desired that some few might speak yet the Men and Women let loose their Tongues at their Pleasure some railing and gnashing on us with their Teeth Rep. But Francis why hast thou not set down the Names of those that did so Oh shameless Man to publish such Lyes in Print dost thou think to hide thy self under this pitiful Covering but Francis I have not yet forgot thine and thy Brother Odde's rude Speeches and unsavoury Carriages some of which are already in Print what he said at his coming in and going out of the Meeting calling us Dogs Dogs and Vipers too In page 4. Francis saith Know you Deceivers that many already see by the Light of the Word of God and many I hope more daily shall that these are no slanders but a faithful witnessing given by us against you Reply And to prove us Deceivers he tells us of some of his Brethren he calls Ministers have writ Books against us which Books have been already answer'd by us and their dark Works detected but Francis if thou wast not wholly in Darkness thou would'st see thy Folly in taking this Way to prove the Matter for if this be the only Way to prove thee and thy Brethren Deceivers then remember how many Books have been published in Print with our Names to them against you Hireling Priests Envious Professors these twenty Years whereby you have been marked out by your Fruits and Doctrines to be apostatized from the true Faith and Practice of the true Apostles and Ministers of Christ and are discovered thereby to be walking in the Steps of the false in whose Steps I number you who appear to be Enemies to the true Light Page 5. F. H. saith He is falsly reported of to have said and affirm that every one is enlightned with the Light of Christ is cursed Idolatry and again he is falsly reported to say that every one is enlightned I grant but not with the Light of Christ Reply But F. H. art not thou ashamed thus to tell Lyes in Print and to deny that which thy Tongue spake then in the hearing of many Witnesses and which thy Hand here hath set down whereby thou contradictest thy self for say'st thou at the very following Words by which thou chargest us for wronging of thee in saying that the Light of Christ is cursed idolatry say'st thoâ— What the Idolatry is you shall hear more largely whereby thou hast acknowledged the Charge Again page 5. F. H. saith Thus I constantly affirm that all Men are by Christ who is the true God and Eternal Life enlightned with the Light of Nature of which you shall hear more hereafter and what he saith of this Christ which he saith gives unto all Men a Natural Light Page 5. S. C. asks what is it then that they are enlightned with F. H. A Creature S. C. What Kind of Creature c. passing by your absurd asking whether it be a Man or a Beast I answer I said Deceivers that the Light in all Men is created c. Rep. I shall place this to thy Account which increaseth thy Lyes and Slanders of the Innocent for thou didst say that the Light was a Creature and now thou say'st that the Light in all Men is created but what Advantage thou hast gotten by telling this Lye and altering thy Word from a Creature to Created I cannot see except it be to abuse us by thy Lyes whose Reward will be according to thy Work if thou repentest not And whereas thou say'st That we rend thee or rail on thee because thou wilt not blaspheme the true God with the Quakers and term the Light that is in all Men by Nature is the one Jehovah I say this is a false Accusation and to call the Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World Natural is gross Darkness and are thy Words and not ours nor scripture-Scripture-Words for we say and affirm that Light that shineth in and unto every Man and which gives him the Knowledge of what is good and what is evil is pure and spiritual and comes from God who is a Spirit Page 6. F. H. saith Col. 1.27 To whom God will make known what is the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery amongst the Gentiles which is Christ in you the Hope of Glory this saith he they prophainly with daubing Flattery apply to all men and the Light that is in all men this is Christ in them all the Hope of Glory Rep. Here thou hast ignorantly or willingly belyed us for we never did fo say or affirm that the Light of Christ that shines and appears unto all Men is Salvation unto all or the Hope of Glory in all for many there be that are condemned by it because they hate it and as Christ saith will not bring their Deeds unto it because their Deeds are Evil Joh. 3.19 20. So that the Light of Christ is the Hope of Glory in them that believe in it and obey it which is according to Simeon's Testimony a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of thy People Israel Luke 2.32 Page 6. F. H. saith Another Scripture they bring to set up their false God is Rom. 10.8 The Word is nigh in thy Heart and in thy Mouth that is the Word of Faith which we preach this they compare with John 1. and from these Words here spoken of is Christ the Word who was in the Beginning Christ the Light who is God who is they say in the Heart of every man Rep. Now Francis if thou were not wholly in Darkness thou would'st