set your selves to be rude and vain to prove a False Prophet was either by conversation or doctrine or both and by his fruits he was known to preach for hire and to didivine for money is fruits and signes of a False Prophet as the Scripture testified which should be my rule to try him by if he durst stand to it and they that preached for hire were False Prophets and he preached for hire and therefore was a False Prophet according to the Scripture rule then he said he preached not for hire yet he had hire for preaching a poor shift to cover the devils deceipts but it will not hide his shame and it was proved that he preached for hire to all but such who stopped their ears and it was manifested in his face that he sued some at the law which would not pay him tithes and then I asked him to give any examples from the Ministers of Christ where ever they took tithes or sued men at the the law who would not pay them wages but to this he gave no answer at all and thereby he was proved to be a False Prophet and a deceiver and much more might have been said as to this to prove him and his generation to be false Prophets as may be done at any time but such was the unreasonablenesse at this passage that you were nigh to lay violent hands upon me some of you and least your deceiver should be made manifest you would not suffer me to spake what I had to say but cryed away with me and tell me any of you when he preached any year or time at this town when he had no hire and therefore he is a hireling because he preacheth not without it but for it and so is a False Prophet and he being I judge sorely afraid least he should be discovered went out of his pulpit door two or three times till I called him back again and charged him to stay if he was a man and I would prove him to be a preacher of false doctrine who in my hearing said the Scripture was the foundation of foundations but when he heard this he rann away and fled like a hireling and would not stay and I was and am ready in the presence of God any sober men to prove this to be false doctrine of the devil and him to be no Minister of Christ who holds it forth And all you sober minded men may be ashamed of him who managed his work with so much wickednesse and impudency while he staid and when it came to the very tryal then he runn away and would not stand though I desired him hereby did his guilt appear in flying the tryal and this is the substance of the business though not every particular word and I have gathered it up to send you and him that when you see it and consider and read what you have done you may be ashamed of him and of your own unreasonablenesse and further he is already proved and may be more largely hereafter to be one that God never sent both by conversation and doctrine and no Minister of Jesus Christ and not onely in the house but when we were come forth such was your violence to the stopping of us when we were passing and had not the Mayor prevented it our suffering from some of you had been more than it was let the feare of the Lord strike you and let his light search wicked and ungodly hearts and repent of your doings and cease to do evil and turn from your deceiver if you love your own souls and learn the way of righteousnesse and Peace which you have not yet known for in the broad way you are and the end of it will be unto your everlasting destruction and to you this is a warning and a visitation from the Lord by a lover of your souls who is true though by you called and counted a deceiver and this in love to your souls is sent unto you E. B. Here also followes certain Queries to Christopher Fowler the same time to which he never yet could give any sober Answer therefore I here Insert them that he may yet give his Answer Christopher Fowler SEeing thou art a man so irrational and so unsober to speak and fairly to debate things in discourse and thy Auditory so rude and inhumane in behaviour and words Therefore to thee these few Queries I propound to try thee whether thou wilt shew the spirit of a man by writing more than by speaking seeing therein I have tried thee to be more like a wild inhumane creature than a sober and upright Christian Seeing the Scripture saith the Word of God was in the begining and the world was framed by it and it shall endure for ever hence I querie of thee I. Whether the Scriptures be the very Word of God yea or nay Seeing the Scriptures were not in the begining neither was the World framed by them neither can they endure for ever hence I querie of thee II. Whether the very Word of God be Scripture yea or nay Seeing it is confessed that which is written of and declared of in the Scriptures is the word of God and the Truth which shall endure for ever hence I querie of thee III. Whether the Scriptures the writings and the thing or subject declared and written of are not two distinct things so as one may have the one and not the other yea or nay Seeing God and his Word will and mind is eternal infinite and endlesse hence I querie of thee if thou hast an understanding Answer IV Whether God his Word will and mind is or can be contained or holden in Scriptures and writings or but onely part of the declaration of him of his word will and mind yea or nay Seeing