and misery and translated me into the Kingdom of his dear Son where I have righteousnesse peace and joy and that in power which makes these things in me unspeakable and full of glorie Quest Who baptized John the Baptist Answ Even he baptized him by his Spirit into his administration who sent him first forth to baptize with water he being the first who was called to that baptisme of water had no need of the baptisme of any other but of him who sent him Quest. Whether is Jesus Christ the end of all figures Answ Yea I look upon Jesus Christ as the end and fulfilling of all types and shadows he being the substance for whose sake all figures were ordained and when he is come the figure disappears or the shadow flies away Quest Whether Jesus Christ baptized any with outward water yea or nay Answ We read that Christ was baptized himself with water by John who was the Minister of water but Jesus Christ himself never baptized or administred water in his own person John 4. 1 2. Quest Whether John was a Prophet And whether Iesus Christ be the end of the Prophets and prophetical figures yea or nay Answ Iohn was a Prophet nearer the more clear Revelation of Iesus Christ than the rest and therefore more in the light for a greater Prophet than Iohn hath not risen and yet as other Prophets he was one rather upon the account of the Law than the Gospel For he who was least in the Kingdom of God or administration of the Gospel was greater than he Matt. 11. 11. Now Christ is the end or fulfilling of Iohn and the rest of the Prophets and their shadowish ministrations and all the Lords people under the ministration of Christs reign within are made Kings and Priests and Prophets unto God in their own persons Quest Whether he whose Commission is in Ink and Paper without him be not a Minister of the Letter and not of the Spirit one that walks by tradition and imitation and not by command and so shut out of the true ministerie Answ Such an one I look upon as a Thief and Robber because not entring in by the door of the Spirit within into the sheepfold And though these men speak the words of Moses of Christ and other holy men of God yet having no experience of the truth and enjoyment of what they speak within hence they can be but Lip-Ministers and make but Lip-Christians being rather mockers of Christ and his Spirit in the Saints than Ambassadours from Heaven to awaken Christ in mens consciences and to set him up to reign as King and Lord in mens Spirits which is the end of the Lord by the Ministery of those whom he sends Quest Whether Iesus Christ who sent forth Disciples sent them to spread abroad Iohn and his Ministery who was a Prophet or himself who was the end of the Prophets greater than Iohn who baptizeth with the holy Ghost in whom alone is salvation yea or nay yet who owns him sets every thing in its place time and season Answ The end of Christs sending out to preach was that thereby the Nations might be baptized not into the name of Iohn or Peter or Iames or Paul but into the name of God that they might understand and know God and Iesus Christ whom he hath sent that men might become the Lords Disciples and not the Disciples of men and so we finde the Apostles not preaching up themselves but Iesus Christ the Lord and themselves servants Apostles men sent to minister as they had received And the main drift of their preaching we finde was to declare the Gospel glad tidings of grace and peace through Christ unto the Sons of men to open the mystery of Christ which was hidden from former ages and to entreat men through Christ to be reconciled unto God to bring to a receiving all from Christ and to a placing all in Christ who of God is made unto all his wisdom righteousnesse and redemption and that by way of Spirit and power working all these in their Souls In brief Christ sent out his Disciples to declare himself to preach salvation in his name and to perswade the vvorld to faith and meeknesse and love and self-denial c. through their taking in Christ to work all these in their Souls And yet they were to give every outward person and ordinance God was to make use of or had made use of before its due respect plate and season Quest Whether the baptisme unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea was outward yea or nay Answ The baptisme unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea I take not to be literal but metaphorical and a typical baptisme The Cloud typically holds forth the presence of God overshadowing protecting and defending them from their enemies And their passing through the Sea on dry ground when their enemies were overwhelmed and drowned holds forth the wonderfull power of God in their deliverance and defence These were two great Declarations of Gods power and providence towards that people by which they were baptized unto Moses that is confirmed in the truth of his administration and so taught to believe God and his servant Moses whom he had sent by a strong hand to bring them out of Egypt into Canaan Quest. Whether the one baptisme which Paul spake of who was not sent to baptize was with outward water or with the baptisme of Christ who is greater than John Answ The baptisme which Paul cals one is the baptisme of Christ upon all his whereby they are baptized spiritually into an onenesse of nature with himself as their faith is one so their baptisme one Quest Whether that baptisme which Peter witnesseth to have which was not the putting away this filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ was with outward water yea or nay Answ This baptisme the Apostle here speaks of must needs be an inward thing wrought in the soul by the resurrection or appearing of Christ there in spirit through whose coming the conscience comes to be cleansed from guilt shame and fear and so the soul can go unto God cheerfully and safely as one saved through the baptisme or spiritual work of the Son of God within Quest Whether that cup of which Jesus Christ sayd that henceforth he would not drink of the fruit of the wine till he did drink it new with them in his Fathers kingdom was an outward cup yea or nay Answ This cup and drinking in the Fathers kingdom must needs be a spiritual cup and drinking for in the Kingdom of God there 's no eating and drinking of earthly fruit all is heavenly and Paradisicall there 's no eating and drinking of any thing but what flowes from the nature and spirit and fulnes of the Father Quest Whether any outward cup be drunk in the Kingdom of God yea or nay Answ There 's no carnal sensual cup
hand he and his father are greater than all and sufficiently able to preserve all theirs from all delusions and pollutions of men If thou mean by their way mans way or thy way which is a way of sense and reason and flesh such as are going in this way my desire is to undeceive But in any way of God be as strict and holy as the will or rather as the grace of God shall teach you to be onely have a care that ye begin not in the spirit and end in the flesh and so stick in the washing of the cup or platter or out-side when the heart is proud and lofty and doth all it doth to justifie it self with the proud Pharisee Repl. But thou sayest again I know not the Crosse which is the power of God to them that are saved and the bloud of his Crosse who makes peace I know not and so am unwashed in the bloud of the Lamb a Sow wallowing in the mire that 's my figure I wallow in pride and covetousnesse c. Answ Through the bloud of the everlasting covenant I have seen and believed the love that God hath to me and I own the bloud of his Crosse who hath made peace for me This through faith in it becomes the power of God to save me and this Crosse having its efficacy upon my Soul becomes the ruin of Satans Kingdom in my flesh And now I am not ashamed to tell thee I know no mire I wallow in but that of scandals reproaches accusations slanders from Satan and his Spirit who rules in the dark world and yet through the power and vertue of the Crosse am I freed from fear of this mire and this power carries me forth out of the mire of corruption and teacheth me to die dayly to live more to him and in him who is my life and Saviour And this I know is accepted according to what I have And now who art thou that condemnest It is God that justifies and sets me free from the reign of sin and death though I finde still enough in the flesh within me to keep me humble and low yet thou who wilt needs be my judge know that in the midst of all Satans railings and accusings and condemnings of me by thee I can sweetly behold the Lord causing all these things to work together for my good and easily making void thy condemnations Repl. Further thou tellest me I take upon me to tell what the flaming sword is and ghesse one thing and another thing Answ Here thou art still in the image of thy father either railing or scoffing when thou knowest not what to reply or say It seems thy questions were so deep in thy conceit that none could answer them but by ghessing and so they might be in thy double doubtfull sense Didst thou ever hear of the Oracles of old among the Heathen whither people resorting to ask the event of things the subtle Devil alwayes gave forth his answers in a double doubtfull sense and by this trick he kept up his credit in that blinde generation Just like his answers then are thy questions now alwayes taken in a double sense and when they are answered in the Letter then thou flyest unto the spirit and when they are answered in the spirit then thou flyest unto the Letter and so like thy father between both thou seekest to maintain thy credit among thy blinde friends for that 's thy God thy credit and yet it may be God may open thine eyes I can but ghesse at it seeing thou hast so willingly denied the Lord that bought thee But to thy reply that may be doth not make mine answer a ghesse but lets thee understand that the flaming sword is a real thing in both those senses I named And with this sword God will confound and destroy all proud persons and things for ever And though thou see it not yet my joy is that this sword of the Lord hath kept me from the forbidden Tree and put me in minde of the new and living way of coming to the Tree of life which is by the bloud of Jesus Thus the Law and the fiercenesse of the wrath of God which cuts me off every way from entring into life through mine own power and merits puts me upon the way of the Gospel and free grace which is to enter into life by believing on him who justifies the ungodly and so to be saved by the power and merits of Jesus Christ And though thou tell me of deceit guile covetousnesse hypocrisie doubtfulnesse which the sword takes hold of Yet I tell thee again the sword of the Lord in me hath cut down the Tree where these things grow and I am risen from their power and covet dayly to finde the power of the Crosse to crucifie these things in me more and more that so I may be more freed from all these works which the sword takes hold of and so Jacobs portion even the Lord is still mine for ever notwithstanding all thy ghessing at my pride covetousnesse c. Repl. Another great fault thou findest with me is that I am called of men Master which Christs forbids Answ Sometimes thou art in the meaning and deniest the Letter as in the Crosse of Christ here thou art low in the Letter but deniest or else knowest not the meaning and therefore art thou found in the thing and power of the name Master but grudgest another the form or name outwardly of Master Thou sayest I am called Master and so I am through mans courtesie without any affectation of mine But thou thy self lovest to be the Master and Father of anothers faith the Christ the high one which Christ forbids though thou art a poor drop a worm defiled with errours blindnesse and sins like others of the sons of men Repl. But thou sayest I am telling of the 3. principle of the elementary world of the strong word and much more which I received from the mouth of the Germane vvriter I. B. not from the mouth of the Lord. Answ As for my using an expression which sets forth the life of a truth what matters it whose the words were If I had borrowed an answer out of Behemen I should soon have heard thee set down the place which had been something indeed though I know it as lawfull for me to use another mans words and speeches so as I am made one with the thing in mine own spirit as it was with Paul to use the saying of an Heathen Poet. Repl. But thou tellest me I am telling of the language of Egypt and in the same thing I witnessed against am I found Answ Here thou seemest to confesse contrary to the minde of thy father that I speak a truth yet to save thy credit because thou thy self art guilty of the language of Egypt thou sayest I have got the language of the Israel of God but the Egyptian speaks them Is not this a brave come off But stay notwithstanding this fine