not thus manifest thy own Shame and give me so fair an Opportunity to lay open thy Weakness unto all People but the Day is come in which the Secrets of all Hearts are to be made manifest and the hidden Things of Esau sought out and the Lord is uncovering the Skirts of the Whore and stripping her of all her various Dresses and uncovering the Nakedness of her and her Merchants and now at the Light of this glorious Day the Heathens rage and the People that live in Darkness are angry and now consider thy own Confusion who art speaking against us for accounting that to Christ or the Appearance of Christ which is spoken of Rom. 10. now read what the Scriptures say and see if thou canst make any Thing else of it without wresting of the Scriptures but Christ and his spiritual Appearance to the Heart and Soul of Man Bâ—â— the Righteousness which is by Faith speaketh on this wise say not in thy Heart who shall ascend into Heaven that is to bring Christ from above or who shall descend into the Deep that is to bring Christ again from the Dead but saith it the Word is nigh thee even in thy Heart c. And John 1. In the Beginning was the Word and that Word was with God and that Word was God c. And so we declare it to be as we have received it even as the Scriptures testifie of it
mind what one of you one Henry Bostock an Apostate said to me God forbid that I should own such a God that hath Hands and Feet F. H. saith towards the latter end of this page There is but one living and true God Everlasting Without Body Parts or Passions c. F. H. pag. 11. towards the latter end That we never said that any Children before they were born or any else were in a state of Damnation till with Dives they lift up their Eyes in Hell J. O. pag. 16. lin 3. I speak of Children before they be born the same Scripture that prove them to be guilty of Original Sin proves them to be Children of Wrath and under Condemnation F. H. pag. 13. lin 13. My Friends may know for some time my Reading that Word no other then what is in the English Bible J. O. pag. 14. lin 14. I forgot not wholely the Contention with Mr. Houldcraft about the altering of the Reading from what it is ordinarily in our English Bibles Their Controversie stated here is little else but Fictions Which we have plainly made appear behold their Contradictions The Truth of what is here declared wee 'l certainly Maintain And turn your Cursed Forgeries upon your Backs again Shall Impudence with open Face thus act and not be blamed Who have thus with such foul Disgrace God's Glorious Light defamed Shall Forgeries be counted Zeal or Lyes upon us fall No no the Power of God we feel to Triumph over All Jacob Bakeâ— Here followeth a Testimony against the False Doctrines asserted by these Men who say that Children before they are born are Vessels of Wrath and under Condemnation because of their Fathers Sin which Judgment of theirs is here detected by the Scriptures of Truth and the contrary proved and their wresting the Scriptures discovered THis is the Testimony that God Almighty hath put into my Heart to bear with many more Brethren That God who is rich in Mercy and desires not that any should perish but that all might turn from the Evil of their Wayes and live that the Day of his Power is now in this our Day Age and Generation dawned and broken forth which John saw in the Vision of the Almighty when he was in the Spirit by which the Things of God were revealed unto him who said Rev. 14.6 I saw an Angel fly in the midst of Heaven having the Everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell upon the Earth and to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People which Time is now come in which the Lord's Power and Holy Spirit moves upon our Hearts to preach the Word of Reconciliation unto all men which is according to the ancient Testimony of the Servants of God and Ministers of Christ which went before us whereby it appears according to the Scriptures of Truth that the Gospel which we preach is the same that was begun to be preached by the Lord Jesus and was confirmed by them that heard him 1 Tim. 3.4 For this is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour who would have all men to be saved and come to the Knowledge of the Truth And this is the Gospel that the True Ministers now preach which is Glad-tidings unto all that are in their Sins That there is Mercy with the Lord for them all that they may be saved For Christ is come a Light into the World that whosoever believes in him should not perish And The Grace of God that brings Salvation appears unto all men to teach them to deny Vngodliness and whosoever bows to the Teachings of it shall be saved And as Christ stood up in the great Day of the Feast saying If any Man thirst let him come unto me and drink whereby it appears that God's Love is unto all Men and blessed be the Lord there is a Remnant whom God by the Light of his dear Son that shineth in our Hearts he hath brought us to see the same and hath inlarged our Hearts by Faith in his Power to publish Peace by Jesus Christ unto all Men whereby the VVords of Christ are fulfilled Joh. 3.14 