hirelings be not false Prophets yea or nay and are not such to be cryed out against now as they was then and this being thy own condition thou art so wise as to let it alone without an answer if thou had done so with all the rest thou had kepâ— thy self longer covered thou bids us read Malachi so we have and in the second Chapter first and last and the rest of the Chapter we find thy generation and thy practise and your end comming on apace 22. qu. Whether do you own trembling and quaking which the Scriptures witness and this thou looks upon to be a curse or a papist trick or motâ—on of the deceiver c. showing thy selfe to be one of those spoken of Isâ— 66. 5. there thou may see thy work and ours thou Blasphemer dost thou call that a Papist trick and the power of the devil that all the Holie men of God that ever did declare the way how they came to see God came through as the Scriptures can witness in Moses David Daniel the Prophets and Apostles but sayes thou perfect love casts out fear what now art thou talking of perfection is it not blasphemy to name such a word art thou now come to perfection thou art wel grown since thou begun thy book wherein thou was pleading against any possibility of perfection but in heaven art thou got so high now take heed thou deny it no more least thou shame thy selfe but it s not a lye that wil make thee blush thou hast cast out that fear but its selfe love that hath cast it out for the love of God casts Psal 2. 11. not out the fear of God blessed he is that feareth alwaies but thou art Psal 72. 5. cursed who hast cast it out Last Quaery Whether do you say you shall be free from the body Pro. 28. 14 of sin while you are on the earth and whether shal any be perfect yea or nay and to this thou sayes thou believes that in the instant of death when you part with the flesh you part with all the remnants of sin I say thou hast made thy confession according to thy faith and covenant I told thee on before that is you must part with your sin when you are dead and can sin no more if you would and the devil too but that this Covenant of hel and death should be for any less than tearm of life that 's againâ—t your faith which you have preached and live in and against your Covenant too yet if we do but say that you are ministers of the devil and such as uphold his Kingdome of sin while people live and the world tands you cannot beare it though we do but declare thy own conâ—ession And â—or sinless perfection thou sayes thou believes the devil bred it and thou sayes Christ detests it and never man that had true grace belâ—eved it I say or thy saith that believes the devil bred perfection I know thou art of that faith that ever called Christ Beâ—zebub and his works the Devil works so in that faâ—th I do not expect any other confession but thy lye thou layes upon Christ and the Saints saying Christs detests it and the Saints believed it not I shall reprove and disprove by plain Scriptures Mat. 5. 48. be ye perfect even as your fathâ—r which is in Heaven is perfect Did he command here what he detested or was this a sinfull perfection he called for wouldst thou make him a lyar and a dissembler like thee and for the Saints owning perfection read Eqh. 4 12 13. Cal. 1. 28. Phil. 3. 15. 1 Thess 3. 10. 5. 2. Psal 18. 32. Psal 101. 2. Hâ—b 10. 14. 1 Cor. 2. 6. Iam. 1. 4. 2 Cor. 7. 1. with many more places too many to set down here which all declare their beliefe in perfection and thee a false witness preaching such a faith as never any of Gods ministers ever did nay thou exceeds all the hirelings and false Prophets that ever was never any of them durst say it was of the Devill before thee and thou says its the Papists dongue we feed upon O thou blasphemer dare thou â—peak thus of the perfection of God which he gives to all that wait upon him and hunger after his righteousness thou makes it appear thou never knew the good and perfect gift that comes from Iude 11. above thou runs too greedily after gifts and rewards from below thou hast blinded that eye that should see perfection and sayes thou the fathers Kingdome before had perfect subjects and so shall it have again when Christ hath perfected us thou blinde guide had the first man Adam power to defile in this world and hath not the second Adam power to cleanse to the uttermost in this world what is defiled all that come to him thou showest thy selfe plainly whose power thou art under none under the power of the Devil could ever witness the power of Christ stop thy mouth thou false witness we know the power of Christ and the vertue of his resurrection and that he is greater in us than he that is in the world that he is more able to save than the other to destroy to cleanse than the other to defile but while we believed with thee we knew no more of it than thou dost but with that faith which overcomes the world and the devil and purifies the heart do we deny thee and thy faith which lyes under sin and the devill and in league with him for tearm of life and would have all so too and thou dost what thou can to withstand that ever the Father should have such subjects again as he had before the fall never while the world stands The last enemie sayes thou is death which shall then be overcome at the last resurrection a large time art thou taking for sin and death to reigne till all men be dead thou art faithfull for thy God and art making a league for him with all that believe thee even for them and their children after them til there be not a man left to sin any more yet must not we say thou art in the Devils work but we must call thee a Minister of righteousness though thou never read of such a faith and Ministry in all the Scripture but thou hast in this thing plainly declared thou knows not the resurrection nor fellowship of it art who yet in death and pleading for it to compleat thy covenant of sin least any should deny it or break it or supâ—â—t thee to be pleading for satan thou concludes thy work with that old refuge of the devill that is to take the Letter which was written to keep out of sin and to wrest it to encourage to sin and thou runs to that one place which all thy Fathers children uâ—e to plead 1 Iohn 1. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us there fore sayes thou the truth is not
