Law that had its rise from the Pope for Tythes and wee 'l tell our hearers that the Magistrate gives us them and wee 'l threaten to trouble and Sue them if they will not pay us and thereby seek to terrifie and affright People that they may be forced to pay us and so we will drive on our Trade by all the Policy and force we can and seek by all means to have the Quakers suppressed either by Persecution Imprisonings or taking away their Goods for Tythes in many places to the value of five or ten times more then the Tythes come to and now if these things will not do to overcome these Quakers as we see notwithstanding all their sufferings they grow and encrease upon us then will we make more complaints against them and tell the Magistrates they are a dangerous People they will overthrow both Ministers and Magistrates and will not spare the Supream Magistrate himself if they be suffered to go on therefore now let them be Banished for we cannot live in quiet nor quietly drive on our Trade for them but they will need be Checking and Reproving us for our taking Tythes and Preaching for gain and our seeking to compell men to our way and Worship and to Impose Religion upon men contrary to their Faith and Conscience All these things with many other deceits are these Treacherous Clergy-men and Persecuting Priests guilty of in themselves as by their Fruits and Doctrines is apparent So that the Lord hath made them contemptible and base before all People Mal. 2.9 And whereas in pag. 11. C. W. Accuseth us of Insolencies and Lybels which he saith so far as they reflect upon the Publick and do tend to the disturbance and subversion of the Nation and Common-wealth so far the Magistrate is bound not to suffer such Insolencies to go unpunished c. For when the Child shall behave himself proudly against the Antient and the Base against the Honourable Isa. 3.5 Then the Magistrate must remember that he ought to punish evil doers and if he do not punish such disorders but is sparing in this kinde because of a Temporizing Spirit and out of base fear or because of any selfish Carnal Policy God will assuredly punish him for his Sin of Negligence Answ. 1. As for Lybels or Insolencies tending to the subversion of the Nation which this Priest would have the Magistrate to punish us for hereof he hath accused us falsly and shewed a spirit of Envy and Persecution against us for which I know no ground he hath against us either to accuse us in this manner or to seek to Instigate the Magistrate against us but onely because the Lord our God hath raised us up in Righteousness to bear witness against the deceits and unrighteous Practices Persecution and Oppression that such Teachers as are of his Affinity are guilty of and their making a Trade and a Gain of their Preaching which we have in the Spirit of Truth born witness against both in our words Writings and Books which scornfully and falsly this Priest calls Lybels though wha we speak and write be agreeable to the Scriptures of Truth and neither this said Priest nor any of his Brethren the Priests have ever yet cleared themselves of those things which we have laid to their charge in our Books 2. What we speak and write in Truth and Righteousness against the Priests oppression covetousness and Preaching for forced Maintenance doth not at all tend to subvert the Nation as he would possess the Magistrate but to establish the Nation in Peace and free it from much bondage oppression persecution and suffering which the covetous hireling Priests have brought upon it which if it were free from those things and people left free to the Lord to lead and order them by his Spirit in matters pertaining to Religion and Conscience and only the Magistrates to punish evil doers and to be a praise to them that do well and not to lend their ears to the Priests to be their drudges and executioners in persecuting and imprisoning conscientious men because they cannot maintain them in their oppression I say then the Nation would be more at peace and all that are conscientious and moderate in it more satisfied And the Priests might be tryed if they would Preach freely and live of the Gospel as the true Ministers did for if God hath ordained that they that Preach the Gospel shall live of it he is able to fulfil his own Ordinance without their forcing Maintenance by a Law from people or suing them at Law for Tythes in which thing the Priests have manifested themselves to be both out of the Ordinance of God and example of all his Ministers 3. By their so much seeking to incense the Magistrate to punish and persecute us for bearing witness against their covetous practices and false principles it appears they are afraid their Trade should fail them and go down as it hath already failed many of them whilst they are putting one another out of their Livings and places where they have upheld their unrighteous Trade for their Bellies as those that bite and devour one another 4. And as to that of Isa. 3.5 of the Child's behaving himself proudly against the Antient this was in Israel