of glory Pr. He saith It is a Devillish doctine not to forsake quaking and trembling Answ So in this thou mayest say it is Devillish doctrine to say salvation must be wrought out by trembling and quaking so thou shewest thou never knew salvation for before men have salvation wrought out they must know trembling and quaking and so thou hast shut thy selfe out from Moses and Davids condition and such as the Lord regards and trembles at his word Prin. He saith Flesh and bone cannot be a measure in one and a measure in another Answ Whereas the Apostle saith we are of his flesh and of his bone Here thou art contrary to the Apostle and that was more then one that had the flesh of Christ and his bone and his spirit Pr. He cries Oh Luciferian pride to save souls Answ What good doth all your preaching do Here thou spoilest all the rest of the Priests and shews thy selfe to be contrary to the Apostles who watched for the soul and saved souls that turned people from a multitude of sins Pr. He saith God the Father never took upon him humane nature Answ Contrary to the Scripture who saith God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe and art ignorant of the great mystery God manifest in the flesh and his name is called the everlasting Father As for the word Humane which is from the ground it comes from thy own knowledge which is earthly and Christ took upon him the seed of Abraham and David according to the flesh and this is Scripture-Language Pr. He saith The holy Ghost is a person and that there was a Trinity of three persons before Christ was born Answ Thou knowest not him that is in the Father and the Father in him glorified with the Father before the world began And the Scriptures doth not tell people of a Trinity nor three persons but the Common-prayer-Masse-book speaks of three persons brought in by thy father the Pope and the Father Son and holy Spirit was always one Pr. He compares immediate revelation from heaven like unto the false Prophets dreams And again he saith the Scriptures is the word of God Answ Here he fights with the rest of his fellows who saith Scriptures signifies writings and writings are not God but the Scriptures of truth are Gods words which Christ the Word fulfils They are not the word of God which thou hast blasphemously affirmed but Christ is the word of God and they be out of the feare of God and the spirit and knows not the Son nor the Father that denies Revelations but are among the false Prophets and false Dreamers Pr. He saith The Scriptures are the Word except you dare to deny Christ is God And he brings a Scripture Let the word of God dwell in you richly Answ So he makes the Scripture Christ and God and he doth not say let Christ dwell in you but means the Scripture and God dwels in you And the Apostle said Let Christ dwell in your hearts by faith and God will dwell in you but thou saith Christ doth not dwell in them personally Doth not Christ dwell in his Saints as he is in the person of the Father the substance and are not they of his flesh and of his bone Pr. They that hear the Word of God do not hear the Son the holy Scriptures are the mediate Word of God Ans Now all people where ever did you read of a mediate word of God Doth not the word of God endure for ever and is it mediate And that he calls God heavenly Father and never heard his voyce nor his Sons and denies immediate teachings and he that knows the spirit that gave forth Scriptures hears the Son Pr. He saith God limits the supream holy one by the inspired writings of the Apostles and that is his third dispensation of his minde to men And he saith they are taught by inspired Scriptures which is mediate not by Letter which is litterally the Letters or Letter Answ Inspired Scriptures and yet mediate the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy and the Spirit inspires which the Letter doth not and Gods teaching is by his spirit and the holy one is not limited by the words of the Apostles who fulfils them and many words the Apostles spoke which he did not write Pr. And he calls the Devill the tutor to say not made Minister of the Letter Answ So we speak the Apostles words and he makes the Devill the Apostles tutor who said the letter killeth but the spirit gives life who was not a Minister of the Letter but of the spirit said and sayes this that makes the Devill the Apostles tutor which is a lye and his own and the Devill is the Tutor of the Ministers of the Letter and not of the Spirit who can run into it who is out of the truth Pr. He speaks of a morall Law Answ Which he hath no Scripture for the Scripture speaks no such thing but darkens counsell by his words Pr. He saith The Scripture contains the mediate inspired teachings written word of God that was and is God Ans Which the Scriptures say the heaven of heavens cannot contain him and God and Christ was before any written words was and the mediate teaching of the whole Scripture-letter he speaks of which he calls God and Christ and all the mediate teaching is carnall and the Scriptures doth not continue the immediate teachings of Gods inspiration but testifies of those things Pr. He saith The written word is the sword of the spirit And he makes another rule besides the Scripture's false Answ Which we say is the spirit that gave them forth whereby peace is known upon the Israel of God And the Pharisees had the Scriptures but had not the sword of the spirit the Scriptures testifies of the sword of the spirit Pr. He saith It is a lye to say the Saints shall judge the world Answ So he would make Christ and the Apostles lyars and would take the judgement from the Son and make Christ at a distance from the Saints so he is ignorant of the Saints and Christ both and knows not the time of the Saints judging when the Lord is come but stands in the counsels of his own heart and in the hidden things of darknesse Pr. He saith No Saint can be a judge of the world Answ Contrary to Cor. 6. where the Apostle saith Do ye not know the Saints shall judge the world And they abide not in the truth that affirms it as thou saith so hast shewed thy ignorance and one of them that is judged by the Saints Pr. He denies the Son of God to be revealed in man onely by adoption and cries against equality with the Father Answ And that is contrary to the Apostle who had the Son of God revealed in him And the Assembly of Divines gave forth a Catechisme which children old and young was to learn and said the holy Ghost and Son was equall in substance
breast-prophesie and yet thou sayest the Apostle doth not exclude heart-prophesie And thus thou with new names and thy words darkens counsell and knowledge but the children of light with truth sees thee Pr. The Father Word and spirit is to justifie the word Trinity not to make the holy Spirit and the Saints one person Answ The word Trinity is not in the scripture but in your old Fathers book the Canon book the Pope and the Father Son and Spirit are one and the Saints are in the spirit and who are joyned to the Lord are one spirit And the Scripture doth not tell us of three persons but as I said before the old Cannon book of thy Fathers the great Apostate the Pope Pr. The light that Adam was qualified with before the Fall which every man hath a sparke of since the fall was and is given from the Creation by things that are made Answ The light Adam had before the Fall did not come by the Creation nor by the things that are made If it were given from the Creation it comes by nature This word is contrary to Scripture for God made man in his image and placed him over all the creatures and gave him an understanding capable of his Law and to know dominion but when man lost his dommion he transgressed his Law and that light that he had before the fall was of God from him that made all things Pr. The Scripture is the meanes of regeneration If the blinde lead the blinde what will follow it is proof sufficient against absolute perfection in this life as Adam and the Angels Answ The Scriptures them that had them and out of the life that gave them forth were the blinde and what followed then And though Adam and the Angels fell who is in Christ the perfection of God he shall never fall as also saith the Apostle Pr. He saith It is ignorance that saith the light that makes manifest sinne condemns sin Answ That which makes manifest a mans sinne and he hates it that condemns him And he is ignorant that sees not Christs doctrine and believes not in it Pr. To deny that sinne dwelleth or remaineth in all the Saints upon earth hath been the Quakers doctrine the consequence whereof is to disclaim all godly sorrow for sin dwelling in them Answ It is the Quakers Doctrine to deny all sinne dwelling in the Saints upon the earth and to know Christ who destroys the Devill the author of all sin and the Saints comes to witnesse their joy and pleasures for evermore over their sin and the body of it put off and a Kingdome which stands in joy and peace in the holy Ghost and the godly sorrow before they come to this and they do know victory over their sin and Christ he had the godly sorrow who had no sin and that many of the Saints knows Pr. His Word is not his spirit Ans The Word and the Spirit are one which was before the written words were declared forth in which word they all end given forth by the spirit of God and the Word lives and abides and endures for ever and that is spirituall And so the mystery of Iniquity is found in thy Doctrine who art blinde and reads blindly not with the spirit which was in them that gave gave forth Scriptures And so thou art found a false Prophet in the steps of the Pharisees one of the Masters that Christ sets the woe on their heads who art ravening with the sheeps cloathing upon thy back to deceive but now the Lambs and the Sheep have discovered thee who is got up since the dayes of the Apostles into their words not into their life with that judged And whereas thou art offended because Edward Burrough speaks Chapter and Verse the spirit that gave forth Scriptures will lead to speak it all over again without offence but to the evill doers Pr. And if your teacher cannot but be publique how will you finde him in so private a place as your beds Answ The spirit that leads to speake forth publiquely or to minister to themselves and others the same is a private Teacher to them on their beds as he did David whom the Lord instructed in the night season And that which the Minister of the Spirit doth minister unto is a private Teacher to every particular in his owne particular And the annoynting which abideth in people John saith was their Teacher and they need no man to teach them but as it did teach them and they should continue in the Son of God and the Father And here was publique teaching and private which thou blind canst not see And as for all thy lyes and heap of confusion shall upon thy head stand which thou wouldst blinde people withall For the Son is risen and the mist is gone and going in the day of thy judgement the witnesse in thy conscience shall answer Philip Taverner of West Drayton in the County of Middlesex his Principles as follows in a Reply to to a Book to Edward Burrough whom he in scorn calls QVAKER Pr. WHo art thou that judgest another mans servant such who Lord it over the faith and consciences of their brethren a spirit wholly disowned by the Apostle Not that we have dominion over your faith and in this sin is that of Christ to be understood Call no man your Father upon earth neither be you called of men Master that is have no mens persons in admiration as to count them your Oracles in the things of faith Ans Such as serve the man of sin are to be judged that are the servants of sin that hath been servant to the man of sin We judge that man servant both and such as are spoken of in the Romans to judge another mans servant in the truth standing and falling to his Master every one in his measure such we do not judge but every one shall stand or fall to his Master who are scrupling about meates and drinkes and dayes that the life is leading them through such things and you that be called of men Master it s a great Oracle amongst the people so counted and you do both Lord it over mens faiths and consciences both therefore hath so much blood been shed through you and so many cast into prison by you who are Lording it over mens faiths and consciences Pharisee-like called of men Master who would have dominion over the Apostles faith as you who are called of men Master would have dominion over the Saints faith who are admiring mens persons because of advantage to help you And this people see since the dayes of the Apostles how you and the Papist have Lorded it over mens faiths your Jayles inquisition and prisons may witnes it how you would Lord it over mens faith and conscience that cannot give you Tythes you will cast them into prison are you not here Lording it over mens faiths doth not your practices shew it and so another spirit then the Apostles that
319. Some of the Principles of the Priests of Bishoprick p. 321. Daniel Roberts teacher to the baptists in Reading his principles p. 323. Timothy Trevers his Principles p. 324. The Doctrines and Principles of the Priests of Scotland p. 327. The Principles of 15. Priests of the Isle of Weight p. 361. W. S. his book called the Parsons guide p. 369. Thomas Hodges of Soldren in Oxfordshire his book called a Scripture Catechisme p. 369. Several Scriptures Corrupted by the Translators p. 373. An ANSWER to many Principles held forth by some of those called Ministers Teachers and Professors in England taken out of their severall Books with their names at them And also several other Sayings and Writings of the Priests and Professors of this Nation gathered up together and Answered Samuel Eaton who calls himselfe a Teacher of the Church of Christ at Stockeport in Cheshire In his Book called THE QVAKERS Confuted sent to the Parliament SAITH in his Epistle to the Parliament then sitting at Westminster That they are not to judge of Saintship according to the large charity of some who are truly good c. Ans So here is another Doctrine then Christs was who said The tree is known by its fruits and by their fruits ye shall know them And the fruits of the Spirit is known from the fruits of the flesh Again in the conclusion of his aforesaid Epistle he begs a pardon of the Parliament for the thoughts of his heart that he hath spread before them and so puts them in the Popes place Likewise in his Epistle to the Reader because Richard Waller witnesseth his Teacher within and bids others to minde the Light within them and that he was come off of all other Teachers c. he judgeth this to be delusion Contrary to John the Apostle who saith Ye need no man to teach you but as the same anointing doth teach you which is truth and is no lye John 2.27 And again in Heb. 8. Ye shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know him from the least to the greatest for the Lord will write his law in their hearts and put his spirit within them c. Prin. He saith he doth not believe that there is any substantiall essentiall or personall union betwixt the eternall Spirit and believers Answ Although the Scripture saith the spirit dwels in the Saints 1 Cor. 6. and he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit 1 John 1. As though the Saints had not union with God which the scriptures saith they have Prin. He saith It is palpably false and blasphemy to say that Saints know all things and have power to work miracles to the glory of God Answ Contrary to the Minister of Christ John who saith But yee have anoynting from the holy one and know all things 1 John 2.20 And Christ said Greater things then these shall yee do that believe in me Prin. He saith Though we believe that the spirit of Christ dwells in the Saints yet we assert the spirit of Christ to be distinct from the Saints c. Answ How are they led by the spirit how are they led into all truth And how are they sanctified by the spirit and their unity in the spirit by which spirit they have unity with God by which spirit the Saints worship him And he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his And so they are distinct from it but they are not so that have it and be in unity with it and one with another with God Prin. He saith Although there be the same spirit in all the Saints that gave forth the Scriptures yet all Saints have not the same inspiration of the spirit that the Prophets and Apostles had so as that they should be able to give forth infallible truths and immediately discover the pure and clear will of God as the Prophets and Apostles did Answ In this his Ignorance of the spirit he hath shewed and of the holy Ghost And himself is the false spirit gone out into the world For the spirit of truth shall lead into all truth and bring to memory Christs words and doth inspire into them the things of God and doth reveal to every one according to their measure Pr. The Spirit doth not communicate according to the capacity in the creature Ans Then there is none can divide the word aright and God gives to every man as he will and reproves the world and leads the Saints into all truth Prin. He saith they had not known the signification of the words of Christ but by the Evangelists c. Ans I say he nor none knows the signification of Christs words by the Evangelists words but by the Evangelists spirit and the same inspiration which thou saist thou looks not for Pr. He saith The Scriptures do give their own sense and is a standing Rule c. And yet thou said a little before in page 4. They are darke and are left to you to give a sense Ans Here then thou confoundest thy selfe and the spirit of God is the standing rule which leads them to speak forth scripture and not others words and the Prophets and Apostles words did not lead to speak forth scripture but the spirit Pr. He saith They that have the anointing within them had not an infallible judgement c Ans And John saith They know all things and bid them try the spirits whether they were of God And said they had the spirit of God which spirit is infallible and gives an infallible judgement which spirit was to try the false Prophets that was gone out into the world Pr In some places thou said the Scriptures were dark and hard to be understood Ans And here thou saith it is plain and easily to be understood page 8. Mark thy confusion for the Scripture is not understood without the spirit Pr. He saith there is an infallible judgement which may be made from the Scriptures without the spirit page 9. Ans Who can judge infallibly without the spirit Christ told the Pharisees who had the Scriptures They were of the Devill and judgement they had neglected and he did not own their judgement to be infallible And the Apostle saith what they knew who are separate from the spirit they knew naturally as bruit beasts Jude 10. 19. â—hough they may speak high words in hypocrisie And there art thou with thy infallible judgement as thou said without the spirit which is proved fallible and there is no infallible judgement to be given that stands without the spirit they that judges without the spirit will judge amisse and not infallible as the Jewes did of Christ and as the naturall bruit beasts did which Jude speaks of there art thou Pr. And he further saith there in the same page That the Scripture is to be judge of the spirit and a light sufficient to
Christ and the Apostles and the Scriptures are owned by them in scorn called Quakers and the light it speaks of who out of the apostacy are come and so from among the apostates And as for the lyes and slanders in his Book that are not worth mentioning but they shall turn upon his own head whose immodesty hath discovered them Pr. In his Preface to the Reader He saith It is an expression of a darke deluded minde to say that God is not distinguished from the Saints Ans But God and Christ is in the Saints and dwell in them and walk in them and he is a Reprobate and out of the Apostles doctrine Pr He saith We have broken the everlasting Covenant of God Answ Because we own the teaching of God by his spirit and the light which doth enlighten every one that that cometh into the world which is the covenant of God Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the rule of life See page 4. Answ Contrary to Christ who said the spirit should lead them into all truth And they that are the sons of God are led by the spirit of God And the Churches was to hear what the spirit saith for the spirit led them to speak forth Scripture Pr. Again he saith It is a contradiction and a confused sencelesse thing to preach the word of faith in the mouth and in the heart see page 6. Again he saith Most senseless is this profession of Christ in the mouth and believing in him with the heart God that made all things These are his words page 8. Ans It is not a senselesse profession to preach the word of Faith in the heart and in the mouth and to say God will dwell in you and the word is in the heart and in the mouth The word is God and thou art senselesse and fallen in confusion in the contradiction out of the Apostles doctrine and the Apostle saith Christ in you and with the mouth confession is made to salvation Pr. And he calls it a Notion to say that Christ lighteth all and therefore the light is Christ. Ans So here he is kicking and spurning against the light Christ that lighteth every man that cometh into the world which is the Rock the foundation of God the corner-stone which is fallen upon thy head and all be in the notion that be out of it Pr. He scoffs at the Quakers because they say they have the word of God in them Ans Christ his name is called the word of God Pr. He saith God blessing or blasting his owne Word to some according to the different ends intended by himselfe see page 9. Ans Now the Word of God is not blasted God never blasts his own Word but it is they that are blasted that disobey the Word For the Word of God doth its service and accomplisheth the end which it goeth forth for and doth not return in vain And it is the sword of the spirit and that is not blasted It is a hammer and a fire and it lives and doth endure for ever So thou art blasted who saith the Word of God he blasts and art to be cut down by the word of God for thy blasphemy Pr. He saith the Quakers are deceivers because we say that Christ is not in outward observations and formes And John Bunyan saith that he is distinct from the Saints and would have him in the forms c. see page 13. Ans And we say he hath triumphed over the Ordinances and blotted them out and they are not to be touched and the Saints have Christ in them who is the end of outward forms and thou art deceived who thinks to finde the living among the dead and Bunyan is deceived who said he is distinct from the Saints and so you are a company of pittiful Teachers Pr. He saith Every true Christian doth believe that the holy Scriptures alone is to be the object of faith c. page 17. Ans So he hath thrown out God the giver of it and Christ the Author of it for many have the Scriptures and deny Christ the Author of faith and object Pr. He asketh Did you ever read of law and testimony in the heart c see page 18. Ans Yea God saith I will write my law in their hearts The law was in Davids heart the law was in the Apostles heart The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy and that is in the heart See Heb. 8. Rev. Pr. He saith The covenant of God is not to all in the Church of Christ see page 19. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures for where the Church is there is the Covenant the head Christ Jesus And God saith I will give him for a covenant to the Gentiles those are the heathen And I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah and these are called the people of God And therefore thou art in the fall in ignorance and a man without understanding and affirms thou dost not know what and silence would become thee better then to publish thy shame in print for they are not in the Church of God that be not in the covenant of God Pr. And he saith The Scriptures is the sure and perfect rule page 20. Ans And the Scripture saith Christ is the Bishop of the soule and God hath all souls in his hand And many have Scriptures but their soules the Bishop of them they know not but they remain in death and the life they want that gave it forth and so are all on heaps about the Scripture one with another and calling them the rule and the spirit And the spirit of God that led them forth to speak forth the Scripture was the rule to the Saints and holy men of God but they that be in the transgression will kill one another about their words and the spirit leads to see them again and brings them into unity with them and God Pr. He saith It is blasphemy to say that Christ is in them as God and man c. see page 23. Ans How are they of his flesh and bone And doth not the Scripture say Christ in you and God will dwell in you and walk in you And are not the Saints of his flesh and of his bone And are they not partakers of the divine nature Pr. He saith It is a fancy to say the eternall word of God is in them see page 26. Ans Thou art in the fancy that the eternal word is not in and witnessed and under the fire and sword and hammer to be hammered down And so art corrected by the Apostle who saith Let the word of God dwell in you richly The ingrafted word which is able to save your souls and immortal word which is immortal Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the only rule of knowing God c. See page 26. Ans Christ saith none knoweth the father but the Son who spoke among them that had the Scripture and so he
