2.10.11 1. Pet. 4.1.2 and they that have suffered in the flesh and seased from sin though they may be tempted yet if they be not subject to enter into temptations they are upheld by the power of God and united to Christ who though he was tempted in all things like unto us yet he were not subject to the tempter neither did he enter into the temptation And it is no sin to be tempted but to obey the tempter and enter into temptation that is a sin and though Christ was tempted yet he did not obey the tempter and therefore did not sin and such as are united to Christ and abideth in him they do not sin as saith the Scriptures 1 Joh. 3.6 then they enter not into temptation that are so united and abide with Christ in that true union but as he is so are they in this present world as the Scripture witnesseth 1 Joh. 4.16.17 Rev. 14.3.4.5 and an t thou offended at that if thou be it is but to shew thy dislike to the work of Christ which is to take away sin and thy contradiction to the Scripture which also witnesseth the same And thy 24 lie Is one of thy grounds or second heads by which thou labours to uphold thy deceit in page the 8 which thou calls the second thing that Farnsworth as thou saies affirmed that is as thou saies when Paul spoke those words in the seaventh of the Romans where he cries out of a body of death and of the warfare he had in himselfe and to streng then thy lies thou saies Farnsworth said he was not then converted lier art thou not ashamed of such an abominable lie let the wise hearted search the booke written by me and see if they can in it finde such an affirmative and thou pretends to write thine in answer unto it and in page the 22 thou saies these are his principles he saith he ownes in his book oh that a man professing godlinesse should no more regard what he saies bur it is good that fooles utter their sollie as thou hast done thine thereby to manifest that deceit which long hath lain hid within thee but the book shall stand a witnesse against thee And that lie thou hast laid as a ground to build upon but the ground being false the building cannot stand therefore thou art left with thy refuge of lies and the burden thou must beare who art so acting Antichrists Spirit and being accustomed to do evill how canst thou do well be ashamed for ever of thy bundle or number of lies which are so prooflesse and now are back upon thee returned and in the liers generation are left to remaine And thy 25 lie is in thy 8th page which thou saies is thy answer to that as aforesaid where thou saies thou answered and said O man minde thy errour what Paul a messenger of the Gospel and so eminent Apostle of Christ and unconverted here I charge thee with this lie also for I neither said that Paul at that time were unconverted nor thou made noe such answer then unto mee and co say thou so answered when thou did not as many may wirnesse that is grosse deceit and double hypocrisie therefore Pollard thou therein hast made thy selfe manifest by thy lying Spirit to be a wicked lier a grosse deceaver and a double hypocrit oh man see thy errour lies and deceit and blush and also be ashamed for ever thou pretended to write thy booke in answer to mine but cannot prove such sayings therein nor Hagger to helpe thee yet you have bended your tongues like your bowes for lies and made them your refuge but truth sweeps them away or casts them out turning them upon you you liers againe and into the liers generation from whence they came and all that which thou hast scraped together and Haggar to help thee for the backing of your deceit and to mannage your lies I passe over and come to that which thou calls thy third thing Farnsworth affirmed as thou saies which is thy 26 lie saying that where Iohn spake those words if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves c. saying he said Iohn did not here speak of himself but the people to whom he spake those words were unconverted That is but like unto the rest of thy lies but thou canst not prove such a saying in my Book and thou says those was my principles which I stood by and owned in my book and saying so but cannot prove thy saying therein I pass by the rest of thy stuff which thou hast scraped together to back or strengthen thy lie withal and leave thee charged with that Lie also which makes up the number 26. And where thou says thou pleads not for a continuance in sin thy lying also therein is seen who art so accustomed to it and it is hard for thee to leave it And where thou art speaking about trying the Spirits page 11. Liars hath nothing to do to try them but thou art a Lyar and hath a number of lies charged upon thee and therefore thine is tryed known thereby to be a lying so an erring spirit But thou says you may honestly argue that If they and they onely be the friends of God that walk in obedience to the Commandments of God then they must needs be enemies that oppose but the first is true thou says Then it follows from thy own argument about the tryal of Spirits that thou that opposeth the truth art the enemy and the only enemy and no friend for he commands That every one that names the Name of Christ should depart from iniquity and that they should not lie c. 2 Tim. 2.19 Eph. 4.22,23,24,25 but thou art strong in iniquity and so pleading for it that such as obeys the commands of God in departing from it and thereby comes to be freed from it and be without it thou would have such to be enemies that are Gods friends saying They have no truth in them if they be departed from iniquity so as to have no sin in them and thus thou crosseth the Scriptures and obeyeth not the light but acts in darkness and opposeth the truth and art not subject to the commands of God who art such a Lyar c. who departs not from iniquity but lives in opposition to the truth and continues in lying as is here manifest therefore thy spirit is tryed and thou art found to be the enemy of God and also according to thy own saying and self confusion therefore stop thy mouth and be silent about speaking of the things of the Spirit of God by a lying spirit of error and deceit for darkness speaks in thee and the Serpents head who is yet unbruised in thee And where thou art speaking to those thou calls dear friends saying Beware least you be led away with the error of the wicked Thou art led away with the error of the wicked thy self who art so given over to lying as thou hast