when they oppressed one another which pride and oppression we are not guilty of but the proud and covetous Clergy But whereas this C.W. accuseth us as behaving our selves proudly against the honourable one seeming reason for it a little before is pag. 10. he saith That we do continually all along use those disdainful tearms of Thee and Thou and the like scornful expressions and saith That this is directly contrary to the Rule of the Gospel c. and it is also contrary to the example of the Apostle Paul when he was reproached by Festus c. the Apostle doth not say Thee and Thou but most noble Festus c. Act. 26.24 Answer This accusation reflects upon all the Holy men of God spoken of in Scripture who used the words Thee and Thou to a single person and You and Ye onely as pertaining to a number or to more than one as if they all used disdainful and scornful expressions and as if they therein directly transgressed the Rule of the Gospel this is but a bad and unequal judgement and apparently false for Paul himself used Thou to Festus and several times both Thee and Thou in signification to King Agrippa who was in greater Authority than Festus Act. 25.10 Chap. 26.2 3 27 29. and multitudes of examples more might be instanced for this As also this man can use Thee and Thou to God in his Prayers and he and his Brethren have learned that plain language in their Grammer which distinguisheth between the singular and plural number though now he hath accused us with using disdainful tearms for using that plainness of speech which he hath formerly learned in which thing the very Heaâ—hen may judge the pride of
in reference to his manifestation in time for their sakes that were lost in the first Adam and yet he is the first and the last M. C. Those that were of the number of Gods Elect in Ages past waited for the Son of God from Heaven who was raised from the dead 1 Thes. 1.4 10. Now sure I am that 't was the visible Body of Flesh which was dead and raised from the dead which the Saints waited for and in pag. 43. Our Faith and full perswasion that Christ is a visible glorified man leads us to expect his second coming as a distinct appearance from and not in his People c. Answer 1. If the Saints of God in ages past and the number of the Elect did after Christ's Ascension wait for his visible Body of flesh from Heaven as here he implies then it appears in their dayes they waited in vain and missed of their expectations if so and this would render their Hope and Faith in the coming of Christ of none effect But the Apostle witnessed the contrary as in 1 Thes. 1.9 10. when the Thessalonians were turned from Idols then they waited for the Son of God from Heaven and Ch. 4.15 We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord c. So the Saints though in part they were then eye witnesses of the coming and glory of the Lord yet they grew further in the knowledge of the several operations appearances and out-goings of him whose out-going have been from of old as they grew from glory to glory by the same Spirit 2 Cor. 3.18 and the Apostles made known unto men the power and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ which power wrought in them and they that looked for Christ in the Apostles dayes it was promised unto them that he should appear the second time without sin unto Salvation Heb. 9.28 which if this coming of Christ was the coming of a visible Body of flesh then the Saints in ages past did not attain to the coming of Christ in their dayes nor yet to Salvation from sin which erroneous conclusion that follows from M. C. his assertion no wise man will own for if the Saints in their dayes did not experience the coming of Christ unto their Salvation from sin then where and in what state are they now that are so long since deceased doth he suppose them to be in some Purgatory Surely M. C. is very ignorant both of the spiritual knowledge coming and work of Christ which was known in the Saints and not carnally expected afar off as he doth who would shut Christ and his coming out of his People And where in pag. 44. as his proofs he cites Rev. 22.20 where it 's said Surely I come quickly even so come Lord Jesus and Act. 7. touching Stephen his looking up into Heaven and seeing Jesus standing at the right hand of God what doth M. C. suppose that whereas Christ promised to come quickly and John so prayed for his coming quickly that this was a coming in a visible Body of flesh or that Stephen did see a visible Body of flesh in Heaven with carnal eyes as he seems so much to imply This is gross Ignorance for Stephen's being full of the Holy Ghost was the ground and cause of his seeing Heaven open and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God As also in pag. 40. he denies That it was the eternal Spirit that prayed in the man Christ Joh. 17. and denies Jesus Christ to be the Annointing but only the Anointed Wherein his ignorance may be apparent to all that can see who read this for Christ and his Father are one who said The Son can do nothing of himself and as being a