hath thrown out the Son the rule of knowing the Father who reveals him For many had Scriptures who knew not the Father nor knew the Son nor heard his voyce as in John 5. Pr. He saith All those that be without the Scriptures are without all comfort and hope and God See page 26. Answ Here then is thy Doctrine that none have comfort none hope none have God but who have Scriptures Abraham will tell thee otherwise and Enoch for those knew God and walked with him and knew hope and comfort and Joseph and Jacob and God was with them before the Scriptures was written And Christ was promised before the Scriptures was written and many have the Scriptures and not the comfort nor the hope but stand against him as the Jewes did against Christ And many may have the comfort and not read Scriptures Pr. He saith The onely judge of all errour is the Scriptures c. see page 37. Ans So he hath thrown out Christ and thrown out the spirit and the spirituall man and the Saints and God the judge of all who was the Author of the Scripture Pr. He saith The Apostle doth not say that God in these last dayes doth speak or will speak unto us by his Son but God hath already in time past spoke by his Son and that speaking is to these last dayes and we are not to look for any other speaking or revelation c. page 39. Ans And so by this thou hast denyed the scriptures and the authority of them which is Christ Jesus and denyed the Apostles doctrine and the new covenant where the law is writ in the heart and minde and all taught of God Thou hast thrown down and laid waste Christs commands who saith Learn of me And the command of God who saith This is my beloved Son heare ye him And so art ignorant of the scriptures and the power of God Pr. He saith It is abhorred dotage they are bewitched with to say they witnesse forgivenesse within c. See page 41. Answ Thou shews thou never knew a Saints life and that which cleanseth from all sin and the testimony within of forgiveness of sin for where it is forgiven it is within The Apostle saith If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin And many may speak of Christ without them and the body of sin not dead And so the Wolfe may get the form of godlinesse and the Devill may confess the son of God in words Pr. He saith It matters not much if the sense be in the Scriptures where the words be there or no See page 47. Ans And yet he saith the Scriptures is the rule and it is the word and so by that means have all men run into their senses into confusion from the words of the Scriptures which is not to be added to nor taken from nor can it be broken nor is it of any private interpretation and the Scriptures are the words of God and Christ is the word and in him they end and the spirit is the rule Pr. He saith Doth not Christ approve of the Jewes opinion in thinking that in the Scripture they should have eternal life And he saith Christ refers them to the Scriptures to finde life See page 48. Answ When as Christ said They would not come unto him that that they might have life and bid them believe in him whom God had sent who was the end of the Scriptures And Christ did not approve of them that thought to have eternall life in the Scriptures Pr. He saith to say that the light of Christ is not received from the Scriptures it is an abominable thing to be asserted Ans But the light is received from Christ and many had the Scriptures as the Jewes but stood against the Light as you do now and did not receive it that had the Scriptures which testified of it And the Light cannot be blotted out but it doth condemn and it leads to the knowledge of God and to eternal life Pr. He calls it a fancy of an idle brain to witnesse the law of God written in the heart that is different from the morall law c. see page 61. Ans The Scripture saith I will write my law in their hearts and put it in their inward parts and I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel not according to the old And this is the Covenant with Israel not according to the old and so they be in the fancy and idle brain that be out of the new Covenant of light Christ both Jews and Gentiles and all false Christians Pr. He saith This I do deny that the perfection of the whole law of God is writ in mans heart so as to know it and do it as it is written in the Prophets and Apostles c. See page 64. Answ Here thou hast discovered thy selfe to be in the unbelief and limits the Holy One that God is not the same Christ is not the same yesterday to day and for ever And none knows the Prophets and Apostles but who have the same covenant as they had and the same law and same spirit And whereas thou art opposing those as say the Word is within them and the Light is within them and the Spirit is within And because they say those be in unity and be one which makes thee appear one offended who must be ignorant still He that is ignorant let him be ignorant still but the light in thee shall see they are one Pr. He saith That none have ever had such attainments of Christ a Redeemer without the help of the Scriptures c. see page 65. Answ Now Abraham and Enoch and Noah and Adam had the promise of Christ before Scripture was written And the Gospel is the power of God and many may have the forme and not the power and eternall life is not in them nor the power of God For Christ is the power of God who saith Yee will not come to me that yee may have life who was afore Scripture was and all the Attainments is in him the Scripture speaks of and he is not attained to without life Pr. He saith Where did ever any say that they went through the Law to Christ This he judgeth and saith that they be strangers to the life of God that say so c. See page 71. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who saith I through the law am dead to the law but alive unto God And the law was our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ And again he saith The righteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in us Pr. He saith All notionall light is from Christ whatsoever c. see page 72. Ans Now notional is imaginations and that is not properly called light and therefore thou mistakest for light is not notion but is the thing it selfe that is from Christ Pr. Here again he denies that Christ hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world with light sufficient if
the time untill that he did come And he told them the Saints should judge the world and the world should be judged by them Now where the Lord is come such as have the Son and the Father and bring this Doctrine they are to be received and they know where sin and transgression is finished and where it is standing So if any man have an ear to hear this and can receive it let him And as for the rest of the things in your Book your silence might have covered your shame for every mans words shall be his burthen Therefore he that hath the word of God and speaks that that shall not be so which now comes to be richly known and is known among the Saints and Believers the true Church which is come out of the Apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles to that the Apostles was in Jonathan Clapham a labourer of the Gospell as he saith and William Jenkin Their Book called A Discovery of the the QUAKERS Doctrine to the PROTECTOR Their PRINCIPLES c. Pr. HE saith I dare not say that I am infallible as the Pope and the Quakers And the Magistrate in this externall politick Kingdome is a Mediator though he is no Officer nor Magistrate in the Spirituall Kingdome of his Church And if this be received by Magistrates that they have nothing to do with the worship of God Christ is little beholding to them Then they may protect the worship of Mahomet as well as Christs And yet yee say That the Magistrate is the Officer of Christ. See his Epistle to the Protector Answ How is it then if the Magistrate be no officer of the Church that you make use of Magistrates to prison to persecute to give you Tythes and to quench the spirit when any thing is revealed to another that sits by Was not the Magistrates in all ages stirred up by the blinde Priests and Prophets and Teachers to persecute and to prison such as they judged to be blasphemers And so did not all the Saints in all ages suffer not as for Truth but as for blasphemy yea by them that had the form covered with the sheeps cloathing Now the Magistrate that is in the power of Christ he is beyond an external Kingdom and sees over the Kingdoms of the world and that as he is a Help-Governour for Christ he is a member of the Church and he knows who worships God and who worships Idols And who worships God be in the power of God He is in that which sees over all externall Kingdomes that 's the higher power which the soul must be subject to and that 's the true Magistrate And thou not being infallible thou art not in the spirit and so art not a Minister and art not able to judge of powers that is not infallible nor Magistrates nor Kingdomes nor Churches For who is in the infallible is in the spirit that Christ was in and the Apostles and Prophets that gave forth Scriptures But we say that thou nor the Pope thy elder Brother in the apostacy from the Apostles are neither of ye infallible nor in the infallible spirit that the Apostles was in but ye are both erred from it in the apostacy as your fruits declares contrary to the Apostles Pr. They say The Magistrates are to protect the Church from the ravenous Wolves for yee to stop the freedome of the Quakers in your Dominions and their License and the Lord blesse your Highnesse See his Epistle to the Protector Answ Before thou saidst they were not Officers in the Spirituall Church and now wouldst thou have them to limit and quench the spirit and to be your Executioners by telling them the Quakers seduce people Ye have manifested your own spirits that yee have not the spirit to resist their spirits but are crying to the Magistrates And did John bid the Saints call to the Magistrates to the outward powers of the earth to try Seducers or did the Saints And have not you manifested your selves to be them that cry help men against Christ and the Saints and cries to the mountaines to cover you crying to the Magistrates Help men of Israel these are the men that will turne the world upside down and so go to the arm of flesh Have not ye here shewed your spirits to be them that should come who were inwardly ravened which John saw was come and to be the Wolves in the sheeps cloathing and the blasphemers such as you cannot tear your selves you would have the Magistrates to tear But the Lord hath opened an understanding among many of them that they see you Pr. He saith We dare not contest with the Quakers they teach men by minding the light in the conscience to attain a morall righteousness that is the highest and as if they had accomplished it wholly now and not to be fulfilled in another world See Epistle to the Protector Answ We do believe that you are not able to resist the Quakers who have appeared in that that cannot be shaken Therefore is it not a shame to you to say you are a Church and Ministers and to say the Magistrate is no Officer in the Spirituall Church And yet you to flye to the Magistrate and tell him you dare not contest with the Quakers and blesse him if he will but stop them Think ye not the Magistrate will see you in these things And the light which Christ the righteousnesse of God hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world withall leads man from the end of the righteousnesse of the Law that comes to be fulfilled in all its righteousnesse whatsoever and so the light is too heavy for thee and hard for thee and it is the precious stone thou stumbles at And things fulfilled in another world the Prophecies the Parables the Types the Figures the Shadows the Gifts the Revelations the Dispensations these things was in this world manifested And Christ who is the end of all who comes to him into the power of the world that hath no end What is there to fulfill there in the world that hath no end Things are to be fulfilled in this World that hath an end And thus thou hast shewed thy ignorance Pr. He saith The Scripture is the Word of God And he saith Christ is not properly the Word but figuratively page 3. And the Scripture is in more proper sense without figure called the Word of God He saith without the Scripture we do not know how to worship God aright and serve him and therein attain to eternall life Again they say God is not pleased to use this way of immediate Revelation now Neither indeed is it the worke of Gods holy Spirit to discover things unto us now immediately page 5. Ans Christs name is called the Word of God properly and not figuratively and more properly then the Scripture as in the Revelations And the Scriptures are the words of God and words which Christ fulfills the Word So it is properly to call
this people according to the promise And that is Antichrist which keeps people from the light and the false Apostles for that was the true Christ and the true Apostles that bid people believe in the light and walk in the light and brought them to the light within and the true Prophet and Prophets said that he would give him a Covenant to the Gentles and this is the true light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and all that denies this are Antichrists and Deceivers Pr. He saith How beautiful are them that preach the Gospel c. not by the light within And the word of faith cannot be said to be in mens hearts and mouths page 14. And the sure word of prophecy spoken of in Peter is the Scriptures which people must take heed unto as unto a light shining in a dark place and the Saints received the words of the Apostles not as the words of men c. Wherefore the Quakers suppose that God himselfe is their teacher and so erre not knowing the Scriptures page 17. Answ They that preach the Gospel which is the power of God which gives relief to that which was captivated in every creature they are in the light in their own particulars with which they know the glorious Gospel and answer the light in every man that shines in the darknesse and life and immortality there comes to the light through the power which is the Gospel and this is that which is beautifull And the word the Apostle preached of faith was in the heart and in the mouth and is so understood by all the regenerate But by all them that have only the forme and inwardly gone from the spirit knows it not but are of this ignorant they cry how should this be so As the Jewes said how is it that thou maketh us to doubt Yea the Word was it that made them doubt And the sure word of prophecy which people do well to take heed unto as unto a light shining in a dark place mark in the dark place untill the day dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts This was it that let them see that no prophecy of Scripture came by the will of man and this lets them see that such as went in Cains Cores and Balaams way which were Preachers of the Forme but wanted the power but lost the holy Ghost and such admired mens persons because of advantage and came to be dead twice pluckt up by the roots which those dead have long reigned layd upon the earth whose carkasses stinks since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy so many may have the Scriptures and quench the prophesie Pr. He saith Christ is not yet so the Word but be himselfe testifies the Scriptures is the Word of God page 21. Answ Christ his name is called the Word of God and the Scriptures are the words of God which Christ the Word of God fulfills in whom the words all ends And such as the light shines in the darknesse and the darknesse comprehends it not they are not like to see the spirit untill they be turned to the light Pr. He saith They erre not knowing the Scripture when they affirme that the only means of faith is the immediate teaching of Christ dwelling in them page 23. Answ Could the Apostle preach Christ untill he was revealed in him who is the Author of every mans faith And the doers of the Law are justified and not the hearers only Pr. The Quakers will not own the Scriptures to be the touch-stone to try the spirits withal page 28. And the Scriptures are not the rule Oh shamefull deceit And George Fox said that he knew Christ come in him page 29. And this is the deceiving of many and this cannot be till first the true faith of his coming be made voyd which these men endeavour to do page 29. Answ The holy men of God before the Scriptures was had a rule and a touchstone and the Pharisees had Scriptures but were out of the life that the holy men was in that gave it forth and wanted the rule and the touch-stone But the Apostles that was in the life and the substance of what they spoke they had the rule and touch-stone And all in the apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles that are ravened from the spirit of God have had onely the sheeps cloathing but have lost the touchstone and so have destroyed one another about Scriptures the Saints words which was not the work of the spirit that gave it forth And Christ is in you except you be reprobates So reprobates witnesse it not therefore they stand against it and therefore are against them that witnesse it And all the false Christs and the destroyers of the Faith of people are such as draw people from the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and keeping them from witnessing and receiving Christ in them the substance and the author of their faith and such never knows him come in the flesh nor the spirit And such as witness Christ within them receive the author of their saith and destroy the faith of none And the spirit was the rule of the Saints that led them to give forth Scriptures and it lets them see in all ages who got the forme of godliness who used their tongues who lived in the spirit who erred from the spirit who run when the Lord had never sent them whom the Lord had never spoken to and this was the rule and this was the spirit of discerning and this was the touch-stone to try withal Prin. And they say they owne Christ that suffered meaning the Spirit within page 36. Answ There is none knows Christ nor his suffering but with the spirit of God within for with the spirit of God in the Prophets and the holy men they knew Christ that was to come to suffer with the spirit of God in the Apostles they knew that was the Christ that did suffer with the same spirit of God within people they now come to see him and enjoys him and receive him the same that did suffer which none doth that are out of the spirit And the Pharisees that had Scriptures knew him not who were gone astray from the spirit nor the Gentiles though they had Scriptures Neither doth the Apostates who are inwardly ravened from the spirit of God though they have all the sheeps cloathing know the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world though they be for multitude as the sands on the sea shore nor doth any know it and receive it but who comes to that which they ravened from Pr. He saith That Christ is a distinct being from the Father page 40. They that hold that they are now in the possession of the Kingdome of Christ and that they have eternall life now in possession perverts the right way of the Lord. Page 42. Answ Christ is not distinct from the Father for he and
degrees of obedience and conformity to it in this life before death hath drunk Antichrists cup. page 144. Answ The Saints after they witnessed the body of sin put off and made free from sin they glorified God in their bodies souls and spirits And so the body of fin is not the creature for that causeth the creature to groan before it cometh into the liberty of the Sons of God that causeth the body of sin the cloathing that comes upon the Creature the old man which cometh by transgression the first Adam that leads out of transgression brings the creature into the liberty of the sons of God and so who is in Christ is a new creature And old things passe away and the body is the Temple of God a holy Temple And the living soule is immortall yet many of thy generation say it is humane that is earthly yea that Christs soule was humane as ye may see in this Book in the rest of your Principles of them that call themselves Teachers and Pastors whose soules are in death and life And immortality not come to the Light through the power of God which is the Gospell and so have shâ—wed your ignorance of the soule And whosoever witnesse the perfect holinesse and preacheth up that they come from under Antichrists Kingdome They that preach up Imperfection they weare Antichrists livery and his colours and sounds the Trumpet of Antichrist and who be in the righteousnesse are in the perfection it selfe without a thing meritted by man in his will And who loves God keeps his Commandements and to him and them they are not grievous And this was the seed that kept the Commandements of God that Antichrist Beast mother of Harlots and false Prophets made war against as you may read in the Revelations But this seed is a burthensome stone unto yoâ— all tâ—at keeps the commands of God that loves God and they that be born of God doth not commit sin And the naturall body which is flesh blood and bone is not the body of sin it was never read so in the Scripture that that was the body which was to be put off for the Saints had bodies after they witnessed the body of sin put off and made free from sin Pr. He saith That R. F. is against the doctrine of sin continuing in the godly till death page 148. Answ That doctrine of Sin was never preached up by the Apostle that it should continue in the godly till death I say it continues not in the godly for the godly are like God out of sin it continues in the ungodly that is not like God And he that is in Christ is at the end of the Law and the Precepts and the Statutes and the Ordinances and the Commandements and is in the substance Gods righteteousnesse Pr. He saith The Letter is no dead letter and it hath life in it selfe And if there be but this letter or Ministry it is Christs two-edged sword page 153. 155. It serves unto his designe of searching hearts And the Apostle would take people off from the conceit of perfect attainments pag. 162. And may not filthy hearts transform themselves in the fancy of perfection as the Devill into an Angell of light Answ The Devill transforming himselfe into an Angell of Light or into a similitude is like unto all the filthy hearts who fancy perfection without them not within thâ—m and speaks of Christ without them not within them as the Devill did But the Doctrine of the Apostle who preached Christ the Covenant of God and brought people off of that which made nothing perfect to that which was perfect and bid them be perfect and of one minde and he spoke wisdome among them that were perfect so he did not bring the people from it but to it And the Letter it selfe is dead as it is of paper and inke And all Ministers of Letters and Books written in paper and ink and speaks from letters of paper and inke and have not received from God what they preach are Ministers of the Letter and they are the Ministers of death though they minister all the Letters written in the Scripture and have onely but the sheeps cloathing and begets not to God but only making Proselytes as the Ministers did in old time as the Jewes did But they that were Ministers of the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures they have the sword of the Spirit which the Jewes the Ministers of the Letter had not Nor they that be out of the spirit though they have all the Scriptures given forth from it they that be out of the spirit be out of the spirituall weapons And that which searcheth the heart is that which gave forth the Scriptures which led all the holy men of God to speak them forth who is the Lord the searcher of the hearts which spirit owns all the words of the Scriptures of truth declared forth from the spirit but the spirit was before the Scripture was given forth Pr. He saith Men that are redeemed from all earthly worships perfectly justified before God sincere in their sanctification yet they are in concupiscence and blemishes and conflicts page 166. And the Word of God doth not abide in them that say they have no sinne page 179. Answ Who are redeemed out of all earthly worships and sanctified they are redeemed from the blemishes from the conflicts from the concupiscence and by their redemption they come to witnesse the Kingdome of God that stands in righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost out of the conflicts and who are in the spirit they are in that which mortifies sin And the Word of God it makes clean where it dwels they are sanctified by the Word and made clean It comes and finds the sin and takes it away and makes clean and hammers it down cuts it down burns it up reconciles to the Father which sin and iniquity separated from Pr. He saith Sacramentall water and sprinkling Baptisme and water c. shewes our being ingrafted into the body mysticall p. 176. 178. which consists of a signe of a thing signified Answ Sprinkling Infants is a signe of your own making and Sacramentall water which the Scripture doth not hold forth but it is a thing presumed above what it written And that signe a tradition doth not bring into the body mysticall but leads from it neither doth any elementary thing But that which baptizeth into the body is the spirit whereby all cometh to be one And that baptizeth not into an elementary body but into a glorious body the spirituall body For there is lying signes come since the dayes of the Apostles which is out of the Apostles practice You can shew nothing for your sprinkling with your Sacramentall water but the Baptisme that the Scripture declares of and the spirit is owned in its place Pr. He saith Bread and Wine are spirituall Institutions and is not carnall in a sense as set in opposition to spiritual Institution and that