moving cause of faith and salvation and thou hast contradicted the Scriptures and preferred them before Christ and without them thou would have no salvation and so would not have Christ to be a perfect Saviour without them nor to be perfectly able to save to the uttermost all those that come unto God by him though he be as the Scripture witnesseth Hebr 7.27 neither is there any salvation without him Act. 4.12 and as he is the author of faith so he is the author of eternall salvation to all that obey him Hebr. 5.8.9 And thou saies to destroy the ordinances of preaching the Scriptures for that is thy drift by which faith comes must needs tend to destroy faith thou saies and then please God who can That is thy saying but thy designe instead of these men is weighed that goes about to give the Scripture all the preheminence and set it up as God and Christ and no salvation without it but thou art contradicted by it who saith also that the Scripture brings to Christ then it must needs be the ground and cause of faith and salvation if so but thou hast therein erred and lied of Christ and the Scriptures in that thy 37th lie for Christ and the Scriptures will both contradict thee in thy lies and errours for Christ brings to understand the Scriptures Luke 14.32 and saith without mee ye can do nothing then he is the ground of faith and knowing God who giveth an understanding to know him that is true c. as the Scripture witnesseth 1 Joh. .20 and the Spirit revealeth even the deep things of God but thou saies if they can once bring a poore soul into this condition to disowne the Scriptures when he stands most in need of it to bring him to Christ and shew him how he ought to walk so as to please God c Here thou hast confirmed thy former saying and strengthened thy deceipt with thy lies and set the letter of the Scripture in the roome of the Spirit for the Spirit doth guide into all truth Joh. 14.16 Joh. 16.13 and shew things to come and so how to walke to please God for they that are guided by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Rom. 8.14 c. and walke in the Spirit whereby they please God Rom. 8.1 for God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into the hearts of his Children Gal. 4.6 to teach and guide them 1 Joh. 3.1 Rom. 8 and shew them how to walk to please him Gal. 5.22.23.24 c which Spirit of God and his teachings thou hast shewed thy ignorance in and of now as well as before that said the letter which thou calledst the written word and the Spirit were inseparable and said the scripture were a History and that book which thy lies hath not weakened stands still with this to witnesse against thee and thy deceipt and such as thou art the 37. Error or Lie The Scripture thou saies is a perfect rule to walke by that confirmes thy other lies also page 22. Here thou contradicts the promise and doctrine of Christ Joh. 14.15.16,17 who promised and gave his Spirit to be a perfect rule to walk by and guide into all truth Joh 16,13 Gal. 4.6 Rom. 8. and here thou hast manifested another errour or thy 37 lie Againe thou saies the Scriptures is the guide into the way of truth and peace so hath put the letter to guide instead of the Spirit which Spirit Christ calls a guide to guide into all truth John 16.13 and so into the way of truth peace Joh. 14.20.26 here thou hast lied of Christ the Spirit which is the true guide hath set the letter of the Scriptures to guide into the way of truth peace but they have not guided thee out of errour lying and deceipt nor into the way of truth peace that art charged here with thy 37. or 38 lies besides what followeth after therefore thy Spirit is tried knowne to be the Spirit of errour who hath made lies thy refuge which thou art found in so out of the way of truth peace And where thou saies thou hast given them his principles thou might have said thou hast laid them downe thy own errours to wit the lies slanders which I have left charged upon thee in severall particulers And where thou seemes to be offended because I said that thou came on purpose to the meeting at Harleston to cavill that thou did as thy fruits and lies made thee manifest and many may witnesse the same Secondly thou saies I say thou told of a visible Church in the world that is not denied but witnessed unto as it stands in my book Thirdly thou saies I say in my book that thou said the letter c the Spirit was inseparable And that the officers overseers in that Church which Christ had purchased with his blood were made by the holy Ghost I do not deny but witnesse unto Act. 20.28 thy shuffles doth not prove what thou would compasse by thy reason to have a temporall or carnal Church temporal or carnall officers therein for that which is seen is temporal but that which is not seene is eternal they looked not carnally at things which were visible and seene as thou dost as they do witnesse 2 Cor. 4.17 18. who said For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory while we look not at the things which are visible or seene but at the things which are invisible and not seene and 2 Cor. 4.17 and 18 for we walke by faith and not by outward and visible sight in the things of the Spirit of God c 1 Cor. 5.7 which are spiritually enjoyed and the holy Ghost who is invisible dwelleth within Joh. 14.17 and is invisible where the world seeth him not to guide into all truth such as obey and follow the same and though Paul and the rest as to the outward were visible men yet their knowledge were not after the flesh as thine is neither did they looke carnally at the things of God as thou dost who argues so carnally for they knew no man after the flesh 2 Cor. 5.16.17 and as their knowledge stood in the Spirit and spirituall things about the worship of God Joh. 4.23 Phi. 3.3 in the Spirit so their offices were in the Spirit overseers made by the holy Ghost and they preached by the Spirit Act. 2.4 and 2 Cor. 3.6 and prayed with the Spirit 1 Cor. 14.15 and went forth to preach by the Spirit in the power of the holy Ghost Acts 1.8 Act. 2.4 Act. 6.10 Acts 7.54.55 Acts 6.3 and Act. 13.4 Gal. 1.11.12 and 15 16 and the Spirit had the rule and government in the Church and the spirituall man but not the natural because the things of the Spirit of God are were spiritually discerned reveiled 1 Cor. 2.10 and where thou