As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up whereby the Folly of these Men is made manifest and their false Doctrines detected who would tye up the Love of God in Jesus Christ to but a few a certain Number of People now see Numb 21.9 whether that Serpent of Brass that Christ speaks of that was set upon a Pole was only for one or two Tribes of Israel to be healed by as these Men vainly imagine concerning the Love of God now manifested in Christ which they say is but for a few if so that was not a true Figure of the Love of God in Christ or there is a Shortness in Christ the Substance of performing to and for Man that which figured it out if these Mens Doctrines be true for it came to pass that if a Serpent had bit any Man when he beheld the Serpent of Brass he lived Now these Men will readily grant that all are bit or stung by the old Enemy of Man the Serpent that beguiled Eve in the Beginning but they have not so much Faith as to believe that there is Vertue enough in Christ to cure us all or if there be it is not intended for all let such Teachers hold their Tongues that are out of the Faith that was and is delivered unto the Saints and Ministers of Christ for they give an uncertain Sound and are but like sounding Brass and tinkling Cymbals who make a Din in Peoples Ears but do not reach to the VVitness of God in the Hearts and Consciences of Men and VVomen who have not received that Commission that Christ gave unto his Disciples Mark 16.15 who bad his Disciples go and preach the Gospel unto every Creature which Gospel was Glad Tidings to the poor and the opening of the Prison Doors to them that were bound and Light to them that sate in Darkness and in a word to give Knowledge of Salvation and of a Physician that hath Virtue in him to cure all Diseases that come upon Mans Heart and Soul because of Sin and this is freely tendered unto all Men that will believe in him and look unto him And now whereas these Men make a Noise about a State of Children being under Condemnation because of their Fathers Sins which Saying of theirs is altogether contrary to the Scriptures of Truth Jer. 31.30 And concerning Children Christ saith Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven and further saith Whosoever receiveth not the Kingdom as a little Child he shall in no Wise enter therein which Words do plainly imply Children to be in an innocent State and free from Sin and Evil for the Scripture saith Nothing that defileth can enter into God's Kingdom But J. O. having a Desire to prove Children Sinners before they are born he brings iâ— Eph. 2.3 Among whom also we all had our
THE Innocent Cleared AND THE Guilty Made Manifest Being a Reply to a Printed Paper lately come to my Hand titled Apostacy of the People called Quakers from the Faith once delivered to the Saints subscribed by Francis Houlcroft and Joseph Oddey who call themselves Ministers of Christ but upon true Examination are made manifest by their Fruits to be otherwayes That is to say Ignorant of the True God and Jesus Christ and Enemies to his Appearance and their Lyes and Slanders that they cast upon the Innocent concerning a Paper printed in which we gave a true Account of the late Meeting at Thriploe turned back upon themselves and their Folly made manifest Their Contradictions compar'd and their Wresting Perverting the Holy Scriptures of Truth discovered and their Rude and Unsavoury Words and Hard and Ungodly Speeches against God his Truth and People Reproved How they wrest our Words and add to our Words that which we never said and then cry out against us and endeavour to render us and our Principles thereby Odious Also A Testimony of the Universal Love of God in Jesus Christ as it now appears unto all men witnessed by the Scriptures of Truth By a Servant of Truth and one that desires the Good of all men known by the Name of SAMUEL CATER Printed in the Year 1676. The Disciple is not above his Master nor the Servant above bis Lord it is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master and the Servant as his Lord If they have called the Master of the House Beelzebub how much more them of his Houshould Matthew 10.24 25. Jesus answered and said unto them Ye do Err not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God Matthew 22.29 THE INNOCENT CLEARED AND THE GUILTY Made Manifest AND now all may see what Francis Houlcroft and Joseph Oddey have said and given under their own Hands and sent abroad in Print which if I should have reported of them and not have had it under their own Hands they would without all question have denyed their own words as they have already done what they spake before many Witnesses at that Meeting at Thriploe which will witness to their Faces that the Account which we have published in Print concerning their Words and Carriages is true And now see their own Words which I have here faithfully set down and collected out of their own Books which is as followeth Page 1. sayes Francis Holcraft and Joseph Oddey The forged Lyes of a late Pamphlet of theirs Reply But F. H. and J. O. you had been wiser and honester if you had proved it so to be before