true light which lighteth every one that cometh into the world But I would faine know why these Quakers confound this Light with Conscience as if they were both one is the Conscience and Christ all one what folly is this Secondly But what doe they mean that Christ lighteth every one who cometh into the world with saving light Fruits of fast pag 23. as Parnel his 29 Querie intimates this is manifestly false For how great a part of the world is there who know nothing of Christ Redemption Justification by Christs righteousnesse Originall sinne Saving faith c. They never heard the sound of these things The next Verse confutes this for the 10 ver saith The world knew him not How then doth he lighten every one with such a knowledge when the Text saith plainly the world knew him not What miserable blind Consciences doe we find where people have lived under the revelation of Christ I am confident many know not the essentials to salvation The meaning then is 1 If we speak of the Light of Reason Understanding so Christ lighteth every one who cometh into the world 2. Or if we speak of Saving light As many or every one who hath that saving Light it is Christ who illightneth him 3. So we may say of Common Light Christ giveth that also As Psal 136.8 The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down What every one we see the contrary but those who are raised it is he who lifts them up none else can Againe Conscience may and doth erre this is a further proof of the imperfection of it Acts 26.9 Paul was there guided by his Conscience but it erred Did not of old Doe not now all Errors and Heresies plead Conscience Papists Socinians c I doubt not Queen Mary would say her Conscience led her to burn the eminent servants of Christ Now let us hear what the Quakers say Quakers glory c. p. 2. They exhort the Magistrates to let the Priests alone and to receive the Law of God which is perfect according to that in the Conscience herein have truth in all ages suffered by them who made Lawes contrary to that in the Conscience No matter for the Word then Fell. pag. 5. The Priests of thy high places Oh England bear witnesse before my face against thee which thou hast set up contrary to my will which I have made manifest in every mans Conscience No not every mans you are not perfect Fell. So once before in the same page Wooddrove p. 15 16 Turne your minde within you to the pure Light of Christ in your Consciences see by this light within you who rule within you No matter for the perfect rule without you to try the light within you nor to help it J. N. against Harris p. 15. Make our Light within to be the Light of the Covenant of Grace How many millions of soules know nothing of it Bishop p. 21. Sink down to that of God in every one of your Consciences the light of Christ In all their Books the Word of God written is made of no account But while the Quakers thus call on all men to turn to that within them their Consciences why doe they so cry out upon the Magistrates for sending them to Bridwell and Prisons since they doe as the Light within them bid them They practise their doctrine but the Magistrates have the Light without them in the perfect rule to guide Conscience within them What a wofull Nation should we have where Consciences are so blinde erroneous sleepy benummed and some cauterized if men should lay by the perfect rule and goe to that the Prince of darknesse would make strange worke Conscientia est regula regulata non regula regulans This Argument differs from the third Argum 6 Major That Light which destroyeth the Institutions of Christ is the Light of Satan not of Christ Minor But the Quakers light destroy the Institutions of Christ his Ordinances Ergo it is the light of Satan not of Christ Major The Major is clear for then Christ must oppose himself if he hath left Ordinances wherein people shall attend upon God till the end of the world and now have a light to destroy them Christ hath changed his minde 1 Cor 11.26 In the Lords Supper we shew the Lords death till he come Christ is not come yet Christ bid them eat and drink in remembrance of him his words at the Institution of the Lords Supper What were the Apostles onely to remember him or the Corinthians and those first Churches Must not all Churches till he comes so remember him Mat. 28.19 20. Teach and Baptize I am with you to the end of the world What doe you limit this teaching and baptizing to the Apostles They are dead many hundred years since yet the end of the world is not come how then can these words be fulfilled but in the ordinary Officers who succeed the Apostles is the rule of Christ Mat. 18.15 16 17 18 c. come to an end I am sure there are offences still and you perfect ones are as vile offenders as any but you have taken a course to prevent all discipline for your Church is within so shut up that none can come at it no nor believe it Minor But the Quakers light