in his stead so art thou drawing downward as fast as thou canst but sayes thou the whole man in Scripture is taken for â—an the cause of life dye or be defiled the soul so by thy opinion the man is the cause of life so thou hast shewed what life thou lives and what thou knows of the soul yet thou wilt ask more queries though resolve none and first thou begins to wrangle with the command of Christ that forbids thy master-hood saying is not many words in the Scriptures translated master of as low and humble importance as ruler I say the words of Christ was ever in the way of the Hirelings and Pharisees and Priests and their pride but they could not get them removed though they was vext at them and would not have them applyed to them no more than thou but let his words alone thou must not wrest them out of their place and power thou canst not bow them but must bow to them they was given to break thee and thy pride and not to be broken by thee nor thy teachings 2 qu. Thou sayes if God bid people obey you as Rulers and the quakers perswade people to reject you as Serpents c. which is to be obeyed God or the quakers and whether is the Spirit of God or of the Devil the quakers speaks by I say God did never bid people obey Hirelings and such as are out of the Doctrine of Christ as you aâ—e but the Spirit of God called such Serpents and so doth now which is not the Spirit of the Devil as the Devil would slander it to be both Mat. 23. 33. then and now you being now found in the same practise are reproved with the same spirit 3. qu. Thou asks Is it the Ministers or quakers that have the rule over people and wait for the good of souls I say the quakers abhors such rule as you bear and for the good of souls thou must first know what the soul is before thou can watch for the good of it nay thou watches to destroy souls for dishonest gain hirelings was never souls shepheards 4. qu. Thou sayes if the present Pastors be not true Ministers tell you who are and where you may find them and where they have been from Christ til now I say those are true ministers and ever was who wandred to and fro having no certain dwelling place of whom the world was not worthy who ever bore witness against the false Prophets that bear rule by their means and the Priests that preached for hire and the people that loved to have it so and whose manner was to go into the Synagogues and Idols temples to disprove the hirelings false worship and call people from them to the true shepheard and you may find many of these in the most prisons of the nation for so doing by your means against whom we are sent to witness and these have been banished to and fro since the mystery of iniquity and the popish priesthood was set up into corners but now are come to light to witness against the mystery of iniquity therefore do the heathen rage the man of sin and all his ministers because his end is near 5. qu. Thou asks if it will be for the peoples profit to despise their Teachers and guides I say you who have despised Christs commands to set up your own lusts and pride covetousness and false-worship must be despised and when such guides are discovered then shal the people profit when they come to be guided with that spirit God hath given to every man to profit withall which thou wil keep them from as long as you can that you may fil up your measure and wrath come upon you to the uttermost being captivated by the Devil soul and body the God of this world having blinded the eye so that the Gospell 2 Cor. 4. is hid from you and you lost letting up the Letter instead of it having denyed the light and erred from it are got up into hardness of heart imprisoning beating and making havock like mad beasts what ever the Devill did where he reigned so do you being the head of the Serpent which Christ is come to bruise as he did in his own person so he is the same for ever to the same brood who now are found in the same bloody plots against the seed of God worse than ever any seeking the lives of others for practising that in life which your selves wil preach in words for money â—uch a generation of raging beasts was never yet in the world who seek to devour on every side you and who departs from sin is your prey the greatest deceivers thatever yet come now when you come to be revealed who would have belâ—eved that you who have had so many millions of pounds for teaching people to forsake sin and now if any declare that he hath forsaken it and is set free you preach it down as the most dangerous error that ever was and cry out to drunckards swearers thieves and murderers and whoremongers come not near them least you be deceived and