you had published it so for we still affirm the Truth of it and there are three of our Names to it and you have not yet proved the contrary and we whose Names are here subscribed do promise if the Lord permit to give us Life and Health To give you another Meeting at any Time or Place which may be equally agreed upon between us to maintain and prove all that Relation to be true that we have before published in Print before any People that may come to hear it which we desire may be before the time of these Citations of J. O. in pag. 14. who would put us off unto the Day of Judgment Samuel Cater John Web Jacob Baker And now I shall take notice of your words as you have set them down and sent them abroad in Print And I do tell you that I am glad that you have thus appeared whereby you are further made manifest And as for your Railing against me and Miscalling of me and the rest of us who believe in the true Light which God hath made manifest to our Souls for the leading and guiding of us in the Way of Life its little matter to us only this it s an Evidence of Salvation to us and that of God for it was ever the Portion of God's Servants and Children to be Reviled and Evil spoken on by those that hate the Light and live in Darkness Pag. 3. Lin. 4. F. H. When I came near the Barn where these People were met I heard one speaking and I made a stay without resolving that I would not go in till he had teased his Service of his False Christ the Light that is in all men a New God which neither we nor our Fathers have known Rep. First 'T is to be taken notice of how this man knew or understood what it was that our Friend did declare to the People at that time seeing he would not come into the House until he had done speaking But however he is resolved to give Judgment against him contrary to that equal Law which judgeth no Man until he is heard But further Here thou art judged out of thy own Mouth to be in the Steps of thy Fore-fathers the Pharisees who said concerning Christ unto the Blind Man whom Christ had opened his Eyes As for this Fellow we know not whence he is John 9.29 so sayest thou now concerning God and Jesus Christ which the Scripture fully declares to be the true Light and which lâ—ghteth every man that cometh into the World a God sayest thou which neither we nor our Fathers have known in this thou hast spoken the Truth which I believe concerning thee and all such as thou art who hate the Light and love Darkness O! blush and be ashamed thou Vain Babler and Unprofitable Talker who sayest thou art Oâ—e of the Eleâ—â— and callst thy self a Minister of Christ and yet knowest neither the Father nor the Son who is Light and in him is no Darkness at all And now thou Blind Guide that walkest in Darkness and knowest not whither thou goest nor wherâ—of thou dost affirm Read the Testimony of the True Ministers of Christ whom thy Fore-fathers the Pharisees commanded to preach no more in the Name of Jesus 1 John 1.5 the words are these This is the Message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all Vers 6. If we say we have Fellowship with him and walk in Darkness we lye and do not the Truth but if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another and the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin which Scriptures already are sufficient to convict thee and to manifest thy gross Darkness and Ignorance of the true God and Jesus Christ and all else that are of thy Mind but I do desire thou mayst come to see thy self and to know the Darkness and Blindness that thou art in and however I may be clear of thy Blood and thy Folly made manifest to all I shall not spare my Pains to endeavour to do thee good for the Evil thou hast rendred unto me and the rest of my Friends who from time to time hast made it thy Business to Rail of us and to render us and the Truth that we profess
it appears how thou contradictest thy self pag. 8. Thou pretendest Grief for thy Country-men who sayest thou flee from the Antichrist the Whore of Babylon and falls into the Pit of the Damnable Heresie of this Antichrist the Quakers Now can any be led by a Damnable Principle and they at the same time not in a State of Condemnation O gross Darkness And doth not Christ say This is the Condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love Darkness And doth not the Scripture say He that believeth not is condemned already But saith F. H. There is none in a state of Damnation until with Dives they lift up their Eyes in Hell O great Confusion and Contradiction and contrary to the Scripture of Truth Pag. 13. F. H. saith He brings me in reading the Grace of God that brought Salvation hath appeared unto Men leaving out the word All which I testifie in God's Sight to my best Knowledge is utterly Falshood Rep. A pitiful Shift indeed to cover thy Deceit but altogether too short to do it What dost thou and thy Brother Oddey cry out against me for belying thee in this Matter in saying thou readst it wrong Tit. 2.11 and left out the word All and now bringest no Witness to prove me a Lyar nay far short of that for thou hast not here affirmed it thy self that thou