and so not for Christ but for your selves And surely so long as so much of thy self lives that thou must needs be Christ not with him or in him but he himself all this while thou dost not suffer thy self to come under the Crosse of Christ Further know friend what it means to be saved by hope to hope for that we see not and so with patience to wait for it Ye know Pauls desire was to be dissolved and to be with Christ and he cries out if in this life onely wee have hope in him we are of all men most miserable therefore wait the day and time of your dissolution Read 2 Cor. 5. 1. to 10. The life of hope is a sweet life seeing the grace came from heaven looks back into heaven and never leaves groaning and longing till it return into the bosom of the Father and the earthly house be changed into the heavenly Therefore be not over-hasty thou knowest the men that would enter in without God were slain therefore be not high-minded but fear It 's a sad thing to be undone by our own works undone by Religion observation abstinence as many an Hermit Monk and man hath been Be as holy as thou wilt in the holy place in Christ onely glory not in thy formall holinesse Thou dreamest thou art Christ and in the holiest and yet all can see thee in weaknesse darknesse and in infirmities like other men But I would not break thy neck but rebuke thee with patience though all this will provoke thee to scorn and to turn again and rent me And therefore I 'le let thee alone to be discovered by the light and day of God Repl. Thou goest on to spend a little more breath against Tythes and Tythepriest and hirelings who denie Christ Answ This is no news therefore I 'le let it passe in silence till we come more fully to speak of Tythes But thou sayest Repl. Vnto us a reed is given like unto a rod and the Temple of God we know and the Altar and them that worship therein and thee to be in the Gentiles court I see among the prophane Answ Here thou wilt be measuring though thou want the rod of strength that is out of Sion and so knowest not how to measure the Temple and the Altar and the worship that God sets up in Sion What is below thee thou mayest measure but what is above thy reason thou canst not see to measure well till thou art born into it Therefore be not wise in thine own conceit boasting of things beyond thy measure seeing not hee who commends himself is approved but whom the Lord commendeth That I am in the Gentiles Court by nature I know is true But that God hath led me out to worship in his Temple and to sacrifice upon his Altar according to the measure of his son in me this thou canst not see and yet I dare not commend my self as thou dost knowing I have nothing but what I have received and so must not glory in my self but in the Lord But thou sayest Repl. I have slain the witnesse which quickened shall be and kindle my torment and none shall quench it Answ The witnesse that was living in me is living still he is not slain and dead but alive to reprove me when I wander and to heal and revive me again with the sweetnesse and comelinesse of his voice and countenance And by this faithfull and true witnesse the false witnesse is slain the floud of the Dragon swallowed up and though he be quickned in thee and others to affright me yet he torments me not his fire is quenched by the Lords goodnesse and mercy and so I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Repl. But death hath passed over me and reigns over me thou sayest Answ Yet can see deliverance from his sting and power in my spirit though I know he dwels in my flesh and reigns there and so he doth in thee And notwithstanding thy passing the first and second resurrection yet there is a resurrection which yet remains and a last day too which thou shalt know to thy torment and wo who knowest not the Scripture in this nor the power of God Repl. Thou sayest further Them which sin not after the similitude of Adams transgression I know not nor what it is that death hath passed over and so am I reasoning and ghessing it may be infants in yeares who have death written in their natures and thou biddest me shew such a Scripture that infants have death written in their natures else the plagues I must have Rev. 22. 18. Answ What I spake of Infants was and is a clear truth they sin not as Adam did and yet they die And that they have death written in their natures I wonder with what face thou canst deny Doth not their dayly dying shew that this enemy death lives in their natures And for Scripture to prove this what thinkest thou by Davids Childe by Bathsheba that died 2 Sam. 12. 18. Was not death written in this Childs nature See how wise thou art But thou goest on to tell me Repl. I say it may be Infants in knowledge and here I am ghessing which shews forth another spirit then wrote the Scriptures and so thou sayest neither of Infants in year nor of Infants in knowledge did Paul speak but said death reigned from Adam to Moses even over them c. Rom 5. 14. But that them I know not therefore put my ghessings and meanings to the Scripture Answ That which I spake concerning Infants in knowledge is a truth too who though they have not such knowledge as Adam had and so their sin be not so great because their light is not so great yet they have a light which being sinned against that sin lets in death upon them To confute this thou bringest nothing but thy bare word that it is not so and so let it go I could have told thee that that Scripture was to be understood of your fruitfull generation as you call it that death reigns over you even you also that have not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression that are not so bad as Adam found sinning and eating of the forbidden Tree yet even you must dye This I know you dream is the truth of that Scripture yet this is but a ghesse too and as little true as mine Understand it of whom you will you must put your own meaning when you are asked who is meant by that particle them seeing the Scripture doth not there deteâ—mine it And if your meaning may go why not anothers that hath as much face of truth as yours But when you discover your selves I shall know better what to reply unto Further thou tellest me Repl. Once there was some tendernesse in me because of sin some groaning for deliverance setting my feet in a way that leadeth out of Egypt but a Captain I chose wheeled about into Egypt and in the lusts
Crosse both within and without is the same as he was hated persecuted crucified so are we according as 't is given unto us from our heavenly father as he was dead to his own will and alive to his fathers so are we according as we have power and life from the father given to us in all these and the like there is a similitude between Christ and his Church they are of his bone and flesh one every way so far as he and his father are pleased to lead them forth into it and this was that which Christ prayed for Joh. 17. 21. 22. and Paul spake of Rom. 8. 29. and desired to live in Phil. 3. 8. to 15. and this Iohn witnessed when he said as he is so are we in this world behold your likenesse friends all ye the Lords portion and challenge as much as ye will or can in this matter so as it flow from light and truth accompanied with humility and the fear of the Lord and ye cannot anger the Lord his spirit nor his son but withall be not high proud lofty there is a dissimilitude to as well as a likenesse between Christ and his Church First He 's the father of all God over all the fulnesse of the God-head dwells in him bodily This is no where said of the Saints though they partake of the nature of God and of the fulnesse of God according as their being can receive yet they are not the father they are not the God-head neither in fullnesse nor part no friends away with such blasphemies this is a Babylonian that sayes I am and there 's none else besides me a false Prophet that cries out I am Christ an Antichrist that sits in the Temple of God as God away with this conceit we are creatures still poor nothings drops of the bucket compared to the incomprehensible Majesty Further Christ was anointed with the Oyl of gladnesse above his fellows above measure but we are anointed in measure according to the gift of Christ we have no more than we receive by the grace of God I am what I am Further Christ knows our thoughts afar off and is acquainted with all our wayes there is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knowest it altogether Christ knew from the beginning who should betray him and he saw the thoughts and carnal reasonings of the carnal dark world but what do's poor man know though the Quaker is bolder then all his fore-fathers he knows a man as soon as ever he sees him and whether he be a Saint or a Devil though the man discover not himself by word or action yet the Quaker knows him and all that he may be as Christ is and yet the Apostle sayes what man knows the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him 1 Cor. 2. 11. and the Apostles knew not the Traitor but they were low then and so art thou friend in this thy dream for Christ sayes ye shall know them by their fruit and ye shall know my Disciples by their love so that our knowledge of others is by observation fruits and appearances of things in the outward man or by special revelation and discovery from God otherwise all other mens spirits are in the dark to us we have not a vision of their hearts afar off we know them not before they are born we know not the way of God in their spirits till it be written upon their fore-heads and so are not as Christ is in this respect Further Christ â—lwayes spake the truth was alwayes free from errour never in the least errour nor in the least deceived where 's the man besides that can challenge this unto himself who can understand his errours though so far as we are lighted by the Candle of the Lord so far we are led out of errour and all delusions but he 's the original truth and we receive from him as he is manifested so we have the truth no farther for he 's the truth lo still a difference which should teach us all to be humble meek and low Further Christ created all things all things were made by him and without him was nothing made that was made and Christ preserves all things by him all things consist and he upholds all by the word of his power where 's the man that can appropriate this power unto himself hast thou an arm like God canst thou make a new body or quicken an image with a Soul and make life appear canst thou retain the spirit of man or beast when the Lord commands it away I know there are that will attempt miracles and wonders but all vanishes still nothing is for ever but what the Lord do's let this teach us to fear before him knowing that 't is he who made us and not we our selves we are his off-spring and by him we have life and motion and all things Further Yet Christ was the onely begotten son of God the first-born his son by nature begotten by his power and brought forth by a Virgin but we are the sons of God by grace if we speak of the Saints nature do's not make us sons but the new birth the regeneration without which there 's no entring into the Kingdom of God Further Christ he 's the husband we the spouse and though the husband and wife be one yet the head of the woman is the man I speak of Christ and his Church he 's the man the root the head still and he 's the King we the subjects he the vine we the branches he 's the Lord and Master we the servants he 's the fountain we the streams he 's the father we the sons he 's all in all we are nothing in all this I hope I do not lessen the glory of Christ the Lord nor of his Church his Saints neither do I sad the Souls of any but such as are lifted up to forget their Saviour therefore come away friends glory as much as you will and can in your greatnesse and glory there is a likenesse between Christ and Saints that they be filled with joy and rest and abundance of consolation yet withall there 's an unlikenesse to Christ is infinitely more above us all than all the men in the world above the lowest creature therefore away away with somethingnesse self-glorying this is enough for the world to be proud and high-minded but let all the Lords people be content to lose their lives themselves their excellencies gifts Crowns throw all down at the feet of the Lambe saying thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created and thou high big flesh that sayest thou art as Christ in this present world without the least darknesse the least sin when thou knowest not the ground why he was and could not but be without sin and no man so as he whilest in this house of clay he was