But your swearing now is not like to the Jewes for they swore by the Lord not swore by the book of the Prophets writings neither did they swear by the Tables in which the Law was writen Neither did the Apostles nor the Saints swear by the Epistles nor Christs words after they were wriâ—ten and recorded Now this is worse then the Jewes for they were to swear by the Lord from whom the Law came they were to swear by the Lord of whom the Prophets learned and not by the Tables nor by the Prophets words Now the heathen was to swear by Moloch and to swear by Baal and kist Baal and the children of Israel to swear by the Lord not to swear by any Writings or Declarations of the Prophets or Moses Neither do we read that the Saints swore by the Epistles or the Revelations or Matthew Marks Luke or John and kist it For the true Christians that wiâ—nessed Christ the end of the Prophets the end of Moses a greater then Solomon Him by whom the world was made before it was made before Abraham was which reigns over the house of Joseph and Jacob to whom the Angels must bow saith swear not at all This is my beloved son saith God heare ye him Pr. He saith A believer hath both the rise and furtherance of his faith and evidence from what is written And if the Scripture be a dead letter and the word in the heart be one with the Scripture then that in the heart is dead page 246. Let them tell the world how the Scripture is the Declaration without contradiction and yet the word in the heart page 247. Answ The Scripture as it lies and is in it selfe is a dead letter but as the word is felt in the heart that gave it forth then it is its own words Now to them that be from the Word within the dead mind the dead letter And so the words themselves there gives not life to that but as the words is raised up within as it was in them that gave it forth and that is it which gives life and that sees the Scriptures and the fulfilling of them and then that knows the Scriptures that cannot be broken and in that the words ends the word Christ And that 's it that gives life to all people and saves the soule which the Letter doth not as it is in it selfe without one have that which gave it forth and that is not dead And a believer the author of his Faith is Christ and the giver of it And if he have all that is written and be not in the light Christ who is the author of his Faith he wants the foundation of God that stands sure Christ Jesus that all the Fathers and holy men of God rest in in the faith before any Scripture was written in him stood their faith the foundation of God Israels glory the light of the Gentiles this is that which fulfills all Scriptures and ends the faith the salvation And the Ministers of the Word that comes to fulfil the words those Ministers of the Word they took in hand to set forth in order a Declaration of the things wrought among them which had a perfect understanding from the very first of what Christ both said and did And so this Declaration was given forth to be read believed fulfilled and people to enjoy the thing it speaks of that which the Apostles preached to Jewes and Gentiles the new Covenant the one offering the blood of Jesus Christ him the end of the first Priesthood that Abraham saw and David saw and Moses had the type of the Prophets wrote of Now who enjoyes him that these all spoke of saw and preached they have the end the comfort of the Scriptures And here is the Declaration seen and known and here is the substance possest and here is the words of God and here is the Word of God that fulfills the words which word was before the words in which word the words end and are all sum'd up into Pr. For to say Christ and faith is not to be found in Scriptures He saith I hope no humble Saint will pin his faith upon this c. And they crying up thee and thou to a particular c. pag. 247. Answ Christ was before the Scripture was written and Christ is life not found in a dead letter nor faith and he is the end of the Scriptures and the substance of them and many had the Scriptures and could not finde faith in them nor Christ nor life And Christ told the Pharisees he was the life the Scripture testified of him but they would not come to him that they might have life who is the end and substance of the Scriptures by whom the world was made And as for the words thee and thou and you who are stumbling at it shews they have never learned their Accidence or Bible So short oâ— the language of the spirit that teacheth to speak sound words that cannot be condemned who are ignorant of the literall knowledge Pr. He saith The Scriptures was breathed forth by the spirit of God but we receive the spirit another way then they did as gave forth the Scriptures and the Scriptures was given forth immediately but thus the Scriptures comes not to us nor the understanding of them We have Books and Canons and printed Translations in the Mother Tongue page 248. Answ All your Books and Canons and if ye have all the Scriptures printed in all the Languages of the world and if ye have not the same immediate inspiration that gave them forth ye understand not the Scriptures And we do believe you that ye have not an immediate inspiration as they had nor do not receive the spirit as they did that gave forth the Scriptures who are ravened from it But who ever knows the Scriptures of truth it is by the same spirit as gave them forth with this and by this is the Scriptures of truth the excellent words known again to what state and condition they were spoken Pr. He saith The spirit is in the Letter or the whole Scripture Page 254. And they that writ forth the Scriptures were imperfectly holy but Gods Word was holy To conclude the spirit is in the Letter and given by it daily experience demonstrates it And they that owns not the spirits dwelling in the letter have lost their faith of the spirits presence and runs to other Gospels and Doctrines the spirit of errour is in all mens Doctrines that have not the spirit in them page 255. Answ The holy men of God that gave forth the Scriptures as they were moved by the holy Ghost but the Apostle said they were holy and we shall believe him before we believe any of you apostate Teachers which say they were not holy And the spirit was in them that gave forth the Scriptures received of God the Father of spirits and dwells in God And they that be from the spirit of God within which gave
forth the Scriptures are such as follows their own spirits and useth their tongues and gets the good words the sheeps cloathing deceives the hearts of the simple and tels them the Spirit is in the Letter which never did none of the experienced Saints say the spirit dwelt in the Letter But did conclude the spirit dwelt in their hearts the faith in their hearts the light in their hearts the word in their hearts the anointing within them God dwelt within them Christ within them the Law in their hearts the witnesse within them the ingrafted word that saved their soules the gift within the hidden man in the heart strength in the inward man the holy Ghost moved them the spirit of the Father spoke in them this led them to speak forth Scriptures And these never said the spirit was in the Letter as all the filthy dreamers say who are in the sensuall separation from the spirit of God and in Cains Cores and Balaams way turning the grace of God into wantonnesse ravened from the spirit of God inwardly but wolves in sheeps cloathing These are such as have got the good words but deceives the hearts of the simple makes a trade of them tells people the Spirit is in the Letter and that is them that ravened from the spirit of God in their own particulars and so they deceive people and keep them from the spirit of God in their particulars But the spirit that gave forth Scriptures is witnessed by which that is known they cannot deceive any longer who are reprobates concerning the faith which crept into houses before the Apostles decease which have kept people always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth led away with divers lusts So have kept people in spirituall Aegypt and Sodome and Gomorrah and have been guarded with Magistrates and powers of the earth all over the world But now is the Light breaking forth and shining that ye are all discovered And so they have set up other Gospels and lost the Faith that tels people the Spirit is in the Letter when the spirit and the faith was in them that gave it forth and is to be in all them that knows it again and knows God the giver of it Pr. He saith He that is borne of the Spirit is borne of the holy Word written page 257. Answ He that is borne of the spirit is borne of that which gave forth the Scriptures of the Word which was before the Scriptures was given forth which lets them see the end of the words so cometh to dwell in God of whom they learned that gave forth Scriptures Pr. He saith If setting the Scripture in the heart of every man be nothing else but telling people they have a light of conscience within them and stirring up that light which every man hath that cometh into the world They delude poor people who never heard that light called Scripture before page 257. Answ Them that never heard the Scripture outwardly the light that every man hath that cometh into the world being turned to it with that they will see Christ with that they will know Scripture with that they will be led out of all delusion come into covenant with God with which they will come to worship God in the spirit and serve him and that is more then conscience Pr. He saith The light which John speaks of which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is a dim light and it is a piece of the mystery of Iniquity as subtile as any Antichrist to say that the light shines in the darknesse and shineth out of darknesse the light of Christ for salvation page 261 262. He saith Christ in you the light in every man is a poor base beggerly scrap Page 264. Answ And the ligâ—t which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is Christ the substance the righteousnesse of God and not beggerly but all the beggarly they be out of the light and it is not dim but all be in the dim that be out of him the Light that with which he hath enlightned them And all be in the mystery of iniquity and are Antichrists that seeth not the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world where it shines and where it shineth out of the darknesse This the true Ministers who be in the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures Ministers of Christ within witnessed and saw And John was not antichrist nor Paul who said Light shined in darknesse and who said light shined out of darknesse and who said this was the true light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world Now ye are all ignorant of the Prophets before John who said I will give him for a Covenant for a light unto the Gentiles and a new Covenant to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah mark here was every man and John the greatest Prophet born of a woman saith this is the true light that lighteth every one c. Christ Jesus him by whom the world was made before it was made in whom is life and the life was the light of men and the light shined in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not Pr. The law written in every mans heart doth not condemn all sin nor the branches of it not originall sin nor unbelief pag. 266. He saith To say that every man in his first state is naturall and every man in his first state is as a beast is a contradiction And I every where deny the naturall light of every man but I deny the highest degree of light to be here attainable And the Saints light is not to be seen while we are under the Sun And he saith he knows he is more brutish then a man and hath not the knowledge of the holy pag. 272. And the light that shineth in the Scriptures I professe my selfe to know nothing the least degree of it is above the highest degree of the light that every one that cometh into the world is enlightned withal pag. 273. Answ The light which every one that cometh into the world is enlightned withall was before degreâ—s and ends degrees and is not natural for it was before the naturall was made or created and this bears not witnesse against the naturall the Sun Moon and Stars but ownes them in their places And the light which every one that cometh into the world is enlightned withall which comes from Christ the Son they not believing in it it is their condemnation And that which doth make manifest sin is light and doth reprove is light yea all sin branches and roots and originall and unbelief that which doth make it manifest is light and where this light is that makes all this manifest there is the law in the heart and new Covenant written the law and the spirit of life that makes free from the law of sin and death And the light which every man is enlightned withall they
not worth mentioning but the Scriptures are owned And Iohn art thou finding fault because men wears no hatbands and eats and drinks bread and water and casts by their pride Now thou mayst see who thou hast taken part with and who is the scoffer and sheweth thy self and who is thy Master short of all good And as for all your bad names and misconstruing of Scriptures it will come upon your selves and thou hast shewed in all thy Book that thou art not able to divide the word aright nor an instructer of Babes Pr. And thou saith that Christ dyed for the sins of the elect Answ And the Scripture saith he was an offering for the sins of the whole world and who shall lay charge to Gods elect whom he justifies Pr. And thou speaks of God destroying men for their ignorance and they shall finde no favour in the day of judgement Answ Whereas the Scripture saith in the time of ignorance God winked at but now he commands all men every where to repent and every man that cometh into the world is enlightned And the spirit of truth shall reprove the world of sin of righteousnesse and of judgement which leads believers into all truth And the grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared to all men but they turne it into wantonnesse which is the Saints teacher And this shall make every tongue to confesse to the glory of God and every knee to bow at his name which is the Emanuel and so none shall plead ignorance as thou saist who art in the ignorance thy selfe but inexcusable because convicted and hast rejected the tender mercies who hast lifted up thy selfe against the Saints and the Lamb but a stone is set over thy head that shall grind thee to powder and the Saints shall have the victory and the Kingdome that is an everlasting Kingdome the witnesse in thy conscience shall witnesse against thee for all thy hard speeches and let thee know that you and thou had better have been silent then to fight against the Lord the Lamb and his Saints that 's the word of the Lord God to thee and you all When ye are judged the witnesse in all your consciences shall answer W. P. his Principles in his Book intituled according to truth that quakes not trembles not nor quailes Pr. THey say If the Apostles had been put to preach upon a short Text or methodically as by a long practice in the Church it is expected from us that they might oft times have studyed for it Answ In this you have shewed your spirits and made manifest you are voyd of the revelation from God and your ignorance of the Scriptures for the holy Ghost shall not speak of it selfe but take of his And the Apostles what they had seen and heard they declared And Christ what he had received of the Father he declared and the spirit that which speaks in the Church and it shews the fulfilling of the Scriptures and it keeps not people long in Texts as the world doth that wrests Scriptures up and down and keep people in sects and so there is the spirit leading into all truth and the spirit of the Father speaking within and the holy Ghost that moved men to give forth Scripture that teacheth to divide the word aright which is the spirit of prophecy in the Church not studying Pr. They say Every man that hath the spirit in some measure doth not attain to the great height and degree that they did that gave forth Scriptures that therefore may not lawfully and infallibly teach as they did Ans Every man that hath a measure of the spirit of God in the least measure or degree it is infallible and so far may they teach infallibly and know Scriptures but they cannot know all Scriptures but as they attain to the full measure of the spirit of the Prophets and Apostles and to the measure and stature and fulness of Christ and if they do not attain to all this they are not able to know all the Scriptures and the work of the Ministers of God was to bring people to this to the measure and stature and fulnesse of Christ and saith Let every one minister as he hath received the grace And take heed of any of you going beyond your measure and them that deny the grace of God appearing to all men cannot minister Pr. They say The greatest part of professors in the visible Church were and are always earthly minded nor can rightly value spirituall and heavenly things Ans In this you and your Ministers hath shewed your fruits like Balaams which withers and are earthly such as Jude speaks of that separateth themselves sensuall and had not the spirit but went forth from the Apostles that are got up since the days of the Apostles Church and Ministry like Priest like people and to be such as was coming up before the Apostles decease as he speaks on in Timothy which minded earthly things like Teacher like People that preach themselves thorow with many hurtfull lusts while they coveted after money they lost the faith and so came people to be all on heaps out of unity in the earth being out of the faith of Gods elect so this is all in the apostacy since the Apostles Pr. And he saith That he is not a hireling that takes wages The wages are allotted to him for his worke Ans But do not all you preach for hire and is it not for hire you preach Now the least in the truth may see you Is there ever a Priest in the Nation but he is hired to work or if he have it not he will not stay Now to prove that you do preach for hire where many Steeple-houses in many Parishes that hath no Priest thither you go not because there is but a little Benefice and they have soules as well as others and where there is agreement for so much a year thither you go is not this for hire and so the Prophets words fulfil'd the Priests preach for hire and all these great sums of money which has lifted you up and gathered a great deale of it out of poor mens labours this hath been the undoing of you all and Nations and many poor people because they cannot put into your mouths but now is God come to judgement upon you all in the apostacy apostates Pr. And thou calls the Steeple-house a Church Ans Which is the Church which is come up since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy for the Church is the people of God the elect seed which Christ is the head of who in the midst of this Church doth sing praises which is the pillar and ground of truth without spot or wrinkle Whereas the Steeple-house you call your Church will spot wrinkle and blemish and decay and fall down and wicked men may prevail against it but the gates of Hell cannot prevail against that Church which is built upon the rock Pr. And thou sayst Thou dost not
faith and such as lived in the faith and such as quenched the spirit and despised prophesie and such as despised the holy One and slaughtered the seed of God and such cast the law of God behinde their backs this was the spirit and the Word of God which was the rule that led them to discern and savour to try and taste and handle this was the touch-stone and this was the rule and this brought them to the knowledge of God and they that had the Scriptures had not the knowledge of God without this nor the prophesie as the Pharisees that had Scriptures yet knew not Christ Pr. To the Law and to the Testmony Answ Yea as we say to the Law and to the testimony the Law is the light the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy but it is tryed in this our day the Letter is the Light amongst the Ministers of the Letter against the light and they say prophesie is ceased and so puts the Old and New Testament for it and brings Isai 8. for the Law and testimony which was before Matthew Mark Luke and John but this is that their ignorance may appear Prin. And likewise he saith There is not a just man upon the earth and sinneth not Answ Read the words above in the 12. verse be not just over much neither make thy self overwise now mark this just this wise man upon the earth which doth good and sinneth not that was the estate of the Law which Christ is the end of who is a greater then Solomon who is the just and righteousness it self and makes men free from sin Pr. I do not affirm that any man can have salvation by vertue of his obedience and thus you put out the eye of poor souls and bids them hearken to a light within them Answ The eye of the soul is the Light which cometh from Christ the Bishop of it and he that believeth is saved and there is his obedience and he that doth not is condemned already and he hath the promise of life and salvation that believes in the Light Pr. He saith the Commission of Christ holds to the end of the world who gave some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastors for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying of the body of Christ till all come to the faith and knowledge of the Son of God and to a perfect man in measure and Stature and fulness of Christ Answ Have you not all denyed this work Pastures Teachers Prophets perfecting of the Saints and bringing to a perfect man saying that none must be perfect while they be upon earth and to the unity of the faith which both you and your teachers be all of heapes about it and that none must witness the measure and stature and fulnesse of Christ and the knowledge of the Son of God that none must have him revealed have you not denyed Revelation how have you been in this work tossing people to and fro like chaff and carrying them about with every wind of Doctrine and that is your wind that is not perfect that is not in the spirit that gave forth Scriptures and there lodgeth all mens subtility cunning and craft within lying and waiting to deceive this doctrine was coming up before the Apostles decease which since in the world hath reigned which all the heapes of Profession in all Christendom discovers it how people are tossed to and fro and changed about and every one stands against perfection and overcoming sin while they be upon earth so throwing themselves out of the work that the Ministers of Christ were in so from it Apostated and hath denyed the Ministers work which is the perfecting and you cry no perfection Pr. He saith They call breaking of bread carnal faith comes by hearing of the Scriptures and it is the way to teach men to Christ to convince and convert souls how should we know sin to be sin or righteousness to be righteousness but by Scripture Scripture hath been a fit rule to walk by and guide into truth and peace Answ Breaking of outward bread is not spiritual for the Papists they say it is spiritual and you say it is not carnal what differs Priests and Baptists from Papists and you say it is not as other bread is and thus you deceive people and make them believe a lie and the Pharisees had Scriptures and knew not the way of truth and peace nor was not guided in it neither any upon the earth Except they be in the life that gave it forth and the Pharisees had Scriptures read every day among them and hearing not the word that they heard that was in them that gave forth Scriptures they heard not the word of faith and the word of faith they have not neither hath any upon the earth for faith comes by hearing the word the word Preached not by hearing the Letter he that hath the Word of God may speak it dayly for they were Ministers of the Letter which begot people into a form and they were more ten fold the children of the Devil then they were before there was any Profession after they were got into Profession and all upon the earth do not know righteousness to be righteousness but as they have the life that gave forth Scriptures for the Pharisees chief Priests and Jewes had the Scriptures and read them every Sabbath day among them and they knew not righteousness to be righteousness Jesus Christ the righteousness of God neither did they know sin to be sin for they crucified the Lord of life they denyed the light the Covenant of God the Covenant of light the Jewes whicâ— had Scriptures so none doth know sin to be sin but as they do by the light which comes from the Lord Jesus Christ that makes it manifest and Abraham and Enoch knew sin before Scripture was Pr. Again he saith Try their own hearts by Scriptures Ansâ— They that tryed their hearts it was by the spirit of the Lord that searcheth them which led them to speak forth scriptures for before Scriptures were given forth there was that in the heart to try it which led all holy men of God to speake forth scriptures if all men upon earth had the scriptures and have not that which gave it forth they have not that which will try the heart for the Pharisees had the scriptures and they could not try their own hearts and so they turned against the light as the world do now that have the scriptures for that is it which brings to stand approved of God and tries their hearts with it Pr. He saith the overseers of the Church are visible An. That which doth oversee and maketh to be overseers was the holy Ghost before the Apostles deceased which was invisible but since the dayes of the Apostles men have made officers by the letter such are visible therefore have all men come into divers formes out of the unity and have lost the bond of peace Pr.
