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A40196 The great mistery of the great whore unfolded, and antichrists kingdom revealed unto destruction in answer to many false doctrines and principles which Babylons merchants have traded with, being held forth by the professed ministers, and teachers, and professors in England, Ireland, and Scotland, taken under their owne hands, and from their owne mouths, sent forth by them from time to time, against the despised people of the Lord called Quakers, who are of the seed of that woman, who hath been long fled into wildernes ... in this answer to the multitude of doctrines held forth by the many false sects, which have lost the key of knowledge, and been on foot since the apostles dayes, called Anabaptists, Independents, Presbyters, Ranters, and many others, who out of their own mouths have manifested themselves not to be of a true descent from the true Christian Churches : but it's discovered that they have been all made drunk with the wine of fornication received from the whore which hath sitten upon the beast, after whom the world hath wondred / by George Fox. Fox, George, 1624-1691.; Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662. 1659 (1659) Wing F1832; ESTC R18020 590,130 408

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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
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
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
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 o●●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
this is of him and from him And all that be from this be in the foolishness and be in the drunken spirit drunkning And all that ever comes into Covenant with God to have Gods Law written in their hearts they must come into the light which Christ Jesus hath enlightned them withall which brings them into him who is the life and knowledge of Christ and there they shall finde their Teacher within them Pr. And he saith To the Law and to the Testimony Answ Many may have the Old and New Testament yet stand against the Law and the Testimony and put the Old and new Testament for it For the Law is light saith Solomon And the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy And many may have the Scriptures and stand against the Light and say prophecy is ceased as the world doth now who are inwardly ravened from the spirit of God and despiseth prophecy and so quencheth the spirit And the light within doth not deny Jesus And none knows him nor owns him but with the light that comes from him And the Pharisees and the Jewes were opposite to Christ that doth en-lighten every man that cometh into the world and was from that of God in their own particulars their eyes closed and their cares stopt as you are now Pr. He saith Take away the Word of the Lord as declared by the pen and then what wisdome is in them Epist He saith If a believer should turne his eye into himselfe to looke for counsell and direction be may be led to walke in the flesh as other Gentiles in the vanities of their minds and follow their abominations Answ There is none upon the earth hears the counsell of God or Christs teaching but who are come to the spirit of God within and to the Light within And all people upon the earth that are led from the vanities of their minds and walking in the flesh they are come to the spirit within and led with it which all the Jewes and Gentiles was astray from while they walked after the vanities of their minds and then crucified the Just And none hears the counsell of God or comes into the faith of Jesus nor the grace of God that brings their salvation but they come to feel it within the grace in their hearts and the word in their hearts and the faith in the heart there 's that which purifi●s And all that be from the light and spirit of God within them they are in the vanity of their own minds in the flesh out of the counsell of God and the wisdome of God which the Saints had and was in before the Scripture was penned or printed And the wisdome of God Christ Jesus them that had the Scriptures stood against the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world as all you do now and never come into it But as ye come into it that doth enlighten every man c. the wisdome of God which none cometh out of the sin and the evill but who come into that And that is not opposite to the Scriptures without but owns it given forth from the life in the wisdome of God Pr. He calls Perfection a Devilish doctrine That the Scripture is the absolute rule and medium of our faith page 2. And Timothy did not receive his furniture and service of the Gospell immediately from the person of Christ And he saith If I had seen Christ as Paul did I might have received the Word in the same manner immediately from the person of Christ Answ Timothy had faith and the gift of God and Christ is the Author of Faith and so that is received immediately whereby hee was made wise unto salvation through faith with which he knew Scripture and so by that he was furnished And we do believe thee and you all that ye have not seen Christ as Paul did nor the Apostles So ye be out of the faith and shew he is not in you neither do you sit with him in heavenly places Who ever receives faith from Christ or knows Christ the power knows immediately which from God thou hast shewed thy selfe a reprobate and under the judgement of it thou art come And the Apostle preached Perfection and Christ bid them be perfect as their heavenly father is perfect and the Saints was to grow to perfection And the work of the Ministry was for the perfecting of the Saints till they all come unto a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ And thou in this hast denyed the work of the Ministery that calls the Doctrine of perfection a devillish Doctrine And the Scriptures is not the Author nor the meanes of it nor the rule but Christ who gives it and he increaseth it and Faith was before Scripture was given forth And all they that gave forth Scripture had faith from God and they are able to make wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus But them that have the Scripture and deny the light that doth enlighten every man c. and hate it have not faith as the Pharisees had not and so such as the Apostle spoke of which was reprobate concerning the faith before his decease that had got the form of godlinesse are them that say the Scripture is the Medium of Faith and absolute rule but that which rules it and increaseth i● is Christ Pr. He saith Christ his grace brings salvation but not by any such light or power dwelling in them Page 6. Answ The grace of God which brings salvation that teacheth the Saints is in their hearts and stablisheth it That dwels within them which brings salvation is their Teacher the grace of God which brings them every one to say this is the Lord which I have waited for where the everla●ting life runs and fl●ws Pr. He saith Such as cause divisions are to be marked that serves not the Lord Jesus Christ but their owne bellies their lusts will or light within them page 12. Answ The light which doth enlighten every man c. Christ Jesus the second Adam leadeth men from their lusts and wills and serving their own bellies to serve the Lord Jesus Christ from whence it comes For such as serves their own bellies are out of the light in the transgression in the first Adam in their own lusts and wills where thou art among the Apostates deceivablenesse mystery of Iniquity which the Apostle saw was coming in which since the dayes of the Apostles it hath reigned but now with the light discovered and made manifest And such as have served their bellies and serves their bellies which the Apostles saw coming in before their decease are now manifest such as deny the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which is the salvation to the ends of the earth Are not they casting into prisons and haling before Courts such as will not put into their mouths that they do no work
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
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
the sleights of men which is in reference to false Prophets of which this Land is now full You say That a man cannot be made free from sin and cannot keep the Commandements of God perfectly Answ Are not you in the tossing too and fro and tossing people too and fro And are not you the false Prophets which Christ said should come which John said was come and the world hath been after you who tells the people that they cannot keep the commandements perfectly Contrary to John who saith he that loves God keeps the commandements of God And the Beast made war against them that kept the Commandements of God and herein is the love of God perfect Pr. You tell people of a Sacrament a Creed and three persons Answ Which the Scripture tells no such thing But the Common-prayer-book doth and so you do not teach the form of sound words in your Catechim Pr. Out of the Scriptures we may learn the knowledge of the true God Answ That which gives the knowledge of the true God is the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures for the Pharisees that had the Scriptures knew not God Pr. The state of man in this life is three-fold Creation Corruption Regeneration Answ In Regeneration the life is changed out of that life which is in the Fall So Regeneration and Corruption is not one in the new life Pr. A man by his own power cannot get into regeneration for they are dead in sins and trespasses Answ Some are sanctified from the womb and some children are holy so all are not dead in sins and trespasses for they that are so are but unbelievers Pr. All men have not salvation by Christ and there are many that have no share in salvation purchased by Christ Ans This is contrary to Scripture which saith that he is the offering for the sins of the whole world and the Saviour of all men and especially of those that believe And they that turns the grace of God into wantonnesse denies their salvation and they which hate the light which enlightens every man that cometh into the world hates their salvation to the ends of the earth Pr. The Scripture is the Word and God is in his Word and God in the Scripture offers Christ God in his Word offers Christ which you call Scriptures Answ The Scriptures of truth are the words of God and Christ the Word comes to fulfill them and God was in them that gave forth the Scriptures and Christ was in them who gave forth scriptures and the Scriptures testifie of him and the Scripture doth not say that God is in the dead Letter Paper and Inke but his power ye are ignorant of and errs not knowing Scriptures and the Scriptures are not God Pr. You say That God works inwardly by his spirit and outwardly by his Word and our faith is summed up in the Apostles creed Answ Christ is the Author of the Faith and the Apostle doth not tell us of a Creed the spirit and the word are one and they are inwardly known sanctifying Pr. The rule of Christian obedience is the Law of God Ans That which is the end of the Law is a Christians life and rule who comes to the obedience of faith in which they please God and are justified which no flesh by the works of the Law is justified Pr. Brethren be perfect be of good comfort be of one minde No man is able to keep the commandements of God we break them daily in thought word and deed in the best of our duties we are unprofitable servants Ans Here is your confusion layd open them that were perfect had a new minde and their deeds wrought in God and their thoughts were changed that witnessed repentance and they kept the commands of God and their fruits are of the spirit and of faith which are not unprofitable But your works and fruits who are out of the faith and out of the spirit of God are unprofitable who breaks the Commandements but they that love God keep his Commandements Pr. Christians must attend upon Gods Ordinances and Sacraments to know their duty toward their neighbour which Sacraments are the seal and the covenant Answ The Apostles tell us of no such signes sacraments nor such words but that which fulfils Law is the Son of God which brings him to do his duty towards God and towards his neighbour which is Christ Pr. There are two Sacraments and the Covenant of grace is to all that believe and receive Christ and the two Sacraments are Baptisme and the L●rds Supper which are visible signes Ans The Scripture doth not any where call them visible signes nor sacraments and the Covenant of grace is to all whether they believe or not believe receive or not receive and the Scripture doth not call Baptisme and the Lords supper Sacraments Pr. Because Infants of the Jewes were circumcised therefore are children baptized Christ hath ordained this Sacrament as bread and wine and the Sacrament is the food of the soul Answ This is a Popish doctrine that which feeds the soul is immortall and that is the souls food which findes rest in Christ the bread of life the food for the soule And the Scriptures doth not tell us that the bread and wine is a Sacrament and the Scripture doth not tell us that Circumcision was outwardly a type of Baptisme outwardly but of the inward and you bring a Scripture which is the 23. of Luke and the 43. vers and saith that it saith that the souls of the wicked are cast into Hell which that Scripture speaks no such thing Pr. We are not to seek for happiness in this life Answ The Saints were and are made partakers of the heavenly riches and of Christs fulness and of his unspeakable joy and full of glory in Christs Kingdom which is in them who are upon the earth and for the rest of your lies and confusions is not worth answering Richard Baxter His Principles in that which he cals one sheet for the Ministers which is two sheets in whose mouth is found a lie as in his Title Page is to be seen His Principles in it as followeth Pr. THat we are hated of all men for the Name of Christ who are but Ministers who gave some Pastors Teachers appointed for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come to a perfect man To Disciple Nations Baptize and Teach them so cut down the Ministers the Pillars and the buildings will fall Answ In the steps of the Ministers of Christ you are not found but in the steps of the Scribes end Pharisees called of men Masters in the chiefest seats of Assembles in your long robes uppermost Roomes at Feasts causing the Ministers of Christ to be haled out of your Synagogues and thrust out and haled and persecuted and prisoned which are in the generation of the Serpents that should fulfill Christs words Mat. 23.
