limit him to any visible Appearance shall be broken to pieces for his Glory he vvill not give to another This was I moved of the Lord to write in Answer to Tho. Ellyson 's Petition and to the Magistrates A Lover of all those that wait for the Redemption of Israel called after the Flesh Francis Hovvgil THE Fiery Darts Of The Devil QUENCHED Or something in Answer to a BOOK called A second Beacon Fired Presented to the Lord Protector and the Parliament and subscribed by Luke Fawne John Rothwel Samuel Gellibrand Thomas Underhil Joshua Kirton Nathanael Webb Wherein their Lyes and Slanders are made manifest against the Innocent and those Books which have been published by them they call Quakers owned and vindicated and all the rest which is in that Book disowned and their Deceit laid open how they have perverted the Truth our Words in those Books which they cry out of as Blasphemy that the Truth may not suffer under the Reproach of the Heathen FIrst of all you go about and flatter the Powers and the Magistrates and tell them They ought to have a Care of their peoples Souls in keeping them from Infection of Idolatry and Blasphemy and you say you are to inform them of the Dangerousness of great Meetings in London of Quakers whose Opinions are Blasphemous Paganish Anti-scriptural and Anti-Christian even as the former And further the greatest thing that troubles you is Printing and Publishing Books many thousands you say concerning Blasphemous and Heretical and Anti-magistratical Opinions tending to unchristian People and disorder the People of the Nations and to bring in Paganism and Libertinism and this you say you present unto them to provoke their zeal against them Oh you blood-thirsty-minded men all the Care that you would have the Magistrates to take of the People is to destroy them and to have them shut up in Holes and Caves and Dens and Prisons and the Truth ever suffered by your Generation and your Generation hath ever pressed the Magistrates that they might abuse their Power and if they will but hearken to you instead of healing the People they will be Destroyers and instead of making up Breaches they will make desolate and so you would drive them on hastily to satisfie your corrupt Will and to uphold your Diana and your craft that you may make Merchandize of that vvhich hath been long enough sold and printed by you and what hath it done who is turned from Darkness to Light and you that make a trade of others Writings and Words to maintain you in your Lusts and deceive this you would have them to uphold but as for the care of Peoples Souls it 's far enough from you and all along in your filthy lying slanderous Book you are made manifest to be of those that would have Fire to come down from Heaven in your Wills to destroy all those that withstand you and your Imaginations And therefore let all Magistrates in whom the Fear of the Lord is take heed how they take things from the Hands and Mouthes of them who have alwayes persecuted the Power of Truth and called Truth Errour and Light Darkness and Darkness Light and in a blind Zeal for God destroy them whom the Power of the Lord is manifest in for so Paul persecuted Christ and the Saints and so the Jews crucified Christ and all the Saints have suffered And you are offended at our meeting in London while we have been here in the City we have not been in a corner and we challenge you and all the City in the Name of the Lord who is dreadfull to all Lyars and Slanderers to shew what are those blasphemies that you speak of you backbiters shall have your portion with the rest of hypocrites Opinions we deny for the Light of Jesus Christ is spiritual which appears and declares against all Sects and Opinions and Blasphemies and all you who hate it are in Contention and in Opinions and Blaspheme the Truth and here I charge it upon you in the Presence of the living God that you are Blasphemers who call the Light Natural and Paganism and the Lord will plead with you you filthy corrupt minds who calls the Light of Christ Anti-christian for here in the Presence of the Lord of Hosts I speak it no other Light do we own to walk by but that which is spiritual and eternal the Light of Christ which he hath enlightened every one that comes into the World withall and this is not Anti-scriptural as thou calls it for the Scriptures witness the same and Christ bears witness of it and no other Light do we own but the same that ever was which was in the beginning and which convinceth the World of Sin and the same that led up the Saints to knovv the Father and the Son and you that call this Paganism and Heretical and Blasphemous and Anti-christian let all vvho have any Light in them judge and let Shame cover your Faces and Fear take hold upon you for your Words stink and come out of the Mouth of the Dragon ye filthy unclean Frogs vvhich have Poison under your Tongues And as for the Bookes vvhich vve have printed vve ovvn them and are ready to lay dovvn our Lives for the Testimony of Jesus and the Truth of them and seal them vvith our Blood and vvhat are vvritten in them through the eternal Povver of God vvhich is made manifest and that vve have published any thing against any just Magistrate let all our vvritings and all vvho read them judge and if bearing vvitness to Jesus Christ unchristians People let all judge for no other do vve ovvn but the same Christ to Day and Yesterday and forever and here all your petitioning is made manifest from vvhence it did arise and proceed and your shame and Nakedness and envy appears And the Sacraments vvhich you say you use which is appointed in the Scripture and Farnsvvorth in Answer to a Petition did deny them Answer His Ansvver vve ovvn and I challenge you to be Perverters of the Scripture vvhere read you of Sacraments in the Scripture here I charge you to be Lyars and Slanderers and Denyers of the Scripture and Adders to it and the Plagues shall be added to you and as for that vvhich you use among you is traditional and imitatory Yet the Bread vvhich vve break is the Communion of the Body of Christ and the Cup we drink is the Communion of the Blood of Christ and this is that which Paul received from him And Baptism by one Spirit into one Body we own the Baptism is but one and this we own and here you Lyars and Slanderers are seen and denyed Another thing you call Heresie and Blasphemy is that we say that Christ hath enlightened all men but I shall lay down your own Words and prove you Lyars out of that Book called the General good to all People and you say The Light of God that is in all men that is to wit