destroy all the Ordinances and Institutions of Christ Parnel Wat p. 8. They who brought the profession of the Christian Faith into England first had two Sacraments Infants Baptisme is one that which they call the Supper of the Lord is another and they had the carnall bread and wine as the Priests and people hath now See what esteem this youth hath of the Ordinances against the Baptists he talketh much for their baptizing with water but I will not transcribe his babling Naylor against I. Reyner pag. 3. Church Prayers Baptisme Singing we witnesse to be all within None of these outward Naylor Saluta p. 7. Is not Christ the Ordinance no that he is not and the end of all Ordinances I here is truth in this and it overthrows the former for if he be the end of the Ordinance how can he be the Ordinance it self are the means the end a few lines after Is not he the Sabbath Baptisme Supper No that he is not In p 33. there we have the bottome he will not deny but these Visibles as he calls them had their place and time but what are they now He meets with an Objection of ours which is this They are commands of God and there is no Scripture for taking them away This is an Objection indeed to which he answers I say those carnall things are but commands as Circumcison and the Passeover were and many other yet were they taken away without letter by that spirit that gave them when they were abused what letter had Hezekiah to take away the brazen Serpent what scripture had Paul to cry down Circumcision c. so runs on But why doth not Naylor make up his
be Mercurius one of their gods Well he answers am I so rude but examine me in my knowledge consider me in all things that are requisite to an Apostle and so if I have not manifested my self in all things to be a true one The same we say to these Quakers and all others if by their knowledge and all things else requisite to Ministers or Apostles if there be any more to come for they tell us they are sent out with an Apostolicall spirit they can manifest themselves to us to be Ministers or Apostles we will listen to them but by all we can finde in their Books they scarce appear to be rationall men 2. The second Objection was the humility of his person ver 7. he abased himself wrought with hands taught the Gospel freely To this he answers you need not object this against me for my humiliation was but your exaltation for I spared you but how then maintained by other Churches ver 8 9. the Churches of Macedonia supplied my wants But as for you I have not been burdensome to you neither will I be ver 9. to the end In the Regions of Achaia none shall stop me of this boasting which he confirms with a kinde of an oath as Calvin Piscator Weinrichius and others judge of the words As the truth of Christ is in me ver 10. as I am a true Minister of Christ or let me not be esteemed to have any truth To be sure this is more than Yea yea and Nay Which the Quakers make so much use of But why will you take no maintenance of us it is because you doe not love us ver 11. So my enemies may suggest to you I love the Macedonians but not you But this is not so God knowes he appeals to God this is more than Yea yea again True here is a weighty case why Paul useth these expressions But why then will you not c I will give you the reason in v. 12. because first I would cut off occasion that is should I take maintenance of all Churches my enemies your false teachers would tell you that all my preaching is but for money profit but now they cannot say so for I take nothing of you Again your false teachers they glory that they teach freely they require nothing of you no more doe I nor will I in the regions of Achaia Now you have the Reasons Before I goe any further I have here as fit a place as I could desire I did not think of it when I chose my Text but I see Providence hath fitted a place for me to take up that great clamour which with one mouth all the Quakers make against the Ministery I must name them all if any for all their Books are full of it and with the Quakers the Separatists we are no true Ministers but why we teach not the Gospel freely as did the Apostles we preach for hire divine for money we are covetous and much of this strain divers of their pages have little else but this kinde of stuffe Thus the silly Women told me in the Church I was a Hireling c. To all these I answer 1. False teachers may and have preached freely then be sure free teaching could not prove us to be true Ministers Yet the Quakers teach not freely for at one Towne by me I hear that one of these Quakers had about five pounds gathered for him besides his entertainment This is plain from the Apostle here in ver 12. for the false teachers did glory in this and therefore Paul he would teach freely to Corinth and be even with them in glorying Thus Parnell who tells us he is sent from Christ if any man could believe him but the youth thinks others