Bread and Wine They were both Shadows and both Elementary and Perishable And though the Letter were more immediatly fore-running and introductory of the Substance it self yet not to be perpetuated For a Continuance of them had been a Judaizing of the Spiritual Evangelical Worship The Gospel would have been a State of Figures Types and Shadows which to assert or practise is as much as in such lies to pluck it up by the Roots The Appellation Ordinances of Christ I therefore renounce as Unscriptural and Inevangelical Besides a Spirit of Whoredom from God gross Apostacy into Superstition and Idolatry yea a Spirit of Hypocrisie Persecution and Murder and all manner of Wickedness has got them and covered It self with them Jezebel-like the old Enemy of God's Faithful Prophets and People And we can testifie from the same Spirit by which Paul renounced Circumcision that they are to be rejected as not now required neither have they since the False Church espoused and exalted them ever been taken up afresh by God's Command or in the Leading of his Eternal Spirit And the Lord will appear to gather People out of them but never to establish or keep People in them no they served their time and now the False Church has got them yea the Whore has made Merchandize with them and under such Historical Shadowy and Figurative Christianity has she managed her Mystery of Iniquity unto the beguiling Thousands whose Simplicity the Lord has and will have tender Regard to But they Baptized after the Holy Ghost was poured out True And they also would not eat the Flesh of things Strangled nor Blood They Circumcised and Purified themselves in the Temple and had Vows after the Pouring forth of the Holy Ghost By which we may learn that Condescension Practice are quite differing things from Institution else Paul would never have said He was not sent to Baptize i. e. with Water whose Commission doubtless went as far as any of the rest But they brake Bread and Paul received it from God True But Paul never enjoyned it He said As often as ye do it c. which is very wide of any Institution Again Read the Chapter fore-going 11. or 10. where he tells the Wise Men of another Bread then that he spoke to the Weak of who eat and drank to Excess not discerning the Lord's Body Further Let it be considered that no other Apostle recommends these things nor Paul himself to either the Romans the Corinthians in his first Epistle the Galatians Ephesians Philippians Collossians Thessalonians Hebrews if his nor to Timothy Titus and Philemon when he set down the Order of the Churches What an Over-sight might one then say according to T.H. was it in him not only not to press and charge but not to mention the Sacraments of the Church necessary to Salvation as they are called and esteemed Would it not have been accounted a great Neglect and Defect in Calvin if he had been silent to any Church instituted in his Time and Form or to say He thanked God he baptized none but such and such Yet how full are his and their Epistles of Divine Exhortation Information Reproof Instruction and the like Is it not very Wicked then in T. Hicks to tell the World of our Denying to keep God's Commandments in general because we Refuse to practise these Shadowy Temporary Perishing Things especially at this time a day after such an Abuse of them and that the Gentile-Spirit has troden them under â—oot so long being part of that Outward Courts of Religion given to them which were left out at the measuring of the Evangelical Temple of God Rev. 21 Besides what Authority have these Men for Using them To do as Men would be done to concerns all in all Ages but to practise Figures and Shadows in Religion we know does not A Church cannot be without one yet without the other Would it not be Ridiculous in any Man to adorn himself either as some eminent Commander or other Officer because it is required by Office or Place of every such one that really is so The Apostles baptized therefore must T. H The Apostles anointed with Oyl therefore should T. H Nay Christ washed his Disciples Feet telling them they ought or it was their Duty so to do one to the other therefore should T. H The Believers sold their Possessions and had all things Common but will T.H. either imitate or enjoyn this upon his Hearers But since T.H. and his Adherents do not several such things once done and enjoyned to as Blood Things Strangled Anointing with Oyl Washing of Feet c. why are they not to be as much blamed as we are for omitting that of Bread and Wine Or why should not they rather desist Practising of those with the rest and that upon the same terms I will warrant T.H. for going to Synagogues Decrâ—ing Hirelings Preaching Freely Exposing himself to all