true Spirits order to further make manifest your disorder and also your Spirit of delusion and errour And again you say God will judge the secrets of all hearts by the written word or letter of the Scripture when the Minister of Christ saith the contrary who saith that God will Judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ Rom 2.16 then not by the lettet of the Scripture and the Son saith All judgment is Committed unto him and the Father hath given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son but he hath not given authority to the letter of the Scripture to execute judgment because it is the letter of the Scripture and declareth or testifieth of the Son but is not the Son then the Scripture is not the judge of all hearts but the Son is so to wit the judge of all hearts as the Scripture declareth Joh. 5.22 and Joh. 5,26.27 Act. 17 31. Take notice how you would deprive Christ of his Kingly office and take the authoritie from him to put upon the letter and hath againe thereby further manifested your Spirit of errour THE HOLY SCRIPTURES Are cleared of Scandals OR AN ANSWER TO A BOOK Written by Thomas Pallord Henry Hagger As they say In Answer to a Book set â—orth by Richard Farnworth wherein they pretend to clear the truth of Scandals but are found Lyars and the Lyes is sent them back in a bundle or number that they may see their deceipt and Spirit or Lies Errors and Slanders THo Pallord and Henry Hagger who are mighty in the work of your Father John 8.44 you pretend to clear the truth of Scandals but of it are Lyars and Scandallers and evil Speakers and false Accusers and therefore that you may take notice of the fruit of your Fathers Spirit by which you are guided and taught to lie I have viewed your work or scandalous and deceitful Book and gathered out of it being numbred up the sum of 60 and odde or Threescore Lies and more besides many that I have passed by these being sufficient for to manifest your Spirit and the deceit of your heart as also severall lies gathered out of a Paper written or caused to be Printed under the name of John Griffith oue of the water Baptizers with you or in your number and I hare also sent them back amongst you into the lyars Generation again take them and keep them for they are returned back upon you and into the lyars generation from whence they came that Truth may be kept clear and you appear in your lying colours or be laid open who are such great deceivers unto your shame who hath taken upon you to slander and revile the Lotds people by you in disdain called Quakers and also to Prophesie or publish your lies in pretence of the Lords Name But to bo wort I shall lay several of them down return them back upon you from whence they came Tho Pollard Thou hast set down things which I neither spoke nor writ and says I affirmed them when I did not and therefore thy gronnds being lies that which springs out of them is so as well as thy Grounds or Heads but I turn them under and drive them back with the rest of thy Lies into the Serpents seat ugain lyars Generation from whence they came Eâ—…or or Lie the first In thy third page Thou says it is such a deceipt that they that say they have no sin the truth is not in them but thou cannot prove thy saying therein whose fallacy is laid down in that word they which includes any when the Scripture says not so as thou dost and therefore in that thou hast lyed of the truth and truths friends as it appeareth And here thou goes about to prove that Christ and such as are in him hath no truth in them and that is contradiction to the Scripture and the Spirits Doctrine for thou fetbheth Christ in with them and includes all in that word they saying They that say they have no sin the truth is not in thom as much as to say They that are without sin are without truth and have no truth in them but Christ and such as are in him are without sin Therefore if they say they are without sin there is no truth in them as thou says for that is contrary to thy proofless Argument Pollard or Hagger whether of you laid it down take notice of your folly therein here thou would by that have Christ and such as are in him to have no truth in them see what a trick the deceit hath taught thee in that for first it is said of Christ That he sinned not and so was without sin for no guile was found in his month and therefore he was without sin and the truth was in him contrary to thy lying of him for he is both the way the truth and the life Joh. 14.6 and is without sin but full of truth and such as abide in him they sin not as saith the Scripture 1 Joh. 3.5,6 then such as abide in Christ sin not as the Scripture saith they are without sin 1 John 3.9 and the truth is in them for such said That as he was so was they in this present world 1 John 4.16,17 Pallard take notice of thy Errors and Lies and also of thy contradiction of the Scripture For they that did abide in Christ and sinned not 1 John 3.6 they were so far trom being without truth or having no truth in them that they were full of grace and truth for the Spirit of God was in them which was truth and no lie 1 John 3.24 And secondly the word of God was in them 1 John 2.14 and they were strong in the Lord and the power of his truth for they had overcome the wicked one and the word of God were abiding in them and so the truth of God abode within them for saith Christ to his Father Sanctifie them with thy word thy word is truth John 17.17 Then they that had overcome the wicked one and were sanctified through the truth and were without sin having also the word of God abiding within they were full of truth and not without it or no truth in them take notice of thy absurdities and lies for they had the holy Unction within them that were without sin and that was truth and no lie 1 John 2.20 and 27. and greater was he that was in them then he that was in the World 1 Iohn 4.4 take notice of thy lie and that trick of thy deceit Error or Lie the second Thy second Lie is that thou saies we boast of perfection perfection in and by Christ we own else we should deny the truth and the worke of grace according to the working of the Spirit of God as it is witnessed according to the Scripture and by the Ministrie of Christ in the new Covenant Math. 5.48 and Eph. 4.11.12.13 1 Cor. 2.6 Heb. 6.1 Heb. 12.22.23 but though we witnesse