are subject to every Ordinance of man for the Lord's sake but vve cannot flatter nor respect mens Persons and deny the Faith of Christ but are brought from under the Povver of Unrighteousness by the mighty Povver of God and are subject to all just Lavvs vvhich stand not nor vvere made in man's Will but obey them for Conscience sake and if any Lavv vvhich is not just and equal be required upon us that vve cannot do vve suffer for Conscience sake and resist not at all as many of our Enemies vvill vvitness for us and therefore you false Accusers be silent they that are subject to Israel's Common Wealth are righteous and vvalk in Righteousness in that vvhich is just good and holy and vve vvitness against all the Cananites vvho vvalk in Unrighteousness and all vvho are Enemies to the Common Wealth of Israel must be broken to Pieces and them that strive and contend against the Faith vvhich vvas once delivered to the Saints and is novv witnessed praised be the Lord all such must be disturbed and broken to Pieces by the just even all the unjust shall be broken And as for that vvhich thou say'st vve say We ought not to be subject to any Civil Government but that which is within us Oh thou Lyar vvhen vvilt thou cease thy Lying vvhere is that I charge thee to prove vvhere that is spoken yet this I say unto all Moses received the Lavv from the Mouth of the Lord and it vvas revealed to him and in him and then he vvought it vvithout and vvas subject to it And all vvho make Lavvs novv and do not receive them from God they make them in their ovvn Wills and such as do act contrary to the Lavv of God but that Lavv vvhich is righteous vvhich is according to that in the Conscience vvhich is holy good and civil vve are subject both vvithin and vvithout to it And all your Subjection which is not from a Principle vvithin is not in Truth nor Singleness of Heart but vvith Flattery and your Eye-Service and your bovving dovvn in Hypocrisie and saying you are subject vvhen there is no Truth in the Heart and so you are not subject for Conscience sake And further you say In Farnsworth's General Good to all People Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers by Powers is meant God the Father of Jesus Christ and by King the Lord of Hosts and that is another Blasphemy Wo unto filthy Lyars I challenge you that you have perverted his Words and would give Meanings upon them as you do upon the Scriptures and your own dark sottish Minds cannot comprehend and therefore you give your own Imaginations and then call it Blasphemy and 〈◊〉 all that read that Book see if you have not belyed the Truth and perverted his Words Another Thing you set down for Blasphemy That none are Ministers of God and called by him who are sent forth by Authority of Man and that he that is not infallible in his Judgment is no Minister of Christ. Answ. You might have said Paul's Words were Blasphemy he was made a Minister not by mens Will and all the holy men of God and Apostles were not Ministers by the Will of man but contrary to the Will of Man and all who are made Ministers of man and by man we deny and the Scripture denies them for what they preached they neither received it of Man nor from Man but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ and all who have and are made Ministers by Hear-say and what they have form'd up in their Imaginations from the Scripture with their Points and their Doctrines which they raise in their Carnal Minds all such we declare against and all such who abide not in the Doctrine of Christ and all who were made Ministers of Christ were Spiritual and infallible that which is not infallible is carnal and all who are guided by the Spirit of Christ are infallible and they that are not guided by it are none of his nor the Sons of God nor Ministers of Christ and therefore all that such can judge of is nothing but imaginary and all you who have subscribed this Book and all such Ministers I deny Ye shameless men would you be trying and prescribing and set down what is Heresie and Blasphemy and cry out of that for Heresie and Blasphemy which you should try withall Your Shame is laid open to all and now your Shame I hope will appear to the Parliament whom you petition what cry you out against Books and printing and Blasphemy that cannot distinguish a Lamb from a Dog would you judge Truth by Darkness And you are offended that there are so many Quakers met in the North Parts lately Two Thousand yea blessed be the Lord there are many Thousands that see you and never will bow to Baal nor worship in the House of Rimmon more and many shall not only come from the North but also from the South yea in London that now see all your Deceit and they shall enter and you shall be shut out and what Truth is this that cannot defend it self and what Religion is that vvhich cannot defend it self but you must have all bend to your Image that you vvould set up And now