearts and with polluted Hands and Lips lest they be smitten of God as Vzza was and lest a sorer Judgment attend them under the Gospel who run and are not sent than did those under the Law Thus declaring I have peace with God and am clear from the Blood of all Men that perish under such Teachers and Ministers as have not the Spirit of Christ to teach them and have no other Commission than from Man such cause the People to err and go astray and never can profit the Souls of their Hearers but like blind Guides they lead the Blind till both fall into Perdition I have observed in reading of our last English Translation of the Bible that many material Things might be amended and that it is better rendred out of the Vulgar Latin and Greek than we have it in English For which see some places in my Epistle to the Romanists And also Rom. 8.29 the Latin and Greek saith That he might be the first born in many Brethren The English The first born amongst many Brethren Which seems to deny Christ to be in the Saints Mat. 28.19 the Greek saith Baptising them into the Name The English Baptising them in the Name Which Name of God is a strong Tower whosoever is baptized thereinto puts on the Lord Jesus Christ a Saviour from Sin and Evil. Allelujah 2 Cor. 5.19 the Latin and Greek saith Hath put in us the Word of Reconciliation The English Hath committed to us the Word of Reconciliation This I conceive is for the setting up of Man to be the Preacher and not Christ the Word in the Heart Rom. 1.19 English Latin and Greek well translate all speaking one and the same thing viz. That which is to be known of God is manifest or made known in Man even his eternal Power and Godhead in the Heathen 2 Tim. 3.16 the Latin and old English Bible saith All Scripture inspired of God or given by inspiration is profitable c. The English saith All Scripture is given by inspiration c. The which seems not to be a Truth without a Comment for there is much written that is not inspired of God even in the Bible it self In the last Edition are said to be amended from the former many thousand words And how many Copies or rather Autographs of the New Testament are now in the Library at Oxford and all differing one from the other St. Hierom saith That in his time the Original Copies let the Learned pardon the Expression of the Hebrew and Greek were much corrupted by Jews and Hereticks therefore he chose the Vulgar Latin after he had purged it from Faults committed by Writers c. laying aside all other Latin Editions which St. Hierom saith were in his time almost innumerable Thus by reason of so many false Copies false Writers false Translators and false Interpreters arise so many different Sects and Opinions in Christendom every Master of a Sect taking his Rule from Scripture and his own private interpretation thereupon So that if you make the Letter of the Scripture the only Rule it must needs be crooked and uncertain But God be praised and ever magnified that hath not left Man without a Witness of himself in every one a Rule most true and certain Christ the Word in the Heart which shines in the dark Heart of every Man and is a sure Word of Prophecy even Truth in the Inward Parts to which we do well to take heed as to a Light that shines in a dark place till the Shadows flee away and the Day-star arise in our Hearts then shall we see that it is not any Scripture without us but the inspiration of the Almighty only that giveth to Man an understanding in the things of God what is Truth and what is Error as it is written Job 32.8 Joh. 1.4 2 Pet. 1.19 compared with Isa 55.4 54.13 1 John 5.10 2.27 So that if you have Christ the Word in you you need no other Teacher but as that Anointed one teacheth who is the Truth in every one both Male and Female Jew and Gentile they are all one in Christ Jesus the Truth Such as have not Christ Jesus God's true and faithful Witness in them are Reprobates and can
evil opprobrious Names which makes me say That I went to my Own but my Own would not receive me but sold me into Egypt by their many false Reports And poor Joseph found no greater Enemies than his Brethren were Nevertheless the Lord my God did not forsake me but found me out in the Innocency wherewith he had cloathed me and appeared to me in all my straits and was my Strength my Joy and Crown of Glory and at length brought me forth of Prison to stand before Princes assisting and carrying me with much Courage and through great Opposition to bear and finish my Testimony to Christ in the Saints And being cast out from my Brethren the Lord my God took me up and became my Teacher under whose Teachings I felt more of the Love of God and increased more in knowledg of the Things of God than when I sat under the Teachings of Men by whose Teachings I grew in Wisdom and in Stature unto the Measure of a perfect Man in Christ Jesus then I came to know that out of Egypt God hath called his Son to whom he hath given not only the Heathen but the whole World for his Possession and Inheritance In which Spirit of the Son I call to mind the sweet Union and Communion I had with the Quakers when they preached Christ the Light in every one that cometh into the World the Way to God the Father