God in his Saints breathing nothing but bloud persecution and blasphemy against the Tabernacle of God and them that dwell in Heaven And so the false and formal Church and Christian are the great vvhore who denies the Lord to be her husband and being married to her own fleshly reason and wisdom she wholly bends the same against every beloved appearance of God by persecution and blasphemy This is the woman upon the Scarlet coloured beast full of names of blasphemy Quest Whether any come to the opening and fulfilling of Scripture and to see those things which Iohn saw but onely those who have the same spirit which Iohn and the holy men of God had yea or nay And whether he be Christ that hath not the same spirit yea or nay Answ As all Scripture was given by inspiration so onely truely understood and known by inspiration The Letter may be understood by the help of tongues and sciences of study and learning and other mens interpretations so far as these are lights to open the Letter but the spirit and truth of Scripture cannot be seen and known but by the breathings and operations of the same spirit which the holy man of God had And this is the Key of the Lord which hath opened the Scriptures in some measure unto me and through this power of the spirit of the Lord I have seen the Scriptures in some measure fulfilled And this is the power I wait upon to make good and fulfill all that is written within and without he that hath not this spirit to rule over him in love light and life is no true Christian no true Christ or anointed one of God Quest Whether as well he that payes Tythes as he that takes Tythes be not Antichrist holding up the first priest-hood which took Tythe by a Law and denying Christ the unchangeable Priest who put an end to Tythe to the first priest-hood and to the Law Answ If any take Tythes as a Priest of the Tribe of Levi in a way of holding up shadows and figures and carnall ordinances in room of the substance and truth of these and lookes more to his own gain than the things of Iesus Christ this man is an Antichrist that denies Christs coming in the flesh and is a thief and robber that comes not in by the door into the sheepfold but some other way But if a man take Tythes as a Tribute and portion of the earth which the Lord hath reserved and given to him to nourish himself and his family and the Church of God for a Minister must be Hospitable if a man take Tythes though it be for preaching and his waiting upon the Ministery of the Gospel to declare what he hath seen and heard of God aiming onely at the advancement of the Kingdome of Christ in the hearts of the people and take onely for his livelihood in the flesh this man is no Antichrist that denies Christs coming in the flesh for the Gospel holds clearly forth a maintenance and double honour due to the preachers of it And if but a tenth of old were to be given for the nourishing of them that hold forth the shadow surely not a tenth onely but much more ought to be given for the nourishing of them that hold forth the substance And whereas it may be said that Ministers preach up themselves and shadows still not Christ the Lord and themselves the peoples servants for Christs sake and many thrust themselves into the office of the Ministery for a piece of bread and take unto themselves this honour before they are called of God for filthy lucres sake I answer those that are found in this posture I know there is a sad viall of wrath to be poured out upon them as for mine own part I finde all sorts of people rayling on me and speaking all manner of evil of me and though the pretence be Tythes and other grievous things that their hearts have imagined yet the truth is 't is not my Tythes nor infirmities so much as my light and freedom and enlargement that makes my being an eye-sore unto the world For my taking of Tythes I know it is with so much moderation and respect unto all mens conditions with whom I deal that no wise man or honest man can ever say I dealt harshly or unbeseeming a Christian with him in this busines of Tythes But thou takest Tythes Answer Wel I do and for the present I finde the Lord giving me this maintenance as an incouragement from himself and so long as I finde it made clean or sanctified to my use and my spirit not defiled nor divided from God by it and God maintaining my liberty of conscience to serve him in my generation and place so long I shall be free to take it with thankfullnesse well knowing that nothing is unclean of it self but to him who esteemeth any thing to be unclean to him it is uncleaness The scornfull QUAKERS railing Reply refuted Tho Lawson I Have read thy papers and in them art thou seen to be full of lying railing accusing condemning according to the spirit of thy Father who was a Murderer and a lyar from the beginning The truth thou canst not own in another no more than the Jews could in Christ The pride and hautines of thine heart hath deceived thee through hopes to Lord it in thy dark forme where thy folly is manifest to all I call it thy dark form where God is veiled crucified dead and neither scripture nor light within is made any more than a Ladder to helpe thee up into Gods throne and here Lucifer-like thou must needs be in Heaven and there thou seest all the wayes and works that are done under the Sun and here thou canst call all but thine own party flesh Devils Sorcerers and damnest all that wear not thy mark and form and from thy presence they must go into the lake that burns with fire and brim-stone among the Drunkards and Whoremongers Dogs and Murderers and Idolaters and Ranters and Atheists and whosoever loves and makes a lye This is the language that flowes from thy proud pen See read consider thy papers let the light that is in thee be judge and the light that is in all men And yet like the Harlot thou criest out aloud such an one is an Whore I am none The Priest rails scoffes jeers but my tongue is a wonderfull stranger to all this Thus a dark Whorish heart knows no shame Michael durst not bring railing accusation against the Devil but said The Lord rebuke thee He durst not rail against the very Devil knowing that as he is a creature he hath his life and being in God but as hé lives in himself in his own will and pride so he becomes a Devil But this truth thou knowest not through thy darknesse and so art found railing and that not at the Devil onely but men who are made after the similitude of God and yet it may be the Lord
may rebuke thee Though others cannot I can willingly let thee alone without persecuting imprisoning banishing I see all these things do but nourish Satans Kingdom in every dark form rather than pull it down and therefore I can pray for thee and do thee good and shew thee kindnesse and leave thee to stand or fall to the light of God in thee which is thy judge Rep. In the outside of thy paper thou callest me Priest but why is this name so odious to thee Answ Dost thou not know that all the Lords people are Kings and Priests The name upon any other account I own not The light within thee tells thee thou callest me Priest in pride and scorne Repl. In thy preamble thou sayest The just God of heaven and earth into our hands in our measures the just ballance hath committed wherein all my profession notion and comprehension is tried and denied Answ First thy just ballance thou gloriest in is not the ballance of the sanctuary full of the light truth word and power of God But 2. It is the ballance of thine own corrupt reason fancie dream full of flesh and self of thine own weaknesse blindnesse darknesse And so 3. This ballance is not committed to thee from the just God who abhors thy peevishnesse folly false visions but from thy father the Prince of darknesse he hath put into thy hand the unjust ballance of thine own wisdom which is enmity against God and every appearance of God And 4. in this ballance of flesh and fancie thou art found uncapable of weighing and trying the wayes workings of God in another And so 5. In the midst of thy comprehending others art thou comprehended and seen thy self and laid open to thy shame amongst the Heathen And so 6. Lastly the ballance that is just which comes from God hast thou lost and so hast nothing to measure and weigh things with which is accompanied with the Authority and light of God And hence all thy reply and answer to me is found to be airy frothy stuffed and filled with nothing but winde and scorn and so thou goest on and sayes Repl. My conversation is corrupt and life unsavory and I am one in nature with all the Priests of the Nation Answ Here thou beginnest to shew what thy ballance is being found presently in the corrupt will and life of the old accuser And here thou art but the mouth and tongue of Satan who is alwayes accusing and condemning when God is forgiving and healing That I differ from others in their corruptions is more through the Lords grace than my deservings And this grace of the Lord is that which leads me out of the wayes customes pride and pleasures of the world more and more And yet I cannot say I am pure without all sin and spot for then I should make God like man a lyar whose light word tells me otherwise and yet notwithstanding all the corruptions thou layest to my charge I finde the Lord through grace still forgiving and healing and warming mine heart with a strong thirsting after more of the power of godlines And this keeps me from scoffing at any thing I see in thee but the pride and folly which thou discoverest plainly which makes thee cry out I am rich full and have need of nothing and yet knowest not that thou art poore and blinde and miserable and naked and hast need of all things which if thou knewest would soon make thee meek lowly peaceable gentle doing good to all men even thine enemies which thou canst not do and so art not like the heavenly father Mat. 5. 43. 44. 45. Read that place if thou canst and weigh it in the just ballance and put in thy self in one scale thou wilt soon see how light thou art and how thy selfish carnall nature fights with the generous loving nature of God whom thou knowest not by living in his nature and spirit And so to the Questions Repl. In mine answer to the first thou scoffest at my saying Christ is the first principle of pure Religion and cryest out O shame of my profession who at the first would be at the Son the fundation in Sion and know not that which turnes the minde out of the earth and leads to Sinai There is a light which shines in a dark place which who are in it are in the welldoing and in their measure in the pure Religion and it who knows in it they see what the first principle is and know thee to be a lyar which light leads unto the day Star 2 Pet. 1. 