is a time for men to see they have sin and sinned and a time to confess it and forsake it and their is a time to witness the blood of Christ cleansing from all sin and then a time to witness the birth born of God which doth not commit sin 1 John 4. Chap. Pr. He saith Here is a strange conceit of a person that fills heaven and earth with his presence and dwells in the Saints blindness with a witness c. See page 8. Ans Here thy ignorance hath appeared again for all power in heaven and earth is given to him Christ Jesus who is in them at the right hand of God who is in the Saints dwelling and doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world but this to thee is a strange conceit and blindness with a witness Thy witness is blinded with thy conceit which shews thy ignorance of Scripture and thy unskilfulness in the word and doctrine that all things is upheld by his word and his power and that there is no creature but is manifest in his sight For all things that was made was made by him that he might have a name above every name and that to his name should every knee bow and every tongue confess to the glory of God and God will dwell in man and it is he that seeth the heart Pr. He saith Sin is in the Saints c. See page 10. Ans Sin is not in the sanctified but in the unsanctified And he that saith sin is in the Saints he is blinded he is of the Serpent and he and they be in the poâ—lution themselves which the Saints have escaped and are washed and cleansed and so far as any one is sanctified it is from the sin Pr. He saith That we will not enter into the Kingdom by the Blood of the Covenant that hath been often proved c. See page 10. Ans And Francis Blake did publish it in Print that the Quakers did witness the blood of Christ that cleanseth from all sin and so thou Prints against us and he prints for us thou Prints that we deny the blood of Jesus and he Prints that we own the blood of Jesus and so ye are devouring the innocent betwixt you and the blood of the seed we own which cleanseth from all sin which doth not you which say sin must be in the Saints but make his blood of none effect which cleanseth from all sin Pr. He saith The Scriptures shall be our judge one day which we call the letter c. See page 11. Answ And the Scripture saith all judgement is committed to the Son and God will judge the world and the Saints and the spiritual man judges all things and thus thou art ignorant of the letter and this shall judge thee at the last Pr. He saith That the Kingdom is not come nor refreshing from the presence of the Lord c. Answ Which shewes they are like unto the Pharisees unconverted gazing here and there and Christ told them the Kingdom was in them And they that are not turned to the light which comes from Christ the refresher whereby refreshing might come so are not come to repentance yet Pr. He saith They that say they have no sin makes God a liar See page 12. Ans Which the Scripture saith no such thing but saith on the contrary the Scripture saith many were made free from sin And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin and they that are Christs have crucified the lusts and all things are become new and they that sin and lie are not in Christ the truth Pr. He saith All that have been are or shall be converted since the Gospel ministration are converted by the Apostles words c. See page 13. Ans So he hath thrown out the spirit that doth regenerate and Christ the way to the Father the word that sanctifieth and Christ the power of God to salvation Who said they would not come to him that they might be converted so if they get all the Apostles words and come not to Christ they are not converted and none are converted by the Apostles words but who comes to the Life that the words come from Pr. And he opposeth and saith It will be the Quakers fall because they say there is no other way to bring people to God but by the light in them c. See page 14. Ans Which is Christ the way to God from whence it comes which is mans condemnation not believing in it and so a saving light For saith God I will give him for a Covenant for a lgiht to the Gentiles that he may be my salvation to the ends of the earth the light shall and all that be not in the light are in the fall out of the Covenant in the unsaved state and knows not their salvation but as the Scripture declareth and so there is death and destruction talking of the same of wisdom and keeping people out of the light Pr. And he saith That Christ is not so the light of the World as he is the light of believers See page 14. Ans Christ is the light to the World as to believers and he that believeth in it shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life he that follows the light and believes in it shall have the light of life and shall not abide in darknesse He that follows not the light but hates it he abides in the darknesse and the light condemns him which the believer walks in and believes in and hath the light of life which light is one and the same which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world believers and unbelievers Pr. He saith That the Scriptures is the rule of the Saints and he saith the spirit is the guide to that rule c. see page 15. Ans And so would have the Scripture to be before the spirit Now the spirit was the Saints rule that led them to speak forth Scriptures and to let them to see to what condition they were spoken too and so by that they came to the law of Faith and they was not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit So in this ye have proved your selves not to be Ministers of the Spirit but of the Letter which the Spirit was before the Letter was Pr. He saith That the time of perfection will be when Christ comes from heaven and not before till then the Saints must be warring waiting groaning and mourning c. See page 20. Ans And David saith he had seen an end of all perfection contrary to Collier And the Apostle saith they should hunger no more nor thirst no more And Christ saith He that eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood shall hunger no more and thirst no more He that believeth is entered into his rest shall hunger no more and thirst no more And the Apostles and Saints witnessed Christ in them and the Kingdome while they were upon earth and
the end of groaning and gruling which thou art in that art out of this and keeps people which are apostatized from the Apostle from the Light which is the Truth John Deacon's Book called A Publique Discovery of a secret Deceit His Principles follow And as for the rest of his Lies and Slanders in his Book which are heaped up they will fall upon his own head and be his sorrow And all Liars upon the earth that are given up to believe tell lies are comprehended with the innocency and truth by which innocency is preserved and men and people shall heap to themselves sorrow by their owne lies and inventions Neverthelesse the Scriptures of Truth are owned in their place to the condition that they were spoken to Pr. HE saith That the light wherewith every one that cometh into the world is enlightned withall is the light of nature and reason and sense c. See page 5. Ans Which is contrary to John 1.9 who saith it was the true light by which all things were made which as many as received him he gave them power to become the sons of God which is beyond naturall sense and reason Pr. He saith That the worke of faith and the growth of faith is by the naturall use of Ordinances and calls it deceitfull sophistry which denyes it c. page 7. Answ Faith is the gift of God and Christ is the Author of it It cometh not by the naturall use of Ordinances The naturall man receiveth not the things that be of God which faith is the gift of God And thou art in the sophistry and in the poyson that saith faith the work and growth of it is by the naturall use of ordinances Pr. And he speaks of a temporall expressive word of God c. see page 8. Answ But the Scripture tells us of no such thing as temporal word but speaks of the Word of God that lives and endures for ever and so the other is but his own imagination Pr. He saith The Quakers go about to picke forth the right eye of Christianity Ans Because they hold forth the light that lighteth every man that comes into the world Christ Jesus the Covenant of God which makes all the apostate Christians blind And your right eye must be plucked out that offends and this the Christians shall witnesse when their eyes are open that sees the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world the covenant of God Prin. He saith The Quakers were never heard of till of late yeares c. See page 12. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures which speaks of them before Moses by Moses by the Prophets and Apostles and he bids them to worke out their salvation with feare and trembling And now the great Earth-quake is coming amongst you false Prophets and Antichrists John speaks of and Harlots and Apostates from the Apostle compellers to your worship And now are you comprehended with the spirit of God are you judged who are ignorant of the salvation wrought out with feare and trembling Pr. He calls them subtill deceivers and hereticks that questions the word Trinity and says it came from Rome c. see page 13. Ans Which he is justifying and so he is turning to his Teacher the Pope and Common Prayer-book of whom he hath learned it For the Scriptures have not taught it him And the Son and the Father is in unity and this we own that are called Quakers and deny you and your Pope and your Common-prayer-book and your false Teachers got up since the days of the Apostles Pr. Again he saith O incomparable hypocriticall lyars Is not this the character Paul gives of a false prophet to speak lyes in hypocrisie because we preach Perfection c. See page 16. Answ It is agreeable to Scripture Christs doctrine and the Apostles doctrine and the life of Christ And we are made free from sin saith the Apostle And again As he is so are we in this present world And as many as are perfect are thus minded c. But this thou cals hypocrisie lies and thus thou art out of the Apostles Christs doctrine and life and like a mad man rages against them that be in it and hath denyed thy owne work the work of the Ministry which was for the perfecting and so art a Physitian of no value Pr. He saith The enjoyment of immortality is not till they have put off the body c. See page 17. Ans Contrary to the Apostles doctrine who saith Immortality was brought to light through the Gospell this was when they were upon earth and the word of God was in them and Christ was in them which was immortall Pr. Again he saith They shall not have power over death and the grave untill the naturall death c. See page 17. Answ Contrary to the Apostle who saith Oh death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory And they were passed from death to life And he that believes shall never dye and such hath power over death and the grave And he that believes shall never dye they have passed from death to life Pr. He calls them secret deceivers to grant perfect purity and perfection c. See page 18. Answ Which is contrary to to the Apostles doctrine who brought people to perfection and purity and holinesse without which none shall see the Lord And they were to stir up their pure minds Pr. He saith To witnesse perfect purity is an alluding to an enjoyment of heaven upon earth and saith this is as the world c. See page 19. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures who witnessed the Kingdome of heaven in the Saints and their conversation in heaven and thou that brings to the contrary art a deceiver and grants not that other Pr. He saith He dare boldly assert that the Gospell is not first made known by the seeing within but by hearing tidings without c. Ans Contrary to that which they call their Originall which saith the Gospel is preached in every creature And there is none cometh to hearing and seeing of the Gospell but it is with the eye within that which is opprest For the Jews that heard not and saw not within they stood against the Gospel And Christ said their ears were stopped and their eyes were closed and so they heard words but the Gospel the power of God they could not hear but stood against Christ and so none heare but they that hear within and he is not a Preacher of the Gospel which is the power of God but he that preacheth to the inward eye Pr. He confesseth That none of the Saints had ever a particular command and then again he confesseth they had and so he is in confusion page 26. He saith It is a lye to preach the Kingdome of heaven within unbelievers Answ Contrary to Christs words who told the Pharisees the Kingdome of God was within them Luke 17. So in confusion
with the light that cometh from him nor none knowes the Saviour Christ Jesus but with the light that cometh from him and that le ts see the body prepared Christ who was the seed of Abraham according to the flesh the one offering that ends all offerings and his blood that is the attonement which is the Saints drink which who drinks it shall live with which their consciences are purged from dead works to serve the living God And none knowes the foundation of God that standeth sure nor feels it nor sees it but with the light which cometh from Christ the foundation which breaks down all other foundations which light that every man is enlightened withall gives him the knowledge of the foundation of God Pr. He saith I do believe that there was never a Saint perfectly free from sin here but they shall have the body of sin and death which will be their burthen to keep them humble Page 52. And it doth not appear that they do attain purification or perfection before the change of the body Answ That which is the true humiliation bears the sin and iniquity which is Christ such as are not brought down with the Judgments for their sinful actings never knew the seed that puts off the body from which all the roots proceed in that is the true humility and the righteousness of Christ and the glory revealed And the Saints witnessed the body of sin and death put off while they were upon the earth and such as was in Christ was new creatures all things become new And the Apostles spoke wisdom among them that was perfect and that was before the change of the body as ye look upon And the work of the Ministery was for the perfecting of the the Saints until they all come into the unity of the faith that gives victory and to the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure and stature of the fulness of Christ This was the Ministers work Not as children tossed up and down with every slight and windy doctrine of men who lie in waite to deceive So ye have tryed the work of your Ministry and brought it to the Light Pr. He saith such a trembling as a way to perfection is to set it in the roome of Christ beside the truth and slight and undervalue the word of God and justifie trembling let all men beware of this trembling page 78. Answ Who ever ownes the word of God that reconciles to the Father and hammers down and brings out of the fall and cuts down and burns up they must know their salvation wrought out with fear and trembling And these ownes the word of God and the words of God the Scriptures and these owns this trembling there is a cloud of witnesses in the Scriptures and none will deny this trembling that ownes the salvation wrought out or to be wrought out but such as be out of the truth and that gets Scriptures being out of the truth and deny the power of God who are with it judged those that have the form but deny the power deny the trembling so they deny the salvation to be wrought out with fear and trembling and none knowes the salvation but them that know trembling And such may say that are the the Devils messengers beware of this power that makes to tremble Pr. He saith the Scripture is truly the Ministry of the spirit to us pag. 67. Answ Those were the Ministers of the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures And those are the Ministers of the Letter that be out of the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and that cannot Minister the spirit Pr. He saith the Scriptures doth not speak of a general Redemption of all from the state of sin and freedom from sin pag. 75. Answ There is a general state and redemption of all and freedom from sin by believing in the one offering the blood of Jesus Christ and unbelief shuts out Pr. He saith mystical Babylon shall fall by the Kings of the earth And many precious Saints shall destroy Babylon with the sword pag. 84. And he saith I cannot apprehend that the Saints shall have the Government of the world pag. 86. And the beast when he ariseth shall give a mark in the right hand c. Answ Christ hath all power in heaven and earth given to him who believe in him and are in his power who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him have the government and are in the government the Lambs government but the unbelievers are out of it And that which slayes mystical Babylon is not the Kings of the earth and the Saints that be on the earth slay not with the carnal sword for they that kill with the sword must perish with the sword here is the faith and patience of the Saints Their weapons are not carnall but spiritual mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds And the Lamb slayes and kills with the sword and takes them the beast and the false prophet and the Devil and casts them alive into the Lake of fire where they shall be tormented for ever that burns with brimstone who kills and slayes with the sword which is the words of his mouth And the Beast hath been long up his marks and his heads and horns with his names but the Lamb and the Saints is trampling him to pieces under and over him getting the victory And the everlasting Gospel is Preaching and the witnesses you are ignorant of but are them that have been the slayers of them Pr. He saith I do not professe my self infallible but I shall freely give my apprehensions pag. 110. to contend earnestly for the faith which is the first unto Justification and services of faith pag. 111. he saith false Christs and false prophets shall come And to the Law and to the testimony c. Answ The Law is light and the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesie and men may have all the Scriptures of the old and New Testament yet being from the light the spirit of prophesie from the Light and from the spirit they know not the Law and testimony And we do believe thee that thou art not infallible but art onely in the apprehensions and before thou come to contend for the faith and to know that by which the Saints are justified thou must come into the Light that doth enlighten every man c. which lets see Christ the Author of the Faith And false Prophets and Antichrists Christ said should come which should get the sheeps cloathing and say loe Christ is here and loe he is there These Christ said to the Apostles should come which before their decease did come which since their decease the world hath gone after them So every man that cometh into the world being enlightned and having a light from Christ the Saviour of the soule every man being in the Light Christ hath enlightned him withall Every man with the light
which cometh from Christ with it they shall see a Saviour Christ Jesus from whence it comes And the light shining from the East to the West and the coming of the Son of man and receive Christ and so come to the Rock And so people having been from the Light which every man is enlightned withall that cometh into the world they have been all brought on heaps But now they are coming to the Rock And thy words Thomas Collier shall be thy own burthen and for them thou shalt receive judgement And this is the word of the Lord God to thee and thy time is not yet past John Billingsley who calls himselfe Mr. of Arts Minister of the Gospell and Pastor of the Church at Chesterfield in his Booke called Strong COMFORTS for weake CHRISTIANS His Principles follows c. Pr. HE saith He would have the Mayor and Aldermen of Chesterfield to shew themselves to be really affected to the cause of Christ and his blessed Sabbaths c. Ans In this thou hast shewed thou art one that keeps people in darknesse and not a Minister of the Gospel of Christ and the new Covenant but of the Law and in the signes and shadows For the Sabbaths the Apostles did bring people off of them and they met together on the first day of the week and denyed the Jewes Sabbath and still it is your practice and yet thou cryest up to shew themselves for the cause of the blessed Sabbath what blind and dark stuffe is this For never did Pastor or Minister of Christ preach up such a Doctrine as to stir up Aldermen and Mayors and great men to shew themselves zealous for the Sabbath And thus thou hast shewed thy selfe to be one of them the Apostles was afraid of that observed the dayes which he brought the people off to the substance which they met together on the first day of the week which Christ rose on and so was a crosse to the Jewes who met together on the seventh day And Circumcision was on the 8th day on that day Christ rose Pr. He saith The Scripture and the Spirit are unseparable which he calls the Word Page 7. and that the spirit is alwayes in the Scriptures Again He is in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity who calls the spirit a dead Letter page 9. Ans Every one that hath the Scriptures cannot say he hath the spirit that gave it forth for the Devill may have Scripture who is out of the spirit And the Apostle which said the Letter kills and was old was not in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity And the spirit was in them that gave forth the Scriptures And the Scriptures are the words of God which ends in Christ the Word who fulfils them Pr. He saith Prize the holy Scriptures through which is all our hopes of eternall life communicated to us And I wonder what any soule hath to shew for eternal life but the Scriptures So I call it Gods warrant Page 13. And in the midst of thoughts prize the Covenant of free grace And if ye would have substantial comforts from the Covenant do not lay hold of Covenant comforts Page 12. Answ Thou cannot speak a word to the wearied who art in the presumption thy selfe and to be brought down who art applying the promises to the wrong nature And many may have the Scriptures and many have the Scriptures and all ignorant of eternall life untill they all come into the life as they was in that gave forth the Scriptures For the Scripture communicates not the life but God of whom they learned that gave forth Scripture it is it that testifies of eternall life And the souls comfort is Christ which it speaks of Pr. He saith The Apostle to the Philippians speaks of Saints as Citizens our trading is in heaven Now Citizens great trading is Mercandize as ships go from London to India c. So thousands of soules go towards heaven worth nothing a poore empty creature See page 15. Answ The merchandize is in the earth in Babylon and there thou and you are all The soule is worth more then all the world which goes to heaven it goes richly full of all attire and fruitfulnesse and not empty Is not an empty creature that which God breathed into man the breath of life whereby it became a living soule And he hath all soules in his hand and Christ is the Bishop of it the power of God and therefore it is not empty for the Saints had the heavenly treasure in earthen vessells Pr. He saith The Sacrament and Baptisme is a most refreshing cup for we walke by faith and not by sight page 18. I can say frequent mention is made of salvation by Christ without mentioning any act of faith in us c. page 19. Answ Sacraments and sprinkling Infants called Baptisme who walks after them walks after sight not by faith for these things are seen and they follow their owne traditions and not the Scriptures for them either sprinkling Infants or Sacrament And who walks by faith and not fight comes off the things that are seen For things that are seen are temporall but things that are not seen are eternall saith the Apoâ—â—le And he that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be condemned this is the doctrine of Christ to the Apostles they are condemned already And where the belief is there is faith and salvation seen and known but where belief is not there is condemnation there salvation is not known and every one that is saved believes Pr. I do not say that there is perfect victory against every corruption But that grace will be eating out and curbing sin in the heart page 21. And there is no peace nor comfort that is miantained without warring and constant combating c. Yea peace and war against sin are alwayes inseparable companions page 22. All true comfort hath its foundation from the written Word they are fancies and flashes rather then comforts from pretended immediate revelations page 23. Answ None knows true comfort but who comes to the immediate Revelation that is to the spirit that reveals the things of God If men have all the Scriptures the written words and not the word in which they end they have not comfort neither can they do any thing without Christ neither have the wearyed rest neither is the Bishop of the soule known neither is the burthen and the old yoak gone off though they have all the Scriptures but as every one doth come to the life that gave forth the Scriptures with which they see Christ the end the substance of them him by whom the world was made before it was made these have comfort of the words And the Scriptures are words not the Word and such as are here comes to know peace and the end of war and the occasion of war taken away And sin and corruption is separated from the precious and contrary to the Just with it
for the believer in the light is led with the spirit of truth into all truth and he that believes not in the Light is with the spirit of truth reproved Pr. They say for one to be convinced of his sins against the Law and have some power against them these they call miserable blind Pharisees Ans Them that was blind Pharisees transgressed the Law of God lived out of the power and that which convinced of the transgression of the Law so they said and did not and wo was pronounced against them and so judgement came to be neglected and the doers of the Law was justified and not called blind Pharisees and that was in its place but Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness sake to them that believes and those was not called blind Pharisees which followed that which shewed them the transgression of the Law for those was the doers Pr. They say the spirit shall convince all men and women sufficiently of that righteousness which Christ fulfilled Ans That which doth convince of righteousness all men and women as thou coâ—fesseth if they believe in the light which Christ hath enlightened them withall it will lead them from their own righteousness and be their teacher and come to be taught of God Pr. They say the light convinceth of sin against the Law but will not shew a soul a Saviour or a deliverer Answ That 's contrary to the Apostle who saith the light that shined in their hearts will give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ who is the Saviour and he shall be my salvation to the ends of the earth covenant to Jewes and Gentiles Pr. They say the light will not shew a man his lost condition righteousness blood death resurrection and intercession of Jesus Christ. Answ There 's nothing makes manifest but light Nor none knowes the blood death righteousness and resurrection of Jesus Christ but with the light which comes from Jesus Christ who hath enlightened every man that cometh into the world and that 's it shall give all men assurance that he is raised from the dead the light of the body is the eye that lets see salvation Pr. They say Christ went away into heaven from his Disciples and so not within them Answ Did not he say he would come again to them did he not say he was in them I in you and did not the Apostle say Christ was in them except they were reprobates the hope of glory was not he revealed in the Apostle and so in him and did not the Apostle Preach Christ within and you Preach Christ with out Prin. They say that those believers that are in the body now at this day are absent from the Lord. Answ Doth not the Apostle say that Christ is in them except they be reprobates and he is in them the hope of glory and they have fellowship with God and God will dwell in them and walk in them and he that believes believes in him in Christ so not absent Pr. And they say he is absent from them as touching his flesh Answ Doth not the Apostle say that they are of his flesh and of his bone and he that eats not his flesh hath no life in him and they fit in heavenly places with him and he that eats his flesh hath it within him Pr. They say that there is not any heaven within into which the man Christ is ascended for can any man contain a man four foot long Answ Christ is a mystery and is not he to be revealed within who is a mystery he who did ascend to be revealed and made manifest in his Saints in flesh and spirit that did descend which is now manifested that the world wonders at that is ascended far above the heavens who is the Saints life living bread and drink and where ever used the Ministers of Christ any such expressions as thou doth which shews that Christ is yet to thee a mystery Prin. They say Stars falling from heaven is professors falling from the faith to the earth Answ This is fulfilled upon you all who have given Judgement upon your selves and so from the faith in which is the unitie in which men please God and hath victory over the world and this you may read since the dayes of the Apostle who are fallen all down into the earth for mony and stipends Pr. They say that God hath given assurance to all men and commands all to repent every where in that he will Judge the world in righteousnesse by the man Christ Jesus Answ That every man that cometh into the world is enlightened by Christ the light of the world him by whom it was made who will give them a reward according to their works that denyes his Light and are found in the works of daâ—kness â—r They say That the end of Christs coming is that the people of God should shine as the sun and the cause that hinders them for shining is the body of death Answ The righteous and the Saints comes to witnesse the body of sin put off and thanks God who hath given them victory and comes into the second Adam the Lord from heaven out of the first Adam where the shining state is witnessed the holy mount of God the city that cannot be hid Pr. They say If a mans obedience flow not from the faith it is but sin in the sight of the great God Ans And yet they say faith is not perfect in the measure and degree Pr. And they say Four times that Christ ascended away from his Disciples and was not in them Ans And Christ said I in you you in me and he would come and dwell in them and make his abode with them which the Apostles came to witness and sate with him in heavenly places Pr. They say that the man Christ that was crucified his body is now in the presence of his Father absent from his people as touching his bodily presence Answ Doth not the Apostle say he is the head of the Church And doth not the Apostle say they are of his flesh and bone and sit with him in heavenly places with Christ And Christ saith they must eat his flesh and he is in them Pr. And they say that Christ is absent from the Saints in the world its clear Answ When the Apostle saith Christ was in the Saints and Christ in you the hope of glory And the Apostle saith he hath revealed the Son in him And he that hath not the Son of God hath not life And after the same Christ which was crucified and risen came to be manifest in his Saints and not another And so the Saints come to feed upon his flesh and drink his blood which is their life which body Christ gives for the the life of the world and which blood appeaseth the wrath of the Almighty And as for the rest of John Burton and John Bunians lyes and slanders they are
your darkness cannot comprehend it though it shines in your darkness So for you to talk of Saints judging the world and medling with such things who are to be judged with the Saints who are that darkness that cannot comprehend the light that shines in you who have not light to comprehend the Saints that be in the light who have the just weight measure and balance who are the Judges of the world reaching measuring answering agreeable to that of God in every man And are stumbling at such as are become the Sons of God Adopted Sons and heirs and of the flesh and bone of Christ and of his mind and spirit who are in the possession of the Scriptures the durable life of the Saints which makes you darkness that cannot comprehend the light in your own particulars to rage which none comes to witness Sons-ship heir-ship Sons of God but who comes to the light in their own particulars and receives it and with it comprehends darkness It expels it away sees over the night and are the children of the day And you five Priests have shamed your selves that do not know the soul from eternity to eternity Pr. It is blasphemy to say the soul is a part of the Divine Essence Answ Ye may read in this Book how the rest of the Priests that are called Ministers some of them say Christ is humane the soul is a creature some again say it is part of the Divine Essence it is immortal and again it is appetite and pleasure and in this now is their confusion made manifest The soul is that which came out from God and is in Gods hand which hand goes against him that doth evil and transgresseth against the Principle of God that is in him which goes against the lust which Wars against the soul which hand the soul being in praises God the hand felt the power felt that turns against that which Wars against it here the soul magnifies God and the soul rejoyceth in God the Saviour the soul praiseth God here is Gods pleasure The living Lord taketh pleasure in the living soul and appetite and pleasure are humane these are not immortal which the soul is and so you five have judged your selves to be blasphemers who said the soul was part of the Divine Essence and yet 't is blasphemy to say so Pr. Christ is to rule as a King but in all he doth not Answ Those and you that hate the light will not hear him nor have him to rule over you and them such are for the sword and to be slain before him Pr. And the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is not sufficient to salvation nor gives a light sufficient to bring to the Gospel know the Mediator and that light which hath enlightened all men withall is not the way but a created light by Christ Answ The light which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world all lights were made by it and created and this is the eye of the soule which gives to see Christ the Bishop of it from whence it comes and this light is the Covenant of God which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and this light doth let see the Mediator the salvation the Gospell And all that be from the light are out of the truth they that went out of the truth the god of the world hath blinded their eyes lest the light of the glorious Gospel should shine in them which is the image of God So created Lights were created by it and none knows the truth but by this light and all mens professions be but from that nature that be from this light which hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world which all men must come into before they come into unity with God And none can know the Mediator nor Christ by the created and made lights which were made by the light Christ but as they come into the Light by which they were made that gives them the wisdome of the Creation and lets them see how they were made and so they that hate the Light receive not the spirit of God but remain in their natural state and what such know they know as naturall from Books Authors and Studies So men come not to the Author of their Faith Christ who hates the Light Pr. How ridiculous is it to say Christ dwels in all so in all Answ Christ is the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and the Scripture saith Christ he is searching the hearts of the wicked and trying their reins and bringing to them their thoughts to the light that shines in the darknesse and the darkness comprehends it not He was in the Saints and the Saints were in the light so he is in all over all and through all and blindnesse darknesse comprehends it not who fills heaven and earth If thou goest to the utmost parts of the earth he is there if thou goest to the deep and to the nethermost hell he is there where wilt thou flye from his presence Have not the holy men of God found this Are all ye Ministers of the Letter so ignorant of the Letter so short and come short of the state that gave it forth And I say such as sit under the shadow of darknesse shall feel if they do but hearken listen and such whose hearts be bad shall feel him searching of them and knocking such as go down to the nethermost Hell and to the utmost parts of the earth they shall feel him if they never stirred forth present and should not need to wander for a habitation but should feel their habâ—tation Such then should come to know their soules progresse which is an inward travel before it come into its Bishop Christ the rest him by whom the world was made before it was made and was glorified with the Father before the world began Pr. And it is an errour to say that the righteousnesse of Christ justification sanctification and redemption that this is all within Answ If Christ be within if not they are Reprobates and reprobates can talke of Christ and them that be out of the truth and the life they can talk of Christ and bring the Scriptures but who have Christ within they have sanctification redemption and justification they have the wisdome and power of God for Reprobates are talkers without for he that hath Christ hath all the other redemption sanctification wisdome righteousnesse is spoken to man and the work is known within as he comes out of the fall of the first Adam Pr. Its errour to say the light that discovers sin justifies Answ The light which is the Covenant of God that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world discovers sin makes it manifest blots it out justifies sanctifies redeems and condemns them that hate it Pr. It 's an errour that the light within men will bring men to the feare of God and lead men
God and is more then any Creature and all the creatures that which gives liberty and freedom to all is glad tidings Richard Mayo further saith It was no matter to him if the devill was the originall of Tithes if the Law of the Land would give it him he would have it Ans We doe believe thee his servant thou art thy seared conscience and hardnesse of heart discovers it but the ministers of Christ and the Gospell never preached nor held forth such doctrine nor would never act any thing from that which the Devil was the originall of which thou dost say thou would take tythes though he was the originall of them if the Law of the Land would give it thee he hath been the originall of them and the Popes Lawes first set them up whereby the Saints goods are strained and spoiled and made havock of and art not contented with the spoyling of their goods but you bring their bodies into your priests den and thus you eate up people and swallow up the needy for a thing of nought as they did of old your as fore-fathers did transgresse for a paire of shoos Pr. He saith Cain was no vagabond after he had built a City and he said there was no scripture as that the Apostles had no certaine dwelling place and that the steeple-house was the Church Ans This is contrary to scripture for Cain was a vagabond though he builded a City and disobeyed the command of God and lost his habitation in God so all great men upon the earth though they build a City and are Lords and Earls and Dukes and Princes and Kings if they doe disobey the command of God and doe not dwell in him they have no habitation but are all vagabonds and Paul had no certain dwelling place 1 Cor. 4 11. and yet he had a habitation in God and was no vagabond and the steeple-house is no Church but the old Masse-house set up since the daies of the Apostles since they lost the true Church Thess the 1. Priest Bushels Principles These words were given forth by Seth Bushel Priest of Whitley as follows the 25 day of the first moneth 1658. Pr. MEn are not converted by the light within them An. If Christ be not in you the body is dead and he is light within And the light that shines in the heart gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And none are converted but they that be in him and by him within and the light that shines in the heart gives the knowledge of conversion and unconversion and there is none comes to conversion but by it the light which is Christ Pr. He saith That he denies that the light that lighteth every man is Christ as John speaks 1 John Answ In this thou hast denyed Johns Doctrine who said he is the true light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And as many as received him he gave them power to become the sons of God and thus thou art ignorant of the Scriptures much more of the power of God Pr. He saith The light which every man is enlightned withall never converted any man to God Ans Here thou goest about in thy Doctrine to prove that Christ never brought any to God who is the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world who is the way to the Father that saves men from sin and destroys death and he that hath the power of it and brings men into that the Devill is out of Thou with the light and thy Doctrines art comprehended and condemned and no man is converted to God but by the light which hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world Pr. He saith That the light which lighteth every man is the broad way Answ Here people may all see this Priest a Minister of darknesse and wickednesse for the light which doth enlighten every man is Christ Jesus who is the way to the Father and leads people out of the broad way which is come up by Adam sinne the Devill and transgression which all be in the broad way that deny the light Hereford the 8. day of the first moneth 1658. these words were spoken in a meeting by Edward Price and Philip Langford which is their principles Pr. PHilip Langford said Paul was not freed from the act of sin whilst in this life Answ And Paul thanks God he was made free from the body of sin and saw where there was no condemnation and thus he wrestles and fights against Paul who said he was made free from sin and could live no longer therein and the body of sin was put off and their conversation was in heaven Pr. We do affirme that they that be in this faith that turns from sin be subject to sin the act of sin whilst in this mortall body Ans This is confusion and contradiction and not sound doctrine for faith that purifies the heart from sin over it gives victory in which men please God and have accesse to him by the which they are justified whilst on earth and by the faith the just lives and the life the Saints come to live which gives them victory over the world is by the faith of the Son of God Pr. Priest Price saith faith in Christ Jesus purifies not from the in-dwellings of sin whilst in this body Ans In this the Scripture hath corrected thee for it saith faith purifies the heart that which purifies takes away sinne Sinne which being unclean in its selfe makes unclean Pr. He saith The guilt of sin may be taken away but the act of sin may remain Ans A silly man one of the old Doctors the Scriptures speaks of Dost thou act sin and dost not thou feel the guilt of it Thou brings the whole world upon thy head the principle of God in them all will witnesse against thee And aske all the Thieves that are condemned to the gallows and the Drunkards and such as act sin such as professe Scriptures which are not in the life of it whether or no they have not a guilt upon them for acting sin but this is one of the blinde Priests principles none but mad men will believe them wicked lyers against that of God in their own conscience and thus they preach up the Devills doctrine of Lies Pr. Edward Price saith that all men should be judged by the Scriptures and that the Scriptures is the power of God Answ The Scripture saith Christ is the power of God And the Apostle said the Letter kills and all judgement is committed to the Son saith the Ministers of Christ And the Scriptures are the words of God and Christ is the Word and Judge in whom the words end whom thou hast thrown out and set Scripture in his room And as for the rest of his words they are not worth mentioning Enoch Howets Principles Pr. THe doctrine of perfection in the creature is a lye Answ The doctrine of
from them And is it not blasphemy for you to speak and preach that which ye have not received from heaven so ye have brought your selves under the curse and shewed another Gospel For whosoever receiveth the Gospel which is called the power of God it is immediate and by immediate revelation from God from heaven And so your Gospel which is of men and after men is another not the power of God received from God for whosoever receiveth the Gospel the power of God must receive it immediately for the power of God is immediate and that is the glad tidings to poor souls that sets the souls free which is immediate Pr. He saith We claim Tythes not by the Law of God but by the Law of the Land and Tythes seems to be Christs wages and Melchisedeck still liveth to receive Tythes in Christ c. Answ Christ is come the everlasting Priest-hood who ends the true commandement that gave tythes and the Priests that took them which ends in him Melchisedeck that received tythes of Abraham of whom Christ came according to the flesh And so Christ doth not any where to his Disciples who ended the true command that gave tythes give forth his Disciples an order to set up another Law in the Nations to give them tythes the tythes of mens estates and so you are none of the Order of Melchisedeck never come thither but of the order of them which Christ said should come who are inwardly ravened which John saw was come went forth from them the false spirit that went forth into the world into the earth and so ye have set up Tythes and Temples and Schools and Priests by the Popes authority Had yee not your Spiritual Courts not long since And was not the Pope the first author of your Tythes And are not you of that Order far off of that spirit that leads after the Order of Melchisedeck for ye are ravened from the spirit For none comes to the Priesthood after the Order of Melchisedeck but who comes to the spirit of Christ and these are Kings and Priests to God for ever So ye have received your Tythes after the order of that spirit that went forth from the Apostles into the world into the earth that inwardly ravened and went forth from the Apostles which the world have been after since the dayes of the Apostles and have had the sheeps cloathing but ravened and devoured the Lambs and worried the sheep Ministers Prophets and Saints So your Order will all men comprehend that be of the royall Priest-hood after the order of Melchizedeck to be come of the Popes stock for the Apostles and Christ did not set up Tythes Pr. He saith Baptisme comes in in the room of Circumcision and it is called the circumcision of Christ Again he saith that thee and thou is a custome So if any man be contentious we have no such custome in the Church of God Ans Circumcision is no where said to be a type of sprinkling Infants and that sprinkling Infants is no where said to be the circumcision of Christ But the circumcision without of men was a type of the circumcision within And that the Apostle witnessed the fulfilling of it in the spirit and so denies the outward And the baptisme of John was a type of that within And you to a particular which is your custome which the Scripture doth not declare to us that that custom was in the Church of God But the Apostle bid them keep to the form of sound words that could not be condemned Now you to a particular is not a found word as they can tell that have but read either the Bible or Accidence And there is no Heathenish customes comes into the Church of God that will spot or wrinkle it nor nothing cometh into it that is the pillar and ground of Truth that will be condemned Pr. And he tells us of a word Trinity And he saith the onely ordinary way to know Jesus Christ is outward Revelation and to attain to the knowledge of Christ is by the Scriptures and he may be a Minister of Christ though he be partly out of Christs doctrine and though he be called of men Master He saith the Scripture tells us plainly that Baptisme is a Christians circumcision Again He that saith that light which is in every man is sufficient to discover and lead men to Christ is under the darkness of his own fancy having so far left the true light the word of God Answ The light in every man which Christ hath enlightned him withall loving it and walking in it it is sufficient to discover Christ and salvation and they that be out of that be in the darknesse and fancy And as for the word Trinity that comes from the old stock the Pope the Scripture teacheth us no such word And none can know Christ by the Scriptures they testifie of him but none can know Christ but by Revelation flesh and blood had not revealed it to Peter and the Son was revealed in the Apostle and none can preach Christ that deny revelation in truth and they that are Ministers of Christ they be in his doctrine For when they are out of his Doctrine and his commands then they are wrong Ministers which ministers not for Christ but they preach themselves and are Antichrists transgressors And the Scripture doth not tell any where that Baptisme is a Christians circumcision as sprinkling Infants but Circumcision in the spirit and Baptisme in the spirit is all one in which the oâ—â—ward ends And as for all thy other silly expressions published to the Nation it bad been better thou had kept silent and all of you then to have published your shame to the Nation But your folly you must bring forth to make it manifest to all men whose eyes are opening Are not you in the Devils snare who are out of the discerning For you cannot tell what to bring people into alack for you who are hung about with rags and are not covered with the spirit of the Lord but are all from that which we are in and so hast kept people in darknesse and not turned them to the light being all ravened from it and so think there is life in the Scriptures which testifie of the life So I say search it and see if it do not testifie of the life And every one of your words that ye have all spoken that have not been from the life shall be your burthen the witnesse in thee shall answer it Thomas Weld Richard Prideaux Samuel Hammond William Coale and William Durant Ministers in Newcastle Their Booke called The perfect PHARISEE Their Principles as followeth Pr. THey say If they shall say that every man hath the knowledge of Christ by speciall revelation and that immediate by the spirit that which it quite contrary to the common knowledge of thousands Ans All that ever come to know Christ you and all the people upon the Earth it must be