now get up more money for preaching up sin while the world stands than you took for preaching it down yet if we tel you you are bringing people into Covenant with the Devil for tearâ— of life you say we rail on you when you have be got the faith of that Covenant in the whole nation ask any that ever believes your teaching if they believe that Christ iâ— able to redeem them from committing sin in this world and presently they are ready to give an account of their faith nay none can be free heâ—e but when they are dead in another world they shall â—o the faith and covenant is sutable for no less time then till men can sin no longer and if any have broke this Covenant through the righteous Covenant they are ready to stone him yet least thou should be seen in this filth you cast a mist before the simple saying you must strive after perfection and freedom and purity and to be set free from sin but once knowing that unbeliefe is in the bottome there is little danger of freedome for the Devil whose work you are doing knows fulwel that if he can but have people to believe they cannot be free he knows they are safe with him for ever comming at it no faith no obtaining according to every mans faith so shall it be unto them and that striving which is not in faith to obtain is selfe-righteousness but Heb. 7 25. who believes that Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him shall see it so but this the blind knows not who would have believed that these Priess that now is had been the greatest persecutors that ever was before them who have preached so long against it but say you this persecution of ours is not as theirs was they persecuted Christ and such as he sent but these are wandrers
had no Religion inclines to them I say therefore one day shall those whom you have most setled in your deceit have most cause to curse you when they shall see them come from far and sit down in the Kingdom and themselves cast out Saist thou I had far rather they had continued Separatists and Anabaptists then turn Quakers therefore wouldst do all thou canst to hinder I say thy Generation of Priests was ever haters of the greatest appearance of truth and that we can witness When we were of those Churches we were hated by you when we walked as near as we could to the Letter though the life we knew not but now you have ceased your envy against all them and against the Life and Light of Christ in us is your greatest envy And saist thou It s better to stop them where there 's some hope of Salvation then let them run to perdition I say thou hast undertaken two ways to stop us one is with lies and slanders which thy Book is full of and another way taken with thee and thy Generation is to get us stopt into Dungeons and Prisons and strait watch set that none come to us nor that we may have liberty to write nor speak to any But the latter of these is holden by you for the better weapon yet both to no purpose further then to prove our patience and obedience in Jesus and yourselves of your Father and in his works acting that by them ye may be known and we also But says thou I chose rather to tell the world of these passages between us then leave them to their reports especially hearing how they increase in London and other parts and that the ignorant have need of some plain information to prevent their Apostacy and Perdition in this temptation I say they are ignorant indeed that needs thy information and what thou tellest is most suitable to the world to be believed for all who owns that light that leads out of the world or where that eyâ— is open that leads out of the world thy false information is judged and prevented thy perdition and thy temptation and with that Light that sees thee and thy deceit shall we grow both in London and other parts and thy refuge of lies be swept away AS to thy Paper to the Separatists and Anabaptists as thou calls them I desire not to be busie in other mens matters onely this whereas thou casts it on the separated people to be nurseries of impiety and Infidels I say thou dost but here manifest thy shameless Spirit who matters not what thou sayest of others so thou may but seek thy own praise for all that know any thing of the fear of God knows that most of those people have separated from you parish Teachers upon this very account to wit your infidelity and impiety and if any amongst them turn so grosly filthy that they cannot keep them amongst them left it should shame their Religion yet these return to you who forthwith receive them and boast of them as rare Converts nay none so bad in their conversation but if they have but either Pig or Goose or ought to be got towards hire they are yours and you are their masters such as no one Sort of people in the Nation will joyn with but onely you Parish Teachers But it seems thou hast lost some of thine also as well as the Anabaptists and thou prints a Letter thou saist thou sent to one of them to reclaim him under pretence that he desired thy thoughts of us and thy evil thoughts thou returns him in this Letter And thou says He was a yong and unsetled one yet tells how much pains he had taken in duty how much zeal he had professed for God And that he by so great a work of grace was converted from prophaneness c. and thus with thine own shame thou goes about to cover thee having boasted afore as though none followed us but separated people or such as had no Religion or ever was accounted so to be And thou goes on to shew him