all men that I might by all means save some and this I do for the Gospel sake But to return 'T is evident that John testified concerning Christ and himself on this wise Joh. 3.30 He must increase but I must decrease which if the whole scope of the Scriptures relating to Baptism be considered seems clearly to hint that therein John spoke not with respect to his Person but that administration of Water-Baptism whereof he was a Minister Moreover we find the Apostle Paul testifying 1 Cor. 1.14 15 17. I thank God I baptised none of you but Crispus and Gaius lest any should say I have baptised in my own Name and I baptised also the house of Stephanus Besides I know not whether I baptised any other for Christ sent me not to baptise but to preach the Gospel Which being compared with what he writes unto the Ephesians Eph. 4.4 5 6. There is one Body one Spirit even as ye are called in one Hope of your Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all And with what he writes to the Colossians where Circumcision is equallised with Baptism Col. 2.11 12. its clear to every enlightned eye that Paul was by the Spirit led to Exalt One Only Baptism which doubtless was the Baptism of the Spirit unto which he gave Testimony when he writ to the Corinthians on this wise 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one spirit are we all baptised into one Body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be Bond or Free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit More might be written on this Subject from the Scriptures of Truth to evidence the matter intended but at present we shall forbear further to enlarge thereon CHAP. X. Touching the Supper of the Lord with his Disciples the night before he was betrayed FOrasmuch as the Children of Light amongst those called Quakers have been reputed Apostutised from the true Faith and Disowners of Gospel Ordinances not only because since they have believed in the sufficiency of God's Grace given by God and inwardly received by them they have not been found in the Outward Practices of VVater Baptism of which in the last Chapter we have already treated but also for that they as the Church of Christ are not principled to meet together at some certain appointed times and seasons to break Bread and drink Wine as that which according to the reputed institution of Christ they ought to do in a more solemn manner than at other times and then term such their eating and drinking the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper or Communion and Participation of the Body and Blood of Christ It is therefore thought meet at this time to treat somewhat on this Subject evidencing that the Doctrine published by Christ at his Last Supper is owned by us and in order thereunto 't is thus observed when the Disciples of Christ the Night before he was betrayed were eating the Passover with him the Evangelist thus declares Luk. 22.19 20. And he took Bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying This is my Body which is given for you this do in remembrance of me Likewise also the Cup after Supper saying This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood which is shed for you The aforesaid words This do in remembrance of me is the only sentence spoken by Christ whereof the Scripture makes mention whereby the institution of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper so called may be pretended to be proved from which words it naturally follows that Christ's Disciples were to do something which he then did which undoubtedly was to give Thanks and break Bread in remembrance of him and according to this Command we believe 't is the duty of every Christian both in Eating and Drinking to receive the same with thankful hearts and to be not only at such times and seasons but at other times also in the remembrance of the Benefits whereof the faithful are Partakers through the death of Christ and those who thus believe and thus practise which the faithful People of God amongst those called Quakers do own the Doctrine of Christ at his Last Supper and if we said no more we have said enough to evidence what we have undertaken to do viz. That the Doctrine publish'd by Christ at his last Supper is owned by us But since it is so that divers places of Scriptures have been taken by many professing Christianity to signifie that the primitive Christians were found in the practice of administring and receiving the Sacrament of the Supper so called 't is further signified what may be pretended to be said in favour thereof after Christ ascended Acts 2. it appears that after the pouring forth of the Holy Ghost Peter stood up and preached unto the Jews at which Sermon there were added unto the Church about three thousand touching whom verse the 42. 