Hardship for the Gospel's sake which the Apostles did To conclude God never condescended to use such Things to lead to and hold forth the hidden Substance that People should rest there and much less in a Way of Opposition to the Substance it self such an Use of them has caused God to loath them and enjoyn us to testifie against them Remember the Instituted Brazen-Serpent of old c. what became of them in the like case We would be glad to see more Honesty Meekness and Godly-mindedness in our Opposers though there were less of this Imitation They are for such Commands as they call them which Hypocrites Apostates the False Church yea the Devil himself can come into but as for those that concern the Daily Cross and Victory over Sin they can Wickedly plâ—â—d a kind of Liberty from at least to their Unconquerable Infirmities as they are willing to believe them But we testifie against the False Church whose Faith Worship stands not in the Life Power and Spirit of God however deckt with the ancient Attire of the True for her finest Forms out of the Life and Power of God we renounce and as becomes the true Evangelical Church we assert That he is not a Jew or Christian who is one Outwardly neither is that now the Circumcision Baptism and Supper which is Outward but he is the Jew or Christian that is one Inwardly and that is the Circumcision that is of the HEART that the Baptism which is of the HOLY GHOST and FIRE and that the Supper which is of the BREAD THAT COMETH DOWN FROM ABOVE which gives Eternal Life to as many as eat thereof and that is of the WINE WHICH IS TO BE DRUNK NEW WITH CHRIST IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD WITHIN Luke 17.20 Much might be said in this matter but I refer the Reader to the Book entituled Quakerism a new Nick-Name for old Christianity However let it be noted that our Adversary is for Will-Worship and not the Quakers For we affirm that no Sacrifice nor Performance can be acceptable with God to
but they that are subject and are led by the Spirit of God they are the Children of God and Heirs according to the Promise Most Ungodly then must T. Hicks's Consequences be that because we say Christ enlightens every Man Saul persecuted the Church and the Heathens multiplied their False Gods by the Light within Like unto which is his Arguing p. 14. where he thus pretends to answer his feigned Quaker If indeed thou knowest not what I aim at in this Question then thy Light cannot be God as thou sayst it is for God knows the Hearts and Intentions of all Men thereby confounding the Light and Creature together and concluding Imbecillity Insufficiency and Ignorance in the Light which are the Imperfections of the Creature Was there ever any thing more Scoffing Prophane and Dark then this might not the Gentiles have treated the Christians after this manner that if they knew not all things whether it concerned them to know them or not the Christ and Spirit they pretended to be led by were not God This is so far from proving the Light not to be God that admitting of it it were to prove every Man a God Is every Master as ignorant as his Schollar because his Schollar knows not as much as his Master T. Hicks knows not all truth nay T. Hicks may be led into many Mistakes Is his Bible which he calls his Rule therefore the Cause Certainly by his way of Arguing against the Light if he be not Perfect Infallible the Scriptures must needs be Insufficient and Errable But if it be an Evil to make the Scripture accessory to T. H's Mistakes of equal Reason is it Impious in him to charge Men's Infirmities upon the Light and repute that Insufficient because they are Rebellious Education Prejudice Interest Self-Righteousness Evil Living bring Vails over the Understanding that though the Light shine in Darkness they comprehend it not When Saul's Formality and Pharisaical Righteousness became shaken by the Law of Light in the Conscience then and not till then he cries out Oh wretched Man that I am Whilst Saul gave more heed to his Outward Religion then the Light in his Conscience he did Persecute and thought it a Duty 't was when the Light struck him that he became awâ—kened But if he persecuted the Church by the Light within why not by the Spirit too since God gave the Jews his good Spirit If T. Hicks will say But he resisted that so say I as to the Light Formality Tradition and many Superstitions attended with an Ignorant and Harsh Zeal darkened him that he could not behold it But it is a gross Contradiction in T.H. to say The Light ought to be obeyed and yet say That it led Saul to persecute the Christians And he abuses many of the Heathen-Philosophers as well as the Light in saying That the Light within reproved them not for multiplying