unto you who are petitioned unto I say unto you take heed and beware how you call or suppress any thing as Error or how you meddle in the prescribing God a Way to walk in for he cannot he will not be limited and I say unto you it were better a Milstone were hanged about your Necks then to hinder stop or make any Law to hinder the Passage of the Truth which is arising and consider the Lord hath thrown out all Powers before this because they would needs limit the Holy One of Israel and prescribe him a Way and a Goverment how he should be worshipped and many have suffered and what hath all come to all the Rules that men have laid down have they not been as the Untimely Fruit of a VVoman and as Corn upon the House top and for that all have been thrown down and broken and the Jealousie of the Lord is broken forth as Fire and wo to them that withstand them in his Way And now I say unto you if you now prescribe God a VVay and if that in the Conscience have not Liberty but you will go about to set Bounds to him and his People in the Worship of God you shall be broken as a Potter's Vessel for the Government is upon his Shoulders and he will not give his Glory to any other the Lord hath spoken it And for the rest of the Books in the Beacon fired we disown them but I believe you have belyed them as you have done ours By one who is a Witness for the Truth against Gog and Magog called after the Flesh Francis Howgil A WARNING TO All the RULERS in these English Nations OH ye Judges Rulers and Heads of the People in these Nations you may
is but to set Bryars and Thorns in Battel against the Lord. Thy Book thou callst Hell broke Loose or a History of the Quakers published to preserve Christians against formality of Religion and Apostacy and to the intent that thy Book might not grow old nor stick upon thy Hands as such other moudly stuff hath done thou saist London Printed in the Year 1660. and so hast Printed a lye in the Frontis-piece of thy Book thy Book by that time thou may'st hang up with old Almanacks or sell for waste Paper and if thou beginst with a lye and Scorn how dost thou think that this will be an Antidote as thou callst it against formality and Apostacy Is not a Lyar an Apostate is not he that pleads for Popish Trumpery a formalist in Religion without the Power he that reads but thy Title page may see what thy Book is within if he go no further the Covenant of Death is not yet broken in thee and the agreement with Hell is not yet disannulled and therefore all this Smoke is come out of the Pit in which thou delights to dwell And is this such a worthy Piece in thy account that thou must needs shelter it under the Wings of the Officers of the Army of England Scotland and Ireland art thou so great a Friend to them and in thy Book tell'st them they were the in-let of Heresie and Blasphemy who art but yet an Episcopal stem or at best a Presbyterial Branch I believe many amongst them will savour thy Spirit and know what Uniformity and unity thou art for which may be more properly called deformity and Enmity and so thy Flattering Epistle when they see thy Spirit will hardly merit thanks and so that wicked Spirit which could not be satisfied in the time of the former Parliaments and Protectors still persists in the unsatiable desire to see if the Army will gratifie thee and turn Persecutors but thou hast mist it far in crying a confederacy to the reverend Pastors or Priests of Scotland the Army knows right well or at least might do that the Priests of Scotland whom thou so reverencest have been alwayes Hinderers and Obstructors of the Way of God and of his Work these divers Years instance two â—o three Hundred of them before the sight at Dunbar who Prophesied all like Zedekiah for the poor Scots against the English Army to go up and Prosper and Cursed them and Excommunicated them and gave them up to Satan and for Distruction but such Prophets were made fools and their divinations were Madness and God gave a sufficient Testimony against them and their deceived Followers which I hope the English Army have not 〈◊〉 forgotten and for the Scotish Priests and their Doctrine and Practice 't is so grosly ignorant and abominably Prophane as I believe many of the Army do right well know but such as are not satisfied I refer them to a Book called The Doctrines and Principles of the Priests of Scotland wherein may be seen their deceit and how some of them have said they had Reason to curse the Magistrates from morning to Night because that Allowance was granted unto any to Worship God in Spirit and Truth who could not be subject to their Traditional uniformity and thou tellest the Army in thy Epistle That ruin is like to come upon all Religion and Piety if God prevent it not by you or some other way they may see what Religion thou art of which may be rather called Irreligious and Impious the Government of Religion and Piety lyes upon the shoulders of him who is a wonderful Counsellor and mighty to save and able to defend them that are subject to him and wouldst thou have the Souldiers or any others intrude themselves into Christ's Throne unto whom all Power is committed both to make Religious and preserve pious them that do believe in him this were to derogate from the Honour and Power which belongs to Christ who is the Head of the Church who will not give his Glory to another and let all take notice of this that whosoever hath sought to take Honour from him and glory from him he hath laid their honour in the Dust and their Glory is become as the moth-eaten Garment as hitherto it hath been evident and thou tellst them They know the Scripture is God's written Word and a Holy perfect rule of Faith and Practice and that it holds out that Christ is now in his human glorified