't is thus said And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in Breaking of Bread and in Prayers No doubt but this is taken for a manifest Proof of the use of the Sacrament of the Supper so called as practised by the Professors of Christianity at this day but whether on sufficient ground is now the question for our parts we testifie it appears groundless to us for verse the 44th 't is said All that believed were together and had all things common and verse the 46th thus And they continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking Bread from house to house did eat their own meat with gladness and singleness of heart praising God These Scriptures being duely weighed clearly manifest that as often as they did cat they had all things common and praised God and that here 's no ground to believe that the daily Breaking of Bread there spoken of had a relation to daily solemn appointed Meetings wherein the Apostles did take bread bless break it and distribute it under the notion of a Sign unto them that they were made Partakers of the Body of Christ whereby the Soul is nourished but rather that at those Opportunities their outward Bodies and Hunger were refreshed and satisfied which in the Apostle Paul's sense was not eating of the Lord's Supper as is manifest 1 Cor. 11.20 21 22 33 34. Moreover if we do but compare the aforesaid Scriptures Acts 2.42 46. with what is written Acts 6. from the beginning to the 7th verse 't is rational to conclude that in their daily breaking bread from house to house no other Institution Ordinance or Sacrament was hinted at than what was neglected toward the Grecian widows mentioned Acts 6.1 which Neglect occasioned a choice of seven Deacons because 't was not judged reasonable that the Apostles should leave the Word of God and serve Tables which service there hinted at was doubtless a Ministration of Outward Food for the nourishment of the Outward Man and not the nourishment of the soul Acts 20.7
'T is thus said And upon the first day of the week when the Disciples came together to break Bread Paul preached unto them ready to depart on the morrow and continued his speech until midnight and in the following verses 't is signified that when Paul came up again from taking up a young man who as Paul was long preaching sunk down with sleep and fell down from the third loft and was taken up dead and had broken bread and eaten and talked a long time even until break of day he departed On this Scripture it may be observed that no mention is made that the aforesaid Breaking of Bread was done in pursuance of any Institution made by Christ at his Last Supper nor yet that the end thereof was that they might be on that occasion in a more solemn Commemoration of the Death of Christ than at other times wherein they might refresh their outward man with Carnal food and therefore though I cannot but have so much Charity for the Disciples of Christ as to believe that when they did so eat as aforesaid they were in the remembrance of the Benefits through Christ's Death as every true Christian ought to be and more especially whilst participating of his Mercies yet the Scriptures already named seem no rational Proof of any such solemn Institution made by Christ which many under the Profession of Christianity pretend to have practised 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ Considering the mind of the spirit through the Apostle in the very same Epistle we appeal unto such who are knowing in the Mysteries of God's Kingdom whether 't is not unreasonable to take the Meaning of the Spirit to be that this had a Tendency to Encourage Outward Meetings wherein Outward Bread ought to be broken and communicated as a Sign of being Partakers of Christ's Body or to prove any solemn Institution made by Christ more than what may as well be alledged from the words of John to be then instituted by Christ when he said John 6.51 56. I am the living Bread which cometh down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever he that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him For we find the Apostle Paul in the very next verse thus signifying For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are Partakers of that one Bread This one bread whereof the Apostle speaks is not outward Bread but Christ and his Church dwelling each in other according to the aforesaid Testimony of Christ He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me and I in him 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25 26. Paul thus said For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took Bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my Body which is broken for you this do in remembrance of me After the same manner also he took the Cup when he had supped saying this Cup is the New Testament in my Blood this do ye as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me for as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's Death till he come This Scripture is taken as a pertinent Proof for the Administration of the Sacrament of the Supper so called as a Gospel Ordinance The first thing needful to be considered in order to the having a right understanding of the mind of the Spirit through Paul in this matter is the occasion whereon 't was written which is signified from ver 17. to 23. of the same Chapter from whence it appears That the Corinthians came not togeâ—her for the better but for the worse for that when they came together Paul heard there were divisions amongst them and that in eating every one took before the other his own supper and that one was hungry and another drunken and that this was not to eat the Lord's Supper and then proceeds to relate what he had delivered unto them as an evidence that their Practice was not to be justified or owned from any thing delivered unto them by him 'T is now necessary to consider what may and what may not be inferred as pertinent to the matter in hand from what Paul delivered to the Corinths It cannot be inferred that those who worthily did eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup mentioned verses 24 25. which we will not deny to be outward were after the receiving thereof made Partakers of Christ's Body for though ver 27. the Apostle thus saith Whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord yet he doth not on this occasion say that the Worthy Receiver is Partaker of the Body of Christ and why but because that was not the declared end what then was the declared end the end from Paul's words seems to be to shew the Lord's death till he come for verse 26. he thus saith For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's death till he come in remembrance whereof man may be and yet no Partaker of his Body and as to these words till he come they may reasonably be taken to relate to his coming to man in Spirit and if so there is no pretence from Paul's words that such ought to continue in the aforesaid Practice for the remembrance of Christ's Death who are witnesses of his coming in the spirit by which as living members of his spiritual Body they are attained unto the End wherefore a remembrance of his Death was accounted needful And as to these words Whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord it may be said that no command is herein contained to prove that the Sacrament of the Supper so called ought to be or to have been practised but yet we confess that from these words it 's Rational to conclude That Paul had a Sense that some might take occasion to meet together to break Bread and to Drink and forasmuch as the use thereof was abused it might be a necessary Caution in Paul to signify that the Unworthy Eaters were guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ because if they made Conscience thereof as doubtless those who so practised would profess they did even as some others made Conscience of Observing a Day the Abuse thereof could not but become Sin unto them by which the Just is Crucifyed And therefore Such might as Justly be accounted Guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ as those who having tasted of the Good Word of God were by their Falling away
9th and 5th As long as I am in the World I am the Light of the World And Chap. 12.35 Yet a little while is the Light with you walk while you have the Light And ver the 36. While ye have the Light believe in the Light that ye may be the Children of the Light To this may be answered That these last recited Scriptures do in the most favourable construction on the objectors part intimate that Christ the Son of God while he was in the World was the Light of the World but doth not say that he is or would be no longer the light of the world Such a saying or sense would limit the Appearance of Light to that Body only and dispensation of time wherein the said Body appeared on Earth which is contradictory to the very words of the Evangelist before quoted viz. That was the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World Which Scripture sentence relating to every man is so universal that it cannot but extend to those who never beheld the face of Jesus in his fleshly and Bodily Appearance nor yet came to be informed by any outward Instrument of his Doctrine though Partakers of his Light which therefore may properly be termed by such his Light within that is the Appearance of Christ by his Light shining in their hearts agreeable whereunto in effect we take the Testimonies of the Apostle to be viz. That which may be known of God Rom. 1.19 is manifest in them For God hath shewed it unto them Seeing you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me 2 Cor. 13.3 which Riches is Christ in you Col. 1.27 the hope of Glory Who shall descend into the deep that is Rom. 10.7 8. to bring Christ again from the dead but what saith it the Word is near thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart this is the word of faith which we preach And all this appears agreeable unto what the Prophet Isaiah hinted at who speaking of what should be in the last daies signified Isa 1.2 3 5. That the God of Jacob will teach us of his Ways and therefore said Oh house of Jacob come ye let us walk in the Light of the Lord which being compared with what the same Prophet said in relation to a people Isa 5â— â— In whose hearts was the law of the Lord and with what the Prophet Jeremiah saith I will put my law in their Inward Parts Jer. 31.33 34. and write it in their Hearts and they shall teach no more every man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest 'T is evident to us that this written Law in the Heart is that Light Within whereof the faithful Messengers of the Lord in our day have born witness unto and whereof the same Prophet gave testimony when he said as before O house of Jacob come ye let us walk in the Light of the Lord. Besides such a limitation as aforesaid would have a tendency to make void the virtue and efficacy of the blood of Christ who was offered up a sacrifice to take away the sins of many and on this score doth the author to the Hebrews testify Heb. 9.28 that unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without Sin unto Salvation which is a clear Evidence unto us that the benefit of the blood of Christ is not witnessed effectually in this our day but by those who having looked for his second appearance have received him in his Appearance this Appearance we take to be his Appearance by his light and spirit in the hearts of those who through faith in his blood have known their Consciences purified from Dead Works and so come to serve the living God in Truth and righteousness 'T is now to be considered Whether these words Turn in your Minds be agreeable to truth for that this kind of objection may be raised Objection Doth not this put the Creature