that he must needs be fallen from grace because he is fallen from your Ministry and thy Arguments are such as these Are not we those Ministers and in those Ordinances you despised before Conversion I say The greatest Papist in the world having begot a Proselyte if he turn away from him may as well use that Argument as thou if falling from any such form or person be the error but thou should have first proved thy self a Minister of Christ in thy life and thy worship as he appointed it and not changed in matter or manner then hadst thou said somewhat to the purpose else it s no error to deny the hireling and his false worship and turn to the light of Christ by it to be guided by all deceits And says thou Alass that ever a man in his wits should no better know the work of Christ from Satans nor know that it is the Dragon whose warfare these men do manage I say Thou shameless one dost thou cause the servants of the living God to be hailed to prison and suffer them almost to be murthered before thy face not at all resisting but the people by thee stirred up to the thing and for no other thing but coming to declare to thy face against thy false worship which God ever sent his servants to do And faist thou We manage the war of the Dragon and do the work of Satan Is not the war of the Dragon to devour the Lamb where he is manifest which ever was the work the hirelings was found in and is it not the Devil that casts into Prison the innocent Rev. 2. 9 10. and was ever any under the Gospel found in that work but such who was of the synagogue of Satan though they called themselves Jews as you call your selves Christians but in the same nature and deeds And do we manage the Dragons war who suffer all this at your hands and much more prove that in Scriptures or be ashamed of thy false accusation and take it to thy self till thy rage cease and thou give over devouring the Lambs Such never take pains with mens souls who takes care and lays snares to destroy their bodies Christs sheep was never such wolves by their fruits we know them they who believe these to be Christs Ministers may soon believe the Devil is God as thou saist who would be worshipped and obeyed in you Thou further goes on and tells him whence this error comes even from Hellish pride and to prove this thou tells him Where we have spent one hour thou hast spent an hundred in study and meditation and prays to God for his Spirit of truth and grace and that thy Prayers is as earnest as ours and thy life is much more holy and heavenly then ours and therefore God is as it were more ingaged to thee to make known his truth to thee then to us and is not
be found clear of it though now you be stirring up these Powers against the peaceable people as you did the oâ—her as a Generation never well but when you are in mischief but our defence is the same against you who will accomplish his own work and set his King upon his hill notwithstanding your Hellish rage Thou goes on telling if any further ask thee why the Papists are so diligent in those works and thou sets down many hopes we have to accomplish great things which words are not worth taking up after thee But to them all I shall say this Whosoever hath but heard of the Blood that hath been shed and the violence done to the Innocent by your Fore-fathers the Popish Clergy before they was denyed in the Nation also what Blood hath been shed and misery undergone to bring down your power set up in the Presbytery in Scotland and England the two last of these which we can witness by sad experience I say here 's small hopes for any that either loves God or their souls or bodies either or the Peace of the Nation to labour in bringing forth such a birth of Vipers nay we rather rejoyce to see the work begun thus far in the Nation whereby he will rid us of the rest of that brood and their burthens which is the greatest oppression that remains in the Nation though this must be done with suffering as the other was done with acting the Lord having drawn forth many to that purpose against whom you are gathered as the sand for multitude yet are we not dismayed though beset on every side yet not destroyed for we know him in whom we have believed And thou saist Consider well of that Scripture Eph. 4. 12 13 14. c. where Christ gave Ministers for edification unity and the perfecting of the Body amongst which thou hast thrust in thy cursed addition saying at last the perfecting of the body I say When must that last be seeing thou hast denyed any perfection whilest any lives in this world it seems thou dreams your Ministery must last in another world else how must you perfect them by your Ministery or shall death do that which cannot be done while they are living So we have considered of that Scripture and finde you to be none of those Ministers whom Christ gave nor Ministring for that end but against it and so Ministers of Antichrist blaspheming the work of God who call his power at which all flesh shall tremble the power of the Devil And saist thou If you turn to the Quakers we shall know that you were before an unsetled Novice and thou brings that of 1 John 2. 