gift of God which purifies the heart which brings people to have accesse to God In that and by that which purifies men men are justified and in that 's vertue by the hearing of that men receive the spirit so that this is confusion and contrary to the Scripture and confuted by it for ye are justified through faith and by the spirit and that instrumentally from God in which men please him and without which they cannot therefore that is instrumentall and in that they have victory and in that they have unity one with another and in it have accesse to God But saith he faith doth not justifie instrumentally by any vertue that is in it any more then is in love Love and faith is one without faith there is not love Love is the fruit of faith flows from it without it there is not unity and without faith there is no victory and without victory there 's no love and it justifies and is wrought by the spirit Pr. A perfect conformity to the Law of God wrote in the strength and power of grace the spirit working all in us and for us and all this is no more then the righteousnesse of the Law Answ That 's the end of the Law that brings to the righteousnesse of the Law and to a perfect conformity to it and fulfills it that 's the seed Christ in the male and in the female by whom grace comes by Jesus Christ which brings to live in the righteousnesse of it which is the righteousnesse of faith by which the spirit is received which works all in people and for them who ends the Law The BROWNISTS Principles Pr. THey never heard Gods voyce from heaven nor see his shape And yet they affirme they have the same power and spirit that the Apostles had though much below and yet they have the Word abiding in them Answ You that never heard the voyce of God nor see his shape you have not seen him who is a spirit nor his power nor his Word abiding in you for who hath the spirit of God and the power of God and the Word of God abiding in them with the spirit of God with the power of God sees Gods shape and who hath Gods Word abiding in them hears the voyce of God for God is the Word and God will dwell in them and walk in them Pr. That they are brought to the Church that is in God the pillar and ground of truth where there 's neither spot nor wrinkle nor any such thing Ans And yet you never heard the voyce of God and how can you be brought to the Church that is in God and never heard the voyce of God for none comes to the Son but through the drawings of the Father and none knows the drawings of the Father but they heard his voyce The Jewes that came not to the Son Christ told them they had not known the voyce of God and none come to him but whom the Father draweth Pr. We do not look for any such thing as revelation from heaven or speaking as they are moved or waiting for the power as the Apostles did we say we do not looke for any such thing Answ This shews that you have not received the grace for the grace comes by revelation and you have not received the Son for the Son comes by revelation Nor you have not known the Father whom the Son reveales You are not come to the holy Ghost whom the Saints witnessed that led them to speak forth Scriptures which no prophesie of the Scriptures came by the will of man so you are among those men that have the Scriptures in their wills and wants the thing that the Scriptures were given forth by that is the holy Ghost for holy men of God were moved to speak them forth who learned them of God and spoke them forth as the spirit gave them utterance Therefore how can ye say that you are come to the Church in God and waits neither for the power nor revelation as the Saints did and were in for if you have all the Scriptures and have not that you have not revelation and have not the holy Ghost for the Scriptures are not known but by revelation and they are revealed by the spirit that gave them forth And though men have all the Scriptures yet the Son is not known but by revelation of the Father Pr. The Scripture is the Gospell the Scripture is the Light the Scripture is the Word Ans The Scriptures are the words of God given forth from the spirit of God learned from him The Gospel is the power of God the Scripture declares it A man may have the forme and deny the power and so deny the Gospel Christ is the light of the world the life and the light of men by whom the world was made and many have the Scriptures but denies the light the life and power of it Christ Jesus who is the life and power and the authority of them Pr. That they knew no law of God against praying and preaching by an hour-glasse and that the Apostles did performe the Ordinances of God at set times and Daniel and David prayed customarily and how this can be said to be will worship and to be seen of men we shall leave it to the Lord. Answ The Lord judgeth it to be will-worship that which limits the holy one to an hour-glass and the spirit of the Lord that taught the Saints to pray never limitted it selfe to an hour-glasse so you by an hour-glasse pray and preach as the Papists with their beads so that that limits the Lord to a set time those are traditions and vain customes of the heathen and traditions of men which alwayes the spirit limitted which spirit gave freedome to the just in every one which said quench it not nor limit it but knock down vain customes and traditions of men which was set up by men which had quenched the spirit in themselves and would limit the holy one in others and such were alwayes judged of the Lord and them that had his spirit to be Idolaters and in the will-worship and not in the spirit which are got up since the dayes of the Apostles John Turners Principle Pr. THat light which convinceth a man of sin was a wicked conscience Ans The wicked conscience doth not convince of sin then Satan were divided against Satan That which doth convince of sin is not wicked nor sin but the spirit of God the light of Christ Jesus that convinceth of sin and the Elect hath faith where faith is there is obedience The Ranters Principles Pr. CHrist without comes to destroy Christ within Ans Christ is but one and it is the devill that he destroyes and his works the Anti-Christ and not the true Christ the seed in male and female and it is the false Christ he destroyes in the male and female and he comes to end the types and figures and shadowes that people might live in him the
abundantlie cried out against and printed against the Quakers as hereticks and deceivers and witches and all what they could say that 's evil and these things being not unknown but publiklie brought to passe therefore it will be good to discover unto every man the first ground and cause of this great strife and the matter of it and its beginning so that all may know the certaintie of these things and know they are not without good ground and sufficient reason on our part to wit that we have just cause to do and strive against that generation of Priests and Teachers and that we doe nothing rashly and without sufficient reason It is now about seaven years since the Lord raised us up in the North of England and opened our mouthes in this his spirit and what we were before in our Religion profession and practices is well known to that part of the countrie how generalie we were men of the strictest sect and of the greatest zeal in the performance of outward righteousnesse and went through and tried all sorts of Teachers and run from mountain to mountaine and from man to man and from one forme to an other as doe many to this very day who yet remaines ungathered to the Lord and such we were to say no more of us that sought the Lord and desired the knowledge of his waies more then any thing beside and for one I may speak who from a child even a few yeares old he set his face to seek and find the Saviour and more then Life and treasure or any mortal Crown sought after with all his heart the one thing that is needfull to wit the knowledge of God And after our long seeking the Lord appeared to us and revealed his glory in us and gave us of his spirit from heaven and poured it upon us and gave us of his wisdome to guid us whereby we saw all the world and the true state of all things and the true condition of the Church in her present estate first the Lord brought us by his power and wisdome and the word by which all things were made to know and understand see perfectly that God had given to us everie one of us in particular a Light from himselfe shining in our harts consciences which Light Christ his Son the Saviour of the world had lighted every man and all mankind withall which Light in us we found sufficient to reprove us and convince us of every evil deed word and thought and by it in us we come to know good from evil right from wrong and whatsoever is of God and according to him from what is of the Devil and what is contrary to God in motion word and work and this Light gave us to discerne between truth and error between every false and right way it perfectlie discovered to us the true state of all things and we thereby came to know man what he was in his creation before transgression how he was deceived overcome by the devil his estate in transgression in disobedience how he is drove banished from the presence of the Lord and the sorrow and anguish which he is in to undergo also by the Light in us we perfectlie came to know the way of Restauration and the meanes to be restored and the state of man being come out of transgression and restored these things to us were revealed by the Light within us which Christ had given us and lightened us withall what man was before transgression and what he is in transgression and what he is being redeemed out of transgression and also the Light which shined in every one of us as to it our mindes became turned and our hearts inclined the perfect estate of the Church we came to know her estate before the Apostles daies and in the Apostles daies and since the daies of the Apostles and her persent estate we found to be as a woman who had once been cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet who brought forth him that was to Rule the Nations but she was fled in the Wildernesse and there sitting desolate in her place that was prepared of God for such a season which season in the very end thereof when the time of her sojorning was towards a full end then were we brought forth if any have an eare they may hear so that all these things concerning man and concerning the times and seasons and the changing and renewing of times and all things that pertaines to salvation and Redemption and eternal Life needfull for man to know all this was revealed discovered and made knowne to us by the Light which was in us which Christ had lighted us withall And we found this Light to be a sufficient teacher to lead us to Christ from whence this Light came and thereby it gave us to receive Christ and to witnesse him to dwel in us and through it the new covenant we came to enter into to be made heires of life and salvation and in all things we found the Light which we were inlightned withall and all mankind which is Christ to be alone and onelie sufficient to bring to Life and eternal salvation and that all who did own the Light in them which Christ hath enlightened every man withall they needed no man to teach them but the Lord was their Teacher by his Light in their own consciences and they received the holie anointing And so we ceased from the teachings of all men and their words and their worships and their Temples and all their baptismes and Churches and we ceased from our own words and professions and practises in Religion in times before zealously performed by us through divers formes and we became fooles for Christs sake that we might become truelie wise and by this Light of Christ in us were we led out of all false waies and false preachings and false Ministers and we met together often and waited upon the Lord in pure silence from our own words and all mens words and hearkned to the voice of the Lord and felt his word in our hearts to burn up and beat down all that was contrary to God and we obeyed the Light of Christ in us and followed the motions of the Lords pure spirit and took up the Crosse to all earthly glories Crowns and waies denied our selves our relations and all that stood in the way betwixt us and the Lord and we chose to suffer with and for the Name of Christ rather then all the pleasures upon earth or all our former zealous professions and practices in Religion without the power and spirit of God which the world yet lives in And while waiting upon the Lord in silence as often we did for many hours together with our mindes and hearts toward him being stayed in the Light of Christ within us from all thoughts fleshly motions and desires in our diligent waiting and feare of his Name and hearkning to
forth from the Apostles into the world that Christ said should come that inwardly ravened from the spirit and went forth from the Apostles and onely have had the sheeps cloathing and so are the spirits which the Apostles bids the Saints try which went forth into the world that had the true spirit the record the spirit of God and they that have found the record the spirit of God tries all your spirits and findes you fallible ravened from the spirit of God inwardly onely having the sheeps cloathing that hath covered the wolfe in you all the devourer And so we do believe neither yoâ—â—or the Pope hath the infallible spirit being the false spirits that went forth into the world and led the world after you That Nations are come to be like waters so are you broken all into heaps and sects and wants the infallible spirit in which you should have unity And so hath not the Son of God revealed among you who have not revelation as the Apostles had which we witnesse who are come to that the Apostles were in and so the Son of God reigns Pr. He saith The holy Scriptures are the temporall word c. see page 11. Answ Now see if this be not an undervaluing the Scriptures of truth and the words of God and Christ and the Prophets and Apostles which cannot be broken he calls it a Temporall word which the Scripture teacheth no such doctrine but thy lying spirit Pr. He saith The Gospell or Word is the externall light flowing out unto us from the Son c. See page 12. Ans Contrary to the Scripture which saith the Gospell is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes so not temporall not a temporal light And the light which cometh from the Son of God that lighteth every man that cometh into the world that shines in peoples hearts that gives the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus is not temporall thou that saith so art in the delusion Pr. He saith The Scriptures are able to make men wise unto salvation without any more additions and there is no more to be expected c. see page 12. Answ Contrary to the Scripture it selfe and the Apostles doctrine who saith through faith they are able to make wise unto salvation So there is an addition which the Apostles adds and all the Saints and true believers which is the faith which thou art reprobated from and so no Minister of Christ in the un-victory so in the worlds lusts Pr. He saith The soule of man is a spirituall substance c. And Magnus Byne saith the soule is not infinite in it selfe but it is a creature And Richard Baxter saith it is a spirtuall substance c. See page 13. Answ Now consider what a condition these called Ministers are in They say that which is a spirituall substance is not infinite in it self but a creature that which came out from the Creator and is in the hand of the Creator which brings it up and to the Creator again that is infinite it selfe which the hand goes against him that does evill in which hand the soule is which is immortall and infinite which hand is infinite which brings it up to God is infinite Pr. He saith Do not they blasphemously make Christ an Idoll that call our Temples Idols Temples c See page 15. Ans Christs body was and is the Temple of God who ended all outward Temples made with hands and so that is no Idoll but others are Idols held up by you and the Pope Jewes and Gentiles that prison the seed of God in your selves And Stephen was stoned to death for denying the Temple and for witnessing the substance so have you almost stoned many to death for denying your Idols Temples Pr. He calls that most ignorant and sottish dealing to own Christs commands that bids be not called of men Master c. page 18. Answ And thus he shews his ignorance and sottishnesse and doth not read Mr. Paul Mr. Peter and they transgresse the doctrine of Christ and he hath not the spirit of Christ but is gone out into the world where all the false spirits are opposing Christs commands and the Spirits commands and so no Minister of Christ Pr. He saith All the Ministers since the dayes of the Apostles was to be ordained and called which the Apostles were not c. See page 21. Answ Doth not the Apostle speak of them that usurped the authority Yes we say that all of you and the Pope since the dayes of the Apostles are called by men and made by men who are the false spirit that went forth into the world that ravened from the true so have not heard the voyce of God at any time So he hath not sent you but you have usurped the authority being made by man And as no prophecy of Scripture came by the will of man therefore all as do get the Scripture in their own wills out of the holy Ghost are made by man such are out of unity with God with Scriptures with one another and all upon heaps about words and such men make and sets up Pr. He saith The Scriptures is Gods law and a sufficient rule for doctrine and worship it selfe c. See page 22. Ans Now many may have the Scriptures and if they have not the spirit that gave them forth they do not worship God in the spirit And they that have the Scriptures and do not do the will of Christ they know not his Doctrine And the Law is light Pr. He saith But I must tell you that our Bells are not carnall if they were they would scarce sound so well or last so long c. See page 23. Ans If they be not carnal then they are spiritual and in that all the world will judge thee that they are things seen and so they are temporall and carnall and what is temporal is not eternal nor spirit The Apostle speaks of carnall weapons 2 Cor. 10.4 and carnall ordinances Heb. 9.10 And whereas thou speaks of baptizing your Bells c Have not many Bells in England been baptized And was not the Pope the first Authoâ— of it And we do say that they are carnal and not spiritual let them sound never so well and last never so long though in many Towns you have made them to tune Psalms yet we cannot say that these are spirituall that can tune Psalms neither dare we but do judge them that do say they are so For the Scripture calls those Ordinances which were Ordinances of God once worldly and carnal and the Sanctuary is called a worldly Sâ—nctuary when the substance was come And so we see and say all your sorts of Bells though they may be tunes of Psalms yet they are carnall and not spirituall that is our conclusion though indeed poor people being ignorant may well when such as thou saith they are not carnall when they be yet they stir up the fl
shly nature in people Pr. He saith To say a man is freed from the body of sin while on earth is part of the Papists dung which they have taught you to feed upon c. page 24. Ans Contrary to the Scriptures and the Apostles words who saith they were made free from sin which was before you or the Papists was And contrary to John who bids them try the spirits who saith the false spirits gone out into the world which are you and the Papists he saith he that is borne of God doth not commit sin neither can he because the seed of God remaineth in him 1 John And you are in the Pâ—pists dung spoken of who pleads for sin and thou art contrary to the Apostles and Christ who preached perfection and freedom from sin Pr. Again he saith Christs Kingdome is an Hospital and hath no subjects in it but diseased ones c. see page 24. Ans We read of no such thing in Scripture that Christs Kingdome is an Hospitall and his subjects are diseased ones But they that follow the Lamb in their mouth is no guile nor spot nor fault before the Throne of God and are the elect which God layes no sin too and they are the faithfull and called and chosen that overcome the world and his kingdome stands in power and in righteousnesse and joy in the holy Ghost and is not an Hospitall nor his subjects diseased ones for he heals them and converts them and washeth them and therefore thou art a Lyar and a man that doth not divide the word aright The diseased or such as come unto Christ to be healed them who comes to him he heales them of what infirmity soever it be and cures them and cloaths them in the right minde Therefore thou art coâ—rected and worthy of correction and all the diseased ones are in your Kingdom physicians of no value Pr. What can keep the soule from the enjoyment of God but sin c. See page 25. Answ It is the unbelief in Christ the Light and the offering and in his blood that keeps from the enjoyment of God who is the way to God which the Light le ts see that The Author of the Book called The Quaking Mountebanke c. His PRINCIPLES followeth His words are seen in the Light and are condemned for the Fire The day is coming that thou whosoever thou art wilt suffer and the witnesse in thy Conscience shall answer Pr. HE saith the Quakers are no Conjurers and yet he calls them Mountebanks in his Libell called The Quaking Mountebank c. see page 5. Answ They have discovered his works and fruits and the Fire is over his head and proves that he hath the Language of a Mountebank by his revilings and raylings which among sober people is not worth mentioning And the Quakers mountain is the house of the Lord established upon the top of all the mountains in the earth And their Rock is Christ which will split all Mountebanks that make war against him in pieces And now it is seen what is risen against the Lamb and the Saints and the mouths of the false Prophets are opened and the Inhabitans of the Earth are drunk and the Beast doth make War against the Lamb and the Saints but the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory And Quakers are not Mountebanks but the Lords children Pr. And this Mountebank calls the Quakers beasts that have the spirit of God in them feeling it c. See page 7. Ans So that it hath discovered his spirit whether he is gone and his words shall be his burthen and the Lord will finde him out though he have not put forth his name And those that know the minde of Christ such he calls Beasts that do know the mind of Christ and so hath discovered himself that he knows it not but the Saints knows the minde of Christ and spirit of Christ and are the sons and daughters of God Pr. Here he maketh the Steeple-house the Arke and calls it the house of God c. See page 9. Ans A place which Papists set up for Masse so he shews his ignorance and prophanenesse against the Saints whose bodies are the Temples of God Pr. And the Mountebank saith that the Quakers are not a kin to the Aegyptians but yet he saith they love darkness rather then light c. page 12. Answ And thus his spirit is rebuked and they that be in Aegypt love not the Light Pr. Again he saith That Learning is the prime ornament of the soule See page 13. Ans And so hath thrown away the power and Christ the Bishop of the soule who is its ornament in which it hath its joy and men with their Learning prison the soule which is immortal Pr. And he saith The Quakers are no Pharisees c. see page 16. Ans And the Priests of Newcastle calls them Pharisees Here is Gog and Magog in battell together against the Lamb and the royall seed called Quakers Witnesse that which cannot be shaken and the royall seed is a-top of their head Pr. He saith The Quakers scorn to creep into houses c. See page 19. Ans Which doth not agree with the rest of his company who say they do creep into houses The Quakers are in the power of God and in the authority of the Lamb above all houses and into houses creep not but are upon the Throne but you that be in the form that deny the power creeps into houses Ellis Bradshaw's Book called The Quakers Whitest Devill His PRINCIPLES as followeth And hath unvailed himselfe in what spirit he is and how he hath gone from the Prophets and Christ and the Apostles fighting against the Rock But the stone is fallen upon his head which will grind him to powder whose words shall be his burthen Pr. HEre he saith We do utterly deny all their ways and doctrines who exclude all teachings of men See page 5. Ans Contrary to the Prophets who bid people to cease from men whose breath was in their nostrils therefore there is a teaching beyond it And who comes to that shall come to hear the Son And the Apostles went to bring people off to the end of the Prophets and off of the Priests and off the ordinances which the Prophets had established in their place and the Lord is come to teach his people himselfe where they need not say know the Lord in the new covenant Pr. He saith The Quakers spirit doth teach them to honour no man c. see page 6. Ans That is a lye for it teacheth them to have all men in esteem and to honour all men in the Lord Yet they are convinced by the Law to be transgressors if they respect mens persons and they are not to hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons as you do And whereas thou saith The spirit of God doth not teach to judge before the time c. See page 6. And others say the