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 ●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 ●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
of those who calls themselves ministers of Christ That would have you to slay to stone to stock to prison and to put to death them that be contrary to them Those be murtherers in Cains way man-slayers wrastlers against flesh and blood and not Ministers of the Gospell which saith love enemies and render to no man evil for evil Mat. 5.44 and this differs from the Scribes and Pharisees who loved their owne and persecuted others and stoned others and drew the Magistrates to doe it which saith the Ministers of Christ we wrestle not with flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places Eph. 6.12 Now those Ministers that would have the persons of men slain are like Cain and Jezabel the beast and false Prophets that slew Abel Gen. 4. 1 Kings 21. the persons of men stoned imprisoned and put to death are as the Jewes Priests and those Magistrates that executes their malice are as the Jewes Magistrates unchristian Magistrates And so those are they that are wrestling stoning striking and imprisoning against flesh and blood And in the mean time spirituall wickednesse rules among them And rulers of darkenesse in high places where flesh and blood are wrestled against so in this state both Ministry and Magistracy are blind that be out of the feare of God They turn their sword backward whilst they are executing the Priests malice and the Priests will strengthen the hands of evil doers and provoking to slay and against flesh and blood wrestling and doe not profit the people at all and stires up the multitude against the just That he may keep himselfe in his place for his own ends and admiring the Magistrates persons and mens because of advantage Iude 16. and respects their persons which shewes they be out of the faith Iam. 2. which gives victory over the world 1 Iohn 5.4 and out of the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles now the Magistrates is for the punishment of evill doers and for the praise of them that doe well which walkes in the life which he that doth evill goes from where the rulers of darknesse and spirituall wickednesses are and this Magistrate he can see he turnes not the sword backward he answeres that of God in every one and is for a praise to them that doe well 1 Pet. 2.14 so every evill doer acts contrary to that of God in them now a Minister of Christ wrestles not against flesh and blood but against spirituall wickednesses in high place so every one that doth evil acts contrary to that of God in him so the higher power goes above him Rom. 13.1 So the higher power is above him and before he was all power in heaven and in Earth is given to the Son of God Io. 5.22 above all the powers of the earth that lighteth every man that cometh into the world Io. 1.9 but they who does evill goes from the light and so the higher power goes against him The Magistrates that be in the power is a terror to the evil doers that acts contrary to the light wherewith every one that cometh into the world be enlightned The Magistrates be in that power which goes over him and is a pr●ise to them that be in the light and the Ministers of God is to bring from under the occasion of the Magistrates sword George Weare being with his friend standing in the field neer Foord meeting house as they call it he neither speaking nor acting any thing against any man but standing in the fear of the Lord with his friend Wlliam Lowry and Iohn Hambleton called justices commited him to prison where they lay twenty and three daies and here is his innocency preached The originall righteousness was before the fall The originall of selfe righteousnesse was that which fell and is in the fall that transgressed And in the Catechism which is tollerated by the generall Assembly and in the Catechise of Scotland called a short Catechism They say that the word of God is contained in the scriptures Ans And the scriptures are writings and it saith God is the word Io. 1.1 1. Kings 8.27 Solomon saith the heaven of heavens cannot containe him you say he is containned in the scriptures with his writings you say there is three persons the scripture doth not speak of three persons the Jews had the scriptures knew not Christ the word of God Then ye tell people of an outward ordinary meanes by which Christ communicates the benefit of Redemption The word Sacraments the scripture doth not speak of three persons Sacraments they are Papists words of them ye have learned them the means of salvation is not ordinary or outward but Christ is the salvation who is eternall Heb. 5.9 and they that come to him come to the end of the outward Col. 1.27 ye say the Sacraments are the Effectuall meanes to salvation and ye say againe they are not as they are themselves so here is confusion but onely by the blessing of Christ his spirit in them How doe ye differ from the Papists for they say he is in them and ye say his spirit is in them and where his spirit is is not he Oh blind are ye found out goe ye home to your Mother the Papist where Christs Spirit is he is And ye say your two sacraments is Baptisme and the Lords Supper The scripture doth not call Baptism and the Lords supper two sacraments which names you and the Papists adore and worship which you have given to them againe you in your Catechize call the first day in the weeke the Sabbath day where did ever any of the Ministers of Christ or the Christians unapostatized call it so are not you come unto the breach and guilty of your own judgement of the third commandement when ye give another name to the scriptures then they give themselves in calling them the word calling Baptism and the Supper the Sacraments Exo. 20. Moses saith God spake all these words when he gave forth the commandements marke words and the words of Christ are spirit and life Io. 6.63 God is the word Jo. 1.1 and Christ is the word Rev. 19.13 and the word became flesh and dwelt among us Io. 1.14 And them that had the words of the scriptures which cannot be broken Io. 10.35 the Law and the prophets they knew not Christ the word before they be brought to the light that Christ hath inlightned them with and they be brought to the spirit Io 5 37. Io. 8.19 Can the whole world say the Lords prayer in truth or was it taught his Disciples or to the world doth not people draw nigh to God with their lips that say it Isai 20.13 and are not in the light which every man is lighted that cometh into the world withall can ye say the Lords prayer which is forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us without hypocrisy how do ye for give them when ye
him by true faith Ans Salvation is purchased to all men that perished in Adam though they do not believe it for he is the Saviour of all men especially of them that do believe and an offering for the sin of the whole world mark the world and doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that all through him might believe and he that believes not is condemned by Christ the light the life the sacrifice the offering that through death that which in them was the power of death the Devill he destroyed and his power and so entred into his glory all that believe in him have life and all that doth not and receive him not hath not life but are condemned through unbelief Now if if you say that in Adam all dyed I say yes and in Christ all shall be made alive to the Justification of life I say yes as in Adam all dyed as in Christ they come to be made alive so them that are the believers are the holy so the believers children a new creation a new generation new creatures out of Adam in the fall the believers passed from death to life that came by Adam and so in that is a cleane creation and holy generation Pr. All things contained in the Gospell is summed up in the Apostles Creed Ans The Apostles doth not tell us of a creed but the Popes Canon-book and common prayer book and many things the Apostles had to say which was not lawfull to utter and many things Christ had to say they could not beare but the Gospell is the power of God and that the scripture speakes of but doth not say the Epistles is it Pr. God hath manifested himselfe in his word that these three distinct persons are one Ans The word nor the scripture doth not tell us of three distinct persons but it tells us of Father and of Son and of Holy Ghost but indeed as I said before the Popes canon book and Masse-book doth so for the Holy Ghost is not distinct from the Son and the Son is not distinct from the Father but they are all in one Pr. Having our chief hope placed in God being assured that nothing may with draw us from his love Ans Yet you say you are not able to keep the commandements of God perfect then you are drawne from the living God and you are from the chiefest hope Christ for who loves God keepes his commandements and such have the chiefest hope Christ in which the commandement ends here the love goes forth out of the pure heart but is not riches your hope and doth not riches and the glory of the world and the fashions thereof drew your hearts away and your love and hope stand in them and hath taken up the possession of your hearts more then God therefore who keeps them not perfectly keeps them not at all Pr. You say Christ hath ransomed your bodies and your soules from sin and by that one sacrifice of his body he hath redeemed you Ans Are your bodies redeemed and your soules that are immortall and your spirits sanctified and do you glorifie God in your bodies soules and spirits which is the Lords and is there not sin in your bodies and are not your spirits corrupted now who witnesses redemption of the body and soule from sin these are out of the first Adams state and are the holy ones and these be in the end of the law and that which fulfills the Law Christ Jesus but now if you come to say that you have sin in your bodies and the fruits will shew it selfe to persecute or envy rage malice pride or such wickednesse this shewes not the fruits of Redemption Pr. You say That God in Christ hath put out the remembrance of your sins and of your corruptions within you wherein you must fight all your life time Ans Whilst the sins you are fighting withall are not blotted out in your own particulars this is not the life of the Saints they are not fighting all their life time but come to the kingdome of God witnessing sin and iniquity blotted out the everlasting covenant of peace and life with God Pr. You say You are righteous before God through faith though your consciences accuse you for your trespasses against the commands of God being prone to evil yet notwithstanding imbrace the benefits of Christ as if you never had committed any sin or corruption and this is as if you your selves had perfectly compleated the obedience Ans Where the conscience accuses it is impure and that the true faith is out of for the mystery of faith is held in a pure conscience and that is it that receives Christ and which is not prone to evil nor transgresseth the commands of God but you are out of the perfect obedience and out of the faith both and are in the corruption are not the lovers of God nor come to Christ the end of the commandements which is loved in a pure heart and whereas you talke of conscience accusing and yet faith that is your ignorance for faith is held in a pure conscience the conscience doth not accuse but the unsanctified Pr. Not that we please God through the worthinesse of our faith for our works the best of them are imperfect in this life defiled with sin Ans It is faith that brings men to please God which Faith comes from him and gives victory over that men have lived in and not pleased God so faith there is a worthinesse in it it is the gift of God by which men please God and have accesse to to him and they are justified and through it they overcome and subdue mountaines and raise the dead your best workes being imperfect and defiled with sin in this life then they are not wrought in God but out of him in the darknesse they are works of darknesse unperfect defiled with sin are not the workes of darknesse to be condemned for the fire and to be out of the Law and Gospell but the works the Saints works that are in the Faith wrought in love are perfect wrought in God created to good works these are distinct from the unperfect defiled with sin and these good workes the Saints witnessed when they were upon the earth which is the works of Faith which works by love Ans Infants that are baptized belong as well to the covenant and Church of God as they of full age they by baptism being grafted into the Church of God so discerned from the children of Infidels so this baptisme succeeds Circumcision Answ Then by this all Christendom that are baptized are the Church and grafted into the Church Papists and Protestants and all and how is it that your Church is so much in confusion then for you say they are grafted into the Church of God and in the Church of God there is no confusion it is the Pillar and ground of truth without spot or wrinkle and how is it there is such killing