19. Which light is before the day Star is come unto which is the Son and him who is come unto is in the pure Religion Answ From a principle are derived two things 1. The esse or being 2. The cognosse the manifestation discovery or knowing of a thing to be what it is Now according to both these Christ is the first principle of all pure Religion It 's he who begots and works it in the heart of man and so brings it into being and it is he who discovers and shewes what the pure Religion is and so brings it into knowledge and this knowledge is drawn from a sight and feeling of the work it self upon the heart and so to make some application of this to what thou sayest and wondrest so much at that thou wilt be religious and that in the best too even in that which is pure and that without the Son of God We see heare read what Christ saith of himself Mat. 11. 27. No man knows the Father save the Son and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him and Iohn 1. 18. No man hath seen God at any time the onely begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him and John 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life and John 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing surely then if there be no knowing of the Father no seeing of the Father but by the Son no coming to the Father but by this way and means no bringing forth any fruit any thing that is pure without the Son how comes it to passe that ye must needs begin your Religion below or without the Son Must thy dark minde consult with flesh and bloud to make thee Religious Or must we needs go to Sinai as thou intimates to make us first Religious Was not Paul there and what did hee learn but to glory in that which afterwards was his losse and shame Was he not a blasphemer injurious and a persecuter till the Lord had mercy on him and revealed his Son in him Surely methinkes thou mayest easily learn this lesson from what is written to make Christ the beginning of thy pure Religion to make him the mover the power the principle that first sets thy heart aright in Religion And this thou art compelled to say in thy confused reply That hee who is come unto Christ is in the pure Religion and so art
me out of the great City Sodom that he may live and reign in me for evermore But thou tellest me Repl. I have libertie to act unrighteousnesse thou art merry in the flesh thou canst laugh and jeer tender consciences and scorn such as are not in the same fleshly libertie which thee thou canst now oppresse an whole Parish and live by dishonest gain and make merry with Ranters feast drinke hunt card c. Answ There was and still is within me more and more that which hath and doth passe sentence upon these and the like unrighteous acts finde the faithfull and true witnesse judging and pleading in me against these cruell bloudy enemies and what I am guilty of in any of these particulars thou comest too late to be my judge there is one in the midst of my spirit whom thou knowest not he hath rebuked and saved me through his grace and so the lying spirit in thee is cozened of his prey as for my jeering tender consciences I know what it is to grieve and wound such and to offend one of the least of the little ones that believe in Christ I know liberty of conscience is the great interest of all the people of God in the Nation and a thing which I cannot but stand up and plead for according to my light in my generation Neither shall all the indignities and injuries that I meet with from any in the world ever make me to plead for bonds or fetters or burdens to be laid and put upon tender consciences and in this I speak the truth before the Lord I lye not Repl. But thou tellest me I am a Ranter Answ I know blasphemy against the holy Ghost shall never be forgiven unto men and that it is impossible for those who have tasted of the heavenly gift as many of the Ranters have if they fall away to be renewed again unto repentance and that I have abhorred the blasphemous filthy talk and practice of Ranters I can speak it with comfort to the praise of God my Father and that there are such amongst us I cannot remember it in secret without thinking what a sad judgement of God it is for men to be given up to such strong delusions to believe lies such as these are the shame of our Nation and the great abuse of our present liberty And yet let not the high-minded Quaker glory over these poor deluded Ranters seeing publicans and harlots shall enter into the kingdom of God before the lofty Pharisees Repl. Thou sayest further out of the old bottle I poure out scoffes and yet professe Christ in all Aâ—sw Why hath Satan filled thine heart with nothing else but lying How many scoffes doest thou finde in my papers I sent thee Look see and how many times doest thou finde me scoffing and yet professing Christ in all What thou in the pure Religion in the strength of the light within and yet all along at Satans work remember that if for every idle word surely for every lye thou must give an account at the day of judgement Thou tellest me Repl. Christ is all among them who have put off the old man and his deeds and thou quotes a place Coll. 3. 4. 10 11. I answer Answ Surely then Christ is not all with thee who hast not put off thine anger wrath malice blasphemy lying scoffing which every page if not line in thy vain paper makes abundantly manifest to thy face against thee all these proceeding from the old man in thee makes it plain that Christ is not all in thee and therefore art thou a stranger to the elect of God to the holy and beloved seed who are alwayes putting on bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde meeknesse longsuffering forbearing and forgiving even as Christ hath forgiven them in love But to give thee thy due praise thou hast spoken one truth Christ is indeed the glory and fulnesse where he is manifested in power to cast out the strong man and his deeds when I finde it so in thee I shall yield thou hast had a fit of real true trembling But instead of looking home thou art found still at thine old trade and tellest me Repl. I have not put off the deeds of the old man when there was some tendernesse in mee and some desires to come out of pride oppression coveteousnesse all is gone and I am found among the flesh-pots of Egypt and had better never to have been born than to make ship-wrak of that tendernesse once known by me Answ This is but the old lesson over and over and over again like a Quakers Sermon and as heathens prayers full of vain repetitions And by this I know what he is to expect that reveales a secret to a scornfull Quaker Yet know I am so tender still as to abhorre pride oppression coveteousnesse neither do I persecute or deal unrighteously with any as many great pretenders have done with me and still doe at this day But God hath delivered and doth deliver and will deliver me from every snare and gin of unreasonable wicked men and he it is that keeps me from making shipwrak of tendernesse faith and conscience Repl. Further thou tellest me what is done in tâ—e wildernesse there is the way of holinesse known and walked in which the unclean walk not in but the redeemed in which is no erring Isa 35 8. Which way is a way of holinesse which I am not in c. Answ Here 's a good wildernesse indeed but thou hast lost thy way thither and art found erring and wandring in a wildernesse where no water is and so art not found drinking in holinesse from the Lord but feeding upon the weeds of thine own fleshly holinesse exalting thy self not with the redeemed in the Lord but with the imprisoned in a strange land in thine own observations And thou poor worm who sayest I eat upon swines flesh I feed upon the perishing I eat that which dies of it self all these speeches together with all thy paper savour too much of thy swines flesh and of thy feeding upon thy swines flesh which is thine own will and self and form and therefore art thou found in the way of the world clamourous bitter cruell implacable against all that wander not with thee in thy wildernesse of flesh and bloud and now and then thou makest use of a Scripture to cover and hide thy swines flesh which thy spirit too much feeds upon and so no wonder though there be no joy or gladnesse to be seen in thy countenance seeing thou hast no better flesh to feed upon than swines flesh which kils the spirit and so neither thine heart is merry nor thy countenance cheerfull Repl. Further thou tellest me I say in Canaan is no judging and so out of mine own mouth thou judgest me out of Canaan who in my Queries have again and again judged thee Answ In my Queries indeed I desire to see the strength and light thou walkest in neither do I
to be consecrated unto the Lord in holinesse as well as the spirit and therefore saith the Apostle in the last verse of that Chapter Glorifie God with your bodies and with your spirits which are Gods This body must be kept clean for the Lord not defiled with fornication flie fornication every sin that a man doth is without the body but he who committeth fornication sins against his own body intimating that this sin leaves a greater defilement upon the body than other sins so that by body there cannot be meant the Church of God which are all the body of Christ and so that place is wrested by thee to the proving of the spotlesse perfection of every Member of Christ and yet in the Lord I acknowledge every Member is compleat righteous holy but look upon the Member it self there we finde it lyable to all manner of infirmities yea to sin too onely the Lord Christ the righteous one the root he is free from all sin And therefore Christ teacheth us to pray for forgivenesse of sin This I know will be looked upon as a low thing and yet it is a truth of God and should teach us all to hunger continually after more of the righteousnesse of sanctification and after a plainer manifestation too of the righteousnesse of Christ in our justification Thou sayest Repl. I am ghessing what the baptisme unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea should be and thou sayest I tell thee of Metaphorical that word thou deniest and tellest me my shifts are seen and my darknesse found Answ Did ever wretch in the world so plainly confute his words in his constant practice as thou doest who dreamest of persecution and yet hast nothing in all thy Paper appearing but vanity pride and folly Surely the spirit said not in vain A wise man feareth and departeth from evil but the fool rageth and is confident And the heart of the righteous studieth to answer but the mouth of the wicked poureth forth evil things And there is that maketh himself pure yet his heart is not cleansed from his filthinesse Look upon all these things in thy self But to return to thy reply wherein instead of answering something thou talkest of ghessing and carpest at Metaphorical But didst thou never read in Scripture a thing like this Look Gal. 4. 