upon Action in his own Self-will when as the Will of Man cannot bring forth that Birth unto which power is given to become the Sons of God For answer hereto 't is necessary to consider that the faithful Labourers in the Gospel of Christ commended their Exhortations and testimonies to the Consciences of the Hearers in the Sight of God and the reason doubtless was because there is a Capacity in Man which through the assistance of the Grace of God renders Man capable to do the will of God in righteousness unto life and those who are so acted cannot be said to be acted in the Self-will of Man And on the contrary the same Capacity letting in Tempration and joyning thereto renders Man a servant of Sin unto Death and being once so dead in Sin no redemption comes to be obtained but through Christ as the Apostle testifies Ephes 2.1 You hath he quickned that were dead in Trespasses and Sins These things considered 't is evident that through the Appearance of Christ those who have cast off the Old Man are become renewed in the Spirit of their Minds unto God and so have put on the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true holiness and therefore since there is such a capacity in man as aforesaid 't is agreeable to Truth to exhort the sons of men to turn in their Minds unto the appearance of Christ by his Light that through the Assistance thereof the will of God may be done in their earthen vessels The next thing to be considered is whether there is any weight in this objection Do you not think that the Jews who crucified Christ acted not from the light within since some of them at least thought they did God good service therein To this may be answered That the friends of Truth never preached up the Light Within but with respect to the Appearance of Christ by his Spirit as that Light Within intended by them and since Christ cannot be divided to act against himself therefore the Jews did not therein act from that Light Within unto which we have been directed From what then may the objector say did those of them act who verily thought they did God good service therein Ans Phil. 3.6 From Zeal without knowledge not having their Minds staid and ordered according to that universal Principle of Truth Acts 26.9 11. which if hearkned unto would teach all men to do as they would be done by in which zeal Paul verily thought in himself that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus and in that Self-thought being exceeding mad persecuted the Church of God consented to the death of the Saints and compelled them to Blaspheme but when the Lord was pleased to appear unto him and to make him a Minister of his everlasting Gospel he was sent unto the Gentiles to open their eyes that they might turn from
and varieties of Charters by which a pretended Claim hath been made thereto would fill a large Volumn and is not much to the purpose on this Occasion that therefore is passed over and the inquisitive Reader referred to Selden's History on that Subject and the statutes made on behalf of Tythes in the Reigns of Henry 8 Edward 6 Queen Elizabeth c. and so proceed to manifest whether there be any just Pretence from the Scriptures of Truth to claim Tythes under a Gospel-Dispensation as a proper Maintenance for a Gospel-Ministry by vertue of any humane institution The most pertinent part of Scripture that at present we remember to prove a maintenance for a Gospel-Ministry is what Paul writes 1. Cor. 9 from verse 3. to verse 16. on which this observation may be made That Paul pretended not to have any Power to claim carnal things by any Humane Institution neither is there any one word intimating that he had either Power or Liberty to make use of Carnal things unless from those unto whom he had sown Spiritual moreover 't is evident that Paul was so far from using that Gospel-Power which he had that he accounted it a Reward unto him that when he preached the Gospel he might make the Gospel of Christ without Charge Obj. But what if it please the supreme Powers to bestow on the National Ministry Tythes how prove you from the Scriptures that those who freely pay it do ill or that 't is not lawful for them to receive it from such and sue for it by the law from others who are not free to pay it Ans We are so far from condemning all those who freely pay them and not as by constraint that we look upon it to be the duty of all professing Christianity to contribute toward the outward maintainance of such whom they usually hear and account to be the true Ministers of Christ though not obliged thereto by Law in case they have need and if the Charity of any should be such as to bestow upon them one fifth part instead of a tenth far be it from us to condemn it but the Testimony of Truth is against all those who under pretence of being Gospel-Ministers have received carnal things from any who give them not freely but by vertue of humane institution And as to the other part of the Objection viz. to prove it lawful to sue for Tythes when given by Law to a Gospel-Ministry it is time enough so to do when any one shall undertake to prove that 't is agreeable to the Law of God to make outward Laws to enforce a Contribution in any form or method whatsoever for Maintainance of a Gospel-Ministry Hitherto we have not understood that any Pen hath undertaken such a Proof and therefore no necessity to enlarge for disproof of that which is neither proved or pretended to be proveable as we know However lest any should think this premise a kind of a Shift we shall add thus