the time untill that he did come And he told them the Saints should judge the world and the world should be judged by them Now where the Lord is come such as have the Son and the Father and bring this Doctrine they are to be received and they know where sin and transgression is finished and where it is standing So if any man have an ear to hear this and can receive it let him And as for the rest of the things in your Book your silence might have covered your shame for every mans words shall be his burthen Therefore he that hath the word of God and speaks that that shall not be so which now comes to be richly known and is known among the Saints and Believers the true Church which is come out of the Apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles to that the Apostles was in Jonathan Clapham a labourer of the Gospell as he saith and William Jenkin Their Book called A Discovery of the the QUAKERS Doctrine to the PROTECTOR Their PRINCIPLES c. Pr. HE saith I dare not say that I am infallible as the Pope and the Quakers And the Magistrate in this externall politick Kingdome is a Mediator though he is no Officer nor Magistrate in the Spirituall Kingdome of his Church And if this be received by Magistrates that they have nothing to do with the worship of God Christ is little beholding to them Then they may protect the worship of Mahomet as well as Christs And yet yee say That the Magistrate is the Officer of Christ. See his Epistle to the Protector Answ How is it then if the Magistrate be no officer of the Church that you make use of Magistrates to prison to persecute to give you Tythes and to quench the spirit when any thing is revealed to another that sits by Was not the Magistrates in all ages stirred up by the blinde Priests and Prophets and Teachers to persecute and to prison such as they judged to be blasphemers And so did not all the Saints in all ages suffer not as for Truth but as for blasphemy yea by them that had the form covered with the sheeps cloathing Now the Magistrate that is in the power of Christ he is beyond an external Kingdom and sees over the Kingdoms of the world and that as he is a Help-Governour for Christ he is a member of the Church and he knows who worships God and who worships Idols And who worships God be in the power of God He is in that which sees over all externall Kingdomes that 's the higher power which the soul must be subject to and that 's the true Magistrate And thou not being infallible thou art not in the spirit and so art not a Minister and art not able to judge of powers that is not infallible nor Magistrates nor Kingdomes nor Churches For who is in the infallible is in the spirit that Christ was in and the Apostles and Prophets that gave forth Scriptures But we say that thou nor the Pope thy elder Brother in the apostacy from the Apostles are neither of ye infallible nor in the infallible spirit that the Apostles was in but ye are both erred from it in the apostacy as your fruits declares contrary to the Apostles Pr. They say The Magistrates are to protect the Church from the ravenous Wolves for yee to stop the freedome of the Quakers in your Dominions and their License and the Lord blesse your Highnesse See his Epistle to the Protector Answ Before thou saidst they were not Officers in the Spirituall Church and now wouldst thou have them to limit and quench the spirit and to be your Executioners by telling them the Quakers seduce people Ye have manifested your own spirits that yee have not the spirit to resist their spirits but are crying to the Magistrates And did John bid the Saints call to the Magistrates to the outward powers of the earth to try Seducers or did the Saints And have not you manifested your selves to be them that cry help men against Christ and the Saints and cries to the mountaines to cover you crying to the Magistrates Help men of Israel these are the men that will turne the world upside down and so go to the arm of flesh Have not ye here shewed your spirits to be them that should come who were inwardly ravened which John saw was come and to be the Wolves in the sheeps cloathing and the blasphemers such as you cannot tear your selves you would have the Magistrates to tear But the Lord hath opened an understanding among many of them that they see you Pr. He saith We dare not contest with the Quakers they teach men by minding the light in the conscience to attain a morall righteousness that is the highest and as if they had accomplished it wholly now and not to be fulfilled in another world See Epistle to the Protector Answ We do believe that you are not able to resist the Quakers who have appeared in that that cannot be shaken Therefore is it not a shame to you to say you are a Church and Ministers and to say the Magistrate is no Officer in the Spirituall Church And yet you to flye to the Magistrate and tell him you dare not contest with the Quakers and blesse him if he will but stop them Think ye not the Magistrate will see you in these things And the light which Christ the righteousnesse of God hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world withall leads man from the end of the righteousnesse of the Law that comes to be fulfilled in all its righteousnesse whatsoever and so the light is too heavy for thee and hard for thee and it is the precious stone thou stumbles at And things fulfilled in another world the Prophecies the Parables the Types the Figures the Shadows the Gifts the Revelations the Dispensations these things was in this world manifested And Christ who is the end of all who comes to him into the power of the world that hath no end What is there to fulfill there in the world that hath no end Things are to be fulfilled in this World that hath an end And thus thou hast shewed thy ignorance Pr. He saith The Scripture is the Word of God And he saith Christ is not properly the Word but figuratively page 3. And the Scripture is in more proper sense without figure called the Word of God He saith without the Scripture we do not know how to worship God aright and serve him and therein attain to eternall life Again they say God is not pleased to use this way of immediate Revelation now Neither indeed is it the worke of Gods holy Spirit to discover things unto us now immediately page 5. Ans Christs name is called the Word of God properly and not figuratively and more properly then the Scripture as in the Revelations And the Scriptures are the words of God and words which Christ fulfills the Word So it is properly to call
God again which soul Christ is the Bishop of and doth not thou speak of a humane soul an earthly soul and is earthly immortal and cannot die nor be killed And is not that which came out from God which God hath in his hand taken up into God again which Christ the power of God is the Bishop of is not this of Gods being And doth not the Scripture say God is all and in all And how dost thou here devide the word of God aright who shewes so much ignorance of the letter of Scripture Pr. He saith It is a wretched doctrine to say men have not a humane soul in them and to say that the soul is a part of the Divine Essence Ans Is not that of God that come out from him and is not the earthly and humane of the ground and is not that mortal and is that which is immortal humane And dost thou say it is humane and is not that earthly And where doth the Scripture of the Prophets Christ or the Apostles tell people of a humane soul and of Christ having a humane body in heaven and doth not the Apostle speak of his glorified body Pr. He saith that God should dwell in his Saints and Christ inhabit in believers how can this be the heaven of heavens cannot contain him how much lesse shall the strait heart of man Answ The Scripture saith God will dwell in men and walk in men and Christ that fills heaven and earth is in you except ye be reprobates and so in this thou hast shewed thy self one not able to divide the word aright and the bodies of the Saints are the Temples of God and God will dwell in them and walk in them and he will be their God and they shall be his people Pr. He saith Nor is it an essential in-dwelling of the Divine nature in Gods people c. Answ Doth not the Apostle say the Divine nature the Saints was made partakers of and God dwells in the Saints and Christ in them except they be reprobates And doth not the Saints come to eat the flesh of Christ and if they eat his flesh is it not within them Pr. He saith God dwells not in the Saints as a personal union c. page 22. Answ How comes the Saints then to eat of his flesh and to be of his flesh and bone and God dwelling in them and have unity with the Son and the Father and to be of his body which is the Church and Christ the head Pr. To say a man is justified and made righteous by Gods putting righteousness into us and by righteousness wrought in the creature confounds Justification and Sanctification c. See page 25. Answ The Apostle brought the people to the faith by which they was justified that was in their hearts for with the heart man believes unto righteousness c. And the light they was to believe in that was Christ And the light that shined in their hearts gave the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus their Saviour Now Justification by the works of the Law was do this and live Circumcise the children if they did not they was to be cut off and they was to keep the Law and the works of the Law the faith of Christ ended for it took away the nature that the Law went upon now the Papists and Priests be out of the works of the Law or the works of faith that works by love for they are slaying one another about Religion though they pretend works and this was ever out of the faith of Christ Jesus to kill one another about Religion Now the Apostles was in the works of faith who neither prisoned nor persecuted any that was a contrary minded that did so nor wrestled not against flesh and blood but against the power that captivated creatures And so all this work about works doth shew you and the Papists both be out of the faith that works by love where love should overcome all things and bear all things I do not measure Priests and professors nor Papists by the works of the Law which the Apostles speakes of which the false teachers were bringing people to in the dayes of the Apostles Neither do I compare or measure Papists or Priests with the works of faith that works by love that becomes all to all for the winning some of them Papists and Priests and professors will kill one another about their faith which is not the faith that works by love and contrary to the Apostles and Quakers faith Pr. He saith our warfare cannot be expected to be over as long as we are in the body and the best of Saints do not live free from sin Pag. 27. Ans The Apostles said they was made free from sin and the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth us from all sin and such as witness the everlasting Covenant of God that blotted out their sins and transgressions And they did witnesse the one offering that perfected for ever them that are sanctified And the Saints did witnesse the Kingdom of God which stands in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost and were new Creatures and the old man put off and they were more then conquerours So thou art ignorant of the Scriptures And it is the Doctrine of Devils that Preacheth that men shall have sin and be in a warfare so long as they be on earth that is not the Doctrine of Christ which brings people to the faith the which gives the victory in which they have unity one with another and please God Pr. He saith to witnesse heaven within and hell within and the resurrection is the mystery of Iniquity Page 31. Ans Which shewes thou never knew heaven in thy self nor hell there nor Christ the resurrection and the life which they are blessed that are made partakers of the first resurrection on them the second death shall have no power And the Scriptures doth witnesse heaven within And if Christ that was offered up the resurrection and the life be not within thee thou art a reprobate Pr. He saith We shall have incorruptible powerful glorious and spiritual bodies and yet they say Christ is in heaven with a humane body which is earthly See pag. 34. Again the spirits can enter into heaven while the body is upon the earth c. And he saith the fourth Commandment commandeth the keeping of a seventh day and he that breaketh the least Commandment and teacheh men so to do is least in the Kingdom of Heaven Page 41. Answ Have not all the Priests and teachers in England denyed the Jewes Sabbath the seventh day and do not you work on it And do not you meet together on the first day of the week And do not you all teach men to break the Commandment there And you keep markets and fairs on the seventh day the Jewes Sabbath ye meet together on the first day of the week which
it hath no unity And there is no true peace untill they come into the Kingdome which stands in joy in peace in righteousnesse Now where the body is standing and the root of sin in the heart not a perfect victory The Circumcision is not known that puts off the body the victory is not known while the body stands which the Apostle withessed the body of sin put off by the circumcision of the spirit which was in the inward man and he thanked God through Christ who had victory who was manifested in his flesh to condemn sin in his flesh that he through him became the righteousness of God And the life that he lived was by the faith of the Son of God And such as are made free from sin and dead to it and cannot live no longer therein these had the peace And such have not the peace where the body of sin is standing and sin in the heart there is the war But such as stand in the faith which purifies the heart and comes to witnesse the Circumcision of the heart they come to have the heart purified and the victory over the body as the Apostle declares Pr. He saith James Naylor deserved to be hanged page 5. He saith I tell my people they cannot be free from sin a perfect freedome from the being of corruption in them while they are on this side heaven pa. 9. And your speaking against Ministers and speaking in Markets is as bad or worse as to bait a Bull page 8. And he saith The Steeple house is the Church Ans The Ministers of Christ and the Prophets of the Lord which spoke his word which spoke in Synagogues and in Markets in high wayes and under the hedges and upon the mountains which disturbed the world and all professors upon the earth that had the words of truth which was out of the life and disturbed the Heathen that knew not God And all such Ministers of the Letter that have it and not the spirit that gave it forth are disturbed by the Ministers that be in the spirit that preach and speak forth the substance of the Scriptures And we know you and do believe you who saith your people shall not be made free from their corruption and tells them the Steeple-house is the Church and say the creature deserved to be hanged to be such at inwardly ravened which Christ said should come John saw was come and the whole world hath been after you that are wrestlers against flesh and blood and strikes at creatures in stead of striking at the power that captivates Creatures and so have kept people under the bondage of corruption and led people alwayes learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth and kept them in spirituall Aegypt Sodome and Gomorrah in filthinesse and telling of them the Masse-house is the Church the Steeple-houses Was it not a place for the Masse set up for the Masse with a Crosse at the end of it Look is it not on yet And is the Masse-house become thy Church thou mayst thank the Papists for that Was not the Pope and the Papists the setters up of all your Masse-houses and Colledges which have gotten up since the dayes of the Apostles among you inwardly ravenors from the Church which is in God and so have gotten up the Masse-house for your Church and there ye do keep up people telling them they must have corruptions while they be upon the earth So ye are Ministers of corruption which is contrary to the Apostles who said they sate in heavenly places and had escaped the pollutions of the world and they were children of the day not of the night and the true light shined So you that are ravened from the spirit of God have got up the Masse-house got people thither and telling of them they must have their corruptions and they must have sin and they must not be perfect while they are on this side heaven Now they can but have sin and can be but imperfect if they never came at you nor at your Masse-houses Now you are the Devills Messengers and Ministers that preacheth up sin and corruption and imperfection that people must be in and have sinne while they be upon the earth But the Ministers of Christ preached up perfection to be perfect and overcoming sin and made free from sin and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin and they had faith which gave them victory and the Circumcision that puts off the body of sin and the new Covenant that blotted out sin and transgression And such Ministers as you that make a trade of Scriptures as the Scripture it selfe the Prophets the Apostles and Christ doth make you manifest your fruits to be contrary to them that gave forth Scriptures So with it are you disapproved and judged with the life that gave it forth Pr. He saith And it seemes to me to be no more sin to bait a Bull then any other recreation And he saith The Quakers came into the Steeple-house and bid people to look to the light within them and to tell him that he was an Antichrist and blinde guide And saith I had rather be a hireling such as Christ hath hired in his Vineyard and receive a penny then some of the Quakers that go naked in the markets Answ The Quakers who be in the power of the Lord God have been moved of the Lord God to go into the world among Apostates who are ravened from the spirit of God and so are the Wolves that tears and rends and are ravening up and down for your Benefices and would eate one another out if you could and swallow one another like the fishes to the Sea Are you contented every one with your penny from Christ Are not you all fighting and striking and smiting and casting into Prisons for meanes for Tythes which ye do no work for Is not Christ come and hath found you smiting and striking your fellow-servants eating and drinking like Sodome and living in pleasure like the old world some having two hundred some three hundred pounds some lesse some more is here equall a penny Are ye like Christs Vineyard dressers Husband-men in the Vineyard Blush and be ashamed The stones are thrown now at Babylon and dasheth her children to pieces And Sion is building and the Tabernacle of David is rearing up Come up ye Saints and Prophets the Lamb and the Saints hath the victory And all those upon the earth and you all are the blinde guides and Antichrists who guides not people to the Light within and bids them not look at that but leads them from the Light within ye lead them in the darknesse and you are from the light in your own particulars and so the blinde guides for the fleece for the earth out of the Apostles Doctrine and Christs who brought people to the Light and bid them believe in it who told them the light that shined in their hearts would give them the
of Harlots And so they served their bellies when they went from the immediate teaching into the strong delusion as since the dayes of the Apostles it hath discoverâ—d it How are people all on heaps out of the life and spirit and power of God And so all that perish in the deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse they are from the light which Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world withall for none perisheth who be in the Light And the Saints witnessed they were risen with Christ and them that were risen sought the things that were above and not the things upon the earth And they that know the first Resurrection and are in it are blessed the second death hath no power on them and they are a top of Adam and they are in Christ the resurrection and the life And such as be in the first Adam drove from God and loveth to live in the Fall looks not after the first Resurrection neither desire to come into it Pr. He saith The glorious bringing down of the Kingdome and glory is yet to be waited for even by the Disciples all the time of this mortality page 54. All believers are personally from Christ in their mortall bodies and none of the Fathers saw the day of Christ as actually revealed accomplished in their time Ans He that believes is born of God and overcomes the world and abides in the doctrine of Christ and hath the Son and the Father and the spirit of Christ the life of Christ in the mortall flesh And the Kingdome of heaven Christ said was in the Pharisees and the Saints comes to and possesseth the Kingdome And the Kingdome of heaven is within them is in righteousnesse in peace in joy in the holy Ghost and in power and they were changed from glory to glory and they rejoyced with joy unspeakable and full of glory and that was in the Kingdome and this was while they were upon the earth And Enoch and Abraham saw the day of Christ and David saw the betrayer and whose feet should be snared whose eyes should be blinded and whose back should bow down and he saw Judas that betrayed Christ And Isaiah saw the suffering of Christ and how God laid the iniquity upon him And Isaiah saw his name and made his soule an offering for sin And Daniel said the Messiah should be cut off but not for himselfe which the Apostles witnessed fulfilled Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the power of God unto salvation page 59. Answ Many may have the forme but deny the power of God which is the Gospell And the Letter doth not give life neither is it the power of God unto salvation Pr. He saith That Christ is distinct from every one of us and without us in our particular persons page 61. Answ The Apostle said Christ was in them except they were reprobates and they were of his flesh and of his bone and they eate his flesh and drank his blood then it was within them and he is distinct from none but Reprobates who hates the Light Pr. Nor are we to wait for a further Revelation to us to be given forth then the Scriptures For the Word of GOD came not first to the Gentiles immediately but to the Apostles page 77. Answ The Apostles that preached the Word of God it was immediate to whomsoever they preached it for they had received it immediately For the Word it selfe is immediate for it is the savour of death to the death and of life to the life and none knows the Scriptures but by the spirit that doth reveal them So all that witnesse the spirit of God witnesse the Revelation and the revealing of the Scriptures to them by it and the things of God layd up for them that love God which the eye hath not seen which the eye may see the Scriptures outwardly And none knows the Son of God neither knows any man the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveales him And so people may have the Scriptures but not the revâ—lation of the Son of God by them For the Pharisees had the Scriptures but not the thing they testified of Pr. He saith The Scriptures are the Word of God and the key of knowledge page 79. and the opening of all things contained in the Scriptures Answ The Scriptures are the words of God and that is his Word who fulfils them Christ Jesus whose name is called the Word of God And that which opens the Scriptures is the spirit that gave them forth that is the key of David who in the light saw more light For the Pharisees who crucified Christ had that which testified of Christ the Scriptures And you that be in the apostacy since the days of the Apostles but ye want the key and have taken away the key of knowledge And all that dwells upon the earth that stops their eares and closeth their eyes against that of God in them that doth deny the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world wants the key of knowledge Pr. He saith He gives gifts unto men for the work of the Ministery some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the body of Christ untill all come into the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man Page 81. Answ And yet he said before Perfection was a devillish Doctrine and a fancy so out of this work and this Ministry thou hast thrown thy self For this work and this Ministery hath been lost since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy but now is appearing in the end of Babylon the knowledge of the Son of God people are coming to and the unity of the faith from among the Apostates who have had the sheeps cloathing but all on heaps about it being ravened from the spirit of God inwardly Among whom the Proclamation hath been in the Steeple-houses and Pulpits in Markets Towns Disputes No perfection no overcoming of sin Perfection is a Doctrine of Devils a devillish Doctrine and a fancy c. And this hath been proclaimed among the Apostates in the apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles by the Beasts authority under Satans power the deceiver of the Nations where the mother of Harlots is But I will reward her double and shall take the Devill and with him the Beast and false Prophet and cast them alive into the fire Rejoyce ye holy Prophets over her and Saints who are come into the unity of the Faith and to a perfect man and to the knowledge of the Son of God And the everlasting Gospel shall be preached to them that dwell upon the earth and God shall be feared and glory given to him And none comes to the knowledge of the Son of God the salvation to the ends of the earth the Covenant of Jewes and Gentiles untill they come into the light which Christ doth enlighten every one withall that
the Princes of the world which where the seed is come out of the grave it knowes him the seed knowes him and are of his flesh and of his bone it is their meat and drink And Christ is come now who treads the wine-presse alone without the City though all the Beasts and false prophets and Antichrists upon the earth rise against him yet the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory and the Nations shall be ruled with a rod of iron and he that was dead is alive again him by whom the world was made is manifest and he rules in his Saints and the Tabernacle of God is with men Pr. And whereas thou saith that Antichrist will be a single person Answ which is contrary to the Apostle 1 Joh. 1.18 who saith even now there are many Antichrists whereby we know it is the last time and they went out from us but they were not of us the Antichrists which is against Christ The agreement of Divers Ministers of Christ so called in the County of Worcester and parts adjacent which are 58. in Number Some of their Principles followes Pr. THey have sought Gods direction out of the Scriptures which they call his holy word and what is the greatness of their work and edification and salvation of souls c. And do humbly bewail our too great neglect who have not frequently and earnestly laboured in so great a work and especially that we have done no more in Catechising and personally instructing c. Page 3. Answ It was the Ministers work before the Apostacy to go from house and warn all both small and great yea with tears this was the work of the Ministry in the Spirit And they was in the spirit that gave forth Scriptures and so brought people into the life that gave it forth with which they was able to instruct one another and to stir up the pure in one another And the work of the Apostles the Ministers of the Gospel and Christ was to bring people into the life that gave forth Scriptures and into the substance Christ Jesus that the Scriptures testified of But you who are fain to seek in the letter for it in the Scripture for it and have it not from within as they had that gave forth the Scripture and received it of God ye are never like to beget to God And when truth comes as it did among the Pharisees which came to end their forms and their shadowes the builders stood up and rejected it in their forms And now since the dayes of the Apostles such as have had the Scriptures but inwardly ravened from the Spirit of God are standing against the light Christ Jesus that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And so ye may get people into a form and cover them with sheepes cloathing Now Christ is come Reignes and Rules his Saints with him all rise up in armes against him Kings of the earth beast and false prophets the Dragon and his Angels but the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory glory to the highest And so that is but the blind zeal that is stirred up in the Apostates against Christ in this age as it was in the Jewes against Christ in their age But Jewes must come to that which they closed their eyes and stopt their ears against and the Apostates must come to that which they ravened from before they be stirred up in the pure zeal Pr. And you say aged men are commonly more ignorant then the yonger sort and our unskilfulness and others unfitness for the work c. Page 7. Answ Your unskilfulness and ignorance of your old men that is the cause of that ye have been ignorant of the work of God therefore is there so much ignorance among you and the old men and this you may publish to your shame to the Nation And who will be Catechized by unskilful men and ignorant men But this is it that your folly might appear and that ye might publish it forth and set it upon the house tops that all that run might read you 58. Pastors and Teachers and your young men as your old men Pr. You say ye receive the publike maintenance to this end that you may be enabled to lay out your endeavours for the good of the whole Parish from whence we receive it And we are further oblidged in justice to do our best for their salvation Answ How can men that are ignorant and unskilful and the old men are yet foolish and your unfitness do good for the salvation of men when that the old men are so ignorant yea more then the young But it is the publike maintenance that enables you which did not enable the Apostles And that is the thing which you in the Apostacy have looked at For take away that from you and pluck down your Schools and Colledges we should have but a few Ministers in England among you a few instructers So these are all made by men since the dayes of the Apostles in the Apostacy and teaching for filthy lucre and the love of money which he ought not disapproved of by Paul and Timothy And take away but your publike maintenance and few of you would be able to Preach the Gospel freely if this tryal and proof was among you to prove you it would be found that your God was your belly and him it was ye served and him it is that means helpes and enables which Christ and God was the enabler of his Ministers and Prophets and Apostles whom the earth was his and they trusted in him in Christ by whom all things was made that was made and Created Pr. It astonished us many times ye say when we have talked with some of our hearers that they know so little of our Doctrine which we have taught to them many years It is sad to us to hear many men that can talk so about matters of the world understandingly that can scarce speak a word of sence about the matters of their salvation or scarce give a reasonable answer of a Question of the Foundamentals of Christanity Page 19. Ans Thus you have spoken to your shame and it is manifest that here is like people like Priest that shewes ye have not profited them at all and it shewes that the Apostles words are fulfilled among you the doctrines of men the commandments of men they perish in the using of them And who are greater in the world in striving for the earth for maintenance for Tythes casting into prison hailing before Courts and Sessions then you that have called your selves Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel which your fruits have declared to all the Nation and so unlike the Ministers of Christ as your hearers are unlike Christians by your own relation without reproving one another which the Apostle reproved them that taught for filthy lucre Christ reproved them that were called of men master and reproved them that taught for money and for meanes and those that
as they had so these have taken away the key of knowledge from among people since the days of the Apostles and as for the word Canon ye may go to the Papists The Apostles shewed the fulfilling of the Scriptures that Christ was come and the Apostles saw what Christ said should come which inwardly ravened went forth from them which the world hath gone after which now we with the same spirit the Apostles was in which you all ravened from do see ye and what hath reigned since the dayes of the Apostles Now is the fulfilling of the Prophets And the word was in the Apostles and in the Saints yea the word of faith and this comes to fulfill the Scripture this word of faith which was preached in the heart and in the mouth and which was promised before And the light was in the Apostles heart that shined and the sure word of prophesie that did let see and foresee was in the hearts of people which led them to give forth Scriptures and that which fulfills the Scriptures the prophesie is of Christ who ends it and the spirit led them to speak it forth the spirit of prophesie which many may have the Scriptures and not have the more sure word of prophesie And many may have the Scriptures as the Pharisees had and stand against the Revelation of the Son of God from heaven which is surer for he was before Scripture was who ends the Scriptures for many may have Scriptures and be out of the life and not know him the Revelation of the Son of God as the Jewes did not and so say the Scriptures is more sure then Revelation from heaven so more sure then the Son of God who is greater then all and the Scripture was given forth by Revelation and none knowes it but by Revelation Pr. He saith Christ doth not give to every man the light that leadeth to the Father and there is not in every man that redeeming light which leadeth to the Father And it is false to say the light which John speakes of is a salvation light he saith the light in every man is but the candle light of natural understanding pag. 56. And the light which every man hath is a low common benefit and no drop of this immortal seed pag. 57. 58. Nor is the light which every man hath his Mediation And I call the light which every man hath natural pag. 59. And the light which every man hath teacheth nothing of the way truth and life of Jesus Christ. pag. 60. And the light which is in every man is opposite to Scriptures pag. 61. This is the light which is in every mans conscience which is but natural And the Apostle saith he warneth every man and teacheth every man that he might present them perfect in Christ Jesus But he saith the Apostle did not warn every man he did not levell the Saints light with every mans page 62. It is not meant that every man is enlightened but the Church Page 63. Answ I am the light of the world and doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world saith Christ the life So the light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall wil let them see the life which it cometh from will let them see their salvation Christ Jesus will let them see their Mediator will let them see the truth for the light is truth which cometh from Christ the truth And the light is Christ the way the truth the life that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world In him was life and the life was the light of men in him by whom the world was made which light was before any natural lights was the Sun Moon and Stars are natural lights and these was made by Christ the light who doth enlighten every man c. which men having a light from him by whom the world was made by whom all things was created who was afore any things was created Le ts them see before any created light natural light made lights which gives every one the knowledge of life which lets every one see the salvation to the ends of the earth which lets every one see the Covenant of God that love it and believe in it they come to the life Christ him from whence the light cometh The light is of the immortal seed of Christ Jesus one with the Saints light the Saints believe in that the world hates and receives that which the world hates so it is the worlds condemnation it is the condemnation of them that hate it And so was he promised a Covenant to the Gentiles aswell as to the Jewes and so doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world according to Johns witness and testimony to the Priests and Levites which came from Jerusalem to examine him So the Priests now examine us in this age and professors which the Quakers are witnesses of and bears testimony to which Paul warned every man and taught every man that he might present them perfect in Christ the light So the light is one with the Saints light that condemnes the unbelievers And the light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall that through it he might believe and who believes in it and receives it he hath the light of life and they become the Sons of God and who hate it it is their condemnation and they are against Scriptures but the light is not against Scriptures but ownes them And so the light is not so low as ye esteem it for it was before any thing was made or created as for the word Trinity there is no Scripture for it without ye finde it in the Common-prayer Book And the light in the converted shines out of Darkness in their hearts and gives them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God c. And the light in the unconverted shines in the Darkness and the Darkness comprehendes it not Pr. He saith that the light without the Scriptures is no light Pag. 64. And to call the light that doth enlighten every man the word of God is contradiction And there was no light before the Scriptures which is now revealed in Scripture pag. 64. That God is light not the light in every mans conscience pag. 68. And the best light that every man hath is but created Not one man in the world knowes God till he finde him in Scripture pag. 69 The Lord Christ the Eternal Son the Essential word of the Father is more in Scripture then in every man or any man pag. 70. They that speak from the Scripture rightly understood speak more from Christ then they that speak from the light within them Answ The light was before Scripture was given forth the light was before the Created lights was and makes manifest all created lights for all created lights was created by it and all that ever had the Scriptures and are not in the light that doth enlighten every man that
the Temple who was to swear by the Lord and to performe the oath to him Which that oath Christ ended and brought men out of strife and the earth into peace with God to the beginning to the glory which was with the Father before the world was began who brings the peace on earth and good will towards men And do not you that swear by the Bible swear by all that 's contained in it like as the Jewes swore by the Temple and so hath not the Bible judged you Here Christs words and the Apostles that tells you ye should not sweare and yet you swear And if yee say the Prophets and Moses and Abraham and Jacob and Joseph and the Angels swore and men of Strife swore Doth not Christ and the Apostle tell you he is the end of the Prophets a greater then Solomon David called him Lord Before Abraham was reignes over the house of Jacob and Joseph to him the Angels bow sayes sweare not at all This is my beloved Son hear him is the end of the Law and the Prophets to him that believes which hears him But it seems you will not hear him that are the swearers and forswearers And the Apostle brings that concerning an oath is the end of controversie among men of strife and men swear by the greater Yet they sware by the Lord he brings the example not that men should swear but shewing how God could not finde a greater sware by himselfe concerning his Son who is the oath of God the end of Oaths and the true oath that men swear that ends the strife He brought peace on earth and good will towards men that ended that oath and brought men to unity to God and one another out of the Earth to the beginning Pr. That Oaths are to be performed if the Scriptures were silent The Law of Nature and Nations would speak loud in this point because of the particular miscarriages in humane Societies Therefore sayes the Lord Mine oaths ye despised and my covenant ye have broken It would be a great dishonour to the nature of an Oath if it should tye any man to disobey the commands of God Governours are ready to thinke it their great security to establish themselves by Oaths Answ The commands of Christ let the Law as ye call it of Nature and Nations cry never so loud for swearing who stablish themselves by sin and trangression in the earthly humane societies the commands of Christ forbids swearing And I know that the Law of Nations and the Nationall Laws have sworn by severall Heathen gods and Idols as the Jewes swore by the Temple and you by the Evangelists and Christ sayes swear not at all and his Apostles And here 's great out-cries for oaths but here is a cry from the Lord Christ sayes swear not at all And oaths was in the Covenant which Covenant was to change mark that Oaths despised and Covenant broken This was the first covenant in which were the oaths that was to change and decay which Christ came to end both Covenant and Oaths and bid them swear not at all and took away the first covenant that he might establish the second And so as the Jewes brake the first covenant and despised the Lords oath which was to swear by himself who is the greater and to him to perform it So you despise his covenant his Son the everlasting covenant that ends oaths and the first covenant that are teaching men to swear and so there is swearing and for-swearing The lamentable work and doings as you may see in your Courts how they will swear a man hath so much when he hath not halfe so much as the Writs and Indictments and all their bad stuff declares it And so you that swear do break the commands of Christ though it was the command of God in the old time to swear yet it is the command of Christ who makes all things new swear not at all And the Governours that are established by Oaths are out of the doctrine of Christ that establish themselves by that which Christ denies and so establish themselves out of the power command and authority and doth not hear the Son and are not the true christians but are apostatized from the true Church hath onely his name but are dead to the life Now Christ that takes away oaths and shewed the danger of them that went into oaths more then yea and nay in all their Communications bid them swear not at all and that they went into the evill that did he established a way by two or three witnesses every word is established So they that would have any more then yea and nay may take the order of Christ minde the order of Christ two or three witnesses that yee may establish every word And this is aâ— way for all Trades-men and Magistrates and all whatsoever that they may follow and practice the commands of Christ yea and nay in all their communications and if they will have any more two or three witnesses that every word may be established And such are the true Christians the true Brethren that abide in the Doctrine of Christ they are not transgressors but hath the Son and the Father which the other hath not and that 's a practice for all true Christians Cities Countries and Magistrates upon the earth Pr. Thou saith Those that be engaged take oaths and they must be circumspect in taking of it and this is the word thou adds And you my Lord Major and Sheriffs under the bond of an Oath shall execute your office Answ The command of Christ the doctrine of the Apostles engageth men they shall not swear and doth not engage any to swear nor Christ who is the end of the Law and the Prophets but you Ministers of unrighteousness and false Apostles teach men to disobey and transgresse the commands of Christ which are the false Prophets and Antichrists which Christ said should come John saw was come went forth from them the Apostles and since the world is gone after you and so you have taught the world to swear and men to swear and Christ and his Apostles teach them not to swear And so here 's the Land mourning because of oaths among boyes and girles it 's become common in your Streets Courts and Houses Swearing for-swearing and profane swearing and that which is out of the command of Christ is profane for they bewitch people that draw people from the command of God The Apostle instances Circumcision which Christ ended and what are they that draw people to those things which Christ forbids but such as would not have him to reigne but Antichrists which hath been from the Apostles And so you and the Papists are one here doing what you do by an oath and the Apostle saith which you are apostatized from Above all things swear not at all neither by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath Marke this was to the brethren true christians true believers such