their Deities For all Learned Men must needs know as I have else-where at large proved that by the Light within they have decryed the Heathen-Gods maintained the Doctrine of the One only Wise God and for their Faith and Perseverance they have been Taken Imprisoned Arraigned Condemned and Executed though it went for justice upon the Enemies of the Gods Who knows not this is a Stranger to Story But hear T. Hicks I demand an Instance among the many Thousands of Mankind that hath been convinced or reproved for not believing Jesus to be the Christ by the meer Light within before any Revelation was brought unto them though I grant that the Light in them may reprove for those Sins the Common Light in all Mankind will not because thou hast borrowed much Light from the Scriptures which all have not Answ I may well suppose that as many have been reproved for not believing Jesus to be the Christ by the Light within as by the Scriptures and my Reasons are First Because those who crucified him were Admirers of the Scripture and pretended to prove out of their own Law that it was both lawful and necessary he should be put to Death whereas had they brought that Deed to the Light the Light would have shown it not to have been wrought in God which the Scriptures without that Light could not so effectually do 2 ly Those who by Scripture came to any Convincement originally received it from the Revelation of the Light within which both opened the Scriptures and their Understandings 3 ly Peter Andrew Matthew Nathanael the Centurion Ruler Diseased Woman c. confess'd him from the Illumination and Operation of the Light within since whatever makes Manifest or works Conviction is Light They were not Disobeyers and Rebellers against it who most readily received and followed Christ They who waited for Israel's Consolation lived in the Just Man's Path a shining Light which shined brighter and brighter to the leading such as walked in it to the great Light of Israel when he appeared Further To say that the Light we have being much of it borrowed from Scripture Reproves for those Sins the Common Light in all Men will not is great Wickedness for it is to say that the Light wherewith Christ hath enlightned all Men will not Reprove for all Sin thereby placing the Defect manifestly upon the Light as before and not upon the thick and gross Darkness through Disobedience of the People as well as that he attributes to the Scripture that Conviction which is chiefly due to the Light For by what Way can Mankind arrive at true Sight Discerning and Knowledge in the Understanding part but by the Light and that as it shines into the Understanding is it not the Light to whom every Deed should be brought to see if it be wrought in God or no What can any Man solidly and beneficially learn by the Scriptures but through the Discoveries of that Inward Light Are they not dark Sayings or rather Man dark to those Sayings if the holy Light arise not to shine forth and give to understand their Scope and Tendency All Scripture but Prophecy which was given forth by Inspiration as Reproof Exhortation Doctrine c. were first experienced or witnessed at whom Tho. Hicks may equally cavil and scoff What 's your Witnessing to me that through walking in the Light of the Lord the Just Man's Path and were written for the sake of others that they might be asisted and helpt to the same Experience but not another Way then through the same Steps they had trodden so that the Ground of the holy Ancients Experiences now written and of the true Knowledge of the Scriptures and Comfort from them as an outward Mean and whatever is to be obtained and enjoyed within is originally and chiefly ascribable to the Discoveries Convictions and Leadings of the blessed Light of Christ within through every Generation however variously the Principle may have been denominated as the Word of God nigh Wisdom Light Spirit c. under the Old Testament and Light Grace Truth
Thirty Copies and all differing in fine there are many Thousands of various Readings Now let 's Dialogue a little upon Supposition only Quaker If by Interpretation who shall interpret Meer Man Anabaptist No. Q. The Light within A. No. Q. The Spirit A. No. Q. The Church A. What Church Q. Shall Right Reason interpret A. Yes sayes T.H. Q. I Query Which of them is the Rule And when that 's found out and determined then let T. Hicks prove that it is unquestionably true and has remained Uncorrupted through every Generation And by that time he has done all this he shall have done a great deal towards our Satisfaction But what is this Right Reason A. 