much that as the work of the Ministry of the Gospel of Christ is a Spiritual Work so a temporal Constitution is unsuitable for the Maintainance thereof 1 Cor. 9.14 Paul testified The Lord ordained that they which preached the Gospel should live of the Gospel We now desire the impartial Reader seriously to weigh and consider whether since God hath ordained that those who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel it can be justifiable in a Minister of the Gospel instead of cleaving to what God hath ordained to cleave to a humane Law thereby to sue for Tythes from those who are so far from being Partakers of that Gospel pretended to be ministred as that they disown the same To every enlightned eye it cannot but be plain that a Maintainance so obtained is not a living of the Gospel because as the ministry of the Gospel is freely received so 't is freely given and he that is exercised therein reapeth no man's carual things unless they be freely offered CAAP. IX Touching Baptism T Is evident from the Scriptures of Truth Mat. 1.12 that the Baptism of water was the Ministration of John who was sent a Messenger to prepare the way of Christ before him and that though he was sent to baptise with Water unto Repentance yet he thus testified in relation to Christ Mat. 3.11 He that cometh after me is mightier than I whose Shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptise you with the holy Ghost and with Fire Now forasmuch as Christ himself was baptised by John and after his Resurrection exhorted his Disciples on this wise Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Mat. 28.19 baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo I am with you unto the End of the World It is concluded by many that the Baptism of VVater ought also to continue unto the End of the VVorld as a Gospel Ordinance to be administred by those who are called into the Work of the Ministry of the Gospel of Christ Ans 1st It doth not appear from the recited Scripture that the Disciples were hereby commissionated to Baptise with Water and though it may be urged that the Practice of * Act. 8.38 Act. 10.47 Philip to the Eunuch and the words of Peter shewed that Christ intended the Baptism of VVater and that that Baptism was to be administred by Gospel Ministers for ever yet that 's no more an infallible Proof thereof 1 Cor. 1.17 than Paul saying He was not sent to Baptise is a proof that he was either no Aposide or that Christ gave no such Commission Go teach all Nations baptising them c. because if every one that was sent to teach was also sent to baptise then Paul could not in truth have said I was not sent to baptise if in reality he was commissioned to teach and preach which none under Christian-profession as we know of at this day questions Moreover we put this query to every enlightned impartial Reader Whether there be not cause to doubt that the very Disciples themselves might not be as remote from having a true Savour of the Meaning of Christ in these words baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost as some of Christ's Disciples Joh. 6.53 were in these his words Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of man and drink his Blood ye have no life in you For Christ's meaning thereby was not that the flesh did profit Joh. 6.61 as is plain by these his words It is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing the Words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are Life Yet for want of true discerning what Christ meant by eating of his Flesh until he explained himself many of his Disciples said This is an hard saying who can hear it Read John 6. from verse 47. to
our Way was before the Devil was and all the Words Wayes and all Apostates and will be when they are gone and this I tell Thee and Them But these Words of thine are not from the Light of Christ nor the Spirit of God for I know no New Way nor New Form carryed on with Church-Authority as thou Reproachfully sayest But here thou hast manifested thy Separate Spirit and Mind For the Authority of our Men and VVomens-Meetings is the Power of Christ Jesus who is the New and Living Way and never changes And all Men and Women that believe in his Light and receive him he gives them Power to become the Sons of God and such are Heirs of the Power which is the Authority of the Meetings And they ought freely to come and go to that which they are Heirs of without your Imposition or Opposition And all that receive him in the Light he gives them Power and they are Heirs of his Power and his Life So they are Heirs of the Authority of the Men and VVomens-Meetings and every Man and Woman that is an Heir has Right to the Authority and they have taken their Possessions and are taking their Possessions And you in your Separate Spirit from the Divine Light of Christ say Your Chosen Men and them whom you have given Power unto And say Usurpers of Authority have come amongst your Chosen Men whom you have given no Power unto And that None shall sit amongst your Chosen Men neither of your own County nor others but to tell their Message and go their wayes And so this kind of Church-Order amongst you as you call it is worse than any Court or Assizes or Sessions or Courts And much I could say to it but you may read your Paper though you make a great Pretence of Liberty in it But I have not heard yet of any that like your Prescription that keep their First Love and Habitation And therefore as I said before the Way to come into Unity is to Condemn it all and give over