and we are well acquainted with griefs yet in all our trials and afflictions the Lord never forsook us but his wisdome love and life and presence increased in us and with us Then in the yeare 1654 as moved of the Lord we spread our selves South-ward and entred into these South parts and came the first of us into this City of London in the fift Moneth that year and laboured in the work of the Gospel in continuall sufferings and oppressions divers waies and were oppressed and gainsaid by the wise-men and by the learned and had in reproach and contempt by all the high and lofty and proud professors and we were set at nought and rejected by the fat beasts of the South and it is well known to thousands in this City and South countrie what opposition we have had from all sorts of people opposed in our own meetings and scorned and slandered by envious and reproachfull tongues publikely and privately encountered withall by the wisest of the City and country chalenged invited and ingaged to disputes by the high Priests and Church-members so called written against and printed against by the chiefest of men accounted wise and religious which of any sect and who of all the wisest in profession and the most zealous in practices of Religion so called have not at some time or other beset us and encountered with us in high disputes and controversie opposing of us to our faces and gain-saying our doctrines and practices and denying of us and resisting of us wholly and crying against us to be deceivers deluders and hereticks and blasphemers and such like and that our doctrines were deceivable error and factious and what not that our practises were destructive to men Lawes and Government these things in the worst nature have been spoken against us without ceasing by the wisest and men of greatest parts and most Religious falsely so accounted for this certain yeares in the South aswell as in the North besides what losse have we sustained other waies in the South by beatings and strikings and abuses and slanders and false reproaches and halings before Magistrates and imprisoning and all the like dealing from Priests Rulers and people as we did in the North yea the same hard dealing and cruelty from all sorts of people we have suffered and doe daily as we did in the North Insomuch we are now accustomed to the yoke and well acquainted with sorrowes and griefes from all sorts of people and were not the Lord on our side our enemies would swallow us up quick and we had been long since devoured by the teeth of the ungodly so that I may now call to witnesse all the Goales and prisons in the South as in the North and all the Magistrates and Judges and Rulers and all officers of the Law what suff●rings we have sustained and what cruell and heard dealing we have undergone and what injustice and unequal and false judgement hath been executed upon us in this five yeares time which of the Goals may appear free where some of us have not suffered the losse of our liberties unjustly and who of any Justice of the peace or any other officer from the Judge to the Constable that can clear themselves from guilt in this matter and that they have not had a hand in our unjust sufferings and to the witnesse of God in all people of all sorts through this whole Nation and some other I do appeal concerning this matter how we have been dealt withall what we have sustained in our persons and in our names how many acts and words of cruelty and in justice we have borne and suffered and these Priests been as the fountain and cause of all this and the formost in all this iniquity and injustice by all what they could do to incense the Rulers and people against us by Preaching and praying and writing and printing for the space of this seven yeares yet notwithstanding all this the mighty power and presence of the Lord have been with us and preserved us from dangers great and many and carried us through trials and perplexities and sufferings and not onely so but he hath increased us in number so that thousands and ten thousands have and may own us and the truth which we give witnesse of live therein for the eyes of all people are beginning to be opened and the deaf eare is unstopped and the way of life eternall is made manifest and the Lord is gathering his flock which hath been scattered in the cloudy and dark day whilst these false idle shepherds these Priests and Teachers I meane have fed themselves with the fat and cloathed themselves with the wool and laid down in slumber and not gathered the flock nor fed them but scattered them and driven them away and with force and with cruelty have they ruled over the heritage of the Lord woe woe unto these sheepherds saith the Lord God they shall be confounded and put to shame perpetually and they shall be broken down and never builded any more and the Lord will pluck them up by the roots and they shall never again be planted And besides all there Petitioning the Magistrates against us and Preaching and praying against us and all the evil wickedness in work word desire brought forth against us from time to time yet here sober Reader thou hast a Catalogue and whole number of books Printed written against us and abundance of their Doctrines uttered against us and in opposition to us gathered up in this volume in a sum with our answers to them and if thy heart and minde be single thou maist hereby understand in measure the difference in Doctrine between them and us and compare each of them with the Scriptures and see whether their Doctrines and Principles laid down as the subject of their books or our Doctrines and Principles laid down in answer to theirs be according and agree with the Scriptures and if thou be impartial in this business and single in this search and Judgement I doubt not but thou wilt in a great measure satisfie thy self and be resolved concerning their Priests and Professors of England and us who are called Quakers and then when thou thus hast done own and deny ●●●ther them or us as the Lord shall perswade thee for thou maist fully perceive we differ in Doctrines and Principles and the one thou must justifie and the other thou must condemn as being one clean contrary to the other in our Principles And I wish also thou wouldst measure us and compare us in lives and conversations and truely Judge whom of us whether they or we do the more follow Christ and his Apostles in practise and conversation And in all things lay us and them to the line of true Judgement and with an upright heart Judge accordingly for know this there is not any Principle we hold nor any work which we practice in our Religion and worship but we are willing and
Scriptures and made free from sin c. pag. 18. Ans Contrary to Rom. 6. Contrary to the Apostle to the Colossians where he had put off the body of sin And contrary to Christ who saves cleanseth from all sin by his blood blots out all sin And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin Pr. He saith that Christ is in heaven in his humanity therefore not to be seen not to be heard not to be handled by us or any others that live upon earth and they cannot give their own assurance c. pag. 19. Ans So shews that they were never made Ministers by him who never saw him nor heard him so never handled the word of life from the Father nor the Son nor saw it nor heard it so are the Pastors that spoil the flock And he is the earthly Adam and humanity but Christ the second Adam is the Lord from heaven Pr He saith that Timothy was commanded to preach and yet had not heard nor seen nor handled any thing of Christ c. page 20. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who bid him to stir up the gift in him and told Timothy he was in the faith and he was to be strong in the grace of Christ And whosoever hath faith knows Christ to be the Author of it and knows something from Christ and so thou thy self hast confuted Pr. He saith that the Saints doth not see Christ for the heavens contain him page 20. Ans And the Apostle saith they sate with Christ in heavenly places so he is contrary to the Apostle And Christ was in them and walkt in them and God dwelt in them and Christ in you except ye be reprobates Pr. He saith the whole minde and will of Christ and God is left them in letters page 21. Ans And the Apostle saith it is past finding out the unsearchable wisdome and the secret things belongs to God and are revealed by the spirit and no man knows them but by the spirit Pr. And he saith the Gospel is the Letter c. Ans And the Apostle saith It is the power of God and the letter kils and many may have the form and deny the power and so stand against the Gospel which is the power of God Pr. And he saith the Devill shews his spight and spleen in them who say they have the word as it was in the beginning against the Scriptures c. page 22. Answ That is not so for they that have the word as was in the beginning own the Scriptures and are not against them but are in that which fulfils them Pr. He saith that all the Saints receive the spirit of Christ yet never heard his voyce Ans This is confusion for who are the sheep of Christ know his voyce Pr. He saith they are uncovered when commonly they have two caps on their heads and the people are covered when they have a hat on their heads c. page 29. Ans This is according to thy deceitful teaching and learning Pr. He saith the Scriptures is the voyce of Christ to them c. Ans And Christ said to them that had the Scriptures They never heard the voyce of God at any time to the Pharisees John 5. For there thou art un-put forth amongst the sheep and they heard the voyce that gave forth the Scripture and came to the life and Christ at the end of them Pr. And he saith there is an immediate voyce which speaks within which we have never heard nor do we know it within our selves experimentally and we believe and hope that we never shall know it c. page 30. Ans And so shews that they never knew the spirit of the Father speaking within them but follows their own dreams and spirits and stops their ear against that of God in them and they blesse themselves from that immediate voyce within and calls it the voice of the Devil which is the spirit of inspiration and the word of God in their hearts which men must obey and do Pr. And he saith to say Christ is within them doing all immediately and infallibly within them and so do say it is Christ and the spirit within them and not they Ans Now this he calls a spirit of Delusion And the Apostle saith I live yet not I but Christ in me And he works all in us and for us after his own good pleasure And this was not a spirit of delusion in them And this thou art reprobated from and found in thy own works Pr. And he saith That which is within them is not eternal and infallible when the Quakers asked him whether it was or no and he saith nay that which judgeth in them is not eternal infallible He saith they assert no such things as that concerning themselves And he saith though all the Saints have the spirit of Christ dwelling in them which is eternall and infallible yet that this spirit should do all that Saints do and should say all that Saints say and should judge for them both for persons and of things after an infallible manner and that they should neither say nor do nor judge any thing by any understanding of their own but the spirit all this we deny These are his words page 31. Ans Which is contrary to the Apostle who saith As many as are the sons of God are led by the spirit of God And Christ acts all in them and for them and the fruits of the spirit c. and the spirituall man judgeth all things And that is it which leads the Saints to devide and discern all things both temporall and spirituall the spirituall wisdome of God which gives them a spirituall understanding which men must rule withall but not with their own that comes to nought and you that have not that which is infallible to judge in you know not the spirit of Christ neither can you judge of persons or things that have not the infallible judgement nor have the spirituall man Neither have you the word of God in your hearts nor Christ which is eternall and infallible all which the Quakers have to judge persons and things Pr. He saith that children are of the seed as to the Church priviledges and externall Ordinances of a spirituall nature Ans Mark his confusion But Christ saith ye must be born again or else ye cannot inherit the kingdome of heaven and such be of the Church Pr. He saith If they can but destroy all formes the power will fall with it for the forme preserves the power page 37. Answ Contrary to the Apostle many have the form but deny the power The power preserves the forme sees the end of forms and destroys them and brings to see before forms was where forms is not For the Apostles who lived in the power denyed the Jewes forms and Gentiles both as we do now deny the Popish forms and yours which you have invented and set up Pr. And an immediate teaching he saith of
false worships in the Steeple-houses in the sheeps cloathing Did God let thee see the deceit of the tythes in the Priests Did God let thee see the vanity of respecting of persons and honouring of the creatures was thou turning from these things as thou confesseth And art thou now turned to them again By whom the way of truth comes to be evill spoken of Is thy latter end worse then the beginning will not all thy words be thy burden and fall heavy upon thee thy time is not past George Emmot And as for all the reviles scoffes mocks in thy Book they are not worth mentioning and raking in the dust for among sober people Hast thou turned the grace of God into wantonness which had taught thee to deny the ungodly lusts of the world and would have brought thee to salvation and so forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God the law in thy minde and in thy heart whereby thou might have been taught to know the Lord But now thou art run out to Teachers that may be removed into a corner that will poyson thee And do put some into co●ners and Priso●s because they will not give them maintenance and then they are them that put into prisons and corners That which brought thee to leave off thy ribbons and vanities and lusts of the world wa● the grace of God which thou hast turned into wantonnesse and published it to the Nation see page 6. And thou art turned in to that the grace taught thee to deny Pr. He saith The Steeple-house is a holy place more holy then a house see page 8. Ans The Pope hath taught thee this and his Teachers and thou art gotten into the holy place like the Pharisees and saies the Apostle defiled it and thus you and your Popes doctrine is got up since you have apostatized from the Apostles which Apostles brought the Jewes off the holy places thou speaks of and while you and them have been in these holy places you have been in the unholiness Henoch Howet his Book titled The Quaking Principles dashed to pieces by the standing and unshaken TRVTH He hath dashed himself to pieces upon the Rock as his torn Language in his Book discovers And his Principles are here as followeth which a great part of his Book is not worth mentioning but turned back upon himselfe who must bear his owne burthen in the day that burns as an oven that his works are tryed he shall remember to the witness in him I speak Pr. HE makes the Scripture to be the onely weapon whereby Christ overthrow the Devill see page 3. Answ Who bruiseth his head and was before Scripture was Yet the Scriptures is for correction and doctrine furnishing the man of God in his place and Christ the seed was before Scripture was And all them that hath Scripture and not Christ cannot overcome the Devill you and the Papists doing his work for they that overcome him it is with the power and those have the Scriptures of truth which the Devil is out of P● Here he saith the Scriptures is the hope See page 4. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures which saith Christ is the hope and they that had the Scripture stood against the hope Christ Pr. He saith there is nothing in man to be spoken to but man See page 5. Ans How then ministred the Apostle to the spirit And Christ spake to the spirits in prison and Timothy was to stir up the gift that was in him and the spirit of the Father speaks within them and the light it shines in the heart which God hath commanded to shine out of darknesse And the Son of God is revealed in me saith the Apostle Here the Scriptures are for correction of thee and reproof of thee who said there is nothing to speak too ●n man but man when the Apostle saith that which may be known of God is manifest in man for God hath shewed it unto them Rom. 1. And the Apostle was manifest to every ones conscience in the sight of God and that was of God which the children disobeyed Pr. He calls that a darke delusive light Ans Which John calls Christ the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world which we speak of so he is fighting against the foundation of God that stands sure And thus the man is striking at the Rock and splitting himself is not come to John but is as dark as the Pharisees Heathen whose darknesse cannot comprehend the light that John saith lighteth every man that cometh into the world that shineth in the darkness that is the true light John 1. chap. So you that deny the light which Christ hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world withall be the enemies of Christ that will not that he should reign over you who are by him to be slain and so that Scripture which he mentions there in page 10. stands for himself who gets his words and calls him Lord but doth not do as he saith and ye all that be in darknesse stumble at the Scriptures which see not the light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world Pr. H● saith They that deny the honour of men are Witches and Wizards page 14. Ans Wilt thou say that Mordecai was a wizard and had a familiar spirit that would not bow to Haman And the Apostle found fault with them that worshipped the creature more then the Creator who is God blessed for ever And all the familiar spirits and wizards fell down and worshipped Nebuchadnezars Image which Daniel could not bend to their Image nor inventions Pr. And again thou saith They that love God and love Christ keepeth his commandements see page 14. Ans And thou art bringing many Scriptures to oppose the commands of Christ who saith Be not ye of men called Master So thou art seen not to be of the spirit of Christ but the spirit that is gone out into the world that is Antichrist and opposeth his Doctrine who is the end of the Prophets and was before Abraham was and so hath given judgement of thy selfe thou neither loves God nor Christ Pr. And here he accuseth Paul and saith Paul saith he is not perfect Answ When Paul saith As many of us as are perfect are thus minded and brings himself in the number and speaks wisdome among them that are perfect page 15. John Timpsons Booke called The Quakers Apostacy from the perfect Rule of the SCRIPTVRES discovered A True title to his Book concerning his own condition as his Book doth witnesse himselfe in the Apostacy whose work is to oppose the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that John bore witnesse of So opposing the Covenant of God of life and peace and the foundation of God which stands sure Christ Jesus which he may as well say nothing or do nothing But the stone is set upon his head and the foundation of God is layd witnessed by the Prophets
call free will c. see page 12. Ans Which light brings out of the will of man into the will of God to him that is not born by the will of man from whence it comes in which light men do his will and know his doctrine So here they are corrected again for the free-will and will-worship is out of the light which is Christ which John speaks of And they that hate the light are out of Christ and are not made free from the wrath to come but they that be in the light are made free from the wrath to come in covenant with God So you that would set up another light then Christ are Antichrist in your own wils for all wil-worship and fained humility is out of the light in the transgression Pr. Here they say that God made a difference where there was none see page 13. Ans And the Apostle said they were all gone astray And God puts a difference between the precious and the vile judgeth righteously and respects no mans person and makes a difference in judgement And they say God checks and chides the wanderings of his people and yet they say God makes a difference where there is none and you are to be checked and chidden Pr. Again they say The children of God are all their life-time found groaning under sin c. page 14. Ans The Apostle tells you plainly He that is borne of God doth not commit sin neither can he because the seed of God remains in him and he keepeth himselfe that the wicked one toucheth him not and they are made free from sin And here the Apostle corrects ye again for those are not groaning under when the wicked one toucheth them not but these reigneth over it Pr. Here they say Who puts men to the light of the eternall word with which they are enlightned withall puts men besides the way of life and puts men besides the way of salvation See page 16. Ans None knows salvation but by the light which comes from the eternall Word nor the way of life which is Christ which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall and so the salvation to the ends of the earth Pr. Here again they say That the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world shuts up the Kingdome of heaven against men and takes away the ministration of the Gospel and d●stroys the ministries of man c. See page 17. Ans None comes into the Kingdom of heaven but who comes into the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world It opens the Kingdom of heaven but it destroys mans ministration and brings in the ministration of God and the Gospell And this light ye call law or works that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which he that believeth in it hath ceased from his owne works as God did from his and comes to the end of the Law Pr. Again they say the Scriptures are the means of faith Answ And so have thrown out Christ the author of it and God the giver and the Scripture is but the declaration of the Saints faith and it saith men had faith before Scripture was as instance Abraham and Enoch Pr. Again they say As for the expected dictating the Scriptures by the spirit to us as to the writers thereof it is groundlesse c. see page 18. Answ So shewing of what spirit you are who with the true spirit are corrected that have the Scriptures dictated to you but not by the same spirit as the Prophets and Apostles had Pr. They say Instruction in the Scriptures is the way of sowing the seed in Children c. Ans And the Scripture saith the seed is the Word and Christ is the seeds-man which was before Scripture was and yet it doth no good except they eat the book and so confute themselves And many had the Scriptures which stood against the seeds-man as you do now and the Devill out of the truth makes a cloak of those things who will not feed upon the Word Pr. So the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which we say is the Covenant of God they say that is to break down the inclosed Garden see page 20. Ans This is that which confounds Babylon the great and brings it into remembrance with God and brings the great Whore into judgement The Light which is the way into the garden of God breaks down their inclosed garden that from the Apostles have apostatized Pr. They say that the power to justle out the forme is an errour c. see page 24. Answ Which was the Apostles work to bring off the form into the power the substance Christ which was not an errour But you being in the errour keep people into forms out of the power and so not in the Apostles work Pr. Again they here say It is blasphemy to say God is in all c. See page 30. Ans And the Apostle saith God over all and in you all blessed for ever and through all Ephes 4. Pr. They say It is not a transgression though men pray not nor preach not for many dayes weeks and moneths together though necessity is laid upon them c. page 32. Answ Contrary to Christs command who bid them watch and pray And contrary to the Apostles doctrine who said woe be unto him if he did not preach the Gospel So where there comes a woe there is a transgression so likewise where Christs doctrine is denyed and the Apostle which said pray alwayes but without wrath and doubtings and lifting up holy hands and pray for enemies But you pray in the wrath and hands full of blood and persecute friends as your Gaols may witnesse so as Pastor Eaton saith you never heard the voyce of God And Micah said Night is upon Priest and Prophets that divine for money and preach peace to the people if they put into their mouths if not they prepare war against them Such have no answer from God Pr. They say That apparell is for distinction of qualities of persons c. See page 36. Ans That is but in the world for that which distinguisheth persons is the Word the person of Christ from the persons of Adam in the fall and who be in the transgression and who be out of it and who be vessels of honour and dishonour and your wearing of gold and costly apparell it distinguisheth you from the Apostles doctrine And the holy women of old which was honourable it was not the apparell that made them so to be but the hidden man of the heart which was of great price to the Lord which were brought to do the command of God That honour which is in the world for cloaths and respect God will stain which stands in the lust of the eye and the pride of life and the lust of the flesh and there stands the worlds honour in transgression Pr. They say It is most true
These he calls Errours Ans All your Temples set up imitating the Temple of Solomon built since the dayes of the Apostles are Idols for God never commanded them And have not the Papists had them And have they not been Masse-houses Beast-houses and are they not Is God worshipped in Temples made with hands Is not he worshipped in the spirit and in the truth And the Scriptures are words of the Prophets and Apostles and Christ they are words and so called in the Scripture they are not called the written word but words and Christ the Word cometh to fulfill them And all you that doth not speak from the Word if your Declaration be not from it you are the spirits gone out into the world apostatized from the spirit that was in the Prophets Christ the Word and the Apostles that doth not speak from Christ the Word in you And the Letter written in paper and inke now paper and inke is not spirituall but that which it speaks of is spirituall And thou to a single and you to a single makes it appear that neither thou nor you never learned your Accidence yet neither are perfect of the Bible what it saith For neither the Bible nor the Accidence teacheth to speak any such language as you to a particular Therefore ye are pittifull men to go to instruct the Nations cannot endure sound righteous words and simplicity of speech but stumble at it And again God will dwell in you and walk in you and your bodies are Temples of the holy Ghost And Christ is in you except you be reprobates saith the Apostle And again God breathed into man the breath of life and he became a living soule For that which came out from God was the cause that man became alive a living soule and is not this of God And God who hath all soules in his hand and Christ the Bishop of the soule And is not that of God which comes out from God Is not that of his being the soule which he hath in his hand and so divine and is not Christ in man And doth not Christ say they must eate his flesh And so if they must eate his flesh is not his flesh in them and have they not the spirit And how can any eate Christs flesh if his flesh be not in them And doth not the Scriptures say that he was manifest in the Apostles flesh And how can ye call him Christ in man without the man be there And sprinkling Infants which the Scripture doth not hold forth but a thing got up since the dayes of the Apostles not witnessed by Scripture they cannot shew by the Apostles that it was one of his marks but a tradition of men an invention of men and then they may all see such as say they have not a command to do it if it be not a mark of that beastly spirit that is erred from the Apostles who is out of the power And Christ saith be not yee of men called Master it is his command for yee have one Master even Christ and ye are all brethren So thou that opposest the commands of Christ and teacheth men to practice the contrary thou and you are Antichrists and shew your spirit of errour from Christs spirit Now let all read and see if this man divides the word aright to people Pr. He saith They have an unction need not that any man teach them And waiting for the Spirit to come down upon them by inspiration and give them utterance And he saith they sit silent and not whisper among them And they do not own Davids Psalms to be sung See page 12 13. these are errours saith he A. Was it not the Apostles Doctrine that they need no man to teach them but as the same anointing teaching them that abide in it And was not they seducers that drew from it 1 Joh. 2. And did not the Apostles wait for the receiving the Holy Ghost the Comforter the Spirit of truth And did not the holy men of God speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost and so the Gospel and the things of God was revealed to them what they had heard and seen and was revealed to them and spoke as the spirit gave them utterance and prayed for a door of utterance and others was to pray that they might have a door of utterance given to them when they was to Preach And to sing Davids Psalms without Davids spirit people sings not with the understanding now in all these things have not ye shewed and made manifest your spirits to be all the false spirits gone out into the world from the Apostles Spirit holy-mens spirit that spoke forth the Scriptures as they were moved and waited for the Spirit which led them into all truth and revealed to them the things of God so you that be out of this Revelation and Preach against this you have Preached up your spirits out from the Apostles and declared your folly to all the Nation And then because they wait in silence and not a whisper among them Is not that agreeable to the Apostles Doctrine and the Prophets Is there not a learning in silence And was not whispering forbidden by the Apostle And doth such things as these offend thee and so thou hast shewed thy spirit Pr. He saith they meet in the night and they make their object of their teaching of Ministers and Tithes and of the pure light that is in every man that cometh into the world And for any man for to know what is in him by looking at him or upon him or discern his soul this he suspects to be an evil eye And he saith that the learned men and Ministers and Physitians to be in the power of Satan c. page 16. 17. 18. Ans Here again ye have made manifest your power who are gone forth from the Apostles into the mystery of Iniquity which hath wrought long since their dayes And now is the power of God made manifest which breakes down the mystery of Iniquity and raiseth up the mystery of godliness that of this power neither the learned men Physitians or Ministers are able to Judge of it but as they do own Christ the power of God Formerly in the dayes past as the learned Rabbies Judged of Christ so do they Judge of the power now so not strange to us And the Saints met in the night yea till mid-night And we do deny the Ministry that takes Tythes and say the Priesthood is changed and the Law is changed by which is was made and the Commandment disanuled that gave tithes and the Priesthood changed that took them Heb. 7. And we say Christ is come a Priesthood after the order of Melchisedeck the similitude and likeness who ends the similitude and likeness in Christ is the end of similitudes and liknesses and wars in whom is peace So no tythes paid to the similitude and likeness But all is to come to the Son and to hear the Son and honor