Body in Heaven If thou hadst said the Scripture are the Words of God written thou hadst said something for the Word of God is one thing and the Words are another though the words are a Testimony of the Word and the Word and the Spirit which is one which gave forth the Words are the perfect Rule and Foundation of Faith which was before the Words and is greater then the Words as we have often declared to thy dearest Generation though they would not hear and where doth the Scripture hold forth a Human glorified Body in Heaven thy deceit and ignorant mind holds out a Human glorified Body we say according to the Scriptures that Christ's Body is spiritual and he is raised a spiritual Body and is Glorified in a spiritual Body and in a Heavenly Body which thou never knewest neither art like while the Nature lives in thee in which thou now stands And thou say'st in thy Epistle that one day in seven should be set apart for rational Souls to mind the things of Eternity And which is that Day that thou wilt set apart some of Babylon's Merchants have cryed up one day and some have cryed up another day and some have called the seventh day the Sabbath and some have called the first day the Sabbath and whether was Sabbaths made for Man or Man for Sabbaths and whether was dayes made for man or man made for dayes all time is in the Hand of the Lord and they that have Communion with him do mind the things of Eternity every day and so they come to know the day of the Lord in which rest is given to the Soul and the Creature hath rest though he labour in the Creation when that is done away in himself which hath Opprest thou may'st go learn what this means In thy Post-script as thou callst it thou saist If any shall take offence for thy seeking to civil or Military Power to Support Religion thy defence is thy belief is That thou ought to seek to the higher Powers to support Religion and this is the Liberty of thy Conscience and that this thou may do more acceptably then they who Cross their own profest Opinion as they have done of late Years by motions Counsels Books and Papers which they have delivered for these many Years for â—he pulling down the Ministry and Steeple-houses and that their importuning the Magistrate to pull down Ministry and Worship is a yielding of the Cause I say thy belief is without the true Foundation and so
Riches Honour Dignity and Dominion Strength Wisdom and Goodness Fulness Satisfaction Eternal Treasure Durable Riches Infiniteness is his Name forever unexpressibly I am filled with his Love and Power he opens the Windows of Heaven he rains his Showrs as Silver Drops and as fine Myrrhe as sweet Odours he nourishes the Young he carries the Lambs in his Arms of Love he drives gently them that are with Young he is true and faithful forever he keeps Covenant he is long-suffering and kind who can declare his Power I am lost in the incomprehensible Being of Eternal Love Oh my dear Ones come up hither Fellow-Citizens of Jerusalem which is from above who is our Mother which few know but you who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life sound forth his Praise trumpet forth his Power declare his Name among the People that it may sound into the Eears of Generations to come this is he we have waited for this is he who hath begotten us to himself to reign with him the Lamb upon Mount Sion as Kings and Priests and Judges of the Prince of Darkness Death and Hell forever Salvation Honour and Glory be to him forever eternal infinite Praises Praises to him forever who was dead and is alive and lives for evermore KING OF KINGS forever Majesty Glory and Power and eternal Renown are in his right Hand forever his redeemed Ones live forever dwell follow live in him forever no Beast can touch the Mountain where he dwells but he dyes forever Come away my beloved Ones drink abundantly and be Refreshed and praise his Name forever Eternally I am shed and spilt among you never so as now never to be separated out of the Eternal Oneness sound forth his Praise declare his Word let it go forth as Thunder let the Heathen bow let the Princes of this World fall and the Kings worship at his Feet forever let the Disputer's Tongue Cleave to the Roof of his Mouth forever let all Flesh keep silence forever Babylon is fallen and become the Habitation of Devils forever the judge of all the World hath Confounded and cursed her Language forever God is risen and sits upon his Throne eternal Wisdom is come and the Ancient of Dayes all carnal shall be Confounded stop all Mouths in the Dust forever Eternity shall speak and judge forever whom he binds is bound forever whom he looseth is loosed forever whom he remits are remitted the Devil is chained the Grave gives up her dead and the Sea and Hell all is judged by him that lives forever O beloved Ones who are the Children of my eternal Father who have eaten at his Table and drunken of the new Wine in the Kingdom of God who are nourished and dandled upon the Lap of everlasting Love who suck at the Breasts of everlasting Consolation your Beauty is comely I am ravished I am filled I am filled with Love to you all I am sick of Love your Beauty hath ravished my Heart come sit down my dear Lambs together in the Fold where no Wolf can come and let us rejoyce together and sound forth his Praise who hath washed us and cleansed us and covered us and made us worthy to enter into the Fold the Bride-chamber to eat with him of the Bread of Life forever at the eternal Table of Life the Bridegroom is come Friends of him I know you rejoyce greatly because of his Voice And now my dear beloved Ones follow him for evermore in the eternal Light and Life where we were bred brought forth and nourished and are unknown to all the World but me you know