your Spirit of Strife and Fightings and come into that which did first Convince you that by it you may be made true Members and so come into Meekness and Unity For I saw many Years before I went forth that such should rise in Opposition and so it is nothing to me because it is the same Spirit that hath risen formerly in many others and the Peaceable Truth and Gospel of Peace is over it and it is out of the Kingdom that stands in Peace And the efore what I write is for your Good and it had been well for Thee and You had you taken what I writ before patiently For I see the more you stir the more you will heap upon your own Heads and the further ye will put your selves except you come to Repentance and come down in the Humility for thee and you are too high and I Judge this Spirit as I said before and its Works with the Spirit and Light of Christ For in the Spirit and Light of Christ is my Unity that is atop of this Spirit and its Works and in that is my love to all for their everlasting good whether they will hear or forbear and my Life is out of your Spirit of Strife and over it for the Seed of Life reigns which had you kept in it you would have seen me the same now as I was in the beginning and being gone from that and gone into Doubts Jealousies and Questions and Evil Surmisings by which you are blinded so as you see not me as I was in the beginning as many others have done the same before you and when they are gone from the unlimited Spirit of Christ then they are afraid to be limited And therefore be advised and come to judge that Spirit lest your Bonds be made strong and you grow worse and worse and find not a Day of Repentance and the Lord give you up to Hardness of Heart and to your Hearts Lusts and that your Latter-End be not worse than your Beginning for it is the Universal Spirit and Life that your Spirits fight against which as I said before God will blast And so mind your End for it will manifest it self and has manifested it self to all you that be in the Light which I fay once again come unto and condemn this Spirit and its Works and your Separation that in it you may have Unity for it s out of the Paradise in the Transgression I thought to have written nothing to thee but to have sent thy Letter back unto thee again knowing what Spirit it came from which indeed was not worth Answering but only to the intent that thou and you might Repent and come into that which you were brought into in the beginning and in that you will see what a spirit is gotten up in you that by it you may judge it and not die and perish in your Gainsaying for the word which I writ to you will stand and you will find it and I shall be manifest to that of God in all though it be the Condemnation of them that walk not in it and my Unity is with them that walk in it and such need no outward Prescriptions that are written with the Spirit of God in one anothers Hearts to gather them withal who are written in Heaven and whose Names are written in the Book of Life before the Foundation of the World was Glory to God for Ever And I shall not much take notice of You if you continue in Strife except it be by publick Testimonies And the Jewes might have reflected against the Prophets who spoke the Word of the Lord often to them but they did not regard it neither would they be convinc'd who stood in their Own Wills And truly John I must needs tell thee Thou and You are gotten up into the same and I have been sorry for You and my Spirit has sometimes Travelled but I saw there was a perverse Spirit in thee when thou wert at Swarthmore though I dealt tenderly and plainly and faithfully with you and spoke the word of the Lord to You and told You that If You did not come to that which did first convince You and bring all others whom you had drawn into a separation with You to Condemn it the Blood of all them would be required at your Hands and that was and is the Word of Truth which will stand and is Sealed And I was grieved that the Glory of the Lord which had appeared in the North and his Name should be dishonoured by your cross thwarting Spirit and that You should bring an Evil Report upon it into the South of any difference but that was and is a true Word You are got up into a wrong Spirit that is Rough and Course which I feel and see that is not savoury nor gracious which had you retained your primitive Love and Light and Faith that works by Love and been in the quiet meek Spirit and
now Query of G. F. whether these Bodies which the Apostle Paul termed the Members of Christ's Body were not the same in which the Holy Ghost dwells and the Life of Jesus was manifested And if so then according to the Apostles Doctrine Mortal and convertible unto Dust And whether or no an exclusion of all mortal Bodses whatsoever from being concerned as Members of the Church which is Christs Body be not the very ready way whereby all Liberty and Looseness that 's pleasing to the mortal Body may be Indulged and Nourished And not only so but whether the Men and VVomens Meetings will not Fall of Course and so no such Places where those who as George Fox saith are Heires of the Power may go to in Order to the taking of their Possessions as George Foxe's Language in his aforesaid Letter is 'T is further to be observed that G. F. hath not yet done with these VVords turned to Dust but proceeding asketh John Wilkinson this Question Must that which Sanctifieth God be turned to Dust I thought John thou hadst owned Christ to be the Sanctifier of all who is greater than Moses and the End