'T is a Faculty in Man rectified Q. Very well But who has this rectified Faculty A. Thomas Hicks say Q. Has none it but he A. Yes Q. Have none Right Reason but such A. It was an old Saying Dip or Damn but Interest has taught us more Discretion Q. Well then Others may have Right Reason that are not dipped A. We say so whatever we think among our selves Q. What 's the peculiar benefit of Dipping A. Much every way Q. But which way A. We are brought into Church-Fellowship Q. Are you brought into Fellowship with God by it A. No I cannot say so Q. No! what 's your Fellowship worth then the Saints Fellowship was in the Light and the true Church-Fellowship was in Spirit What do you receive when you are dipt A. Nothing Q Are you no better A. No. Q Why I once thought you received the Holy Ghost out of hand A. I thought so too but was Mistaken Q. Why wert thou dipt then A. To fulfil the Scripture Q. But what led thee to it A My own desire Q. Is not that Will-Worship A. What to do as the Scripture exhorts Q. How knowest thou it exhorted to it A. I thought so Q. Is that enough Where 's your being lead by God's Spirit But to our Business Q. How shall I know Tho. Hicks has this Reason before mention'd A. He loftily sayes so Q. But is that sufficient Well but where is this Right Reason A. In Men. Q. Is it so Then it seems that which gives the true Knowledge of the Scripture is in Man But tell me honestly Do ye believe this Right Reason may Err A. No For then it were not Right Reason if it could be Wrong Q. Well argued But if a Man Errs is it not the Fault of Right Reason A. By no means Q. Thou speakest honestly But why then does T. Hicks charge the Light the Quakers profess with every short-sighted imperfect Saying or Action of this or any other Generation A. Does he Q. Yes it is the great Drift of his Books A. Truly that 's not fair Q. Honestly said But if this Right Reason cannot Err then Man cannot Err A. No that does not follow for Man may not submit to it Q. Why may Man have something in him that cannot Err and he not be Unerrable A. Yes Q Rightly said But why then does T. Hicks conclude so of â—â— A. It is unfairly done Q. Very well But you say that this Right Reason is part of Man's Soul or I am mistaken see Dial. pag. 32. If so then Man's Soul must be Infallible A. Oh Infallible that word affrights us What Infallible Pray what 's Infallible Q. Poor Man I see it scares thee indeed Why Unerrable and Infallible are all one Yea Right Reason is Infallible by the same Reason that it cannot be Wrong A. But the Popes talk of being Infallible are not you like them Q. Never the more like them for that Talking and Being so are Two Things Men should not deny the true Christ because of an Imposture nor any fear Infallibility because the Pope makes Market with such Pretences If thou art not certain of what thou believest thou hast not that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints for that was Certain and therefore Infallible A. Why Is Certain and Infallible all one Q. Yes Certainty and Infallibility is the same But what think'st thou of the Light in this Case under Debate for either it is the Rule or it is given to understand use the Rule or else it s given for nothing A. 'T is not the Rule we are taught to say and yet we cannot conclude it to be given for nothing Q. Very well then it must be given in order to understand and use the Rule Now supposing the Scriptures be the Rule that which informs me of my Rule and teaches me how to use it must be greater then my Rule in that it teaches me to know and do that my Rule cannot do of it self I query then If this Light be not my Rule how and which Way I come to understand and use this Rule So that it is eminently the Rule because of its Present Immediate and Certain Direction and Knowledge and the Scripture at most but a kind of Declaratory and Secondary Rule and therefore subject to the Holy Spirit in the Apostles and primitive Christians who took not Measures by it when it distinguisht the Ceremonial from the Moral Precepts so intermixed in the 19th of Leviticus and other places but their Minds being exercised and guided by that Holy Living Rule they left off or continued for a time several Jewish Observations as there might be a Service therein signified to them from that Living Rule The Light and Spirit of God then is both THE Rule of Faith and Guide of Life superior to the Scriptures and That by which only they can be rightly known believed and fulfilled A Doctrine Evangelical and not disowned by those first Protestants who testified that no Man could understand the Scriptures given forth by Inspiration but by a measure of the same Spirit To conclude Historical Faith Scripture is a Rule of but Doctrinal and Saving Faith the Light and Spirit of God can only be the Rule of for that which giveth Faith is only that