have as few brains as himselfe he teacheth freely and well he may but this doth not prove him to be a true Teacher nor none of his Sect or any other Sect whatever but he is a false teacher though a free teacher as were these but Teacher is a word he deserves not 2. It is false that All the Apostles taught freely and wrought to maintain themselves This is plain 1 Cor. 9.6 in which Chap. the Apostle proves by no lesse than seven Arguments that the Ministers may take maintenance ver 14. speaks as fully as can be being the winding up of his arguments Even so hath the Lord ordained c. Here is an Ordinance from heaven for the maintenance of right Gospel-Preachers if the authority of the LORD who made it be as good as the authority of the Quakers and Separatists and by vertue of this Ordinance we claim our maintenance How learnedly the Quakers talke of these arguments you shall hear anon But to come to the 6 ver Or I onely and Barnabas have not we power to forbear working The word Onely plainly carryes it that the other Apostles who were married and were trained up to fishing divers of them those did forbear but what have all the Apostles thus power to leave of take maintenance but I onely and Barnabas c No no we have the same power as well as they But ver 15. I have used none of these things c. Again in the 12 ver If others be partakers of this power over you c. Their own Officers it seems or others did take maintenance So could he 3. It is false also that Paul took no maintenance for in the 8 9 ver of my Chap he saith He took wages of others to serve them i. e. the Church of Philippi Paul could take his liberty where he saw cause If Paul than we 4. We desire none to speak for us more than Paul whom these Quakers object against us For we have his own example he did take wages Secondly he as moved and guided by Gods Spirit doth not onely show it is the minde of God but he proves it also by divers reasons 1 Cor. 9. Adde to this 6 Gal. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth or catechizeth as the word properly signifies in all good things Will the Quakers allow this Text to be Scripture then let Him be he or she what they will high or low It s possible the Quakers will object against the she but I will let them alone to see if they will doe it master or servant is he or she taught catechized then communicate in All what All this word will not be liked yea all good things fit to be communicated or communicable So 1 Tim. 5.17 one part of the honour Ministers must have is maintenance the 18 ver proves it marke it is honorarium the maintenance of the Elders is not as the pay I give for a servants worke but it is honour an honourable maintenance The same Apostle saith 2 Tim. 2 4. So 1 Tim 4.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be in these things No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affaires
answer fully applying what he faith to the Objection thus So we the Quakers having the infallible spirit which gave these commands dâ—e by the same seeing you abuse them without scripture take them away Now your answer is complete But First I say those carnall things as you call them are so spirituall that all the perfection the Quakers brag of will not be sufficient to perform one of them in the holy manner the letter as you call the Word requires Secondly You talke of the Infallible spirit but you have not given us the signes of it as Paul did 2 Cor. 12.12 nay the Satanicall spirit by which you are acted hath not given you so much wit to caâ—ry your selves cunningly but you doe so manifestly crosse Christ and the Apostles that people must throw away their Bibles and naturall Light before they can believe you Thirdly You mistake in the brazen Serpent for it was not ordained as a means of worship in the Church but onely for the time while Serpents stung them in the Wildernesse they were to look to it typifying Christ but when they were past Serpents in Canaan there was no use of it yet Hezekiah wanted no meanes whereby he might certainly know the minde of God Fourthly The worship then instituted was not taken away because abused but because the Ceremoniall part was fulfilled Fiftly Jesus Christ the Lord of the Church may institute what means of worship he pleaseth his Apostles did converse with him fourty dayes after his resurrection Acts 1.3 speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdome of God They had order what to doe but I hardly think the Quakers were there then with him and heard that doctrine they teach us Sixtly Then the Spirit of God teach us to deny God that which he hath had since the world began viz Externall worship for prayer sacrifices and the teaching of the family by the Father of the family these parts of worship we finde at the beginning after that more But now God must have none at all how shall we know there is a God in the world if we take away his worship