and I know you in one who is the Condemnation of the world and in him I meet you and leave you in his Arms I lye down with you in the bosom of eternal Love Life Peace Joy and Rest forever where none can make us afraid My Name ye know my Voice ye know this is to all my beloved Brethren who are redeemed from the Earth Francis Howgil Bandon in Ireland the 7 th Moneth 1655. THE INHERITANCE OF JACOB DISCOVERED AFTER HIS RETURN OUT OF AEGYPT And the leading of the Lord to the Land of Promise declared and some Information of the VVay thither Or a Word of Exhortation to all Professors in England Scotland and Ireland and to all the World where this shall come wherein the common Salvation is declared in which the Saints believed and Deceit discovered and made manifest Also a few Words of Exhortation to the Rulers of England and Ireland AWAKE Oh Sion who hath long sitten in the Dust in Sorrow and Bitterness and hath been covered with Ashes and none hath had Compassion upon thee but all the Kings and mighty men of the Earth who have worshipped the Beast and received his Mark and committed Fornication with the Whore who sits upon many Waters which is full of Abomination and the Cup in her hand have all the men of the Earth drunken of and are made drunk and stagger and now glory in their Abominations and Oh Sion despise thy Virginity and thy Situation and have pulled down thy Towers and made thee as a desolate Widow and have gone over thee and trampled upon thy Glory and have made merry over thee and have slain thy Sons and Daughters in the streets even in Babylon where the Whore sits as a Queen and in Sodom and Egypt with whom they are joyned where the Witnesses lie slain But the time of thy Deliverance is come and the Years of thy Captivity are up Arise Oh Virgin who art not defiled who couldst not joyn with the Daughter of Babylon in her Whoredoms Therefore they have mocked thee and wagged their heads at thee and have said in their Hearts who shall deliver thee Arise shine forth put on thy beautifull Garments behold thy King cometh in his Glory who will adorn thee and crown thee with a royall Diadem in the Sight of â—hine Enemies who have reproached thee and thy reproach shall be taken away for thy Seed shall be as the Stars in multitude yea they that have spoiled thee shall be spoiled and they that have destroyed thee shall be destroyed for the King is coming out of his Tent yea he hath lifted up his Standard against all that have spoiled thee yea the destroyer is come up against Babylon and Egypt shall tremble and the Philistines Hearts shall fail for Fear and all the Cananites shall be cast out and this shall be performed by the Lord of Hosts the God of Jacob who is now arisen in his Jealousie and it burns as Fire against all the Inhabitants of the Earth and the Sea who have joyned their Strength together against the Inheritance of the Lord Rejoyce for evermore all that love his Appearance and who have waited for him he is come and coming to take Vengeance upon his and your Adversaries for he hath a Sacrifice in Babylon to perform even to cut off all her Children who have despised thee oh Sion Arm your selves oh
is their Lord and King who lives forever and they shall see his Face and his Name shall be in their Foreheads and the Lord God shall give them Light and shall be unto them an everlasting Light and they shall reign with him forever and evermore over the Whore Beast false Prophet Antichrists Deceivers Seducers the Pit Death Hell and the Grave and shall triumph in his Strength over all the Powers of Darkness and sing Praises to him that abides forever these things are true and faithful and shall be fulfilled and the time is at Hand blessed are they that wait and watch that they may discern the Signs of the times and the coming of the Bridegroom that they may enter into the Chamber of â—est and into the Palace of eternal Life into the City of the greâ—â— King to sit with him and eat with him and rejoyce with him in the Glory Eternal which was before the World began and shall be when it shall be no more the End hastens he is blessed that is come and coming to the End of It for that which is immutable and eternally glorious shall appear the Lord hasten it saith my Spirit Amen F. H. DARKNESS AND IGNORANCE EXPELLED BY THE Light shining forth AND THE Appearance of the Day In Answer to a Book called INNOCENTS NO SAINTS Publish'd by one Edward Dodd wherein he hath labour'd to prove Tythes lawful and Tything Priests and Hirelings to be the true Ministers of the Word and the Mass-house the Church and calls Idolatry Civility and Heathenish Complements Courtisie and hath perverted many Scriptures His Deceit laid open his Vindication made void and his Argument confounded and Truth laid open in all these Particulars for the sake of the upright in Heart who rejoyce in Truth 's Prosperity By one of the Lamb's Followers who makes War against the Head of the Dragon and against the Rear of the Beast F. H. And the Merchants of the Earth shall weep and mourn over her for no Man buyeth her Merchandize any more Rev. 18.11 And cryed when they saw the Smoak of her Burning saying what City is like unto this City Rev. 18.18 DARKNESS AND IGNORANCE EXPELLED THE man-Child which was caught up unto the Throne of God when the red Dragon sought to devour and Destroy him hath appeared again in Power and great Glory after the long and cruel Tyranny of the Dragon wherein she hath killed the Saints and hath prevailed against them and hath made great War Spoil and Havock of the Remnant of the Womans Seed this 13. or 14. hundred Years and hath compelled all both small and great whose Names have not been written in the Lamb's book of Life to Worship him and the Beast unto whom he hath