quickning Spirit and the Seed of Promise he is both the Anointing and the Anointed not divided though the manifestations of him as such are several and his operations divers in the Saints And as concerning Christ dwelling in the Saints M. C. his interpretation of it is That he is deep in their affections much and oft in their thoughts and meditations and for proof brings Phil. 1.7 2 Cor. 7.3 touching the Saints being in one anothers hearts Answer But Christ doth not appear to be very deep in M. C. his affections or meditations who would keep him out of his People as several of his Principles imply who now would have Christ only to be but often in the thoughts and meditations of his People which doth not fully reach the Being of Christ in the Saints to operate act move and Rule in his Members who are in him and he in them giving them life dominion and peace whose life is manifest in their mortal Bodies and he dwelling in their hearts by Faith which is more than to be often in their thoughts and meditations as if he might be often forgotten And whereas M. C. makes a great cavilling against that Doctrin of the Light of Christ being placed in People as to be a sufficient Rule and of such a Light being in every man and saith That Humphry Smith in the face of men and Devils affirmeth That there is no other Rule Wayes means or Name by which man shall ever come to walk with God but by that which is manifest of God in him And in opposition to this Doctrine M. C. goes about to set the Scriptures outward Commands and Teachings as usless if there be such a Light in men pag. 48. and eight or more times in his scorn he reiterates these words viz. Turn to the Light within saith the Quaker pag. 49 50. Answer That of the Light of Christ being a sufficient Rule and being in some measure universally extended to all as Christ enlightens every man is a Truth which indeed we do vindicate both against men and Devils who doth oppose it for it appears it is the Devils and such as are led by them that oppose this Principle and that is the reason why we are constrained so much to appear against them in it to their faces And we in owning the sufficiency of this Light in men do neither make void nor disown the Scriptures nor true outward Teaching knowing that by the Light or that which may be known of God within men come to see and feel the right end and use of outward Teaching and the Scriptures for the Spirit of Truth leadeth into all Truth and where the Light of Christ within is believed and obeyed it leadeth out of darkness and out of the wayes and works of darkness into the path and way of the Just which is a shining Light that shineth more and more until the perfect day Prov. 4.18 But there is a Generation that rejects and rebels against the Light that knows not the wayes of it because they do not abide in the paths of it Job 24.13 And though we do own outward Teaching so far as it tends to direct peoples minds to the Light of Christ within and the Scriptures in their place yet we know that God is not limitted or tyed to those outward things as if none could be saved or had a true Rule to walk with God by but they who have the letter of the Scriptures and outward Teaching for the extent of the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation is larger than so it having appeared to all men and is sufficient to teach to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously c. Tit. 2.11 Rom. 5.18 and many have this Grace given them that have neither the Scriptures nor the outward ministration of the Gospel though it be preached in every Creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1.23 yet where and as the Lord is pleased to send outward Teaching it is of use as to the turning of People to the Light of Christ which shineth in the hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 M. C. in pag. 48. saith of the Apostles What were they to preach to them not that one thing of turning to the Light their Teacher within but all things whatsoever Mat. 28.19 20. all the Counsel of God Act. 20.27 Answ. What were the Apostles to preach all things whatsoever all the Counsel of God and yet not the Light within What was that none of the Counsel of God Herein this man hath more lost himself than ever and yet he is made in general words to confess that Christ was set to be a Light of the Gentiles and what were they not to turn to his Light within This is gross ignorance and error for Christ who is come a Light into the world that whosoever believeth in him might have everlasting Life and who is given a Light to enlighten the Gentiles Luk. 2.32 is the way to the Father and the Way the Truth and the Life and his Life is the Light of men Joh. 1.4 9. And did not the Apostles preach to turn men to his Light that one thing in them I see for all M. C. his scoffing and cavilling against the Light within and our exhorting men to turn to it it stands over him and his folly and deceit though so often over he hath reiterated his canting language against the Light within more like the sturdy Beggars or a Ballad-singer or a Stage-player than a consciencious zealous Professor And the truth of this our Doctrin of the Light within will remain and live when all empty Professions carnal Ordinances Traditions and Will-worships which are upheld or practised without the guidance of the Light of Christ within will wither fall and come to naught as will all formal wilful and dry Professors who make war against and oppose the Light within and them that are in it Many more of M. C. his absurdities and slanders against the Truth and us I here omit as not worth either mentioning or taking notice of London Written near the beginning of the first Month 1662 From a living and tryed Witness of the powerful Truth GEORGE WHITEHEAD THE END