19. they went out from us but they were not of us I say What hast thou to do with these words John was no hireling nor Persecuter as thou art thou art one of those which John forewarns of who abides not in the Doctrine of Christ and all that owns John or his Epistle must keep thee out of their Houses and have nought to do with thee if thou read his second Epistle 9 10 11 verses there thou may read thy self cast out by Johns Ministery and there â—s few that comes from thee need to look for ought but reproaches for then the hope of thy gain is lost further then thou takes by force And thou falls a praying the Lord to open his eyes and acquaint him with his great darkness and imperfection I say what eye is that which thou would have opened since thou denies the Light within Is the man blinde of his bodily eyes and to what end should he see his imperfection seeing that thou denys that ever perfection can be attained to Thy Prayers are an abomination and they are blinde indeed that stands in need of such a Teacher and knows no better spirit to pray with Then thou makes an Oration before thou Answers the Quaeries wherein thou tells of several Papers which thou received from seveâ—al persons as one Jane Hicks Tho Chandler and Edward Newway Richard Farnworth and Tho Goodair but not being acquainted in the business and seeing nothing herein of moment but what is answered in other places I shall leave it till more knowledge of the thing Then thou goes making a show as that thou would Answer our Quaeries and these thou folds up by six together which thou canst not answer and sends us to a Book we know not where to seek an Answer which thou calls a Defence of a Petition yet though thou Answer not one of the six in what thou falls short in Answering thou makes up in asking asking ten where thou answerest not one so that instead of answering 24. thou hast asked above threescore but few of those thou wast asked hast thou gone about to Answer but thou begins as followeth with our first Quaery and thy false slanders and lies thou casts upon us are double to thy Quaeries as I shall make it appear if I be called to number them but I am weary with raking in that filthy puddle yet thy Queries are answered and some of thy lies disproved In page 43. line 12. for the Letter read Christ OUr 1. Query is What 's the first Principle of pure Religion Thy answer is That God is and neâ—t that he is a rewarder of them that dilâ—gently seek him and thou queries the ground of our asking I say the ground of our asking is that the folly of such Teachers as know net God and his way may be made manifest as it is by thy Answer for the knowledge of what God is is the substance ground and end of all pure Religion which admits of no second for it is life eternal But if thou say thou means believing there is a God then there is something God hath appoâ—nted as a way to God which must be learned before God can be known wherein the creature must be principled which must turn the mind towards God before the creature know God seeing God is not known to the world till the creature be turned out of the world So saith Christ Noâ—e knows the Father but to whom the Son reveals him such aâ— thou have got the name of God to talk on but when you should come to principle people in the way to him you say God is it which if bare saying God is it be all thou can do in way of teaching then you may stop your mouths if it be not for losing your gain for all can say that there is a God as Jam. 2. 1â— well as thou yea the Devil can preach that doctrine but thou knows if thou had answered this Query to the satisfaction of any honest desires then thou must have confessed to the light that God hath given Joh. 8. 12. in Christ Jesus to lead out of darkness but that destroys the Devils Kingdom and therefore all his Ministers are deaf of that ear and so children of darkness and keep others so 2. Query Whether they are a Church of
that thinks that the Light which is in all the Indians Americans and other Pagans on earth is sufficient without Scripture Ans I say that Light which the Gentiles had which brought them to do the things contained in the Law showing the work of the Law Rom. 2. written intheir hearts was sufficient without the circumcision of the Letter which the Jews stood so much on yet brought not forth the same fruits which God accepted though they could call them Heathens and Gentiles as thou dost the Indians and Pagans but it the Indeans and Pagans own that Law written in their heart and come to receive power to bring forth the fruits of it which thou dost not I shall say of you both as Paul did of the Jews Rom. 2. 12 13 c. not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified but art not thou a Pagan if not worse who would conclude all in condemnation but who comes to hear you hirelings and your expositions of the Scriptures nay thou art a blasphemer above all thou readest on in the scripture who would make the light of Christ wherewith he hath enlightned every one that comes into the world to be insufficient without scripture and so condemn all the Saints and their sufficiency before the Letter was and so Ioh 1 destroy Abrahams faith and sufficiency which had no Letter to add to it but this is all thou knows of it or its foundation who denies its sufficiency qu. 15. Was that Light in Paul which perswaded him that he ought to do many things against the name of Jesus sufficient to convert him to the faith of Jesus or did Christ give him needlesly a light from heaven and by Ananias his Doctrine or had Cornelius sufficient Light within him before Peter preached unto him or had all the world sufficient Light within them before Christ sent abroad his Apostles to preach the Gospel unto them or did Christ send them a needless light by his Apostles have those persecutors sufficient light within them to cause them to believe in Christ who think they do God service in killing or reproaching his ministers and people Ans I say Christ hath enlightned every one that comes into the World which Ball and thou and many of thy generation being exceedingly mad with envy and rage running in your own wills and acting against it your light is become Darkness and so great is that darkness that you are reproaching persecuting and killing the people of God now as he was then and think you do God service yet is the Light in Darkness though Darkness comprehends it not Ioâ—n 1. 