given great Authority to Kill and to Destroy whosoever worshipped the God of Heaven that so they might be worn out and all the Earth might Worship him and fear him and extol him and his Authority Now the time times and half being near an end that John saw the Woman should be retired in the Wilderness she appearing again in her beautifull Garments and her heir and her Seed appearing again in after the long Night of Darkness Now when the Lord in this the day of his Power is appearing again and the man-Child that is to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron Now the Dragon Beast VVhore and false Prophet and all the Mystery of Iniquity Gog and Magog and all the Apostates Deceivers and Merchants of Babylon that have traded upon the waters upon which the whore sits they are all up in Arms every one with his weapons which he hath formed in the bottomless Pit is now set in array against the Lamb who is risen the Priests Hirelings and Babylon's Merchants who have got so great gain by Sea they have given the first on-set in the Front of the black Army of the Dragon and this six or seven Years have made a great Noise and have raised so much Smoke out of the Pit that they have darkned the Ayr and made it cloudy and have filled the Earth with a great Noise that many have admired what the Issue would be and what the event might prove and that many who have waited in Patience have seen the Lamb appear and have seen his rising in Majesty and hath prevailed And many of them who have the first on-set grow weary seeing the Battel grows too hard against them and the Lamb and his followers prevail And now comes on the Tail of the Dragon as the reserve and the rear of the Beast among whom Edward Dod appears and he thinks to prevail and get himself a Name and to do exploits but alas all his weapons are but the old broken Bows and the Spears that are strewed up and down the Field of confusion which we have run over and over and Trample upon and esteem them no more then rotten Wood He hath raked up those things which have been answered over and over and that which the rest of the Dragon's army hath vomited up before in the Beginning he hath licked up and now Vomits it out again and casts out Floods of Poysoned Words false Accusations and arrogant Reproaches and proud Disdainful Speeches as though his Tongue were his own And like one of Ishmaels Brood Scorning and Deriding at Innocency and saith he hath laid down some of our Tenets and named them and shamed them All sober People who know any thing of God will see thou hast shamed thy self and not us in uttering forth thy Folly And thy Title of thy Book demonstrates what is within it the Beginning is Scorn and Derision the end is Folly and Madness and many ignorant words uttered forth from a corrupt Heart and unbridled Tongue which is bent to do Mischief and to speak falshood but lest thou shouldst Glory in the old rotten broken Weapons which thou hast taken up which were formed by thy Leaders and not by thee which we have answered again and again and have over-run them as Stubble which answers have cleared the Truth to all sober People that they see all your Weapons are but Carnall and not spiritual and they have no might in them at all to stand against the Truth nor them who are made free by it whose weapons are spiritual and mighty through God to beat down strong Holds of Darkness and the Towers of ignorance Many are beat down already and the Lamb is risen and upon the white Horse and a numberless number is following him who rides on after him who shall subdue the Nations to himself and break the Yoak of the Ungodly and deliver the Oppressed and no Weapon that is formed against him shall Prosper I say lest thou shouldst boast I shall return these Lines in answer to thy Book Thy Book thou Titlest A pair of Spectacles for a dark-sighted Quaker I say thy Spectacles are more like to make ones sight dimmer then through them to be made to see they are such wooden Ones
the Apostle's Doctrine and so this R. I. is tryed by his own infallible standard to be a Deceiver who teaches contrary to that which he calls his Law and Testimony and the Law which is outward is the Law of the first Covenant which made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better Hope did by which we draw nigh unto God Heb. 7.19 Therefore the Lord sâ—â—d by the Mouth of the Prophet Behold the Dayes come that I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel not according to the Covenant I made with them when I brought them out of the Land of Egypt when I was as a Husband and unto them which Covenant they brake but I will write my Law in their Heart and put my spirit in their inward Parts I will be to them a God and they shall be unto me a People Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.9 10. Now this blind man who gropes as at noon-day saith This is imperfect which is written in the heart and so faulty with him and therefore to be ruled over and the other which is outward is perfect and faultless and so ought to be a rule but saith the Apostle contrary to R. I. If the first covenant had been faultless there had been no place for the second which second the Apostle saith is a better Covenant and stands upon better Promises but yet saith R I. this is not the rule nor fit to be a rule And furthermore the Apostle said as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God and this was their Rule and the Law of the Spirit of Life made the Apostle free from the Law of Sin and Death and the new Creatures Rule by which they were led into all Truth and as many as did walk in it out of all Sin But nay saith R. I. It is not fit to be a Rule for this is imperfect and is that thing to be ruled and for his Proof brings Psal. 