24. which things saith the Apostle are an Allegory The difference between these two it may be thy learning may ghesse for thou tellest the people thou art a Scholar and hast been a Priest and yet never sawest a Metaphor in Scripture But to go on Thou tellest me Repl. I darken counsel by words without knowledge Answ Whether this be thy practice or mine let all men judge who sometimes turnest all the Scriptures into an Allegory and deniest the truth of the Letter as in the Crosse of Christ the resurrection and the like and yet sometimes there must be nothing but Letter when thou seest thy self alive in the Allegory as about the name Master Father Lord and the like But see how thou art presently found in an Allegory ghessing at the baptisme of Moses and saying Moses as a servant in his house was faithfull But thou must be the Master not a servant and this makes thee unfaithfull in the house of God like a Thief coming in to steal and to kill and destroy And hence thou criest out and liftest up thy voice in the street against all but such as wear thy mark thou art flesh thou art damned thou art a witch a ravenous beast there 's no pity nor mercy nor anointing with Christs nature appearing in thee and all because thou art not content to be servant but must be Master of all mens faith Repl. But thou sayest Moses saw the Egyptians drowned in the Sea and over them he sang which thou doest not know Answ Here 's an Allegory indeed see the question is what is the baptisme unto Moses in the Cloud and in the sea Answer Moses saw the Egyptians drowned in the Sea and over them he sang And is not this a learned Metaphoricall answer coming from a perfect man But by good ghesse thou hast spoken a truth though besides the mark It is so indeed Moses saw the Egyptians drowned in the Sea and yet there 's one Egyptian still alive in thee and he prattles on and saith Repl. I am in the fruits of the flesh and act contrary to the light of my conscience and so am for condemnation with the light Answ What 's all this to the baptisme of Moses Seeing our answer was denied we looked to have had some satisfaction from thee but all that I hear of is I must be condemned with the light Here thou alterest the phrase of Scripture to make void no doubt all other condemnation and Hell but what is within from the light This is good news for the World and so thy Religion like to prevail much with the vessels of wrath fitting for destruction But I must be condemned with the light The phrase is not proper nor savouring of the light of God for it seems as if the light and I should be condemned together and so we are by this dark generation But thy meaning is the light shall condemne me because I act contrary unto it And yet I desire to stand or fall unto the light of the Lord not to the judgement of this wise generation who put darknesse for light and light for darknesse and so the wo is upon them Isa 3. 10. Repl. But I oppresse the just lay heavy burdens upon them who out of the house of bondage would go the living God to worship so that a rest there is but I and all Magicians who deceive people with liknesses no further than the Sea must come there must I and all my glory Perish Answ Here no doubt are some of the Egyptians mentioned which I never saw drowned in me yet Yet know friend that I am so farre delivered from these Egyptians that I cannot oppresse either the just or unjust it is against my nature I cannot lay heavy burdens upon them and not touch them with one of my fingers this is enough for a Pharisee Neither am I desirous to see any soul in the house of bondage longer than the appointed time of the Father All that ever I aimed at was this to let people know that God goes down with his into Egypt is with them in their forms and bondage where they will be and stay till the day and time of their redemption and freedom But thee I see not going out of Egypt the living God to worship but to make thy self a God so know though a rest there be yet thou and all murmurers against thy fellow-servants and contemners of the wise dispensations of God because he goes down with his into Egypt together with all thy Magick and enchantments images and liknesses of holinesse and purity when the bitter root of pride remaines undestroyed all these Persons and things must
bee drowned in thee before thine entrance into Canaan or else thou must look to fall either in the wildernesse with the murmurers or to be drowned in the Sea with the Egyptians Repl. Further thou art telling me I am imagining what the beast is which John saw was like unto a Leopard saying that I have read of the Leopard that is an exceeding wild beast which cannot be tamed very cunning and crafty in tatching of his prey and furious and raging c. Answ For fear thou mightest finde this beast in thy self here thou art stopping and raging thus in thy wonted fury like a mad Pharisee that scorns to learn thou beginnest to teach and say Repl. Who in the light which never changes dwells which comes from God these see the beast where he is and what he is and all his spots discern Answ Here thou hast spoken truth though thou understand it not so as to apply it unto thy self which if thou didst great large spots of the beast would discover themselves in thee but being in the darknesse of thy Fathers minde thou canst not read thy self and therefore art thou seeking to discern the beast abroad in me and sayest in me is his denne And here thou thankest God thou art not as other men are stand by thy self I am holier than thou And so thou comest with much delight to see the beast in me and eatest and drinkest and gluttest thy self with a sight of the beast in me and nothing but the beast canst thou here see in his Denne thus art thou glorying over anothers spots and infirmities which thou thy self makest in thy fancy and then art glad to see in thy brother the beast is too cunning for thee he lies hid within thee and laughes to see thee his vassall and slave I say no more than what thou hast made manifest the beast in thee is in his Denne Thy pride and scoffing and railing against all others are spots and plain markes of the beast in thy fleshly heart dwelling for werâ— thou in the light and overcome by it that would make thee poor in thine own eyes and to condemne thy self in those things which thou condemnest in another and would teach thee to own a God and Christ above thy self This light of the Lord ruling in thee would have kept thee in the fear of the Lord and taught thee to own the Crosse and sufferings of Christ as the price of thy redemption which thou like a vile wretch tramplest under thy feet This light would have taught thee to bewail thine own infirmities and have kept thee low in thine own eyes and have made thee own trembling indeed which thou doest in the letter and flesh but not in truth and spirit and so art given over to strong delusions to believe a lye Repl. Thou tellest me I am covetous Answ I am so indeed by nature but I see the world loves me not it flies away and the Lord teacheth me to be crucified to it and to presse towards himself as my riches fulnesse and highest treasure Repl. Thou tellest me further That which hath led me from the light hath led me from the Lord and the same hath let the world into mine heart where the Sea is flowing even the salt Sea thence the beast ariseth with seven heads Answ The light in which I live hath led me to see the light and in the light I see the Lord and he hath ravished mine heart and caught me up to himself as to mine exceeding joy and though the world were so confounded and divided as to leave me alone yet I am not alone the father is my friend and the son is my companion And I can return unto my Father and Saviour living with me who alwayes takes me in when the world casts me out And this quickens me to live more above where all my treasure is and lesse below or in the creature where I finde confusion and tribulation As for the flowing of the salt Sea whence the beast arises with seven heads this I have seen according to my measure dried up and the beast with seven heads withering for want of his native heat and moisture in me And friend I beseech thee read the meaning of this at home in thy self read the bitternesse in thy self the evil eye that envies because God is good the folly and haughtinesse of thine own heart Here is the salt Sea in which thou art drowned though thou see it not and out of this Sea comes that Monster with seven heads which destroyes some with flatteries others with violence and rage aiming at his own Kingdom and greatnesse whoever perish with him this beast lies covered under all thine Hypocrisie and thou seest him not Further thou sayest Repl. I arm my self with all the wisdom and subtlety of the beast against the truth and with many Horns am I pushing at the Lamb. Answ This I have done in the dayes of mine unbelief when I consulted with flesh and bloud But since the day of the Lord hath begun to dawn in my spirit truth hath been my companion I have ventured all for her and laid my self open to the violence of all sorts of men for the truths sake And that I have suffered no more than I have considering the malice of carnal men and formal men this I look upon as a notable passage of wisdom and providence in God Further know that this truth in me which hath in some measure acquainted me with the will and nature of God my Saviour this teacheth me to plead against the errours and evils and blasphemies and idols of all not against any truth I see in my meanest brethren Neither am I with my Horns pushing against the Lamb no the Lamb is my well-beloved he shall lye all night betwixt my breasts he is my fair one when he withdraws my Soul faints when he appears my Soul lives and is exceeding merry This is he whom I can own in all the Sons of God even in those who cannot own the Lamb in me In all this he is my witnesse though thou know it not But thou sayest Repl. In me is the earth set who am drove from God Gen. 3. 23 24. And upon the earth is the Leopards Denne and foure-footed beasts and creeping things Answ When I was in the earth that indeed drove me from God but God hath lifted me up into Heaven in some manifestation of light and grace and here he keeps me in his own fellowship and presence above the earth and so I can leave the Leopards Denne full of wilde beasts and filthy things for the inhabitans of the earth And friend if thine eye were open thou mightest see how sadly thou art driven out from God and what a fool thou art in all thy professing thy self to be wise and how this hath made thee change the truth of God into alye and led thee away to worship thy self and thine empty companions who are poor creatures more than
the Creatour who is blessed for evermore For this cause God hath given thee up to vile affections to burn in your lust one towards another and to make gods and saviours of one another and so it is just with God seeing ye acknowledge him not above you to give you over to be filled with envy murder debate deceit malignity to be as the world are whisperers backbiters haters of God boasters inventers of evill things disobedient to Parents without naturall affection towards Wives Children Parents Friends and the Church of God implacable men that can be reconciled to none but your own form party way In all which though ye professe ye know God yet by your works ye deny him These are some of the four-footed beasts and creeping things that are in the Leopards Denne within in your earthly sensuall hearts and the prints and spots of these you 'l finde to your wo when God shall bring you to judgement Repl. But thou sayest I am wilde and untame Answ I am so indeed by nature but God hath subdued my wildnesse and made me according to his grace in me tame and of a willing minde to receive more of that light which guides out of the world And so I cannot despise that which reproves me inwardly for my too covetous practices but am ready through my Fathers grace to be as the Lillies and the Sparrowes without care and fear of food and raiment in the world This speech thou wilt be angry at yet it is no matter seeing thou art alwayes angry at other mens experiences Repl. But I scoffe at such in whom tendernesse grows Answ And yet I tell thee I scoffe at nothing but the evill beast in thee He is so plainly discovered that if I should give thee flattering Titles as some simple ones do I might fear my Maker would soon take me away this evill one I cannot chuse but speak against not against the tendernesse of truth that grows up in any Repl. But I am crafty thou sayest and to maintain my self in pride and fulnesse have got the Tythe of two Parishes bring in one colour after another to maintain the wages of unrighteousnesse so bespotted am I so acted by the beast like unto a Leopard Answ Friend it was not my craft which got me my Tyth of