the end of groaning and gruling which thou art in that art out of this and keeps people which are apostatized from the Apostle from the Light which is the Truth John Deacon's Book called A Publique Discovery of a secret Deceit His Principles follow And as for the rest of his Lies and Slanders in his Book which are heaped up they will fall upon his own head and be his sorrow And all Liars upon the earth that are given up to believe tell lies are comprehended with the innocency and truth by which innocency is preserved and men and people shall heap to themselves sorrow by their owne lies and inventions Neverthelesse the Scriptures of Truth are owned in their place to the condition that they were spoken to Pr. HE saith That the light wherewith every one that cometh into the world is enlightned withall is the light of nature and reason and sense c. See page 5. Ans Which is contrary to John 1.9 who saith it was the true light by which all things were made which as many as received him he gave them power to become the sons of God which is beyond naturall sense and reason Pr. He saith That the worke of faith and the growth of faith is by the naturall use of Ordinances and calls it deceitfull sophistry which denyes it c. page 7. Answ Faith is the gift of God and Christ is the Author of it It cometh not by the naturall use of Ordinances The naturall man receiveth not the things that be of God which faith is the gift of God And thou art in the sophistry and in the poyson that saith faith the work and growth of it is by the naturall use of ordinances Pr. And he speaks of a temporall expressive word of God c. see page 8. Answ But the Scripture tells us of no such thing as temporal word but speaks of the Word of God that lives and endures for ever and so the other is but his own imagination Pr. He saith The Quakers go about to picke forth the right eye of Christianity Ans Because they hold forth the light that lighteth every man that comes into the world Christ Jesus the Covenant of God which makes all the apostate Christians blind And your right eye must be plucked out that offends and this the Christians shall witnesse when their eyes are open that sees the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world the covenant of God Prin. He saith The Quakers were never heard of till of late yeares c. See page 12. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures which speaks of them before Moses by Moses by the Prophets and Apostles and he bids them to worke out their salvation with feare and trembling And now the great Earth-quake is coming amongst you false Prophets and Antichrists John speaks of and Harlots and Apostates from the Apostle compellers to your worship And now are you comprehended with the spirit of God are you judged who are ignorant of the salvation wrought out with feare and trembling Pr. He calls them subtill deceivers and hereticks that questions the word Trinity and says it came from Rome c. see page 13. Ans Which he is justifying and so he is turning to his Teacher the Pope and Common Prayer-book of whom he hath learned it For the Scriptures have not taught it him And the Son and the Father is in unity and this we own that are called Quakers and deny you and your Pope and your Common-prayer-book and your false Teachers got up since the days of the Apostles Pr. Again he saith O incomparable hypocriticall lyars Is not this the character Paul gives of a false prophet to speak lyes in hypocrisie because we preach Perfection c. See page 16. Answ It is agreeable to Scripture Christs doctrine and the Apostles doctrine and the life of Christ And we are made free from sin saith the Apostle And again As he is so are we in this present world And as many as are perfect are thus minded c. But this thou cals hypocrisie lies and thus thou art out of the Apostles Christs doctrine and life and like a mad man rages against them that be in it and hath denyed thy owne work the work of the Ministry which was for the perfecting and so art a Physitian of no value Pr. He saith The enjoyment of immortality is not till they have put off the body c. See page 17. Ans Contrary to the Apostles doctrine who saith Immortality was brought to light through the Gospell this was when they were upon earth and the word of God was in them and Christ was in them which was immortall Pr. Again he saith They shall not have power over death and the grave untill the naturall death c. See page 17. Answ Contrary to the Apostle who saith Oh death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory And they were passed from death to life And he that believes shall never dye and such hath power over death and the grave And he that believes shall never dye they have passed from death to life Pr. He calls them secret deceivers to grant perfect purity and perfection c. See page 18. Answ Which is contrary to to the Apostles doctrine who brought people to perfection and purity and holinesse without which none shall see the Lord And they were to stir up their pure minds Pr. He saith To witnesse perfect purity is an alluding to an enjoyment of heaven upon earth and saith this is as the world c. See page 19. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures who witnessed the Kingdome of heaven in the Saints and their conversation in heaven and thou that brings to the contrary art a deceiver and grants not that other Pr. He saith He dare boldly assert that the Gospell is not first made known by the seeing within but by hearing tidings without c. Ans Contrary to that which they call their Originall which saith the Gospel is preached in every creature And there is none cometh to hearing and seeing of the Gospell but it is with the eye within that which is opprest For the Jews that heard not and saw not within they stood against the Gospel And Christ said their ears were stopped and their eyes were closed and so they heard words but the Gospel the power of God they could not hear but stood against Christ and so none heare but they that hear within and he is not a Preacher of the Gospel which is the power of God but he that preacheth to the inward eye Pr. He confesseth That none of the Saints had ever a particular command and then again he confesseth they had and so he is in confusion page 26. He saith It is a lye to preach the Kingdome of heaven within unbelievers Answ Contrary to Christs words who told the Pharisees the Kingdome of God was within them Luke 17. So in confusion
Parishioners because for conscience sake they cannot put in their mouthes Therefore are they worrying of them like Wolves and destroying of them for their dishonest gain which they do no work for And do not the Ministers of God the Apostles rebuke such as went to law before the unjust one among another and bids them set up the least in the Church to Judge such things and told them they should Judge the world yea Angels and not to go to Law one among another about such things Then where art thou and thy generation that saith it is a sin if they do not go to Law if the Ministers do not sue for outward things let the least in the Church Judge thee How unlike the Apostles you are who kept the Gospel without charge and coveted no mans silver nor gold who Preached the Gospel the end of the Law and brought people from under it And you bring people into it and your inventions but the day is come that you are seen and the night is past to many and none can you deceive but who be in the night but the Judgement is gone over your heads the Judge of the world is come Pr. He saith it was imputed to Abraham for righteousness his Faith and doubtless Job was a perfect man in Gods account and Christs righteousness is imputed to us c. Ans Yet thou sâ—itâ— none â—oth good no not one and brings that Scripture in the Rom. comparing them that were in the Faith withall them that were gone astray both Jewes and Gentiles See page 21. Now let all try and Judge thee here and see thy false measure art thou a man fit to speak of the Saints and their Faith who puts them that be a stray Jews and Gentiles Amongst them that believe putting no difference betwixt the precious and the vile and so art not a man capable of true reason Pr. He saith Gods furnace is the grave where all the remainder of corruption shall be consumed c. See page 22. Ans Now what differs this from the Papists who hold a Purgatory And the Saints witnessed and said Now they were washed now they were cleansed c. while they were upon earth and they were sanctified through the obeâ—ience of the spirit they were justified and sate in heavenly places on this side the grave whiles they were upon earth and were made free from sin and was perfect Pr. He saith That Paul disclaimed perfection in himselfe c. page 23. Ans Who said as many of us as are perfect be thus minded which wrongs Pauls words And again he saith We speak wisdome among them that are perfect Pr. He saith If a man were free from sin he would be free from temporall punishment and afflictions c. see page 23. Ans Christ was free from sin and the Saints and yet he was not free from temporall punishment and affliction And so here he doth not divide the word aright neither Pr. He saith If we attain to perfection here we should attain to a rest here and brings the Apostles words who saith doubtlesse there remains a rest to the people of God c. See page 24. Ans And the Apostle saith there He that doth believe hath entered into his rest and so he doth not divide the word aright to know what state and condition it was spoken to And the Apostle said they were perfect the Ministers of Christ and he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and so thou art not a sanctified one and hath denyed the offering that hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and so hath denyed the Covenant that blots out sin and transgression and the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin Pr. But he saith That doth not follow that he that is dead to sin is freed from sin See page 24. Ans So he is contrary to the Apostle who saith so He that is dead to sin is freed from sin and can live no longer therein Pr. He saith The law of God is a standing rule to the worlds end c. And thou that saith the Law is a standing rule hath denyed Christ the end of it See page 25. Answ But the Scripture and Christ saith the Law must be fulfilled who is the everlasting covenant in the heart Christ and in the minde the end of the Law which was before the Scripture was written glorified with the Father before the world began which many have the Scriptures and yet from the Law of God written in the heart and neglect that which brings into Covenant with God by which the Scriptures is fulfilled and so here again thou dost not divide the word aright and brings not people into that which doth fulfill Scripture Pr. He saith Because this light doth not lead us to close with Gods Ordinances the Sacraments he looks upon it as a delusion of Satan page 26. Answ The Scriptures mentions no such word and the light was before your invented Sacraments was and cannot joyn with them but condemns them but it owns the Scripture and the Ordinances of God Richard Baxter's Booke called A Second Sheet to the Ministry justifying our Call against the QUAKERS c. His Principles follow Because the Children of God cannot satisfie his ungodly lusts therefore he is complaining to the Magistrates So he is one of the Complainers and Murmurers Pr. HE saith That Timothy was not to hold fast that which he had immediately received from God but that which he had received from Paul c. See page 5. Answ In this thou art contrary to the Apostle who bid stir up the gift that was in him and keep the faith which Christ was the author of and that would not contradict the Apostles words that was in the faith and that which Timothy received from God he was to hold fast in which he had unity with the Apostle Pr. He saith The holy Ghost is to help us in keeping that which is committed to us and not to reveal more See page 4. Answ Timothy could not know doctrine but by revelation and doing the will of Christ How art thou exalted and would put lyes upon the Apostle and limit the holy one and set bounds to the Just and be a Teacher of the holy Ghost what it must not reveal How art thou exalted in this above all that is called God and sits in the Temple of God blasphemously who would be a teacher of the holy Ghost who must be the Teacher and who tells what it must reveal and what it must not reveal Thou must be stopt for thy presumption If ye have nothing but what the holy Ghost hath given forth the form of words the Church of Rome hath the same and all the false Prophets upon the earth and Antichrists and Seducers and the Devils they get the Scriptures given forth from the holy Ghost and holdeth these words in the unrighteousnesse and stop and resist the holy Ghost and say it must reveal no more
These comes under the judgements of the Almighty Gods decree is against them and the Spirit the holy Ghost doth lead into all truth and doth reveal and the Apostle bids the Saints wait for the revelation of Jesus And the grace was brought by the revelation of Jesus and the secrets are revealed to them that feare God and the spirit reveals the things of God and thou saith it reveals no more which shews thou doth not know Scriptures nor God nor spirit Pr. Whereas thou saith Ye have the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles Christs words and so are not to look for new Prophets and that would be a question to the Church and that would shew mutability in Christ See page 6. A. In this thou hast shewed thy self of what generation thou art For there hath been the Mother and the Harlot that hath drunk the blood of the Prophets and the Martyrs and the Saints and such as drink the blood have the forme and get the sheeps cloathing but cries prophesie is ceased and revelation from heaven is ceased onely they have a standing rule the Scriptures without and so there they have their cloathing the sheeps cloathing but ravened from the spirit and so hath denyed the Church in which there is prophecy and the spirit of God for where that is there is prophesie amongst sons and daughters but not amongst you apostates Pr. He finds fault with a man that will not believe except he see as instance a man will not believe they are Ministers of Christ except they worke miracles c. And a man will not believe there is a Parliament or Holland or France or Spain except he have been in them c. See page 6. 7. Answ Thou and thy wits are compassed for Revelations and Prophecies are now spoken forth and witnessed and thou cannot believe because thou dost not see and thou art finding fault with others that do not believe because they do not see Thou art seen and disapproved and so now in that thou judges others thou art judged thy selfe who art blinde and out of the life and many may see there is a Holland and other Countreys though they have not seen them with an outward eye And we believe the Ministers of Christ though they do not work miracles but from them are you apostatized we do believe and see Pr. He saith The Saints were not to forsake the assembling of themselves together as the manner of some was c. See page 8. Answ That was in the time of the Apostles before the aposâ—â—cy But since the apostacy the Beast and the false Prophets and the murtherers of the Saints are got up which assemble themselves together and deceive the Nations and are breaking the Saints meetings which gather â—ther that keep the testimony of Jesus and the spirit of prophesie and overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of Jesus And Christ who is the Rock and his Church doth continue but that which Christ said should come is come the false Prophets that should get the sheepâ— cloathing and John saw was come which went forth from them which made war against the Saints and the Lamb but the Saints and the Lamb shall get the victory And we are come to the assembly of the Saints before you were apostatized for your assemblies hath forsaken the Saints your fruits declare it Pr. He saith Because they have the peoples consent and the Magistrates allowance therefore that is true ordination c. See page 11. Ans Balaam he had the peoples consent and the Heathenish Magistrates allowance when he should have cursed the children of Israel and so this is no proof of ordination And the chief Priests had the peoples consent and the Magistrates many of them which turned against Christ this is no ordination to be Ministers of Christ And the Beast and the false Prophet shall rise against the Lamb and the Saints and yet they shall have sheeps cloathing this is no proof of their ordination from God but all this proves it from man But all who have their ordination from God are not owned neither by people nor Magistrates in their wills but who feare God and are come to the spirit of God by that to which they minister and never went to the Magistrates for their allowance and here again you are apostates from the Apostles and in the steps of the false Prophets whose ordination is by the consent of the people and your allowance from the Magistrates who are from the allowance of Christ that he gives to his Ministers and the ordination of the Apostles that was not from man nor by man Pr. Thou bids us marke the Canon of the Holy Ghost in Timothy See page 11. Ans And there is no such word as Canon in Timothy and thou tells us of a Catholique Church and we cannot finde any such word in Scripture that it speaks of any such word but we perceive whom thou hast learned these words of what center and stock thou comest of from the Pope and not from the Apostles Pr. He saith They have an un-interrupted succession drawn from the Apostles c. See page 13. Answ For your succession is from the Pope apostatized from the Apostles ye are out of the Apostles Doctrine in all your whole worship corrected and reproved by Scripture Did the Apostle set up a Temple set up tythes set up your Schools and Colledges Is not the Pope the Author of all this Are not yee his Successors Pr. Thou sayes Ye are the Ministers of Christ because ye have the Scriptures and books and such like and you are not usurpers of the authority c. See page 16. A. Now there is never a one of you all that ever durst say ye have heard Gods voice immediately from heaven or Christs voyce or have the same spirit as the Prophets and Apostles and Christ had or immediate revelations from heaven as they had So then you be in another ordination then they was in and usurpers of authority into your ministry and intruders into those things you never saw And cannot any one be as good a Pastor or Minister as you seeing all your teaching is but from books and other mens writings Why may not others learn the same books and writings and so come to be Teachers and Pastors as well as you seeing you have nothing but from Books and Writings and old Authors Why may not all that read those be Pastors and Teachers and so then where be the hearers and so with the life are you all judged The spirit of God which gave forth Scriptures which was before your old Books and Authors were Thomas Higginson his Book called The Testimony of the True JESVS His PRINCIPLES follow c. Pr. HE saith The Word is not righteousnesse without the flesh c. See page 3. Ans The Word is righteous it selfe and the flesh righteous as it became Pr. He saith Men are presented perfect to God and
from them And is it not blasphemy for you to speak and preach that which ye have not received from heaven so ye have brought your selves under the curse and shewed another Gospel For whosoever receiveth the Gospel which is called the power of God it is immediate and by immediate revelation from God from heaven And so your Gospel which is of men and after men is another not the power of God received from God for whosoever receiveth the Gospel the power of God must receive it immediately for the power of God is immediate and that is the glad tidings to poor souls that sets the souls free which is immediate Pr. He saith We claim Tythes not by the Law of God but by the Law of the Land and Tythes seems to be Christs wages and Melchisedeck still liveth to receive Tythes in Christ c. Answ Christ is come the everlasting Priest-hood who ends the true commandement that gave tythes and the Priests that took them which ends in him Melchisedeck that received tythes of Abraham of whom Christ came according to the flesh And so Christ doth not any where to his Disciples who ended the true command that gave tythes give forth his Disciples an order to set up another Law in the Nations to give them tythes the tythes of mens estates and so you are none of the Order of Melchisedeck never come thither but of the order of them which Christ said should come who are inwardly ravened which John saw was come went forth from them the false spirit that went forth into the world into the earth and so ye have set up Tythes and Temples and Schools and Priests by the Popes authority Had yee not your Spiritual Courts not long since And was not the Pope the first author of your Tythes And are not you of that Order far off of that spirit that leads after the Order of Melchisedeck for ye are ravened from the spirit For none comes to the Priesthood after the Order of Melchisedeck but who comes to the spirit of Christ and these are Kings and Priests to God for ever So ye have received your Tythes after the order of that spirit that went forth from the Apostles into the world into the earth that inwardly ravened and went forth from the Apostles which the world have been after since the dayes of the Apostles and have had the sheeps cloathing but ravened and devoured the Lambs and worried the sheep Ministers Prophets and Saints So your Order will all men comprehend that be of the royall Priest-hood after the order of Melchizedeck to be come of the Popes stock for the Apostles and Christ did not set up Tythes Pr. He saith Baptisme comes in in the room of Circumcision and it is called the circumcision of Christ Again he saith that thee and thou is a custome So if any man be contentious we have no such custome in the Church of God Ans Circumcision is no where said to be a type of sprinkling Infants and that sprinkling Infants is no where said to be the circumcision of Christ But the circumcision without of men was a type of the circumcision within And that the Apostle witnessed the fulfilling of it in the spirit and so denies the outward And the baptisme of John was a type of that within And you to a particular which is your custome which the Scripture doth not declare to us that that custom was in the Church of God But the Apostle bid them keep to the form of sound words that could not be condemned Now you to a particular is not a found word as they can tell that have but read either the Bible or Accidence And there is no Heathenish customes comes into the Church of God that will spot or wrinkle it nor nothing cometh into it that is the pillar and ground of Truth that will be condemned Pr. And he tells us of a word Trinity And he saith the onely ordinary way to know Jesus Christ is outward Revelation and to attain to the knowledge of Christ is by the Scriptures and he may be a Minister of Christ though he be partly out of Christs doctrine and though he be called of men Master He saith the Scripture tells us plainly that Baptisme is a Christians circumcision Again He that saith that light which is in every man is sufficient to discover and lead men to Christ is under the darkness of his own fancy having so far left the true light the word of God Answ The light in every man which Christ hath enlightned him withall loving it and walking in it it is sufficient to discover Christ and salvation and they that be out of that be in the darknesse and fancy And as for the word Trinity that comes from the old stock the Pope the Scripture teacheth us no such word And none can know Christ by the Scriptures they testifie of him but none can know Christ but by Revelation flesh and blood had not revealed it to Peter and the Son was revealed in the Apostle and none can preach Christ that deny revelation in truth and they that are Ministers of Christ they be in his doctrine For when they are out of his Doctrine and his commands then they are wrong Ministers which ministers not for Christ but they preach themselves and are Antichrists transgressors And the Scripture doth not tell any where that Baptisme is a Christians circumcision as sprinkling Infants but Circumcision in the spirit and Baptisme in the spirit is all one in which the oâ—â—ward ends And as for all thy other silly expressions published to the Nation it bad been better thou had kept silent and all of you then to have published your shame to the Nation But your folly you must bring forth to make it manifest to all men whose eyes are opening Are not you in the Devils snare who are out of the discerning For you cannot tell what to bring people into alack for you who are hung about with rags and are not covered with the spirit of the Lord but are all from that which we are in and so hast kept people in darknesse and not turned them to the light being all ravened from it and so think there is life in the Scriptures which testifie of the life So I say search it and see if it do not testifie of the life And every one of your words that ye have all spoken that have not been from the life shall be your burthen the witnesse in thee shall answer it Thomas Weld Richard Prideaux Samuel Hammond William Coale and William Durant Ministers in Newcastle Their Booke called The perfect PHARISEE Their Principles as followeth Pr. THey say If they shall say that every man hath the knowledge of Christ by speciall revelation and that immediate by the spirit that which it quite contrary to the common knowledge of thousands Ans All that ever come to know Christ you and all the people upon the Earth it must be