read the Scripture as it is but sayst To the best of thy Knowledge thou didst but yet while thou art giving an Account of the Matter thou tellst us That thou dost not use to read that Scripture as it is But Francis in the Light that that thou hatest art thou comprehended and thy Subtilty seen and thy Deceit made manifest And I tell thee again I can prove it to thy Face that to be true which I have charged thee withal in that Matter although thou hast willingly forgotten it and further it appears by thy own words which thou hast here published in Print that what I have said of thee is true whereby there needs no further Witness then what I have from thee and thy Brother Oddey under your Own Hands Pag. 13. Read his own words which are these whereby all may see what Cause this man hath to Rail at me for saying the Truth that he left out the word All excepting this they would not have their Hearers and others know what wicked Perverters they are of the holy Scriptures pag. 13. lin 15. his words are these Now take All Men here for Every Particular I have thought it not agreeing to the Analogy and Rule of Faith to say The Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared or shined on All Men. Rep. But Francis what Faith is thine that doth not allow thee to believe the Scriptures of Truth to be true or sound as they are declared by the Holy Ghost that dwelt in them that spake them as it is written 2 Pet. 1.21 For the Prophecy came not in Old Time by the Will of Man but Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost May not I and others that read thy words justly judge thee out of thy own Mouth that thou art the Man and art in that State that thou sayest of the Quakers and canst not prove it neither by our Words or Writings but thou art apostatized from the true and living Faith that was once delivered to the Saints For the Apostle saith Titus 2.11 For the Grace of God that brings Salvation hath appeared unto all men and further it is said 1 Tim. 2.4 where it is said God would have all men to be saved and come to the Knowledge of the Truth And thou sayst that it doth not stand with thy Rule of Faith whereby it appears that thou art not of the Apostles Faith for if thou wast in their Faith thou wouldst own and believe their words to be more certain to be the Mind of God then thy Thoughts But I tell thee thou Merchant of Babylon Thy Corrupt Thoughts have deceived thee in this weighty Matter and the Enemy of thy Soul hath blinded thee as he hath in several other things concerning us But how should we expect better from thee but Wresting and Perverting our Words when thou art so much in the dark as to tell us in print That to read and take the Apostles words as they are spoken doth not agree with thy Rule of Faith whereby it plainly appears thou hast not the Faith of God's Elect for if thou hadst thou wouldst be of the same Mind thâ—â—â—â—ey were in Pag. 13. F. H. saith these words I say in the Fear of Jehovah all you that believe or fear no New or Strange Gods no False Christ not this False Christ of the Quakers that Light that is in all men Rep. It was alwayes the Way and Practice of Deceivers in all Ages to labour to keep the People in Darkness and Blindness and ignorant of the Appearance of the true and living God as God is pleased to appear and manifest himself unto the Sons and Daughters of men for the saving of their Souls and the Way by which they carry on their Ungodly Wâ—rks was the Way that this our Adversary and Enemy of the Appearance of the true God and Jesus Christ in our Day now taketh whereby he is manifeâ—ted by his Fruits to be in the Steps of his Fore-fatherâ— who envy d the lust who said that which was really True was False and that which was God was a Devil and that whiâ—h was of God and came from God to be of the Devil whereby they stirred up the People that followed them and believed them to envy the Prophets and in their Envy â—age and Fury the Priests had stirred them up unto to persecute Christ although the Scriptures bear Testimony very plainly that he was the true Messiah and Saviour of the World yet they would call him a Deceiver and those that were Followers of him and Believers in his Name deceived by him and so said of him He deceived the People And thus doth F. H. now who treads in the Steps of his Fore Fathers the High Pâ—iests who calls the True Christ a False Christ and those that believe in his Name and are led and guided by his Heavenly and Spiritual Light which is the Way of Life to be deceived and Deceivers F. H. saith pag. 13. towards the latter-end of his Book And know Deceivers though you tell us a Thousand Times over that you own Jesus of Nazareth till you repent and renounce youâ— False Christ the Light in all men till you CAST THAT YOUR IDOL TO THE BATS AND MOLES WE WILL LOOK UPON YOU AS DECEIVERS Rep. Herein thou hast manifested thy self to be of that Generation who said to Christ Come doâ—â—â—â—â—m the Cross and we will believe thee and commanded the Apostles that they should preach no more in the Name of Jesus And thou sayst Till we cast away the Christ which is the Light in all men thou wilt