5. and therefore Peter was sent to Cornelius Ananias to Paul and the Apostles to the world not to give them eyes but to open the blinde eyes and to turn them from Darkness to the Light as is plain Christ and the Apostles came into the world for that purpose though Christ was the light before the world was yet came into the world to open the eyes Isa 46 6 7. and sent his Apostles to that end at is plaine Act. 26. i7 i8 and to the Light that shun in Darkness was they to turn 2 Pet. 1. 19. them and this was the way by which they knew God to which they confessed as is plain in the Stripture til which time the Gospel was hid and the CREATURE lost by reason of that DARKNESS wherewith the Prince of this World had their hearts blinded 2 Cor. 4. 3. to the 8. ver and this Light did not perswade Paul to be a persecuter nor thee neither but the Prince of Darkness which hath thee blinded wherein thou appears to be one of those builders who refuses the Corner Stone and denies Gods covenant which Isa 42. 6. was a covenant of Light and not of the Letter and the Law written in the heart and not in the Tables which the carnall eye sees not nor Mat. 24. 23. 26 thy wilfull minde regards not who art crying lo here lo there without thee but saith Christ go not forth the word is nigh thee in thy Rom. 10. 8. heart and that word of faith the Apostles preached which was in peoples hearts but such was not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit nor did ever say the Letter was the Word as thou dost but if the Letter be not the Word it seems thou hath none of the Word but art one of those who saith hear the word of the Lord when the Ier. 23. Lord never spoke to thee but hath stoln it from thy neighbor which is none of the word of the Lord to thee so thou perverts it taking the Scriptures to plead for sin which was written against sin which they that had the word of the Lord never did and that Light which thou deniest to us is become the head of the corner and we witness it sufficient without any other addittion but thy testimony of it is the testimony of an unbeliever contrary to what Christ commandeth thereby to be become the children of light there is the covenant and the promise of it Iohn 12. 36. Iohn 8. 12. and out of the Light there 's no promise and all that thou hast here proved is but thy self a child of Darkness and no otherwayes to be believed so brings forth thy deeds of Darkness speaking evil of that thou knowest not and none can own Ananias Doctrine Act. 9. 10. 11. who denies immediate callings qu. 16. If all have sufficient Light within them what need you go up and down to perswade them is it needless Light that you bring them or is it hellish darkness Ans We are sent to declare that Light which is sufficient which we witness within us and to draw people from that hellish darkness into which the blinde guides have led them and from all the dark worshipps set up in the imaginations unto the light of life which is only sufficient which bears witness in them against all the Deeds of Darknes showing what is to be reproved and what is wrought in God Eph. 5. 13. Iohn 3. 21. so to turn people Iohn 16. 13. to that Light and Spirit of Truth which leads into all Truth is the end of our Teaching and the enemy of hellish Darkness and that Spirit is in them and they shall know it who turn to it qu. 17. Is it not a most sottish trick of you to go up and down prating and commanding and yet refuse to shew your commission from God and to call Ministers to shew theirs and refuse to shew your own but say it is invisible within you are you so mad to expect that any should believe an invisible and indemonstrable COMMISSION and might not we as wel we tel you ours is invisible but that indeed it is not or should we believe every one that prates of a commission within him or no if not why should we believe you
Antichrist who denyed Christ in them but they that believe hath the witness in themselves and they that abode not in the Doctrine of Christ and had the Father and 2 Iohn 9. 10 the Son they was not to receive them into their houses neither bid them God speed and wouldst thou be found in these practises and have us to apply these Scriptures to us who deny those practises thou canst not hide thy self here when thou finds us in those things apply thou those Scriptures unto us in the mean time take thy portion from them being condemned by them and we have considered those Scriptures and finde them written against thy generation and your practise and so we apply them unto you And for the clearer manifesting what Gospel and faith thou Preaches I shall lay down these queries following they being that which every true Minister knows and very needful to be known to all people FIrst Hath the first Adam power upon earth to defile all that are in him and hath not the second as much power and