discern between such as are Serpents and such as are Lambs for we know the Promise of God fulfilled which saith Ye shall discern between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not and between the Righteous and the Wicked Mal. 3.10 and we neither judge of things before the time nor yet do we judge as these that have a beam in their own eye who are forbidden to judge but in the Spirit which hath opened and cleared our eyes do we speak the truth and appeal to the witness of God in every mans Conscience Again C. VV. hath condemned himself in the thing he allows for he forbids others to judge and yet he himself hath oftentimes judged us as for being in error setting up a false Light for keeping pride still in our hearts for refusing to pay Tythes from or out of covetousness for lightly esteeming the Rock of our Salvation for not following the Light which is in the Word for insolencies disorders and affronts for being tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrin for being railers and revilers for consulting with flesh and carnal wisdom for having a mistery of iniquity in the midst of us for condemning all the settled Ministers of the Gospel c. These aspersions and accusations against us which are dispersed through his Book with many more of the like nature we do absolutely deny as being slanders that are unjustly cast upon us by him who hath taken upon him in hypocrisie to forbid others to judge as also his saying in pag. 7. That all sober-minded and serious Christians who are settled in the Truth do judge that the inventers and fomenters of our Way are the Jesuits and the Papists Satans subtile and busie Factors purposely to disturb the Truth amongst us in England c. Answer They who do so judge concerning us and our Way are neither settled nor established in the Truth of Christ for as for our Way it is the same that the holy men of God and true Christians of old owned and were in and it is Christ who is the Way the Truth and the Life whom we own which was never invented nor fomented by either Popish Jesuits Papists or Satans Factors And a clearer Testimony have we given against Popery than any of you who are in the Popish practice of taking Tythes and Sprinkling Infants and in many other things and principles both as to your education at Colledges that were built by the Papists and in your Preaching in their Mass-houses which you falsly call Churches and several other things wherein you agree with the Papist and are out of the Scripture example and Saints practices and then to save your selves would be accusing us of Popery And thou C. W. Hast accused us in pag. 7. For being very plain in our Garments and Apparel but alas sayest thou doth the Power of Humility consist onely in these External things why the Papists themselves in this External Humility do very far excell us for they Cloath themselves with Sack-cloth go bare footed c. yet saist thou Do I not like of their Religion neither can I approve of yours because it is like theirs Answer This is but a silly Argument either from thence to deem us Papists or to disapprove of our Religion for going plain in apparel is both according to the example of the Saints and the Apostles Doctrine who gave Testimony against both vanity in Apparel Pride of life and the Lust of the Eye which was after such things 1 Tim. 2. 1 John 2.16 and had we not better be in plainness of Apparel then in Cuffs Ribbonds and such like Fooleries as many of the Clergy-men wear And shall we be accounted Papists because we are in the Apostles Doctrine and shew an Example of Moderation and Sobriety to others and therefore must our Religion be disapproved of this is as bad an Argument as if C. W. had judged all to be Papists that Profess the Name of Christ and own the Saints Practices because the Papists do Profess his Name and in some things do Immitate the Saints or must we disown the Truth in any thing because evil men do Profess it and make a shew of it If C. W. have learned no better Logick then this he had better never have gone to the Vniversity to have learned his Trade and that Cost that was bestowed upon him for Learning was very ill bestowed but herein the World may see his weakness as they may see his falshood pag. 6. in his saying these words to Robert Howton viz. That which we