5.4.5 c. they ate not as John Griffith falsely saith and these Scriptures and the faith and birth spoken of in them and the light we also own who walk in it and are not as John Griffith saith therefore he hath prophesied or spoken other three lies and more also in the name of the Lord and hath manifest thereby his false Prophecy and himself to be a false Prophet as it is considered of and known And he goes on with his lies and speaks them in pretence of the name of the Lord saying and saith falsely thus saith the Lord ye have said it is in vain to serve God and what Profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances c. John Griffith when didst thou hear us say so here thou false Prophet that art without proof for thy lies I testifie unto thee from the witness for God that the Lord never so said unto thee nor sent thee to prophecy those lies in his name neither didst thou ever hear us and the righteous seed say as thou falsely hath done and therefore thou art one that prophecies lies in pretence of the Lord who never said that he would fire root and branch of the righteous seed though reproached by the name of Nazerens or Quakers c. as thou sayes and so thy lies and false Prophecies hath laid thee open and made thee manifest to be a false Prophet And we who fear the living God and serve him that keep his Ordinances and walk humbly or mournfully before him do testifie against thy lies and false Prophecies whom thou and the Serpents seed revilest and reproachest under the nick-name of Quakers And since we knew God and his word Oracle Worship and Ordinances never said that it was in vain to serve him and therefore thou hast added thy fifth lye Neither did we say that are in Covenant with God that it was in vain to keep his Ordinances since they were delivered unto us God is our witness which witness is greater than the witness of men 1 John 5.9.10 c. therefore in that thou hast prophecied falsely and added thy sixth lye Neither did we say nor ever declare it to thee that it was in vain to walk humbly or mournfully before the Lord in that as well as the other God is our witness before whom we appeal and to the truth of it his â—pirit doth witness with ours that obey him and walk humbly before him Rom. 8.14,15,16 And therefore John Griffith thy prophecy is false and in that thou hast added thy seventh lye in thy false Prophecy And therefore from the spirit of the Lord in obedience to the word of the Lord this do I declare and testifie which shall stand a witness against thee and thy lying and false Prophecy wherein thou sayes we are spiritually proud when we are not for that is by us denied as well as all other pride and therefore in that thou hast prophecied falsely and added thereunto thy eighth lye Wherein thou goes on in lying saying that we are proud Pharisees and Hypocrits c. but hath not so proved it therefore thou hast added thy ninth lye Thou sayes that we boast of our light within but boasting we deny and all Pharisaicallism and Hypocrisie and that is thy tenth lye Yet the light we own and follow else we should deny Christ who is the light of the world that lighteth every man that commeth into the world John 1.9 and such as follow him as he hath said are by the light led out of darkness into the light of life as the Scripture declareth which we witness with Col. 1.27 John 8.12 Thou sayes in thy false Prophecy that we neglect the weightier matters of the Law that is thy eleventh lye And the Law it self that is thy twelveth lye p. 3. For righteousness mercy and true judgement c. is the weighty matters of the Law for he hath shewed it unto us and therefore walking humbly before him and doing justly loving mercy c. Mica 6.8 we do not neglect neither the weightier matters of the Law nor the Law it self Rom. 8. for the righreousness of the Law is fulfilled in us that walk not after darkness and the flesh but after the spirit and spiritual light and Law within which doth condemn unrighteousness and sin Rom. 8.2,3,4 as the Scripture witnesseth And thou sayes amongst the rest of thy lies that the Scriptures is the Rule of faith and conversation when Christ and his Spirit is both the way and guid into all truth John 14.6 John 16.13 and so into faith Heb. 12.2 and a holy Converstion for without me saith he ye can do nothing then not believe without him and he is both the Authour and finisher of faith that calleth also into an holy Conversation for saith the Apostle as he that hath called you is holy so be you holy in all manner of coÌ„versation 1 Pet. 1.13,14,15 Take notice of thy contradiction to Scripture and thy error in that who hath thereby added thy thirteenth lye Thou sayes we erre not knowing the Scriptures nor power of God that shall stand for thy selfe which is also thy fourteenth lye For the Scriptures are they that testifie of Christ and that we know as they also witness of themselves where Christ saith search them but he is the life and ye will not come to him that ye might have life that are such enemies to him like their example that were lyars and false accusers like you And as the Scriptures testifie of Christ John 5.39.40 so do they also testifie of the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1.16 which power we know and witness unto and in with the Scriptures that testifie of it and therefore thou John Griffith hath told that fourteenth lie And thou sayes we are they that perish page 3. but such as are kept by the power of God and are thereby saved do not perish which power and salvation by and in it through the Lord Jesus we witness and so do not perish as thou falsely saith and therefore thou art charged with that lie which makes the number fifteen Thou sayes that the Scriptures without faith in Christ for thou leaves that out is able to make a man wise to salvation and to furnish him thoroughly to every good work page 3. when it is Christ that doth it and thou hast belied the Scriptures for thou hast left out the chief and moving cause to wit Christ and faith in him and sayes the Scriptures are able to do it when the Apostle tells Tymothy that the holy Scriptures were able to make him wise to salvation c. Through faith in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3.15,16,17 and he saith that Christ is the giver and so both the Authour and finisher of faith Heb. 12.2 and the Apostle prayed that the Colossians might be strengthened and so furnished according to the working of his glorious power giving thanks unto the Father which made them meet to be partakers of the