is upon them that leave the Scriptures to look to the light within them Page 9. And many deceivers should come into the world that confesse not Christ come in the flesh receive them not into your houses And the man Christ is testified against by the light Pag. 13. and he saith they publikely deny the resurrection of the dead body And he saith Christ in the flesh his sufferings was but an example and a figure Ans Christ ended all figures in suffering and examples and paterns yet he is the Saints patern and example as the Scripture witnesses and there is no other example nor patern to be heeded but Christ alone which they are to learn of but to say he is nothing but a figure for that thou and you all will be judged for he ended all figures and is the resurrection and the life both and thy dead body shall live with my dead body this is Scripture and they that said the resurrection was past in the dayes of the Apostles overthrew the faith of some That which overthrowes the faith denying the resurrection kept the seed in death where it hath been in you all since the dayes of the Apostles for who are of faith are of Abraham of Christ according to the flesh and so if the dead arise not their Preaching is vain and their faith is vain So I say mortal must put on immortality and corruption must put on incorruption the first man was made a living soul the second was made a quickening spirit there is earthly bodies and heavenly bodies and there Is a resurrection of the just and unjust the one to eternal life the other to condemnation And the Judge is the man Christ Jesus to Judge the quick and the dead who both dyed and rose again that he might be God of the dead and the living And the light which every man hath that cometh into the world doth not testifie against Christ And the light doth not bring to deny the Scriptures but to own them And none ownes them aright nor Christ but who are in the light which cometh from him And all that do deny the light that doth enlighten every man c. are the wolves and the false Prophets and Antichrists that have gotten the sheeps cloathing and such cannot be received into the houses of the Saints that are from the light which every man is enlightened withall And none confesseth Christ come in the flesh but who is in the light which Christ hath enlightened them withall And so now is all Professors and teachers upon the earth and Kings of the earth ravened inwardly from the light which Christ enlightened them all withall standing against the light and the Lamb and the Saints that be in it and are not to be received into the houses of the Saints neither to bid them God speed for they be out from God that be out of the Light which Christ the Son hath enlightened them withall Pr. And he saith Christ hath a humane reasonable soul Again Christ the Eternal Son of God distinct from the Father Eternally before he was made flesh his spirit was distinguished from the Father and the Son from Eternitie and not onely when he was manifested by descending on Christ in the likeness of a Dove or by falling upon the Apostles like cloven tongues c. page 17. Answ Christ saith he is in the Father and the Father is in him and he will send them the Spirit of Truth the Comforter that proceeds from the Father and the Son and Christ saith he was glorified with the Father before the world began and yet ye say the Son is distinguished from the Father from Eternity and the Son saith he is in the Father and the Father is in him and you say the spirit is distinguished from the Father and the Son from Eternity and Christ saith it proceeds from him and the Fathers and he is the God and Father of the spirits of all flesh and the substance of all things And is not a humane soul earthly for you say that Christ had a humane soul and is not humane earthly and hath a humane body and is not a humane body an earthly body Is not his body of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh and is not his body a glorified body was not the first man of the earth earthly and had an humane body the second man the Lord from heaven And is not the soul immortal which cometh out from God which is immortal and goes into God again and is not humane or earthly mortal And are there not three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and are not they all one how then are they distinct and three that bear record in earth the spirit the water and the blood which agree in one And Christ saith I and my Father are one and I in the Father and the Father in me and he is in the Saints and so not distinct Pr. He saith it is impudency in the Quakers to deny the word Trinity and three Persons And the Church ever denyed such as denyes the Doctrine of the Trinity Page 18. 19. Ans As for the word Trinity and three Persons we have not read it in the Bible but in the Common-prayer Book or Masse-book which the Pope was the Author of but as for Unity we own and Christ being the brightness of the Fathers glory and the expresse Image of his substance of the Father we own That we own which agrees with the Scriptures and for that which the Scripture speakes not which men speak and teach for Doctrine their own words that the Scriptures speakes not nor teacheth such the Scriptures shut out and we deny Pr. He saith that is the weak ignorant dark and the wicked Sect of the Devil that maintains an equality with God the soul to be one being with God or part of God And saith the Quakers say there is no Scriptures speakes of a humane soul and the soul is taken up into God and God is all in all Answ The Assembly or Synod of Priests put forth a Catechisme and say that the Holy Ghost and the Son is equal with the Father in power and glory and this they put forth that people should learn it what then if any come to witness the Holy Ghost they come to witnes that which is equal in power and glory with the Father what if any come to witness the Son of God revealed in them which he that hath not him hath not life do they not come to witness him who is equal in power and glory with the Father this is your own Catechisme and is it blasphemy to confesse your own words that ye have given people to learn God breathed into man the breath of life and he became a living soul God who hath all souls in his hand And is not this that cometh out from God which is in Gods hand part of God of God and from God and to
the Princes of the world which where the seed is come out of the grave it knowes him the seed knowes him and are of his flesh and of his bone it is their meat and drink And Christ is come now who treads the wine-presse alone without the City though all the Beasts and false prophets and Antichrists upon the earth rise against him yet the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory and the Nations shall be ruled with a rod of iron and he that was dead is alive again him by whom the world was made is manifest and he rules in his Saints and the Tabernacle of God is with men Pr. And whereas thou saith that Antichrist will be a single person Answ which is contrary to the Apostle 1 Joh. 1.18 who saith even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know it is the last time and they went out from us but they were not of us the Antichrists which is against Christ The agreement of Divers Ministers of Christ so called in the County of Worcester and parts adjacent which are 58. in Number Some of their Principles followes Pr. THey have sought Gods direction out of the Scriptures which they call his holy word and what is the greatness of their work and edification and salvation of souls c. And do humbly bewail our too great neglect who have not frequently and earnestly laboured in so great a work and especially that we have done no more in Catechising and personally instructing c. Page 3. Answ It was the Ministers work before the Apostacy to go from house and warn all both small and great yea with tears this was the work of the Ministry in the Spirit And they was in the spirit that gave forth Scriptures and so brought people into the life that gave it forth with which they was able to instruct one another and to stir up the pure in one another And the work of the Apostles the Ministers of the Gospel and Christ was to bring people into the life that gave forth Scriptures and into the substance Christ Jesus that the Scriptures testified of But you who are fain to seek in the letter for it in the Scripture for it and have it not from within as they had that gave forth the Scripture and received it of God ye are never like to beget to God And when truth comes as it did among the Pharisees which came to end their forms and their shadowes the builders stood up and rejected it in their forms And now since the dayes of the Apostles such as have had the Scriptures but inwardly ravened from the Spirit of God are standing against the light Christ Jesus that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And so ye may get people into a form and cover them with sheepes cloathing Now Christ is come Reignes and Rules his Saints with him all rise up in armes against him Kings of the earth beast and false prophets the Dragon and his Angels but the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory glory to the highest And so that is but the blind zeal that is stirred up in the Apostates against Christ in this age as it was in the Jewes against Christ in their age But Jewes must come to that which they closed their eyes and stopt their ears against and the Apostates must come to that which they ravened from before they be stirred up in the pure zeal Pr. And you say aged men are commonly more ignorant then the yonger sort and our unskilfulness and others unfitness for the work c. Page 7. Answ Your unskilfulness and ignorance of your old men that is the cause of that ye have been ignorant of the work of God therefore is there so much ignorance among you and the old men and this you may publish to your shame to the Nation And who will be Catechized by unskilful men and ignorant men But this is it that your folly might appear and that ye might publish it forth and set it upon the house tops that all that run might read you 58. Pastors and Teachers and your young men as your old men Pr. You say ye receive the publike maintenance to this end that you may be enabled to lay out your endeavours for the good of the whole Parish from whence we receive it And we are further oblidged in justice to do our best for their salvation Answ How can men that are ignorant and unskilful and the old men are yet foolish and your unfitness do good for the salvation of men when that the old men are so ignorant yea more then the young But it is the publike maintenance that enables you which did not enable the Apostles And that is the thing which you in the Apostacy have looked at For take away that from you and pluck down your Schools and Colledges we should have but a few Ministers in England among you a few instructers So these are all made by men since the dayes of the Apostles in the Apostacy and teaching for filthy lucre and the love of money which he ought not disapproved of by Paul and Timothy And take away but your publike maintenance and few of you would be able to Preach the Gospel freely if this tryal and proof was among you to prove you it would be found that your God was your belly and him it was ye served and him it is that means helpes and enables which Christ and God was the enabler of his Ministers and Prophets and Apostles whom the earth was his and they trusted in him in Christ by whom all things was made that was made and Created Pr. It astonished us many times ye say when we have talked with some of our hearers that they know so little of our Doctrine which we have taught to them many years It is sad to us to hear many men that can talk so about matters of the world understandingly that can scarce speak a word of sence about the matters of their salvation or scarce give a reasonable answer of a Question of the Foundamentals of Christanity Page 19. Ans Thus you have spoken to your shame and it is manifest that here is like people like Priest that shewes ye have not profited them at all and it shewes that the Apostles words are fulfilled among you the doctrines of men the commandments of men they perish in the using of them And who are greater in the world in striving for the earth for maintenance for Tythes casting into prison hailing before Courts and Sessions then you that have called your selves Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel which your fruits have declared to all the Nation and so unlike the Ministers of Christ as your hearers are unlike Christians by your own relation without reproving one another which the Apostle reproved them that taught for filthy lucre Christ reproved them that were called of men master and reproved them that taught for money and for meanes and those that
as they had so these have taken away the key of knowledge from among people since the days of the Apostles and as for the word Canon ye may go to the Papists The Apostles shewed the fulfilling of the Scriptures that Christ was come and the Apostles saw what Christ said should come which inwardly ravened went forth from them which the world hath gone after which now we with the same spirit the Apostles was in which you all ravened from do see ye and what hath reigned since the dayes of the Apostles Now is the fulfilling of the Prophets And the word was in the Apostles and in the Saints yea the word of faith and this comes to fulfill the Scripture this word of faith which was preached in the heart and in the mouth and which was promised before And the light was in the Apostles heart that shined and the sure word of prophesie that did let see and foresee was in the hearts of people which led them to give forth Scriptures and that which fulfills the Scriptures the prophesie is of Christ who ends it and the spirit led them to speak it forth the spirit of prophesie which many may have the Scriptures and not have the more sure word of prophesie And many may have the Scriptures as the Pharisees had and stand against the Revelation of the Son of God from heaven which is surer for he was before Scripture was who ends the Scriptures for many may have Scriptures and be out of the life and not know him the Revelation of the Son of God as the Jewes did not and so say the Scriptures is more sure then Revelation from heaven so more sure then the Son of God who is greater then all and the Scripture was given forth by Revelation and none knowes it but by Revelation Pr. He saith Christ doth not give to every man the light that leadeth to the Father and there is not in every man that redeeming light which leadeth to the Father And it is false to say the light which John speakes of is a salvation light he saith the light in every man is but the candle light of natural understanding pag. 56. And the light which every man hath is a low common benefit and no drop of this immortal seed pag. 57. 58. Nor is the light which every man hath his Mediation And I call the light which every man hath natural pag. 59. And the light which every man hath teacheth nothing of the way truth and life of Jesus Christ. pag. 60. And the light which is in every man is opposite to Scriptures pag. 61. This is the light which is in every mans conscience which is but natural And the Apostle saith he warneth every man and teacheth every man that he might present them perfect in Christ Jesus But he saith the Apostle did not warn every man he did not levell the Saints light with every mans page 62. It is not meant that every man is enlightened but the Church Page 63. Answ I am the light of the world and doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world saith Christ the life So the light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall wil let them see the life which it cometh from will let them see their salvation Christ Jesus will let them see their Mediator will let them see the truth for the light is truth which cometh from Christ the truth And the light is Christ the way the truth the life that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world In him was life and the life was the light of men in him by whom the world was made which light was before any natural lights was the Sun Moon and Stars are natural lights and these was made by Christ the light who doth enlighten every man c. which men having a light from him by whom the world was made by whom all things was created who was afore any things was created Le ts them see before any created light natural light made lights which gives every one the knowledge of life which lets every one see the salvation to the ends of the earth which lets every one see the Covenant of God that love it and believe in it they come to the life Christ him from whence the light cometh The light is of the immortal seed of Christ Jesus one with the Saints light the Saints believe in that the world hates and receives that which the world hates so it is the worlds condemnation it is the condemnation of them that hate it And so was he promised a Covenant to the Gentiles aswell as to the Jewes and so doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world according to Johns witness and testimony to the Priests and Levites which came from Jerusalem to examine him So the Priests now examine us in this age and professors which the Quakers are witnesses of and bears testimony to which Paul warned every man and taught every man that he might present them perfect in Christ the light So the light is one with the Saints light that condemnes the unbelievers And the light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall that through it he might believe and who believes in it and receives it he hath the light of life and they become the Sons of God and who hate it it is their condemnation and they are against Scriptures but the light is not against Scriptures but ownes them And so the light is not so low as ye esteem it for it was before any thing was made or created as for the word Trinity there is no Scripture for it without ye finde it in the Common-prayer Book And the light in the converted shines out of Darkness in their hearts and gives them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God c. And the light in the unconverted shines in the Darkness and the Darkness comprehendes it not Pr. He saith that the light without the Scriptures is no light Pag. 64. And to call the light that doth enlighten every man the word of God is contradiction And there was no light before the Scriptures which is now revealed in Scripture pag. 64. That God is light not the light in every mans conscience pag. 68. And the best light that every man hath is but created Not one man in the world knowes God till he finde him in Scripture pag. 69 The Lord Christ the Eternal Son the Essential word of the Father is more in Scripture then in every man or any man pag. 70. They that speak from the Scripture rightly understood speak more from Christ then they that speak from the light within them Answ The light was before Scripture was given forth the light was before the Created lights was and makes manifest all created lights for all created lights was created by it and all that ever had the Scriptures and are not in the light that doth enlighten every man that
to justification sanctification and righteousness Answ None comes to Justification to Righteousnesse who are out of the fear of God nor to receive his righteousnesse but who comes to the light within which comes from Christ the righteousnesse the wisdome the justification and sanctification and ye be in the errour that be not in this Light that leads too and le ts see it Pr. Perfection in holiness cannot be attained in this life for Adam was under such a Covenant he had no Mediator upon the breach of the command Ans God said to Adam the seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head Christ the Promise the Mediator made the way which was the way in again to God of mans redemption and got down the Serpents head which got up in transgression that Christ the head should bear rule that the seed of the woman should have dominion the second Adam the seed Christ Jesus the Lord from heaven Perfection is not to be attained to by the life ye live untill ye come to the principle of God in you but the life that David lived in saw an end of all perfection And all who come to Christ the second Adam they come to perfection and all who attain to him they attain to perfection in the life of God out of the first Adam but who deny the light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world and rest in the first Adam the life they live in denies perfection and never owns it in the life they live in But who comes into perfection comes into Christ a new life out of Adam in the Fall in transgression All Physitians to sick men are to make them perfect And do yee say make none whole make none perfect make never a man perfect For being made whole they are made perfect for sin wounds for the Ministery of God was to bring people to the perfect man to present them perfect These were Physitians of value and of worth whereby the body soule spirit and all were cured and they glorified God in the body and spirit Now yee that say they shall not be perfect and that none shall be without sin upon the earth no perfection in the life we live in These are Physitians of no value yee are not worthy to have the name of Physitians Ministers nor Teachers Thomas Weld Richard Prideaux Samuel Hammond William Cole and William Durant for yee are pleading while men be upon earth they must have a body of sin and he that saith otherwayes is a deceiver and so ye keep them in their wounds and sores putrifying and imperfect and not makers up of the breach and binders up of the wound And the Lord saith Though their sins be as red as crimson I will make them as white as wool and will blot out sin and transgression And this tender love and kindnesse of the Lord and mercifulness to sinners transgressors hath the Lord made manifest amongst them which the world in scorn calls Quakers and it is not a strange thing that you would not have people to forsake the fashions of the world who are thus hung about with ribbons and cuffs and scarfs and your double Boot-hose-tops and more like unto Stage-players then Ministers Pr. Perfection is a fancy those were not words of true Physitians who brought men to a perfect man to the growth up in perfection amongst the perfect ones who speak wisdome They say It is no where said that the Law is fulfilled in any Saints in this life Answ They that love God keep his Commandements Christ is the end of the Law to every one that believes and who be in him be in the end of the Law And all that dwell in love dwell in God and love is the fulfilling of the commandement who are of the seed of God keep the words of God which the Beasts and false Prophets since the dayes of the Apostles who have inwardly ravened and turned against the royall seed of God and keep the Commandements of God and so none of you that raven from the spirit of God cannot keep Gods commandements though ye have all the Saints words for the Saints witnesse the end of the Law and witness perfection and a perfect man and spoke wisdome among them that were perfect and growing up to perfection Pr. That Christ gives to every man a saving light we utterly deny Answ He is the true light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the world saith John the Minister of God and he is salvation to the ends of the earth and they that hate the light neglect their salvation and turns the grace of God into wantonness and denies the Lord that bought them And every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to the Sonne and none heareth or cometh to the Father that cometh not to the Son But who comes to the thing that is transgressed in them and the light that every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall nor hears nor learns of the Father nor comes to the Son but by that and the light that lighteneth every one that cometh into the world is the salvation to him that believes and he that doth not it is his condemnation Pr. But how dare these men lift up themselves in their blasphemous pride to say they are pure as God Answ Doth not Christ say Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect is that blasphemy and to be holy as I am holy is that blasphemy whose Ministers are you is not this the work of Christ and the Apostle without Holiness ye shall never see God and as he is so are we in this present world Pr. The word of God is contained in the Scriptures Ans The Scripture saith God is the word and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him are ye not more like void of reason then Ministers whose ignorance thus appears of the Scriptures which saith God is the word and the Scripture is the words and Christ is the word who fulfills them Pr. The Scriptures were given forth some more darkly some plainer Answ They which gave forth Scripture and they that be in that in which it ends to them the Scripture is not dark but such as be from the Principle of God in their own selves they be darkness so darkness happens to them which blinds their minds and the Scriptures was not given forth darkly but in the light but you who be from the light be dark Pr. The Apostles ordained them elders by a mediate call and we are convinced clearly of a mediate call to the work of the ministry and of the word Answ That which made the Officers and overseers in the Church amongst the Saints before the Apostasie It was the Holy-Ghost which holy men spoke Scripture from that made them Overseers that was not mediate but immediate that did oversee in the Church of God And we do believe that you Elders and Members called Ministers are all mediate and