demand from you is none of yours but ours for our Tythes were never purchased by your self or by your fathers before you c. which how false that is let all both Farmers and Free-holders in this Nation witness who when they Buy a Stock of Cattle all at their own charge for the Managing and tilling their Lands and Tenements and when they Buy the Corn they sow their ground withall and when men have purchased Lands by their own proper Cost and Charge and every part and parcel thereof for their own singular use as the Evidences are and are at so much Cost and Charges with Managing of them then for the Priests to claim the Tyth of Cattle Goods Corn Hay c. to claim it as their own and say it s none of theirs who purchased both the Lands Goods and bought the Corn by which it was sown let any indifferent Persons judge of their falshood and unrighteousness in this thing IV. Of the Light within both Natural and Spiritual Men. And as concerning the Light that is within C. Whately accuseth us With shamefully undervaluing the Holy Scriptures and setting up a false Light that is within us above the true Light that is in the Scripture for it is our constant language look to the Light that is within you not knowing that we are by nature wretched miserable poor blind and naked and therefore it is that the Lord hath given us his holy Word which we call the Scriptures to be a Lanthorn to our feet and a Light to our paths What you call Light we may well call Darkness p. 6. As also he saith pag. 9. You do lightly esteem the Rock of your Salvation the Truth of Christ c. all this proceeds from hence because you follow that Light which is in you and not that Light which is in the Word and Spirit c. Answer In these things are we very grosly wronged and the Truth much abused by this our Accuser For 1. We neither undervalue the Holy Scriptures neither do we lightly esteem the Rock of our Salvation either in Preaching the Light within or any other principle held by us but therein do both own the Rock of Salvation and the Scripture for it is the Light of Christ the Rock of Salvation and no false Light that we Preach and own which is the true Light that enlightens every man that cometh into the World Joh. 1.9 And
he is come a Light into the World that whosoever believeth in him might not perish but have everlasting Life Joh. 8.12 12.46 2. In his counting the Light within which we Preach a false Light a deceitful Light and Darkness as in pag. 6. 7. 9. he hath blasphemed against the Light of Christ and hath put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light and turned the Truth into falshood or a Lye and so brought the woe upon himself Isa. 5.20 3. The Light within which we Preach is the Light of the Word and Spirit of God and not divided from the Word as our Accuser hath implied against us for the Word of God is known in the heart of every one that believeth Rom. 10.8 and this was in David and the true Prophets hearts before they gave forth the Words or Scriptures from it so that he that makes no distinction between the Scriptures which are the Writings and the Word or Light within from whence they proceeded is very ignorant 4. It is the Light of Christ within that convinceth of and testifieth against sin and unrighteousness and where it 's not rejected but obeyed it leads man out of sin and so out of the natural wretched and blind state to God who is the Fountain of Grace and Life and the Father of Lights none of whose Lights do we ever read of in Scripture to be either false deceitful or in themselves darkness And 5. Neither was it the Light that was in Paul before his Conversion that led him to make havock of the Church of Christ or to be exceedingly mad against the Saints and persecute them as falsly C. VV. hath implied in his Queries pag. 9. nor was it the Light that was within the Jews or Persecutors that deluded them so as to think they did God good service in killing the Saints as also this man hath implied but the spirit of error and darkness in them for Christ told even them viz. the Pharisees that were in the persecuting nature That the Kingdom of God was within them Luk. 17.20 21. the Light of which is neither false nor deceitful nor doth it ever lead into any deceit or evil And further how apparent is C. VV. his ignorance concerning the Light within who puts no difference between Light and Darkness in his asking if this Light that is in man did not cause Jesurun to sacrifice unto Devils Deut. 32.17 Again C. VV. saith I would also willingly know whether the Light of the new Creature that is in the Saints themselves be a sufficient Rule to walk by for if so then the Saints may cast away the Scriptures and walk by their own Light c. Then also the Saints have such a Light in them that they cannot erre and it is to be understood that you your selves must be the Saints and so you being the only Saints upon the earth we must follow you in all things as the Papists do the Pope and what a compendious way will this be to bring in Popery and blind obedience in the highest degree