Seventhly Christ must then be a great destroyer of the Law and not a fulfiller Mat. 5.17 for he must quite blot out the second Commandment as the fourth and fifth by these Quakers Eighthly The right performing of the worship of God will cost pains and exercise of graces but the spirit in the Quakers have taken them off from that burden Conclusion Since then the Quakers Light destroy the Ordinances of Christ hence I conclude their Light is the light of Satan not of Christ Argum 7 Major That Light denyeth a great work of Christ in the hearts of them who believe in him that is the light of Satan not of Christ Minor But so doe the Quakers light Ergo. The Major is so clear that it needs no proof for to deny a a saving work a great part of his redemption this cannot come from Christ Minor But the Quakers light denyeth a great worke of Christ in the hearts of them who believe I mean such a work as must necessarily be in all such that is a worke of inherent holinesse the new creature distinct from Christ's person and from his imputed righteousnesse to our Justification The Quakers in these Books I have have spoken confusedly and covertly yet this must be their doctrine or some other notion being Christed with Christ Godded with God which I verily think they ayme at Naylor Saluta p. 20. hath these words But say you this is that righteousnesse we believe in and by which we are justified by that blood which was shed at Jerusalem and by that obedience that was in him and by that holinesse but that the want of his righteousnesse in us or that want of Christ or his blood in us can hinder our Justification that we deny and look upon it as heresie it is Christ without us that hath satisfied for sinne his righteousnesse faith patience love obedience c. it s these without us that whoever believes in shall be saved and by this faith the ungodly is justified Pag. 23. We can doe nothing neither doe we desire to doe any thing yet can we doe all things that he wills through him that is in us Pag. 2. While you live sinne lives and if we say we have no sinne we deceive our selves this is well but where he alone lives there is no sinne c. I deny not but we are justified by the righteousnesse satisfaction of Christ without us as opposed to Inherency in us But I utterly deny that God ever imputes that righteousnesse to us but withall he works inherent righteousnesse in us so as no man can be in a state of Justification or shall ever see God who hath not this inherent work of holinesse in him Heb. 12.14 I deny also that a person whom the Lord actually justifieth is an ungodly person in that instant its true he is ungodly if you compare him with the Covenant of works he is a transgressor of it which is the scope of the Apostle in the Rom. 3.4 Rom. 3.4 To cut all men off from seeking life in that Covenant and to bring them to the righteousnesse of Christ but look on him in reference to the Covenant of grace he is now a believer or else he cannot be justified and such a believer as hath received Christ to Union and now trusts to Christ for Communion of benefits whereof justification is one He that prates of his justification before this Faith he doth but prate of that which he shall never finde That absurd notion of faith justifying onely Declarative I would have opposed had this place been convenient I affirme also that the work of inherent holinesse which maketh us new Creatures is a distinct thing from Christ his person though among our New-England notions this was received when the errours raged there that Christ was the new Creature but for the 2 Cor. 5.17 they made miserable Grammar of the verse undertaking to be the Interpreters of the Originall read it thus if any man be in Christ the new Creature and thus indeed Christ being perfect no wonder though the Quakers are perfect for there is nothing in them but Christ And thus we see the meaning of that which we have so wondered at that men and women who could not tell how to live honestly among men keep promises keep from pilfering deale justly no nor can scarce doe it at this day since these Quakers came are on a sudden mounted aloft and tell others they are perfect No wonder for if Christ be the new Creature the new Creature then cannot grow for Christ cannot be more perfect then he is I affirme also that those who desine to doe nothing as saith Naylor they are not in Christ if we speak of adulti Rom. 7.21 and their wills are renewed I know not what to make of that phrase While you live sin live to take it