such were false prophets which preached for hire and divined for money and sought for gain from their quarter hence I querie of thee V. Whether by this rule art not thou proved a false prophet who preaches for hire and takes hire for preaching and hath a quarter reading of some part of it from which thou seeks gain answer in plainnesse Seeing every tree is known by its fruit as Christ saith hence I querie VI Whether by this rule thou that brings forth the same fruits as the false prophets did viz. lies lightnesse pride covetuousnesse and false accusing art not the same tree viz. a false prophet Seeing they were false prophets who rann and were not sent and did not profit them the people at all but clothed themselves with the wool and prepared warr against them that put not into their mouths c. hence I querie of thee VII Whether by this rule thou art not proved a False Prophet who canst not prove that thou art sent of God neither are the people profited by thee but are rude and wanton and wicked and thou prepared warr against them that put not into thy mouth by suing them at law for tithes c Seeing
Scorning Lying Slandering Envy Hatred Lightnesse c. with much more of which thou art guilty are the fruits of the flesh and of the Divel hence I querie of thee VIII Whether by this rule art thou not proved to be no Ministers of Christ but of the Devil and a servant to him and a liver to the flesh and not in the spirit in whom these fruits of darknesse and of the flesh are abounding Seeing the Scripture saith the Word of God was in the begining and Christ Jesus is the foundation and no other can be laid hence I querie of thee IX Whether by this rule thou art not proved a deceiver and thy doctrine false and error and contrary to Scripture who said the Scriptures are the Word of God which were not in the begining and said that the Scriptures which are not Christ are the foundation of foundations and whether this doctrine of thine doth not deny Christ and so art proved to be Antichrist answer according to truth Seeing thou confesses thou hast hire for preaching yet saist thou preaches not for hire hence I querie of thee X. Whether any of the People of Reading would give thee so much a year if thou didst not preach to them and if no then whether they do not give thee so much and thou receive it because thou preaches unto them or did they give thee so much before thou preachedst or will they give thee any when thou doth cease to preach to them try them when thou wilt and prove thy self a true Prophet by preaching some years and receiving nothing and till then I charge thee to be a false prophet Seeing the Ministry which Christ Jesus sent by the the Apostles did bring people that they needed no man to teach them but as the anoynting within them hence I querie of thee XI Whether by this rule thy Ministry is proved not to be of Christ Iesus nor thou sent of him by which none can come to this condition that they need no man to teach them produce any one if thou canst and so a Ministry of Anti-christ and thou of the Divel Seeing they that abide not in the Doctrine of Christ have not God hence I querie of thee XII Whether by this rule thou art not proved to be without Christ and without God who abides not in Christs doctrine but are called of men master and stand Praying in the Synagogue and hast the chief seat in the Assembly and contrary to Christs Command Answer these Queries with the Spirit of Sobernesse if thou hast it and shew thy self a man if thou hast the heart of a man and repent of thy wickednesse and own thy condemnation upon thy former words and works I am a Friend unto thy Soul but a witnesse against thy deceits E. B And after which time for the space of two years I had no Communication with Christopher Fowler till this last nineth month at a place called East-Hamsted where a meeting of dispute was appointed and challenged by some of his Brethren at which place again I mett with this my adversary where we had some houres discourse and many particulars of False Doctrine fell from Christopher Fowlers mouth some few of which hereafter followeth First one of his brethren in his prayer before the dispute prayed to God to forgive them the Athesm that were in their hearts of him and his Brethren Answer now an Athest is one that denies God and Athesm is denying of God according to common reputation Athesm is so taken so that how shall such a generation of men bring people to the knowledg of God by your Ministry or how should they ever convert people or profit them who yet in their owne hearts denyed God as the man acknowledged in his prayer before the Lord and many witnesses the poor people of England had thought that the spirit of God had been in your hearts but now we know that you deny God in your hearts and you have confessed it to you ownr shame are you Ministers of Christ and yet denyes God in your hearts and in whose hearts lodges Athesm Oh! let not people be deceived by you but repent yee that know not God but with your mouths confesse him and with your hearts do deny him Christopher Fowler also affirmed that day That the Scriptures are the Glorious everlasting Foundation of Foundations Answ. And hereby it is made manifest that he hath totolly denyed