Father as well as Master c. See page 68. Answ Thou hast in this denyed the doctrine of Christ and slights it who saith be not ye of men called master for yee have all one Master which is Christ and ye are all brethren And thou hast shewed thy selfe out of the Brother-hood and there is a birth to be born which can call no man Father upon earth which thou art ignorant of Pr. He saith There is lawfull respects of persons and it is said God himselfe is the respecter of persons and the Quakers overthrow all authority because they do not respect persons because they deny that page 71. Answ God is not a respecter of persons as saith the Apostle for his Covenant he gives to the Gentiles as well as to the Jewes And the faith of Gods elect is held without the respect of persons and he that respects persons commits sin and transgresseth the Law And so thou divides not the word aright Pr. He saith False Prophets shall arise and damnable heresies and many shall follow their pernicious wayes by which the way of truth shall be evill spoken of Ans The Apostles saw them come up the false Prophets that brought in the damnable heresies that was covetous c. and many followed their wayes And the false Prophets goes from the light that Christ hath enlightned them withall and raveneth from the Spirit and gets the sheeps cloathing and through their covetousnesse makes a trade of that and you are such which causeth the truth to be evil spoken of which are come up manifest since the days of the Apostles Pr. And the Quakers are not to be received into their houses nor bidden God-speed and such as creeps into houses leads silly women captive laden with sin and led away with divers lusts Ans The Apostle saw such as crept into houses and saw such as transgressed the Doctrine of Christ that was not to be received into houses and saw the deceivers that walked after their ungodly lusts before the Apostles decease and such as led people always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth as it is manifest now in the world they are learning 40. 50. or 60. years and yet there is a cry among them that they must have the body of sin while they be upon the earth and live in their sins and none can be without it and this is the height of your doctrine it leads too which is now in the mouths of all people that be under your teaching that teach that Doctrine and yet you will say the work of the Ministry is for the perfecting of the Saints to the edifying of the body of Christ till all come into the unity of the faith unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ And this work ye have denyed your selves to be in but such that are as Jannes and Jambres how should it be otherwise that ravened from the spirit of God inwardly that went forth from the Apostles that be covetous that keeps people alwayes learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth So you are them that keeps people from the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and keeps them in spiritual Aegypt Sodome and Gomorah where they be always learning having the forme of godlinesse and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth and this to you all will be a sad cup at last And as for all thy lyes and slanders in thy Book which are not worth mentioning they will come sad upon thy selfe one day for the grievous lyes thou hast uttered in it unto the Nation which thousands in the Nation that are not under the name of Quakers knows and sees the contrary to what thou hast published but they will fall upon thy own selfe and be thy own burthen And then thou shalt say when thou feelst thy owne works burn thou hadst better have been silent and not have published forth thy folly and made thy name to stinke and brought thy name upon record who hath made lyes thy refuge but the haile is come and coming that will sweep them away William Thomas called Minister of the Gospell of Vbley His Book called A Vindication of the SCRIPTVRES and MINISTERS His PRINCIPLES followeth Pr. HE saith Christ directs to looke for life in Scriptures because they testifie of him and that the Scriptures are the ground of Faith and the Saints rule And again We are justified by Christ without us and not within us See his Epistle Ans The Scriptures many had and searched them and found not life in them for Christ is the life and if men have all the Scriptures and have not Christ they have not life And so Christ did not say they should have life in Scriptures but he saith they thought to have life there and they testified of him And they would not come to him that they might have life How ignorant art thou of the Scriptures and of Christs words to divide them on this manner And Christ is the Author of the Faith And many if they have Scriptures they have not the ground of faith untill they have Christ the Author of it and God the giver of it which is able to make wise unto salvation through the faith which Christ is the Author of For Enoch and Abel c. had faith before the Scriptures was written and so before thy ground was And the Saints had a rule before the Scriptures was written for the spirit was their rule that led them into all truth and to speak forth Scriptures that is the rule that mortifies circumciseth baptizeth and leads into all truth The Word of God that fulfills Scriptures leads into all truth that is the truth that leads into all truth Now the Scriptures cannot lead into all truth but it testifies of that that doth so And if Christ be not within people they are reprobates And is a reprobate justified And if Christ be within is not the Justification there redemption and Sanctification witnessed Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Pr. He saith We consider how few there be in the Church that belongs to God See his Epistle Answ This is your owne Church which is not the pillar and ground of truth For who be in the Church of Christ the pillar and ground of truth where there is not a spot nor wrinkle nor blemish nor any such thing they are them that belong to God they are living stones built up together a spirituall houshold but this thou art afar off Pr. He saith We willingly acknowledge we are fallible men that may be deceived and to finde infallible Teachers is against experience None pretends infallibility but the Pope See page 9. He saith The Scriptures is the Well and living Fountaine from whence living waters have been drawn this hundred or thousand years page 8. Answ If every one that hath the Scriptures hath
for for their own bellies and these cause divisions among all people Do not these serve their bellies And are not people come to mark them what a division they have set among people yea for Tythes and maintenance and persecuting and prisoning for it and haling before Judges and Justices by Writs into Courts and at Assizes and Sessions Doth not these serve their bellies that makes all this division and not Christ but they deny the light which doth enlighten every man c. and so deny Christ the Lord that bought them And the light that every man hath that cometh into the world and the light that shines in the heart it gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and brings all off from serving their bellies and leads out of the lusts in the fall which came by Adam in the transgression Pr. He saith To speak the Word of God immediately and that which I speak I speak it immediately I am strengthened against that and admonished by God to hold fast the form of sound words And that which is able to make men wise unto salvation through faith And Timothy was to stir up the gift of God that was in him mediately and the putting on of the hands and the neglecting not the gift that was in him And God hath published his last dispensation and nothing more to be added or altered page 15. Answ It thou art strengthened by God against speaking his Word immediately or if thou speaks immediately thou being strengthened by God against this as thou saith In this thou shews thou never knew him who ever is strengthened of God it is by his power and that is immediate who ever speaks his word that lives and endures for ever it is immediate In this thou and you all have shewed your selves to be Ministers of the Letter and not of the Word of God which is immediate which lives and abides and endures for ever and is immortall and fades not away and this thou and you speak not immediately and therefore have ye indeed put the Letter for it that be from the Word of God in your hearts not born again of the immortal seed the Word of God And whosoever stirs up the gift of God in them it is immediate and by the immediate And who ever holds fast the form of sound words the Scriptures they are made wise unto salvation by them through the faith they are in the immediate gift of God and gift which brought Timothy to lay on the hands upon the Presbytery and see and divide the word aright and kept him out of partiality it was immediate and the immediate Word of God that he was to preach in season and out of season And since the dayes of the Apostles from this have you all been apostatized and asleep in the night of apostacy in the great City though there hath been Pipers among you and sounding of Trumpets and the voyce of th● Brid●●●d the grinding of Mills and the light of Candles And the time is coming that B●●ylon shall fall and become the habitation of Devils and the Saints shall rejoyce and sing over her c. Pr. He saith It is not properly and absolute in a full sense that God is manifest or glorified in the flesh of his Saints page 29. Ans The Saints are the Temples of God and God dwels in them and walks in them and they come to witnesse the flesh of Christ and they glorifie him in their souls and bodies and the Lord is glorified in their bringing forth much fruit And they witnesse the seed the one offering for sin and transgression to be manifest within and such are not Reprobates yet witnesse the one offering Christ Jesus and them that have not him within they are Reprobates Pr. He saith The body is dead because of sin yea it is yet in it selfe is but a wretched vile body page 30. And Christ is in or among believers the hope of glory And that person Christ is personally absent from the believers And we do not possesse the glory of this glory Christ in us page 32. Answ I do believe you that are not come to the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world ye do not possesse the hope of glory in you ye are ab ent from Christ and do not feel him But the Saints in the light receive Christ the hope of glory and so he is not absent from them for they have unity with him and the Father and knows a change in them from glory to glory and witnesse Christ in them as believers in the light which walks not in darknesse that have the light of life And where the body of sin is destroyed and put off they glorifie God in their souls and bodies and spirit which is the Lords and those are not wretched Prin. He saith CHRIST is absent from us while wee are in the mortall body Answ Contrary to the Apostle who saith the life of Christ is manifest in their mortall flesh Pr. He saith Christ is in heaven with a spirituall body Answ And Priest Higginson saith he is in heaven with a carnall body And thus ye are confused and discerned who are from the Light and can speak of the body of Christ by the Letter and tell where he rose by the Letter as the Priests of old could tell Herod where he sh●uld be born but Christs body is glorified Pr. He saith The first Resurrection we desire not to account our selves to have apprehended page 44. Such as magnifie their belly to be some eternall operation and making it withall deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish glorying in their shame minding sensuall earthly things All since the Apostle have not the Ministry of the Gospell immediately but mediately from the person of Christ in their believing through their word page 46. And the Text saith not the word of faith in the heart Answ Rom. 10. The word of Faith which they Preached was in their mouth and in their heart nigh them even in their heart And all since the dayes of the Apostles we do believe you have not received the Word immediately from Christ as the Apostles did who have erred and apostatized from them So none are Preachers of the Word in the Truth but who are Preachers of it immediately and such all are the false Apostles and such as serves not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies which mind earthly things sensually and are in the deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse deceiving the people with the good words forcing and taking maintenance of people they do no work for and keeping of them all from the immediate teachings of God they themselves being out of it and concluding all under their own dominion and shall all agree in one against the immediate teaching And they that be out of the immediate teaching is under the power of the Beast and Antichrist and the great whore the mother
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 Pe●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 witni●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
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