thing in Rev. 6.9 10 11. there is mention made of many slain for the Word of God c. these had white robes given them c these who were slain must needs fall under the X Persecutions under the heathen Emperours and may well in a speciall manner look to that horrible butchery under Dioclesian but if you know those times you will finde there were abundance of Bishops slain in those times I mean Bishops who were above Presbyters in the Church and you shall finde abundance of ceremonies humane inventions in those times in the worship of God yet we finde God doth not show such disdain of them as you doe now he gives them white robes Thus Bp Cranmer Ridley Hooper and abundance of Ministers ordained by those Bishops but suffered gloriously for the testimony which they held the Lord will own them with honour in the Day of Judgment how then you come to cast off so many Ministers of Christ so able in the worke of the Gospel as none have been more able since the Apostles dayes no nor so able so godly in their conversation to whose Ministery God hath sealed in the spirituall children he hath given them and onely because they were ordained by Bishops who yet were Ministers and did Ministeriall work doe you provide to answer for this at that day Some men will scarce own any mans Ordination but that which is by such Bishops and you will own no Ministers who are ordained by such if you two should meet who would be the strongest Parnel Gol p. 26. makes this a proof against our Ministery that it is earthly because in thus many years we have wrought no better reformation 1. But Parnel the English Ministery through grace will show the greatest reformation in the world and yet none in the world opposed like it We can show the souls who confesse by us the Lord inlightened them turned them and hath built them up 2. Then Isaiahs and Ieremiahs with other of the Prophets Ministery was earthly for I am sure they wrought but little reformation 3. What was Christs Ministery earthly also he complains Isa 49.4 that he had laboured in vain 4. What you will have many called and many chosen Christ saith the contrary Conclusion To conclude I dare affirm that there is as true and as able a Ministery in England this day as ever was since the Apostles died and if any Quakers or Separatists will undertake to prove the contrary so they will argue and not babble they shall soon finde those who will answer them While therefore you cast filth upon these I plead not for every particular Minister and upon all the Churches you show your light to be of Satan c. Argum 11 Major That Light which brags of the infallible spirit and yet cannot speak good sense or reason that Light and Spirit must come from Satan not from Christ Minor But such is the Quakers light and infallible Spirit Ergo. Major The Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of wisdome but he that speaketh irrationally nonsense he doth not speak wisely the Spirit of God is a most rationall Spirit and where it speaks it speaks like it self Acts 6.10 They were not able to resist the wisdome and the Spirit by which Stephen spake Thus Paul Apollos c. they spake rationally carried such strength that none could answer them Ministers must be men able to convince 1 Tit. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that talk irrationally will never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know Satan can speak rationally sense also which makes us wonder what he means to take such instruments unlesse it be because he is at the last seeing witty Jesuits cannot doe the businesse now try if foolish Quakers can doe it this also I know that reason being a beam of God there can be no true reason for sin or errour Also though abundance of Gods people are weak and shallow yet they never speak truth but they speak sense and reason But here we have a pack mightily insulting over the Ministers because they doe not assume to themselves the infallible Spirit in that notion which the Quakers boast they have it and yet cannot speak rationally Let us hear a little Qua glâ— of God p 3 4. there they undertake to answer the arguments the Apostle brings 1 Cor. 9.9 10 11 c. to prove the maintenance of Ministers They that preach on the Gospel must live upon the Gospel This scripture shames you and shews your Gospel will not maintain you but you seek to Magistrat sâ—â— and the Ministers of the Gospel are ashamed of such a pack of teachers This is his answer so He that thresheth thresheth in hope Oh how have they threshed in hope all this while and got forth no corne but are faine to seeke to the Magistrates for meâ—nes and food So Thou shalt not muzzle the month of the Oxe Oh you shamelesse teachers your mouthes must be muzled have been treading all this while and no corne trodden out to feed you but are faine to seek to the Magistrates Doe not these men speak gallantly Is not here evidence of the infallible Spirit But if these Quakers would have spoken like men thus ye should have said True those who preach the Gospel those who thresh those who tread out c. that is those who doe perform the work of the Lords Ministers in teaching Iabouring faithfully they may challenge maintenance by these Scriptures But you doe not thresh labour c. in the Lords work Therefore you cannot claim maintenance from these