two Parishes neither doth my craft maintain me in them I am very unskilfull in craft guile hypocrisie all that deal with me finde me plain and faithfull neither can I dissemble to deceive as many do But stay hast thou not heard of a providence Surely this gave me my Tyth of two Parishes and this wronged none when it gave me Tythe and this providence maintains Tythes for my use and tells me I wrong none whilst I take it with moderation not with oppression and rigour And this is that even providence thou hast murmured against in this businesse of Tythes And thou shalt know to thy sorrow that God hath heard thy murmurings against himself and will bring thee to a due account for them For who are wee Your murmurings are not so much against us as against the Lord and that which he gives us ye have prophanely called the wages of unrighteousnesse And therefore he will stop the mouth of the evill beast in thee Repl. Further thou sayest I am telling what the beast is which all the world wonders after saying the Pope is the beast in an eminent figure Answ â—ain thou wouldest hide thy self and the beast in thee and therefore thou leavest all out in mine answer which discovered the beast which thou wandrest after but look again friend and read what is there said and compare thy spirit with it and see whether in all thine anointing thy self with the office and place of Christ and in all thy departing from God and living in thy self below thou be not guided by the beast But thou lettest all this alone runnest to the Pope which indeed I brought in as the sense of some to be the beast but thou hearest me speak of another thing to be the beast in truth and yet seeing thou hast named the Pope let us see whether the Pope be not alive in thee 1. He is infallible so art thou 2. He is Christ so art thou 3. He is master and Father of all mens faith so art thou 4. He is spotlesse sinlesse perfect so art thou 5. He questions and condemnes all for Hereticks cursed Hereticks and Heathen that wear not his mark either in their hands or fore-heads so doest thou 6. He makes a nose of wax of Scripture sometimes for the history sometimes for the mysterie alwayes for his meaning and interpretation of all and so doâ—st thou 7. He is much for the naturall light the light which is in every man which by improvement becomes saving so art thou 8. He is for his own merits so art thou 9. He sends up and down the world his Priests and Friars to convert unto his holy Catholick Religion so doest thou to convert to thy Religion And 10. Lastly to name no more a great honour it is to kisse his to so a great honour it must needs be to kisse thy feet to come under the least degree of thy holy spotlesse orders and dreames Surely methinks by all this it appeares that the Pope hat left his holy Chair is come from Rome to live neerthee and in thee and yet thou dreamest surely this beast dwels at Rome But to save thy self Repl. Thou tellest me the beast hath his chiefest room in me and bears rule in my body and leads me out into wickednesse pleasures scorning wayes and customes of the world Answ Friend that he hath done this in me I deny it not but that his power is broken and that he leads me not out as formerly to take pleasure in unrighteousnesse this is that I glory in and so can sing and triumph in God who hath given me victorie over the beast And so take the beast for me for by thy wrangling and jangling it plainly appears that thine own conscience tells thee thou art under his power and so thou tatlest on and sayest Repl. There was a time when I was in trouble and torment and sleep departed from me and in that time was the wounding of the head of the beast in the first of his colours but from the sword I fled and again am healed and the sâ—me head cured yet in another aâ—pearance and now I am ten times more crafty for the Kingdom of darknesse than before Rev. 13. 1 2 3. Answ Thou wretch how long wilt thou regard lying vanities and forsake thine own mercies How many lies hast thou told about my scrupling Tythes And yet thou must be perfect without all sin All this doth but add unto thy heap of wrath As touching the reviving of the beast in me who was wounded as thou sayest know that he lies still wounded and condemned in me and though I deny not some remnants of him for if I should
persecuted outwardly knowing that it is judgement and misery enough for God to send such strong delusions as that men should believe a lye Repl. But my heart is in the earth thou sayest Answ In the earth is not my treasure I finde all here vanity and vexation of spirit But in the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength and so my treasure being above mine heart and affections are also above Repl. But my compleatnesse is in darknesse Answ Here indeed is the compleatnesse of the world but the Lord is arising to discover this delusion and in him his light and grace is my compleatnesse fulnesse and glory Repl. But to the light which comes from the corner-stone I act contrary and fall not upon it so upon me shall it fall and grinde me to powder Answ Had thy building been upon the corner-stone thou wouldst not in disobedience have denied him to be thy foundation but wouldst by this falling upon him have been broken all to pieces and never thus weakly been sodered up again to act and work for life in thine own power and merits and so to be a Christ a Saviour unto thy self making thy self whole without the bloud of the Lamb which takes away the sins of the world But be sure for this thy disallowing of the stone which is elect and precious thou shalt stumble and fall and be ground to powder for thy disobedience whereunto also thou art appointed As for me let me alone to live and walk in the light of the Lord to be all I am in the grace and righteousnesse of Christ Jesus In my self I am broken indeed my glory is gone and I am nothing But in Christ I am whole and well and need none of mine own power and merits to save me In him I feed upon that which is good upon substance upon the best upon fatnesse and he being my foundation without and within I have an everlasting covenant of grace even the sure mercies of David This I know because he is faithfull Repl. But thou tellest me I am out of the Vnity in the one spirit in the number of the beast the number of a man who professe the Letter declared from the life which life knits the Saints in one peace and thee shall eternally torment who livest in vanity and deniest the way of peace Answ Once more look home to thy self that thou even thou be not found in this number of a beast of a man that art compleat in thy form in thy observations drawn sometimes from the Letter and sometimes from thy fancie in the mystery and yet neither Letter or meaning is any more direction to thee than will stand with thy dark minde and form Therefore see and know that the life the Scripture the Christ the peace which thou art in is not the life out of the original in the one spirit but the life and Christ and peace of form of fansie of man and so notwithstanding all thy pretended Unity and holinesse thou regardest lying vanity and art in a weary land without water As for me my endeavour is to keep the Unity of the spirit in the bond of peace with all lowlinesse and meeknesse and long-suffering forbearing all my brethren in love I know the body the spirit the calling is one the Lord the faith the baptisme is one and that there is one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in us all A sense of all these constrains me to love the Saints in all this onenesse though in their wayes and walkings without they are divers yet in the substances of things they are all one and of one And upon this account could I freely and faithfully have communion with them preach and pray and enter into fellowship with them though by reason of their too much indulgence to their bodily exercise and outward wayes of walking they are for the most part against communion with any out of their own modell and way and so too much spirit of God I own it as a witnesse and Declaration of the Lords will and mind to man This I professe not out of the life and light of the spirit knowing that that is the living word the kernel the substance which quickens all the body and knits the Saints altogether in that one peace of God And this spirit declared in the Letter is that which keeps me from vanity and frees me from the Law of sin death and condemnation And now to the businesse of Tythes Thou sayes Repl. In my corrupt reason I am scraping up reasons to maintain Tythes but shew no Scripture Answ Here thou art at thine old trade prating and slighting but shewing little reason and yet thou goest on to teach and say Repl. To the Sons of Levi was Tyth paid for their service and the relieving the fatherlesse widdows and strangers Ans And why must not the Ministers of the Gospel have maintenance too for their service Doth the Gospel afford lesse than the Law But to let that passe Thou hast spoken a piece of truth to which I add Thou mayest finde even Levi himself paid Tythes in Abraham Heb. 7. 9. and so Tythes were paid before the Law and Levi were in being as to the Letter so that the payment of Tythes extended further than to the litteral Tribe of Levi And if Abraham and Jacob payed Tythes as it appears they did before the Law Gen. 14. 18 19 20. and Gen. 18. 22. surely they did it by a light within and this light was their Law and this is thine too sometimes though very seldom especially when to part with something from thy self and therefore art thou covetous to rob others of all their glory in inward things to advance thy self and of their property too in outward things and so thou art greedy to keep the tenth of all But to proceed Repl. Thou sayest When Christ came he put an end to that service and to the wages due to that service and that he continued Tythes to the Ministers of the Gospel by a Law that thou bid'st me prove by Scripture command or example Answ That Christ put an end to the Levitical priest-hood that I deny not But that Christ put an end to the priest-hood so as to set up no teaching in the room thereof that I deny But what or who hath he set up Answer Ministers not of the Letter but of the spirit But are your Ministers such Answer those whom Christ anoints and ordains are such for the rest I plead not But where have you Ministers that are such if the thing should be granted any command example or practice for Tythes Answer we have the light within written in the hearts of all Nations which teacheth them to pay Tythes or maintenance unto their Priests at this day this is the light of our Nation to pay Tythe unto their Ministers And this is of as much force still where it guides and rules to teach men what to do as it