and worldly lusts and it will bring to worship God These things among others are the scope of the lying murtherer and bids them believe not every spirit but try them whether they be of God or no for many false Prophets are gonâ— out into the world Answ The false Prophets and Antichrists came up which Christ said should come came up in the dayes of the Apostles before their decease and went forth from them into the world which since the world went after them and they had the sheeps cloathing but ravened from the spirit and so broken into sects and heaps one amongst another which made war against the Saints and overcame them but then again the Beast and false Prophets and the Kings of the earth the Devill and the Dragon should make war against the Lamb and the Saints but the Lamb and the Saints should get the victory over the Beast and the false Prophets Devil and Dragon and the everlasting Gospel should be preached to them that dwell upon the earth So it is not a strange thing to us that the whole world should be standing against the light and against the Saints and the Lamb but their garments they cannot touch and so wickednesse hath budded forth into a rod but he is brought forth to rule the Nations with a rod of iron which was dead and is alive And ye discern not the times like Prarisees and the light which leads men from the world their lusts and taking Gods name in vain and all ungodlinesse You never came into this the Devil never came into this nor none comes into it but who be in that which the Devill is out of Nor none sees the salvation which is to the ends of the earth but who be in the light that John bore testimony of the witnesse in thy conscience shall answer it and condemn thee for thy hard speeches and the light by which all things was made which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world it is the end of the Law and before a naturall Light was and changes men from their naturall estate believing in it into the Covenant of life and peace with God I say the Law of God that came by Moses is above conscience much more Christ the end of the Law that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world the righteousnesse of God And the Devill is out of piety and purity who is the lying murtherer and never brought people to the light within who himselfe is out of it and he cannot disguise himself nor thee neither from the children of Light Prin. And the light simply considered makes not any thing that is done good or evill A. Did not Christ the light testifie against the world that their works was evil and doth not the light make manifest evill And is not he that hates the light reproved and so with it condemned And doth not the Scripture say the Law is light And doth not that make evill of that which is evill and own that which is good and judge it Nay and doth it not grieve the spirit of God Them that act contrary to the Lord did not God bring evill upon them that did evill Is there any evill in the City and I have not done it Though it was evill to them yet it was justice for they went from that of God in them first And doth not Christ the light distinguish between the good and the evill And doth not Christ make that which is good to be good and that which is evil to be evil Pr. He saith The law of faith did not make voyd the law of works but established it Answ That 's contrary to the Apostle that said the Law was changed and the first Covenant was to decay So with it their outward works whereby the Law of faith came in which works by love where the boaster is excluded and the Law of life witnessed and there comes the living in the spirit which makes free from the Law of sin and death Pr. He saith Neither the new man nor the renewed man is endued with the principle of light and life according to the image of him that created him Answ In this thy ignorance of the Saints conditions thou hast shewed for they was in the image of God of him that created them and they was not in the flesh but in the spirit And the Apostle tells them that they was renewed and the light that shined in their hearts was to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And the Saints had put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created them And he that believes hath the light of life and if they have not the spirit of Christ they are none of his And God will dwell in man and walke in man and Christ in them the brightnesse of the Fathers glory the expresse image of his substance Pr. The naturall man retains not the things of the new Covenant Ans That is while naturall men are from the light and that of God in them there is that in the naturall man hearkning to that which will bring him to do the thing contained in the Law which shall be justified before the Professors of the Law and not doers of it which is one with that ye professors acts contrary to But no man can know the things of God save with the spirit of God So naturall mans eyes is in that which is naturall from that which is spirituall but there is that in the naturall man which answers the Law of God which is spirituall though he be sold under sin and as he comes to see the seed Christ he shall see the end of all that A naturall mans estate and the Law of sin and death by the faith in Christ and ther 's our justification and life though the other things are owned where they were in their place Pr. Man is not able to discern the things of God till he be born again Answ And the Scripture speaks of discerning the eternall power and God-head and that was a thing of the spirit of God And the Apostle saith not that they were born again and yet I say that none knows the things of God but the spirit of God and that which may be known of God is manifest in them which God hath shewed unto them for that of God in them was of his spirit who is the God of the spirits of all flesh which brings them to discern his eternal power and God-head Pr. He saith That the light by which all things was made which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is not the powerful word of faith Answ Is not the word Christ the Author of Faith by which all things were made and created Is not that the powerful word of faith Is not he the Author of it which faith that comes from him gives victory over the world And is
eight and that was before Matthew Mark Luke and John or any of the Epistles was written and as for the rest of thy lies slanders and hard speeches they shall fall upon thy self and be thy own burthen the witness in thy conscience shall answer me in the day of thy judgement And they that have not the Eternal Spirit are none of his Thomas Weld Richard Prideaux Samuel Hammond William Coles and William Durant their Book called A discovery of a generation of men called Quakers In it are their Principles as followeth Pr. FIrst That the soul is a part of the Divine Essence Asw That which comes from God which God hath in his hands which Christ is the Bishop of is of God and Divine and immortal which many of the Priests say is appetite lust and pleasure and the soul of Christ say they is humane which is earthy and so you that are come from one mother are not agreed here among your selves and people begins to see you the time hath been they knew not which of you to believe but now they believe in Christ who is the Bishop of their souls Pr. There lies a Mystery of iniquity for to say The world calls them so by such and such names or gives them their Christian name Answ There are names given by the heathen the heathen outwardly which men are called there is a new name which the world knowes not written in the Book of life here is the new man known after God in rigteousness created and true holinesse Now who is this new man and this new name the world may call him by the old So it is not a mystery of iniquity to say the world calls him so Pr. It is a sinful neglecting of their families to wander up and down And the forsaking of apparel changeable he calls it monkish holiness Answ When people runs into transgression from the life of God into the earth Then comes up the lusts of the eye the lusts of the world and the pride of life which leads them into all the fashions of the world which is not of the Father but of the world Now the lusts and the affections must be mortified which have outwardly transgressed the pure principle of God within whereby the minds hath gone out into the creatures and things without whereby it falls under the creatures and so comes to worship the creatures thereby more then the Creator who is God blessed for evermore being gone from the Principle of God in their own particulars that is it which mortifies the world when men turn to it and this brings off all the lusts of the world and excess and affections and professions whether they be such as thou cals monkish or notionists or whatsoever it brings into the possession into the life which mortifies for this which thou calls monkish holiness is like unto your own who have not the spirit as they lived in who gave forth the Scriptures so all holiness which stands out of that is self righteousness And the Apostles and the faithful in all ages that wandred up and down did the will of God spoke the word of God were commanded and moved of the Lord forsooke all for Christ Christ did not teach men sin And he that doth not forsake all is not worthy of him House Lands wife children whatsoever he that esteems any of those more then Christ he lives still below he lives still not given up he is not worthy of him and they that do not forsake all and come out of all are in the sinful neglect of the family of the Lord of heaven and earth and they stick below in their own cieled houses habitations nests holes and rocks falling into the mountains and there garnishing the Sepulchres and living in all fashions customes honours and pleasures of the world And the Priests work hath been this to teach the people to keep in the lust and not to forsake and come out of all their lusts to Christ who are not worthy of him and if any do they look upon them to be sinful neglecters of their family which wisdom was before all things were made and is the preserver and finisher of all things and not the destroyer but tha it rebukes and in this are men ordered to Gods glory Prin. The Quakers deny the imputed righteousness prayer baptisme Church-government Ministery Answ That ever ye five that are called Ministers should ever thus publish your lies to the Nation The higher powers the one government the Church the Pillar and ground of truth The Ministry that is in the spirit that Ministers to the spirit in the prison baptized with the spirit into the one body prayer in the spirit the Lords Supper who dwells in the Saints and walkes in them and Sups in them the Gospel the power of God imputed righteousness to the believer Abraham believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness and Christ come and Christ in you who is the end of the belief who is the justification it self and righteousness it self nigher then when they did believe And so here is justification it self without imputation the righteousness of God here the belief ends And all these things are owned according to the Scriptures but all such teachers that be in the earth and teaches for money and means we deny and baptiseth and sells your prayers and Preaching and Supper for mony we deny Pr. Will a discerning of the Gospel mysteries prove a power to discern the state and condition of souls what it shall be to all eternity is not this a large ignorance Answ The Ministers of the spirit did watch for the souls the Prophets and Apostles knew its state and knew Christ the Bishop of it and saw when the soul was in death and saw when God had pleasure in it when it lived and saw the soul in Gods hand for who have the mysteries of the Gospel which is the power of God which gives liberty to the captive to the soul and all that is imputed in man this is glad tydings to the Just this is a true work-man that divides his work aright and is not ashamed of his work of his building but presents the soul to God and knowes when it is in death and when it is living And so who are come up into the Bishop Christ they are one soul they know the hand of God which the soul lives in which is the power and so knowes it from eternity to eternity And so ye Priests which do not discern the soul and its state to eternity and from eternity ye are not in the mystery of the Gospel which gives liberty to it neither have ye it for ye are stumbling at the light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world which comes from Christ the Bishop of the soul so your darkness cannot comprehend that and so what fellowship hath the light with darkness it is not a strange thing It hath no fellowship with it for
to the house of Israel and Judah which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world a leader of the people a leader of them from death to life to God out of the fall the first man Adam a bringer in of righteousnesse peace and joy and truth and grace to all that believe and receive him but them that hate the light it is their condemnation The light Christ the Covenant of God is the leader of the People out of the fall out of all deceit unto God and it is sufficient It is the end of the Prophets and the Apostles teaching the fountain of life in which every one sees life Pr. Hath every man a light sufficient to bring him to God when none comes to God but by Christ If there be a light sufficient within for the enjoyment of life For direction to the Father the fountain of life the holy Ghost saith Ye shall teach no more every man his neighbour ye need not that any man teach you He doth not speake absolutely and strictly Answ Jewes and Gentiles who witnesse the new Covenant of God promised the Law in their hearts it is absolute they need not say to one another Know the Lord in the Covenant of life and peace with God in him by whom the world was made before it was made But they that have these words in a form are they that set to themselves heaps of Teachers And the teachings of the Apostles to all Nations were Ambassadors of this Covenant declaring the substance to the bringing of people off all Teachers that they needed not be taught by any man to know the Lord and the light Christ which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world is sufficient to guide to eternall life and he that believeth in it shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life and shall come out of condemnation and he that hates it abides in darknesse and knoweth not whether he goes And it is sufficient to let every man see his salvation For I will give him for a covenant of light saith God he shall be my salvation to the ends of the earth the Covenant of light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Pr. What Christ and the Apostles saith swear not at all neither by heaven or earth or any other oath They did not mean as they spoke but that men should swear and they did not speak against all swearing And the Quakers may blush for it is as if God should speak as he meant by Moses in the Law Answ Christ and the Apostles meant as they spoke to what state and condition they spoke the words was truth to that state if it was by parables or patterns or figures Now Christ being the end of Oaths and Types saith Swear not at all who is the Covenant of God the end of the Prophets of Abraham of David of Solomon of Jacob of Joseph Oaths and swearing and Angels which must bow to him who sâ—ith swear not at all And the Apostles preached this Covenant this Oath of God Christ Jesus and the Apostle that was in the Doctrine of Christ bid them above all things my brethren swear not at all but in all your communication let your yea be yea your nay nay for whatsoever is more cometh of evill And they spoke as they meant for they came into condemnation that broke the doctrine of Christ Now Apostates and Hypocrites and false Brethren may swear that be out of the light the Covenant of God that have the form of godlinesse and denies the power and such be Antichrists against his doctrine and wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction and say that Christ and God and the Apostles did not mean as they spoke which God did mean as he spoke when he spake to Abraham And Christ meant as he spoke when he said swear not at all And the Apostle meant as he spake my brethren above all things swear not at all Pr. We are Ministers under the new Covenant and have the allowance of the Gospel and the tythes being onely designed unto us we may with a good conscience take it And the tythes are not in themselves Ceremoniall Abraham paid tythes to Melchisedeck If there be not a maintenance setled out to the Ministery we know we cannot subsist to do service to their soules without a worldly support a sufficient maintenance They call us greedy dogs because nursing Fathers and Mothers have provided for our nourishment a maintenance for us To work or to beg are two straits whereof the world might be ashamed but especially the Saints Answ The world would not be ashamed nor the Saints to see you work who have taken the peoples bread for whom you do no work and the Saints do witness against you The Prophets Christ and the Apostles declares such to be greedy dogs that can never have enough And Christ came to put an end to tythes before the Law to Tythes in the Law to a Priest-hood made by the Law which had a command to take Tythes who is a Priest-hood for ever after the order of Melchisedeck who was the similitude and likenesse and not after the order of Aaron who continues a Priest for ever And so when the first Priest-hood was ended Tythes and all ended and the command that gave them and the Priest-hood and the Law which was made when Christ reigns over the house of Jacob who asore Abraham was I am that Abraham paid tythes too the similitude and likenesse which Christ is the end of here the Rock and the substance This is my beloved Son hear him saith God who was in the bosome of the Father So they that know him come to preach the Gospel and live of the Gospell who breaks down the earthly part and opens the hearts of people who breaks down the earthly part and reaches to the seed And as for your nursing Fathers and Mothers such as give you maintenance else you could not continue your Ministery without a worldly support That is it which hath held you up long and who are fain to fly to the old worship among whom the Tenths were payd and so roving up and down in sheeps cloathing for your owne ends to get maintenance and if that falls your Ministry falls And your nursing Father and Mother was the Pope the Pope was the Author that set forth your Tenths at the first since the apostacy from the Apostles and the Apostles doctrine hath been lost Therefore that life the Apostles were in is people now come to by which ye are seen and comprehended And a worldly support is not that which holds up the Ministery but Christ which is with them to the end of the world and they that preach his Gospel live of it and they are far above shaming the Saints or the world either for maintenance but ye have both shamed your selves and the Saints are ashamed of you and many of the world and your own
Revelations but Christ is the Word in whom they end and it is not horrid blasphemy to say the soule is a part of God for it came out of him and that which came out of him is of him and rejoyceth in him Why wilt thou lye in saying the Quakers deny the Word wee say it sanctifies them His lies Christ is not ascended into heaven That there is no Heaven nor Hell nor Resurrection of the body That we have no Sacrament nor no Trinity Answ As for the word Sacrament and Trinity is from the Pope and the Masse-book the Bishops Common-prayer but Unity and the Lords Supper is owned and Heaven Hell Christ and Ascension and Resurrection is owned by the Quakers as the Scriptures declares it And your old Masse-house with the Cross atop of it which you call your Church that the Beast hath set up since the dayes of the Apostles with his lying signe at the end of it the Popes Crosse And Christ did come to destroy selfe and reconcile into one and Christ forbid men to be called of men Master and said the Pharisees did so and Magistrates are owned in their place But all such Ministers that teach for filthy lucre that serve an Apprentiship at Schools and Colledges like Tradesmen such we deny such are not fit to study nor expound Scripture for they bring people into heaps and into blood as their fruits in whole Christendome declares it but the Prophets Christ and his Apostles and Ministers their practices are owned and Elders and their honour but the honour of the false Prophets and Apostles is defaced by the true and the Scripture doth not speak a word of sprinkling of Infants but the Baptisme of the spirit is owned and all your prayers in your Masse-house Pharisee-like and your songs in the Temple shall be turned into howling but that which is according to the spirit of God is owned and private and publique instructions are owned who be in the spirit of God and Davids Psalms in their place are owned and the Saints singing with understanding also we own Pr. They say The Church is in God therefore God is not in the Church they may say Answ This is like thy reason and thy measure and weight the Church is in God and God is in the Church and where two or three are gathered together He is in the midst of them Pr. He says We speak against Tythes and Clarks wages for saying Amen and this thou sayeth is an absurd opinion Answ Tythes before the Law and in the Law was owned that they should give the tenth of the spoil and the tenth of the earth for the services â—hat were required widdows strangers fatherless and Levi who had no portion therein that there might not be a beggar among them this tenthes preserved them from beggars and this was the Law and Melchesedeck before the Law took the tenth of the spoil who was without father or mother and Christ the end of the Law who put an end to all spoils and Redeemes men out of the ninth and tenth parts of the earth to God and here the day of salvation is known to Reign upon the earth for man transgressed being drove from God in the earth â—hen the Law came that was over all transgression and led out of it by that Law was they to offer up the tenth and Melchesedeck before the Law had the tenth of the spoils but Christ who ends the Wars ended the spoils who is the heir of all things and the tenths the Covenant of God who reconcils all things in one things in heaven and things in earth and this the Apostles Preached who was in the power of God brought men out of the ninths of the earth and tenths to and brought men out of the occasion of the Wars in that which ended who was the power of God but they which went forth from the Apostles into the earth that had the form of godliness and denyed the power thereof which lead the world after them set up ninths and tenths unlike the Ministers of the Gospel who brought them out of the ninths and tenths into unity with the power of God and the Son and to reign upon the earth and them that took Tythes now are unlike them that took Tythes under the Law or afore the Law who met them with bread and water that Abraham gave the tenths of the spoil to and who now have no store-house for widows strangers and fatherless that there need not be a beggar among them so you who are called Christian Priests are worse then the Jews who cannot get their tenths without prisons Courts and writs and treble damages and cast into prison untill death for them this is called the Christian practices in our dayes who are Apostated from the true Apostles and Church and from the power of God they were in but the maintenance that Christ speaks of to his Ministers is owned but all that make a trade of the Prophets Christ and Apostle words who laid down their lives for speaking them forth we deny and the Apostles did not give a Clerk wages to say Amen but that came up since the Apostles dayes and judged by the spirit of truth and whosoever will make Alixander Rosses lies their refuge are in a sad condition in his book called A view of Religion which he and his lies are condemned to the fire and Lake by the power of God glory in the highest rejoyce over them ye Saints Richard Mayo Priest of Kingston his Doctrine And PRINCIPLES as followeth Pr. THat the Light within is the light of Nature which teacheth to do all things that the Law commands and to deny all things that the Law forbids Answ That which teacheth to do all things the Law commands and deny what the Law forbids is above nature that is it which keeps nature in its course that it shall not be of a fire but we see thy nature is gone out of its course and is all of a fire among you Priests and professors Pr. That God set up a dim light in every man Answ The light that God set up in every man is not dim but men grows dim when they transgresse the light which God hath set in them to give them the knowledge and feeling of himself Pr. He said the Devil was the power of God and that Christ was made manifest to destroy the power of God and to destroy him that was the power of God Answ The devil that went out of the truth went out of the power of God and Christ was manifest to destroy the works of the devil and not the power of God though Christ came to put an end to all figures types and shadowes Priests first Covenant and Temple Christ who is the power of God did not come to destroy the power of God the power of God is not divided against it self and the devil that went out of the truth the power of God went against him so he is not
Prophets Abraham and Davids words and the Jewes had Scriptures but stood against the way to God Christ Jesus the light as all you doe that stand against the light And Abraham and Abel and Enoch had the way to God before the scripture was written and Christ Jesus is the way to God Christ saith I am the way to the Jewes who had scriptures Pr. That there is no perfection to be attained to while people live upon earth A Then by thy doctrine Christ is not attained to while man lives which is contrary to the Apostles and Christs own doctrine who said I in you and you in me and Christ in you the hope of glory and then none abides in the Vine by thy account which is Christ and none bears fruit to the glory of God who abides not in the Vine and who abides in the Vine abides in the perfection of God and thou art contrary to the Ministers of Christ whose work was for the perfecting of the saints Pr. That Justification and Sanctification differs Answ Justification and Sanctification is one for Christ who is the justification and sanctification is one and it is thou that differs from him Pr. That the word of faith in the heart spoken of in the 10â—h of the Romans is the Scriptures Answ The Apostle doth not say so for many had the scriptures and were under the Law and knew not the word of faith the gift of God Pr. He said the Scripture leads into all truth Ans This is contrary to Scripture for the Scripture saith the spirit of truth shall lead you into all truth this is the promise of Christ and Christs words And Abraham had his leader and Enoch to Christ and to God before the Scripture was given forth Oh that ever men should be set up to be Teachers that are so blind concerning the Scriptures and receive so many thousand pounds a year for teaching And the Jewes had scriptures and were not led into all truth as you Christians are now therefore are you all in heaps about them wanting the spirit to lead you into all the truths of them Pr. He said That Christ and the Father and the holy Ghost are not one but they are three therefore distinct Answ This is the denying of Christs doctrine who saith I and my Father are one and the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son and he was conceived by the holy Ghost and they are all one and not distinct but one in unity that which comes out from him leads the Saints into all truth that ever was given forth from the spirit of truth and so up unto God the father of truth and so goes back again from whence it came Pr. It is blasphemy to say the Son is one with the Father and not distinct from him Answ The Father and the Son are one the Son is in the Father and the Father in the Son so that which is in him is not distinct from him and they blaspheme that say the Son is not in the Father and deny Christs doctrine Pr. He said The Father is a distinct incommunicable being from the Son and the Son a distinct incommunicable being from the Father and the holy Ghost a distinct incommunicable being from the Son Ans The Son is one and in unity with the Father and not distinct but equall and thought it not robbery The holy Ghost is in unity with the Son and the Father which proceed from them and they are one in unity and not distinct Thy doctrine is drosse and you Priests are not fit to judge in such things as they are they are too weighty and too heavy for you Pr. He affirmed That the Scripture is the power of God and that the Scripture is the Gospell Answ The power of God leads them to speak forth the Scriptures and the power of God is Christ and the power of God endures for ever but Scripture is writing and doth not and the Gospel is the power of God saith the Scriptures and doth not say that the Scripture is the Gospel for many had that and witnessed not the glad tidings and so thou art here distinct from the Ministers of the Gospell and art not a Minister of it the power of God but puts writings for it which power of God was before writings were Pr. He affirmed That the Father was the Creator and not God Answ This is contrary to the Scripture For in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth the Father and God is one the maker of all things for God the Father that made the world saith the Apostle Gal. 4.6 One God and father of all Pr. He said That Christ was not his rule but the Scripture was his rule Ans I do believe thee that Christ is not thy rule so life is not thy rule wisdome is not thy rule truth is not thy rule and so Christ not being thy rule thou art ignorant of Scriptures and knows them not for he who is the substance of the scriptures is not thy rule so thou knowest them not neither art subject to them Pr. He saith That God justifieth them that are not sanctified Answ He that is justified is sanctified for he that justifieth sanctifieth Pr. And another Priest saith That Christ was not the resurrection of the body Ans Christ is the resurrection and the life and the Saviour of the body who brings the creature into the liberty of the Sons of God The Priests of Lancashire their Principles PRiest Jacus the foreman of them said the letter and the spirit were inseparable Answ Contrary to the Apostle 2 Cor. The letter kills and the spirit gives life And we are Ministers not of the letter but of the spirit so the spirit that ends the letter was before the letter was and men may have letter and not the spirit and deny the Ministers thereof And the Apostle said they were one anothers Epistles written in one anothers hearts and not with paper and ink but with the spirit of the living God so you are contrary to the Ministers of Christ and if every one which hath the letter have the spirit what need you teach your teachings are at an end for the spirit will open to you the scriptures The Professors Principles at Westmerland Edward Briggs the leader of them said Pr. IT was heresie and deceiving the people to bid people believe in the power of God Ans Then they must not believe in Christ who is the power of God and it is not heresie nor deceiving of people to bid them believe in the power of God which is Christ and they are in the heresie and deceiving state that do not believe in the power of God and deceiving people and keeps them all in heaps under the power of the Devil and so to believe in that which is the cause of peoples destroying and persecuting one another Pr. And others of the Professors said That God had no hand in working out
of those who calls themselves ministers of Christ That would have you to slay to stone to stock to prison and to put to death them that be contrary to them Those be murtherers in Cains way man-slayers wrastlers against flesh and blood and not Ministers of the Gospell which saith love enemies and render to no man evil for evil Mat. 5.44 and this differs from the Scribes and Pharisees who loved their owne and persecuted others and stoned others and drew the Magistrates to doe it which saith the Ministers of Christ we wrestle not with flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesses in high places Eph. 6.12 Now those Ministers that would have the persons of men slain are like Cain and Jezabel the beast and false Prophets that slew Abel Gen. 4. 1 Kings 21. the persons of men stoned imprisoned and put to death are as the Jewes Priests and those Magistrates that executes their malice are as the Jewes Magistrates unchristian Magistrates And so those are they that are wrestling stoning striking and imprisoning against flesh and blood And in the mean time spirituall wickednesse rules among them And rulers of darkenesse in high places where flesh and blood are wrestled against so in this state both Ministry and Magistracy are blind that be out of the feare of God They turn their sword backward whilst they are executing the Priests malice and the Priests will strengthen the hands of evil doers and provoking to slay and against flesh and blood wrestling and doe not profit the people at all and stires up the multitude against the just That he may keep himselfe in his place for his own ends and admiring the Magistrates persons and mens because of advantage Iude 16. and respects their persons which shewes they be out of the faith Iam. 2. which gives victory over the world 1 Iohn 5.4 and out of the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles now the Magistrates is for the punishment of evill doers and for the praise of them that doe well which walkes in the life which he that doth evill goes from where the rulers of darknesse and spirituall wickednesses are and this Magistrate he can see he turnes not the sword backward he answeres that of God in every one and is for a praise to them that doe well 1 Pet. 2.14 so every evill doer acts contrary to that of God in them now a Minister of Christ wrestles not against flesh and blood but against spirituall wickednesses in high place so every one that doth evil acts contrary to that of God in him so the higher power goes above him Rom. 13.1 So the higher power is above him and before he was all power in heaven and in Earth is given to the Son of God Io. 5.22 above all the powers of the earth that lighteth every man that cometh into the world Io. 1.9 but they who does evill goes from the light and so the higher power goes against him The Magistrates that be in the power is a terror to the evil doers that acts contrary to the light wherewith every one that cometh into the world be enlightned The Magistrates be in that power which goes over him and is a prâ—ise to them that be in the light and the Ministers of God is to bring from under the occasion of the Magistrates sword George Weare being with his friend standing in the field neer Foord meeting house as they call it he neither speaking nor acting any thing against any man but standing in the fear of the Lord with his friend Wlliam Lowry and Iohn Hambleton called justices commited him to prison where they lay twenty and three daies and here is his innocency preached The originall righteousness was before the fall The originall of selfe righteousnesse was that which fell and is in the fall that transgressed And in the Catechism which is tollerated by the generall Assembly and in the Catechise of Scotland called a short Catechism They say that the word of God is contained in the scriptures Ans And the scriptures are writings and it saith God is the word Io. 1.1 1. Kings 8.27 Solomon saith the heaven of heavens cannot containe him you say he is containned in the scriptures with his writings you say there is three persons the scripture doth not speak of three persons the Jews had the scriptures knew not Christ the word of God Then ye tell people of an outward ordinary meanes by which Christ communicates the benefit of Redemption The word Sacraments the scripture doth not speak of three persons Sacraments they are Papists words of them ye have learned them the means of salvation is not ordinary or outward but Christ is the salvation who is eternall Heb. 5.9 and they that come to him come to the end of the outward Col. 1.27 ye say the Sacraments are the Effectuall meanes to salvation and ye say againe they are not as they are themselves so here is confusion but onely by the blessing of Christ his spirit in them How doe ye differ from the Papists for they say he is in them and ye say his spirit is in them and where his spirit is is not he Oh blind are ye found out goe ye home to your Mother the Papist where Christs Spirit is he is And ye say your two sacraments is Baptisme and the Lords Supper The scripture doth not call Baptism and the Lords supper two sacraments which names you and the Papists adore and worship which you have given to them againe you in your Catechize call the first day in the weeke the Sabbath day where did ever any of the Ministers of Christ or the Christians unapostatized call it so are not you come unto the breach and guilty of your own judgement of the third commandement when ye give another name to the scriptures then they give themselves in calling them the word calling Baptism and the Supper the Sacraments Exo. 20. Moses saith God spake all these words when he gave forth the commandements marke words and the words of Christ are spirit and life Io. 6.63 God is the word Jo. 1.1 and Christ is the word Rev. 19.13 and the word became flesh and dwelt among us Io. 1.14 And them that had the words of the scriptures which cannot be broken Io. 10.35 the Law and the prophets they knew not Christ the word before they be brought to the light that Christ hath inlightned them with and they be brought to the spirit Io 5 37. Io. 8.19 Can the whole world say the Lords prayer in truth or was it taught his Disciples or to the world doth not people draw nigh to God with their lips that say it Isai 20.13 and are not in the light which every man is lighted that cometh into the world withall can ye say the Lords prayer which is forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us without hypocrisy how do ye for give them when ye
Errors and found in them did not they set up the Tithes and the Masse-houses and the Colledges where thou wast made a Minister and give you the names of Rectors and Curates and your means to your Colledges and old Masse-houses art not thou found in them and among them their errors false Church great whore since the true Church went into the wildernesse among them that drinks the blood of the Saints with sheeps cloathing having not the spirit as the sheep had nor in the nature so in the Error Pr. Thou saist The Scripture speakes of God after the manner of men Ans The Scripture speakes of God after the manner of the Spirit and to the spirit whereby men might receive him and know him by the spirit which naturall men cannot Pr. Thou Queries to know whether the Holy Ghost be a distinct person and the worship of God in three persons Ans Art thou going about to confute the Papists errors and hold them up and justifying of them which the scripture doth not Mat. 28. but the Papists common prayer book and old Cannon book speaks of three persons but the scripture speakes of Father Son and Holy Ghost and thou speakest of Christ but yet are not come to the Light which Christ hath enlightned every man which comes into the world withall and thou speakest of Adams being the Image of God and yet art not come to Adams state as he was in the beginning so therefore knowes not redemption and knowes not predestination nor election but found in Adams state in the fall and reprobation thou speakest of Ordinances and yet art a transgressor of the commands of Christ who art called of men Master and an imitator of the Pharisees doctrines thou speakest of the Church but art found one of those that are dressed with the whores rags since the true Church went into the wildernesse thou speakest of the Magistrates yet not in the higher power which goes over all sin and transgression which answers the transgressed in every man upon the earth thou speakest of Dogs and evil workers seducers and Hereticks who are doing their work as your Goales and prisons may witnesse in the Nation and whole Christendome the fruits of Dogs and evill workers and seducers and hereticks which was not Christs worke nor the Apostles Thou speakes of the Common wealth but yet art out of that which is the generall good to all men Christ the light of the world who is the saving health all power in heaven and Earth is given to him in whom men have wisdome by which all things was made and created to order the things by the wisdome by which they were created thou speaks of Souldiers and yet art not come to Iohn a man sent from God but art one from the Colledges the Papists houses since the Church went into the wildernesse and men made by the will of man who have been set up by the dragons power so art not come to the Light that Iohn came to bear witnesse to that did enlighten every man that comes into the world so art short of rectifying solderie who stops up the eye by which they should see thou speakest of the error of the Quakers who art found in the error thy selfe not come to see that which must be shaken before that do appear which cannot be shaken nor come to the trembling of the Devills not knowing the strong man bow himselfe that hath kept the house who is at peace who is the author and ground of the error and not he that is stronger then he that kept the house made the Devil tremble shake the Earth where he hath had his foundation yea and the heavens also thou also speakest of the first birth whose habitation is in the earth and propriey there who made me a divider of mens inheritances me who am the end of the Law for the Law is just among you to devide to every man his right but I who am the end of the Law redeemes you from under the Law and out of the earth but you who are found in this first birth in the earth have set up your tenthes and keeps people in the ninths your greediness of it your presence declares thou speaks of mine thine in collections so selfe you are found in and your coldnesse incollections the blind and lame Fatherlesse and widdowes the streets in London declares you and the countries abroad yet you are all Christians and baptized and you weare rings and scaries and points and others crying for bread thou speakest of buying and selling c. who art arming thy selfe to hold up the honour of the beast which was simple words spoken and as for your buying and selling the fruits of the great whore hath declared it selfe made merchandize of souls and all other things out of the Law of equity which who acts in acts in the will of God thou speakest of good morrow and good evening and would blind the world though thou broughst scripture for it and makes them believe it is the Quakers error to say the contrary the morning is good and the evening is good and all is good that God created and made as it was in the beginning but by transgression they come to be vile and evill going out of the truth as things were created and standing in the truth are all blessed thou speakest of giving of thanks and craving a blessing and yet you say you must have a body of sin whilst you be upon earth so your thanks and your blessings is from the unclean lips in the mouth that blesses and curses and so proceeds from the bad fountain thou speakest of Christian Magistrates and higher powers and thou speakest of saluting and honoring and bowing downe before men who art not come to Christ the power of God who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him being not come to the light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the world and hath all power who subjects all Magistrats to himselfe who doth enlighten them to see him and you are not come to the Angels state that said to Iohn see that he did not bow to the Angel but worship God Iohn who saw all the World worshipping the beast in the old time they had bowed to the Angell but Christ is come to whom the Angels must bow and who is in him hath life and worship and that is honourable which is in the truth for who honours God God will them honour but honour to a fool is not seemly but like snow in summer and thou speaks of Christs Freemen and thy choosing it rather then to serve Idolatrous Masters and these Freemen that have chosen their freedome and cannot serve you Idalaters who are spirituall Egypt to worke in the earth for you to make you brick to set up your building you persecute them as Idolaters you Imprison who have the forme of godlinesse and denies the power who will talk of the words but deny the
abundantlie cried out against and printed against the Quakers as hereticks and deceivers and witches and all what they could say that 's evil and these things being not unknown but publiklie brought to passe therefore it will be good to discover unto every man the first ground and cause of this great strife and the matter of it and its beginning so that all may know the certaintie of these things and know they are not without good ground and sufficient reason on our part to wit that we have just cause to do and strive against that generation of Priests and Teachers and that we doe nothing rashly and without sufficient reason It is now about seaven years since the Lord raised us up in the North of England and opened our mouthes in this his spirit and what we were before in our Religion profession and practices is well known to that part of the countrie how generalie we were men of the strictest sect and of the greatest zeal in the performance of outward righteousnesse and went through and tried all sorts of Teachers and run from mountain to mountaine and from man to man and from one forme to an other as doe many to this very day who yet remaines ungathered to the Lord and such we were to say no more of us that sought the Lord and desired the knowledge of his waies more then any thing beside and for one I may speak who from a child even a few yeares old he set his face to seek and find the Saviour and more then Life and treasure or any mortal Crown sought after with all his heart the one thing that is needfull to wit the knowledge of God And after our long seeking the Lord appeared to us and revealed his glory in us and gave us of his spirit from heaven and poured it upon us and gave us of his wisdome to guid us whereby we saw all the world and the true state of all things and the true condition of the Church in her present estate first the Lord brought us by his power and wisdome and the word by which all things were made to know and understand see perfectly that God had given to us everie one of us in particular a Light from himselfe shining in our harts consciences which Light Christ his Son the Saviour of the world had lighted every man and all mankind withall which Light in us we found sufficient to reprove us and convince us of every evil deed word and thought and by it in us we come to know good from evil right from wrong and whatsoever is of God and according to him from what is of the Devil and what is contrary to God in motion word and work and this Light gave us to discerne between truth and error between every false and right way it perfectlie discovered to us the true state of all things and we thereby came to know man what he was in his creation before transgression how he was deceived overcome by the devil his estate in transgression in disobedience how he is drove banished from the presence of the Lord and the sorrow and anguish which he is in to undergo also by the Light in us we perfectlie came to know the way of Restauration and the meanes to be restored and the state of man being come out of transgression and restored these things to us were revealed by the Light within us which Christ had given us and lightened us withall what man was before transgression and what he is in transgression and what he is being redeemed out of transgression and also the Light which shined in every one of us as to it our mindes became turned and our hearts inclined the perfect estate of the Church we came to know her estate before the Apostles daies and in the Apostles daies and since the daies of the Apostles and her persent estate we found to be as a woman who had once been cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet who brought forth him that was to Rule the Nations but she was fled in the Wildernesse and there sitting desolate in her place that was prepared of God for such a season which season in the very end thereof when the time of her sojorning was towards a full end then were we brought forth if any have an eare they may hear so that all these things concerning man and concerning the times and seasons and the changing and renewing of times and all things that pertaines to salvation and Redemption and eternal Life needfull for man to know all this was revealed discovered and made knowne to us by the Light which was in us which Christ had lighted us withall And we found this Light to be a sufficient teacher to lead us to Christ from whence this Light came and thereby it gave us to receive Christ and to witnesse him to dwel in us and through it the new covenant we came to enter into to be made heires of life and salvation and in all things we found the Light which we were inlightned withall and all mankind which is Christ to be alone and onelie sufficient to bring to Life and eternal salvation and that all who did own the Light in them which Christ hath enlightened every man withall they needed no man to teach them but the Lord was their Teacher by his Light in their own consciences and they received the holie anointing And so we ceased from the teachings of all men and their words and their worships and their Temples and all their baptismes and Churches and we ceased from our own words and professions and practises in Religion in times before zealously performed by us through divers formes and we became fooles for Christs sake that we might become truelie wise and by this Light of Christ in us were we led out of all false waies and false preachings and false Ministers and we met together often and waited upon the Lord in pure silence from our own words and all mens words and hearkned to the voice of the Lord and felt his word in our hearts to burn up and beat down all that was contrary to God and we obeyed the Light of Christ in us and followed the motions of the Lords pure spirit and took up the Crosse to all earthly glories Crowns and waies denied our selves our relations and all that stood in the way betwixt us and the Lord and we chose to suffer with and for the Name of Christ rather then all the pleasures upon earth or all our former zealous professions and practices in Religion without the power and spirit of God which the world yet lives in And while waiting upon the Lord in silence as often we did for many hours together with our mindes and hearts toward him being stayed in the Light of Christ within us from all thoughts fleshly motions and desires in our diligent waiting and feare of his Name and hearkning to