which rules Faith 3 But says he how could you have known that Swearing in any Case were Vnlawful if it had not been written Swear not at all Is not then that Scripture your Rule in this Case But this shews both the Ignorance of T. Hicks in the Writings of the best Gentiles and his Acknowledgment of the Light 's Sufficiency in case we are able to prove Swearing disallowed and dispractâ—ised before Christ's Coming in the Flesh The Seven Wise Men famous among the Greeks and Contemporaries above five hundred years before Christ came in the Flesh esteemed Swearing but a Remedy against Corruption in Evidence To be sure they both believ'd and exhorted People to that State which needed it not Socrates plainly sayes that there is a Life more firm and unquestionable then an Oath Consequently Swearing not the best State And Xenocrates was had in that Veneration in Athens for his exceeding Virtue that the Magistrates thought it a questioning of his Honesty to offer
such things and believe them to be downright Lyes as others that are gone before them However should they be as true as we hope they are false we can but judge them and that we do by the Light of Christ Jesus to the Pit forever But if we should take this Course of proving the Anabaptists those vile Impostors he doth call and pretend to prove the Poor Despised Quakers to be p. 69. How many Miscarriages might we collect and publish against the People that are called by that Name but we do not desire that Prophanists should have any such Theames from us to sport their Unclean Minds upon notwithstanding Thomas Hicks's Liberality to them Is it not then wickedly done in him to tell us in the same page That if a Miscarriage be it is improved by us to make the Truth Odious who without such Arguments and his own Forgery would in Truth have nothing against us But truly it is very hard that we should suffer as we have done for the Miscarriages of other Parties and yet receive these gross Abuses at their hands But our Eye is to the Lord and our Innocent Suffering Cause will he plead in his own time whose Will be done by us and that will be our Everlasting Rejoycing 3. For Masters I must speak my own Experience many have desired to retain us and great Trusts have been reposed in us To whom were we False Of whose Service were we Negligent When did any of us say I am not moved to do this or that when so required thereto Shall a Lying Dialogue be Demonstration enough to prove us what so invective an Adversary would have People believe us to be We do declare to all that the Light whereby we are enlightned alwayes commands and strictly enjoyns us Duty Obedience Love Peace Gentleness Faithfulness Industry Holy Living And whatever is supposed to the Contrary we disclaim it in the Fear and Name of the Righteous God of Heaven and Earth to be no Product of our Holy Principle I shall now attend his Cavils about the Ministry and give a short Taste of the Rancour of his Spirit therein He asks What is the True Ministry To which he maketh G.W. answer Quak. In the New Covenant God is the Teacher of his People himself immediately by his Immediate Spirit Power and Unction Christ Ascended p. 64. Christ If so wherefore were Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers c. giver and set in the Church for the Work of the Ministry And why do you set up one among your selves and appoint Ministers before-hand to speak in such a place and at such a time From whence I plainly collect thus much 1. That T.H. in so many words denyes God's Immediate Teaching by his Spirit Power and Vnction under the Gospel And in that one Expression strikes out what in him lies the whole Pourings out of the Holy Ghost the great Promise of the Father being led by the Spirit no more I but Christ that liveth in me the Tabernacle of God is with Men and he will dwell with them the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you or you need not Man's Teaching c. In short the very Dispensation of the Gospel which is a State of Power and Life immediately received of God is denyed by him 2. That in acknowledging such Officers to continue in the Church he must confess to their Qualifications or he does nothing Now that which qualified them was the Receiving of the Holy Ghost and those Heavenly Gifts by it which were necessary for the Discharge of those respective Services in the Church By this it appears that either Thomas Hicks must now yield to Preaching and Praying by the Motion of the Holy Spirit or in opposing of it acknowledge to his own Contradiction that there are no such Apostles Prophets c. who ministred to the Church as any thing was revealed to them the great Evangelical Qualification to the Ministry in our dayes 3. But why should