sin whilst they are upon earth they can be but in their sin if they never preach to them But the scripture saith He that believes is borne of God and he that is borne of God cannot sin because his seed remaines in him 1 Iohn 3.9 But this is of another world to him who is called James Dorram Minister of Glasgow Minister of darknesse who puts no difference between the children of God and the children of the devill 1 Iohn 3.10 They would have sin whilst they are upon the earth and it is darknesse but the Apostles said they were made free from sin Rom. 6.22 whilst they were upon the earth Pr. Christ being sinlesse separates him from all others Answ Christ being seperated from sinners Heb. 7.26 who are in Christ are seperate from sinners and sin both 2 Cor. 6 17. But this James Dorram hath made the offering of none effect Heb. 10.14 which hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified And hath made the blood of Jesus of none effect which cleanseth from all sin 1 Iohn 1.7 And he hath made the everlasting Covenant of none effect which blots out all sins trespasses And he hath made the faith of the Son of God of none effect which purifies the heart and gives victory over the world Acts. 15.9 1 Iohn 5.5 Thou dost herein preach and hold up sin and doth not preach it down and yet thou saist thou preachest not to hold it up and yet thou preachest they must have it whilst they are upon the earth here is confusion in thy tongue Prov. 17.20 Thou shouldst have preached it down and have brought them to a Church where there is neither spot nor wrinkle nor blemish nor any such thing Eph. 5.27 if thou wert a true Minister but your Church is full of spots and blemishes and wrinkles whilst ye are preaching up zeale to stone people and sin while they live as Henry Foreside and Iames Dorram doth Pr. God be thanked the scripture speakes nothing for freedome from sin and perfection Ans Thou thankest God that thou maist live in thy sin and imperfection and art glad of this thy false hope but thou art a lyar thou art out of the truth in this for the scripture saith they were made free from sin Rom. 6.26 and they preached wisdome among them that were perfect 1 Cor. 2.6 and he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 So the scripture speakes of freedome from sin and perfection and be perfect Pr. That the condemning power of sin is taken away Answ The believer doth not sin 1 Iohn 5.1 1 Iohn 3.9 but he that the believer overcomes commits sin 1 Io. 3.8 1 Io. 5.5 if the believer commits sin who overcomes the believer and so he that commits sin is under the condemning power of sin which thou saist not which thou and all other shall witnesse Pr. The believer is not in sin as the unbeliever is he sins not as the unbeliever doth and in an other place he saith the Law is the same to the believer that it is to the unbeliever Answ Here any may read thy confusion but I say unto thee he that believeth doth not commit sin but the unbeliefe is sin Rom. 11.20 and Christ is the end of the Law to every one that believes for righteousnesse sake Rom. 10.4 and yet thou puts both believers and unbelievers under the Law Lodowick Simerell priest of the new parish of Munckland his Principles and Doctrines Pr. THat it is blasphemy to say that the light in man which reproves of sin is the light of God is perfect is the gift of God Answ Contrary to scripture contrary to Christs words and contrary to the Apostles words is thy doctrine and Principles for every gift of God is perfect Isa 1.17 Isa 49.6 Iohn 1.3 Iohn 4. For Christ is the gift of God and he will give him for a Covenant of light to the Jewes and Gentiles which doth enlighten every man that commeth into the world which every one that doth truth comes to it which every one that doth evill hates the light and will not come to the light because the light will reprove him and so This is the condemnation of the world that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds be evill So this light is perfect which doth reprove every man of sin and is from above and it is the gift of God and thou art blind and in darknesse that comprehends it not And the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Christ Jesus the gift of God him by whom the world was made this light was before any naturall light was made Sun Moon or Stars for all things that was made was made by the light which came a light into the world that all through him might believe for he that believes not in the light is condemned already and he that does believe in the light hath the witnesse in himselfe to set to his seale that God is true and the spirit of truth that doth reprove the world is perfect of God The light which every one that cometh into the world is enlightned withall is not conscience for the light was before any thing was made or conscience named So the light is that which exerciseth the conscience towards God and towards man where it is loved and the voice heard but where it is hated and the voice not heard the conscience is seared and the light is their condemnation whose consciences is seared which light was before conscience was The Priest would not have thee and thou to be to a single person and so is the man that would not indure sound words that cannot be condemned thee and thou was the language between God and his Saints and one another and you is to many and thou was to one and this was the language between Jeptha and his daughter and between the Saints and the Kings this shewes thou hast not learned the Accedence nor Bible nor art come to the forme of sound words Iohn Castaires called Minister of Glasgow his principles Pr. THis is naturall folks duty to pray to God and worship him although they sinfully keep themselves under a sinfull necessity to sin against God through ignorance Answ This hath been your worke to keep people in ignorance which you may be ashamed of A naturall man cannot worship God for he cannot receive the things of God nor a sinfull man but worship the Devill for he that commits sin serves him and he that serves sin serves the devill and worships him Iohn 8.34 And Christ said the Pharisees should receive the greater damnation for their pretended long prayers Mat. 23.14 and so he did not justifie them in their long prayers but rebuked them and said Wo unto them who draw near with their lips when their hearts were far off Isa 29.13 And they that pray and worship God must pray in the
does not say the Elect onely and he through death hath destroyed the power of death the Devill Heb. 2.14 and thou art to be reproved for thy judgement for thy unbelief for thy righteousnesse for thy sin because of thy unbelief for thy judgement because the Prince of this world is judged Io. 16. so Christ doth not say I am the light of the Saints of the elect onely but I am the light of the world Io. 8.12 and saith that light is come into the world this is the condemnation of the world that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then it because their deeds are evill Io. 3.19 So its unbelief that shuts out Rom. 11.20 So the gates stand open night and day and every one that doth evill hates the light will not come to it because it wil reprove him and he will not come in to the gate for he that comes to the gate comes to the light he that comes to the light comes out of condemnation comes to be a child of the light he that hates the light wil not come into the kingdome of God And for thy saying God hath ordained a great part of the world to Hell let them repent and doe all that ever he hath commanded them he that doth the things that Christ commands enters the Kingdome he that repents his mind is changed and whosoever believeth shall not perish and this command is generall Io. 10.28 through the whole world therefore thou with the Devills Doctrine shuts up the Kingdome of Heaven against others and wilt not goe in thy selfe who saies let men repent and doe all that ever they can they must goe to hell when God wils not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turne from his wickednesse and live Ezek. 33.11 but he is mercifull and judges not as thou dost whose eyes are blinded and hands full of blood so I say whosoever repents and doth the things they are commanded they shall be saved and that which thou sayest to the contrary we conclude to be the Devills doctrine and whosoever resists the thing that is commanded that will be their condemnation but hates the light which was before the world was which lighteth every man that cometh into the world that all through him might believe for he that believes in the light shall not abide in darkn●sse Io. 8.12 shall not come into condemnation shall come to be a child of light Io. 12.36 and they shall have the light of life and so the light is sufficient to save them and condemn them that believe not Jo. 3.18.14 Ia. 4.12 and every one that cometh into the light that they are enlightned withall such come into the election and into the covenant of God and evill consciences thou maist frighten them that hates the light which is their condemnation but the elect thou can neither save nor deceive thanks be to God Christ reigns who will give to every man according to his works who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world not believing is condemned and shut out and such turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and are ordained of old that hate the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world such be in Cain and Balaams way persecutors and murtherers turnes the grace of God into wantonnesse Pr. From the words of Jude 4. they were of old ordained from these words he said That God had predestinated one to life without any cause in the creature lesse or more and the other wicked man to Hell without any cause in the creature lesse or more and both wicked men And before thou said part of the cause that God cast into hell was in the man part in God In this 7th principle and doctrine thou saist there is no cause in the creature that God casts into hell cond●mns him in the other thou said there was part blame in man part in God 〈◊〉 ●s the devils doctrine a lye found in thy mouth thou hast wrested perverted wronged that scripture in Jude who saith there is no part in man causeth condemnation that all may see that you are lyers he saith they were ungodly they turned the grace of God into lasciviousnesse that brings salvation that denyed the Lord that bought them Jude 11. 2 Pet. 2.1 They were covetous made merchandize of the people through fained words so no covetous nor Idolater shall enter into the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6.9 and all they deny the Lord that bought them but who owns the light that comes from him which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world and none sees him but with the light that comes from him and they goe in Cores way and gain-sayeth the truth who goe from the light that Christ hath inlightned them in the particuler and he that gain-sayeth the truth there is a fault in him and they goe in Caines way that are from the command of God who said if thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted and if he did not well sin lay at the door now these were of old ordained unto condemnation which turned the grace of God into wantonnesse were in Caines way Cores way and brake the commands as Cain did in Balaams way erred from the spirit and admired mens persons because of advantage which Balaam did and loved the wages of unrighteousnesse and so these did not doe the things they were commanded Cain he did not do the thing that he was commanded nor Core that offered strange fire and his company Num. 16. So these of old were ordained for this condemnation which condemnation is the light Io. 3. light foresees them and sees over them and condemns them when they arise and goes out from the spirit of God in them and here all may see here was fault worthy of condemnation and those were they that sensually seperated them selves from the Apostles and had not the spirit Jude 19. in their daies which were covetous which went for the gift and reward which were like raging waves of the Sea which were spots in feasts of charity feasting feeding without feare 2 Pet. 2. Which admired mens persons because of advantage and spoke the high words in hypocrisy Wells without water Trees without fruit raging waves of the Sea foming out their own shame clouds without water carryed about with tempests spots in the feasts of charity like unto Sodom and Gomorah in filthiness which goe from the light that does convince them so there is the self-separation and there is the condemnation that comes over them the light and these are they that seperated from the Apostles which said love your enemies Mat. 5.44 Which are men gone into the world which be in Caines way in envy in Cores way gainsaying the the light they are like raging waves of the Sea foaming out their shame in their pulpits so you are the men that seperates from the
Apostles that be in Cains way who be out of the life and sacrifice the Saints were in that would murther and Cores way that gainsayeth the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world so against the common salvation and ye be like Cain foaming and raging in your Pulpits and would murther all that are contrary to you whose Sacrifice God accepts and yours he does not and God would have accepted of Cain if he had done well Gen. 4. So God is mercifull and a just God but Cain he did not well Therefore wo went out from God against him and so there was fault in him and not in God which was the cause of his condemnation so you that be in Balaams way for the wages of unrighteousness admiring mens persons because of advantage Ye are out of the faith that is held without respect of persons Iam. 2. and so separated from the Apostles to whom Christ said Freely ye have received freely give and you will not give freely who are rageing and foming without you have augmentations stipends gleabe Lands or Tythes great sumes of money gifts or rewards from great ●ouses so you deny the light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world so gain-sayes the common salvation Jude 1. You gain-say the truth that doth enlighten every man that cometh thto the world so in Cores way you are and would have the persons of the Saints murthered so in Caines way as ye confesse that ye have not the spirit that gave forth the scriptures so in the self-separation and ye deny the the light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world which is the Lord Iohn 8.12 And so denies the Lord that bought you 2 Pet. 2.1 And so are for condamnation who are of that stock that separate themselves from the Apostles sensually having not the spirit who are in Cains way that would kill and murther and out of the Apostles way who said love your enemies who are in Balaams way for gifts and rewards and admiring mens persons because of advantage to them speaking high words in hypocrisy and out of the Apostles way to whom Christ said Freely ye have received freely give Mat. 10.6 And out of the Prophets way who said come without a price Isa 55.1 2. And ye will have the price or else you will not come let all that can read Iude over and see if there was not cause in man of his condemnation not in God and so have not you proved your selves in the Doctrine of Devils and in lyes and would make God unrighteous and the Apostles unrighteous for there was fault in Cain fault in Balaam and fault in Core and fault in Sodome and fault in them that turned the grace of God into wantonnesse which were of old ordained for this condemnation Iude 4. Which condemnation is that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evill and so the Apostles taught that there was fault in man as ye may read Iude and thou hast taught there is none so then thou art unrighteous who would make God and the Apostles unrighteous like thy selfe let all that feare God judge of it who are now come to the judgment Seat before the Almighty God who have been them that erred from the Apostles Doctrine with it is judged and are judged and you must have a reward according to your works and he that comes to life comes out of his wickednesse and not the wicked man enters into the kingnome of God Rev. 21. and the promise is to the seed and he that works iniquity departs from the seed Gal. 3.16 And the Election obtaines it Rom. 11.7 Not him that wills nor runs But God that shewes mercy And whereas thou saist the wicked man is ordained to life without any cause in the creature lesse or more This is just the Devils Doctrine againe and to bring every one to hide his Talent and none neither to watch nor pray for that is in the creature that brings him to lay a side wickednesse and to depart from sin and iniquity which lets him see it and covetous and drunkennesse soe through the obedience of the Spirit and that is in the Creature that brings him to confesse his sin and forsake it whereby mercy is shewed the power of God worketh in us saith the Apostle And as they had been servants to unrighteousness so came to yeeld themselves servants unto righteousnesse Rom. 6. How comes the commands of God to be obeyed if there be not somthing in the creature that causes him to obey it For thou saist without any cause in the creature why were all these expressions spoken in scripture that they should obey all things that Christ commanded Mat. 28.20 And all the statutes and Ordinances spoken of in the scriptures if there be not something in man to cause him to obey it but thy intent is to make God unrighteous who respects no mans person but gives to every man a reward according to his works Rev. 2 23. The one as well as the other and all shall appear before the judgement of Christ 2. Cor. 9.10 He will judge the world in righteousness but there is something in the creature for every man that cometh into the world being enlightned whereby he is capable of obeying or disobeying and not believing comes to be condemned and in believing he is saved he hath the witnesse in himselfe Iohn 3.8 1 Io. 5.10 For he that commits sin is the servant of sin Io. 8.24 And there is no respect of persons with God but whosoever doth righteousness is accepted of him Acts 10.34 35. The Apostle said He perceived God was no respecter of persons but whosoever doth wickedly be hates the light and is condemned but whosoever doth the truth cometh to the light Joh. 3.21 and so out of condemnation so thou teaches another Doctrine so as I said before The promise is to the seed the seed is Christ and Christ all and in all 1 Cor. 15.28 And all ungodly and wicked men are shut out of the Kingdom of God where no wicked men enters one nor other and man must be turned again from wickednesse before he enters Rev. 21.8 Pr. He being asked what he would do with Quakers and he said if he had been a civil Magistrate he would have thought it good service to have cut off all their heads Ans There ye may all see if he be not of Cains stock and what an envy proceeds out of his mouth and unchristian Spirit and how would he convert them if they were out of the way and how would he convince them who would cut off their heads hath not this proved the Quakers to be in the truth and he out of it and is not the command of Christ that ye should love your enemies Mat. 5.44 Now ye may see he is out of the command and example but followed the example of Cain the