of Lights which Light sprang up so strongly in my Heart that with St. Paul it struck me down to the Ground where I felt the Root of the Matter in my Self so that I needed no Man to teach me but as the Unction that small grain of Mustard-Seed grew to a great Tree on whose body did hang all my Sins my Weaknesses and Infirmities which Seed of the Kingdom begot in me a new Heart and placed within me a right Spirit the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding fill'd with the Love of God Allelujah In the day when the People called Quakers were small in their own Eyes I dearly loved them who did not only preach Christ the Truth and Light in every one but with much boldness and courage and through great Persecutions defended the same living in much Love and Amity one with another which to me was a most lovely sight to see till there came to be a difference between J. N. and George Fox then G. F. by reason of his Enmity and Self-exaltation envied and persecuted J. N. and begat a most bitter wrathful Spirit in all his Friends against J. N. and all that stood by him in his Sufferings Thus G. F. was the Father that begat all those Divisions Rendings and Tearings that were then amongst the Quakers and since to this very day which with great violence lasted till J. N. took all the blame on himself and made himself of no reputation who was circumcised in Heart and Soul in which Circumcision he lived and died a true Israelite indeed But G. F. and his Party continued acting in another manner of Spirit for I have seen those pull hale and carry out of their Synagogue at the Bull and Mouth one Richard Freeman and the chief in this work was John Bolton with divers others At this time I perfectly saw that God had divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel and that a separation was making betwixt the Precious and the Vile amongst the Quakers And was it not the same bitter persecuting Spirit in G. F. that writ against J. Perrot's Book called Vnity and Amity For did not G. F. say This Book was writ with Cain 's Spirit Crying against his Sottishness and Ignorance affirming That a Cloud had compassed him that he went in the way of the false Prophets that his Spirit would give up the Children of God to Persecution Further alleaging That J. P. is one of Ham's Stock and that his gross Lies proceeded from a devilish hellish Spirit and that none that are in the least Truth will believe him and that he is a Liar and a Deceiver And the great Offence G. F. takes at this Book is that J. P. owns the Spirit of God's Grace and Light to be in Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists Seekers and others also that he hath Unity and Amity with all that walk therein the which G. F. denying and calling it a Lye c. plainly shews he is an Enemy to all that will not bow down to him and call him Master or Father of their Spirits and that he is turned from the Faith once delivered to the Saints and that he is removed to another Gospel than what at first himself had preached and also writ against J. P. that he was like a Dog snarling and biting such as are in the Life of Truth and so like a Dog thinks he will die This and much more hath G. F. writ against J. P. pursuing and hunting him as Saul did David like a Partridg on the Mountains from Country to Country from Region to Region and from City to City whithersoever he went these venemous Arrows were shot against him At this time I perfectly saw a Star fall from Heaven called Wormwood or the Dragon's Tail with which he drew to the Ground a third part of the Stars of Heaven then I saw a War in Heaven a Religious War the Dragon against the Lamb Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and his Angels Which bitter Spirit of the Dragon did write or indite John Bolton's Book printed 1670 intituled Judas and his Treachery c. In which Book he saith The thirty pounds Robert Rich sent to the Poor amongst the Quakers was the price of Blood and Judas his Treachery That Robert Rich is a Vagabond on the Earth one that hath not an Habitation in the Living God That he is a Contender against God's Blessed and Holy Way the Way of Life with whom Robert Bacon is joined That they were Idolaters and judged them to be the Whorish Spirit and that the Mystery of Iniquity in R. R. and R. B. was brought forth to open view And all along his Book is full of the like Expressions not only against R. R. and R. B. but the same Railing Accusations are also against Innocent J. N. and J. P. and for no Evil said or done against any one of them as in their own Consciences they well know To all which Railing Accusations R. R. saith The Lord rebuke thee About the same time another Book was writ against R. R. and R. B. by Ger. Roberts Geo. Whitehead and E. H. intituled Impudency and Ranterism rebuked in which they call the Spirit of R. R. which sent thirty pounds to their Poor A drunken ranting Spirit a fained Love and the Gift they call Cain's Sacrifice Balack's Reward and Balaam's Wages Judas's Oblation and a Superstitious Idolatrous Gift Also that R. R. is a wandring Star a raging Wave of the Sea that he is a Sow wallowing in the Mire a Dog casting up his Vomit that he is that Fool which