Christ and so proved with his brother confest in his prayer that indeed Athesm is in their hearts and so he hath denyed Christ whom the Scriptures say is the foundation and no other foundation can any man lay and upon him were the Saints builded in their faith and all their practices of Religion for he is the corner stone as it is written and thus he hath dishonoured Christ in setting the Scriptures above him and taking the Honnor from him and giving it to the Scriptures and I shall leave this his doctrine to be considered with a querie to these people of his Church in Reading whether he is worth hearing or giving money to for preaching that holds forth such doctrine and whether it is possible he should bring them to Christ who hath in effect denyed him to be the foundation and held forth that the Scriptures are the Glorious everlasting Foundation of Foundations much I need not say to uncover the error of such a doctrine Again he affirmed That a man at one and the self same time might be a Minister of Christ and a deceiver Answ. And here all may see the weaknesse and Ignorance of this strange paradox and indeed which is contrary to the Scriptures which saith No man can serve two maststers it s very certaine that he that serves the Divel doth not serve Christ at the same time and he that serves Christ doth not serve the Devil and so his doctrine is Anti-christan which would make people believe that though they serve the Devil yet they are the servants of God and this is as much as he hath said that one may be a Minister of Christ and yet a deceiver now a deceiver is one that followes the spirit of the Devil and a Minister of Christ is one that followes the Spirit of Christ and these two spirits are contrary and not both ruling in one man at one time but then to helpe the matter he said a man might serve Christ in office but not in love to which my answer was let him say whether he and the Priests of England did serve Christ by way of office or love both or either and I should prove the contrary but that wee prosecuted no further some other things were affirmed by him that day not now remembred He said That Christ was a sinner from this argument laid down by him all that dies are sinners Christ died therefore c. These and such things he held forth all that day besides the unsobernesse of his words and carriages towards me who called
A DISCOVERY Of some part of the War between the Kingdom of the LAMB And the Kingdom of ANTI-CHRIST Held forth in this account of several Disputes and Queries between a Minister of Christ really so and one that hath the name of a Minister but is proved to be a Minister and Member of Anti-christ by evident Testimonies And is a short account of the Covetousnesse Ignorance Envy and the fruits of darkness brought forth by C. Fowler a professed Minister in Reading And here all may see in some measure the differencâ—â—â—tween Christ and Anti-christ and their Authority and Weapons and also the Fruits and 〈◊〉 of each of them are made manifest By one that makes war in Righteousnesse with the sword of the Spirit against Anti-christ and all the parts of his Kingdom Edw. Burrough LONDON Printed for Robert Wilson at the Black-spread-Eagle and Winde-mill in Martins near Aldersgate 1659. To the Reader Friend THe chief occasion of this being sent abroad to publique view is to the People of Reading most particularly but yet more general unto all and though that it be chiefly unto a particular place and against a particular person to witt Christopher Fowler one that hath the name of a Minister of Christ in Reading whose Folly and Weaknesse and Ignorance is herein discovered yet it hath partly relation to the whole Ministry of the Nation and all men that do not shutt their eyes may see and behold something of that great opposition that is at this day between the Kingdom of Christ and the Kindgdome of Antichrist and I have no other end in publishing of this but for the satisfaction of them that desires it and for the general good of all and if Christopher Fowler shall see himself justly reproved and repent it may prove good to him also and I am not a man of strife for if he and his brethren had not first challenged us to disputes I had not had this occasion thus to proceed now and in what I have done I referr it to the just witnesse of God in the honest People of Redding and to all else where E. B. A discovery of some part of the Warr between the Kingdom of Anti-Christ and the Kingdom of the Lamb c. FOrasmuch as great hath been the debate for these diverse years of late between the Lamb and his followers and Antichrist and his followers and the one of them hath been opposing the other in their owne Power and Authority and great is the debate at this day between these two Kingdomes which is endeavouring the overthrow one of the other and all the strength and power of Antichrist is put forth in defence of his kingdome by Persecution Injustice false Imprisonments Beatings and Whipings and Spoyling of goods and Persons and Railings Accusings Slandrings Reproachings by these wayes and proceedings doth Anti-christ striâ—e at this day for the upholding and maintaining his owne Cause and Kingdome and by this means and these weapons mentioned