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
kindreds and tongues which is the power of God which brings People into unity with God and Scriptures and the mystery of God is revealed and the mystery of iniquity discovered and he that was dead is alive again and lives for ever more SEVERAL SCRIPTURES Corrupted by the TRANSLATORS Jude 14. BEhold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints in the Greek it is in ten thousands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.3 Expresse image of his person gr Substance or Subsistence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 2.16 He took not on him the nature of Angels in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is by true interpretation he doth not take hold of Angels as for the word Nature which is in our English Copies there is nothing for it in the Greek Mat. 3.11 In Beza his Latine Testament and our English Copies it is rendred I indeed baptize you with water and from the word with water is the act of Sprinkling pleaded for in the Greek it is I dip plunge or baptize you in water in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1.23 In the Latin and English Copies 't is thus which was preached to every creature which is under heaven in the Greek it is in every creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 16.15 In the Latin and English Copies it is that which is highly esteemed among men in the Greek it is in men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 15.31 In our English Copies it is I protest by your rejoycing c. Now I protest is added for there is nothing for it in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 2.6 We speak wisdome among them that are perfect in the Greek it is in them that are perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.29 In the English and Latin Copies it is that he might be the First-born among many Brethren in the Greek it is in many Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 28.19 In the English and Latin Copies it is baptizing them in the name in the Greek it is into the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 6.7 In the English Copies it is for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking in the Greek it is in their much speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 3.16 In our English and Latin Copies it is great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles in the Greek it is preached in the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11.2 In the Latin and English Copies it is wot ye not what the Scripture saith of Elias but in the Greek it is in Elias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.1 God c. spoke to the Fathers by the Prophets in the Greek it is God spoke to the Fathers in the Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hath in the last daies spoken unto us by his Son in the Greek it is hath spoken unto us in his Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.6 That you may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God in the Greek it is in one mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.19 In the Greek Latin and English Copies it is speaking of the Gentiles that which is known of God is manifest in them or made known in them though some dare say and do say among them Amos 3.6 Shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it this is the English Translation in the Hebrew it is shall there be evil in 〈◊〉 ●●y and shall not the Lord do somewhat Heb. 5. last Strong meat belongeth to them that 〈◊〉 full of age in the Greek it is Strong meat belongeth to them that are perfect 〈…〉 Iohn 8.6 In our English Copies it is Jesus s●oo●ed down and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not as for the words as though he heard them not they are added by the Translators for there is nothing in the Greek for them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 1.14 The word became flesh and dwelt amongst us in the Greek it is in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By true interpretation it is the Word became flesh and pitcht his Tent in us Heb. 10.20 In the English Copies it is by a new and living way in the Greek it is of late slain and living way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies recens mactatus lately or of late slain saith Leigh and Pasor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IF any one want Light let him look upon the Law and the testimony whether they speak after this meaning If he do not this he stumbles and suffers hunger and if he suffer hunger he is not patient but blasphemeth his King and his God then looketh he upward and downward to the earth and behold there is trouble and darkness vexation is round about him and the cloud of error and out of such adversity shall he not escape even like as in time past it hath been seen well this is the old Translation Isai 8. New Translation thus To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them and they shall passe through it hardly bestead and hungry and it shall come to passe that when they shall be hungry they shall fret themselves and curse their King and their God and look upward and they shall look unto the earth and behold trouble and darkness and dimness of anguish and they shall be driven to darkness Isai 8.20.21 22. Old Translation Prov. 23. when thou sittest at the Table with a Lord order thy self mannerly with the things set before thee measure thine Appetite and if thou wilt rule thy own self be not over greedy of his meat for meat beguiles and deceives New Translation thus When thou sittest to eat with a Ruler consider diligently what is before thee and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to Appetite Be not desirous of his dainties for they are deceitful meat Prov. 23.1 2 3. Old Translation Amos 3. Cry they out Alarum with the Trumpet in the City and the people not affraid cometh there any plague in a City without it be the Lords doing New Translation thus shall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the People not be afraid shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it Hosea 5.6 In the first Chapter of the Heb. 3. in the new Translation it is said who being the brightness of his glory and the express Image of his Person But in the old Translation it Reads thus being the brightness of his glory and the very Image of his substance The 2 Cor. 2. Chapter the last verse in the English it is we do not corrupt the word but in the Latin it is we do not sell the word for money
gave it forth and to be such as cannot divide the word aright nor speak a word in season But are rather such as burthens the just and oppresseth whereby the poor groanes and cries under not to distinguish between the fasting of the servants of God and you that appeared to fast So in this you shew you put no difference between the precious and the vile and are not able to Judge of things that differs so are Judged with that which doth put a difference in things that differ and David was a wonder to his neighbours about him Francis Higginson his Book called A brief Relation of the Religion of the Northern QUAKERS His PRINCIPLES follow c. Pr. HE saith in his Epistle The great number that is fallen away from the Word of God Answ The falling away from the Word of God was before the Apostles decease and since the world is gone after you and them that are fallen away and so you put the Letter for the Word the Scripture which are words and so run into all opinions into Sects but now are people coming to the Light and so to the Word Christ Jesus him by whom the world was made before it was made from you apostates to the word and the Apostles are we come Pr. Again he saith I do not detest Popery it selfe more heartily then I do your Religion Quakers c. Ans I do believe thee for Popery it selfe is thy stock The Tythes the Universities the Steeple-houses Masse-houses and so I know thou must be a friend to Popery and detest us before thou canst Popery the Kingdome would be divided else against it self and then it were not like to stand But Popery and you we see is come up since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy and so with the power of God yee are denyed Pr. Again he saith Beware of false Prophets for there shall arise false Prophets and false Christs and if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect Math. 7. and Matth. 24. Ans And Christ said they should come and they should be inwardly ravening Wolves but they should be cloathed with the sheeps cloathing to his Disciples he spake this and before the Disciples decease they saw that they were come the false Prophets and the Antichrists as in 1 John 2.4 which went forth from them that inwardly ravened that Christ said should come that had gotten the sheeps cloathing which the Apostle saw was come that went forth from them And in the Revelations he saith all the world went after them All the world wondred after the Beast and the false Prophets And the Beast had power over all Nations and Kindreds and Tongues and Peoples and the false Prophet which the world went after and these made war against the Saints and overcame them And so the false Prophets and the Antichrists you have had the sheeps cloathing but have been the wolves ravening and devouring the Lambs Ye could not have deceived if ye had not had the sheeps cloathing upon you And so the Beast and his names who have had power over all Nations and Kindreds and Tongues and so the Beast and Whore hath been upon you Tongues which makes you Orthodox men which John calls waters Here have been the beast and his names who have had power over all Nations And the mother of harlots the great whore wch all nations have drunk her cup of her fornication that the inhabitants of the earth are drunk with the wine of the wrath of her fornication and the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and she sits upon the waters and the waters are Peoples and Tongues and Nations and Multitudes Now you have told long the poor people that the false Prophets are come but now and the Antichrists are come but now and bids them come to Matth. 7. and Matth. 24. and so have shewed your ignorance of the Scriptures which saith they were before the Apostles decease as in the first Epistle of John which went forth from the Apostles the false Prophets Antichrists and false Spirits which Christ said should come which the world since have gone after them Now have and doth your ignorance of the Scriptures appear and not to be men able to divide the word aright The discerning now is risen among people that they begin to see and know who divides the word aright And so all this hath been but for pretence to bid people to go to Matth. 7. Matth 24. and say false Prophets should come Now we see you which John said they were come and all that dwelt upon the earth went after them And so ye have had the form of godliness but the power hath been denyed and so you have burst into names and heaps and sects but now is the vials and thunders and plagues and trumpets sounding and going forth and the seven woes going out And now are the Kings of the Earth and the Beast and false Prophets and Antichrists and the mother of Harlots and the Beast and his names and horns gathering together with the old deceiver the Devil to battel against the Lamb and the Saints of the Lamb But the Lamb and the Saints have got the victory and the rivers of living waters is opening to all that thirst Sing and rejoyce let us give glory to God for now is the marriage of the Lamb come Pr. Again thou makes a great pudder that any one should witnesse he is equall with God c. page 2. A. And in a Catechism of the Assembly of the Priests called Divines which they put forth to the Nation in which they have laid down for young children and old men and all to learn That the holy Ghost and the Son is equall in power and glory with the Father Yet if any one come to witnesse the Son revealed in him or come to witnesse the holy Ghost in them as they that gave out Scriptures or witnesse the minde of Christ and witness that equall with the Father that equality which you speak of You Priests destroy that which you have put forth to the Nation and cry out horrid Blasphemy And thus ye confound that which you have set up and kill that which ye have begotten Pr. He saith I shall mention their errours First they hold their speakings are a declaration of the word Christ in them 2. That the letter of Scripture is carnall 3. That Jesus Christ is come in their flesh that he is in them as man 4. And that the Scriptures are not the written word of God 5. That the soule is a part of God or a Divine essence 6. That they enjoy God here and Christ here 7. And attain to a state of perfection 8. That sprinkling of Infants is a marke of the Beast 9. And our Church and worship and Temple are Idols Temples and Beast-houses 10. And not to be called of men Master 11. And the not speaking to a single person in the plurall number c.