hearers are ashamed of you and will not justifie your practices and so yee have shewed your consciences who take the tenths that you are not exercised with the light neither be in the mystery of the Faith which gives to see the end of all changeable things And are not you begging with your Petitions for more maintenannce with your Petitions flying up and down for Glebe-lands and Augmentations to the powers of the earth and sending for Writs summoning up to the Courts people that you do no work for and this hath been the end of your fruits Pr. He that scorns to make use of the labours of men for his improvement in the things of God shewes himselfe proud If there be occasion to make use of humane Authors which we offer to our Hearers Answ Humane Authors are from the earth from the fallible nature to mixe and mingle that with that which is received from God he shews that he hath not discerning and makes that not sufficient which he hath received from God and this is contrary to the Apostles what the Saints of the Lord had delivered they did not mixe it with mens enticing words of wisdome neither did they speak it in the words which mans wisdome taught but which the holy Ghost did teach them Therefore this is to teach from mens labours or humane Authors for mens Labours and the humane authors invented come out of that nature which prisons the seed of God and so that is not agreeable to that which is received from God but every ones words there shall be his burthen and so humane authors are not to be mixed with the word of God for the word is pure nothing is to be added to or taken from it he that doth shall be proved a lyer and the higher power is not humane nor fallible Pr. Paul and Peâ—er were instructed by an immediate revelation which we are not so presumptuous to expect or to make the Ap stles condition our condition humane learning wil not acquaint us with the mind of God yet being sanctified it is a great assistance to that end Ans Are not ye in the presumption usurp authority to preach or to teach that have not the immediate revelation as the Apostles had but have got their words and usurps the authority and are out of their power is not this usurping Are not all who be not of the power in the words of the Apostles such as are to be turned away from by the command of the Apostle And are not all who be of God and in the power the life that the Prophets Christ and the Apostles were in the immediate revelation of God Can any know the Scriptures or the truth given forth from the spirit of truth learned of God the Father of truth but by the immediate revelation which is the spirit of God which reveales the things of God And thou speakest of study and prayer can any dvide the word aright or pray aright but in the spirit and where that is is not there immediate revelation from God and this thou calls presumption to be in the revelation as the Apostles were in which it is presumption to meddle with their words and not to be in the condition they were in that is persumption and to usurp athority and so ye are them that are got up since the daies of the Apostles ravening inwardly from the spirit of God that they were in have sheeps cloathing which Christ said should come Iohn saw was come went forth form them which since the daies of the Apostles the world have gone after you all but who have their names written in the book of life before the foundation of the world keep Jesus testimony And humane learning doth not help in the way and things of God as it is in it self but as the spirit doth open through all things and beyond all things and comprehends all Languages and sees before languages were that is it that ministers to the spirits in prison and that is not called humane learning which sees over languages and beyond languages and comes to have power over tongues languages and speeches and sees before they were Pr. Costome hath made it the civility of our language to say you to one and not to say thou to a Superiour except it be a Familier It is no great fault to respect mens persons and the Scripture onely makes men wise to salvation And it is a pernitious error in placing justification and salvation in righteousnesse within Ans That the righteousnesse of Christ might be fulfiled in us and where Christ is within there is sanctification and there is justification there is salvation known for there is no salvation known nor felt without but first it is found within Faith evidenceth it the spirit witniâ—sing the spirit comes to witnesse it the light sees it this is within And so they that have these words of righteousnesse of sanctification of Justification without not within are in the error none knows them without but first they know them within and you to a superiour and Thou to a familiar Is not God the Superiour the supream and dost thou say You to God dost thou esteem man higher in a place beyond God is not this ambition and pride and presumption and foolishnesse must thou not come to be judged here and be humbled for your miscariages and Thou to a familiar a person of low degree canst thou speak more familiarly to God then to man Thou to him and You to man is this righteous and sound speech that cannot be condemned Dost thou not in this shew that thou never learned the Accidence or Bible he that respects persons commits sin dost thou respect the poor and the rich in thy words and is by the law reproved to be a transgressor and is out of the faith that is held without respect of persons And as for the rest of all thy lies and hard expressions in thy Book they shall come upon thy self and to thee be a heavie burthen And the day hastens upon thee apace to the witness of God in thy conscience I speak which will let thee see that it had been better for thee if thou had never opened thy mouth then to have opened thy nakedness to the Nation and this is not the way to convert souls to rail for railing never converted any but brought them into a form out of the power and so encreased knowledge which was their sorrow R. Sherlock His Principles as followeth Pr. HE saith They do not attain the knowledge and understanding of the Gospel by the same means as the Apostles did saith he we Preach the same Gospel as the Apostles preached but do not attain to the knowledge and understanding of this Gospel by the same means Answ That which the Apostles received they received from God so ye receiving it not by the same means have received it from men and not from God Pr. He saith
and power and glory with the Father What then all that have the Son and the holy Ghost hath that which is equall in power and glory with the Father In this thou hast not onely judged thy selfe but all the Assembly of Divines at Westminster 1649. Pr. It is a false thing to say Christs person is in man Answ Which is as much as to say none are of his flesh or of his bone nor eate it nor had not his substance Pr. For denying all meritorious works that cast men out from enjoying any thing from Gâ—d for their salvation Ans And nere they are turned to the Pope who are in their own meritorious works out of the faith that works by love Pr. And there is no other way to salvation but by meritorious wâ—rks Ans And there is no man attains to salvation by his own meritorious works in his will but they that attain salvation comes to the light which Christ hath enlightned them withall Pr. He calls that Satanicall to say as he is so are we in this present world Ans Contrary to John who saith as he is so are we in this present world so thou hast denyed Johns words Pr. That God doth exclude all works wrought in man and by man by what spirit soever Answ So here is thy spirit tryed and works are totally excluded without any distinction and so the works of God and Christ his Son are excluded by thee and the Apostle bids them worke out their salvation with fear and trembling which he opposeth and gives another sense to it and the works of God Christ and the spirit are not denyed by us as thou dost by the Devill which is in thee Pr. To be justified by Christ alone he calls it a justified self-quaker Answ There is no man self-denyed and justified in the sight of God but by Christ alone And they that are not justified by Christ alone are in themselves and it's justification Pr. It is against the Scriptures to say men must be without sin and that men must be perfect Answ That 's contrary to the Scriptures for they mention that there was just men perfect men and holy men upon earth for they that gave forth Scriptures were holy men and Paul spoke wisdom amongst them that were perfect and Joseph was a just man And the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin and are perfected by the one offering for ever mark the words are and he that is borne of God doth not commit sin Prin. He makes people believe that false Prophets and Antichrists are come but now Ans Which Christ said should come in Matth. 24. which John saw were come 1 Epist 2. And in the Revelation he saw the world go after them which he is one of them but the Quakers own but one Christ which is the seed which is now risen on top of them all and witnesse the Lamb He that was dead is alive and lives for evermore Pr. That the Quakers are of the Devill Ans And it hath been the Devill in him that hath testified against the Quakers and so makes his Kingdome divided against himselfe and it is Christ that is in the Quakers and hath appeared that cannot be shaken whom he calls Belzebub like some of his old Fathers but his reward will be according to his works Pr. Hâ— saith No other people upon the earth go about to save soules but the Quakers Answ So he hath judged himselfe and all the people upon the face of the earth to be deceivers of souls and not savers of souls but the Quakers are so the preservers and savers of souls and yet he calls them equivocating deluding hypocrites which he hath proved himself and all others to be so except Quakers Pr. He denies and sayes that the Saints bodies are not Christs body Answ And how are they Christs how dwels he in them and how are they of his flesh and of his bone then and how bruitish are you become in the knowledge hath not he bought them with a price and are they not his Pr. He saith That neither Gods Essence nor the heaven nor Christs person was in Peters holy body Answ But the Apostle said God will dwell in you and walke in you and Christ in you And again he saith our conversation is in heaven And here thou art striving against the Apostles Doctrine and the Beasâ— is blaspheming against the Tabernacle of God and they that dwell in heaven And thus thou wrangles with the Apostle who said Christ was in them and is not his power that which thou calls his essence Pr. He sayes There is not whole Christ God and man in men Answ Then how must men grow up in the measure of the fulnesse of the stature of Christ and Christ and God will dwell in man and walk in man God that made all things and Christ by whom all things were made Pr. He saith It is a shame for the Quakers to say as he is so are we in this present world Ans Which is the Apostles words and the Apostle was not ashamed to speak them but thou that lives in the power of darkness art ashamed to hear them Pr. He saith Christ had not appeared unto the Saints in his second coming to them much lesse in them Ans Contrary to the Apostles Doctrine 2 Colos And Christ said he would dwell in them And the Apostle said the son of God was come and Christ said he would come again to the Apostles which he did according to his word and God did dwell in them and walk in them and John in his Epistle said the Son of God was come Pr. And he saith The Saints are not as Christ is Answ So he denies Johns Doctrine who said as he is so are we in this present world Pr. And he said The righteous man sins seven times a day and that David nor no man living is justified in the sight of God at any time so long as he was a living man upon earth and that the Prophâ—ts were not made free from sin Ans And there is no Scripture that saith a righteous man sins seven times a day and David said his sins were removed from him as far as the East is from the West and yet thou saith David was never at any time free from sin of having sin in him while he was upon the earth And God said I have found David a man after my owne heartâ— fulfilling all my will So here he was justified And the Apostle said in Rom. 6. that they were made free from sin and were justified by faith in Christ Jesus Pr. He saith Paul was not made free from all sin A. Yet Paul said he had kept the faith he had kept that which purifies and gives victory over sin and yet he goes about to disprove Pauls words and saith Paul had sin when he had finished his course so his great work is to prove the Saints sinners which they witnesse against him and charging Job Paul
Principles as followeth Priest of Cockermouth in Cumberland Pr. HE said He would come to Christ and never own the light within him Answ None comes out of transgression to the second Adam but who comes to the light within which is the way to the Father and that is it which gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ which comes from him Pr. George Larcum said I would to God I had power thou shouldst be severely punished Answ Here thou hast shewed thou art limited and thy weapons and thy Armour and art not a Minister of Christ in the armour of God the shield of faith nor shod with the Gospel but such is the Priests and false Prophets who got the Magistrates into the forme that denyed the power of God on their side that they might be ready to help the false Prophets against the truth when ever it ariseth Thomas Warwicke Priest came to the meeting of those called Quakers on a Green and struck John Grave and plucked him off the Green and his wife struck and beat sore and drew blood of friends And the same Priâ—â—t said If the Law were rightly executed thou might not stand there it would cut off all your necks Thomas Dentham Priest called me out of the meeting to him and said he would stand to prove his practice and then he went his way and bade the people take me away hang me and at his words the people did beat me and pulled the hair off my head John Grave witnesse Answ You shew your selves not to be Ministers of Christ â—ut to be such that ever was out of the Saints life who was found in the spirit of murderers and persecutors of him you are that is out of the truth would drink the bloud of the Saints this is the mark of the Beast and false Prophets that would kill creatures and wrestle with flesh and blood Pr. That the Devill is a Minister of Christ in some sense Answ Christ the seed of the womâ—n bruises the Serpents head and destroys death and him that hath the power of it and destroys the works of the Devill and judges the Prince of this world and takes him together with the false Prophets and the Beast and casts them alive into the lake of fire that he shall deceive the the Nations no more and so he will not suffer the Devill to minister and thus the Devill and his Apostles are bound under with the Truth which he is out of Pr. The Scribes and Pharisees were Ministers of Christ in the same sort as Moses was when Christ commands to hear them though in a lower degree of manifestation Ans The Scribes and Pharisees were not as Moses for Moses was in the life and light with which he saw Christ The Pharisees had the words of Moses and the Law and Prophets but out of the life that Moses was in and the Prophets though got up in Moses Chair they stood against Christ and saw him not as Moses did whom Christ cryed woe against So they were not the Ministers of Christ but against him who was the end of the Prophets John Owen who calls himself a Minister of the Gospell his principles as followeth in his Catechisme which he gives forth 1657. Pr. ALl truth concerning God and our selves is to be learned from the holy Scripture the Word of God Ans There was truth learned before the Scriptures were written and the Scriptures of truth are the words of God which ends in Christ the Word and there is no truth learned buâ— as the spirit doth lead into all truth which comes from Christ the truth which was before the Scripture was written And the spirit of truth leads into all truth of the Scripture And many has the Scriptures but knows not Christ the Truth but as the spirit leads them and reveals them and so he hath thrown out Christ and the spirit Pr. There is one God in three persons c. Ans Where doth the Apostle tell us of three persons but tels us of Father Son and holy Ghost but thou out of the Masse-book and old Common-prayer-book who are the mutterers about three persons Pr. I am conceived in sin and borne in iniquity Answ Then thy Parents were not believers so children unholy for by nature children of wrath that is in the unconverted state in the transgression unbelievers for they who by nature are children of wrath are not borne of the believers for the unbelievers are sanctified by the believers else were their children unholy but now are they clean Pr. We have not kept the Commandements of God but are all sinners and transgressors of them Ans We do believe thee John Owen and the rest of you who call your selves Ministers of the Gospell and yet have not kept the ten Commandements and would conclude all men in with you to be sinners and transgressors of them Nay John was separated from you who said He that loves God keeps his Commandements But what are not you false-witness-bearers that calls your selves Ministers of the Gospel and coveters after other mens goods houses c Are not you committers of Adultery and stealing Are not you murdering men in holes for goods like a troop of Robbers as the company of Priests did in the day of the Law and Prophets Do not you live in dishonouring your parents and God and taking it to your selves And do not you all come short of keeping the Sabbath bearing of burdens making a fire gathering your meat when you should be at rest Are not you all taking Gods holy name in vain both in Pulpit Town house Alehouse Streets Market-houses and naming Christs name in your iniquity so not held guiltlesse Are not you all making Images and graven Images and hanging them up in your Steeple-houses and signes and houses and gardens and high wayes and things above and things that are beneath And do you think that people do not believe you when you tell people in your Catechism that you have broken all the ten Commandements when we see your fruits have declared it And are you not ashamed to set forth such a Catechisme who say you keep not the Commandements Pr. The Sacraments are the seals of the Covenant of grace Answ It 's God that seal's the Son and sent him into the the world and not outward shadows And as for thy word Sacraments the Pope was the Author of them in his Common-prayer book And as for the rest of thy work in thy book of Catechism is like unto the old Doctors of the Jewes that broke the commands of God that loves him not whom Christ cryed woe against S. Palmer and R. Hooke who say you are the servants of Christ your Principles which followes in a Book called The forme of sound words And who directs their Book to the Friends Neighbours and Parishioners of Gedling and Sowdham Pr. THat henceforth ye be not children tossed too and fro and carried about with
Revelations but Christ is the Word in whom they end and it is not horrid blasphemy to say the soule is a part of God for it came out of him and that which came out of him is of him and rejoyceth in him Why wilt thou lye in saying the Quakers deny the Word wee say it sanctifies them His lies Christ is not ascended into heaven That there is no Heaven nor Hell nor Resurrection of the body That we have no Sacrament nor no Trinity Answ As for the word Sacrament and Trinity is from the Pope and the Masse-book the Bishops Common-prayer but Unity and the Lords Supper is owned and Heaven Hell Christ and Ascension and Resurrection is owned by the Quakers as the Scriptures declares it And your old Masse-house with the Cross atop of it which you call your Church that the Beast hath set up since the dayes of the Apostles with his lying signe at the end of it the Popes Crosse And Christ did come to destroy selfe and reconcile into one and Christ forbid men to be called of men Master and said the Pharisees did so and Magistrates are owned in their place But all such Ministers that teach for filthy lucre that serve an Apprentiship at Schools and Colledges like Tradesmen such we deny such are not fit to study nor expound Scripture for they bring people into heaps and into blood as their fruits in whole Christendome declares it but the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and Ministers their practices are owned and Elders and their honour but the honour of the false Prophets and Apostles is defaced by the true and the Scripture doth not speak a word of sprinkling of Infants but the Baptisme of the spirit is owned and all your prayers in your Masse-house Pharisee-like and your songs in the Temple shall be turned into howling but that which is according to the spirit of God is owned and private and publique instructions are owned who be in the spirit of God and Davids Psalms in their place are owned and the Saints singing with understanding also we own Pr. They say The Church is in God therefore God is not in the Church they may say Answ This is like thy reason and thy measure and weight the Church is in God and God is in the Church and where two or three are gathered together He is in the midst of them Pr. He says We speak against Tythes and Clarks wages for saying Amen and this thou sayeth is an absurd opinion Answ Tythes before the Law and in the Law was owned that they should give the tenth of the spoil and the tenth of the earth for the services â—hat were required widdows strangers fatherless and Levi who had no portion therein that there might not be a beggar among them this tenthes preserved them from beggars and this was the Law and Melchesedeck before the Law took the tenth of the spoil who was without father or mother and Christ the end of the Law who put an end to all spoils and Redeemes men out of the ninth and tenth parts of the earth to God and here the day of salvation is known to Reign upon the earth for man transgressed being drove from God in the earth â—hen the Law came that was over all transgression and led out of it by that Law was they to offer up the tenth and Melchesedeck before the Law had the tenth of the spoils but Christ who ends the Wars ended the spoils who is the heir of all things and the tenths the Covenant of God who reconcils all things in one things in heaven and things in earth and this the Apostles Preached who was in the power of God brought men out of the ninths of the earth and tenths to and brought men out of the occasion of the Wars in that which ended who was the power of God but they which went forth from the Apostles into the earth that had the form of godliness and denyed the power thereof which lead the world after them set up ninths and tenths unlike the Ministers of the Gospel who brought them out of the ninths and tenths into unity with the power of God and the Son and to reign upon the earth and them that took Tythes now are unlike them that took Tythes under the Law or afore the Law who met them with bread and water that Abraham gave the tenths of the spoil to and who now have no store-house for widows strangers and fatherless that there need not be a beggar among them so you who are called Christian Priests are worse then the Jews who cannot get their tenths without prisons Courts and writs and treble damages and cast into prison untill death for them this is called the Christian practices in our dayes who are Apostated from the true Apostles and Church and from the power of God they were in but the maintenance that Christ speaks of to his Ministers is owned but all that make a trade of the Prophets Christ and Apostle words who laid down their lives for speaking them forth we deny and the Apostles did not give a Clerk wages to say Amen but that came up since the Apostles dayes and judged by the spirit of truth and whosoever will make Alixander Rosses lies their refuge are in a sad condition in his book called A view of Religion which he and his lies are condemned to the fire and Lake by the power of God glory in the highest rejoyce over them ye Saints Richard Mayo Priest of Kingston his Doctrine And PRINCIPLES as followeth Pr. THat the Light within is the light of Nature which teacheth to do all things that the Law commands and to deny all things that the Law forbids Answ That which teacheth to do all things the Law commands and deny what the Law forbids is above nature that is it which keeps nature in its course that it shall not be of a fire but we see thy nature is gone out of its course and is all of a fire among you Priests and professors Pr. That God set up a dim light in every man Answ The light that God set up in every man is not dim but men grows dim when they transgresse the light which God hath set in them to give them the knowledge and feeling of himself Pr. He said the Devil was the power of God and that Christ was made manifest to destroy the power of God and to destroy him that was the power of God Answ The devil that went out of the truth went out of the power of God and Christ was manifest to destroy the works of the devil and not the power of God though Christ came to put an end to all figures types and shadowes Priests first Covenant and Temple Christ who is the power of God did not come to destroy the power of God the power of God is not divided against it self and the devil that went out of the truth the power of God went against him so he is not