part till that which is perfect is come 1 Cor. 13. 9 10. and what is that but the excellent way and spirit of love charity which he speaks of all along in that Chapter which is called perfect love 1 Joh. 4. 12. when this rules the heart then that which is perfect is come that is that is come which do's more perfect us in the sight of man and our experiences then all our Prophesies tongues and knowledge which we had before which are all to vanish away 1 Cor. 13. 8 10. and so charity is the most excellent way this weans us from our childishnesse peevishnesse and frowardnesse one towards another and declares us to be much in the state of our man-hood perfection in loving one another as Christ speaks Joh. 13. 34 35. Nay charity do's to the world more witnesse our perfection than our faith and hope 1 Cor. 13. 13. now remains these 3. sayes the Apostle faith hope and charity and the greatest of these is charity Nay in this we may see the very face of God and therefore it s a seeing face to face 1 Cor. 13. 12. this is the Apostles scope in that Chapter to set charity up in the top of all as that which to us and men does more witnesse our perfection than any other grace and yet before the Lord 't is not our charity but our faith justifies and so upon another account as faith gives a taste of love and grace in God towards us and so begets this charity in us or causes it to send forth the smell therefore in our conversations so faith is the foundation of grace as being the root of all our charity and therefore where charity do's not spring and grow there 's no faith but where faith is there charity springs up therefore faith works by love but now when all is done and charity is called the most excellent way and that which is perfect yet this charity is still growing and increasing it self in the Saints till the whole body and eve-very Member there of be together with the head Christ in the glory of the Father Eph. 4. 14 15 16. Col. 2. 19. and so Saints must still be adding to brotherly kindnesse charity and above all things put on charity let this grow and abound in ye more and more this charity reaches farther than the brother-hood not to one party but to all even to a blessing and praying for our very enemies and whether this sweet flower grow up and flourish in thy generation let thine own conscience and let the light in all be judge Answ Further Prophesie must cease Repl. So must faith to when we come to see him as he is and yet in this life knowledge Prophesie faith and hope must in no case be despised Answ Further when he 's come who finishes transgression puts an end to sin makes reconciliation for iniquity brings in everlasting righteousnesse and anoints the most holy Dan. 9. 24. The same seals up the Vision and Prophesie and is the end of Vision and Prophesie Repl. He even he to the praise of the glory of his grace who has conquered the power of the Dragon for me put an end to his reign in me made reconciliation for mine iniquities brought his everlasting righteousnesse to be my cloathing anointed and set up the most holy in me he is the end of the Prophesie or Vision of these things to me and through his appearing in me according to my anointing with his spirit the Vision of him which I had by Prophesie is sealed up and yet I am not to despise Prophesie or further teaching upon the account of the spirit and Gospel 1 Thess 5. 19 20. As if I had presently all faith and knowledge and charity which is the dream of some to whom I commend these Scriptures 1 Cor. 14. 22. Ephes 4. 12 13. Hebr. 10. 25 26. Answ Further Paul wrote to some who knew perfectly 1 Thess 5. 1. Repl. What did they know perfectly but that the day of the Lord so comes as a Thief in the night What day the day when those who sleep in Jesus God will bring with him and those who are alive and remain untill that notable day of the Lords coming shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall be ever with the Lord this is a day they had no need to be instructed in for they knew it perfectly or were fully perswaded of it in their own spirits read the former chapter the beginning of this together and thou who despisest the letter or truth of this day shalt know one day though thou know it not now the terrour of the Lord against the world on that day Answ Further a growing in knowledge that we owne and an encreasing for to this end were the ministers of Christ sent forth to convince of sin and that such as were convinced might grow till they came to be perfect men Eph. 4. 8 to 13. Repl. Here thou seemest to yield unto the truth but still thine own heart deceives thee with the fond imagination of a perfect man though Paul plainly speaks of a growing afterward in this Chapter even after the new man is born or the perfect nature of a man-childe is come and else where he confesses he has not already attained but is still pressing towards it Psal 3. 12. to 16. Where is then thy proportion in knowledge Had the Saints of God at Ephesus that were in Christ Jesus Ephes 1. 1. need of a further spirit of wisdom and revelation that the eyes of their understanding being opened they might have a clearer sight and sense of the hope of their calling and of their riches and of the exceeding greatnesse of Gods power to them who did believe already art thou so full that thou hast no need of a spirit of prayer to be poured out unto the Lord for an encrease of these things in thy self Did David cry out Lord teach me give me understanding open mine eyes and the Church Cant. 1. 7. Tell me O thou whom my Soulloves where thou feedest and hast thou no need of the Lords counsell and teaching Why hast Satan filled thine heart with fully Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God in saying the night is all gone and this knowledge is full Answ Further Paul in the time of his warfare cried out of a body of sin and of a Thorn in the flesh this was the time of his warfare when he witnessed no peace to the earth but a sword then who shall deliver me sayes he Repl. I know thou canst not chuse but see that Paul speaks in that 7. to the Rom. of a warfare within in his own spirit with Satan and flesh within not of a warfare without with Satan and flesh in the world so doest thou cover the truth which Paul there witnesses he cryes out I am carnall I do that which I
would not I finde a Law that when I would do good evill is present with me I finde a Law warring in my members contrary unto the Law of my minde and bringing me into captivity unto the Law of sin which is in my members O undone man that I am c. Wilt thou imagine that this was all warfare with sin without witnessing no peace but a sword to the earth or if thou mean by earth for thy words have alwayes a double meaning the earth within in the time of his warfare how canst thou see in him a freedom from this earth or a freedom from all remnants of sin the like may be said of that Thorn in the flesh mentioned in the Corinthians in with is this remarkable that it was after his abundance of visions and Revelations being caught up into the third heaven and into Paradise where he heard unspeakable words even after all these enioyments he felt a messenger of Satan buffeting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was sent to strike me on the face with his fist as it were to upbraid me with mine inward pride and pronenesse to be exalted above measure did Paul witnesse this and canst thou see no pronenesse in thy self to sin and pride Surely thou art joyned to thine idoll and God lets thee alone to perish for want of vision Answ Further did Paul cry and groane all the dayes of his life and witnesse no deliverance did he alwayes fight and never overcome Repl. Paul never fought but was still more than a conqueror by the grace of God he had deliverance and victory still through grace and greatest deliverance when he was most sensible of his infirmities and therefore in the Lord he could Triumph and sing though in himself he was still nothing Rom 8. 2. 32. c. Col. 1. 11 12 13. And so may every Saint who lives in the light say in the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength in him I have all things and so in him will I glory and though there be a fleshly minde and will sometimes stirring in me yet greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world and so he can run his race with patience wrestle with boldnesse fight with courage and when he comes to die cry out with Paul I am now ready to be offered the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is layed up for me a Crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day Answer Further its true James sayes in many things we offend all Jam. 3. 3. here James speaks winningly for the seeds sake for the raising up of the simplicity Repl. Here 's a simplicity raised up in thee indeed by thine own evil heart and this thou lovest and this hides thy sin and folly and makes thee wrest and play with Scripture and so James must speak winningly for the seeds fake what wilt thou have James a lyar or an Hypocrite in telling the people that he and all did in many things offend and yet have no experience of this in his own Soul surely thine eye is out and darkned by the smoak and so neither Paul nor Iames nor the raising of one up from the dead will ever perswade thee to be humbled for thy sottishnesse and so Scriptures are of no force at all with thee But thou goest on and sayest that Iames in the 9. vers sayes with the tongue we curse men was Iames a curser or was he an offender in many things But to reply Iames was under the powerof no evil and yet he declares a pronenesse in himself and all flesh to run into sin and when thine eye is opened thou wilt see in thy tongue a fire a world of iniquity and how it defiles thy whole body and wipes away the glory of all thy profession and that this tongue of thine is set on fire of Hell and therefore thou goest on to hide thy nakednesse say Iames was writing to such who were getting the mastery in the flesh which is for condemnation Iam. 3. 1 2. Repl. And what thinkest thou of thy self Art not thou getting to be master and a great potent Lord in the flesh damning and judging all that wear not thy mark and so art to be judged and condemned thy self Math. 7. 1 2. But Christ thou sayest is the end of condemnation so of sin which is for ccondemnation to which I say Christ was the end of the Law for righteousnesse and he 's said to be made sin for us and to come into the world not to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved but I never read that Christ was the end of condemnation and the end of sin though these things I know are overcome when he comes but thy phrase is new even like thy form which yet must be no form and in almost all thou sayest I see that Scripture sadly fulfilled in thee that evil men and seducers was worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Answ Further 1 Ioh. 1. 8 9. here Iohn wrote to such who were not come through the confession but to such as confesse he saith Christ cleanseth from all unrighteousnesse 1 Ioh. 1. 9. and the bloud of Iesus Christ cleansed from all sin Repl. Even before and after the confession thou mayest read there 's sin still to be confessed before if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves after if we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in us here 's sin still to be looked upon otherwise we deceive our selves we make him a lyar the truth is not in us his word is not in us and so he who covers his sins shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh shall have mercy and if we confesse our sins God is faithfull to forgive our sins not to impute but cover them and cleanse us from them by the pardoning and healing vertue of the bloud and spirit of Jesus this confession must be real if we look the cleansing should be real and this forgivenesse cleansing is an encouragement to us to make our confession and our resolution to sin no more which resolution being like the confession in truth God accepts of it as 't is written if there be a willing minde 't is accepted according to that a man has not according to that he hath not and so that Soul sins no more who do's not love sin peccatum facere make it to delight in it but it sins unwillingly it lusteth against lust would not for a world be under the dominion of sin this the Apostle speaks of Rom. 6. 11 12. reckon your selves sayes he to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God let not sin reign c. and so this is the reasoning of a gracious heart shall I continue in sin that grace may