Tho. Hicks therefore degrade the Dispensation because the People are not yet fitted to It or oppose the Means used to bâ—ing them to It to the End for which the Means are employ'd Besides is it Man's Teaching or Christ by and through Man God was in Christ and Christ in his Ministers reconciling the World unto himself that he might be the Immediate Priest Prophet and King to the Souls of People Might not the same Objection be more colourably made against the Apostle John who at that time wherein the Churches were so weak and the Means so many and lately establish't said unto them But the Anointing which ye have receiv'd of him abideth in you and ye need not that any Man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and is no Lye And even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him Where he is so far from meer Man's Teaching T. Hicks's only Teaching that by his words one would think the Churches to whome he wrote had as well been gathered without Means as that he admonished them to abide in that holy Unction as Sufficient to their Instruction and Comfort Therefore let him go ask the Apostle John why Men were to attend upon the holy Anointing as Sufficient not withstanding thosâ— Means then provided And the Answer to that Question will be ours But here is the Darkness of the Man from our denying of empty Vnauthoriz'd Imitations he infers our Denyal of such Means as God's Power uses and from out Using such Means to our Contradicting our selves and Immediate Teaching and because we use Means in God's Power to bring People to God the Judge of all that he may be their Judge and Law-giver and that from his Immediate Hand they may receive Wisdom Knowledge and Comfort he ignorantly concludes that Men where they are ought not to have Means us'd to bring them to this Blessed State but that God should Immediately teach them there 4. I charge him with another Lye in saying that we appoint Ministers before hand to speak in such a a place at such a time and much less that the End of our Meeting is to decoy trapan and inveagle others as he scoffingly and falsly insinuates We deny the Suggestion and renounce and judge such Practices by that pure Spirit that hath otherwise taught us God preserve us from that dry Hireling Custom and Practice of Tho. Hicks who will avenge our Cause upon the Head of this Ungodly Slanderer But he thinks he has uterly foyled us in his Representation indeed Perversion of our Belief about the Seed which though spoken to some distance before yet I am willing to say something to it least it be taken for granted and his scurvy Names accounted due Titles to such miserable Wretches as he endeavours to render us The Objection entirely is this You say that the Work of the Ministry is to point People to
and Railing wherewith he was charged at Bristol upon the Holy Spirit and that neither he had nor I have Words enough to signifie our Venom and Malignity because I said of James Nailors Book writ long before his being so charged That if he had treated that accursed Stock of Hirelings ten thousand times more sharply it had been but enough is like the rest of his Vngodly Perversions already noted For first I speak against Hirâ—lings and I have said nothing of them that the Holy Prophets have not exceeded who called them Dumb Dâ—gs Greedy Dogs Wolves and such like But T. Hicks's Concern for Hirelings shews both that he is one himself and indeed has been so a long time and next that he is fallen with many more from the fiâ—st Love and Principle of that People called Anabaptists 2. From my Justifying James Nailor's Sharpness in a particular Contrâ—vâ—â—sie â—gainst a Deceitful Lâ—ing Prâ—eâ—â— he infeâ—s thâ—t I dâ—fend him as to his pâ—blick Miscâ—riâ—gâ—s at Bristol Iâ— this thy Conscience hath all thy pretended Scâ—iptural Doctrines Knowledge â—tudy Preachmâ—nts c. brought thee no further God will bâ—â—â—t it all and bring thee to Judgmâ—nt for â— clerâ—â—â—gs Well may I return the third particular against thy self and Warn all People how they adhere to a Man fâ—â—'d with so much Vnâ—ruth Slander Perversion and Forgery who art alienâ—ted from Gâ—d's Light as near as it is to thee and that Heavenly Life that is felt therein of all those who believe and obey the Light Reader Let us not be esteemed Railers because we rebuke Railing Nor our Relâ—gious â—ensure of their Perversions Forgeries and Prophâ—ness be accounted Reviling 'T is Trouble enough to us to be thus conceâ—ned in Controversie We would find other Employment if such Envious Spirits found not this for us 'T is not our Choice but theirs They began and which is worse when the Powers left off Their Restlesâ— Spirit shows it must have its Vent some way Policy and