that evere was c. Answer Thus hath this ignorant man begun in darkness and ended in scorn and falshood For 1. The Light of Christ and his Spirit that is in the new Creature and Sainâ—s is a sufficient Rule to walk by as the Spirit of Truth doth lead into all Truth and the Anointing or Light that was in the Saints taught them of all things that was Truth and no Lye 1 Joh. 2.27 2 Cor. 13.5 and so Christ is in you except you be Reprobates and in him is the Saints sufficiency and yet it doth not follow that therefore the Scriptures of Truth must be cast away no more than John's Epistle was to be cast away by them to whom he wrote that had the Anointing in them to teach them of all things and so to understand the Scriptures that they needed no man to teach them but as it taught them and this keeps out of error where it 's minded and obeyed 2. And to own and witness to this Light Spirit or Anointing within as a sufficient Rule as all the Saints have done is no way to bring in Popery nor blind obedience as unjustly is implied against us upon this account for that Accusation reflects upon the former Saints as well as us And I am so charitable as not to believe that none have a sufficient Rule to walk by or Light to save them but they who have the letter of the Scripture without for the general Love and Goodness of God to mankind cannot be so limited to a visible thing nor bound up in that narrowness as our Accuser seems to imply Again C. VV. objects in his Postscript That they say that all men have the Light of Reason and natural Conscience which is enough to make them without excuse in the day of Judgement but as for the Light of Grace which alone can make us wise to Salvation this is not given unto all men and to prove it cites Deut. 29.4 Answ. As for Light of Reason and natural Conscience being enough to make men without excuse we do not at all read of in Scripture for that which left men without excuse was spiritual and that which might be known of God that was manifest in them Rom. 1.19 and that Light which leaves without excuse is saving and sufficient to lead out of sin or otherwise it could not leave any without excuse for insufficiency in the Gift given to Man if it were so would be a ground of excuse And as for those Israelites spoken to in Deut. 29. their not having an heart to perceive nor eyes to see nor ears to hear unto that day was because of their Rebellion and Disobedience which occasioned hardness of heart blindness and want of understanding for there was no fault in God towards them he gave his good Spirit unto them and yet they rebelled against him and would not hearken to his Voice Neb. 9. Psa. 81.11 and so all that rebel against the Light know not the wayes of it for they abide not in the paths of it Job 24.13 V. Of Perfection And now as it hath been much of these Priests work to talk against the sufficiency of the Light of Christ in men so also have they much spread abroad their sinful Doctrins for the continuance of sin and imperfection in all men while upon earth for which iniquity C. VV. hath also appeared who in his Postscript saith He shall only acquaint the Reader with one particular of the Quakers which discovereth the great Pride of their hearts viz. that they say of themselves that they have a Righteousness within them whereby they are made perfect and without sin This is R. Fransworth's Assertion he saith and then to prove this to be contrary to the Truth he brings these Scriptures Eccl. 7.20 Job 9.20 Jam. 3.2 Rom. 3.10 23.1 Joh. 1.8 10. Gal. 5.17 Rom. 7. But saith he they say still they are without sin
because they have the Spirit of Christ in their hearts and therefore they are without sin To which I answer As for what he saith the Quakâ—rs say of themselves and that they say still they are without sin this is a falshood and herein hath he wronged them and their words for they do not go about to set forth themselves in any justification of themselves and of their own states as some mistake them and as this man implies against them but to vindicate the Truth in general and to shew forth Christ and his Work and Righteousness which is to be known within For know you not that Jesus Christ is in you except you be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 and the end for which Christ is made manifest is to destroy sin and to make perfect 1 Joh. 3. Heb. 10.14 and this Work of Christ is known within which to bear witness of is no pride of heart as our Accuser saith And as these Scriptures mentioned by him from whence he seems to plead for sin so far as they either relate to the state in which all are sinners and none Righteous or to the state wherein some are in the spiritual warfare warring against sin or where sometimes the Apostles condescended as to number themselves amongst them that had sin and so condescended to speak of states below their own as having been in them I say these Scriptures do not reach all states and conditions for he that is born of God that hath obtained victory over sin who walketh after the Spirit of