your blind zeal the mouth of iniquity hath been open in you with all the world against the truth but with it in a great measure it is stopped Pr. The evils hath been so strong that they have wrestled all weapons out of the hands of Saints and Ministers that have been formed against them Answ These have been pitiful weapons that you Ministers and Saints have had in your hands that the evil wrestled them out they have been carnal not spiritual for the spiritual weapons the evil cannot wrest out of the hands of Saints and Ministers of God but with them they are plucked down his holds and high places and spiritual wickednesses the evil dares not come nigh the Saints weapons which are spiritual Pr. You say We desire no longer to rest in a testimony of words but take an effectual course that sin and sinners may be purged out of the house of God we desire the Church would set some days apart wherein they may bewail iniquity and pollution that Ministering Brethren would without respect of persons from house to house night and day bear their testimony to flie from those abominations Answ The Church of God you cannot which is the Pillar and ground of truth which Christ purchased with his blood without spot or wrinkle or blemish and the house of God you know not who talkes of purging of it who is established a top of all the mountains and all your abominations and pollutions and respecting of persons is out of the Church and the Law both transgressors of it and it is time to begin to stir up your selves and turn from the evil of your wayes and turn to Christ the Light who hath enlightened you that you may bear testimony against your selves and your Ministers and lightness and abominations in your own families and do not say it is the house of God and the Church of God but amongst your selves and we do believe it is but the testimony of words who have denyed the light and so denyed the power Pr. They may deliver themselves from the blood of souls having declared the whole counsel of God Answ Can dust and ashes declare the whole Counsel of God and cankered ones and pollutions and abominations can such declare the whole Counsel of God such be out of it for they that come into the counsel of God declares that and come out of pollutions and cankered with the world to him by whom the world is made who is perfect and makes them perfect who declares his perfect will and counsel Pr. Another evil we thought to have spread before you but wanting opportunitie shall now omit and that from Chard we have laboured in vain that which hath been brought forth hath been to little purpose Answ This you may speak to your shame and shew forth your own nakedness that you have laboured in vain and that which you have brought forth hath been to little purpose in this the Church of Christ believes you who hath been them that hath beaten the air and why do you Print abroad that there is another evil among you which you have not laid open had you not been better have held your tongues except you had mentioned it is not this Hams spirit who lays open one anothers nakednes to the world in Print but how can you do otherwayes who hath denyed the light that hath enlightened every man that comes into the world which comes from Christ Jesus and so wants the covering and as for all your dirt and drosse and dung which is not worth mentioning in your Epistle and confused words which you set forth thinking to your glory but it is to your shame had you been in the life that gave forth Scripture which the Saints was in that was of the Church you would have covered your nakedness and would not have said pollution was in the Church and in the house of God but for all these things you are judged and you and your Epistle and your words to be unsavory and is judged with the life of God that gave forth Scripture and them that be of the house of God and the Church of God where no pollution is nor comes nor canker the witness in your conscience shall answer it in the day of the Lord. By us Richard Baxter c. Pastor of the Church at Kederminster In their Paper called the Judgement and advice of the Assembly of the Assosciated Ministers In it their Principles as followeth Pr. THat ever there should be so much to do among Christians yea the leaders of Christs flock and to bring them to so clear a duty that after all there labour there is no more done Answ Ye have been them that God never sent and found to be such as Christ cryed wo against and so you have not profited the people at all And you have not been the leaders of Christs flock but been such as turned against them that hath been your duty so therefore be all the people on heapes Pr. That all men must know that we are Christs followers if we love one another for he that saith he loves God and hates his brother is a liar Answ In this poor men you have judged your own selves for is not debate and strife and vain glory and persecution and prisoning found among you Cain turning against his brother Abel and slaying and killing him whose blood cryes for vengeance upon you so it is a proof that you are out of the faith that works by love in which is the communitie and Love with God and one with another And so in stead of making up breaches you are wounding and bringing confusion being out of the faith and life that Christ and the Apostles were in so in heapes about their words Pr. It is not our business to change mens minds from infidels and heresie to the faith but to bring the Churches of Christ to understand each other to be true Churches which take the holy Scriptures for our Rule of your faith and lives and believe it to be the infallible word of God and this Rule is Divine so our faith is Divine had we but a humane Rule we could have but a humane faith proud men thrust their opinions into the Churches Creed Ans Your businesse it is true is not to change men form infidels and heresie and to bring them to the faith so not into the unity for you bring no people into that nor to the Faith and you bring no Church to know one another in the faith and the Churches of Christ knowes each other to be a true Church and you whose businesse is not to bring men off heresie to Faith know not the Church of Christ which is the pillar and ground of truth built upon Christ who is the faiths author and the scriptures which signifies writings as you say outward writings paper and ink is not infallable nor is not divine but is humane and a humane knowledge from it men get and so writings
who comes to the Kingdom of heaven in them comes to be perfect yea to a perfect man and that is above any degree and thus thou art blind and ignorant of that wich the Scriptures declare Pr. Thou wouldst have it proved that they are false prophets that declare the true Prophets words Answ They that make Merchandice of the true Prophets words were the beast false prophets and great Whore but they that speak freely as they had received was the true Prophets and true Apostles and such in all ages was distinct each from other known by the spirit of the Lord who had received from the Lord what they spoke and declared freely and who had got the Saints words and had not received them from the Lord but spake them forth for money these were distinct one from another A Paper I have received the Title of it is A form of sound words containing the first Principles of the Oracles of God framed for the use and benefit of the Inhabitants of two adjacent Parishes in the County of NOTTINGHAM Their principles in it as followeth Pr. WHen for the time you ought to be Teachers you have need that one teach you again which be the first Principles Answ How can you teach the first Principle of pure Religion when you deny the light that Christ hath enlighten every man that comes into the world withall And this may whole England witness and so your Doctrines that you have taught them and commandments are such as perisheth being not men sent of God so have not profited the people at all Pr. And you say False teachers this age is too full of and that you may henceforth be no more children tossed two and fro and you intreat to except a word from us your Ministers for what profiteth a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul Answ Who hath tossed people more up and down then you and carried them about with your windy doctrines and so the multitudes of the false teachers the world have been too full of you since the dayes of the Apostles who is more for gaining the whole world then you that calls your selves Ministers hath not and doth not your fruits declare it to the whole Nation in prisons there lies your fruits for where may people see the Priests fruits but in prisons And how your Congregations be all on heapes when any comes in the Name of the Lord amongst them and hath shewed that your Exhortation hath not profited the People at all Pr. We intreat you to take heed of that dangerous deceit in hoping to be saved by your own works or in any thing in our selves Answ He that believes hath ceased from his own works so not sayed by them and he that believes is saved and this belief is within him in Christ And the ingrafted word is able to save the soul and Christ the Saviour revealed and manifested within Pr. Out of the holy Scriptures Old and New Testament which it the word of God we may learn the true knowledge of God Answ The Jewes had Scriptures and did not know God nor Christ nor did not know themselves And the Scriptures is not the word but the words of God and so you teach Parishes and your children to lie as you may read in Exodus God spake all these words and said And whosoever shall add to these words Revelations and Christ saith my words And would you make people believe the Scriptures were but a word when they say they are words And Christ is the word as in the Revelation And so that which brings to the knowledge of God is the spirit And the Son reveals him Christ Jesus who is the light which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world and every man that comes into the world receiving the light Christ will reveal the Father to him Pr. There is three persons Father Son and Holy Ghost And we intreat you to take heed of the natural Popish conceit Answ The word three persons is the natural Popish conceit which is out of thy Father the Popes Canon-books where thou hast learned it but Father Son and Holy Ghost that is sound Scripture but thou canst not take it as it speakes but thou must add three persons to it so brings the plague upon thee Pr. There is many that have share in that salvation purchased by Christ Answ Christ was the offering for the sin of the whole world And he gave his body for the life of the whole world And he came a light into the world and doth enlighten every man that comes into the world he that dyed for the sin of the whole world was an offering for the sin of the world that all through this light might believe And so many are condemned for not believing that which they should believe in condemns them Pr. God works faith in us inwardly by his spirit and outwardly by his word Answ Here thou goest about to make the spirit and the word not one is not the word spiritual and Christ called the word who is the Author of the faith which mystery of it is held in a pure conscience and is not this word of faith in the heart Pr. The whole word of God in general is summed up in the Apostles Creed Answ Where hast thou been for the word Creed but out of the Masse-book and Popes Canon-book not out of the Apostles Epistles And the Apostles Epistles declares of the word and the Saints writings and saith it was in the beginning and saith the Letter kills for the Jewes had Letter and did not find the word in it but stood against it and you have the Letter the Apostles words but you do not find the word in it it speakes of the word the word was in the beginning and in the heart before the words Pr. Brethren be perfect be of good comfort no man can be made free from sin in this life Gods children have sin in them Answ The Devils doctrine is that men shall not be perfect while they are upon earth and all his Ministers but you that say they must be perfect and yet must have sin that makes them unperfect And the children of God that was born of God did not commit sin neither could they because the seed of God remained in them and they were made free from sin and had put off the body of sin as in Romans the 6. and John the 3. Pr. No man is able to keep the commands of God perfectly we break them dayly in thought word and deed And in all our best duties we are unprofitable servants Ans Here you shew that you do not love God for who loves God keepes his Commandments and love fulfills them and all your best duties and deeds be but unprofitable servants in that we do believe you So your Preaching is unprofitable praying unprofitable so you judge your selves out of your own mouths singing instructing praying all is unprofitable and they are
require at the hand of such Teachers and such Shepherds Pr. The most faithful Messengers of Christ will acknowledge they came short of their duty Answ They that are faithful messengers of Christ have the answer well done thou good and faithful servant where did Paul or John or Peter acknowledge they came short of their duty hath not thou slandered the servants of the Lord thinking them to be like your selves and falsly accusing them that you may seem Justified who are false messengers and comes in his name when you have no Commission from him and you come short of every good work but thus it is not with Christs true messengers for they fulfill his will that sent them and it is the Lord that worketh in them whose they are and whose duty they perform by his spirit Pr. The best of us have stammering tongues in this great work and often times we do it coldly and by halves like Pellipher we see but with one eye like Milkes hear but with one Ear like Vnicorn push against sin but with one horn place not good Preaching in large speaking Judge of a Minister by his brains not lungs by his heart not throat Answ This is confessed to your own shame who doth your work coldly and by halfes it shewes you have not the same spirit that was amongst the Apostles who were zealous and faithful in the work of the Lord and not coldly nor by halves as you do and they saw with their eyes and heard with their ears and their hearts God had opened and they were a terror to all unrighteousness where ever it appeared and the way to Judge of a true Minister is not by his braines nor Lungs nor throat but whether he hath received the Holy Ghost and whether they have the same spirit that was amongst the Apostles and whether the presence of the Lord be with them and effects his own work thorow them these are the signs of Christ Ministers to Judge them by so you have missed the true Charecter to Judge justly and your Judgement is false and it shewes you are not guided by the infallible Spirit of God Pr. We must attend to the words of the Minister though himself be fruitless in which sence we may be said to gather grapes on thorns and figgs on thistles unsanctified Ministers may possibly convert and comfort sinners though our candle be in a dark Lanthorn and the Saints know not what God is a doing Answ Christ said either make the tree good and his fruit good or the tree nought and his fruit nought and none can gather grapes on thorns or figgs on thistles but you say the contrary and are pleading for fruitless Ministers that they should be attended to but the Apostle exhorted to turn from them that had the form of godliness but not the power and judge in your own selves how your words agrees with Christs and the Apostles they appear to be quite contrary And unsanctified men are not Christs Ministers nor Christ ever sent unsanctified Persons and they that run and were not sent should not profit nor did not profit the People at all could neither comfort Saints nor convert sinners but you are pleading for unsanctified Ministers and for sinful Ministers and saith that People should not despise their Doctrine Yea the Doctrine and words of unbelievers are dispised and rejected by the Saints and though thou say Scripture is Scripture though uttered by Satan yet I say Scripture in the mouth of Satan is temptation and not edification and it is true your hearts are dark and minds are dark even as a dark Lanthorn we do believe it and the light in you shines in darkness and is held in the dark Lanthorn and no light in you appears unto the dark world but unholy lives and unsanctified spirits and you know not what God is a doing who are unbelievers but the Saints hath the mind of Christ and knowes what God is a doing for his spirit dwels in them but you have shut out your selves that you are ignorant of God and what he is doing but Christs Ministers their light shines among men and their good works are seen but you have shewed your folly and ignorance to all the world Pr. But what if some what in the lives of Ministers contradict the word they preach disorderly teachers are pretty well purged out if any continue it is the fault of them that do not bring their wickednesse to light that such may be rooted out who make the offering to be abhorred the sins of the teachers being teachers sins Ans The true Ministers of Christ their conversations were in heaven and their good works and holy lives were agreeable to the word they preached on but disorderly teachers are not purged out to preach for hire is a disorder and to cause people to be put into prison and to be persecuted and to be whipped and to have their goods spoiled these are disorderly practices and such are disorderly teachers many of which there is yet unpurged out but now the Lord God is arisen to try and to purge and to bring wickednesse to light and to condemn the sins of teachers and teachers for their sins and such shall be rooted out whose offering is abhorred of the Lord because iniquity lodges in their hearts and their lives are unsanctified contradicting in their practices what they preach in words such are hypocrites whom God will judge and the Lord will utterly root you out in his season you that are disorderly and out of the order of the true Church of Christ Pr. We do not thunder in our Pulpits nor lighten in our conversations as we might our thundrings are no more heard by glorifying Christ then their Halilujahs are by us Ans You want the word of the Lord which is terrible it is not in your mouthes but the words of your own imaginations and your words answer not to the witnesse of God in the peoples consciences but you are like the dreamers the Apostle speaks of whose conversations are bad examples to all that looke upon you your unholy lives gives an ill savor and doth not enlighten any man in the way of truth and Saints that are glorified doth deny you and heares you not excepting to give their witnesse against you neither do you know what the Saints Halelujahs are who rejoyceth over the whore that hath made all nations drunk but of these things are you ignorant and you are shut out from the assembly of them that can sing Halelujah to God and the Lamb for evermore Pr. It is treason to undertake an Embassage without commission I sent them not yet they run saith the Lord not knowing why nor whether they can tell no tidings for climing on high with the Ape they do but shew their owne deformity Ans There is none more guilty then your selves of this treason and out of your owne mouthes will the Lord judge you where is your commission and what is
regard and receive but if one come in the Name of the Lord him you put out so you will not have the Lord nor his Christ to reign neither his servants to labour in his Vineyard Pr. Ministery is like a mighty tree whose fruit the Lord hath appointed for the healing of the Nations Answ But your Ministers and the Papists hath been them got up since the days of the Apostles that brings Nations all into heaps and into blood and doth not heale the Nations but wounds and burthens and kills and casts into prison as this your fruit declares it who casts into prison such as you doe no work for Pr. To the Law and to the Testimony pray to the Father of lights that he would enlighten us with his truth and shew us the way that he would have us to walke in and pray for us who watch for your soules as those that must give account Answ The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy And the Law is light and the Law and Testimony was before Matthew Marke Luke and Iohn and the Epistles were written and the Revelations which outward Books you call Law and Testimony which the Scripture saith the testimony of Iesus is the spirit of prophesie and the Law is light Prov. 6. Are you them that are the makers of Ministers and Ministers who watch for the soules of people and yet do you bid people pray to the Father that he would enlighten you with his truth and shew you the way that you may walke in it How can you present soules to God that doth not know the way and are yet to be enlightned and yet to have the way shewed so you that you might walke in it Is this your conclusion of all you Ministers in Ireland Now I say Christ hath enlightned every man which comes into the world which is the way and though your darknesse cannot comprehend it and yet you pray that he would enlighten you When John saith he doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and that is the true light Have you the light to seek and the way to seek and truth to seek and yet watchers for souls And the soule you that are called Ministers saith it is humane yea the soule of Christ the soule of man is appetite and lust and pleasure and humane from the earth from the ground Is Christs soule from the ground and appetite lust and pleasure wars against the soul in them that be in the unreasonablenesse You that have the light to seek truth to seek and way to seek are in the earth and so gives the soule the name of that which comes from the ground Now the soule is immortall God breathed into man the breath of life and he became a living soule It is that which came out from God who hath all souls in his hand that 's his power which hand goes against him that doth evill And Christ the power of God which is immortall is the souls Bishop which is immortall from whence it hath its nourishment and the immortall which is able to save the immortal soul And as for all the rest of your ignorance and non-sence in your Book which comes from your confused earthly spirit who are found in the nature spirit and stock of your Father the Pope who hath apostatized since the dayes of the Apostles with all the rest of your stuffe which is but fuel for the fire in that day of your account the witnesse in all your consciences shall answer it John Stillom his Book called Margent Notes His Principles as followeth Pr. HEe calls it the Quakers adoring their own light magnifying the light of nature The Church is ashamed of your doctrine and walking saith he Ans The Quakers light is Christ the truth in whom they worship God which light was before naturall lights were and this the Church owns and is not ashamed of in which stands the Doctrine by which light the Church is gathered up unto God the Father of light but the imitated Churches in the Apostacy are ashamed of it Pr. Not any man knows him speaking of Christ to be God till he finde him in Scripture and saith as deep things as the spirit hath revealed they are all in the Scripture Ans Many knew God and knew Christ and yet had not written Scripture to tell them of those things as Enoch and Abel and many again hath Scripture speaking of God and Christ and yet doth not know God and Christ and doth not finde him in Scripture As instance the Pharisees knew not God and Christ which had the Scripture and had not life untill they came to Christ the Scripture speaks of and many things the spirit did reveal which was not written in the Scriptures and was spoken to the Saints Pr. John meaneth not that there was any substantiall truth necessary to be known to salvation which is not revealed in the written Word but the spirit that ordered the Copies and mysteries of the Gospell to be contracted within a narrow compass of lines Answ Many knew their salvation as in the dayes of Noah Enoch and David which had not the written Scriptures And though people have the Copies that speaks of the Gospel of the mysteries of the Gospel put together and compassed and contracted into lines yet they do not know the Gospell nor the mysteries of it nor the Word though they testifie of these things and the Pharisees did not that had Scripture which Scripture doth not tell us of written words but that the Word is Christ and God which was in the beginning before words were given forth And Gospell and salvation and the mysteries of it is known by the Spirit and the Light which come from Christ Jesus which none knows it but by that Pr. Stillom adds not onely heart rising prophesie nâ—r breast-prophesie in the minde but written downe in books The Apostle excludes not heart-prophesie so he includes Scripture-prophesie but till the day-star did arise in their mindes by the reading and heeding of the Scriptures that is plain meaning Answ The Scriptures were given forth by prophesie and the spirit of it and no man knows but by the same spirit and the Apostle did not exclude heart-prophesie and the Day-star doth not rise in the heart by mens reading and heeding the Scriptures in their own wills and having them in books written down but as men do come to the life and spirit as they were in that gave them forth and heed that with that they heed Scripture and knows Scripture and with that they know the Day-star and Christ who is the end of them and so men must come to take heed of the light that shines in a dark place before they know the Day-star arise For the Jewes had Scripture and did not heed that for the spirit within of prophesie doth not deny any tittle of the Scripture without And in thy Principle thou hast confounded thy selfe who saith Not heart-prophesie heart-rising