his word we received often the pouring down of the spirit upon us and the gift of Gods holy eternal Spirit as in the dayes of old and our hearts were made glad and our tongues loosed and our mouths opened and we spake with new tongues as the Lord gave us utterance and as his spirit led us which was poured down upon us on Sons and Daughters and to us hereby was the deep things of God revealed and things unutterable was known and made manifest and the glory of the Father was revealed and then began we to sing praises to the Lord God Almighty and to the Lamb for ever who had redeemed us to God and brought us out of the captivity and bondage of the world and put an end to sin and death and all this was by and through and in the light of Christ within us and much more might be declared hereof that which could not be believed if it were spoken of the several and particular operations and manifestations of the everlasting spirit that was given us and revealed in us but this is the sum life and immortality was brought to light power from on high and wisdom was made manifest and the day everlasting appeared unto us and the joyful Sun of Righteousness did arise and shine forth unto us and in us and the holy annoynting the everlasting Comforter we received and the Babe of glory was born and the heir of the promise brought forth to Reign over the earth and over Hell and death whereby we entered into everlasting union and fellowship and Covenant with the Lord God whose mercies are sure and infinite and his promise never fales and much might be spoken but this is the sum we were raised from death to life and are changed from Satans power to God and gathered from all the dumb Shepherds and off all the barren mountains into the fold of Eternal Peace and rest and mighty and wonderful things hath the Lord wrought for us and by us by his own outstretched Army And thus we became followers of the Lamb whither soever he goes and he hath called us to make War in righteousnes for his names sake against Hell and death and all the powers of darkness and against the beast and false Prophet which hath deceived the Nations and we are of the Royal seed elect chosen and faithful and we War in truth and just judgement not with weapons that are carnal but by the sword that goes out of his mouth which shall slay the wicked and cut them them to pieces and after this manner was our birth and bringing forth and thus hath the Lord chosen us and made us as an Army dreadful and terrible before whom the wicked do fear and tremble and our standard is truth justice righteousness and equity and all that comes unto us must cleave thereunto and fight under that banner without fear and without doubting and they shall never be ashamed nor put to flight neither shall ever they be conquered by Hell or death or by the powers of darkness but the Lord shall be their armour weapon and defence for evermore and they that follow the Lamb shall overcome and get the victory over the beast and over the Dragon and over the gates of Hell for the Lord is with us and who shall be able to make us afraid Then having thus armed us with power strength and wisdom and Dominion according to his mind and we having learned of him and being taught of him in all things and he having chosen us into his work and put his sword into our hand and given us perfect Commission to go forth in his Name and Authority having the word from his mouth what to cut down and what to preserve and having the everlasting Gospel to Preach to the inhabitants of the earth and being commanded in spirit to leave all and follow him and go forth in his work yea an absolute necessity was laid upon us and wo unto us if we Preached not the Gospel for when we looked abroad and beheld the world behold it was altogether darkness and even as a wilderness and desolate and barren of good fruit and death reigned over men and no good fruit was brought forth to God but leaves we beheld upon every soul and all men and peoples were made drunk with the wine of whoredoms and the Whores cup they had drunk and was committing fornication with the great Whore and she reigned over the Kings and peoples of the earth and the Antichrist was set up in the Temple of God ruling over all and having brought Nations under his power and set up his Government over all for many ages even since the dayes of the Apostles and true Churches hath he reigned while the woman hath been fled into the wilderness and the man child caught up to God Christ said Antichrist should come and put on the sheepes cloathing and be inwardly a ravening Wolfe and John saw that Antichrist was come in his dayes and he went forth then from the true Church and went into the world and deceived the world and ever since his Kingdom hath reigned over Nations for then he begun to exalt himself and it is sixteen hundred years since all which time Antichrist that hath had the sheepes cloathing but inwardly a ravener and hath ruled and reigned and this we saw and perceived in the very time of our birth and bringing forth and we beheld Nations as a wilderness untilled and mens hearts as the fallow ground unbroken up and not plowed nor sown with the good seed of Gods Kingdom so that we saw all states and orders of men corrupted and degenerated from what they ought to be and from what God had once ordained them As for the Ministry first we looking upon it with a single eye in the light of the Spirit of God which had annointed us we beheld it clearly which formerly we had been stumbling at and much doubting of that it was not the perfect Ministry of Christ for many years before not to be of Christ nor sent of him nor having the Commission power and Authority of Christ as his Ministry had in the dayes of the true Churches but in all things as in Call practice maintenance and in every thing else in fruits and effects we found it disagree and be wholly contrary to the true Minstry of Christ in the dayes of the Apostles and likewise we truely beheld it to be in Call practice and maintenance and all things the very same in fruits and effects with the false Ministry and false Prophets and false Apostles and deceivers of old and this I do testifie and am able to prove in the spirit and Authority of the Lord that the publike Ministry as now it stands generally is wholly degenerated from what the true Ministry of Christ once was and differeth and is contrary in all things to what Christs Ministers were and agreeth and is equal in all things with what the false prophets
and deceivers were throughout all ages and this I charge upon it in the face and view of all men to whom this may come for this we saw concerning it in the beginning and our first assurance And as for other places and orders of men and callings we saw them also corrupted and degenerated and evil and iniquity abounding among all sorts of people and blindness and darkness covered the face of the earth and of the world and all people were in their transgressions and making void the Law of God and that it was time for the Lord to work and to arise to ease himself of his adversaries and as for all Churches so called and professions and gatherings of people we beheld you as all in the Apostacy and degeneration from the true Church nor being gathered by the spirit of the Lord nor anoynted thereby as the true members of Christ ever were but to be in a form and in forms of righteousness without the power and in Immitations without life and perfect knowledge so that all the practices of Religion we beheld without power and life though some had a sencerity in them and a zeal and a desire towards the Lord yet all people erred in Judgement and none were guided in Judgement by the Eternal spirit and because of the error in Judgement that made their zeal blind and their performances of righteousness not accepted though acted in some sincerity and zeal because they were not guided in practice and led in Judgement by the spirit of the Lord which onely leads into all truth and none are in the truth but are who led onely thereby so that we beheld all profession but as coverings with figg leaves while the nature of transgression stood uncondemned not crucified Also then we saw not only the performance and practice in Church state and in Religious orders were corrupted but also Goverment and Magistracy and all things in civil state were not aright in the sight of the Lord nor as the Lord required neither as he had ordained in the beginning for Government we know as ordained of God is to punish and limit and terifie all evil doers and to preserve and defend all that do well and that mens consciences are to be left free to be ruled by the Lord alone and guided by his spirit and that outward power and civil Magistrates and Lawes so called ought not to be Lord or Ruler in mens consciences nor over them but we beheld how unrighteousness and iniquity and sin and wickedness was strengthened and encouraged in the Government and by such as were in Authority and how the fear of God and the exercise of a good conscience was abused so that it was turned backward from what it ought to be them that did well were punished and limited as transgressors and the evil doers were set free and not made afraid so that we could truely cry truth was fallen in the streets and justice and true Judgement turned backward and equity had no place to enter and the innocent was devoured through want of true and just Judgement and the needy was spoiled and made a prey and thus it was framed for no sooner had we opened our mouthes but the Magistrates begun to put us in prison and execute great injustice upon us and became oppressors of the innocent and laid grievous unjust burdens upon us grievous to be born and true justice and judgement was neglected and wrong judgement brought forth and good Government abused and men in authority not ruled by the Lord neither ruling for the Lord among men and thus it came to passe upon us through the corruption and degeneration in Government and Magistrates which we saw to be as it was fulfilled by them to wit not as the Lord required nor as he in the beginning ordained it but quite the contrary and this we saw in the beginning when the spirit of the Lord was poured down upon us and power from on high was revealed to declare against all the the abominations of the Earth and to make war against all corruption in all orders and places and men Then being prepared of the Lord and having received power from on high we went forth as commanded of the Lord leaving all relations and all things of the woâ—ld behind us that we might fufill the work of the Lord into which he called us and with flesh and blood nor any creature we consulted not nor took councel of men but of the Lord alone who lifted up our heads above the world and all fears and doubtings and was with us in power and dominion over all that which opposed us which was great and mighty and gave us power over it all and to bind Kings in chains and Nobles in fetters of Iron and this is the saints honour and the word of the Lord we sounded and did not spare and caused the deaf to hear the blind to see and the heart that was hardned to be a wakened and the dread of the Lord went before us and behind us and terror took hold upon our enemies And first of all our mouthes were opened and our spirit filled with indignation against the Priests and teachers and with them and against them first we began to war as being the causers of the people to erre and the blind leaders that carried the blind into the ditch and against them as the fountain of all wickednesse abounding in the Nations and as being the issue of prophanes for from them hath prophaness gone forth in all nations and against them we cryed a loud as being redeemed from their mouths who had made a prey upon us as they do upon all that follow their waies and in steeple-houses we did visit them often and in markets and other places as the Lord moved and made way for us shewing unto all them and all their people that they were not Lawfull Ministers of Christ sent of him but were deceivers and Anti-christs and such whom the Lord never sent and we spared not publikely and at all seasons to utter forth the Judgements of the Lord against them and their waies and against their Churches and worships and practices as not being of God nor commanded by him by which they deceived the world and this was our first work which we entred upon to thresh down the deceivers and lay them open that all people might see their shame and come to turne from them receive the knowledg of the truth that they might be saved and this we did with no smal opposition nor danger yea often times we were in danger of our lives through beating abusing punishing haling casting over walls striking with staves and cudgelâ— and knocking downe to the ground besides reproaching Scorning revilings and houtings at and scoffings and slanderings and all abuses that could be thought or acted by evil hands and tongues and often carried before Magistrates with grievous threats and some times put in the Stocks and whipped and often
imprisoned and many hard dealings against us the worst of tongues or hands could execute sparing life of this all the North countries may witnesse and all these things are sustained and suffered from people and Rulers because of our faithfulnesse to the Lord and for declaring against the false deceivers for nothing save onely the hand of the Lord and his power could have preserved us and carryed us through all this neither for any reward outward whatsoever or advantage to our selves would we have exposed our selves to that sufferings and violence and dangers which befell us dayly but the Lord was our exceeding great reward through all these things and kept us in the hollow of his hand and under the shadow of his wings and gave us dominion in spirit over all our enemies and subdued them before us and though Rulers and people were combined against us and executed their injustice and violence upon us yet the Lord made us to prosper and grow exceedingly in strength wisdom and number and the hearts of the people enclined unto us and the witnesse of God in many stired for us for to that in all consciences in our words and sufferings and waies we did commend our selves to be known and approved And in the beginning we were but few in number onely a few that thus were carried on and dealt with all and that had received the power from on high in such a measure and for such a work and no sooner did the Lord appear to us and with us but the Devil and his power rose up against us to destroy us and it wrought in Rulers Priests and people and all the waies and meanes invented by the Devil that could be executed by his servants were brought forth to quench the work of the Lord and to stop our passage in what we were called to did ye but perfectly know as we perfectly found the craftinesse and policie and wickednesse of the Devil how to overcome this new borne babe and how to root out for ever this plant that was newly sprang forth it would make you admire and wonder with admiration all the priests and Rulers were in an uproar the Priests they petitioned to the Magistrates and run up down from one sessions and Judicatory to another took wicked oathes and slandered the just with lies and reproaches on purpose to incense all people against us and the Magistrates gave forth warrants for the apprehending of some and made their orders to break our meetings and that we should not meet in the night season and such men might not passe abroad and such stirr and opposition vvas made against us it can hardly be expressed or declared there was uproars in steeple-houses and uproars in markets and often haling before Magistrates and abused and threatned and slandred and all manner of evil done and spoken against us and great injustice cruelty and oppression acted against us where ever we came and all through the meanes of the Priests who spared not to enact and conceive mischief against us and sought dayly to the Magistrates for persecution preaching in their Pulpits and praying against us and setting daies apart to seek their God against us crying with out ceasing in publike and private heresie heresie Error and blasphemy that we were deceivers witches and seducers such like the worst they could say and Imagine to stir up the hearts of people against us and running often to the Assize and Sessions and Counts to complain and in forme upon false oathes against us and through them were the whole countries in a rage and madnesse Rulers people often imprisoning and abusing and resisting us with violence banishing us out of towns and putting of us out of our Innes and often threatning to burne the houses over our heads the whole company of rude people in a town often gathering and besetting a house or Inne about where we were entred to lodge in our travels we were often exposed to dificult and hard travels and journies giving our selves to the Crosse to take it up against all earthly often drinking water and lying in straw in barnes after a hard daies journey and yet for all these things the power and presence of the Lord was with us and we were carried on in much boldnesse and faithfulnesse in courage and without fear or doubtings through the often hazard of our lives many waies in uproars by evil men and in markets and Steeple-houses and also in travels by robbers and every way were we exposed to dangers and perrils but through all over all were we carried and are preserved to this day And after this manner it came to passe concerning us and much more might be said but this is in short declared how we were intreated and dealt withall by Priests Rulers and People through all the Northern counties of England in our first going forth through which counties we first Journied out of Westmerland through Cumberland Northumberland and into some parts of Scotland and Durham York-shire Lancashire Chesshire c. and in all these counties much opposition we had and exceeing sufferings and cruell dealings from men of all sorts every Goal may witnesse in every county how any of them seldome were without some of us or our friends imprisoned in them this six yeares and scarce one steeple-house or market in all these counties but may witnesse what beating what bruisings strikings and halings and abusings and perils we have suffered and sustained and not one priest in all those counties can cleare himselfe from hatred and malice and from envying of us and doeing mischief in words and works or thoughts or desires against us nor scarce one Justice nor any officer of the peace can be excused in all them counties from plotting and acting injustice upon us and threating and enacting cruelty against us And I call Heaven and Earth to record and the Light in every mans conscience and do appeal to that in all sorts and places of people that by all sorts of people we suffered evil and unjust works and actions and words from them and let the witnesse of God in all mens consciences in all the North give testimony what dealings and cruelty we suffered and how we have been dealt withall and also of our patience and Innocency under all what they have done to us But notwithstanding all what was acted against us and spoken maâ—â— hundreds of the honest and sober people owned us and also many rude and ungodly persons were converted to the truth I say many hundreds in all these counties in two yeares time were brought to the knowledge of the Lord and to own us all which time we laboured and traveled in patience giving up our selves to live or to die and to all manner of sufferings and reproaches and hard trials that we might fulfill faithfully what we were called unto sufferings without from open enemies and from our own kindred and relations and sufferings within for the seeds sake
Scriptures and made free from sin c. pag. 18. Ans Contrary to Rom. 6. Contrary to the Apostle to the Colossians where he had put off the body of sin And contrary to Christ who saves cleanseth from all sin by his blood blots out all sin And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin Pr. He saith that Christ is in heaven in his humanity therefore not to be seen not to be heard not to be handled by us or any others that live upon earth and they cannot give their own assurance c. pag. 19. Ans So shews that they were never made Ministers by him who never saw him nor heard him so never handled the word of life from the Father nor the Son nor saw it nor heard it so are the Pastors that spoil the flock And he is the earthly Adam and humanity but Christ the second Adam is the Lord from heaven Pr He saith that Timothy was commanded to preach and yet had not heard nor seen nor handled any thing of Christ c. page 20. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who bid him to stir up the gift in him and told Timothy he was in the faith and he was to be strong in the grace of Christ And whosoever hath faith knows Christ to be the Author of it and knows something from Christ and so thou thy self hast confuted Pr. He saith that the Saints doth not see Christ for the heavens contain him page 20. Ans And the Apostle saith they sate with Christ in heavenly places so he is contrary to the Apostle And Christ was in them and walkt in them and God dwelt in them and Christ in you except ye be reprobates Pr. He saith the whole minde and will of Christ and God is left them in letters page 21. Ans And the Apostle saith it is past finding out the unsearchable wisdome and the secret things belongs to God and are revealed by the spirit and no man knows them but by the spirit Pr. And he saith the Gospel is the Letter c. Ans And the Apostle saith It is the power of God and the letter kils and many may have the form and deny the power and so stand against the Gospel which is the power of God Pr. And he saith the Devill shews his spight and spleen in them who say they have the word as it was in the beginning against the Scriptures c. page 22. Answ That is not so for they that have the word as was in the beginning own the Scriptures and are not against them but are in that which fulfils them Pr. He saith that all the Saints receive the spirit of Christ yet never heard his voyce Ans This is confusion for who are the sheep of Christ know his voyce Pr. He saith they are uncovered when commonly they have two caps on their heads and the people are covered when they have a hat on their heads c. page 29. Ans This is according to thy deceitful teaching and learning Pr. He saith the Scriptures is the voyce of Christ to them c. Ans And Christ said to them that had the Scriptures They never heard the voyce of God at any time to the Pharisees John 5. For there thou art un-put forth amongst the sheep and they heard the voyce that gave forth the Scripture and came to the life and Christ at the end of them Pr. And he saith there is an immediate voyce which speaks within which we have never heard nor do we know it within our selves experimentally and we believe and hope that we never shall know it c. page 30. Ans And so shews that they never knew the spirit of the Father speaking within them but follows their own dreams and spirits and stops their ear against that of God in them and they blesse themselves from that immediate voyce within and calls it the voice of the Devil which is the spirit of inspiration and the word of God in their hearts which men must obey and do Pr. And he saith to say Christ is within them doing all immediately and infallibly within them and so do say it is Christ and the spirit within them and not they Ans Now this he calls a spirit of Delusion And the Apostle saith I live yet not I but Christ in me And he works all in us and for us after his own good pleasure And this was not a spirit of delusion in them And this thou art reprobated from and found in thy own works Pr. And he saith That which is within them is not eternal and infallible when the Quakers asked him whether it was or no and he saith nay that which judgeth in them is not eternal infallible He saith they assert no such things as that concerning themselves And he saith though all the Saints have the spirit of Christ dwelling in them which is eternall and infallible yet that this spirit should do all that Saints do and should say all that Saints say and should judge for them both for persons and of things after an infallible manner and that they should neither say nor do nor judge any thing by any understanding of their own but the spirit all this we deny These are his words page 31. Ans Which is contrary to the Apostle who saith As many as are the sons of God are led by the spirit of God And Christ acts all in them and for them and the fruits of the spirit c. and the spirituall man judgeth all things And that is it which leads the Saints to devide and discern all things both temporall and spirituall the spirituall wisdome of God which gives them a spirituall understanding which men must rule withall but not with their own that comes to nought and you that have not that which is infallible to judge in you know not the spirit of Christ neither can you judge of persons or things that have not the infallible judgement nor have the spirituall man Neither have you the word of God in your hearts nor Christ which is eternall and infallible all which the Quakers have to judge persons and things Pr. He saith that children are of the seed as to the Church priviledges and externall Ordinances of a spirituall nature Ans Mark his confusion But Christ saith ye must be born again or else ye cannot inherit the kingdome of heaven and such be of the Church Pr. He saith If they can but destroy all formes the power will fall with it for the forme preserves the power page 37. Answ Contrary to the Apostle many have the form but deny the power The power preserves the forme sees the end of forms and destroys them and brings to see before forms was where forms is not For the Apostles who lived in the power denyed the Jewes forms and Gentiles both as we do now deny the Popish forms and yours which you have invented and set up Pr. And an immediate teaching he saith of
they obey it to lead them to eternall life c. See page 73. Ans Yet thou saith every one hath so much light as shall leave all men without excuse before the great tribunall of Jesus Christ And yet thou saith that which leaves them without excuse is not sufficient and so would make God unjust and unrighteous and the light is sufficient which doth enlighten every man in the world to lead them to eternall life believing in it and receiving it which not believing is sufficient to condemn them who all believing in it shall see and receive their salvation Pr. He saith It is a contradiction in it selfe and a speaking lyes in hypocrisie to deny swearing and calling of men Master and to witnesse the teaching of the Lord and the spirit to guide into all truth and to say the spirit is the rule Ans They be in the lyes and hypocrisie and transgressors of Christs commands that are swearers and called of men Masters and the spirit of truth which leads into all truth is the rule and guide of men into truth as Matth. 5. 23 Chap. and these be the Antichrists contrary to him that swear and are called of men Masters which Christ saith swear not at all nor be called of men Master Pr. He saith Christ was in the world and the world was made by him and yet Christ was not in all parts of the world c. see page 76. Answ And he is the light to the Gentiles and Jewes and salvation to the ends of the earth and yet he saith that Christ is not in all parts of the world Pr. The light wherewith Christ hath enlighten every one that cometh into the world he calls a little sparke of reason subject to errour and vanity Ans Which is Christ the light the foundation of God which stands sure that which makes manifest all errour and his flesh saw no corruption The greatest part of his work in his Book is to strike at the Rock and foundation of God and there is no errour in the light which enlightneth every man that comes into the world neither is it subject to it but condemns it and thee that saith it Pr. He saith page 79. All the light is to be understood in words and an outward dispensation c. Ans The Jewes had outward words and a dispensation and yet knew not the Light Christ by the words without life Neither did they understand the dispensation of God Pr. He speaks of an externall Ministry c. See page 80. Ans That which led them to minister was not externall and the externall reaches no further then the external and that is of men and by men but the eternal reaches to the eternal which reacheth beyond external Pr. John saith This is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world and he saith this is to be understood with limitation and saith Christ was not in all ages places of the world See page 81. Ans How was he the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world And how did he minister to the spirits in prison and how speaks he in the Law and how is he the same yesterday and to day and for ever and that is the Devill in thee that would have a hold for thee to dwell in that would limit Christ the light not to be in every man That which darkens every man is the Devill and that which lightens every man is Christ without limitation and he limits that which would limit him and that understanding Pr. He saith He knows not what the true light is and eternall life nor the eternall word the everlasting Gospel the light which gave forth the Scriptures and the Judge of the world and the kingdome of heaven within and the law of the new covenant and Christ within these he saith he knows not c. Ans We do believe thee And yet he goes about to oppose them and knows not what they are and so he fights like a blinde man who knowes not the eternall word within nor the Light nor the everlasting Gospell which the Saints did and doth know withiâ— Pr. He saith That infants and fools and such as are borne blinde were never enlightned with the light of Christ which he calls the light of nature c. See page 85. Ans Which is contrary to Johns words 1 John 9. who came for a witnesse to bear witnesse of the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which light is above nature and contrary to Isaiah who said Fools shall not erre in the way And a blinde man and an infant is inlightned with the light of Christ for that is the Light in the blinde man that reproves his thoughts and words that be evill which believing in it he shall not be condemned but hath the light of life and becomes a childe of Light And in Christ is light and that is the life of men and where there is life in an Infant there is light Pr. He calls it a fancy and a pernicious errour to say Christ hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world c. see page 88. Ans And thus he opposeth Johns doctrine They be in the pernicious errour that deny that light that lighteth every man according to Johns doctrine John 1. who saith this is the true light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world and the Pharisees stumbled as much at this true light as you do now though it shined in their and your darknesse yet your darknesse cannot comprehend it but it shall be all your condemnation that hate it Pr. He saith The commands of Christ within Christ and the light is inconsistent with the Scriptures c. see page 89. Ans Which is contrary for the light within owns the Scriptures without and yet he said it was the gift of God and the gift of God doth own the Scriptures in their place as they were spoken and none knows the commands and Scriptures but with the light within and they be in unity and the light within gives the knowledge of them 2 Cor. 4. Pr. He saith It is a fancy to say the Covenant of God is to all men in the world and the grace of God hath appeared unto all men c. See page 89. Answ Contrary to the Apostle who saith The grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared unto all men And contrary to the Prophet who saith I will give him for a covenant to the Gentiles a light unto the people salvation to the ends of the earth and a new covenant to the house of Israel and Judah And they that do not believe this are condemned Pr. He saith It is most desperate and diabolicall to talke of a sufficient light and grace in all to be saved c. Ans And yet thou saith in page 73. of thy book That every man hath so much light that shall leave all men without excuse before the great
call free will c. see page 12. Ans Which light brings out of the will of man into the will of God to him that is not born by the will of man from whence it comes in which light men do his will and know his doctrine So here they are corrected again for the free-will and will-worship is out of the light which is Christ which John speaks of And they that hate the light are out of Christ and are not made free from the wrath to come but they that be in the light are made free from the wrath to come in covenant with God So you that would set up another light then Christ are Antichrist in your own wils for all wil-worship and fained humility is out of the light in the transgression Pr. Here they say that God made a difference where there was none see page 13. Ans And the Apostle said they were all gone astray And God puts a difference between the precious and the vile judgeth righteously and respects no mans person and makes a difference in judgement And they say God checks and chides the wanderings of his people and yet they say God makes a difference where there is none and you are to be checked and chidden Pr. Again they say The children of God are all their life-time found groaning under sin c. page 14. Ans The Apostle tells you plainly He that is borne of God doth not commit sin neither can he because the seed of God remains in him and he keepeth himselfe that the wicked one toucheth him not and they are made free from sin And here the Apostle corrects ye again for those are not groaning under when the wicked one toucheth them not but these reigneth over it Pr. Here they say Who puts men to the light of the eternall word with which they are enlightned withall puts men besides the way of life and puts men besides the way of salvation See page 16. Ans None knows salvation but by the light which comes from the eternall Word nor the way of life which is Christ which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall and so the salvation to the ends of the earth Pr. Here again they say That the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world shuts up the Kingdome of heaven against men and takes away the ministration of the Gospel and dâ—stroys the ministries of man c. See page 17. Ans None comes into the Kingdom of heaven but who comes into the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world It opens the Kingdom of heaven but it destroys mans ministration and brings in the ministration of God and the Gospell And this light ye call law or works that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which he that believeth in it hath ceased from his owne works as God did from his and comes to the end of the Law Pr. Again they say the Scriptures are the means of faith Answ And so have thrown out Christ the author of it and God the giver and the Scripture is but the declaration of the Saints faith and it saith men had faith before Scripture was as instance Abraham and Enoch Pr. Again they say As for the expected dictating the Scriptures by the spirit to us as to the writers thereof it is groundlesse c. see page 18. Answ So shewing of what spirit you are who with the true spirit are corrected that have the Scriptures dictated to you but not by the same spirit as the Prophets and Apostles had Pr. They say Instruction in the Scriptures is the way of sowing the seed in Children c. Ans And the Scripture saith the seed is the Word and Christ is the seeds-man which was before Scripture was and yet it doth no good except they eat the book and so confute themselves And many had the Scriptures which stood against the seeds-man as you do now and the Devill out of the truth makes a cloak of those things who will not feed upon the Word Pr. So the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which we say is the Covenant of God they say that is to break down the inclosed Garden see page 20. Ans This is that which confounds Babylon the great and brings it into remembrance with God and brings the great Whore into judgement The Light which is the way into the garden of God breaks down their inclosed garden that from the Apostles have apostatized Pr. They say that the power to justle out the forme is an errour c. see page 24. Answ Which was the Apostles work to bring off the form into the power the substance Christ which was not an errour But you being in the errour keep people into forms out of the power and so not in the Apostles work Pr. Again they here say It is blasphemy to say God is in all c. See page 30. Ans And the Apostle saith God over all and in you all blessed for ever and through all Ephes 4. Pr. They say It is not a transgression though men pray not nor preach not for many dayes weeks and moneths together though necessity is laid upon them c. page 32. Answ Contrary to Christs command who bid them watch and pray And contrary to the Apostles doctrine who said woe be unto him if he did not preach the Gospel So where there comes a woe there is a transgression so likewise where Christs doctrine is denyed and the Apostle which said pray alwayes but without wrath and doubtings and lifting up holy hands and pray for enemies But you pray in the wrath and hands full of blood and persecute friends as your Gaols may witnesse so as Pastor Eaton saith you never heard the voyce of God And Micah said Night is upon Priest and Prophets that divine for money and preach peace to the people if they put into their mouths if not they prepare war against them Such have no answer from God Pr. They say That apparell is for distinction of qualities of persons c. See page 36. Ans That is but in the world for that which distinguisheth persons is the Word the person of Christ from the persons of Adam in the fall and who be in the transgression and who be out of it and who be vessels of honour and dishonour and your wearing of gold and costly apparell it distinguisheth you from the Apostles doctrine And the holy women of old which was honourable it was not the apparell that made them so to be but the hidden man of the heart which was of great price to the Lord which were brought to do the command of God That honour which is in the world for cloaths and respect God will stain which stands in the lust of the eye and the pride of life and the lust of the flesh and there stands the worlds honour in transgression Pr. They say It is most true
my knowledge of them c. See Pag. 2. Ans The Quakers are revolted from you Apostates that are inwardly ravened as the converted Jewes did that were turned to Christ for the Jewes revolted from the Temple and the Priests and turned to Christ from the other Jews and owned the Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which you Revolters deny that have reigned since the dayes of the Apostles and so are ignorant what we are come to and the Apostles were in and that which was before you and they was Pr. He saith the Angels of Light which are holy and without sin may be devils c. See pag. 3. Ans Which the devill fell from the Light from the holiness and so he cannot tansform into that And all holiness intended which is not in the light is as the Pharisees was in and the whole world and is condemned with the Light He saith salvation by the Light within is cursed c. See pag. 6. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who saith the light that shineth in the heart gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And contrary to John who saith every man that cometh into the world is enlightened And as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God and the power of God is the Gospel of salvation to every one that beleeves in the light And he that beleeveth in the Light hath the witness in himself and the Apostle turned them from the Darknss to the Light And the word was in their hearts of Faith that saves the soul and there was the glad tidingâ— the Gospel And Priest Shaw saith the Gospel is the four bookes of Matthew Mark Luke and John And the Apostle saith it is the power of God and saith many have the form but deny the power So now here himself he hath cursed So this same man is a curser as the Papists are Both he and them are found out of the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles who saith bless and curse not And the Scotch Priests likewise are cursers as in the Scotch Principles ye may see and no one knows salvation but by the Light within which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world who is the salvation to the ends of the earth Pr. And he calls his Steeple-house St. Andrews See page 7. Answ Which never did Prophets nor Apostles give such names to houses but the Pope who is his teacher Pr. He saith It is an errour to say that the light which every one hath that cometh into the world is sufficient to salvation without the help of any other meanes or discovery c. See page 9. Answ Contrary to Christ who brought the Jewes off of all others helps to himself who said Believe in the light while ye have the light and they that believed in the light should not abide in darknesse And no man cometh to the Father but by me saith Christ For he was the way the truth the light in men and the life and there is no salvation by any other name but by him And there is none knows the blood of Christ which cleanseth and the offering for the sins of the whole world but with the light which cometh from Christ Jesus who is sufficient who is the salvation to the ends of the earth so he is the only means without any other help And as the anointing in people doth teach people they shall continue in Christ and as they walke in the light as he is in the light they shall have fellowship with the Father from whence all helps comes and Christ will dwell in man and walk in man and what need they have any more helps Pr. He saith It is an errour to say we are justified by that which Christ doth in us c. See page 9. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who saith we are justified by faith in his blood and the faith is in the heart and the blood is in the heart that purifies it and held in a pure conscience And the word of faith is within Rom. 10. And faith gives victory over the world and that which gives victory justifies and Christ is within who is justifi-fication and sanctification and condemnation either of them is found within and thou art in the errour and not fit to talk of these things which thou understands not Pr. Again he saith It is an errour if not damnable to say Christ is the means and that there is no other means of salvation c. see page 13. Ans And Christ saith No man cometh unto the Father but by me and he is able to the utmost to save And he shall be my salvation to the ends of the earth saith the Lord. And saith the Apostle God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself And he that hath the Son of God hath life and the Father and the Son are one and there is no salvation in any other Pr. He saith That Christ gives light to no man under that name but believers c. See page 13. Ans Contrary to John who saith he doth enlighten every man that comes into the world that all might believe through the light And contrary to Christs own words such as hated it and would not come to it and bids them believe in the light while they had it and he that did not believe was condemned already and he that did believe had the witness in himself Pr. He saith It flatly contradicts the whole Scripture to say that the light wherewith Christ hath enlightned every man c. will save c. See page 14. Answ Which God saith I will give him for a covenant for a light to the Gentiles new covenant to the house of Israel and Judah and he shall be my salvation to the ends of the earth and believing in it are saved and not believing are condemned Pr. The wise heathen Philosophers had a greater measure of light in them which is the first Adam then I can thinke any men have now c. See page 15. Answ Which shews that he knows none of Christ the second Adam the quickning spirit And he knows no new creature For who are in Christ are new creatures Nor none of Christ the Covenant of God of light of life of peace who was glorified with the Father before the world began which is beyond the first Adam and hath shut himself forth not to be as high as his Heathen Philosophers and many witnesse Christ in them in this age as in the dayes of the Apostles which is above the Heathen Philosophers Pr. The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall is Christ he saith this is the light of nature and of reason And saith It is a damnable doctrine to deny all externall means of salvation c. See page 16. Ans When as the Apostle saith We looke not at things which are seen
before the Apostles decease they saw them that were false accusers and fierce despisers of them that were good They that had the forme of godlinesse but denyed the power that should be lovers of themselves and covetous and these were crept up before the Apostles decease and since the dayes of the Apostles the world have been after them That both covetous and heady and fierce despisers have rul'd they have been like Jannes and Jambres who withstood Moses when the children of Israel were to come out of Aegypt And so do you that crept up since the Apostles decease who are covetous and high-minded heady fierce despisers of them that are good have a forme of godlinesse but deny the power thereof which are to be turned away from and so keeps people in spirituall Aegypt and Sodome Are ye not all covetous and lovers of your selves And do not you all deny the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world Christ the power of God and so keeps people under your teachings all their life time laden with their sins divers lusts while they be upon the earth and the body of it and telling them that there is no perfection here That Ministry that tosseth people up and down with your slights and wiles and windy doctrine and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth which truth is the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Are not ye fierce despisers of them that are good Hath not all the blood which hath been shed since the days of the Apostles of the Martyrs and Saints been by the stock that you are in who are the false spirits erred from the true spirit that the Prophets and Apostles were in and gone out into the world from them as ye confesse ye have not the same infallible spirit as the Prophets Christ and the Apostles had and Eaton the Pastor saith And the Indians will not deny the Light nor Turks neither that convinceth them of sin for to the Turks and Indians was the Covenant promised as well as to the Jewes for they are Heathen and thus your ignorance appears of the Scripture of truth and Ministers of God and with them you are judged Pr. Priest Coale saith The light which he is justified by is a created light Page 56. Answ The Scriptures of Truth which the Saints declared and Christ never held forth such a light as was created as justified them for the Saints are justified by Christ the light by whom all things were created Light was not created that was the Saints justification Pr. He saith Who are washed from their sins by the blood of Christ and made Priests unto God and in this sense if they themselves do not once become Priests they will become companions of Devils for ever See page 56. Answ They that become Priests to God and are washed by the blood of Jesus Christ are come out of the Devils power and overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and owns the light to be their justification which thou denies Pr. He tells us of Pauls mediate call and his extraordinary call of it selfe had not been sufficient Answ The Scripture tells us no such thing of Pauls mediate call and Paul declares himselfe take Pauls owne words not of man nor by man but by the will of God and that was sufficient which call you are out of since his dayes by men are ye called Pr. He saith Christ doth not forbid not simply to be called of men Master c. page 62. Ans It was Christs command plainly to his Disciples Be not ye of men called Master for ye have one master even Christ And thus thou stands against Christs doctrine and commands and so a transgressor and an Antichrist Pr. He saith Christs humane nature c. Ans Where doth the Scripture speak of humane the word humane where is it written tell us that we may search for it Now we do not deny that Christ according to the flesh was of Abraham but not the word humane And Christs nature is not humane which is earthly for that is the first Adam Pr. Priest Coals principle He saith His justification is not done within him but without him in the Court of heaven Answ Reprobates may talk of Justification Did not Christ work Justification without them upon the earth for man kinde and brought righteousnesse And where there is Christ made manifest within is not their Justification wrought there from heaven within Where faith is witnessed within doth not that justifie and none knows Justification in truth but where it is wrought within See page 77 78. Pr. Again Priest Coal saith The life that he lives is a created life Ans So thou hast shewed thy selfe a naturall man not spirituall nor a son of God led by the spirit of God nor in the faith and dost not live by faith nor a living in the spirit so hast manifested vain glory Pr. He calls trembling and quaking the shaking of the soule Answ The power of the Lord God cometh to shake down that nature which prisons the soul c. and sets it free And as for all thy other Complaints Reviles Railings and Lies will turn upon thy selfe and they will be hard for thee to bear and thou shalt cry out with Cain when thou and you feel the burthen who are cut of Christs steps who is the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world In the day of thy judgement thou shalt witnesse and the witnesse in thy conscience shall answer Francis Fullwood His Booke called A True Relation of a DISPVTE His Principles follows Pr. HE saith The Scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation Again the Son in whom eternall life is is onely found in Scripture and they are they that testifie of him and therefore eternall life is found in Scripture Ans Many had the Scriptures but stood against the Son of God and many may have the Scriptures and not the Son of God The Son of God is not Writings Scriptures signifies writings And many may have the Scriptures and not have the Son of God and so not eternall life For the Devill hath Scripture but hath not eternall life for he that envyeth his brother hath not eternall life abiding in him So who have eternal life they have that which the Scripture speaks of testifies of it testifies of Christ the life of the spirit and so they are the words given forth by the spirit of God and so are to be fulfilled by the same spirit again And the Scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus For they were not wise unto salvation who had the spirit without the faith Pr. He saith We attain our Gospell another way then Paul did And it is blasphemy to tell us that what ye deliver is by revelation from heaven c. Answ You have received your Gospell another way then Paul did I do believe who are apostates