that the adversaries were not able to resist the spirit by which they were spoken as the Scripture witnesseth and behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them Rev. 21.3 and the Lord God and the Lamb is the light and the Nations which are saved shall walk in it Rev. 21.23,24 so the light according to the manifestation of it is the forme that it was and as Christ hath said At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you John 14.20 but thy drift is to set up the letter of the Scripture instead of the light and here thou sayes in thy 8th did not the Apostles of our Lord Iesus declare and testifie the same things to others that they hear and say who shunned not to declare to others the whole Counsel of God yes in that the Apostle John said that the Message which they had to declare was the light 1 John 1.5 which thou seems to be so much offended at and Paul that Apostle declared and said that God which John called light would dwell and walk in his people 2 Cor. 6.16 and he also declared of the light and the glory of God and the heavenly treasure within 2 Cor. 4.6,7 and of the life of Christ to be manifest in mortal flesh verse 10. 11. and and the mystery of Godliness he said was great and also within Col. 1.27 But thou being blind and ignorant of the things and workings of the light and the spirit of God thou would have all without in the letter of the Scripture which doth but declare of them for in the 9th thou askes whether you can know the things which Christ and his Apostles did but by the Scriptures If thou know not thou knows not the Father dwelling in thee that so wrought by his power and spirit in them John 14.10.11,12 Gal. 1. Col. 1.29 And so if thou be in doubt and question the thing out of ignorance and darkness thou shews that thou knowes not the same spirit of Christ within Gal. 4.6 to bring to rememberance what Christ hath said John 14.26 which is the guid into all truth and shews things to come John 16.13 And being without the life of the spirit of Christ and of God to rule and guid in thee Gal. 4.6 Rom. 8.14 which spirit searcheth and revealeth the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 which in the Prophets did also testifie before hand of the sufferings of Christ and doth now witness with them 1 Pet. 1.11,12 and thou that knows not the spirit to guide thee and reveal the things of God now as they did then thou art not of the spiritual but carnal minded men and so knowes not the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ that shineth within as such did and do that witness the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 and the holy unction within whereby they knew all things 1 John 2.20 But thou would have the Scripture to be the same which thou queries of and about in thy tenth and eleventh Queries and therein thy design is seen who thy self that followeth not the light walks after the dictates or evil sayings of thy own heart which is as thou sayes deceiptful and desperately wicked yet it is known and with the light reproved which thou art offended at And it is no better then folly and madness in thee and such like that would put the letter of the Scripture for the light and Gospel which is the power of God to salvation which light thou sayes is not sufficient to lead to happinesse c. And so denies Christ the true light to be sufficient to lead unto happinesse and denying the true light thou denies the true guide that leads into true comfort such as do follow the Counsel of it and that light which leads the obedient into true comfort it therefore leads them into true happiness and such did witness the consolation and so the happiness within that said As the sufferings of Christ did abound in them so their consolation also abounded by him 2 Cor. 2.5 and the light which shined in the face of Iesus through the new Covenant did shine within them and the glory and heavenly Treasure as well as the light which the Scripture declareth of therein was revealed within them and so the true comfort and comforter was within them who did experience the sufferings before Rom. 8.18 John 14.26 2 Thes 1.10 2 Cor. 3.17,18 and 2 Cor. 4.5,6,7 But the Letter is not that light c. as thou would have it though it declare of it c. which light of the glorious Gospel thou art a stranger unto for thy dark reason cannot comprehend it who art in those and so thy brain expectations thou speaks of and art out of that Covenant which thou out of darkness art quering after and about that art such a lyer and false accuser and with the liers and false accusers art a partaker as this Book maketh manifest which stands a witness against thee and them c. Henry Hagger that refuseth the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ and would set the Letter up instead of the light spoken of or queried about in thy 11th refusing it to follow or walk by as thou sayes instead of his thy own imaginations or dictates and sayings of thy evil heart which is so deceitful and desperately wicked the heart thou speaks of in thy Query And now according to thy 12th such as thou art being found out after query or search that hath so lyed and sought as thy Brethren hath done to set up the letter of the Scripture instead of the light and spirit or power of God unto salvation which is the Gospel of Christ and refusing the light within also and that which Paul and the Gospel-Ministers witnessed in them who called it the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ in the face of Jesus which was in them and shined within in their hearts 2 Cor. 4,4,5,6,7 in which light the Nations that are saved shall walk Rev. 21.23,24 which light we chuse to walk by and in as Paul and the faithful in Christ did giving thanks unto the Father of lights James 1.17 who of his own will begot us with the word of truth James 1.18 who hath made us meet to be partakers of what the Saints doth inherit of the Inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 And so we are required to hold such accursed as denies Christ within which Paul preached and said to the Colossians great is the mysterie of godliness Christ in you whom we preach c Col. 1.27.28.29 and such we are to deny as denies the light within which the Gospel preachers witnessed in them 2 Cor. 4.6.7 which thou opposeth and stumbleth or art offended at as the Serpents seed ever was But the light and the Spirit of truth we own to be within us which is not darknesse as thou would have it but being