Ministers The power would open the hearts of people if ye were in that and make them to give you that there would be no want And then the Gospel would be Preached and you live in that and glad tidings be known to all Nations and men would not be combered about Courts and put in prison by you whom you do no work for P● Ye say shall men have leave to Preach railing against Christs Ministers and Church reproaches to the world and hath Gyles Calvert owned his name at them and ye speak of y●ur liberty of the Pulpit But that the Pulpit should be Satans Oracle as Apthecaries shop keeps open poison● so Gyles Calvert doth for soul-poison Answ This is not the way by railing to stop poison but your Pulpits have been like shops of poison even to poison Nations for have you not poisoned many people and made their minds envious and most of your stuff hath been railing one against another which had ye been Ministers or spoken the truth in the love of it it would have preserved people in peace and unity and not have sought your selves And Gyles Calvert as you call an Apothecaries shop hath been a place whereby many of your actions and fruits have been discovered and made manifest not against the Church of God not against the Ministers of God and Christ not against the Magistrates that live in the fear and life and power of God but against the injustice and the persecution and the apostates gotten up since the dayes of the Apostles as ye confesse if your maintenance be taken away the Ministery will fall Now the power is that that causeth people to minister to any that ministreth to them not by compulsion but freely and this is acceptable and pleasing to God which the Lord loves And so all your poyson of your Pulpits as Satans oracles hath been like such a thing for the Pulpiters are them which have caused the great persecution and imprisoning for speaking to them and because they will not give them maintenance and so quenching the spirit and that which quenches the spirit is not of God for in the true Church all may prophesie one by one and if any thing be revealed to him that sits by the other must hold his peace that all may learn and be comforted The spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets And this was the order in the Churches of God before the Apostles decease But since their decease amongst you that are apostatized from them this is disorder and sets you all on an uproar and confusion So your Church and Pulpit is more like Satans oracle then the Church of God and you have been in your Pulpits more like womens scolding to the Cuck-stool which you speak of then men that preach the Gospel as the Parishes may witnesse how they have been burthened with your rayling against other people which have not been present with you And when any of them have come to you you have cryed take them away they disturb you Is not this worse then womens scolding for women will stand and scold one with another but ye will scold behind their backs and cannot endure to speak to their faces but cry to prison with them But the Rod is gone over you and you are come under the scourge the whip and the lash for your evill words which have corrupted your manners when ye should have been preaching the peaceable way to the Kingdome of God ye have been bringing people to strife throwing them into prison for speaking a word to you that cannot give you maintenance which you do no work for But the sentence spoken in Matth. is coming upon you ye cast into Prison to death because they cannot give you maintenance therefore ye are far short of visiting them which be in Prison And these covers will not cover you and all your hard speeches which you have vented forth in your Book which is not worth mentioning but they will come upon your selves for every one of your words shall be your burthen Now fools may subscribe their hands to things they know not and go with a multitude to do evill but wise men consider and ponder the things before-hand So all your Petitions the holy Scriptures of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles read and try them whether ye have ever an example amongst any of the Ministers of the Gospel that ever put up a Petition to any supream of a Nation or that Christ ever gave them any such command that his Disciples should go and beg with a Petition to the supream powers of the Nation for maintenance Have not you in this dishonoured the Gospell and Christianity and shewed that you are not of the royall Priest-hood nor of the royall seed nor everlasting Covenant nor you Ministers to them that do freely give which have freely received but to be such whose spirits be in the earth And you Petitioners are not able to maintain them which all Magistrates that stand in the fear of the Lord God will judge and so see that you have shamed your selves your Ministry and Church and that you are not a Vineyard that you have not a Flock to give you milke to give you fruit but they must be fain to give you fruit And the Magistrates must be fain to give your Ministers milke and so shewed the sloathfulnesse of them that have plowed and are not made partakers of their hope but have lost it In vain have they plowed and threshed and not got out the Corn. And in all this have not you shewed your idleness that ye have not laboured got a Vineyard and thresht and got no corne and have not plowed and sowed the seed And will not the Magistrates see you in this and have not they wronged you in maintaining you in idlenesse Will not the Magistrates see that they have done so to you in this and become pack-horses no longer and executioners who hath executed your malice upon them you do no work for neither have hired you and cast them into prison when they have spoken to you to repent and fear God and so it 's time for the Magistrates to do justice and execute the Law upon you idle vagabonds William Thomas a Minister of the Gospel at Vbley called in his Book called Railing rebuked or a defence of the Ministers His Principles are as Followeth Pr. HE saith His Epistle reflects upon two sorts of persons and how many false Prophets have risen Ans The work of the Ministers of the Gospel was not to reflect upon persons or strike at creatures as thou sayest two sorts of persons but they struck at the power which captivated the creature to the intent that the creature might come into the liberty of the sons of God And so thou that art reflecting upon persons dost shew a marke of thy selfe to be a false Prophet in stead of speaking of the power thou art reflecting upon persons and this reflecting upon persons
was never the way to beget to God but that which strikes at the power which captivates creatures reacheth to the witnesse in prison and brings people into unity with God and one another in the spirit which is the bond of peace Pr. To love the Word for the good parts that in regard of the Christian is a dangerous thing and in regard of the Word of God a dishonourable thing Answ Where the good parts are not in the Christian that is a dishonourable thing to the Word and causeth the Word of God to be evill spoken of As the whole Assembly of you Ministers have done by your bad conversations earthly covetous impatient spirits that cannot endure any should speak but your selves in your places so by you hath the Word of God been dishonoured and not honoured for the Apostles did write that they were to shew themselves Patterns and Examples to the Flock of God in life and conversation that the Word of God might not be evill spoken of Now where the Word is evil spoken of and the bad parts in a Christian proceeds this grieves the righteous and causeth the truth to be evill spoken of and the Word makes them vessels of honour in whom it is Pr. Now when Christians leave the Word and Sacraments and Sabbaths it is a dangerous pride lifting up the Light within as they do Answ The Christians that denyed the Sabbaths and witnessed Christ the substance the rest said The light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ And they lifted up Christ the Light and they walked in him the Covenant of God and of light to the Jewes and Gentiles come which who walk in it are in peace with God and unity one with another and have the light of life and rest and all be in the dangerous state that be out of that And as for the word Sacrament there 's no Scripture for it but one of the Papists common words and the Light brings off it and the Jewish Sabbath Pr. Buy the truth and sell it not not pleading for sufficiency of a common light and leaving their Callings as the Monks and their books flying abroad their wings unclipt and no mention of eternall salvation from the wrath to come And he saith he loves the word Sacraments Sabbaths and Ministry Answ Christ came to put an end to the Jewish Sabbaths and the Apostles preached their end and forsook all for Christ and so to revile such as are in the same power and to call it by the unsavoury expression Monkish thou and yee are more like to that that tells us of Sacraments which is from the Monkish holinesse And for speaking of clipping the wings of our Books that flies abroad that 's another unsavoury expression and shews that spirit that it is not able to resist that spirit that gives forth the Books As for the Word and Ministry that thou hast shewed thy selfe against though thou professes the Scripture to be the Word And those are the words of God which Christ the Word fulfilled and this the Ministers of Christ witnesse And ye never read that the Ministers of the Gospell said they loved the Jewish Sabbaths and held up the Sabbaths those were the Ministers of the Law that held up the Sabbaths which Christ the Rest came to put an end to by which the world was made before it was made glorified with the Father before the world began And you sell the Truth and take the world which deny the Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world which is sufficient to him that believes in it Pr. We exercise and order our preaching for the getting of money and maintenance And the greetings in the Markets is but that which humanity requires nor to be called of men Rabbi else Christ would not have taken it Must a Minister lose the members of his Church and the maintenance of his place both at once Answ Christ said to his Disciples they should know the false Prophets by their fruits and said be not ye called of men Master to his Disciples for one is your Master even Christ and denyed the Pharisees greetings in the Market which thou calls humane right And the Apostles ordered not their preachings to get money by them but they laboured to keep the Gospel without charge and the Ministers of Christ brought the people off the Jewes Assemblies and their maintenance both And yee that be found out of the Apostles Doctrine in the apostacy such as come from you that you do no work for how can you expect that they should give you maintenance or how can you in righteousnesse take maintenance of them that you do no worke for So if ye lose the members will ye take the maintenance which of the Apostles did so Nay is it not the way to gain members to deny the maintenance Is not that the way whereby the power of God may be known that raiseth the seed of God whereby the hearts of people may be opened and whereby the seed is known And the Apostle declared against such as taught for filthy lucre and made merchandize of the Word and that which thou calls humanity which is your earthly right seeing your conversation is in earth and not in heaven Pr. It cannot be concluded that there is a light in every man teaching unto Christ and unto salvation And if Christ put a light in every man that cometh into the world to guide him unto the Father and unto life I deny that to be true for that 's a naturall light which is onely the light which Christ the Word communicates to all men Nay the light that all men have though it seem to make them to know God as God yet it is not sufficient to make them to know that there is a Father or a Son or the holy Ghost that there is a Gospell And saith I am the light of the world that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that is both Jews and Gentiles And he that walks in the light shall have the light of life Now here lyes the deceit Answ The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall the C●venant of God to Jewes and Gentiles which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which they that walk in the light walk in Christ and come to see before any naturall light was And he that walks in the light shall not abide in the darknesse but shall have the light of life and with the light he shall know God he shall know the Son he shall know the Gospell he shall know the holy Ghost and that light is not naturall And he that knoweth God knoweth the Father and none knows him but with the light of Christ Jesus who reveals him for God is the Father And I will give him for a Covenant a light to the Gentiles a new Covenant
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 n●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