doth he seek to defend himself his Church and Ministry and Ordinances these are his Weapons and Armour by which he Opposes and fights against the Lamb and his followers whom the Lord hath raised up for this end and they have within these few years more then ever for many Generations made an invasion and inroad upon Antichrist his Kingdome and Government and the great City Babylon and the Seige is raised that hath long been laid against the Holy Seed and the great City Babylon is taken her Walls are scaled and her Gates broken and her strength defeated and her Merchants spoyled of their goodly Treasure for the day of the Lord is come and the Holy Seed is he leading out of the spiritual Sodom and Egypt and Mistery Babilon the Great hath God remembred for her Iniquities and Her crueltyes and Mercilessnes and all Her Abominations will God avenge upon Her Head and this doth come to passe and not by the multitude of an host of men nor yet by Humaine Pollicy and Wisdom nor yet by Carnal Weapons not by Goales nor Prisons nor Persecutions these are not the Lambs Weapons but these are Antichrists and the Dragons Armour and Weapons which he makes warr by against the Lamb and his followers even at this day in every Nation But the Lambs Weapons are Truth Patience long Suffering meeknesse and downe right Sincerity of Heart and Tongue and by these things shall Antichrist be Slaine and these Weapons shall Conquer his Kingdom Love shall overcome Hatred Meeknesse shall overcome Wrath Truth shall overcome Decit and Falsehood and God shall overcome the Divel But more perticularly great hath been the Opposition and Debate made one against the other and the Battel between Christ and Antichrist hath principally been held forth between the Ministers of the Church of England on Antichrists parte and the People called Quakers on the other part no man in the Nation can be Ignorant how the controversy hath depended betwixt these two and what weapons they have used the one against the other and also it is in part known the successe of them both and how the one of them to witt the Ministers so called have had on their part the strength of Men the Magistrates power the rude Multitude and Humane Craft and the Serpents Policy not any of these things have been wanting to them but yet a little seed hath sprung up in the Nation on the other part unexspected by many wâ—â—ch hath had sincerity and truth in it and the Lord hath been with it and he hath blessed it though but little and very small in its beginning yet it is prospered into a kingdome for Gods Might and his Authority dwelleth in it before whom all Nations of the Earth must Feare and Tremble But yet more particularly my present occasion of demonstrating these things are as followeth and the engagement that lyes upon me hereunto is not out of any personal enmity that I have against any but my intent is for the discovery of the Truth that men may imbrace it and for the laying open the decits of Antichrist and his Kingdome that men may come out of Babylon and may not partake of Her Sinns nor of Her Plagues and this matter now in hand cheifly concernes the People of the Town of Reading for their Satisfaction concerning the Wayes Practices Doctrines and Proceedings of Christopher Fowler one of their Ministers with whom I have been joyned in opposition two severall times in dispute with him and the third time was appoynted for our meeting upon discourse as hereafter is related but he not appearing at the time and place according to appointment and he notwithstanding yet continues in opposition too and reproachings of the Truth of the Gospel which I professe and contend for therefore upon this account do I thus engage with him and not for Contention sake but for the open vindication of Truth and Righteousnesse and sound Faith and Doctrine held forth by us and opposed and gain-said by him
The first opposition that fell out between him and me was at a meeting challenged by himself in that Town about the ninth Month in the year 1657. and I shall at present forbeare his detestable and abominable practices and speeches against me and the Truth at that Meeting for indeed the remembrance of it is much passed from me but many in that Town may well remember to this day how he howted and clapped his hands in the Pulpit as if he had been Hunting on a Mountaine and also his ungodly speeches and revilings towards me as calling me dogg and vilain and such like names and when some of his owne people reproved him for such words he said the worst words he had in his mouth was to good for me and indeed such was his carriages and words towards me at that time farr off civility and not like a sober Heathen much lesse like a Christan or Minister of Christ and here followes what was written to him and to the Major and whole Town and sent the next morning after the dispute which is some account of that dayes proceeding and finding a copy of it by me I thought meet here to insert it Friends Rulers Priests and People of Reading A Few words to cleare my Conscience to you all in the sight of God I send among you occasioned by this dayes meeting ye people be ashamed of your Priests and ye Priests be yee ashamed of your People and all of you together