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES From Scandals are cleared OR An Answer to a Book set forth by the Baptizers to wit Henry Hagger and Thomas Pollard Entituled The Holy Scriptures clearing it self of Scandals But is scandalled or perverted and so scandalized by them as in this Answer to theirs will further appear so by them Entituled or bearing the Title of an Answer to a Book written by Richard Farnsworth called Truth cleared or Truth lifting up its head above Scandals occasioned by a dispute at Harliston in Staffordshire between Richard Farnsworth and Thomas Pallard in the year 1654. Also here is in this the heads of an Order or late Act made at Coventry by the Baptized People there subscribed with the names of seven Elders and Brethren as they say in the behalf of the rest and set forth from them sent to Shittington in Warwickshire shewing whom they denyed to be Ministers and Members of Christ c which is set down in this and several Considerations or Observations and Answers thereunto And something here is in Answer to a false Prophet called John Griffith set out by him and several others in a false Prophesie or Book bearing the Title of True Gospel Faith collected into 30 Articles or in the middle part called A Voice from the Word of the Lord with at least an hundred lies numbred up out of the Books as aforesaid being answered such as are of concernment and they are with the other sent to them back in a bundle or number as herein will appear and being cast out now truth stands pure and clear Pror 18.18 The lot causeth contentions to cease and parteth between the mighty Written by a Servant of the Lord in the sixth Moneth 1655. by R. F. London Printed for Giles Calvert at the Sign of the Black Spread-Eagle at the West end of Pauls 1655. To the Reader and whom it may concerne c. READER instead of an Epistle I shall lay downe a few of the particulers or affirmatives in that act or law made by the water baptized people at Coventry and sent to Shittington signed or subscribed at the end with the names of Mannasses King an Elder and Jefford Youngbone an Elder John Murdock Francis Blabby John Fairbrother George Copson and Thomas Hardway Brethren who from Coventrey say they subscribed it in the name of the rest c. And from them I shall lay downe some observations or answers thereunto The second thing which in that Coventrey law or late Act is that they say they deny any to be Ministers of Christ and the Gospel or to speak in the Church that say they speak from or by an internall light prove it not by the visible rule of the Scriptures c. And by this rule and law though God be light 1 Joh. 1.5 and dwell within in his people 2 Cor. 6.16 1. Joh. 4.4 yet he must be debarred or limitted and not suffered to speake in the Church except he confine himselfe to the letter of the Scriptures and that is contrary to his former actings for to be limitted and who are you that dare presume or offer to seeke to limit the holy one of Israel As much as to say though Abraham Isaack and Iacob were endued with the Spirit of God yet except they could prove what they said by the words of Adam Enoch and Noah they might not be permitted to speake from the Spirit of God in the things of God revailed and made knowne unto them thereby Though Moses Aaron Caleb and Joshuah might be guided by the Spirit of God yet except they could prove by words from Abraham Isaack and Iacob what from the Spirit of God they had to declare they might not speake of the things of God but be denyed to be any Ministers or Messengers of God Though Samuel and the rest of the Lords true established Prophets that were by him called and sent and could witnesse that the Lord God and his Spirit did call establish and send them yet if they said so and said they spake from an internall light or the Spirit of God within and could not prove by Scripture or the writings of Moses and those before them all that that they said they might not be suffered to speake but be denyed to be the Ministers and Messengers of God Though the Ministers of the new Covenant had the light and the heavenly treasure within them 2 Cor. 4.6.7 and were guided by the Spirit of God Rom. 8.14 who made them able Ministers of the new Covenant not of the letter but of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 and they was not to serve in the oldnesse of the letter but in the newnesse of the Spirit Rom. 7.6 yet if they said they preached from an internall light or the Spirit of God within them c. and denyed to prove all they said by the Scripture or to serve in the oldnesse of the letter and not Minister from the Letter but from the Spirit in which their Ministry stood they might not by these baptized people be suffered to speake but be denyed to be any Ministers or messengers of Christ though his true Ambassadors take notice you Baptizsts of your errour herein and acknowledge the same and own your condemnation thereupon And where you say you deny any to be members of Christ that either goe themselves or suffer others to goe heare them that preach from an internall light c. Here you are against Christ the true light and against the Ministry of the Gospel and against the Kingdome of Christ in the Spirit against the new Covenant and the doctrine of the Apostles also that were Ministers from the light and the life of the Spirit within which you deny and they were Ministers of the Spirit and not of the letter and said to others try all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Thessa 5.21 Here you are against the Scriptures also that would deprive people of a Christian liberty that so binde them by your law contrary to the Gospel and contrary to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles for the true Christ saith Preach the Gospel to every Creature but you would not have every Creature to heare it Preached by the Spirit in the power of light in the endless life that so denies them liberty to heare those that are Ministers of the new Covenant and not of the letter but of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.6 so hereby your Spirits are discovered and made manifest to be Antichristian Againe you say you deny liberty for any to object in the Churches either in the time of speaking or after c. In this you have denyed the true Spirits order who said If any thing be reveiled and that is not by the letter but by the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.10 to him that sits or stands by let the first hold his peace and let the other speak c. 1 Cor. 14.30 But you say the contrary and therefore you have crossed the Scripture and denyed the