Seriptures now you had spoken rationally and there had been matter of shame indeed that we should have called for corn and not wrought but now you have cast all the shame upon the people that we preaching labouring threshing c. are denied our corn our maintenance and are forced to goe to the Magistrates our nursing fathers Isa 49 v. 23. for it Like a man who hath been plowing and threshing halfe a yeare for another when he comes to demand his wages he is denied the man goeth to the Magistrate to be helped the Quakers cry out Oh thou shamelesse man hast thou been plowing and threshing so long and now art fain to goe to the Magistrate c. Doth the man deserve shame or he who deny him his due So here Thus Priests Igno p. 2. The teachers of the world sprinkle Infants telling people its an Ordinance of God which is contrary to the Scriptures and quotes in his margent Gal. 3.1 Luc. 1.26.36 Let any one reade those Scriptures and see how they oppose it he quotes no other Scriptures In the next The teachers of the world call people unto a Sacrament for the which there is no Scripture here they act contrary to the Scriptures quoting Gen. 29.28 the words are these and Iacob did so and fulfilled her weeke and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also and Gen. 10. but no verse These are all the Scriptures Here
what should such Revelations concern Faith or Manners If Faith All that we are bound to believe Christ hath perfectly revealed in his Word If Manners Christ also hath perfectly reveal'd the whole will of God for our obedience 2 Tim. 3.16 17. The Scripture c. There it is to be found in the Scripture whatever is requisite to make the man of God perfect Since we have a perfect rule what need we more What if there be a revelation that crosse an Article of faith or rule of obedience in the Scripture as doe the pretended revelations of the Quakers what shall we judge of it Surely the Devil is the Author of it 2. The foundation upon which the true Church of Christ is built hath long since been perfectly layed Ephes 2.20 and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone No Church need any better foundation to be built upon than the Church of the Ephesians was built upon that was built upon not any of our new mad Diabolical Apostles but the Apostles which the Lord Jesus himself called fitted in a glorious manner that the servants did shew who was their Master and Paul one of these Acts 20.27 tells the Elders I have not shunned to declare to you All the Counsell of God which concerneth our salvation If the Quakers bring any more then Paul did not declare All but whether Paul or the Quakers speak truest we will not dispute shew us now such men as those Apostles were 3. I pray tell us what Scripture have you to prove that any men now in these dayes should have such revelations and that now we must look again for Apostles It may be you will make a tush at Scripture and tell us your infallible Spirit tells you so but we can upon better grounds make a tush at your Spirit and curse you by the authority of the Spirit for adding to his Word Deut. 12.32 Rev. 22.18 4. Before you brag of your Apostleship and Revelations shew your selves to be I will not say Christians but Men rational men which as yet you have not done 5. As after those Prophets under the Old Testament whom God raised up no man dared to assume to himselfe that Name and Office I know there were those who were called Prophets in the N. Test but they differed from the Old or dared to be a Pen-man so after the Apostles whom Christ himselfe chose fitted and authorized to be his Pen-men in the New Testament let none dare to be so devilish to assume that Office or Name unto themselves 6. The Testatour is dead who then shall make any other Testament or what need is there of any other than what himself hath made For the infallible Spirit the Quakers so much prate of abusing the Ministers because they doe not boast of it and Mason in particular pag 15. abuseth Mr. Scortrith and bid his people take heed of him I shall speak a few words Mason adds this Take this along with you too The Spirit of Truth is the infallible Spirit But George Scortrith confesses he hath not the Infallible Therefore George Scortrith preaches from the Spirit of Errour What now what doe Quakers make Syllogismes then we look to our selves but Mason the next time you make a Syllogisme desire your Master to learn you so much skill to make a true one for the Priests doe laugh to reade such a false one You might have indeed disposed the predicate of your question in the Major proposition with some words altered but now it is no where disposed But to the businesse 1. If the Quakers would have us affirme that all Ministers must have the Spirit in that manner as the Prophets 1 Pet. 1. v. 11. and Apostles v. 12. So 2 Pet. 1. ult then we professedly say we have it not If the Quakers say they have it so then I