by revelation for no man knows Christ but by revelation And all that ever own Christ they must own the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world to be the covenant of God which light men are to believe in which not believing in they are reprobated And thousands and thousands I do believe you who have had the sheeps cloathing upon the back of them and so have covered the Wolfe with it Neither you nor they never knew the revelation of the Son of God and so never know the son of God untill he be revealed and so hath not the knowledge of him The Scriptures testifie of him but they that had the Scriptures knew him not but who was in the light and in the Covenant and so ye have all discovered your selves in the apostacy apostatized from the Apostles spirit and all to be the false spirits gone out into the earth into the world for means for maintenance and so ye are all puft up in your pride and so that makes all your doctrine to be so dry and so barren there being no revelation among you nor no immediate speaking from God and Christ but feeding people with the husk with the outside And have proved your selves here to be but the Wolfe in the sheeps cloathing inwardly ravened from the spirit But with it ye are comprehended and if it had not been so you would never have published your folly to the Nation But the spirit of love and humility and meekness which bears all things comes to be known by the spirit Pr. For people to be led with a light within this is to make the Scriptures uselesse Ans No this lets see the Scriptures in their place and the fulfilling of them which was given forth to be believed practised read and fulfilled not for men to make a trade of them and call people from the Light within with which they should see the Scriptures and none comes into Covenant with God with their hearts and their minds that they need not say one to another know the Lord that they may be always living under mans teaching Pr. How clear say they the Scripture is that faith cometh by hearing and not by minding the light within Answer Doth any man know Christ but by the Light within And is not Christ the Word Can any see without the Light the Word Doth it not make manifest Nay doth it not give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus read 2 Cor. 4.1 from whence faith comes and so faith comes by minding the light within Christ the author of it and brings to look as him and hear him Prin. And Multitudes were converted by those faire Epistles written by the Spirit Answ None are converted but who be in the spirit that gave forth those Epistles though they may have all the Epistles For that hath been the Papists and your convertings who hath had the Epistles by the Epistles out of the life since the dayes of the Apostles and so made proselites Pharisee-like For that baptizeth and that circumciseth for in that is the fellowship and the unity People as I said to you before may get the sheeps cloathing as ye have long time been covered with but inwardly ye have been ravening wolves as your fruits have declared as the Northern part of the nation may make it manifest The witnesse in all your consciences shall answer for me and let you see that your own words are your burden and an heavy cry will come upon you when ye feel it who now are fat and full and fresh and lusty but a day of requiring is coming and inquisition is made for the blood that hath been shed of all the Prophets Martyrs and Saints since the dayes of the Apostles and the prisoning and the persecuting by you and your off-spring got up since the dayes of the Apostles the false spirits that went out into the world that are now standing against the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world So marks that you be inwardly ravened and that you be the Antichrists and the false Prophets you are not like to own the light in every man who are ravened from it and are turned against them that walke in the light and keep the testimony of Jesus Here is the Beast and the false Prophet that makes war against the Saints and overcomes them for a time but the Lamb and the Saints must have the victory And you about Newcastle Ministers and Teachers are like to a heap or dunghil sogged and mudded but come to the witnesse else eternally you will be condemned Pr. They say Blessed are they that heare the Word and keep it which is a word spoken and written not the eternall word It is a notion of the Word of God to call the Word of God a Declaration And the holy Scriptures is able to make men wise unto Salvation to the Law and Testimony Ans To the Law and to the Testimony The law is light saith Solomon And the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy And many may have the Old and New Testament and yet be out of the Light and out of the Testimony as you and so out of the spirit of prophecy For Isaiah had the testimony before Matthew Mark Luke John and the Revelations was written and bid them come to the Law and to the Testimony and you that do not speak according to that rule it is because you hate the light in you And the Scriptures Luke calls them a Declaration who was a Minister of the Word and the Scriptures are the words of God and the words of Christ and so not the Word but the words which the Word Christ fulfills So ye are men not capable nor of a true understanding to divide the word aright nor to speak a word in season to the wearyed but do all lead the halt and lame and blinde out of the way who for so doing must find misery Again they that hear the Word of God they hear that which lives and doth endure for ever and this Word is eternall which lives and doth endure for ever which they have within them and with that they see the words and letters and writings or outward Tables may be broken but still the Word remains That ever the Ministers of Newcastle should say that the Scriptures are able to make men wise unto salvation and leave out faith you are no more made wise then the Pharisees was with the Scriptures without faith The Pharisees were not made wise unto salvation by the Scriptures without the faith neither are you But who are in the faith they are made wise to salvation through the Scriptures and comes to Christ the end of them for it gives to see the Scriptures and in it in the faith is the unity which Scribes and Pharisees and Apostates are out of Pr. That a mediate call since the time of the Apostles and
Again if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us if we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar page 89. Ans The Saints are in Christ and God and at the dissolving of the earthly or sin they do not bid all the Saints farewell for then they come into unitie with them with the Elect. And John doth shew there was a time to see they had sinned and a time to see they had sin and a time to confesse it and forsake it and a time to witness the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse from all sin a time to witnesse the birth of God born which doth not commit sin and the seed of God remaining in them that the wicked one could not touch them Pr. He saith the Saints are neither in the fulness of the Godhead nor part away with this Blasphemy that saith this is c. page 92. Ans The work of the Ministry was to bring people to the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man to the unity of the faith to the measure and stature of the fulness of Christ and Christ will dwell in the Saints and God will dwell in them and thou saith they have no part of the fulness of the Godhead and John saith of his fulness have we all received in whom dwells the Godhead bodily And ye be all in the Blasphemy that be out of this part of the fulness Pr. He saith the Quakers knowes a man whether he be a Saint or a Divel as soon as they see him or hear him speak or act and they are beyond all our forefathers And the Apostle saith what man knoweth the things of a man saving the spirit of a man that is in him so we are not as Christ in this respect and thou saith thou art as Christ in this present world and no man can be without sin in this house of clay and saith I was shapen in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me and my flesh is sins free-hold c. page 94. 95. Ans Here thou hast shewed that the Quakers have a spirit given to them beyond all the forefathers which we do witness since the days of the Apostles in the apostacy And they can discern who are Saints who are Divels who are apostates without speaking ever a word they that be in the power the life of truth And the natural man knows not the things that be in another man but with the spirit within him may know what is in himself but the spiritual man searcheth all things yea the deep things of God Here thou hast made no distinction betwixt the spiritual and natural And as Christ is so are we in this present world and where Christ is manifest he destroyes the sin in the flesh where they come to be as he is they come to be above clay and mortal and fading and so the flesh comes to be put off which thou calls sins free-hold and the body of it and cometh to be made free from the Law by the body of Christ and this the Saints witnessed while they were on earth And the creature comes into the liberty of the Sons of God And as thou was born in iniquity thou shewes thou was born in the unregeneration there was some sanctified from the womb there is some children clean who are believers he that can receive it let him so thou art an ignorant man not able to divide the word aright nor canst Minister unto the people not knowing the condition they be in unless they tell thee and so apostatized from the Apostles and not Ministers of the spirit that Ministers to the spirit for could not the Apostles Preach and speak to the Jewes and Gentiles unless they come and told them what condition they were in or did all the Jewes and Gentiles come and tell the Apostles what condition they were in before they Preacht to them Pr. He saith the Light in man is imperfect a weak faint light page 97. Again the light in the Gentiles is called a natural light page 88. Ans The light that every man hath that cometh into the world is not an Imperfect light a weak or faint light or natural light but who are weak go from it and faint and hate it and dispiseth it as Esau and run into the earth And who believe in it have the light of life and receives it becomes the Sons of God And the light in the Gentiles which brought them to do the Law was spiritual not natural which the Apostle sets up to be the Circumcision and the Jew inward and throwes out the Jew outward and Circumcision both and this he brings to have the praise of God which the Jewes had not in the outward and this makes the Jew no Jew and their Circumcision no Circumcision and Judged them And all professors upon the earth that be from that that doth the Law in the heart and the Jew inward you be from that who stands against the Light of Christ that doth enlighten c. Pr. He saith If an hypocrite reign his power is of God and Saints are to yield to the power and it must be honoured and have obedience from the Saints Page 101. And so they that call them corrupt Magistrates are the filthy dreamers that Jude speaks of Pag. 102. Answ Such as are turned into corruption and are hypocrites they are gone from the higher power which the soul should be subject to and it s gone over them and so for the Lords sake the Saints cannot be subject to that power but that power that brings down the hypocrisie and the corruptions in Magistrates and as they come to be clothed with the power of God they are able to put a difference betwixt the precious and the vile and that they own those are a praise to them that do well The Jewes of old time could not obey the heathen Magistrates bow to their gods that feared God that lived in the Law of God nor to their Commands nor their power nor authority nor the Apostles could not bow to the Authority of the Jewes to their ordinances their power that held them up which Christ came to put an end to which was held up by Magistrates nor that among the Gentiles held up by Magistrates For Christ was come to reign who had all power in heaven and earth given to him And since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy the Saints cannot now bow to that which the Pope and Kings and Queens set up though they call it a Supream power that commands the things which who be in the power of God that destroyes that which defiles the flesh and the evil speaker and that is the dignity which the Saints own and live in and speakes not evil of but they do that transgresse the Spirit of God and goes from it as Jude speakes of therefore have the Martyrs and Saints and Prophets suffered since the dayes of the
Apostles by the Beast and the false prophets and the great whore which have been in the power of the Devil that went out of truth and that the Saints was not subject to But now Christ is come to reign the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory and the higher power is owned that is higher then all the transgressors upon earth that reaches to the soul and the transgressed principle of God in every man upon the earth for the Beasts power hath set up your Tythes Temples and Colledges and compeld men to worship which the Saints could not and therefore have suffered by it that have worshipped God in the spirit and truth that the devil is out of and such was in the higher power Pr. He saith there is a kinde of Infiniteness in the soul and it cannot be Infiniteness in it self Pag. 103. Ans Is not the soul without beginning coming from God returning into God again who hath it in his hand which hand goes against him that does evil which throwes down that which wars against it And Christ the power of God the Bishop of the soul which brings it up into God which came out from him hath this a beginning or ending And is not this infinite in it self and more then all the world Pr. He saith the soul is a creature and yet it is a noble power and an Essence and is the appetite fancy c. Again he saith he knowes that the soul is a spiritual thing and cannot be divided into parts and powers as being one single entire essence Page 107. Ans The soul being in the death in transgression so mans spirit there is not sanctified and the soul is in death And fancy and the appetite and anger and pleasure c. which thou saith is taken for the soul usually and called the soul are them that wars against it so thou divides the soul into parts which is one and art ignorant of it and yet thou said it cannot be divided So thou art in the Babylon and confusion So the living of the soul and the spirit sanctified that diligent hearkening is come to where the Counsel of God is stood in his voyce heard his hand felt that the soul comes up into that comes from him from God that 's living and Immortal and gives a Creature its feeling and sencibleness through things and so the Covenant of God comes to be received wherein the soul lives the Bishop of it which is immortal and then the new creature born is known whereby the spirit of man is sanctified whereby the God of the spirits of all flesh is known Now where the power and life guides up to God the Father of life that works down and directs the mind up to God where the soul hath the issue the immortal to the immortal whereby light springs in Christ is known the soul praiseth God the Saviour the low estate that God hath regarded and reached down to it Now where the light is hated that of God within transgressed that doth pertain to the righteous Law of God and answers it the spirit of man is not sanctified and mans understanding darkened the higher power is denyed the soul comes into death transgressing of the Law is known the witness buried which should guide the mind whereby the soul should live in the diligent hearkening thereby comes man to be defiled and his spirit and body and minde whereby he glorifies not God in his body and soul and spirit and glorifies not the God of the spirits of all flesh thereby he comes to be an alien and a stranger to the life of God and his wayes and Covenant and thou sayes the soul is a spiritual thing and yet a creature an appetite and fancy And every man that cometh into the world having a Light from Christ the second Adam though they be in the first Adam the Bishop of their souls So every one being turned to the Light which Christ the second Adam hath enlightened them withall they shall see the Bishop of their souls Christ the power of God which is immortal brings the immortal soul into the immortal God Christ their sanctification who sanctifies their spirits and bodies and brings the soul up into God from whence it came whereby they come to be one soul For in the lusts of the world and the affections of it is the war against it and there is the powers of wickedness the soul must be in the higher power higher then the flesh which stains the man spirit and body and powers of wickedness So the light being turned to he receiveth the spirit of God which sanctifies him the spirit of Sanctification in Christ Jesus the Sanctification and Redemption So every man that cometh into the world having a light from Christ Jesus the way out of the fall the second Adam receiving the light they receive their Redemption and Sanctification whereby their spirits bodies and souls are sanctified Pr. He saith The binding of Sathan shall not be by a personall reigne of Christ in a body He saith the Quaker denies the light written in Scripture And he saith when yee that pretend most love to Christ within and light within ye deny the Lord that bought yee And the high talke of a Light within goes out for ever into utter darkness Ans The Light within and Christ within who owns this and are come into it owns the Lord that bought them Christ and no other and they that receive not this within are Reprobates without him and deceives him yet talk of him as the Devils false Prophets and Deceivers And they that go from the Light within go into utter darknesse and stumble and do not know whether they go and wants the garments and the Lambs cloathing And so the Light within he that believes in it hath the witnesse in himselfe abides not in the darknesse nor in the condemnation but hath the light of life And the light within that shines in the heart gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And who knows Satan bound and false Prophets and Antichrists and Beasts and mother of Harlots taken and cast into the fire and Christ reign and know his bodily presence they know his flesh and are of his flesh and of his bone and his spirit and minde and power who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him over the Devil over the Aâ—tichrists false Prophets Beast and mother of Harlots reigns above their power triumphs tramples above their power and this is known by the Light within And now doth Christ reign in his Saints and the Paradice of God is known and Eden where all things are sanctified and blessed and good where there is no curse but blessing and he that went out of this did transgresse and disobeyed which brought the death upon all his posterity earthly Adam But who are come in through the obedience of another the second Adam Christ Jesus who
so are hardned from the spirit they was in which said Christ is all in all which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And none seeth the person of Christ in heaven but who be in the Light that he hath enlightned them withall yea the Covenant of Light to the Gentiles and Heathens as well as Jewes and so God is not a respecter of persons And all that be from this Light are now making war against the Lamb and the Saints and the accuser of the Brethren is cast out and the light which doth enlighten every man which comes into the world is Christ Pr. They say It is a delusion for them that are in the light to see what mens inward states are before God page 29. Ans Have ye given your selves a name of the Church of Christ and is there not a spirit of discerning among you Have ye not manifested here that ye are harlotted from the Church of Christ the Apostles was of And how can ye minister or teach people if that ye do not discern their states how they stand before God How can you commend your selves to every mans conscience in Gods sight How can ye present the soules of men to God and see not their states how they are in his sight How come ye to have fellowship in the Spirit How can you or any Minister to the state and condition that people be in and see where they are and doth not know how they stand in Gods sight in this how have you shewed your ignorance of the Scriptures and the Epistles written to the Saints which speaks to the state and conditions the Saints were in How have ye a name but declared your selves dead from the life How have ye stained your own glory and marred your own beauty and sets your selves out of the steps and paths of the Church of Christ Pr. Simpson he saith If my heart deceive me not I could wish that God would recover you out of the Devils snare page 40. And ye speak of breaking of bread and Ordinances and the Lords Supper and Baptisme page 35. Ans The prayers of the faithfull are acceptable that are in the spirit but he that doubts he knows not his own heart and prayes without discerning being out of that which purifies it And for Baptisme and Ordinances and the Lords Supper and the bread that the Saints broke ye have all been ignorant of in this night of apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles who had spoken to the Corinthians what he had received of the Lord he delivered unto them And as oft as they did eate that bread and drinke that cup they did shew forth the Lords death till he come and they were to do it in remembrance of him And afterwards the Apostle writ again to the said Corinthians tells them the light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And said while we look not at things that are seen but at things that are not seen For the things that are seen are temporal Bread Wine and Water are seen but the things that are not seen are eternall And bids them examine themselves and prove their own selves and said Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you except you be reprobates Pr. He saith He hath been a Preacher of the Gospell at Bristoll and Wells and he hath not need to seek a proof of any man page 43. And he saith I am no Preacher to bid every man turn to the light within him neither did I ever read or hear that any of the Apostles or holy men of God preached such a Gospell And they said Sarah Latchet who was excommunicated who had been one of them it was fittest to send her to Bridewell Answ This was not the Ministers of the Gospels work to wrestle with flesh and blood which is yours And they in the sight of God had witnesses and they could seek them which thou saith thou needs not And they turned people from the darknesse to the light and Christ bid them believe in the light while they had it that they might become the chilldren of the Light And the Apostles doctrine was that the light that shined in their hearts would give them that light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and this thou never heardest of as thou saist And thy Gospel that is not this and agrees not to the Apostles is another and so accursed And the Saints was one anothers Epistles written in one anothers hearts read and seen of all men And thou hast been a bad Preacher at Wells and Bristoll that knows not the Light Prin. They say A man may be a Christian a believer a converted soule he may be in Christ and yet not not have received the spirit of sealing and establishing page 53. Ans This is like to the rest of thy Doctrine who are out of it themselves they are not able to judge of the state of babes believers converted soules which are in Christ For they that are in Christ have the spirit and they that are converted are converted by the spirit And he that believeth cometh to be sealed with the spirit of promise Prin. They say The light in every man is a notion and yet they seeke God by prayer solemnly And they shut up the Kingdome of heaven against men that bid all men turne to the light within them and from the believing on the person of Jesus Christ page 60. Answ None opens the Kingdom of heaven to all men but who turns people to the light which Christ Jesus hath enlightned every man withall that cometh into the world Nor none believes in Christ but who believes in the light which Christ the light hath enlightned them withall and such have the witnesse in themselves and can set to their seales that God is true And they see their Sanctification Justification and Redemption and none ever prays the acceptable prayer of the Lord but who be in the light that cometh from Christ and such calls not the light a Notion for all notions be among such that be out of the Light which Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world withall They are from the Rock the Foundation and Sanctification and see not Christ And this is not to deny Christ but receive him and believe in him And all upon the earth be Antichrists that denies the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and be from it Pr. And as for your speaking of judging and not to judge before the time untill the Lord do come c. Answ That was spoken to the Corinthians who will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and make manifest the counsels of the heart Now the same Apostle said to the same Corinthians that God would dwell in them and walk in them and they were not to judge before
is upon them that leave the Scriptures to look to the light within them Page 9. And many deceivers should come into the world that confesse not Christ come in the flesh receive them not into your houses And the man Christ is testified against by the light Pag. 13. and he saith they publikely deny the resurrection of the dead body And he saith Christ in the flesh his sufferings was but an example and a figure Ans Christ ended all figures in suffering and examples and paterns yet he is the Saints patern and example as the Scripture witnesses and there is no other example nor patern to be heeded but Christ alone which they are to learn of but to say he is nothing but a figure for that thou and you all will be judged for he ended all figures and is the resurrection and the life both and thy dead body shall live with my dead body this is Scripture and they that said the resurrection was past in the dayes of the Apostles overthrew the faith of some That which overthrowes the faith denying the resurrection kept the seed in death where it hath been in you all since the dayes of the Apostles for who are of faith are of Abraham of Christ according to the flesh and so if the dead arise not their Preaching is vain and their faith is vain So I say mortal must put on immortality and corruption must put on incorruption the first man was made a living soul the second was made a quickening spirit there is earthly bodies and heavenly bodies and there Is a resurrection of the just and unjust the one to eternal life the other to condemnation And the Judge is the man Christ Jesus to Judge the quick and the dead who both dyed and rose again that he might be God of the dead and the living And the light which every man hath that cometh into the world doth not testifie against Christ And the light doth not bring to deny the Scriptures but to own them And none ownes them aright nor Christ but who are in the light which cometh from him And all that do deny the light that doth enlighten every man c. are the wolves and the false Prophets and Antichrists that have gotten the sheeps cloathing and such cannot be received into the houses of the Saints that are from the light which every man is enlightened withall And none confesseth Christ come in the flesh but who is in the light which Christ hath enlightened them withall And so now is all Professors and teachers upon the earth and Kings of the earth ravened inwardly from the light which Christ enlightened them all withall standing against the light and the Lamb and the Saints that be in it and are not to be received into the houses of the Saints neither to bid them God speed for they be out from God that be out of the Light which Christ the Son hath enlightened them withall Pr. And he saith Christ hath a humane reasonable soul Again Christ the Eternal Son of God distinct from the Father Eternally before he was made flesh his spirit was distinguished from the Father and the Son from Eternitie and not onely when he was manifested by descending on Christ in the likeness of a Dove or by falling upon the Apostles like cloven tongues c. page 17. Answ Christ saith he is in the Father and the Father is in him and he will send them the Spirit of Truth the Comforter that proceeds from the Father and the Son and Christ saith he was glorified with the Father before the world began and yet ye say the Son is distinguished from the Father from Eternity and the Son saith he is in the Father and the Father is in him and you say the spirit is distinguished from the Father and the Son from Eternity and Christ saith it proceeds from him and the Fathers and he is the God and Father of the spirits of all flesh and the substance of all things And is not a humane soul earthly for you say that Christ had a humane soul and is not humane earthly and hath a humane body and is not a humane body an earthly body Is not his body of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh and is not his body a glorified body was not the first man of the earth earthly and had an humane body the second man the Lord from heaven And is not the soul immortal which cometh out from God which is immortal and goes into God again and is not humane or earthly mortal And are there not three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and are not they all one how then are they distinct and three that bear record in earth the spirit the water and the blood which agree in one And Christ saith I and my Father are one and I in the Father and the Father in me and he is in the Saints and so not distinct Pr. He saith it is impudency in the Quakers to deny the word Trinity and three Persons And the Church ever denyed such as denyes the Doctrine of the Trinity Page 18. 19. Ans As for the word Trinity and three Persons we have not read it in the Bible but in the Common-prayer Book or Masse-book which the Pope was the Author of but as for Unity we own and Christ being the brightness of the Fathers glory and the expresse Image of his substance of the Father we own That we own which agrees with the Scriptures and for that which the Scripture speakes not which men speak and teach for Doctrine their own words that the Scriptures speakes not nor teacheth such the Scriptures shut out and we deny Pr. He saith that is the weak ignorant dark and the wicked Sect of the Devil that maintains an equality with God the soul to be one being with God or part of God And saith the Quakers say there is no Scriptures speakes of a humane soul and the soul is taken up into God and God is all in all Answ The Assembly or Synod of Priests put forth a Catechisme and say that the Holy Ghost and the Son is equal with the Father in power and glory and this they put forth that people should learn it what then if any come to witness the Holy Ghost they come to witnes that which is equal in power and glory with the Father what if any come to witness the Son of God revealed in them which he that hath not him hath not life do they not come to witness him who is equal in power and glory with the Father this is your own Catechisme and is it blasphemy to confesse your own words that ye have given people to learn God breathed into man the breath of life and he became a living soul God who hath all souls in his hand And is not this that cometh out from God which is in Gods hand part of God of God and from God and to
is the eight day and so not one in seven And if the Saints-sat in heavenly places with Christ Jesus And if the Saints in heaven must have a glorious body and Christ an humane body which I say is earthly how doth this agree with Scripture that says Christs is a glorious body And is it an earthly body the Saints eats when they eat the flesh of Christ And is not people in their first state in the earthly before they come to witnesse a spiritual body like unto his glorious body How do you divide the word aright and they that have the spirit of Christ their spirits are in heaven and they have unity with the Father Pr. We have no such immediate converse with God now as to see him face to face page 42. Ans We do believe you have not who are gone from the spirit that the Prophets and Apostles were in ravened from it since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy and so are not in the counsell of God and are out of his teaching and instruction and so farre off of having fellowship with God for who have fellowship with him comes to see him and you are not of Abrahams seed who saw God face to face but are of the Pharisees stock who never saw his shape John 5. Pr. And you say In the last dayes false Prophets should arise and shew signes and wonders and if it were possible they should deceive the Elect. And the coming of the man of sin is after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders c. page 44. Answ Christ said they should come the false Prophets and the Antichrists which John saw were come yea many Antichrists were gone out into the world And the Apostle Paul saw the man of sin before his decease the coming of him with the lying signes and wonders which since the dayes of the Apostles in this night of Apostacy they have rul'd and reign'd the man of sin with his lying signes and wonders and these are not the true signes but lying And when they were ravened from the spirit of God they got the sheeps cloathing inwardly ravening wolves which if it were possible they would deceive the very elect which went forth from the Apostles in the apostacy and since they have deceived the Nations the wolves the inwardly raveners though covered with the sheeps cloathing And here these things have been among you in the apostacy And the Apostates have reigned and rul'd and have had the dominion since the dayes of the Apostles But now with that which ye all have ravened from are ye made manifest and comprehended So this man of sin with his lying signes and wonders who ravened from the spirit of God as the Devill did who went from the Truth is he that compels all his members to plead for the body of sin while they be upon earth and so to keep them out of the faith of Gods Elect that gives the victory over the world And such he cannot deceive nor none of his members that ravened from the spirit of God Pr. He saith The Quakers the despising the fashions of the world contemning the honours and pleasures thereof and their sober carriage and deportment among men and willingnesse to suffer all these he calls wickedness See page 49 50. Answ But it seemeth this practice sobernesse denying the fashions of the world and contemning of honours and pleasures thereof and the sober carriage offends him and the world and the rest of the Priests and Professors and to deny their lusts which they be in Pr. He saith The Devill is not an Adulterer page 51. Answ Did the Devill abide in the Truth And did not he go out of it Are not all that go out of the Truth of him Adulterers who begets his own image and is the foundation of adultery Pr. He saith The light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is a naturall light or law page 56. Ans Which light is the end of the Law Christ Jesus before any naturall light was made or created for all things that was made was made by him and he doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world who is the end of the Law Pr. He saith the light will not bring men to salvation page 56. Answ The light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is Christ the salvation to the ends of the earth Pr. He saith again The light is not sufficient to lead men to salvation page 60. And to witnesse Sanctification within and Justification there is to confound justification and sanctification And grace and justification is a created thing and the sight within is meer darknesse which the Quakers speak of See page 61. Ans The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall comprehends all darknesse and leads out of it and there is no occasion of stumbling in it for as many as receives him to them he gives power to become the sons of God And the light is not darknesse but he that saith the light is darknesse is out of the light in the darknesse And Justification and Sanctification within doth not confound it without but is the same that is within as is without And grace is the gift of God and Sanctification both Christ Jesus who was before any creature was created and the grace comes from the Throne Pr. He saith They are the unstablished people that are running after every way of errour that owns the Quakers in these Nations page 62. Ans In that the Nation will witnesse against thee for them that own the Quakers it 's known that they have been the most knowingest seeking people that have been in the Nations and the most sincerest people and none comes out of errour but who comes to the Quakers light which they follow which is Christ Pr. He saith That Christ hath a humane created soule See page 63. Again and the light in the conscience to be Christ is a false Doctrine And the Quakers seeke to bring people from all other teaching but the light within them page 65. Answ The soule of Christ is witnessed But to say it is humane earthly and created when the Scripture doth not teach us that doctrine we cannot own your words nor believe but deny them And Christ is the light in the conscience which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world who was before any creature was which he that receiveth it comes to him to be his Teacher and feels him reign And every man must come to the Light which Christ hath enlightned them withall c. who is the Covenant of God to feel the Law written in their hearts and in their mindes to bring them off all other Teachers whereby they need not teach one another nor to say Know the Lord. Pr. He saith Men may be called of men Master and it is but a cavill to deny it And they may deny to be called
whom the world was made before it was made which light people are to believe in which is not natural which gives to see over the nature before the natural was for the natural lights are the Sun the Moon and Stars which may be seen with a visible eye which Christ the light the Covenant of light to Jewes and Gentiles the salvation to the ends of the earth which doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world that all men through him might believe Here is God no respector of persons he that believeth in the light shall be saved and he that doth not is condemned And he comes to be a Child of light who believes in the light and now shall the world be reproved for not believing in the light and humane learning is that which is earthly and natural that doth not open the heavenly that which reveales the things of God is the Spirit of God beyond all the worlds wisdom For that you call humane learning and humane soul and humane body is earthly not heavenly nor understands them The earth is below so they that are of the earth and they that is from above speak of the things above and so they that are below measure by the earthly wisdom below and so that which gives to understand the heavenly things is the spirit of God and the spiritual wisdom which is not of man nor from man for saith the Apostle neither knowes any man the things of God but the Spirit of God Pr. And the righteousness of Christ by which we are justified he saith is not within us Again the Lord will poure out his Spirit upon all flesh but that is not meant that all should have the spirit for some have not the spirit as in Jude Page 79. He saith he desires God to lighten with a better light then that which lightens every man c. and to lead them out of these grosse delusions See page 80. Answ You that are not justified by that Christ that suffered without manifested within you shall never know Justification if the Justification be not within you are reprobates And the Lord hath fulfilled his promise by pouring out his spirit upon all flesh Sons and Daughters handmaids old men though they quench it And they in Jude prove they had the spirit which went in Balaams Cores and Cains way but they erred from it where you are in the sensual state in the sects and seeing not the promise of the Father pouring out of the spirit upon all flesh Apostatized out of the life the Apostles was in and the Prophets manifest your selves to the whole world And so you that ownes not the Light Christ Jesus that God sent into the world and gave his only begotten Son into the world which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that all through him might believe but thou that desires a better light of God then he to wit Christ shewes thy tempting and Blasphmy For there is no other way to the Father but by Christ the Light of the world that doth enlighten every one c. and he that doth not believe in that light is condemned Pr. He saith And Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that is meant the Church See Post-script Paul and Peter instructed by immediate Revelation which we are not so presumptuous as to expect And he saith Reproaches are cast upon the Ministers because they are not infallible and preach not by immediate inspiration as the Apostles did Post-script Ans You that do not instruct and preach by the same immediate infallible spirit as the Prophets and Apostles was in you be all in an usurped authority out of the spirit run and not sent from God For whom God sends he sends immediately and teacheth he teacheth immediately and they know his infallible spirit And none knows the Scriptures of Truth of you all since the dayes of the Apostles in this night of apostacy but who are in the infallible spirit and immediate which the Propâ—ets and Apostles was in which you from it are gone forth and it is presumption in you to teach without it And so you are not reproached nor the Pope that are the false Prophets and Antichrists that Christ said should come and the Apostle John saw was come that inwardly ravened and have gotten the sheeps cloathing have the forme but deny the power who deny infallibility and the immediate call and the immediate Ministry have denyed the power of God and so keeps people alwayes learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth in the usurped authority which the Apostles stopt and rebuked before his decease And so you do not see the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which Christ faith I am the light of the world not of Saints onely And saith the Prophet I will give him for a Covenant to the Gentiles not a new Covenant to the house of Israel onely and there he was prophecyed of before John came the greatest Prophet who was born of a woman who said This is the true light that doth enlighten every man c. And when Christ was come he said he was the light of the world And whosoever did believe in him should not abide in darknesse but should have the light of life And so since ye ravened from the spirit of God and have onely had the sheeps cloathing ye have brought people upon heaps and Sects and they that be not in the infallible are they that reproach for they be in the reproachfull spirit which the spirit of God never did which was immediate and infallible which the Prophets Christ and the Apostles were in which alwayes judged the reproachers which was from the infallible spirit Pr. And thou saith To the Law and to the Testimony and how that he gave some Apostles for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministry for the edifying of the body till all come into the unity of the faith to the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man to the measure of the stature and fulnesse of Christ Answ Thou and you all that have denyed infallibility and immediate inspiration and teaching have shut your selves out of the Law and Testimony and the work of the Ministry which is for the perfecting of the body and bringing them to the unity of the faith to the knowledge of the Son of God c. For the Law is light that is infallible and immediate The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy that is infallible and immediate And ye may have the Old and New Testament and say that is the Law and Testimony which the Law and Testimony was before Matthew Marke Luke John the Acts the Epistles and the Revelations was written in the days of Isaiah see Isa 8 chap. And that which perfects the Saints is infallible that gift which was given to the Ministry is infallible and immediate that which