but could not prove their saying therein and yet is to prove and the question to answer in the ground and true meaning which thou hast but made a poore shuffle in Error or Lies 58. 59 60. But to come on to turne thee thy lies back upon thee againe in page the 38. there is thy 58. 59. and 60 lies where thou saies as the Pharisees were without mercy so are you but thy testimony is false therein and where thou saies you look for justification by the law and by following the imaginations of an evill heart in you And thy 60 lie is where thou saies you are now through unbeleife departed from the pure way of the Lord those lies shall stand for thy selfe for the pure way of the Lord which is Christ the true light we are not departed from but walke in Joh. 1.9 Joh. 14.6 Joh. 8.12 And such as say we are departed from the pure way when we walk in it they must needs be guided by a lying and an erring Spirits as thou art and as we walke and so abide in him he keepeth us and teacheth us also to shew mercy to the objects of it and being mercifull we obtaine mercy and are blessed as to such Christ in his doctrine hath said Mat. 5. vers the 7th but we are taught also to reprove the deceipt and to have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness Eph. 5,11 at which thou and the Serpents seed are offended as they were at Christ our example in mercy and way to the Father who called them a generation of vipers and said how shall you escape the damnation of hell Mat. 23.33 And he who is our peace and way to the Father to wit Christ Jesus is our justification and sanctification also for by his blood are we justified and by his life are we saved Rom. 5.8.9.10,11 1 Cor. 1.30 and not as thou falsly saies therefore thou art left charged with those three lies that I have here answered which makes thy number 60 And being given over to lie thou art doubling or trebling them where thou art slandering and accuseing us falsly for thou saies As the Pharisees boasted more of themselves then any other people that shall stand for your selves that stick in the shadows as they did after the substance was come but thou saies so are these men boasting of perfection But boasting we deny yet we witnesse to the truth as before is said and therefore thou art here charged with another lie so making thy number 61 and thou saies we boast of perfection as the book declares but the book doth not say or declare that we boast of perfection perfection and therefore thou hast belied the book as the wise hearted may see and that shall stand for thy 62 lie And going on to lie making it thy work so to do thou saies they make it their whole work to overthrow the rule of the Scripture and all the ordinances thereof but we do not as thou saies and therefore thou art left charged with other 2 lies which makes thy number 64 The Rule or ground of the Scriptures is that from which they did proceed but the holy Scriptures and ordinances thereof proceeded from God and his Spirit and to say that God and his Spirit and so the rule of the Scriptures c can be overthrowne that is absurdity or meere blasphemy and we do not seek to do it neither is it any part of our worke to do as thou saies therefore take notice and be for ever ashamed of such thy absurdities or blasphemy and lies that makes it thy businesse to lie and-goes on in it saying they throw aside all the Laws and Ordinances of the Lord Jesus that is but to fill up thy number of lies and makes it amount to 66 and many more which I passe by which is not here mentioned but these may serve to let thee see thy folly and that others may see by what a lying and erring Spirit thou art guided and led that makes it thy businesse to lie and so to sin and serve thy Father the Devill Joh. 8.44 Rom. 6.16 and see thy portion for thy Fathers worke and remember that liers are for the lake Rev. 21.8 And where thou would raise severall lies upon mee from what is written in the beginning of my book about the worships of God c it is but as the rest of thy lies and deceitfull worke and therefore lies having no force in them to weaken the truth the book shall and doth cleare it selie of thee And this shall be a witnesse or further testimony against thy lying refuge which truth sweeps away or turnes back upon thee and thy partakers againe and keeps it selfe pure and cleane so for to remaine Take notice of another trick which the deceipt and that lying Spirit hath taught thee where thou art speaking against the plaine and proper language of thee and thou which thou saies is a proper language to any single person and afterwards saith it is not binding or to be performed If the wicked used it as well as the godly in former ages what a poore shift is that for thou saies if in all ages we finde the Lords people useing this terme and proper language of thee and thou to a single person c. and they only useing of it then thou saies it is granted that you err in that thing if you do it not but if the worst of men used it as well as the best of men then it is not binding or to be performed thou saies As much as to say though truth be truth and right and proper and ought to be obeyed and walked in yet because wicked men and enemies to it profess it as well as the godly and upright that in obedience to the Lord do practise it then it is not binding and to be walked in c. Oh horible delusion And as much as to say because the Devill and his disciples made use of the Scriptures for their own ends as well as the godly did for the truths defence yet according to thy argument they are not binding to be walked in c. because the Devill and wicked men made use of them as Christ and his disciples and the best of men did c And so thou saies the terme thee and thou is the proper or true and right speech to any single person yet because the Devill and the worst of men used it as Christ and the best of men did therefore it is not binding to be performed and practised thou saies oh horible deceipt Though I passe by many of thy lies yet I cannot but put thee in minde of some more of them and turne them back upon thee againe in page 29 first thou art Quering and saies Quisitively is not your mercy and pittie turned into bitternesse and hatred c here thou shews thou knows not but art quiering by thy darke minde into the things then presently after in the