say the Spirit in the Prophets and Apostles was not the infallible Spirit for the Quakers spirit is crosse to that 2. I affirm that Ministers I mean not every particular man who calls himself a Minister have that Spirit which is Infallible to some a Spirit of gifts and grace to some onely gifts We pray to the Lord for it and that we may be guided by it 3. True Ministers doe by that Spirit from his word teach to their people the infallible truths of Christ they build them upon such foundations for doctrine and practise that not one who follow their preaching shall ever miscarry but shall honour God here and be infallibly saved hereafter 4. Those who have forsaken this Ministerie the Spirit of God hath left them and let them fall into corrupt errors and some damnable heresies with practises grievous and offensive to the Spirit But yet to say that this Spirit which with reverent humility we dare say we have doth or is bound to teach us every one in every Iota of truth so that not in any particular whatever we may mistake this we doe not affirm no more than he doth or is bound to expell every relique of corruption out of our hearts we know but in part Peter might boast of this Spirit more than Mason but whence then doth he walke so Gal. 2.11.14 as to deserve a reproof Nay goe to others who were guided extraordinarily Isaac by a prophetical Spirit and infallible blessed Iacob but he mistook in the person whom he blessed he thought it had been Esau the infallible Spirit did not guide him there to know Jacob but he erred as to his owne purpose Samuel went to anoint David by an infallible Spirit but he mistook in Eliab So Nathan a Prophet but he mistook in his counsell to David about the Temple building Then why the Spirit should so teach every Minister that in no point whatever he should mistake so long as in nothing that concern the salvation of his people I know not Much more might be gathered out of their Books whereby it may appear by what spirit these Quakers are led truely by Satan scarce transformed into an Angel of Light And now to you who are my people and have chosen me to be your Officer having thus opened the wickednesse of this Sect I exhort you to beware of them for you who have understanding so as you are able to oppose them I doe not fear your going to hear them or conferring with them they are scarce men in reason for you who are of the weaker sort I exhort you again come not neer them so much as to hear them since warning is given what they are but if you will doe it know assuredly the Church will proceed against you for so doing as for any other sinne FINIS A Minister now in Essex gave this Narration to a friend of mine written with his own hand and his name to it the Copie is true that I here offer to the Reader The 8th Moneth 19th day 1654. AT the earnest desire of some friends I went with John Ward and Anthony Hunter to a meeting of the deluded souls called Quakers at John Hunters of Benfield-side in the County of Durham where we found about twenty persons sitting all silent after we had sate awhile all being mute the Lord moved me to arise and call upon his name by prayer I was no sooner up but my leggs trembled greatly so that it was some difficulty to stand but after I had prayed a short space the trembling ceased while I prayed to GOD as a Creatour there was but little disturbance but when I cryed in the name of JESUS CHRIST my Mediatour God in my nature now in the highest glory appearing and interceding for his Saints then the Devil roared in the deceived soules in most strange and dreadfull manner some howling some screeking yelling roaring and some had a strange confused kinde of humming singing noise Such a representation of Hell I never heard of nothing but horror and confusion After I had done praying not opening my eyes before I was amazed to see about the one halfe of those miserable creatures so terribly shaken with such strange violent various motions that I wondred how it was possible some of them could live In the midst of this confusion one of them asked if I were come to torment them To whom I applyed this word Mat. 8.29 And while I spake something of Faith they declared that they were come to the faith of Devils Jam. 2.19 but said we were not attained to such a faith After two houres as we were departing out of the house one of them cursed me with these words All the plagues of God be upon thee Whereupon I returned and prayed for such of them as had not committed the unpardonable sinne Thus farre this Minister Lately in a Town neer me when the Quakers were met together there appeared one amongst them in such a shape as caused them to break up their meeting with no small trouble to divers of them I cannot learne the perfect manner for the Quakers will not reveale it onely so much some of them have affirmed and I will not publish more than I am certaine of I wish it may turn to their good