17.4 By the Word of thy Lips I have kept me frâ—m the Path of the Destroyer and how doth this prove that the Law in the Heart is to be ruled thou ignorant man who utterest forth nothing but Deceit and Error and so the Scriptures declare against thee for they say The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul The Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the Eyes Psal. 19.7 8. For the Commandment is a Lamp and the Law is Light Prov. 6.23 and the Commands of the new Covenant are spiritual and not carnal and they are perfect and fit to be a Rule Guide to all them that believe in a perfect Way and not as this R. I. saith unfit to be a rule because of their imperfection and would in his blind Distinctions cast a mist before Peoples Eyes And all may judge not only of this R. I. his Mistake but of his wilful Impudence in preferring that which is visible and outward and may be seen which was given forth in time viz. the Commands outward and the Letter outward above the Law of the Spirit of Life which is invisible spiritual and eternal And as I said to S. S. so I may say to thee Lean Souls are they like to be who receive such damnable Doctrine as this for Atticles of Faith but however Reader thou mayest take notice of R. I. in his Epistle to the Reader he saith the Quakers Money is counterfeit Coin which he hath nailed on the market-post and instead thereof hath tendred other Money and that thou mayest see what kind of other Money the Priests is and what Image it bears by the Principles here discovered which is altogether Tin and Dross and reprobate Silver which will be received by none but them whom the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of that they should not see the things that belong unto their Peace And Edward Dod being sensible that he and all his Stuff or he and all his Arguments were carried captive and became a Booty and a Prey he is glad that any will step in and rescue him and flattereth R. I. and saith I am engaged to you to imbrace you as a precious Friend that of so weak Principles as mine have raised so perfect a Structure so absolute rational and demonstrative that more need not to be done Answ. R. I. his Vindication hath not redeemed E. D. his Principles at all but rather hath laboured in vain and spent his Strength for naught and hath brought forth such a Birth as sober men will blush at made up of Ignorance Blasphemy Derision and Lyes which they that have the least Moderation will abhor and detest and the Principles of E. D. and R. I. are not only weak and feeble but wicked and impious as is manifest in what hath been declared and the Structure that R. I. hath made is but builded with untempered Mortar Lyes Falshood Error false Doctrine which the stormy Wind of the Lord will rent and scatter and confound and exalt his Truth above it all But Edward Dod saith What can be said to reduce such a People I know not since so many convincing Arguments cannot prevail alas poor Men whether would you reduce us or bring us back to the slime Pits of Sodom where Edward Dod fell with his Stuff or turn us back again to Images Pictures and Crosses to Mass-houses Hirelings and Tythes to Lace Ribbons and Cuffs which both E. D. and R. I. have strongly pleaded for as faithful Servants to their Master who would not have him loose a Foot of his Territories however Edward Dod hath resolved to continue one in Life and death with R. I. who hath shaken Hands with the Prince of darkness and made a Covenant with death which must be broken and though S. S. E. D. and R. I. joyn Hand in Hand yet the wicked shall not go unpunished fore-very one shall receive a Reward according to their Works And so I have done with R. I. his Book called Ignis fatuus whose Arguments false doctrines errors and lyes are disolved into nothing his 〈◊〉 made void his Ignorance made manifest his false doctrine brought to Light and reproved by the Word of Truth only I shall return him a few of his Lyes back again for him 〈…〉 the second time and repent of them and remember the Sentence for all Lyars is The Lake that burneth Rev. 22.15 First That their Worship differs not in whole nor in Part in Matter nor in Manner from the Churches in the Primitive Times Secondly According to the Scriptures their whole Worship is framed Thirdly That Jezabel was never more madder against the Prophets then these Quakers are against Christ's Ministers Fourthly The Quakers contemn Magistracy and infect the Common-wealth with Faction Fifthly That the Quakers burnt some Houses at Oxford Sixthly That Timothy and Titus were setled in a Parochial Way in their Quarters Seventhly That F. H. complains of the Darkness of the Sun when the Fault is in his own Eyes Eighthly
Estate and Dominion and Vnity with God and all the Creatures and how the Lamb came to be sâ—ain and the World that lay in Wickedness came to be framed in Man after the Tempter entred how endless Misery came in upon all after the Transgression p. 185. VI. How Sin entred into the World and Death by Sin and how Man is dead while he lives and all are dead Works that he acteth and the States of all the Sons of Men and their Works may be seen in the Fall p. 177. VII Three Objections answered about this Particular p. 189. VIII Self Righteousness Deeds of Darkness also and dead Works are to be condemned also and Man who acteth them in the Fall p. 191. IX An Objection answered as to the present State of the Ministry of the Nations their Practice and their Worship p. 192. X. How all Men in the Degeneration and in the Fall have corrupted themselves and been Idolaters in every Administration being gone from the Life and Power of God in themselves and having lost the Power of God Man can neither Worship Honour nor Obey God aright