to the truth and the worke of the Spirit of Grace yet boasting of perfection c that we deny and therefore thou hast acted Antichrists spirit and told thy second Lie Error or Lie the third In thy third Lie thou saies that we make it our whole worke to turne away poore soules from the truth but art without proofe for that Lie for such as are guided by the Spirit of truth to turne people from the darkness to the light turnes them to the truth and not from it as thou saies Act. 26.16.17.18 and we being so guided are made instrumentall to turne people from the darknesse to the light and so from the power of Satan to the power of God and many souls that art turned to the truth can witnesse for us and against thee and such thy disciples who hast herein manifested thy third Lie and so made it thy work to Lie and businesse to sin and doe evill which is the work of thy Father the Devill Lrror or Lie the fourth and fifth Thou saies we turne people from the Scriptures so didst thou say to me at Harliston but could not prove it and many reproved thee for it And in thy fifth lie thou sayst we turne them from the ordinances or Christ Error or Lies the 6. 7. c. And in thy sixth Lie thou saies that we are proud presumptious and selfwilled but art to prove thy lying slanders therein and all that feares God and knows our conversation may witness against such thy absurdities or thy grosse Lies Lie the seventh Thou saies we strike at Jesus Christ but such as are obedient to him do not strike at him neither are they self-willed nor proud and as thou-saies but we obey him that walke in his statutes and keepe his ordinances as he hath delivered them unto us therefore tâ—ou art charged with the Lies left behind and they shall stand for thy selfe and such in thy nature And thy eight Lie is where thou saies that we are scorners but scorning we deny and also striking at Jesus or doing as thou saies and therefore thou art charged with the Lies who makes lying thy refuge In thy tench Lie thou saies we are turned with the dogg to his vomit and the sow that was washed to the wallowing in the mire and that thou canst not prove and therefore in it art the Lier as also in the other accompanied with the tenth Lie to and in thy sixth page The eleventh Lie is in page the seventh where thou saies we impudently boast of perfection but impudency and also boasting as I said before that we denie and there in thou art charged with the eleventh Lie And in Lie the twelfth thou saies we judge all to be in darknesse that throwes not away the rule of truth But we judge all to be in the light and not in darknesse that are led by the Spirit of God the rule and guide into all truth for they that are led by the Spirit of God are we Sons of God Rom. 8.14 c. Joh. 16.13 Gala. 4.6 and there againe thou art charged with another Lie which makes up the number a whole dozen or twelve of thy Lies left without proofe take notice thereof and be thou ashamed and Haggar also who is thy backer or partaker therein that hath either acted the same or joyned with thee to carry on that deceit wherein so many Lies are brought forth and more also which may be for your shame In the thirteenth Lie Thou saies we justifie our selves but self-justification we do deny and therefore thou art left charged with the thirteenth Lie And thou saies we judge rashly of all men that are not of our minde calling them Devills c. But that is as the rest of thy proofless Lies though thou say thou can shew it under some of our hands I charge thee to doe it if thou canst or else thou art left changed with the fourteenth Lie And Lie the fifteenth sixteenth and seventeenth with the other in page the seventh Thou saies we glory in appearances appearances having a kinde of voluntary humilitie and saith we goe about to set up our selves and not the Lord but selfe is by us denyed who walke in obedience to the commands and teachings of the Spirit of the Lord and voluntary humility that we deny and all false and fleshly appearances which is not the Lords and therefore the fifteen sixteene and seventeenth Lies are left for thee and shall stand for thy selfe take them in againe for they are returned back into the Liers generation from whence they come And in thy 18 lie Thou slandereth us with deluding tongues and Lie the nineteenth with out-side holiness and in Lie the twentieth with and for throwing dirt in the face of truth And in lie 21 Thou saies we destroy men by our doctrine c. Lie the 22. Which had its rise from Hell as thou saies but these are but like the rest of thy lies who art so accustomed to it and therefore goes on in it to manifest thy deluding tongue lying and hellish doctrine c. proceeding from an Erronious and deceitfull Spirit for lying and deluding tongues is by us denied who walke in obedience to the truth through the Spirit as such did 2 Pet. 1.22.23 who were borne againe and were of the incorruptible seed and all outside holinesse which is not the holinesse of God is by us denyed and throwing dirt in the face of truth shall stand for thy selfe who art such an abominable lyer which is by us denyed and also all doctrine that is from darknesse and Hell arid thou canst not prove what thou hast said thy witnesse is but from darknesse and the corruptions of thy evill heart and so of thy selfe and not true therefore the 18. 19. 20 21. and 22 Lies with the rest of thy Antichristian worke is charged upon thee and left for thy selfe and such as with thee in it hath taken thy part take notice of thy errours or lies and thy Antichristian worke And thy 23 lie Is one of thy first heads or ground of thy booke where thou saies R.F. said he was a man wholly free from sin and not subject to any one temptation such words were not so spoken by me though to the truth I did witnesse as I doe still against thy deceit and such as thou art neither canst thou produce them so set downe together in that my book which thou pretends thine answer unto therefore in that thou hast made a lie thy refuge and grounds much upon it but if thy first head or that ground be a lie then the rest is but that which the lier hath scraped together to guard it withall seeking thereby to uphold his deceit therefore be ashamed that thou shouldest so utter thy folly to make thy selfe manifest as thou hast done But such as are wholly free from sin are sanctified by Christ and them and their condition I truly love 1 Cor. 6.11 Heb.