edifies the body of Christ is infallible and immediate that which brings to the knowledge of the Son of God is infallible perfect and immediate that which brings to a perfect man to the unity of the faith is infallible and immediate and perfect that which brings to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ is perfect and infallible and immediate And the infallible and immediate you having denyed yee have shut your selves out of the worke of the Ministry in the Apostacy As for the rest of the lyes and slanders in thy Book will be thy own burden which uttereth forth thy own folly and it toucheth not the Saints but falls off like dust they are of no weight And the day is come that tries mens works infallibly what is for the fire and what not Jeremiah Ives His Booke called The Quakers Quaking His Principles follows c. Pr. HE saith Have a care of slighting your watchmen lest the Lord remove them into corners Answ Christ the Teacher is witnessed who is the end of Moses the Prophets the Covenant of God with his people in which people know God if all their Teachers were removed into corners And they that have their Teachers in corners their houses are left desolate from the Covenant of God they are strangers So in this thy ignorance appears of that Teacher that cannot be removed into a corner who is the salvation to the ends of the earâ—h Pr. He saith It is an errour to say the Light within is equall with Scripture and Gods Word Ans Christ within is the Light and he is above Scripture and Gods Word which was before Scriptures was given forth Pr. He saith Is it any more a Nick-name to call a man a Quaker that quakes by the power of God page 3. Answ Yes if the power of God doth make that to quake and tremble that must quake before the salvation be wrought out and man come out of the Fall of Adams state in the transgression in the earth and darknesse corruption and pollution and death he must know the power of God that shakes that which is to be shaken before he knows that raised up that cannot be shaken which the world is ignorant of though they have the form of it And the first nick-namer of the Quakers that ever I heard was a corrupt Justice in the year 1650 whose name was Gervase Bennet in Darby that ever named the people of God with the name of Quakers though the mighty power of the Lord God had been known years before Pr. He saith It is an errour in those men that will allow nothing to be called Gods Word but Christ page 6. Ans Christs name is called the Word of God his name is above every name and over all things he must have the preheminence words and names Yet I say the Scriptures of truth given forth from the spirit of truth are the words of God Gods words which Christ the Word fulfilled by him in whom they end who was before the words was spoken forth Pr. He saith It is an errour to say they are immediately sent of God and to have an immediate call from God to goe out of their Countries to preach the Gospell c. Page 9. Answ Thou and all you that speak or preach or go to people but not by the immediate spirit and a call from God are them that run and the Lord never sent you and you profit not the people at all as all the fruits in the Nation declares upon the house top Therefore are yee wrangling and envying such as are immediately sent from God and left their Callings as the Saints did and Prophets I say none can preach the Gospell upon the earth but who is in the immediate call for the Gospell is the power of God and that is immediate The Prophets Christ and the Apostles which gave forth the Scriptures they all spoke by the immediate spirit of God and all that be not in that they are not able to know the Scriptures as that unsavoury Pearsival saith he hath not the infallible spirit yet he will bawl of the Scripâ—urâ—â— that was given forth from the infallible spirit Though the Devill wandered from â—â—e trâ—th that compasseth the earth though the Pharisees compasse Sea and Land thâ—ugh the false Prophets and Antichrists have gone over Nations Now all these may get Scriptures but be out of the life of them Such makes Proselytes Devils Disciples and Messengers But such as be in the power of God and life that gave forth Scriptures that comprehends and fathoms the world they are in that which the Devils Antichrists false Prophets mother of Harlots and all their proselytes that have Scriptures out of the life they be in that which they are all out of Such are the Quakers therefore doth all the world rage against them who witnesse that which cannot be shaken Pr. He saith It is an Errour to say that every man hath a light within him that wil teach him to worship God aright page 18. Answ Christ the truth who hath preheminence doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which shall make every tongue to confesse him to the glory of God which if they love the light which cometh from Christ the truth who is the life it will teach and direct every man to worship God in the truth in that which untruth is out of So every man having a light sufficient to salvation for it cometh from the salvation Christ the power of God the salvation to the ends of the earth And this light will let every one see the Son of God beyond all externall meanes wisdome knowledge whatsoever It is that which darknesse cannot comprehend this light which John bears witnesse of which is the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which the Jewes and Levites stumbled at which set all Jerusalem up in an uproar as it doth the wisest Priests and Professors in this age And no one upon the earth shall ever know Christ but by the light which he hath enlightned him withall If he have all the Scriptures that speaks of him come already as the Pharisees had that spoke he was to come yet if they hate the light they shall all be snared and stumble and fall and split themselves upon the Rock And such as are now stumbling at the light which every man that cometh into the world is lighted withall are the builders with the words which saith Christ is come as the Pharisees did with the words that said he was to come And so both these builders reject the corner-stone and stumble at the elect stone laid in Sion and none seeth God but with the light they be enlightned withall And all the preaching of the Apostles the substance of it was to bring people to the Covenant of Light both Jewes and Gentiles to whom he was promised And all upon the earth that be from this light that doth enlighten every
his Apostles and his messengers and truth is a top of him and them all and with it are shut out Pr. He saith honour is the expressing of the inward respect that we hear to persons and many Scriptures he brings for bowing and for master pag. 23. and so stumbles at thee and thou Ans Which shewes he never learned his accidence or Bible and is a transgressor of Christs commands who saith be ye not of men called master for ye have one master even Christ and ye are all Brethren and a transgressor of the Law which they that respects persons commits sin and are convinced of the Law as transgressors and reprobate concerning the faith which is held without the respect of persons And though they bowed in the old time several that bowed before the Angels yet Christ is come by whom all things was made the salvation to the ends of the earth to whom powers principalities Thrones and dominions must be subject to whom Angels and Thrones must bow yea things in heaven and things in earth and every tongue confesse him to the glory of God and every knee bow and there people comes into the unity and there they hold the head Pr. He saith the Quakers light teacheth to forsake the Scriptures and set up a spirit in man which will not be examined by Scriptures page 26. Answ This is he which is out of the truth speakes it for the Quakers have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit of God by which they know the things which are freely given of God and know the Scriptures given forth from the spirit of God and with the same spirit the Scriptures is owned again Pr. He saith Paul swore after Christ and the Angells swore page 27. He saith I wonder Paul should so forget himselfe and sin so fearfully in swearing c. So the Quakers light that denies swearing is of Satan and not the light of Christ page 28. Answ Christ the Light which Satan is out of who is the oath of God ends all oaths sworn by Prophets or Angels whatsoever And who swears be fallen into the condemnation of the Devill and it is no where said that the Apostle swore but such as thou art matters not what thou speaks So that spirit that preaches for swearing is not the spirit of Christ but is the spirit of Antichrist preacheth up that which Christ and the Apostles preached down and preached Condemnation to them that did swear Pr. He saith The light in the conscience that takes them from the Law of God is the light of Satan Answ The light Christ in the conscience is the end of the Law for righteousnesse sake And that which keeps men from that which doth end the Law is not the Doctrine of the true Apostles but the false And the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which is the substance leads men off of all types and figures and signes who comes to enjoy him enjoys the end who comes off of all outward Elements as Bread and Wine and such things to the substance it self to look at things that are not seen For things that are seen are temporall but the things that are not seen are eternal Pr. He speaks of a new creature distinct from Christ and saith while we live sin lives And saith I deny that the righteousnesse of Christ whereby a believer is justified doth dwell in him page 36. Answ Is not the new creature in Christ He that is in Christ is a new creature and is not distinct from him and how hast thou divided the word here And Christ is justification sanctification and wisdome and righteousnesse and if he be not within ye ye are Reprobates And where Christ is he is not without righteousnesse Therefore they are not without righteousnesse and wisdome Justification and Sanctification if Christ be within that is within for where he is that is not wanting And the Apostle said they were made free from sin And let not sin have dominion over your mortall bodies minde mortall bodies which sin was not to have dominion over And old things passe away and all things become new Sin is an old thing from the old deceiver So while any sin is standing all things is not made new and sin hath its dominion Pr. He saith He hath not read where a believer dwells in Christs righteousnesse page 37. Answ Every believer that is true is born of God and he that is born of God doth not commit sin And he that dwells in Christ dwels in righteousness and truth is that which sin and the Devill is out of which blots out sin and transgression where the body of it comes to be put off Pr. And the light which teacheth men to say they have no sin is of Satan And saith The Quakers light teacheth them to deny prayer Answ The Apostles light taught them to say they were made free from sin they had put off the body of sin and their sin and transgression was blotted out Little children their sins was forgiven them that walked in the light the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth them from all sin taught them to know the saith that gave them victory over the world that purified their hearts held in a pure conscience And this is the Quakers light which teacheth them the path of the Apostles and it teacheth men to be holy as God as holy and perfect as he is perfect This was the light of Christ and bid them to be as Christ is and said as he is so are we in this present world And the light that guides the Quakers doth not teach them to deny prayer but brings them to pray aright with the spirit and with the understanding which all prayers without it be in the hypocrisie Pr. He saith We acknowledge there is a thousand of perfect men in England as perfect as children tossed too and fro page 40. But he saith I deny that any man hath that perfect knowledge of Christ in this life c. Answ Christ is in you except ye be reprobates And the Scripture speaks of such as had both the Son and the Father And all those children that are tossed too and fro and are carried about with the windy doctrine which hath gotten up in the apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles that are ravened from the spirit of God Such their doctrines are windy and doth not settle nor doth not perfect not doth not bring into the unity of the faith nor the knowledge of the Son of God the faith that gives the victory nor to a perfect man nor to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ which was the work of the true Ministry which was before the Apostacy Nor none comes to the knowledg of Christ but by the light Pr. He saith The Church teacheth to pray without ceasing but you bid stay till the spirit moves us c. Ans The Church prayes not without the spirit which
is the pillar and ground of truth And such as prays without the spirit prays without understanding And they that pray as the spirit doth move them they know what they ought to pray for So every man that cometh into the world being in the light that lighteth every man it will direct him to pray and to pray aright and to aske in the name of Christ who is the way to the Father Prin. He saith The Children of GOD never assumed to themselves an infallible spirit Ans Did not the Apostles say they that had not the spirit of Christ were none of his and was not that infallible And was not all the Scriptures given forth from the spirit of God and is not that infallible Pr. The spirit of Christ is a spirit of wisdome and a rationall spirit The light that brags of an infallible spirit and cannot speake sense nor reason is the spirit of Sathan page 46. Answ The spirit of Christ that was in the Apostles which led them to speak to the world who was in their own wisdom knowledge and understanding It was foolishnesse always judged with that wisdome knowledg and understanding for they ministred to the spirits in prison And Christ the Covenant of God which was promised to come and should say to the prisoners shew your selves forth who was accounted as a mad man by the wise Jewes the Apostles and Prophets likewise was as fooles Was not ever the Saints judged by the world to be by the sense and reason but just like mad men and fools Christ a mad man the Prophets fools and the Apostles mad a babler Who be in the spirit of the Prophets of Christ and the Apostles with this generation are judged the same So is the spirit of the Quakers so tryed and known of all men the witnesse in all mens consciences shall answer them Pr. Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne And they that plow in hope and thresh in hope are made partakers of their hope And we are denyed of our corne and are fain to go to the Magistrate our nursing Fathers And so we thresh halfe a yeare and can get no wages then are we fain to goe to the Magistrate page 47. Answ How can you thresh or plow and have not the infallible spirit Can any get out the Corn the Wheat that hath not the infallible spirit Now we say all them that hath not the infallible spirit cannot get out the corn they may beat the ayr they may get the sheeps cloathing upon their backs and go out and beat the ayre and so when their Gospell will not maintain them then they are fain to flye to the Magistrate and to the hills that must be beaten as chaffe because they cannot live of the Gospel they preach which doth not open the hearts of people doth not get out the seed of God Prin. He saith The Quakers light condemns such as the light of Christ approves And saith Tell us what it is to walke holily as the holy men of God did c. Page 49. Answ Who walke holily walke in the spirit that the holy men did walke in that gave forth the Scriptures which is infallible And none walks holily but who are led with that out of the self-righteousnesse And the light which the Quakers be in is the light with which Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which cometh from Christ and is one with him And no one upon the earth owns Christ but who owns the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which the Quakers are in which thou calls a light from Sathan And they must all come to the Quakers if ever they own the light and if ever they own Christ the way to the Father and come into the power of godlinesse Pr. He saith It is wretchedness to say that Christ hath redeemed them perfectly and now lived in them the Lord of all things by which they are the sons of God page 50. Ans The Scriptures saith he is in all and through all who is God blessed for ever And who are redeemed are they not redeemed into perfection into Christ are not they redeemed perfectly Are not they redeemed out of imperfection And doth not Christ say he will dwell in the Saints who is Lord of all And are not all they in the wretched state that will not have him to reign over them Pr. He saith The Ministers of Christ received the Gospell not by man nor are taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ but we owne no such Revelation as this page 51. Answ We do believe you who are apostatized and ravened from the spirit of God having onely the sheeps cloathing and are the Wolves abroad in the world which if it were possible ye would deceive the very elect But the elect is kept in the arme of Christ ye cannot pluck one of them out of his hands His father and he is greater then all And none knows the Gospel but who knows immediate revelation for the Gospell is the power of God unto salvation and this is immediate And so all you since the dayes of the Apostles are fled from the foundation Christ Jesus that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world in the Apostacy with it you are all seen and fathomed over the world doth the light reach answered with that of God in every one the salvation to the ends of the earth which light cometh to fulfill Scriptures The Apostles were judged deceivers who came to bring the people to the substance the Scriptures spoke of so they were judged deceivers Pr. If the Quakers say that the Ministers have not the spirit that the Prophets and Apostles had then positively we say we have not And if the Quakers say they have it so then I say the Prophets and Apostles had it not page 53. Ans We do believe you that ye have not the same spirit that the Prophets and Apostles and Christ had Therefore doth it make manifest that ye be all on heaps about their words and are fain to run to Schools and Colledges to be made Ministers by men and not by the spirit And the Quakers witnesse the spirit that the Prophets and Apostles and Christ had with which they own their words with which spirit they see you who have gotten their words and makes a trade of them and are all on heaps about them and falls out about Church and Ministers Pr. He saith The infallible spirit did not guide Isaac when he blessed Jacob for he missed the person page 53. Answ God with his eternall spirit did direct Isaac what to do for that stood in his counsell though of that spirit thou have shewed thy ignorance and thy fallibility and thy selfe in whom the Devil is transformed into an Angel of Light which Christ said should come the false Prophets and Deceivers and false Apostles which the Apostles saw was come
which since their dayes they have had the reign over the world But now to that which they ravened from and into the truth the Devill abode not in is the Saints comâ— and the Lamb reigns that is the substance of the Scriptures the end of the Scriptures that hath dominâ—â—â— Glory in the highest for ever And as for all the reviles lyes slanders vilifyings hard expressions in thy Book they will fall upon thy selfe and to thee they will be sad and thou shalt feel every one of thy owne words shall be thy burthen and they shall come home unto thee cramed into thee again for thou must eat thy own dung and drink thy own pisse that comes from thee for all that in thy book is but dung in the day of thy Judgement the witnesse in thee shall answer All along thou hast shewed thy ignorance of the spirit that is poured upon all flesh that 's infallible for whosoever prayes or hath a humility or sings and not by the infallible spirit they sing not with the understanding nor pray not with the understanding And under the Judgement of God thou hast brought thy self and all thy generation Thomas Collier his Booke called a Dialogue between a Minister of the Gospel and an Enquiring Christian In it his Principles are as Followeth Pr. HE saith that the Scriptures is the absolute rule of Saints that are endued with the spirit and faith page 7. Answ Such as were endued with the spirit and faith before the written Scripture was they had a rule and they knew the seed and they knew the promises and they knew Christ more then the Pharisees that had the Scriptures nay more the the Apostates since the dayes of the Apostles that have the Scriptures and the Epistles and Revelations For by faith they saw the glory they was in the Foundation they saw Christ the everlasting Covenant and that is the foundation still Christ Jesus him by whom the world was made before it was made and all that have the Scriptures and have not him they can do nothing And that which ruled the Saints before the Scriptures was written is the Saints rule after the Scriptures is written to know the Scriptures what is written and to know God of whom they learned that gave it forth or writ it with that they know to what state and condition it was spoken And the spirit is the record and he that hath all the Scriptures and wants the true record which is the spirit he cannot know all things Pr. And the Scripture is the New Testament of the Saints rule and the rule of Judgement page 10. Answ The Scriptures given forth from the Spirit of God people knowes not to what state they were spoken but as they come into the spirit that gave them forth And besides the Epistles was written to the Saints in several conditions according to their growth and some of them grew higher then others for some of them the day-star was not risen in their hearts and some of them was children of the Day So that still was the rule that led them to give forth the Epistles and revealed to them the states and conditions of the Saints and to ages and to generations and to Nations and the condition the world was in and should come upon it that was the rule and is the rule by which all these words are seen again and there is the record of the Spirit of God And he that hath found the true record the Spirit of God with that he shall know all the Scriptures and is come within the book where all things are written and which writes all things forth the spirit Pr. He saith the Scriptures is that word which makes the Devils to stand in aw and tremble The written word for after generations by which mens souls are brought to Christ pag. 14 15. again that the Scriptures is the sword of the spirit pag. 16. Answ The Pharisees had the Scriptures which Christ said was of the Devil and was swallowed up in his power and they stood against Christ the life the substance The Devil came with Scriptures who is out of the truth to tempt Christ the Word but the Word the substance of Scriptures hammerd down the devil and Pharisees that had got the Scriptures but were out of the life that gave them forth And they have the sword that have the word of God which was before the Scriptures was given forth and they be in that the Devils be out of So if the Devil and wicked men bring Scriptures they hammer them under and redeem the Scriptures out of their ungodly mouthes And the written word brings no soul to Christ the life but who comes to the life that the written words speak of and so it testifies of him the â—iâ—e that brings them to Christ that gave it forth Pr. God is willing that all should be saved but he worketh not all into a saving condition page 21. He saith it is true there is a spirit and life in the Scriptures pag. 22. Answ The spirit and life is not in the Scriptures but the spirit and life the Scriptures testifies of and the light Christ Jesus the salvation to the ends of the earth doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world with a saving light And the light which every man hath that cometh into the world is saving but many hating the light and not coming to it which hath enlightened them they neglect their salvation and slight their salvation and not believing in it they walk in darkness and come not to the light of life But they that believe in it come to the light of life and abide not in the darkness And the grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared to all men such as turns it into wantonness and walkes despitefully against the spirit of grace ownes it not for their teacher but sets up teachers according to their own lusts so turns against that which brings their salvation and walks despitefully against it and followes their own lusts and tramples upon the Covenant of grace and the blood of the new Covenant And all that see the Bishop of their souls Christ Jesus the Saviour of their souls it is with the light that cometh from him and God wils that all men should be saved Pr. He saith to use Christs name to catch souls when indeed it is but Jugling and to stab him and crucifie him a fresh pag. 42. If Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world c. If this were truth then Christ died in vain and in vain hath Christ spoke of himself saying I am the way the truth the life the light c. pag. 45. Answ Such as do not believe that Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world are such as mentions his name and haters of the light that cometh from him these be in the Jugling state deceivers of souls and people And none sees Christ the one offering but
in the face of Christ Jesus and the light shining in the darkness which the darkness cannoâ—â—â—â—prehend it And no one upon earth ever sees their salvation but with the light â—â—ich cometh from Christ their Saviour who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that all men through the light might believe he that doth not believe in the light is condemned And so he that followes the light shall not walk in darkness and he that followes not the light walks in darkness So with the light thou art comprehended to be a Minister of darkness in the apostacy keeping people from the light And one of the false prophets ravened from the spirit which Christ said should come John saw was come and the world goes after you that tells people the letter is the word and the spirit is in the Scriptures which is contrary to Scripture and them that spoke it forth which said the spirit of God was within them And the Scriptures were words of God and Christ the word comes to fulfill the words who is the word who was before the words was given forth in whom the words ends Pr. The Kingdom of heaven is within you not as Christ is in every one but the Kingdom of heaven is within you or among you Page 29. Answ Christ is within except ye be reprobates yea I say within all Professors is Christ in Christendom Christ is within them all except they be reprobates And if Christ be not within them all they are all reprobates but if Christ be within them all the body is dead and there is Christs reign and his Kingdom and no Babylon nor Antichrist where this is so And the Kingdom of Heaven is within you saith Christ yea in the Pharisees and that is the Kingdom in man that never consents to sin like a grain of mustard-seed like unto leaven that leavens the new lump And he that cometh to know that little Kingdom and receiveth that little Kingdom as a little child it makes the Kingdoms of the world become the Son of Gods Kingdom and knowes that no unrighteousnesse nor ungodlinesse must enter into it Pr. And Christ spake to the multitude when he said be not ye of men called Master and call no man father upon earth and did not bid the Apostles not to be called of men master Answ He spoke this to the multitude and to the Disciples both and said the Scribes and Pharisees was called of men Master who had Scriptures whom he cryed wo against And he said be not you of men called master for ye have all one master even Christ and ye are all Brethren this was Christs Command But all ye Pastors and Ministers Bourn and the rest who are apostatized from the Apostles Doctrine and Christs Doctrine ye trample upon the Commands of Christ It manifests that ye have the form of godliness and denyes the power and are not Brethren past from death to life but are all on heapes about the Scriptures Christs Prophets and Apostles words and making a trade of them for your own self-ends in the Apostacy such as Christ said should come which John saw was come which should inwardly raven which the world is gone after But now with that which ye all ravened from are ye all comprehended And Christ saith call no man father upon earth where Christ is witnessed the seed of God raised up no earthly man is his father nor cannot call no man father upon the earth according to the Command of Christ he that is heire of the promise of the world that hath no end of the second Adam born not by the will of man but he that is of the first Adam is in another state and stands against Christs doctrine and is the Son of Adam in the fall Pr. He saith such as pretend Christ within deny the blood of Christ his righteousness for Justification Answ Who witness Christ within they are not reprobates Justification and Sanctification is possessed the thing that was imputed to the believers Pr. And giving honour to men c. Answ Christ the second Adam receives not honour of men neither doth he respect mens persons his enemies could say so and they that received honour one of another was the Pharisees the great Professors which was a mark of the unbelief which Christ would not receive their honour the second Adam which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world will not receive the honour of men Now he that receiveth the honour is out of the light in the first Adam is out of the power And where humility is which goes before the honour there is no want of honour for he cometh into the power that maketh him honourable in the hearts of all people answering the humble principle in every one a terrour to the evil doer and here Magistrates that fears God attain the honour that is without the respect of Persons in the humility answering with the higher power the just principle in every man so come they to be honoured in the hearts of all people in the sight of God and a praise of them that do well which he that respects persons transgresseth the Law and commits sin and is convinced of the Law as a trangressor he that respects persons is out of the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ which purifies the heart which is held in the pure conscience and gives victory over the world which who are of faith are of Abraham And so for all thy lies and slanders and reviles and unsavoury and bad expressions which are loathsome before all sober people and stincks who hath published thy shame to the Nation in Print it shall cover thy self and be thy own garment and every word be thy own burthen and lay a weight upon thee in the day of thy misery and calamity and in the day of thy Judgement when thy works are tryed in the fire the witness in thy conscience shall me answer Gifford who is chief Priest at Bedford his Principle He said openly That faith was not perfect c. Ans Faith is holy and the gift of God and purifies and justifies and is a mystery in which is the unity by which God is pleased and this is perfect being the gift of God and from this he hath shewed his reprobation and his ignorance Thomas Moore in his Booke called A defence against the poison of Satans Designe These are his Principles Following Pr. HE saith Christ Jesus is personally absent from a believer And Christ is in and to our hearts the hope but not the possession nor do we possesse the glory Again he saith The grace of God which brings salvation to all men instructs them not to look into themselves or to any light or spirit in them Pag. 5. Answ Christ in you the hope of glory saith the Apostle And if the Saints sate with him in heavenly places they are not absent from him And if he say I in them and they in me so not
absent from them And the Son of God was revealed in the Saints And he that hath not the Son of God hath not life such may say they are absent from him But such as have him revealed have life and he is not absent And such as be absent from him have not eaten his flesh nor drunken his blood and so are not of his flesh nor of his bone And they may talk of him and say he is come as the Jewes did that he was to come and he not in them and so reprobates And the grace of God that brings salvation which hath appeared unto all men which is the Saints teacher whose hearts are stablished with grace this is within them which brings them to know the hidden man of the heart and a strength in the inward and comes to look at the light within them agreeable to the Apostles Doctrine who said the light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And such as have Christ in them have the possession have the substance have the glory which was with the Father before the world began Pr. He saith there is none here hath yet ceased from their own works as God did from his pag. 9. And the Apostles received the last Revelation to be given forth immediately And such as slight the word and call it a dead letter and brings people to the light within them a spirit within them this is a strange doctrine And if there be not something to be added and given forth by men and another manner of Preaching then by the Apostles what need is there of Printing c. Page 15. Ans He that believes hath entered into his rest and ceased from his own works as God did from his And since the dayes of the Apostles there hath got up another Ministry by man of man made by man which is not as the Apostles who received it not of man nor by man And these stands against the light within and the spirit of God within which none knowes true teaching nor true instruction nor opening of the Scriptures but as they come every one to the spirit of God in them as was in them that gave forth Scriptures And who be here have the thing within them as they had that gave forth the Scriptures enjoying and possessing it And these Fathomes the Apostates out of the Apostles Doctrine and witnesse the Preaching as the Apostles was in which all they since the dayes of the Apostles that ravened from the Spirit of God be out of and this doth not deny the Scriptures but sees them all in their place and to what condition they were spoken And the letter is a dead letter of it self and gives not life to any but who comes to the Spirit of God in their own perticulars as was in them that gave it forth For the Jewes had not life though they had Scriptures until they came to Christ which the Scripture testified of Pr. He saith Christ is not natural Answ Yet some of ye say he is humane And as for thy speaking of his mortality ye speak ye do not know what Christ is the same to day yesterday and for ever Pr. He saith It is the Apostles sence of them that served their bellies they pretended to an inward light and this is the Apostles sence of belly who did cause divisions contrary to the Doctrine they had learned and here their belly maybe understood their minde heart and spirits or also their experience of these inward c. To rejoyce in any thing under the Sun is opposite to the Apostles who had their conversation in heaven Page 42. Answ None comes to witness their conversation in heaven but who is come to witnesse Christ within them the substance the second Adam who redeemes out of the earth and the Apostle which brought the Saints to the light that shined in their hearts c. this was not a serving of Bellies that walked in the light that light shining in them and believing in the light Christ out of whose belly flowed rivers of living waters and such made not divisions but were in unity in the light and fellowship But those were they that made the divisions that inwardly ravened and went from the light which Christ had enligtened them withall and such went from that which should give them the knowledge and enjoyed the earthly things and served not the Lord Jesus Christ that be out of the light which comes from him but their own bellies And they act contrary to the Apostles Doctrine and rejoyceth in things under the Sun which who doth serves their bellies Pr. He saith yea when enlightened by that heavenly light even from Jesus yet they are of themselves deceitful c. pag. 44. And the light is something else besides the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus Page 45. Answ The light which every man is enlightened withall c. is not deceitfull but leads men out of all deceit And it is of God that gives them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God c. and it is one and the same that le ts see to the begiâ—ning and ending which comes from the beginning Pr. He saith That none may expect to receive the word immediately from Christ as the Apostles but mediately Page 46. Ans Such as receive not the word of God immediately from Christ as the Apostles did they are not Preachers of the living word that lives and abides for ever And we do believe you that since the dayes of the Apostles ye have not received the word immediately from Christ as the Apostles did but are onely Ministers of the letter And such were they in all ages that closed their eyes and stopt their ears and inwardly ravened from the spirit That marred the face of Christ above all men who was the spiritual Sodom and Egypt where Christ is crucified These got Scriptures but were from the spirit of God within that gave them forth and such was the hypocrites that Judged all wayes the spirit of God that gave foâ—th the Scriptures â—nd shut out of the Kingdom in which spirit now ye are found in these last dayes Pr. He saith That Christ ascended without material blood and the Apostle dâ—â—â—â—t Preach both the word and faith in the heart pag. 50. and that the new Jerusalem is 〈◊〉 come down from heaven pag. 51. and a brief discovery of the wolves in sheepes skins c. Page 57. Answ The blood of Christ which satisfies the Father which the Saints â—â—ink and his flesh which they eate which in so doing have life is that which the world stumble at which who drinkes it lives for ever And the Apostle Preached the word of faith in their hearâ—â— and in their mouthes and the word reconciles to the Father and hammers down â—â—d cuts down and burns that which separates from
the Father and over it gives victory And the word material the Apostle doth not call it so but precious and Jerusalem is come down from heaven and witnessed among the Saints heavenly Jerusalem and the Babes knowes their mother And who are in Christ and Christ in them see it possesseth it But all such as are against the light within which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world are the Antichrists the false prophets the wolves which have gotten the sheepes cloaâ—â—ing which may deceive the world but not the elect as thy book hath declared â—hee And such Christ said should come and John saw was come and since the dayes of the Apostles the world hath gone after them And they inwardly ravened from the light and so have gotten the Kingdoms of the earth into a profession and form which are now standing against the Light within and gathering against the Lamb and the Saints that are in the light and is the light which they ravened from making War against them but the Lamb and the Saints shall get the victory Pr. He saith And the righteousness of God wrought by Christ for us which need not to be wrought over again in us pag 58. And that Christ our Justification should be in us that dyed and suffered that ascended this he cals a fancy to fancy him in a particuler person Page 59. Answ Whosoever hath not Christ within are Reprobates and whosoever hath Christ within hath the righteousness Now Christ that suffered Christ that was offered up is manifest within and the Saints are of his flesh and of his bone and eat his flesh and drink his blood and not another The Christ that ended the Priesthood ended the offering ended the Temple ended the Law and the first Covenant the seed of God Christ Jesus this manifest within he that hath him hath life Justification Sanctification and Redemption And so Christ the same to day yesterday and for ever who is the hope and the Author of their faith And so all be in the fancy that be out of the state of witnessing Christ that suffered within them and rose again and who be in this they be out of the fancy and shadowes and comes to see where there is no changing but possesseth righteousness glory substance the end of their faith and Christ their hope that remains that abides Pr. He saith There is something of God in man that will render the light which the Quakers speakes of natural Page 67. Answ That which is of God in man captivated viz. life and immortality who are not come to the light will not render the light when he cometh to it through the Gospel naturall which the darknesse now cannot comprehend though in it it shines and that of God in man will not call Christ the light naturall which the Quakers speaks of Pr. He saith Yee may remember in the last times false Christs and false Prophets shall arise and shall bring in damnable heresies c. and will shew signes and wonders and if it were possible they would deceive the very Elect. And such as follow strong delusions and believe lyes and be damned who obey not the Truth nor receive it in the love of it page 68. Answ Christ said false Prophets should come Antichrists should come with signes and wonders which the Apostles saw was come which inwardly ravened and went forth from them which since the dayes of the Apostles they have got the sheeps cloathing and the world is gone after them and have deceived the world by their lying signes and wonders and have brought them to be all on heaps about Religion And the damnable heresie and the lying signes and wonders and strange delusions yee may look into the whole Christendome among your selves and your own stock of Papists For none obeys the Truth but who owns the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which cometh from Christ the truth and all false Prophets are from that and all Antichrists are from that which hath reigned since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy and inwardly ravened have gotten the sheeps cloathing which have made war against the Saints and overcome them but now to that which they ravened from are the Saints come And the woman hath been in the wilderness and the man-child is brought forth to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron And all such now that inwardly ravened from the Light are standing up against the Lamb and the Saints But the Lamb and the Saints have the victory and the rejâ—ycing over the Beast and false Prophet is come who kills and slayes with the sword which is the words of his mouth And the Saints which are with him their weapons are spiritual And none lifts up the Son of God as the Serpent was lifted up in the Wildernesse but as every one is in the Light that the Son of God hath enlightned him withall and then they know him that draws all men after him Thomas Moor In his Booke called An Antidote c. Are these Principles following Pr. HE saith God doth not give the Revelation of these things now immediately as he did by the first Apostles nor in such manner as he did to the Prophets of old See his Epistle Answ All that have the Scriptures and are Ministers and not by the same power and spirit as the Apostles was in knows not the Scriptures and all who be in it are in the immediate and in that which reveals and in that which fathoms all the Ministers of the Letter who saith God doth not give forth now immediately as he did to the Prophets and Apostles Since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy such as have ravened inwardly from the spirit of God the time of Antichrist Beast and false Prophets reign and the mother of Harlots who have had the sheeps cloathing such immediate Revelation hath been hid from them and such should continue untill the words of God was fulfilled and the fulfilling of the Prophets But now is the fulfilling of the words of God and that come into which the Prophets and Apostles was in with which that is seen and known and him that hath been slain from the foundation of the world Pr. He saith To looke to the Light within that is in opposition to looking at Jesus That the light in every man is naturall And if yee turne your eye inward ye shall presently see their mover and teacher and this he calls foolish and Antichristian And saith That no man hath in him as of him that light spirit and wisdome in the inward parts See his Epistle Answ All upon the earth that ever comes to the knowledge of the glory of God they come to the light in them which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which light was before any naturall lights was made or created which light gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and
Christ come in the flesh and say the light within them is Christ when at the best it is but the light of nature And this is the spirit of errour and darknesse and their light is become darkness See page 63 64. 68. Ans The light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is Christ and none can confesse him in Truth nor see him nor lift him up as the Serpent was lifted up in the Wildernesse but who be in the Light which cometh from him And by this thou hast overthrown thy self for them that confesse the light in them to be Christ which Christ saith he is the light these doth not deny Christ come in the flesh And the Devill may confesse the Son of God and the Jewes may confesse him he is come as the Apostates confesse him he is come But none of all these knows him in the flesh confesse him come in the flesh or knows his flesh or the flesh of the Son of Man but who be in the Light that comes from him that doth enlighten every man c. which light was before any naturall created lights was made glorified with the father before the world began and in the light walking it leads into the day where there is no night which light is Christ the Covenant of God and such here cometh to know darknesse past Now I say neither Apostates nor Jewes whose cares were stopt eyes closed to that of God in them and the Apostates that are inwardly ravened having sheeps cloathing which are Babylon which are the Harlot who ravened inwardly from the spirit of God brought the world after them which was the mother of them all None of all these can confesse Christ come in the flesh but onely from the Letter for these knows not his flesh the Devill is out of the truth and truth is a top of him The Jewes eyes must be opened and their eares unstopt before they know his flesh The Apostates must come all to that which they have ravened from inwardly before they come to know Christs flesh and are of his flesh and eate his flesh and confesse that Christ come in the flesh who is the offering and the sacrifice of the whole world that makes the peace between God and man and perfects for ever them that are sanctified The top-stone layd a top of all sin and transgression Death Hell and Grave bruised the Serpents head Here is no Babylon nor here is no Antichrist and this the Quakers confesse with the Light within them And all upon the earth are Antichrists and knows not Christ not Christ come in the flesh that be from the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and owns not that but denies it And all Sects Bishops mother of Harlots Antichrists Popes Cardinals and Clergy Babylon Romish Whore which is gotten up since the dayes of the Apostle inwardly ravened having had the sheepes cloathing they are not like none of these that are ravened to own the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And so Babylon and so Harlots and so waters and so from the Rock Pr. And he saith the Whore will confesse Christ come in the flesh Satan transforming himself into an Angel of light he maketh the fountain of waters bitter the sweet promises the water of life which maker glad the City of God like wormwood and changeth the taste of them Page 72 74. Answ Antichrist the mother of harlots false prophets which went forth from the Apostles as in Johns Epistle These will confesse Christ come in the flesh as ye do and all Sects upon the earth else ye could not deceive the Nations but as ye get the sheepes cloathing So ye have brought the Nations tongues people Languages and multitudes to be like waters But these are the waters which now begins to grow bitter for neither the Devil nor Antichrist nor false prophets nor mother of harlots who are gone from the Truth and are inwardly ravened though they may have the sheeps cloathing they cannot touch the waters of life nor the fountain to make them waters better that makes glad the City of God For ye that inwardly ravened which got the sheepes cloathing are as the Devil which went out of the Truth get Scriptures and their confession of Christ is as his is which since the dayes of the Apostles the world hath been after them The inwardly raveners have gotten the Scriptures who are out of the Truth which the Devil who is out of the Truth the deceivers of the Nations And there the beast false prophets Antichrist mother of Harlots deceivers man of sin Devils messengers and Ministers damnable Heresies their tongues are waters their peoples are waters their Nations waters and multitudes waters all on heapes about Scriptures destroying one another about the prophets words the Apostles words Christs words Ministers maintenance Now the Devil the Beast false prophets and Antichrist is taken and mother of Harlots and cast in the Lake of fire and Babylon confounded and the everlasting Gospel shall be Preached to every Nation kindred tongue and people And as for all the rest of the stuffe in thy book thy pack of confusion Babylons children it will fall heavy upon thy self and be thy own burthen and presse thee under which in the day of thy Judgement thou shalt remember that I am a friend to all soules There is neither Jewes that professeth a Christ was to come nor Christians that professeth a Christ is come nor none upon the earth though ye have all the Scriptures knowes the flesh of Christ but who ownes the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world For the Jewes knew not the flesh of Christ though they had Scriptures but crucified him whose ears were stopt and eyes closed to that of God in them the Gentiles knew not the flesh of Christ who was astray from the life of God neither do those called Christians know the flesh of Christ who are inwardly ravened from the spirit of God in them though they have gotten all the sheepes clothing and talk Christ is come and died at Jerusalem as the Jewes could say of him to come and to be born at Bethlehem yet they could not confesse him come in the flesh nor did not know his flesh no more do these Christians know his flesh though they have all the form of godliness But who cometh to the seed Christ himself they know it in them then they shall know the one offering a top of all the worlds Sects for the sins of the whole world which none knowes the flesh of Christ nor Christ nor as God was in Christ but as every one comes to the light with which they are enlightened which who hate it knowes him not but it is your condemnation and that ye shall all feel at last So the one offering which is Christ is set over the whole world and his flesh the world knowes not nor