p. 196. XI How the Woman that travailed in Birth who was clâ—athed with the Sun and brought forth the Man-Child fled into the Wilderness when the Dragon had Power and the Man-Child was caught up to God p. 211. Darkness and Ignorance expelled by the Light shining forth and the Appearance of the Day p. 217. The Popish Inquisition newly erected in New England wherein their Church is manifested to be a Daughter of Mystery-Babylon p. 237. The Works of Darkness brought to Light and reproved In Answer to John Wells concerning the Word the Gospel and the Way to Christ p. 262. The Mouth of the Pit stopped In Answer to a lying Story called Hell broke loose p. 275. The Heart of New-England hardened through Wickedness In Answer to a Book entituled The Heart of New-England rent p. 299. An Information and Advice to the Army and Committee of Safety p. 324. One Warning more unto England before she give up the Ghost and be buried in the Pit of Darkness p. 333. One of Anti-christ's Volunteers defeated and the true Light vindicated In Answer to a Book called Ignis satuus p. 344. To all Friends and Brethren who have been called of the Lord into that Place of New-England to bear their Testimony for the Lord to the answering of his Witness in every ones Conscience p. 369. The Deceiver of the Nations discovered and his Cruelty made manifest p. 372. Some Openings of the Womb of the Morning to all the Princes of Germany and People who profess the Name of Jesus Christ in those Dominions p. 383. The Glory of the true Church discovered as it was in its Purity in the primitive Times also a Manifestation how and when the Apostacy came in p. 401. I. The State of the true Church from the Manifestation of Christ in the Flesh to the End of the Apostles Dayes p. 407. II. The entring in of the Apostacy and the Declination from the Purity of Doctrine Worship and Practice and when it began p. 411. III. The Reformed and Separated Congregations called Parochial proved to be in the Apostacy compared with the Primitive Times in Worship and Practice p. 417. IV A few Words shewing unto all how they may come out of the Apostacy to the true Church which is in God the Lamb's Wife p. 422. V. Concerning baptizing or sprinckling Infants p. 424. VI. Concerning the Sign of the Cross and ordaining of Parish-Churches p. 426. VII Concerning Swearing by the Gospel as it is called and kissing the Book and Bishopping of Children p. 427. VIII Concerning Fasts Feasts and Holy Dayes their Institutors and Founders in the Apostacy p. 430. IX Concerning Priests Vestures and Bells which are practised amongst Christians as Apostolick Institutions p. 431. X. Concerning the Mattens and singing of Psalms by Course in Musical Tunes and Supplications and short Prayers called Letanies â—hâ—ir Authors shewn p. 433. XI Concerning the Passeover and Lord's Supper and the Ceremonies about it p. 436. XII Concerning Ministers and their Office under the Law and under the Gospel p. 438. XIII Concerning the Ten Persecutions under the Heathen Emperors how divers vain Traditions and Institutions got up among the Christians in those Times and Constitutions among the Eastern and Western Churches after the Apostacy was entered in the first Three and Four Hundred Years after Christ p. 443. XIV Of the Decrees and Ordinances of the Church of Rome which are holden out for Apostolical Ordinances and Institutions p. 457. XV. Concerning the General Councils since the Apostles Dayes which belonged to the Church of Rome their Decrees not infallible but contradicting one another p. 460. XVI Concerning the Worship of God and whether Kings and Rulers ought to compel in spiritual Things declared and some Scriptures cleared and several Objections answered about this Thing p. 463. XVII Concerning Oaths in the first Covenant and the Lawfulness thereof and the Vnlawfulness thereof discovered in the New Covenant in the Gospel-Times though the Apostates mingle Ordinances of both together p. 469. XVIII Tythes in their first Institution unto whom they were due according to the Command of God declared and that Tythes are no Way Lawful to be received neither sought for by any who are Ministers of the New-Covenant and the Everlasting Gospel proved out of Scriptures and Antiquity p. 476. XIX Respecting of Persons and complemental Bowings and worshipping one another and flattering Titles are no good Manners but are in the Transgression and have been anciently reproved and condemned p. 487. XX. Vniversities and Schools of Natural Learning were of no Vse as to the making of Ministers of Christ in the Primitive Times but a Thing introduced and brought in in latter Ages by the Apostates who had erred from the Spirit and then admired and set up Natural Languages and Philosophy that thereby they might be furnished to make Discourses Speeches and Sermons to get Money by and as they are holden up at this Day are made an absolute IDOL p. 490. The Rock of Ages exalted above Rome 's Imagined Rock on which her Church is builded p. 497. I. What the true Religion is and where it is demonstrated p. 501. II. The Church of Rome proved to be the false Church p. 502. III. The Pope proved not to be the Head of the true Church and Christ proved to be the Head of the Body which is his Church and the Rock upon which his Church is built p. 505. IV. Purgatory proved to be an erroneous Doctrine which is held forth by the Papists and their Praying for the Dead proved to be another false Doctrine not commended nor practised by Christ or his Apostles p. 507. V. The Papists Doctrine which saith Christ is really and personally in the Mass and in the Eucharist to be Blasphemous and great Idolatry p. 508. VI. The Papists Mass and their Ceremonies proved not to be Apostolical p. 511. VII