cover your lips and hide your faces and be ashamed of your Profession in Religion or to make mention of the name of the Lord in that nature in which you stand whose lightnesse and foolishnesse and rudenesse and wickednesse exceeds some others yea many with whom I have had to do in disputes you excel in unreasonablenesse in words and Behaviour manifesting your selves some of you not to be civil men much lesse Christians and this very day much of your vanity bruitishnesse and uncivility appeared to your shame in the sight of all just and sober men and to your condemnation in the sight of God who takes notice of your wickedness and unseemely behaviour which you may call to mind and remember that you may repent of your ungodly words and cruel speeches and rude brutish gestures which appeared in you without any feare of God to your shame be it spoken and like Priests like People all out of the way in folly and vanity erring through lightnesse and wantonnnesse not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God but perverters of the one and despisers of the other the sin of the Priest will be charged upon the People because you love to have those things so and uphold him in his wickednesse and the sin of the people will be charged upon the Priests who through lyes and lightnesse causes you to erre and profits them not at all but is a blind leader of yee blind people till both fall into the ditch together who closes your eyes that you may not see and shutts your eares least you should heare and hardens your hearts that you may not understand and your destruction is of your selves and your blood is upon your own heads who scorns to be reproved and despiseth the way of the Lord and will not receive his Truth in the Love of it that you may be saved but is a blind willful and stifenecked people some of you who hath hearts and cannot understand Is these the fruits of your long Profession Railing Mocking Scorning Laughing Hooting Foolish and Vain Words Nicknaming and Reproaching these things abounds openly among you to your shame especially at such a time when Meeknesse and Sobernesse and Moderation had much better become you to have been brought forth by you Your Priests exceeding the rest in vilenesse and some of your Rulers hardly being clear remember your work and call to mind your words and wayes and let shame cover your heads from the highest to the lowest of you and thou proud wild reproachful professed Minister cease thy vain presumptious boastings against the Innocent and now when thou puts off thy armor if thou hast gotten a victory glory or rather hide thy face for shame stop thy mouth in the dust whose lightness wildnesse hath super-abounded some of thy fellows who may be ashamed of thee in thy words and behaviour whereby thou art sufficiently proved to be one that was never sent of God if we had no other testimony Thy proud presumptious boast against the Quakers was with sobernesse and in the feare of the Lord answered to thy shame in the sight of all such whose hearts are not altogether hardned and given up to believe Lies and to do Wickednesse that they may be damned that believe not the Truth and first as to the manner of the dispute on his part was his Railing Envious Reproachful unsavory filthy words of God or of the Devil with much impudency many times uttered in the discourse as Villain Sirrah Wretch Blasphemer Rogue and such like lying words of Bitternesse more like the words of a brawling Drunkard then for a Minister of Christ and was his hooting laughfing and clapping his hands and rude and unseemly gestures and behaviour of God or of the Devil more like in appearance to a Stage player then to a Minister of Christ to his shame I mention it consider and answer these things and let that of God in your Consciences Judge to which I stand to be approved in meeknesse and he to be reproved and condemned in his filthinesse and bruitishnesse in the sight of God may not you who owned him in that discourse be ashamed of him in these his words and actions which appeared who boastingly gave a Challenge to dispute of the things of God and then to manage it in rudenesse and wildnesse without any feare of God in lying and slandring and at the end when things came to the head for tryal to run away and not to stand to the end though several times he was charged to it I appeale for Answer to the light of Christ in all your Consciences not like a Minister of Christ in any measure he appeared But as one that knows not the living God nor his Law and fear nor Judgements and an unfit fellow upon tryal I found him to dispute the Pretious things of God and through some Nations I have hardly mett with a worse which caused me to be the more silent then otherwise I would for I chosed rather to be accounted a fool by silence then to offend the Just Law of God by giving holy things to doggs or casting pearls before Swine in which nature he and some of you appeared who Falsly Slandered the Innocent with the name of Jesuite and such like crying away with him with bitter and cruel words and gestures pushing with your hands and crying a prison were the fitest or such like even like unto your fore-Fathers the Pharisees who persecuted Christ under the account of