minded earthly things But how can ye reprove these things and live in the things your selves one to reprove another and be in the same thing himself this will stinck among all sober men and set you all on heapes among one another as ye are So how can ye or they know any thing of the foundamentals of Religion or salvation or your people either that deny the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Christ Jesus the foundation of God the wisdom of God the end of the Prophets and the Law types figures and shadowes ye have denyed the very key that opens to it Therefore ye all come short of the glory of God and Teachers and people are all fallen into ignorance since the dayes of the Apostles in the Apostacy but now Christ is come and coming to reign Pr. They say upon the sad experience of mens ignorance we have been brought to consideration of our neglect c. And our hearts have been brought low to think how we have wronged Christ least God should require your blood at our hands Pag. 19 Ans Repent repent for ye have long deceived the people and the blood will lie upon you and the blood of many that hath been shed in the Nation and have dyed in prison and whipt and stockt and beat through your means the blood lies upon you all Repent the Judgement of the great whore is come The Magistrates begin to see you and you shall not ride upon them And your ignorance and all your hearers you may well cry out of them Repent and come to the light which Christ Jesus hath enlightened every one withall that comes into the world to give you the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus out of the ignorance which none cometh to the light of the knowledge of the glory of God c. but who comes to the light that shines in their hearts yea in darkness Christ hath enlightened them withall Where it shineth out of darkness it gives them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And all are ignorant who are from the light and wrongs Christ and you have all wronged him that have denyed the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world who are inwardly ravened from it and have had the sheepes cloathing and so have kept people in ignorance blindness and darkness But now the true light shines the day of glory is dawning Christ and the Saints is reigning and have the Kindom glory to the Lord for ever Pr. They say Alas that any reasonable soul should be so bruitish most of their lives is spent in ignorance and worldliness living in the flesh c. Page 24. Ans Here is the fruits of your Ministry Are not ye ashamed to manifest your fruits thus now to the whole Nation Is this like a vineyard that your people that you have taken maintenance of and the Magistrates that they should give you maintenance all this time and your people spend most of their lives in ignorance worldliness and the flesh Is this like the fruits of the Ministers of Christ or the fruits of the false prophets that have not profited the people at all Did not the Apostles keep them from them that bewitched them and would have brought them into the flesh And ministred to the spirit got out the wheat and the corn And are not you ashamed to publish such a thing to the Nation you 58. Ministers To say a reasonable soul should be so bruitish can that which is reasonable be brutish that which is bruitish Warrs against the soul But this is but to discover your Ministry and what ye minister to and that the soul ye are ignorant of it Pr. They say Is it not pity that God should have any reasonable Creature that knowes not his maker or his Lawes or his own happiness Is it not pity that after all that Christ hath done and suffered for the world that any that calls themselves Disciples should so little know him and the salvation and should set so light by him Pag. 26. Answ In this you all Pastors and Teachers have shewed your work what doth not the creatures yet know their Maker what are they heathen yet what do not the creature yet know Gods Lawes what worse then the Jewes heathen and them that call themselves the disciples of Christ and Christians so little know him after Christ hath suffered for them what hath been your work all this while what have ye been doing what have ye had wages for that they so little know him that hath suffered for them and their salvation and should set so light by him how can they prize him or see any light from Christ when ye keep them from the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which none seeth salvation but with it and by it and none seeth Christ that suffered but with it and by it and none cometh to see and know Christs end and the end of Gods Law and prize him and set much by him but by the light And doth not reasonable creatures know the Law of God Are not reasonable creatures in the faith are not the unreasonable out of the faith now that knowes not their Maker nor his Law nor little of the suffering of Christ or their own happiness and little know their salvation and set light by Christ Are not all these your fruits Are not all these your hearers that ye complain of to the Nation Have not ye now discovered your selves in this that have the form of godliness but denyes the power that keepes people alwayes learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth But such as be led away by with diverse lusts and laden with sins And now are ye complaining that your people serves the lust of the flesh and the earth not knowing their Maker nor knowing his Lawes nor their salvation and setting light by Christ this ye may complain of with shame who are such as crept into houses before the Apostles decease and since ye have gone over the world But now ye are discovered with that which gives to see the end of the Apostacy and Apostates which gives to see before the world was made Prin. They say if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost whom the God of this world hath blinded their minds of them that believe not least the light of the glorious Gospel should shine unto them who is the image of God And the people perish when visions fail c. Page 28. Answ Who believes not in the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world the God of the World blinds their mindes Every one that cometh into the world is enlightned that through the light they might believe And every one that believeth in the light hath the witnesse in himselfe and abides
works in us are not to be joyned with our faith in Christs works for that brings into the wildernesse page 131. And to say that men are justified no farther then they are sanctified is to deny Protestant doctrine c. Answ Men are justified by the believing and in the faith and by the faith and in believing they overcome and have victory and there is Mortification and Sanctification and Redemption and Justification all possessed together in the one which is Christ and this to the particular satisfaction And all Protestants or whatsoever that have a Justification and Sanctification and they in the unmortified state unsanctified they are out of the faith that purifies out of the belief that is born of God who hath past from death to life and so is out of the substance that justifies and is without Christ and so are reprobates but where Christ is within there is Justification Sanctification and Redemption And they are they that blaspheme the Tabernacle of God and them that dwell in Heaven that call good evill and evill good and leads into snares and into the wildernesse that go about to confound the Justification but split themselves upon the Rock that denies the Light and Christ is the offering for the sin of the whole world who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that all men might believe in him the offering and they are justified in him from all things which the Law could not do And here is the Covenant of God to the Jewes and Gentiles the light of the Gentiles the glory of Israel the new covenant to the Jewes the Law in the heart and in the minde by which the people should not need to say Know the Lord for all should know him from the least to the greatest the salvation to the ends of the earth where the way of redemption is the way for the ransomed to walke in in which the fools shall not erre in it in which way there is no wildernesse nor slippery places but the path of life the way of the Just and of holinesse and the way of Sanctification and the way of Redemption and Justification Pr. He saith Christ was a sinner by imputation page 132. A. The Scripture doth not speak such kind of words but that he knew no sin no guile was found in his mouth A Lamb without spot or blemish though it pleased the Father to lay the iniquity upon him by his stripes we are healed And by the one offering perfected for ever them that are sanctified made himselfe an offering for the sins of the whole world who breaks down the partition wall bewixt Jewes and Gentiles slayes the enmity among men reconciles in one unto the Father by his body his death upon the Crosse Of his body are all the Professors Protestants Papists upon the earth ignorant of this seed that breaks the enmity therefore be all in the enmity one among another having sheeps cloathing but the sheep in you is not put forth but the Wolfe is ravening abroad against the sheep tearing them where the seed is risen Pr. He that throws off imputed righteousnesse may go shift for his justification where he can get it and Christ shall profit him nothing though he be in faith or love and self-denyall page 133 And it is not the work of Christ in us that justifies and reconciles our persons I can detect this for an errour that Christs works in us is that which justifies our persons before God page 134. Answ Christ works in us Faith and is the Author of it and by faith is every one justified in the blood of the seed the flesh of Christ the Lord from heaven shed for the sins of the whole world And this faith in this blood of the seed not of the first Adam nor the Beasts but the blood of the seed Christ the precious blood which is the life of Saints and his flesh which is the food of Saints which whosoever eats it and drinks it hath life in the Son of God and lives in him as he lives in the Father And this is wrought within and no one knows it but as it is wrought within by the faith in the blood of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world the great sacrifice for the sin of the whole world overthrew Death and Hell bruised the Serpents head Devill and sinne the sacrifice for the whole world the blood shed upon the Crosse for the sins of the whole world The blood of the seed which is the life that cleanseth and this blood is felt within for it purgeth the conscience from dead works to serve the living God And here is the great mystery of God and the wisdome of God which covers all the wisdome of the earth the knowledge and the wisdome of the understanding ones of the earth The seed and the blood of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world which sacrificed and offered up the body prepared who fulfilled all types figures offerings ends them and all other bloods whom Death and Grave could not hold dead raised again set at the right hand of God manifest in the Saints and in the midst of his Church singing praise was dead and is alive and lives for evermore manifest in the Saints And he that hath him hath life and he that hath not him hath not life And whosoever witnesseth Christ within they witnesse the end of Imputation they witnesse the thing it selfe the end of their belief and they possess the sanctification and such comes to know faith and love And such as may have all the Scriptures and preach of Justification and Sanctification without them and not within them be as the Jewes be as the Witches and Reprobates They are reprobate that witnesseth not Christ within them nor Sanctification there nor Justification there and so witnesseth not faith and love nor the faith that works by love and they be in the errour and shifts thou talks of and Babylonish and none comes to witnesse the reconciliation but who witnesse Christ within So out of Justification and Sanctification there if he be not within they cannot witnesse reconciliation If they be not believers in the Light of Christ they cannot witnesse justification but condemnation Bâ—t in the light in Christ Christ received in them justification sanctification reconciliation is received Christ Jesus the Light that which reconciles to the Father Pr. He saith The body of sin is the naturall body consisting of flesh and blood and bones and the living soule is immortall page 140. And sin will dwell in the house untill the house be pluckt down over its head which is the naturall body And there is not one Saint that is absolute free from the in-dwelling and working power of sin page 140. To plead for Perfection is inherent holinesse and to serve under Antichrists colours and to make voyd the suffering of Christ He that holds the Saints perfectly fulfilling all the Law in all
wayes also pag. 211. And the Quakers think it a lie against God to say the spirit is in the Letter and Scripture and is given by it and makes a jangling about immediate teaching Page 222. Answ There is no one is furnished for the work of the Ministry of God but who is in the immediate Spirit of God which is to Minister to the Spirit And there is no one made a Minister of God by the mediate but by the immediate For who hath the spirit of God the spirit of wisdom and understanding to sing in the spirit or pray in the spirit it is immediate And all that be out of that be in the earthly sensual and Devillish perishing knowledge and that understanding must come to nought and wisdom must be confounded and as for the word Function it is thy own and must come to nought And the spirit is immediate that led the Saints to give forth Scripture And the spirit is not in the letter but it was in them that gave it forth And them that have not the spirit in them that was in them that gave it forth and are disobedient to that are them that say the spirit is in the letter And such say that the teachings immediate is jangling that be from the spirit that is immediate ravened from it in their own particulars such are never like to beget to God but are the Ministers of the letter not of the spirit and by that which the Devil and they are out of are they comprehended who be in the jangling and in the lie Pr. He saith Christ took up a Bible and Preached on a text And as for uses points tryals and motives you must go to Titus 3.16 Answ Christ who came to fulfill took the book and read and said it was fulfilled He did not take a Text as you do and lay half a year in it as some of you and have ten shillings a day for your pains or more or lesse but he said it was fulfilled And that place in Titus there is no word of motives nor points nor tryals nor uses as you pretend though he who was in the faith did study to divide the word aright in whom was the gift of God which was perfect This is not like your divination of your brain for money which ye sell weekly nor your taking a text and laying half a year in it And thou hath shewed your selves to be the novices Pr. He saith Though the righteousness be wrought in us by the strength of Christ and be found in us that are sanctified yet as to Justification of a person Paul would not be found in it for a world pâ—ge 229. Answ The righteousness of Christ fulfilled in us and be found in the righteousness of Christ that was the thing the Apostle strove after not in his own righteousness in that which ended the Law And that righteousness which is wrought in us by the strength of Christ is Christs where sanctification is witnessed this is Christs who is the end of the Law and in this was the Apostle found and stood for which was out of the world Pr. And honour all men And the fifth Commandment he brings for bowing the knee and he saith putting off the hat is but a token of respect Page 234. Answ Honour all men that is to have all men in esteem all men are had in esteem for Christ hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world that they might all through this light believe and he that doth not is condemned and that will bring all men to seek the honour that comes from above that love it but if they hate the light they seek the honour that is below that is of the first Adam in the transgression and that 's the hat But Christ the light that doth enlighten every man c. receives not honour of men and the light of Christ which every man hath c. will not receive the honour of men Now he that receives the honour of men is of the first Adam from the light in the transgression Earthly Adam looks for honour of the earth these are the marks of an unbeliever And the fifth Commandement doth not speak of bowing the knee And Jacobs bowing and Davids bowing to Saul c. There is a time the elder must serve the younger And Joseph and Abrahams bowing before the heathen and the rest of bowings which thou speaks of in the Scriptures the old Testament Christ is come to whom every knee must bow and tongue confesse to the glory of God and not the Angels bowed down to nor worshipped So ye have shewed whose Ministers ye are of that are crying up bending and bowing the knee is not this like kissing of Baal and bowing the knee to Baal Now Christ is come to whom every knee must bow down to him And as for Master ye have thrown your selves into that transgression for Christ saith Be not yee of men called master for yee have one master even Christ and ye are all brethren and excluded your selves from among the brethren Pr. He saith Swearing is a part of Gods worship pag. 235. And Christ was far from overthrowing the worship of God And it was the formall part of an oath when the Apostle Paul said God was his witness pag. 238. Answ Christ who said God was a spirit and would be worshipped in spirit and in the truth said swear not at all who was the oath of God that ended oaths but said in all your communication let your yea be yea and nay nay for whatsoever is more cometh of evill And the Apostle was so far from swearing who in the doctrine of Christ abode as he saith above all things my brethren swear not at all not by heaven nor by the earth nor by any other oath Neither did any of the Apostles though men that were in strife swore and their oath ended the strife among them and they swore by the greater that is the true oath But Christ in whom is the peace the covenant of peace where soules comes to be one and hearts one who are the true brethren in him are in the oath of God the end of all oaths For God when he could not finde a greater swore by himselfe that did not change concerning of his Covenant with men that doth not change in which men come to have peace with God And so men swear by the greater whose oath ends their strife and controversie But God could not finde a greater swore by himselfe concerning of his Son the Covenant of God which ends the strife among men and between God and man and is the peace on earth and good will towards men Now the swearing of the Angels the swearing of the Priests the swearing of Jacob and Joseph and David and Solomon Christ is the end of all these the oath of God in which their faith stood and to which all the Angels must bend and bow to him that saith sweare not at all
forth the Scriptures are such as follows their own spirits and useth their tongues and gets the good words the sheeps cloathing deceives the hearts of the simple and tels them the Spirit is in the Letter which never did none of the experienced Saints say the spirit dwelt in the Letter But did conclude the spirit dwelt in their hearts the faith in their hearts the light in their hearts the word in their hearts the anointing within them God dwelt within them Christ within them the Law in their hearts the witnesse within them the ingrafted word that saved their soules the gift within the hidden man in the heart strength in the inward man the holy Ghost moved them the spirit of the Father spoke in them this led them to speak forth Scriptures And these never said the spirit was in the Letter as all the filthy dreamers say who are in the sensuall separation from the spirit of God and in Cains Cores and Balaams way turning the grace of God into wantonnesse ravened from the spirit of God inwardly but wolves in sheeps cloathing These are such as have got the good words but deceives the hearts of the simple makes a trade of them tells people the Spirit is in the Letter and that is them that ravened from the spirit of God in their own particulars and so they deceive people and keep them from the spirit of God in their particulars But the spirit that gave forth Scriptures is witnessed by which that is known they cannot deceive any longer who are reprobates concerning the faith which crept into houses before the Apostles decease which have kept people always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth led away with divers lusts So have kept people in spirituall Aegypt and Sodome and Gomorrah and have been guarded with Magistrates and powers of the earth all over the world But now is the Light breaking forth and shining that ye are all discovered And so they have set up other Gospels and lost the Faith that tels people the Spirit is in the Letter when the spirit and the faith was in them that gave it forth and is to be in all them that knows it again and knows God the giver of it Pr. He saith He that is borne of the Spirit is borne of the holy Word written page 257. Answ He that is borne of the spirit is borne of that which gave forth the Scriptures of the Word which was before the Scriptures was given forth which lets them see the end of the words so cometh to dwell in God of whom they learned that gave forth Scriptures Pr. He saith If setting the Scripture in the heart of every man be nothing else but telling people they have a light of conscience within them and stirring up that light which every man hath that cometh into the world They delude poor people who never heard that light called Scripture before page 257. Answ Them that never heard the Scripture outwardly the light that every man hath that cometh into the world being turned to it with that they will see Christ with that they will know Scripture with that they will be led out of all delusion come into covenant with God with which they will come to worship God in the spirit and serve him and that is more then conscience Pr. He saith The light which John speaks of which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is a dim light and it is a piece of the mystery of Iniquity as subtile as any Antichrist to say that the light shines in the darknesse and shineth out of darknesse the light of Christ for salvation page 261 262. He saith Christ in you the light in every man is a poor base beggerly scrap Page 264. Answ And the ligâ—t which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is Christ the substance the righteousnesse of God and not beggerly but all the beggarly they be out of the light and it is not dim but all be in the dim that be out of him the Light that with which he hath enlightned them And all be in the mystery of iniquity and are Antichrists that seeth not the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world where it shines and where it shineth out of the darknesse This the true Ministers who be in the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures Ministers of Christ within witnessed and saw And John was not antichrist nor Paul who said Light shined in darknesse and who said light shined out of darknesse and who said this was the true light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world Now ye are all ignorant of the Prophets before John who said I will give him for a Covenant for a light unto the Gentiles and a new Covenant to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah mark here was every man and John the greatest Prophet born of a woman saith this is the true light that lighteth every one c. Christ Jesus him by whom the world was made before it was made in whom is life and the life was the light of men and the light shined in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not Pr. The law written in every mans heart doth not condemn all sin nor the branches of it not originall sin nor unbelief pag. 266. He saith To say that every man in his first state is naturall and every man in his first state is as a beast is a contradiction And I every where deny the naturall light of every man but I deny the highest degree of light to be here attainable And the Saints light is not to be seen while we are under the Sun And he saith he knows he is more brutish then a man and hath not the knowledge of the holy pag. 272. And the light that shineth in the Scriptures I professe my selfe to know nothing the least degree of it is above the highest degree of the light that every one that cometh into the world is enlightned withal pag. 273. Answ The light which every one that cometh into the world is enlightned withall was before degreâ—s and ends degrees and is not natural for it was before the naturall was made or created and this bears not witnesse against the naturall the Sun Moon and Stars but ownes them in their places And the light which every one that cometh into the world is enlightned withall which comes from Christ the Son they not believing in it it is their condemnation And that which doth make manifest sin is light and doth reprove is light yea all sin branches and roots and originall and unbelief that which doth make it manifest is light and where this light is that makes all this manifest there is the law in the heart and new Covenant written the law and the spirit of life that makes free from the law of sin and death And the light which every man is enlightned withall they
mouth goes the unclean spirit But that is stirr'd and stirring and rising in people which ye all ravened from and went from with which ye are all comprehended And the judgement of the great Whore is come and her garments shall be plucked off and that which ye all ravened from high and low shall answer the judgement and it is set a top of you all For such as ravened from the spirit of God inwardly got the sheeps cloathing but turned against the Saints and the woman fled into the wildernesse but now the Lamb and the Saints shall get the victory Though now the Beast and false Prophets and mother of Harlots and the Devill and the Kings of the Earthâ—â—ake war against him He that was dead is alive and lives for evermore The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world who rides on conquering and to conquer who slayes with the sword and kills with the sword which is the words of his mouth Now wo to the Dragon and false Prophets Beast and mother of Harlots and them that worship the Beast the unclean Spirits Woes Vials Thunders Plagues Earth-quakes is come and coming upon you And he is manifest and come that treads the Wine-presse alone without the City who is the Wonderfull Counseller the Prince of Peace whose name is called the Word of God With him are the Saints singing victory over the Beast and the false Prophets great Whore mother of Harlots Babylon Antichrists Babylon is fallen the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory The body of witch-craft in it thou art found that all that reads thy Book that be in the spirit of discerning may see whose body is redeemed and reigns over thine in the glory and victory Ralph Farmer his Booke called The great mystery of Godlinesse and Vngodlinesse In which these PRINCIPLES are following c. Pr. HE saith The soule is of an immortall and spirituall nature And GOD hath made man to serve him in an outward and visible way of worship Answ Christ saith God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth and is the Spirit without and visible the Spirit that makes all that is contrary to bend in that is God worshipped And others that say they are Teachers as ye may see in this Book say that the soule is humane yea the soule of Christ and thou saith the soule of man is immortal and a spiritual nature Now the soule that gives the sense and feeling of all things is spiritual and immortal as it comes out from God which is in Gods hand whom Christ is the Bishop of the noble Principle that guides it is the light and life Prin. He saith the eternal word enlighteneth all men with the common light of nature Answ The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall is not natural For the light was before any thing was made and all things that was made was made by it which lighteth every man that cometh into the world though he be in the first Adam in the sin and transgression which light to him doth make it manifest which cometh from Christ the second Adam the way to the Father who was glorified with the Father before the world began to restore that which the first lost and this is the obedient Son and the other the disobedient one which brings the death upon him and all his posterity and all his house So the sons of Adam in the transgression may say and do say that the light which Christ the second Adam the Redeemer and the Restorer the salvation to the ends of the earth doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world withall say this is natural And so that is to deceive people to keep them from the light with which they might all see their salvation and come to receive Christ by which they might have power to become the Sons of God Pr. The measure and degree it must be without thee And it is a cheating to tell people of God within and Christ within and a word within and they are without which he calls a mystery of meer confusion and emptiness Page 27. Answ The degrees and measures was in the Saints which spoke forth Scriptures and knew the Scriptures But those that have the Scriptures and are from their degree and measure in themselves are without them And Jesus Christ is within except ye be reprobates And where Jesus Christ is within the word is there and God is there And this is the great mystery of godliness And where the power of God is set the Crosse of Christ is felt for the Crosse is the power of God And if it be not the same Christ as did ascend it is Antichrist it is against him and false which now many hundreds and thousands do witness Christ within him the Apostles preached who have their Joy and reward who do possesse that which they long looked for And all that stands against Christ within and God within and the word within and the Crosse within the power of God they be reprobates and in the mystery of confusion Pr. The Apostle bid Timothy to Preach the word in season and out of season c. not immediate Revelation pag. 32. And the time will come they will not endure sound Doctrine but after their own lusts they will heap up to themselves teachers having itching ears turning to fables immediate Revelations Page 35. Answ There is none can Preach the word in truth but who Preach it immediately and by the immediate spirit and knowes immediate Revelations And all that be in the Faith as Timothy was they be in the immediate Revelations the gift of God But the Apostle seeing such as would not endure sound doctrine would get up teachers after their own lusts as covetous and minded earthly things and evil beasts that serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies Such the Apostle bid Timothy and Titus examine before they Ministred prove them and lay hands on no man suddainly and keep himself clear not preferring one before another And such as went into their own lusts got up heaps of teachers lost the immediate Revelation and the immediate word of God and erred from the faith that purifies the heart and gives victory in which people have unity And such now that are got into the lusts that cannot endure sound doctrine lost the Revelation and speaking the word immediately have ruled and reigned of whose generation thou Farmer art And people have heaped to themselves teachers after their own lusts and that is the cause of all the strife and wars amongst them and teachers denying the immediate Revelation and Preaching the word of God immediately have declared your selves to be the false prophets openly to the Nation that never heard the voyce of God nor Christs voyce nor the voyce of the spirit nor Ministry of the spirit which all sâ—eak immediately And the Apostle saw them come up before
thy self manifest that thou hast not the spiritual weapons And thou maist well deny immediate Revelations was it not in all ages such as pretended themselves to be Ministers that had not the life that gave forth Scriptures that called to the Magistrates to stop the mouthes of Blasphemers was not the mouth of the Priests against Christ to the Rulers at the Counsell And against the Apostles and against the Prophets And is it your mouth now to your Magistrates in the Apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles But do you think that the Magistrates will let you get a top of their backs and gallop upon them to be their executioners If ye be Ministers that have the Spirit of God stop the mouthes of the gain-sayers for never did the Apostles nor the true Church wrestle against flesh and blood But they struck at the power that captivated the Creatures to the intent that the Creatures might come into the Libertie of the Sons of God But thy fruits hath stunck about thee and your fruits how Barbarously the Saints have been used among you and true Christians in the spirit and so them that make War against the Saints are such that inwardly ravened from the spirit and so got the sheepes cloathing and turned against them that had the Spirit of God ravened from the Spirit of God inwardly lost the spiritual weapons and had onely the sheepes cloathing and that would not carry them out in the time of need and so was fain to flie to Magistrates to the carnal weapons and so by this means in all ages the righteous have been slain by them that had the Scriptures but from the spirit that gave them forth and all the Saints upon the earth have been slain by them that have been from that of God in their own particulars which now that is awakened by which men come to be turned unto God And so you now that do deny the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world that preach men should have sin while they be upon earth and the body of it and imperfection are such as have led people captive all their life times with the form of godliness without the power And keepes people in spiritual Egypt Sodom and Gomorah in filthyness and darkness where Christ was crucified by them whose ears were stopt to that of God in them and that was spiritual Egypt And so are all you that be inwardly ravened from the Spirit of God in your own particulars yet having a form of godliness denying the power you are from that of God ravened inwardly Ye are like to be reprobated concerning the faith ye are not like to lead people to the knowledge of the truth but like to keep them in the divers lusts laden with their sins and alwayes learning never able to come to the knowledge of truth there is all the witchcraft and sorcery and inchantments and familiar spirits and such doth deny the light which doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world And as for all thy lies and all thy slanders and reviles they will be thy own clothing and wear thy own garments thou must and they will cover thee in darkness in the day of thy judgement when thy works are tried with fire the witness in thy conscience shall answer I am a friend to thy soul And thy shame and folly and wickedness thou hast published to the Nation which all sober people see thy folly and thy silence had been better to have Preached thee a sober man But novices and fools must utter their folly And the Truth is gone over ye and thou shalt feel it one day when thou and thy works are tryed with the fire And Eternally shalt thou witnesse â—â—ey are Judged and condemned Edward Boules who calls himself a Teacher of the Gospel at Yorke in his Book he calls The duty and danger of Swearing opened as he saith in a Sermon preached at Yorke the day of swearing the LORD MAYOR This is the Title of his Book which he directs to Stephen Watson Lord Major the Aldermen and Common Councel of that Citie whose work is to teach them to break the commands of Christ throughout his Book in that which he calls a SERMON Pr. FIrst he sayes Christ brought down the rigteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees and how that the Pharisees wrests the Scriptures or made the Scriptures to bend to their own righteousnesse Answ This is your own condition and the Papists who cannot own the Scriptures as they speak but you will make the Scriptures bend to your own wills and wrests them as the Pharisees did and as you and the Papists do Christs words who sayes Swear not at all and you say swear How now Edward Bouls who makes the Scriptures bend now Thou teaches men should swear and Christ said Ye shall not swear at all and so art an Antichrist and against the Doctrine of Christ and teachest thy own tradition for doctrine and makes the commandement of Christ of none effect He that 's against the doctrine of Christ is an Antichrist and so the Papists and Protestants and Pharisees all are found swearers out of Christs Doctrine that sayes swear not at all and yet in your pride will make a trade of his words and a talking of his words to get money by Pr. Thou sayes Christ came not to destroy the Law and it hath deceived some to say Swear not at all The Scriptures must not be taken in generall termes for Paul said he became all things to all men And Christ and our Saviour his intent is this that we should not swear as we were wont to do for the word Generall not at all must be interpreted so that you see it is the scope and circumstance of this place that this Swear not at all be interpreted vain and unnecessary customes and abuse of swearing among the Jewes and it is not unlawfull to swear but to all men not onely a liberty but in just cases a duty of swearing and part of divine worship not Ceremoniall or Mutable there 's no shadow or type in it An Oath is for confirmation and the end of strife it gives the last peale to all differences and gives a great honour to God and is the proper end of worship and consequently a great honour Answ They are deceived that breaks Christs commands for when he says swear not at all He sayes in all your communication let your yea be yea and your nay nay for whatsoever is contrary is evill So he layeth down no other Doctrine that men should practice then not to swear at all but yea yea and nay nay them that goes any further go into the evill whatsoever is more is evill So minde these 3 things and the Apostle becoming all to all men yet not without the Law of Christ Mark the Law Christ which was Swear not at all so still that 's agreeable to Christs words the Scripture is taken generall and Christ
as obeyed Christs doctrine for he tells them the danger lest ye fall into condemnation Let all your communication be yea yea and nay nay what ever is more is evill Not by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath Now there was true and false and prophane whatsoever was comprehended in these words Not by any but keep to yea and nay in all your communications Now tell the Apostle he doth not mean as he speaks give him the lye pervert his words and Christs words who sayes swear not at all and sayes he meanes profane oaths And Christ brought the people off the true Oath which was in the old time that was performed to the Lord a profane oath was not performed to the Lord that 's not meant of that but that as was sworn by him Christ sayes now Swear not at all and so they that break the oath break the covenant the true oath and so they that swear now do not own the new covenant which ends the true oath and covenant in the old time The profane oaths they were judged by them that lived in the first covenant and they did not type out any thing but a true oath did which ended controversies among men which the oath Christ ends which is the peace between God and man and reconciles them to God and one another These be true brethren true christians that 's come to yea and nay in their communications and cannot swear by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath lest they come into the evill but yea and nay in all their communications lest they come into condemnation So you that teach men to swear have brought them into the evill and a great out-cry to break the commands of Christ and under condemnation He that teacheth them to swear any oath whatsoever cast behind your backs the commands of Christ and doctrine of the Apostles And the Apostle that bid the Saints keep to yea and nay in all their communications and swear not at all said if yee will have any more take two or three Witnesses And for all thy other confusion and thy perverting and wresting of Scriptures to bring people into the condemnation and evill to swear is not worthy the mentioning and will but come upon thy selfe in the day of thy condemnation and judgement thee and all upon the Earth that are departed from the Apostles shall witnesse how ye have transgressed the commands of Christ and teach people to transgresse them and to sin have hath brought them into the evill and condemnation So repent and while ye and time prize it Samuel Hammond In his Book called The Quakers House built on the Sands A very fit Title for himselfe and the rest of his PRIESTS These are some of his Principles following Pr. YOung men and women having some convictions and awakenings of the Law and have followed the light of an awakened conscience and sit down before they have closed with Christ and there be not a distinction between the righteousness imputed upon the account of the blood of Christ and the righteousness inherent wrought in us by his spirit and this inherent righteousness they confound the attainments brought forth by the Light in every man not being able to distinguish the working of Satan Answ Inherent righteousnesse is a word of thy own and the Papists inventing and thou art a man that cannot distinguish between the workings of Christ and the workings of Satan For the light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall which brings men and women to know the Law and the convictions of it it brings them to the end of the Law Christ and to see that appear that cannot be shaken and the Righteousnesse imputed to a believer that is within felt For he that believes hath the witnesse in himselfe and feels it there and the blood of Christ is felt within justifying and cleansing the conscience from dead works And the righteousnesse of Faith is found within and that righteousnesse which is wrought within is found within and no man sees this but with the light which Christ hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world withall and this Light is that which confounds all thy attainments for Christs righteousness and his blood and spirit are all one which justifies and sanctifies Pr. They dream of a perfection to obey the light within and this is delusion they are not able to distinguish between justified freely by grace which is the favour of God upon the account of Christs satisfaction and the grace that wrought by Christs spirit in the soul that natural light within being improved they call grace the work of God upon the soul leads into Covenant of works then it is no other then to tread in the Papists steps so this is delusion and the ground of their delusion is their not distinguishing between saving light given forth by Christ in conversion and the light of conscience that every man hath Answ None come to the perfection out of the delusion but who comes to the light within and followes that it gives him the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ the Covenant of grace is one that which was wrought without is within in the soul for Christ in you c and he is the Covenant of grace of light of life and of peace and none knowes him without nor Justification by grace but who knowes it in the heart and it is the one and the same thing it is not another grace nor another Covenant nor another Christ but the the same Christ in you the Saints are in his spirit and in his mind and are of his flesh and of his bone And thou who art so full of thy delusions Art out of this and thou alwayes have been in the dreams and never knowes perfection till thou come to the light within And Gods work in the soul leads to the end of the Covenant of works who works all in us and for us as sayes the Apostle who works faith grace commands the light to shine out of darkness shines in the heart to give the knowledge of the Son and so thou art in the delusion and the Papists doctrine that knowes not this within but calls it the Covenant of works dost not thou tread in their steps and have crept up in their great Masse-houses and the light given forth by Christ in conversion and the light in the conscience is one and it is not natural it was before natural was it exerciseth the conscience towards God and towards man in them that love it but in them that hate it they are not converted but they live in the many wayes out of the one way to God for he that 's the Covenant of light is the Covenant of grace and thus thou art blinding people with many things Pr. The owning not the imputation of Christ as the matter and formal cause of Justifications is damnable doctrine
to make our reconciliation to God to be wrought by our improving the light within and renewing the image of God in us is damnable doctrine to take men off from going to the fulness of Christ at the right hand of God and send them to look to a light within which they say is in every man is a damnable doctrine this is to forsake the fountain of living waters and dig to themselves broken Cisternes dangerous principle is that of perfection by improvement of the light within Answ The imputation to a believer is owned and this imputation is within for he that believes is born of God and hath the witnesse in himself now Abraham believed and the Romans and to such the imputation was spoken in the belief and Abraham saw his glory who is Christ Jesus the righteousness it self and the Apostle sayes ye are now nearer then when ye believed and again he sayes Christ is in you and God will dwell in you and walk in you so such as hath Christ in them they have the righteousness it self without imputation the end of imputation the righteousness of God it self Christ Jesus No man knowes the reconciliation and his reconciliation made with God but by hearing and doing the word of God that 's in the heart and mouth which divides thy bad words Hammond and thy bad thoughts that 's the word of God and cuts them down and Hammers them down and burns them up that 's the word that sanctifies and reconciles to God and makes clean and the word is Christ called the word of God and Christ is the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and that is it that renews man into the image of God for the light that comes from Christ is the Image of God the light of the glorious Gospel which is the Image of God and so this is within and thou that knowes not this within and feels it not thy lips are polluted and art in the damnable doctrine and the light that shines in the darkness and thou cannot comprehend it and indeed thou art too proud high and loftie and thou must be brought down the Lord God will abase thee and no man comes into the image of God and renewed and hath reconciliation with God but which comes to the Light which Christ the Word hath enlightened him withall and that 's within and they that believe in it have the witness in themselves and they that do not the light condemns them And the light that every man that comes into the world is enlightened withall doth not take them from Christs fulness at the right hand of God but the light le ts see him lifted up and there 's none upon the earth comes to Christ at the right hand of God to receive of his fulness but who comes to the light which Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world withall that 's the eye the light with which he sees Christ and in that he receives him and comes to be engrafted in him in the Vine Christ Jesus And so thou that drawes men from the light within which Christ hath enlightened every man that comes into the world withall thou drawes them from Christ at the right hand of God that they cannot receive this his fulness and so thou takes away the key of knowledge from people who art in the doctrine that 's damnable that 's from the light to be condemned and none comes to the Fountain of living mercies but are all broken Cisterns that are from the light within them which comes from Christ the Fountain of living mercies which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that with it all might come to see the Fountain and believe in it so they that do not are condemned And no one knowes perfection nor comes into the perfection of Christ but are in the dangerous estate where thou art which doth not come into the light which doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world for the imperfection comes by the first Adam and Eve and the Devil going out from the truth the perfection comes again by Christ to destroy the Devil death and his works and sanctifies man and reconciles man again to God which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world that in the light all men might see the perfection of God Christ Jesus which none doth but such as come to him the Light Pr. That there is so much light in every man that will reveal Christ and save them that believe in it and that an Indian hath it and to send to this to lead to perfection and to neglect the Fountain of wisdom at the right hand of God is a soul-destroying principle Ans The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall is saving to them that believe in it tâ—ey are saved them that do not are condemned and this leads to perfection the light to the Fountain of wisdom Christ Jesus the light of the world to know the Bishop of their souls and all that are not come to the light in their own particular which comes from him that doth enlighten every man that comes into the world their principles are destroying which are thine that stands against the light thou art Antichrist kicking against the light with which Christ hath enlightened thee wiâ—hall no man knowes a Saviour nor sees salvation but as every man comes to the light wiâ—h the same light they come to see Christ the light and Saviour to save them from their sins and that light is sufficient I will give him for a Covenant of light to the Gentiles and I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and Judah them that had the old and here 's all the world and he shall be my salvation to the ends of the earth and the Gentiles was heathen call them Indian or what thou wilt I will give him for a Covenant to the Gentiles a leader of the people which many Gentiles have found their leader the Covenant of light and in this light Jew and Gentile are one and in unitie if ye walk in the light as he is in the light then have ye followship one with another and this breaks all your Sects the Covenant of light Between Jew and Gentile and brings them to one in believing in the light Prin. That light that is in every man is the Reliques of the first Covenant of works which cannot reveal Christ as Mediator Answ The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall which is Christ by whom the world was made ends the Covenant of works the creation was made by him and he was before it was made so he is not a created light But that by which all things was created and thou art in thy works the Covenant of works and thy created lights that calls the light that enlightens every man that cometh into the world Christ Jesus a Covenant