of Moses but John wherein have not I Sanctified the Lord To this we Answer If G. F. who is a Mortal Man was capable to Sanctify the Lord as in his own Sense by his following VVords he seemes to be why doth he so impertinently let his Pen run by way of Reflection on John Wilkinson for using Scripture-Language so seasonable and so pertinent as he did Doubtless the Reason was a Fretful Peevish Angry Spirit then possest G. F. So that we may in his own Language used in his Letter to John VVilkinson say to him 'T is a Spirit that doth not know what it would be at it self but if G. F. had not been Capable to sanctify the Lord he is Manifested a Scoffer to ask the afore-said Question viz. But John wherein have not I Sanctified the Lord However let his Mind Sense Meaning or End in so Querying be what it will we shall undertake to give thereto this Answer viz. G. F. hath not Sanctified the Lord in writing his Book of VVomens Meetings which consists of Ninety Six Pages in Octavo and in all the Book throughout we do not find above half a side and that also scattered here and there that treats of that Service for which the Meetings of VVomen were chiefly understood to be held and that the Drift and Scope of the rest of the Book seems to be chiefly for Proof of Womens Offering Sacrifices Preaching Teaching Exhorting Admonishing Prophesying Governing Judging Singing Dancing Playing upon Musick and that Micah's Mother an Idolatrous VVoman spoken of Judges 17th was a Vertuous one and that the Assemblies of the Women did continue amongst the Jewes till they went into Transgression but yet Quotes for Proof of the last Assertion only 2 Kings 23. which mentions nothing to his purpose of VVomens Meetings more than that good King Josiah broke down the Houses of the Sodomites that were in the House of the Lord where the VVomen wove Hangings for the Groves which good King Josiah burnt Neither do we believe that he hath Sanctified the Lord in Accusing John VVilkinson and John Story for Tyth-Payers or Conniving at others Paying for them as in his aforesaid Letter he as we take it doth though they are therein esteemed to be greatly Abused and Mis-represented and we never understood it could be proved against them But that which aggravates G. F's Sin is That he hath been guilty of Advising Two Persons to buy their Tythes which is equal to a Continual Payment viz. Nathaniel Crips of the County of Glocester for one and Robert Arch living but a few Miles from the said Crips for another as they are ready to testify unto any Enquiring Reader and as in the Twenty-First Section of ‖ Note 'T is the Second Part of the Manuscript first mentioned in the Preface to the First Part. this Second Part by their Testimonies appears G. F. tells John Wilkinson thus But that whereby you may come into Unity it must be in the unlimited Power and Spirit and Light that did first Convince you and brought you into Unity and meeting without Prescription of your Elders or Deacons or your Members So your way to come into Unity is to come to the Light and Spirit that did first Convince you and judge and condemn this Spirit that hath led you into Separation with all its Works since and then in that Spirit there is no fear of Imposition And in another Place of the said Letter G. F. saith I told you That if you did not come to that which did first Convince you and bring all others whom you had drawn into a Separation with you to condemn it the Blood of all them would be required at your Hands And that was and is the Word of Truth to you and will stand and is sealed These Sentences of G. F. do lead us unto these necessary Observations First That the Way to come into Unity is to come to the Unlimited Spirit and Light that did first Convince them and bring them into Unity had G. F. ended his Method for Unity here he would have said that which would have Answered Gods Witness in our Consciences but though he talks of coming to the Unlimitted Spirit yet his following Language seemes a Design so far as he is Capable to limit the Spirit by adding these Words viz. and Judge and Condemn this Spirit that hath led you into a Separation with all its Works since by which Comparing his said Words with his aforesaid Letter to John Wilkinson and John Story dated the 23 d. of the 8 th Moneth 76. we take him to mean all those Dapers given forth since the Outward Separation which being without any Exception and Compared with the Matters occasioning the said Outward Separation seems to Import that in G. F's Sense the Antient Friends of Truth must of necessity be departed from the Light and Spirit if they cannot Conform to some Outward Methods in relation to the Management of some outward Affaires that some of his troublesome Party would Impose on the Chosen Friends for the outward Services of Truth Oh Grosse Darkness But that which seems to manifest his Darkness yet more gross is this his Letter to John Wilkinson Informs us That such meaning as his Words to us Import such with whom he is at Unity need no Outward Prescriptions that is written with the Spirit of God in one anothers Hearts to gather them withal On this we observe that unless another thing preserves those who are gathered than that which gathered them there is then no need of Outward Prescriptions for those that are gathered unto whom only the Government contended for reacheth and if so which in Truth cannot be denyed why must these Antient Friends who have been Convinced by the Light and Spirit of God be Reckoned had and such whom God will Blast