God and he that abideth in Christ sinneth not being washed and cleansed by the blood of Christ which cleanseth them that walk in his Light from all sin See 1 Joh. 1.9 Chap. 3. Rev. 1.5 and it is said Thy People shall be all Righteousness Isa. 60.21 And blessed are the undefiled in the way they also do no iniquiry Psal. 119.1 2 3. Ézek 36.25 So that what we called Quakers do hold in this thing is a true Testimony against all the Ministers of unrighteousness who contend and plead for sin the term of Life and number the Righteous that are in Christ among the wicked who are out of the way and none of them Righteous nor that doth good no not one Rom. 3.10 which Scripture C. VV. hath brought against Perfection and so like the deceivers of old that put no difference between the Holy and profane VI. Of studying old Authors and receiving the Gospel c. And whereas in the Paper from them called Quakers it 's said That the Apostles received not the Gospel at Oxford or Cambridge nor by studying old Authors c. to this C. VV. replies Perhaps the Apostles were never in England I may pay you in your own Coin thus viz. the Apostles never received the Gospel at Colonel Vivers his House in Banbury nor at any of the Quakers Meeting-places in Braughton or Bloxham or Tadmerton I answer This is as unfit a parallel as his comparing their Preaching if they are desired when they are upon a journey about their own occasions with the Apostles going forth on purpose in obedience to Christ to Preach freely and Paul's speaking in the Synagogue when the Rulers required him Act. 13. when as he did not then go about a worldly occasion but went on purpose to Preach Christ among the Jews for which he often suffered persecution among them which the Priests who stand in mans will are loath to do but to the former parallel I say that the Quakers Meetings in these said places mentioned and other places where the Gospel is freely preached among them and where they feel the Presence and Power of God among them are both according to the Example of the Saints spoken of in Scripture who often met in Houses Joh. 2.19 Act. 10.27 Chap. 12.12 20.8 28.30 31. and their Meetings are more justifiable than the Priests education to their Ministry at Oxford or Cambridge according to man's will by natural learning and studying Philosophy and old Authors all which a natural man may do that never knew Christ and for which manner of education to their Ministry they have no example from Christs Ministers but from the Papists and such as are in the Apostacy And as for the Apostle Paul's mentioning what some of the Greek Poets said Act. 17.28 viz. In him we live and move and have our Being which is brought to prove the Priests studying old Authors to Preach from them I say this doth not prove their Practice in that thing for we neither read that the Apostle did either study old Authors for his Ministry or gathered Sermons out of them to Preach as the Priests do but only that he mentions the words of their own Poets to come over the Idolaters and Heathen for the thing contained in these words he needed not study old Authors for having learned the same thing from Christ in his Gospel which he received not from man nor by studying old Authors as the Priests do but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ Gal. 1. VII Of Womens keeping silence in the Churches And as concerning those Women which were commanded to keep silence in the Churches and to learn of their Husbands at home 1 Cor. 14.34 35. from hence C. VV. saith 1. That by your Women who are commanded to keep silence in the Churches is meant the Female Sex 2. And by Husbands is meant Husbands in the flesh c. his Reasons are that the Female sex ought to be under obedience and that men have no Husbands and that a woman can never be a man and a man can never be a woman c. And 2. It is meant Husbands in the flesh because we have but one Husband in the Spirit and because the Text speaks of Husbands at home c. To which I answer That what the Apostle said of Womens keeping silent in the Church doth not relate to every state and condition as to tye all the Females from ministering the Truth nor was what he to the Corinthians commanded in that case given as a general Rule to all others so as to limit the Spirit of God from speaking in either Male or Female and there were some Women that had no Husbands in the flesh to learn of but it had relation to the state that he then saw those Women in who were commanded to keep silent and to be in subjection and to learn of their Husbands and not to usurp So we say that they who are yet untaught themselves and have their learning to seek and who would be usurping whether they be Males or Females they are to be in silence and under obedience according to the Law but there is a farther state in Christ where he is formed in either Male or Female and where he is come to speak in either than that which is under the Law or that wherein people are unlearned or the state of Eve that was deceived or of the Woman that would usurp over the