from one root and father proud man exalted I know Christ is but one and his light is one in Jew and Gentile the same as to himself in the state of nature that 't is in the state of grace onely in the first 't is natural in the last 't is spiritual and so it s one in the Original but double in the birth Answ Further Thou who art querying of a difference between the light of natural conscience and grace prove such a light by Scripture of natural conscience or else thou must be plunged Repl. Consult that place Rom. 2. 14 15. Rom. 1. 21 22. when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts c. and because when they knew God they did not glorifie him as God and knowing the judgement of God c. here 's a doing of the things of the Law by nature and the witnessing of the conscience as a light either for or against them and may not this be called a natural light a light of natural conscience being a light onely in Gentiles or natural men here I have proved what thou biddest me prove yet thou in darknesse and nature hast sinned away thy light and reason and so canst not see the light of Scripture in all this I do not seek to divide the light but to give every discovery its due place and to stir up men to wait for the hearing and learning of the father Quest 11. What is meant by the Saints judging the world Answ The Scripture means as it speaks but thy dark minde wants clearing when thou knowest a Saints life and him come who is the Judge then thou shalt see the Prince of the Judged and all his subjects condemned Repl. This answer is like thy self savouring of malice and darknesse both and loth thou art to discover and shew a reason of thy faith and hope in this matter of the Saints judging the world when thou knowest him whom thou speakest of then will thy judgement fall upon the Prince thou speakest of and all his subjects not so much upon the Saints of God and the truths of God Quest 12. Whether your cursing condemning all that come not under your light savour not of pride and a spirit of Antichrist seeing Antichrist is said to be one who exalts himself and Christ sayes we must not judge that we be not judged and Paul bids us speak evil of no man Answ This query thou hast made up of lying and false accusations 't is not your practice Repl. How dar'st thou before the face of God and man thus deny thy practice so read thy Papers Sermons carriage is there any greater pride than to be proud of our Gifts Visions Revelations High worth condemning all for Whores Sorcerers Reprobates Beasts Hirelings Dreamers Heathens prating against all sorts of Christians with malicious words casting them out of the Church and Kingdom of God forbidding to receive any as brethren but men of your own model form and way is not this judging and condemning another Where is thy light thy conscience what all asleep and gone to deny thy constant practice But this is not cursing Ans In Scripture language cursing evil speaking are all one Exo. 22. 28. thou shalt not revilâ— the Gods nor curse the ruler of thy people which Paul renders by evil speaking Acts 23. 4 5. revilest thou Gods High-Priest then Paul answered I wist not brethren that he was the High-Priest for it is written Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people whether or no thou and thy party be not deeply guilty of this I leave to all to judge I say guilty of evil speaking and evil and false accusing condemning all instead of speaking evil of none as if all light and truth were bound up in your spirits who wallow in all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse which springs up in the man of sin who exalts himself above all that is called God and vvorshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God here thou seest Antichrist is very devout he 's in the Temple and he 's there as God behold thy figure in this letter and read it in thine own practice and spirit and see whether this savour not of pride and evil speaking Quest 13. What is the reverence and subjection we owe to Magistrates and all higher powers and whether your carriage towards the present Magistrates be not unmannerly and uncivil seeing Paul said we ought not to speak evil of rulers and Jude calls those filthy Dreamers that despise Dominion and speak evil of dignities and bring railing accusations against them Answ The reverence and subjection we owe to Magistrates and all higher powers is that every Soul is to yield unto the power of God and where the Magistrates Soul is subject unto that power there the sword is not born in vain but is a terrour to evil doers and a praise unto them that do well and to that power our Souls are subject and do reverence to such Magistrates who God has honoured with that power yet doth not our reverence stand in respect of persons Repl. As every Magistrate is cloathed with the power of God and is in that power a form or figure of God therefore called Gods so every one is to yield unto that power though the man that be cloathed with it be good or bad yet the power is of God in anger or love unto a people and so the power must still be owned though the man that has it may be evil and wicked the power is of God still I gave them a King in mine anger though in mine anger yet he 's a King and I gave him and by me Kings reign and Princes rule yea Nobles and all the Judges of the earth and the most high ruleth in the Kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will though an Hypocrite reign for the sins of the people yet his power is of God and the Saints alwayes have yielded unto the power though not to the wickednesse in him that had it as the three Children called Nebuchadnezzar King be it known unto thee O King they yielded to the power though not to the golden image even so Christ yielded to the power of wicked Pilate knowest thou not sayes he that I have power to crucifie thee and power to release thee and Jesus answered thou couldest have no power at all against me unlesse it were given thee from above I know thou hast power and that 't is given thee from above and Paul sayes there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordered or ordained of God Rom. 13. 1. and so to the powers must men be subject either in doing or suffering the will of God by them though the power be in Nero a cruel bloudy wicked man yet 't is
and this builds the Temple and makes the Soul the Citie and House and Church of God by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God this grace springs out of the heart of God not out of the will of man and it's grace makes us his workmanship Citie and dwelling place and where 't is created that Soul is said to be of God and Christ is made unto it wisdom and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption efficiently and formally by working these and forming these in the heart of man and this pure building Babylon and Egypt cannot endure to see neither any that make it their businesse to wander abroad from God and go down into the Sea in ships and this Citie is the Lilly among the Thorns planted under the shadow of the Almighty where she sits down with great delight and inward recreation my Meditation of him shall be sweet I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live and I will go unto him mine exceeding joy This is she who rejoyces because the Bridegroom is come and though she have infirmities yet she 's washed and washing in the bloud of the Lambe and so the dayes of her sorrow and widdow-hood flee away this is she who is still adorning till the head and all the Members meet together in the fulnesse and joy of God and this spouse is nâ— Adulteres she loves not the voice nor love of strangers she is not something and great in her self for she is nothing but what she is in her husband by the grace of God I am what I am she cannot vvorship a shadow or form or idel as others to get her self a name in the vvorld she makes no mention but of one and to him she bowes and because all this glory is powred upon her therefore she 's despised of men hated persecuted and every where evil spoken of yet blessed because great is her reward in Heaven out if this Cities are all Harlots all vvorldlings shut all Hypocrites Backbiters strikers of their fellow servants all that make a mock of Christ of the sufferings and precious bloud of Christ all that say they are Christ lo here lo there all that stand upon their toyes ceremonies vvil-worships making the commands of God of none effect by their traditions see whether or no thou hast the name of this Citie written upon the forehead where so much railing flows from thy tongue and heart Quest 22. What is the Garden of Eden out of which Adam was driven whether it be the same with Paradise Quest 23. What is the Paradise of God and the Tree of life in the midst of it of which whosoever overcomes shall eat Quest 24. What is the hidden Manna and the white stone and the new name written in the stone which he that overcomes shall know Answ To these three queries he sayes Eden is no Garden known to the vvorld where 't is overcome with weeds and who are driven out of it is not the same with Paradise but who are come to the Tree of life the old Adam dead the man quickned which death passed over there the Garden is pressed and dressing here Eden and Paradise came to be known Repl. All this gives no satisfaction to what Eden and Paradise is though some truth there be in thy words for though Eden be every where where the presence of God is in Christ and this presence fills all places and all things we see yet 't is not known unto the world who are cast out and see Christ no more Eden was a figure of heaven where 's no want but all fulnesse all pleasure and this heaven is all over within and without unto a childe of God within he sees the Lord raiguing in his spirit without he sees the Lord in every creature the heavens declare his glory and the firmament sheweth his handy work all creatures are as Jacobs ladder to him with God at the top these are the Angels assending and dessending in continual motion but God who stands at the top hidden from the world but known unto his Saints he 's still the same and his presence in love and light is the Garden of Eden and within is Paradise joy singing and so in the presence of God in love every place is a place of joy every condition every dispensation heavenly and here the Soul has learned to discern between the form and the truth the out-birth and the father he looks unto God he 's the wheeâ—â—ithin the wheel and so a gracious Soul will honour God who is the 〈◊〉 being in every created being he can converse with God in all he sees anâ— say of every place creature condition and thing this is none other but 〈◊〉 house of God and the Gate of Heaven into this Garden the righteous 〈◊〉 and here they are inclosed and kept by the Almighties arm and here they 〈◊〉 not upon the shadow but upon the substance within they feed not upon the earthly but upon the heavenly fruit the vertue and power of God And so they live upon God in the Creatures upon God in the Scriptures upon God in every thing but the man in darknesse sees not God has not the benefit and comfort of God and so he is cast out of the Paradise and joy thus you see that Eden the wicked man knows not he sees not the presence of the great King and so he can not feed upon him the Weeds cover God and among them he hides himself and there he feeds upon the flesh not upon the substance the Tree of life this he dares not middle with being a guilty sinner and so if he would enter into the Garden he can not there is a whole principale between and the Sword is set and dye he must and come in by a Saviour and in him he must be born before the entrance can be made and when this is done and the man of sin in some measure crucified then the vilest sinner may go boldly in because the way is open by regeneration and live with God and know Eden Paradise And thou who grutchest another entrance into this Garden of Eden into the Lords presence there to be in joy and rest by feeding upon the bread of life it appears that thou art a stranger unto the Garden it is not drest for thee and though faign thou would'st put forth thine hand eat live for ever be thine own Judge enter into life through thine own power and crucifying yet there is an Angel will keep thy out till the old man begin to be annihilated and he who was dead begin to leave in thee who onely prepares the Soul for the Lord and brings it into his joy Answ Further thou sayest as the Serpent is overcome by the seed of God the Tree of life is seen and fed on which stands in the midst of the Paradise of God Repl. All this is true when man is nothing