vertue to cleanse from all sin all that are in him if so then what is the cause men must commit sin and be imperfect while they live in this world 2. Whether is that new birth spoken on without which none can be saved Christ formed in believers or only a believing that he was manifest in the flesh 1655 years since and hath not the Devil and reprobates this beliefe latter mentioned 3. Hath any life eternal in them but who hath the flesh and blood of Christ in them and is life eternal known any other way savingly in this world while people live 4. Is any the Sons of God further then they are guided by the Spirit of God in all things and is not the Spirit of God a sufficient guide to all who have it in all things without any other help according to the measure received 5. Whether the Spirit of God in them who have it according to its measure be not the absolute Judge of all Spirits the opener of all Scriptures and whether needs it any visible thing to add to it or can any other thing judge it 6. Whether can any other Spirits judge of Scripture or any of the works of God aright but wrests Scripture to the destruction of creatures and calls light darkness and darkness light and can any other spirit judg according to God in any thing 7. Whether the Word of God can be changed or can it admit of severall meanings as to one particular thing is it visible or invisible â—â—r is there any word but one and whether was that word before the letter and shall be when the letter is turned to dust 8. Whether is the least measure of saving faith present power against the greatest power of darkness and able to keep out of all sin whatsoever if the creature abide in it 9. Whether ever any Minister of Christ had any hand in imprisoning any man for coming into their meeting places or was any beat in the meeting places where a Minister of Christ was preacher and was it not the manner of the Apostles to reason and dispute in the Synagogues against their false worship and was not all persecutors and fighters against God who opposed them and is it not the same now where the same Spirits are and is that the Spirit of God or of the Devil which sayes its no more persecution to put such in prison than to burn a thiefe in the hand as thou dost 10. Where that temple of God is where the man of sins sits shewing himself that he is God and must not the Light of Israel reveale him first where he is and then binde him and cast him out and when he is cast out whether is not the body of sin wholly put off yea or nay or can he return in again unless the creatures mind go out to his temtations first and do not such depart out of the covenant of life and faith and so make shipwrack of the good conscience 11. Whether is the light of Christ Spirituall or can it be known any other way but in Spirit within and is not the light of Christ within the absolute way out of death and darkness or doth it stand need of any temporall thing to help it to enlighten those who are turned to it believe in it and love it 12. Whether is the Gospel Ministry the same it was in the Apostles times both for matter and manner means and maintenance if nor when was it changed and by whom into Steeplehouses Tythes and great Parsonages and that order of worship now used seeing you are erred out of the way of the Apostles in every particular of your worship 13. Whether may not the Spirit of God in whom it is use the same words against false teachers now as it former hath done against them that was found in the same practise and is there any plainer tryall of these two Spirits in this world theâ— by their fruits herein as is found in Scripture and is it now any more railing and blaâ—pâ—emy than it was then or by what name mâ—â—t a lye be called according to Scripture and the practise of Christ These queries I have not put forth to keep up strife but being things much contended about with many if thou in plainness give an accompt oâ— thy faith herein the difference may be known betwixt us and you Priests Teachers and whether of us owns the Saints practise as is declared in Scripture but if thou fold them up by six together and send us to a book to seek an answer we know not where as thou dâ—dst in thy last book or if thou answer them with sleighting and shuffling when thou come to the Thing intended as thou hast done thou wilt be seen and thy cover wil discover thee to all the children of light FINIS
more than others that say the like Ans Our call and commission is invisible as to you as ever it was to the world yet herein is it shewed that we are found in the same practise and suffering that all the Saints of God ever was for declaring against the false worships and this we refuse not to show in the midst of your envy in the patience of Christ and his long suffering in the midst of your bloody persecution and here is your commission shewed also and from whom you have it even him that is within you who is known by his fruits outward a murderer from the beginning so is the Spirit of God by its fruits outward a sufferer from the beginning so each tree is known by its fruit whatsoever you tel us and that 's the sot which cannot see it nor believe it qu. 18. Seeing you cry down our Ministry and Churches tell us which is the the true ministry and Church and when yours begun and where it hath been since Christs abode on earth til now speak plainly and let us know whether you indeed are Papists or Pagans Ans The true Ministry and Church is those who