Enmity together have turn'd it upon us so that our Peace from the Powers proves a Persecution from some of the Professors as the Experience of the base Cowardize of many among them gives us to remember that the Powers Peâ—secution was the time of their Peace who like Insects lay dead during those Winter Seasons We were then their made Walls to flat the Shot and Bulworks to resist the Assaults and the more Moderate prayed that we might be enabled to stand But no sooner were we come out of that Fiery Furnace then we were saluted with an Imposture from Lincoln and a Lâ—e from Dover both subscribed by Anabaptist â—reâ—chers with several Clamorâ—us Books since An Ill Recâ—mpencâ— indeed for our Love and Sufferings But frâ—m God is our Reward therefore we are not moved with whom we leave our Innocency and â—e will Effectually plead our Cause with our Adversaries His SCOFFS or slight ESTEEM of WITNESSING With a Word to Professors With a Conclusive Supplication to the Lord. Arg. VI. He that Slights and Scoffs at Witnessing is no True Christian but that doth Tho. Hicks therefore no true Christian It was the Way of the True Prophets Apostles and Churches of Christ to declare of what they had known Experimentally of God and his Work otherwise they must have been uncertain of the Truth of those Things they have recommended to us And since the Times of Reformation from the Thickness of Popery Experiences have been very Excellent Things I remember though very young to Thousands what a great Stir and Flockings there has been in my time after such Preachers who could by any Experiences approach the Consciences and tell People upon Tryal what God was and what Christ was and the Holy Spirit with respect to the Soul of Man as to Manifestation Operation Conviction Faith Temptation Victory over Sin Regeneration and the like Indeed it was the Want of this Preaching that gave such a Dis-relish to People of the National Priests and they suffered not a little for their Change Sure I am some Forms reputed less Phanatical then that in which T. Hicks is prest closely after such a Ministry and utterly decryed all other to be Beneficial in the Church of Christ But the Lord God having appeared in a more Immediate and Spiritual Manner some having taken up their Rest by the way therby losing their first Desire and Love and so the more Insensible of these further Breakin gs forth of God's Power amongst them under the more refined Form they have sat down in and where the Lord in some Measure might have appeared to them do they in this Day set themselves to War against the Light and Life of Christ within For indeed it is a State too Inward Self-less and Spiritual for their Carnal Minds that can only perform an Outward and Formal Worship to arrive at Now such being closely beset in their Fading and Dying Forms and many on all hands in whom there are any tender Desires after God's Invisible Presence falling from them like Men that seek themselves and not the Lord they are belabouring hard to prevent such a Separation from them and indeed they are grown so Dry Barren of all Good by their Opposition to the Lord's Truth as now revealed among us that they come to lose with their former good Desires their very Doctrine And that which above all things was once most desirable to the better Sort of them and applauded by all is become a Theam for Scorn and Derision I mean WITNESSING Thomas Hicks though an Anabaptist-Preacher cannot abide to hear of Witnessing He had as lieu meet with the Lye as Witnessing for an Answer He commonly bestows Ignorance Folly or such like upon It for a Companion And though another Return might be as easily found out by him yet because it may not so well suite the Scoffer and Prophane WE WITNESS IT is to go in its room To which kind of Answer he usually replies What is Thy Witnessing to Me Do not put us off with your Witnessings which signifie nothing to us Thy Commands and Witnessing are much alike to me with more of this kind My Friends In the Love of God that would have you redeemed and saved I beseech you turn away from such Blind Guides their Paths are Darkness and the End thereof Death If ever you will know and worship God aright you must come to the measure of his Spirit in you that is given to convince the World of Sin and you must know the Work thereof Experimentally in you or your Souls perish for ever My Friends I have a great Stress upon me concerning you would I could reach into every Soul of you that you might be toucht with this true Testimony for I know not more truly that God is then that I feel him to be a Rewarder of every Man according to his Works and such as Men sow they must reap And truly my Friends Time passeth away apace and the Day