abide in the doctrine of Christ guided by his Spirit in the way of his worship and this Church begun to be seperated from the world first in Abell and since Christs abode on the earth hath been thrust into corners persecuted and imprisoned and killed by Cains generation who was ever worshippers yet in their murderous nature and here we speak plainly such was Pagans and Papists though they called themselves Catholicks the same are you now who are found in the same works though you call your selves christians and such churches we cry down and their ministry who hath their hands in blood and persecution whatsoever they are called by and now that we have spoken plainly and truth also see thou be not angry and call trailing and plot mischiefe against us in secret as your father Cain did and all his generation when you cannot do it openly qu. 19. Is not that man an infidel and a scorner of Christ that dare say he came into the world and shed his blood to gather onely a few raging quakers â—n England 1652 years after his incarnatâ—on if Christ have no subjects but these he is a poore King â—f Christ have been tâ—ll now without subjects he was no King if without a Body he was no Head if without a spouse he was no husband Therefore shew us what a church Christ had or confess your selves infidels Ans The nearest comparison as I finde in Scripture whereby to shew what a Church Christ had since the mystery of iniquity and Popish Priesthood and Parish Masters was set up in the â—ailing away may be compared to his Church from the time that the hirelings and false Prophets begun amongst the Jews to preach for hire and bear rule by their means c. even til Christs comming in the flesh which Church was sometimes visible but â—n a few dâ—spised Prophets who were sent one after another to cry down the false worships covetous practises and to testifie of his comming which alwaiâ—s suffâ—red by the multitude oâ— Priests and salâ—e Prophets who when they came stil conspired against him and if thou look back since your lordly authority was set up in your Ministry you may see they have had their hands in the like practise against those who lived in hope of his appearance denying their worships and now it is â—alne into your hands who are garnishing their Sepulchers crying out against your fathers the Popes and the Bishops for their cruelty but are found deeper in it to your power than ever they was scarcely ever ceasing to stir any authority of the nation against the Lamb and his Light where it is made manifest yea many of your Generation not finding the Magistrate so ready to execute your bloody designes as you would have them have shed blood with your own hands even of the innocent and they are not a few that are guilty hereof in the north parts of this Nation and the kingdome of Christ hath been poore according to thy judgement yet hath these been his subjects nor hath he been without a body nor without a spouse so thou mayest read what a Church Christ hath and what a Church he hath had formerly yet is he not come to save a few raging quakers only but with ten thousand of his saints is he come to be avenged of that bloody Generation and for the Infidell thou tells on and the scorner of Christ that is he that cannot believe in him and his Light to be sufficient and what a church Christ hath had and hath we have shewed qu. 20. Did not the spirit of the Quakers speak in numbers 16. 3. just as you do now against magistrates and ministers and is not God very patient that causeth not the earth to open and swallow you up quick as it did them do you understand that the Simonians or disciples of Simon Magus and the Nicholaitans whose Doctrine and deeds Christ hateth Rev. 2. and other gnostick heriticks in the Apostles dayes did deal by them and the Church then as you do by us now and that the second Epistle of Peter the Epistle of Iude much of the first of Iohn and the second of Iohn were written purposely against them besides many other Scriptures and have you wel considered those Scriptures and applyed them to your selves Ans That Spirit of Christ we own is that meek Spirit that was in Moses against which the Rebellious Levites was then gathered who would condemn it of too much purity saying that all the congregation was holy the same which you do now calling all Christians and sprinklâ—ng their Children under the name of believers and that Spirit which we own speaks not against Magistracy nor Ministry such as are appointed by God though it hath ever testified against the corruption of that Magistracy which by God was appointed yet canst not thou here shelter thy selfe who art out of the Doctrine of Christ in all thy Ministry and was never called by him and thy spirit we understand to be worse than Simon Magus for he believed in the Light of the Gospel but thou denyest it and he would have bought the gift which thou would sel if thou hadst it neither had he a hand in such works of envy against the Truth as thou and thy generation are found in though there then was heriticks who dealt with the Apostlesthen as you do with us now and those was and are the heriticks who abides not in the Doctrine of Christ who are proud and covetous cannot cease from sin have hearts exercised in wicked practises after Cain and Balaam and of these did Peter and Iude speak of in their Epistles 1 Iohn 4. 2 3 and Iohn also who declared that then Antichrist was gone into the i Iohn 5. 9 i0 World and that was the Spirit of