for it is the earth shall help the woman Answ The courtesie the Saints received which was from them whose hearts was opened that the Lord had opened by his power that is not condemned But your taking Tythes of people you do not work for and casting into Prison till death for not giving it you How are you like the Apostles or like the Ministers of Christ or like the woman thou speaks of the Church that was persecuted Now you persecute this signifies she was persecuted And you persecute for meanes and hale up and down in Courts and Sessions and will take treble damages treble tythes of them you do no work for and so you will not stand to the courtesie of people nor wait for the power to open their hearts but are in a power that will take it by compulsion and by violence away from people So you have given judgment against your selves and are not of the number of them the Lord opened their hearts that ministred to their necessities and so unlike the Ministers of Christ that received the courtesies of the people whom the Lord opened their hearts Pr. Thou saith When people have no guide but what is within and that this principle be rooted it will turne all into Babel And thou questions whether it be not a principle of sedition to say that every man hath a light within him Answ All people in the world runs into Babel and Babylon and are building up and throwing down and so goes into confusion about Law and Gospel Prophets Christ and the Apostles words when they be from the spirit within of truth to lead them into all truth and up to God the Father of Truth of whom they learn that gave them forth and with that spirit are they seen in which spirit is unity which is the bond of peace And the light which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world leads all men out of sedition and they be in the sedition that denies it and sayes to the contrary and in darknesse and cannot comprehend it as John sayes which says this is the true light that enlightens every man that cometh into the world And Christ says Believe in the light And the Prophets said God gave him for a Covenant of light to the Gentiles and a new Covenant to the Jewes and he shall be the Leader of the people and salvation to the ends of the earth and every man that comes into the world is enenligtned He that believes is saved and he that believes not is condemned already Pr. Thou queries When the Act of the Commission for the Ministry was repealed since Christ said he would be with them to the end of world And thou saist It is not said simply they shall teach no more every man his neghbour but it is added Know the Lord. Thou saist that every man is enlightned onely with a naturall reason and the elect are enlightned with a saving knowledge Thou saist I bring John 4.23 to overthrow all outward worship Thou saist You can praise God with your bodies and spirits Answ The 7th of Matthew Matth. 24. Christ said false Prophets should come and should be inwardly ravening wolves having sheeps cloathing and John said they was come Chap. 2. Chap. 4. And in Revel All that dwelt upon the earth went after them and such killed the Saints When they had gotten a head they killed the Saints and the true Ministers and they that were of the false killed the true and since those dayes the false hath reigned which hath wrestled with flesh and blood prisoning killing the creatures and warring against them and not with the Principalities and spirituall wickednesses and powers of darknesse and such hath been out of the power the Gospell the Apostles were in hath killed them that kept the testimony of Jesus the spirit of Prophecy And it is said plainly Heb. 8. They shall not teach every man his neighbour nor every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the greatest to the least saith the Lord And so thou perverts the Scriptures and art judged by them for it that belies them And the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is the same Light that the Elect lives in which the world not believing in the Light Christ Jesus the Elect and covenant of light and life and peace promised to the world they are condemned already but he that believes in the Light is saved so that saving is sufficient And Christ sayes they that worship the Father must worship him in spirit and in truth Not at Jerusalem not at Samaria nor at the Mountain So say I not at your Masse-houses with a Crosse at the end of them which the Popes set up and you since the dayes of the Apostles So they that worship God must worship him in the spirit and in the truth Truth doth not change neither doth the Spirit and these be them the Father seeks to worship and hath found many And Christ overthrows the outward worship at Samaria and Jerusalem and the Mountain and so do we at your Papists Masse-houses and tell you God is worshipded in the spirit and in the truth and those are the true worshippers that God seeks to worship and that will stand when Masse-houses Samaria and Jerusalem is down the spirit and the truth that remains In the mouth of the wicked praises is not comely And as for your singing Davids conditions or the Saints conditions given forth from the spirit when you confesse you are not in the spirit as they was that gave them forth So then judged with it to be such whose mouths the praises are not comely that be in another state then they where that gave Scriptures forth And Adams state before the Fall thou knowest not but art found in the steps of the Pharisees and Papists As the Pharisees got words of the true Prophets and Moses out of the life so the Papists and you have got the words of Christ and the Apostles and be out of the life and persecuting them that be in the life as the Pharisees did and killing the just the just being imprisoned in your own particulars as it was in the Pharisees And you with your dark eyes have looked upon the Scriptures ever since the apostacy and ravened from the spirit of God the pure eye and so with that you are comprehended felt over and seen over and with that shall the principle of God in you all be answered that you are apostatized from the Apostles in life and power and doctrine and so are in heaps about their words out from that which is the ground of communion the bond of peace And all thy confusion in thy Book is thy own garments who with it is for the fire the witnesse in thy conscience in the day of thy condemnation shall witnesse it Thomas Tillam his Booke called The seventh-day-Sabbath His Principles answered as Followeth Pr. ALl
not capable of such a rest Answ In the sixe dayes thou was to do that which was just and that which the Law commanded which was justice and to do to all men as thou wouldst be done to Not to covet steale bear false witnesse nor kill the seventh day was the rest that signified Christ Jesus the end of the Law the rest If any man can receive this let him And the Sabbath-day that all servants strangers cattell son and daughter might rest upon it the seventh day the signe the shadow which Christ the body ends was a figure and a signe and a shadow of the restauration of the Creation to the rest whereby the Gospel might again be preached to every creature under heaven This is a touch of the thing more might be said in it The Sabbath was everlasting to the state wherein it was and Circumcision was everlasting to the state wherein it was through their generations and it was in the first covenant shadows types and figures but the body is Christ that came to do the will of God which ends them all and sanctifies man and brings him to rest and peace with God before dayes was Pr. And thou saith J. E. was instructed in the Old Testament which is able to make wise unto salvation through faith therefore be instant in season and out of season Now the onely morall season the Scriptures enjoynes us is the seventh-day sabbath never changed till the little horne arose And the holy spirit in the Apostles highly approves us in our fulfilling the Royall Law which as to the season of worship is none other then the seventh day-sabbath Answ They who are made able and wise to salvation they know the Scriptures through the faith they see the substance of them Christ Jesus and they see while Moses was read the vail was upon their hearts ' for the Sabbath was the signe type and circumcision and this was in Moses and this was the signe read the shadow was read the type was read and the figure read the vail over the heart Now as the seed Christ the body comes to be known the signe the shadow the type is ended the body is known that doth the will of God that brings people to the rest So who knows the Scripture that is able to make wise unto salvation mark that word through the faith that is in Christ Jesus they have salvation which are able to make wise unto salvation that testifies of it and so Christ the seed the body takes off the vaile of mens hearts that ends the types figures and shadows And such as come to know the fulfilling of the royall Law according to Scriptures he comes to the body Christ in which the Law ends to every one that believes and so they as be in dayes Sabbaths which Moses speaks of was a signe and Ezekiel and the Apostle said was a shadow they be not yet come to the body which is Christ that was before any dayes was who is the sanctification and rest of his people and who are in him that is the truth worships God in the truth and in the spirit which never changes but shadows signes of a thing is not the thing that 's signed too for signes and shadows will change but the spirit and truth doth not change in that is God worshipped Pr. And thou saith It cannot be that horne except he change your times also and that he had no time to change but the seventh-day-sabbath and the Sabbath is perpetuall a rule of righteousness Answ Christ made all things new he ends the Law and brings it in the heart he ends the Covenant and changes things as was in the old time changing circumcision offerings Priests and ends the Sabbath which was perpetuall to the Jewes in that generation among the types as the Covenant was and Circumcision and the Law was a rule of righteousnesse for them but Christ who is the end of the Law comes to redeem them that are under the Law and ends their covenant and ends their shadows and changes those times him by whom time was made and so thou that knows not the time in his hands shews thou art not in the time that are in his hands and so not of the body of Christ Pr. And vvhereas thou saith No other time but simply the seventh part must from week to week be devoted to Gods worship for whensoever the seventh part of time is altered the morality must be destroyed Answ They worshipped God that said the body vvas Christ and the Sabbath day vvas a shadovv of good things to come and so they that vvorship God must vvorship him in spirit and in truth and in that vvhich all figures and shadovvs and signes doth end in the spirit and truth before they vvas and not one day in seven a signification of rest sanctification the Lords signe he gave to the people in transgression Before transgression ye do not read it was to men given as a command to the first Adam but of the earth earthly But who comes to the second Adam the Lord from heaven he by whom the world was made comes into that that all types figures shadows ends and so doth not destroy nothing of the Law but comes to that which ends it Pr. And thou saves It 's a great stumbling block as to believers in Christ because Christians violated the Sabbath Answ Christ is the body that ends the shadows and the signes and fulfills the Law him who was before the world was made in him are the Christians the body that ends the shadows and the signes in whom the vayl is come off of their hearts and so Christ did not break the Law but fulfilled it and in him that fulfills it the Saints met who met together in him and gathers together in him Who is the body they are the members he is the head who is the Church in whom he is in the mids of Pr. And thou saith So that to produce the world of wonder manifest it is that night was the beginning of time Answ That 's false the beginning of time was God and Christ and times and seâ—sons are in his hands and God is Light read that who can Pr. And thou saith Thou supposest it will not be questioned in Moses time Answ This was while Moses was read while the body was not come Christ Jesus that ends the signe the shadow the type and blots out the Ordinances and Commandements that held them up from which vaile the Apostle brought the People to the body Christ Jesus where no shadow was nor changing Now dayes are changing but Christ doth not change which is the body And you that hold up the signe the shadow the type the figure you hold up the dead and come not to Christ the life the body the Sanctification it selfe before dayes was by whom they was made Pr. And thou sayst The unthankfull Christian ought to sanctifie the Sabbath Answ Here thou brings them into dayes
Moones and sacrifices that the Actions Baptisme and breaking of bread are the signes of a Christian Sabbath its high presumption to alter the word of God in calling every day the Lords Sabbath and honouring any other day as the Sabbath So if we be followers of God as dear children and take the spirit to be our guide we must honour the Sabbath withall holy devotion Answ The Sabbath is mentioned with new Moons and sacrifices but the Apostle sayes they were shadowes of good things to come when this is come which was before the shadowes was which is the body Christ which was before dayes new Moons or sacrifices was the body who be in that ends them all and to that the Apostle brought people and not to the dayes now there was some brought them to observe dayes and he was afraid of them that did observe them and he brought them to the body Christ to whom all the Angels did bow for they as did observe the dayes new Moons and Sabbathes are worshipping of Angels neglect the body which is Christ and this was for the satisfying of the flesh and now what art thou satisfying which art teaching to observe dayes signes and shadowes which the Apostle brought people off to the body and to the head Christ Jesus and to worship God in spirit and brought them into that that ended all shadowes for the devil will lurk in a shadow or a type or a sign or figure and creeps into those things after the substance is come to keep people from the body and they will persecute such as will not bend to the shadow and come from the substance and breaking bread and baptisme is no sign of the Sabbath day of the Jewish Sabbath day the Sabbath was a figure of the rest and sanctification of the Creation and breaking of bread among the Saints was a figure of the bread Christ which the Saints eat and live for ever and the word of God cannot be altered and the word of God cannot change man may alter but the word of God cannot be altered but abides and lives for ever And the Saints which comes to the body Christ comes to honour him who ends the Sabbath which is a sign and a shadow and such honors God the Redeemer and Creator and Christ by whom all things was created and made and which are the dear children of God the Apostle speaks of he did not bring them into dayes and to observe Sabbaths and signes but brings them to the body Christ the Lord of the Sabbath and doth not set up that which thou cals devotion in holding up the Jewish Sabbath which was a sign on which they should rest the rest of the creation and the rest of all man kinde cattel and beasts that God would restore and redeem all things by Christ who is the word and gives rest and is the sanctification and gives rest to the whole creation Prin. Thou sayes this is the time of Gods worship observing the seventh day Christian look well to thy walkings see that thou make all things according to the pattern in the mount Answ They that worshipps God they come into Christ the truth the body which ends the sign and the shadow and the end of Moses who made a pattern which was a figure of that which was to come and he made it at the command of God and the Christians are not to make the pattern which was shewed to Moses in the mount for while Moses is read the vail is upon the hearts of Christians and all people whatsoever and the sign shadowes and figures the body is not seen nor come to which is Christ And Paul and the Saints the true Christians worshipped God in the spirit and in the truth who witnessed they was in the body that ended the shadowes and types and Moses the Law and the Prophets Christ Jesus him by whom the world was made before it was made and a pattern is not the thing there is the thing the pattern is of and that ends the pattern and lives in the thing and they need not have the pattern for the pattern was made of a thing that was to come Pr. Thou sayes if the Apostle of the Gentiles who was the rejecter of the ceremonies did constantly celebrate the seventh day Sabbath then much more them Apostles among the Jewes there 's not a plainer precept in all the Scripture then Pauls practice herein for the seventh day Sabbath if we tread in the steps of Paul he was but a man and sometimes a very angry man and he strictly requires all believers to follow his example as he followed Christ and certainly in observing the Sabbath and Paul reasoned with the Jewes on the Sabbath day and Christs custome and Pauls was to go into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and was there difference betwixt Christs preaching and Pauls and where is the difference between Christs observing the Sabbath and Pauls Answ The Apostle never taught the Christians Neither Jewes nor Gentiles to celebrate the seventh day nor never mentions it to them to keep it not in all the Epistles there 's not such a thing but tels them they were shadowes the body was Christ and Christs and the Apostles going into the Synagogues and temple on the Sabbath dayes was to fulfill and shew the fulfilling of the types and figures of him and brings to the substance of the signes types and shadowes not to hold up dayes times offerings but to bring them to the body Christ as Colos 2. and so Paul and Christ doth not disagree for he Preached Christ the end of the Law and the substance and though Paul went among the Jewes and circumcised and did several things went into the Temple yet thaâ— was not to hold up the Temple or to hold up the offerings types and shadowes but to bring them to the substance And mind what the anger was as Paul was in and Paul followed the substance and was more then a man there was more in him then a man Paul nor the Apostles no where commands the Saints to observe the Jewes Sabbath day though he went into the Jewes and consented to many things to the intent to bring them out of them not to keep them in them but to bring them to the substance and that was the end of Pauls going into the Jewes Synagogues and Temple to bring them out of the shadowes types and signes to the substance and the end of Christs going thither was to bring them to the substance of which was typed forth that people might believe in him who was the body which was before heaven or earth was who fulfils every jot and tittle of the Law and to him did the Apostle bring the people to this body which types signes and shadowes signed shadowed and typed forth which the body of them all is Christ and in thy principles thou art confused and so who followes the Apostle comes to the body out of the sign and the
sight and he is in the Saints and they eate his flesh and sit with him in heavenly places Pr. They say They are deceived that thinke to obtain salvation by the conviction of the Law which they call Christ page 37. 39. Ans Christ is the end of the Law and who follow him are not deceived but comes to witnesse the Law of life and him revealed in them and they are deceived that calls the Law without by Christ that doth convict and gives it that name But who followes Christ the end of the Law hath the righteousness of God revealed in them from saith to faith which the just lives by and Christ revealed in them as the Apostle witnessed whereby they have eternal life Pr. And they say the Quakers would obtain salvation by the obedience of Christ the Law which gives the knowledge of sin Answ The Quakers obedience is Christ Gods righteousness the end of the Law which makes them free from the Law of sin and death Christ the seed the second Adam Pr. They say Now every man that cometh into the world receives a light from Christ as he is God which light is conscience and this will shew a man that there is a God and discover the eternal God which some falsly cals Christ Answ Christ saith I am the light of the world and doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world as saith John and doth not say that its conscience for the light was before conscience was which shewes thy ignorance Not knowing what conscience is for conscience was since the world but light was before the world was made and he that evil doth hates the light and so conscience is seared and so light condemnes and the light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened with is Gods Covenant to Jewes and Gentiles and salvation to the ends of the earth so you have given Christ a new name that cals him conscience contrary to Scripture and is conscience eternal that may be seared and will that shew that which is eternal will conscience blot out sin and transgrâ—ssion Christ will Gods Covenant that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which light believing in it they serve Christ the Author of their faith which faith is a mystery held in a pure conscience Pr. And they say that every man hath not the spirit of Christ and he brings Jude to prove it Answ That proves that they had it but went from it and the spirit that leads the disciples reproves the world Pr. John Burton saith John Bunian is furnished with spiritual gifts which gifts the Ministers of Christ must have whether learned or unlearned as to humane and John Bunians preaching he saith is not by humane art yet he saith Christ is humane Ans The Scripture hath neâ—ther taught John Burton nor John Bunian this Language To say this knowledge is not humane and yet to affirm Christ is humane is to say thy knowledge is not from Christ but we shall try his gifts whether they be from God and whether or no he divids the word aright and whether they be agreeable to the Scripture which fils up his book with mentioning the word humane twenty times over which humane is from the earth to say Christ is humane thy knowledge is from the ground earthy and he hath no Scripture for it he saith that the soul is immortal Pr. And he saith it is the Devil to keep people to live and die in their sins and he that cryes free grace through the death of the man Christ Jesus that sinners doth attain to eternal life and deny his own righteousness this he saith is a notion and saith he is empty of sanctified grace Answ The grace that comes from Christ it seasons the heart and the words are sanctified and this is not a notion but all be in the notion that speak of the thing and be out of the grace and salvation and you that believe people must have sin whilst they are upon the earth are them that keepes people in their sins and so hath judged thy self to be the Minister of sin as thou maist read the fruits in thy own book Pr. John Bunian saith he that confesseth Christ come in the flesh and was crucified taken from the Crosse and risen he that believes this is not Antichrist Answ The Pope and all the prophane people in Christendom called Christians will confesse this in the form without them and they that denies the power for Christ is the power of God and that I say is Antichrist he that hath not Christ in him is a reprobate and so would make thy self and all Professors the Pope and all hirelings not to be Antichrist and are all on heapes one amongst another that 's a mark of Antichrist though they may have all in the form Christ and the Prophets words which denyes the power yet confesse Christ without he that denyes the power denyes Christ and so he is Antichrist who denyes the light which Christ hath enlightened him withall Prin. Man at his coming into the world he hath conscience but he hath not the spirit of Christ Answ Man at his coming into the world hath a light from Christ him by whom the world was made which is more then conscience but he that hates the light abids in darkness and so is not like to receive the spirit but is reproved with it Pr. They say them that are carried away by the convictions of conscience are misinformed by the devil Answ This light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world which he cals conscience teaching and misinforming by the devill is the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that through it they might believe and is not conscience and he that believes hath the witness in himself and that all might hear the Son and confesse him to the glory of God and therefore are enlightened who was glorified with the Father before the world began and Christ bids them believe in the light which believing in hath the light of life but he that believes not is condemned already and them that hate the light are them that are informed by the devil Pr. Now they say he converts a new birth perswading them it is wrought by following the light and this he sayes is like Baals Priests Answ That 's contrary to Christ who saith I am the light and he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life he that believes in the light shall become a childe of the light and this is far above Baals Priests and all that hates it hates Christ and these are Baals Priests that hate the light Pr. And they say that the spirit of Christ convinceth of sin and yet they say all hath it not and yet it shall convince and reprove the world Answ Now it s one thing to be reproved and another thing to receive that which doth reprove
when saw you a Priest lay downe his estate to save others out of prison but he is rather casting into prison till death because they cannot give them Tythes The Apostle doth not say have not we power to take Tythes But have not we power to eate and drinke And they that preach the Gospel live of the Gospel And they bring glad tidings to them but that is not glad tidings to cast into prison and hale before Courts and they that preacht the Gospell lived on the Gospel that opened the hearts of people without mens compelling power Pr. He saith You must not give eare to the Quakers for they tell you your Ministers look for their gain from their quarters and are Hirelings and this he saith is deceiving and the depth of Satan and a lying malicious spirit Answ The Prophets spirit was not a lying and malicious spirit that cryed against them that sought for their gain from their quarters and said they were Hirelings in which spirit is the Quakers and sees you walke in the same steps and take away your gain from you and your hire and you are suing in the Courts and haling up and down which shews your spirits to be the false spirits the Apostle speaks of which went out into the earth Pr. Thou sayst Above all things beware of covetousnesse Answ If you had heeded that you would have been better examples to the Nations about you but in covetousnesse you are swallowed up and so are excommunicated out of the life of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles was in and so your reward from him you shall have And you are finding fault that the people are covetous and thus complains to the whole Nation You should have complained of your selves for being out of the power of God that should have struck downe that and that you are not in the life and power the Apostles was in and it hath not such an effect with it as the Apostles had So you have manifested and shewed your spirits to the Nations and shewes you want your covering And the Apostles did not write abroad to the world that they and their Church was covetous and send it to the Magistrates and complained to them had not they here dishonoured their power of the Church if they had done so and shamed it as you do yours Pr. He saith Many false prophets are gone out into the world believe not every spirit and Satan transforms himself into an Angel of light Answ These things the Apostles saw come into the world before their decease the Devil transforming himself into an Angel of light and false prophets and false spirits gone out into the world which since the days of the Apostles all that dwelt upon the earth went after them the false Prophets and the Beast but who hath their names written in the Lambs book of life before the foundation of the world and the Apostle when Satan was transforming himself into an Angel of light among the Corinthians he brought them to the light in them which would give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and John saw they was come which Christ said should come the false Prophets and false spirits who bid them not go after them and John told them they had the annointing within them to teach them and needed not any man to teach them but as the same anointing taught them and they should continue in the Son and in the Father where no false spirit was these false spirits Prophets Antichrists wch Christ said should come which John saw was come and went forth from them has drawn tongues peoples multitudes and Nations to be waters and there is the fruits of them as Revel 17.18 And now are people but coming from these waters and false spirits to the Râ—ck and these are them that draw the Nations to waters As has turned against the Saints and the Lamb But the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory nevertheless these false prophets beasts Antichrists false spirits all inwardly ravened from the true spirit hath had the sheepes cloathing else they could not have deceived the world and led the world after them and could not have brought Nations to waters and herein hath been the beasts power over all kindreds tongues and Nations and his heads and names in the Nations and among the tongues yet all these heads and Names hath agreed together in one against Christ the light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world and the Devil beasts and false Prophets which made War against the Saints and overcame them but the Saints and the Lamb shall overcome them and the Devil shall be taken and with him the beast and the false Prophets and Babylon confounded and the Lamb and the Saints have victory rejoyce ye Saints and holy Prophets over them the Lamb and the Saints shall have the Kingdom and power over all kindreds tongues and Nations who are redeemed from them and from the earth to reign with Christ and a top of the Devil and his Angels which cannot get into the seed Pr. He saith It is a boast of the Quakers to say that they have the eternal Spirit of God in them and saith they may properly use the word you to one and taking off the hat is reverend due and honour and he must not quench the smoaking Flax but be courteous and custome to whom custome and to the Law and to the testimony Answ He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and that 's Eternal and he that saith you to one shewes he hath neither learnt accidence nor Bible and the hat is the honour of men below in the earth Adams honour in the transgression which Christ the second Adam saith I received not honour of men how can ye believe that receive honour one of another and seekes not that honour that is of God onely and so the mark of an unbeliever and the Apostles did not observe the Jews customes nor the heathens customes for if they had they needed not have been persecuted by them Courteous is good and to do one another good but how is this practised amongst you when you cast into prison these that cannot put into your mouthes and you do no work for them Where is your courteousness here they break not the bruised reed nor quench not the smoaking Flax that owneth the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and these neglect not their salvation but they that deny the light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world neglects their salvation and such be they that breakes the bruised reed and quenches the smoaking Flax and that brings to own the Law and testimony which many may have the Scriptures and not the Law and testimony for the Law is light and the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesie and this was before the New Testament was written as Esay the
was never the way to beget to God but that which strikes at the power which captivates creatures reacheth to the witnesse in prison and brings people into unity with God and one another in the spirit which is the bond of peace Pr. To love the Word for the good parts that in regard of the Christian is a dangerous thing and in regard of the Word of God a dishonourable thing Answ Where the good parts are not in the Christian that is a dishonourable thing to the Word and causeth the Word of God to be evill spoken of As the whole Assembly of you Ministers have done by your bad conversations earthly covetous impatient spirits that cannot endure any should speak but your selves in your places so by you hath the Word of God been dishonoured and not honoured for the Apostles did write that they were to shew themselves Patterns and Examples to the Flock of God in life and conversation that the Word of God might not be evill spoken of Now where the Word is evil spoken of and the bad parts in a Christian proceeds this grieves the righteous and causeth the truth to be evill spoken of and the Word makes them vessels of honour in whom it is Pr. Now when Christians leave the Word and Sacraments and Sabbaths it is a dangerous pride lifting up the Light within as they do Answ The Christians that denyed the Sabbaths and witnessed Christ the substance the rest said The light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ And they lifted up Christ the Light and they walked in him the Covenant of God and of light to the Jewes and Gentiles come which who walk in it are in peace with God and unity one with another and have the light of life and rest and all be in the dangerous state that be out of that And as for the word Sacrament there 's no Scripture for it but one of the Papists common words and the Light brings off it and the Jewish Sabbath Pr. Buy the truth and sell it not not pleading for sufficiency of a common light and leaving their Callings as the Monks and their books flying abroad their wings unclipt and no mention of eternall salvation from the wrath to come And he saith he loves the word Sacraments Sabbaths and Ministry Answ Christ came to put an end to the Jewish Sabbaths and the Apostles preached their end and forsook all for Christ and so to revile such as are in the same power and to call it by the unsavoury expression Monkish thou and yee are more like to that that tells us of Sacraments which is from the Monkish holinesse And for speaking of clipping the wings of our Books that flies abroad that 's another unsavoury expression and shews that spirit that it is not able to resist that spirit that gives forth the Books As for the Word and Ministry that thou hast shewed thy selfe against though thou professes the Scripture to be the Word And those are the words of God which Christ the Word fulfilled and this the Ministers of Christ witnesse And ye never read that the Ministers of the Gospell said they loved the Jewish Sabbaths and held up the Sabbaths those were the Ministers of the Law that held up the Sabbaths which Christ the Rest came to put an end to by which the world was made before it was made glorified with the Father before the world began And you sell the Truth and take the world which deny the Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world which is sufficient to him that believes in it Pr. We exercise and order our preaching for the getting of money and maintenance And the greetings in the Markets is but that which humanity requires nor to be called of men Rabbi else Christ would not have taken it Must a Minister lose the members of his Church and the maintenance of his place both at once Answ Christ said to his Disciples they should know the false Prophets by their fruits and said be not ye called of men Master to his Disciples for one is your Master even Christ and denyed the Pharisees greetings in the Market which thou calls humane right And the Apostles ordered not their preachings to get money by them but they laboured to keep the Gospel without charge and the Ministers of Christ brought the people off the Jewes Assemblies and their maintenance both And yee that be found out of the Apostles Doctrine in the apostacy such as come from you that you do no work for how can you expect that they should give you maintenance or how can you in righteousnesse take maintenance of them that you do no worke for So if ye lose the members will ye take the maintenance which of the Apostles did so Nay is it not the way to gain members to deny the maintenance Is not that the way whereby the power of God may be known that raiseth the seed of God whereby the hearts of people may be opened and whereby the seed is known And the Apostle declared against such as taught for filthy lucre and made merchandize of the Word and that which thou calls humanity which is your earthly right seeing your conversation is in earth and not in heaven Pr. It cannot be concluded that there is a light in every man teaching unto Christ and unto salvation And if Christ put a light in every man that cometh into the world to guide him unto the Father and unto life I deny that to be true for that 's a naturall light which is onely the light which Christ the Word communicates to all men Nay the light that all men have though it seem to make them to know God as God yet it is not sufficient to make them to know that there is a Father or a Son or the holy Ghost that there is a Gospell And saith I am the light of the world that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that is both Jews and Gentiles And he that walks in the light shall have the light of life Now here lyes the deceit Answ The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall the Câ—venant of God to Jewes and Gentiles which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which they that walk in the light walk in Christ and come to see before any naturall light was And he that walks in the light shall not abide in the darknesse but shall have the light of life and with the light he shall know God he shall know the Son he shall know the Gospell he shall know the holy Ghost and that light is not naturall And he that knoweth God knoweth the Father and none knows him but with the light of Christ Jesus who reveals him for God is the Father And I will give him for a Covenant a light to the Gentiles a new Covenant
Judgement upon all the Priests the rest of his fellowes who in most coasts of the Nation are troubling people for Tythes and their maintenance and you are blind-folded who leads people from the spirit within who are ravened from it and hath the sheepes cloathing in the humane learning which is from the earth from the ground and that cannot distinguish the naked truth and with that the Pharisees could not see Christ as you be that cannot see the light which hath enlightened every man that cometh into the world nor the Sons of God who are led by the spirit Pr. He saith The Scripture was given forth in the Hebrew Greek and Latine which we truely say is the Original and to attain spiritual wisdom by depending upon miraculous Revelations from heaven is attempting the good Spirit of God Answ And here he is contrary to the Apostle what he had received from the Lord he declared and David waited upon the Lord and all the Prophets of God for Counsel and teaching and Revelation and this he calls a Temptation which no one knowes the Son but by Revelation nor the Father nor the Scripture not a Hebrew nor a Greek nor a Latinist but they that think to find it out by natural Languages are in the temptation from the Spirit of God which reveals the deep things of God which to all you inwardly raveners is miraculous and as for the rest of thy confusion and lies it is not worth the mentioning but shall cover thy self thy Judgement the witness shall answer and manifest thy cloathing John Wallace Priest of Kendal William Moore Priest of Kellet Priest WALKER Their Principles as followeth Pr. THey say That the Devil is transforming himself into an Angel of Light and this is to oppose the Light of Christ Answ The Light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall is that which Satan is out of and you that be out of the Light which Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world withall in you may Satan transform who tranformed before the Apostles decease which since their decease it hath been him that hath made this work among all creatures which you be under his power since the dayes of the Apostles in the night of the Apostacy and he hath been the cause of destroying people which be out of the Light in which is the unity To sing without the spirit to sing words made ready to their hands as the Jews could whose songâ— might be turned into howling and to sing in â—he spirit there is the melody made to the Lord where hymnes Psalms and spiritual songs are known but to say that Christ and the Apostles sung Davids Psalms turned into Meeter as you do now a thing made ready to their hands this would make as though the Apostles and Christ could not sing without Davids Psalms and would put every one besides the spirit for Christ was Lord of David and the Apostles Preached the end of David in that they sung and every man that cometh into the world having a Light from Christ and that which may be known of God is manifested within man though Jewes and Gentiles be from it it guiding all minds it will bring them to sing in the spirit as David Solomon Christ the Apostles and the Saints and in this let all make melody to the Lord in their hearts all having moving and breath from the Lord. So let all praise the Lord in the spirit and in it unto him sing who in him moves and lives and have their being Gawen Eglesfield His Principles as followeth Pr. THat his call into the Ministery is mediate Answ So is not a Minister made by the will of God which is immediate nor a Minister made by the spirit which is immediate Mediate is naturall and the naturall man knows not the things of God for they are spiritually discerned Pr. And he saith The Law is not changed that gave tythes Answ The Law of God is changed and the Commandement disannul'd though the Pope set up another Law since the apostacy from the Apostles Ambrose Dickinson His Principles as followeth Pr. HE saith That there is nothing within man but what puts him on a Covenant of works Answ First there is faith within man and there is Christ within man that works by love and God will dwell in man and walk in man and the Son of God is revealed within Dost thou liken all these to things without in the Covenant of works which ends them all and was before they was Pr. He saith There is no knowledge of Christ in this generation but by the Scripture Answ Many may have the Scriptures and not know Christ they will not give the knowledge of Christ that which comes from him and shines in the heart doth give the knowledge of Christ the light And the Jewes had the Scriptures but had not the knowledge of Christ as you that doth not know the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world the eare being stopt to that of God in you and eyes closed and it is not the spirit and the letter of it cannot give life Pr. John Stockdale said the Scriptures must try the spirits Answ The spirit was before the Scriptures was and the Jewes had the Scriptures yet knew not Christ but crucified him and that must try the spirits that gave forth Scriptures Pr. He saith The spirit and the Scriptures are one and the same thing Answ Scriptures are writings as the Priests and professors say and Christ was before it was given forth which owns it and is when it ends and is fulfilled Pr. Priest Heywood in Lancashire said It was blasphemy to say that the Church was in God Ans Contrary to the Apostle 1 Thes 1.1 who said the Church was in God Prin. Again he said It was blasphemy to say that God dwels or walked in his Saints Answ Contrary to the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.16 Eph. 4.6 which saith God will dwell in you and walke in you and ye are the temples of God Christopher Wade His Book called Quakery Slain His Principles are as followeth Pr. HEe saith in page 3. Oh horrible to say the infallible spirit must open the Scriptures Answ Which hath shut himselfe out of the spirit that gave forth Scriptures and must open them again in which is the unity and that is infallible and he that hath the spirit of God hath that which is infallible and he that hath not the spirit is none of his so out of the infallibility where thou art in the horrible state Pr. He saith It is whimsicall to say Christ God and man flesh and spirit is in them Answ Contrary to the Apostles Doctrine who said they were of his flesh and of his bone and Christ in you and he would walk in them And he that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his and they are of his flesh and of his bone and Christ in you the hope
faith and such as lived in the faith and such as quenched the spirit and despised prophesie and such as despised the holy One and slaughtered the seed of God and such cast the law of God behinde their backs this was the spirit and the Word of God which was the rule that led them to discern and savour to try and taste and handle this was the touch-stone and this was the rule and this brought them to the knowledge of God and they that had the Scriptures had not the knowledge of God without this nor the prophesie as the Pharisees that had Scriptures yet knew not Christ Pr. To the Law and to the Testmony Answ Yea as we say to the Law and to the testimony the Law is the light the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy but it is tryed in this our day the Letter is the Light amongst the Ministers of the Letter against the light and they say prophesie is ceased and so puts the Old and New Testament for it and brings Isai 8. for the Law and testimony which was before Matthew Mark Luke and John but this is that their ignorance may appear Prin. And likewise he saith There is not a just man upon the earth and sinneth not Answ Read the words above in the 12. verse be not just over much neither make thy self overwise now mark this just this wise man upon the earth which doth good and sinneth not that was the estate of the Law which Christ is the end of who is a greater then Solomon who is the just and righteousness it self and makes men free from sin Pr. I do not affirm that any man can have salvation by vertue of his obedience and thus you put out the eye of poor souls and bids them hearken to a light within them Answ The eye of the soul is the Light which cometh from Christ the Bishop of it and he that believeth is saved and there is his obedience and he that doth not is condemned already and he hath the promise of life and salvation that believes in the Light Pr. He saith the Commission of Christ holds to the end of the world who gave some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastors for the perfecting of the Saints and the edifying of the body of Christ till all come to the faith and knowledge of the Son of God and to a perfect man in measure and Stature and fulness of Christ Answ Have you not all denyed this work Pastures Teachers Prophets perfecting of the Saints and bringing to a perfect man saying that none must be perfect while they be upon earth and to the unity of the faith which both you and your teachers be all of heapes about it and that none must witness the measure and stature and fulnesse of Christ and the knowledge of the Son of God that none must have him revealed have you not denyed Revelation how have you been in this work tossing people to and fro like chaff and carrying them about with every wind of Doctrine and that is your wind that is not perfect that is not in the spirit that gave forth Scriptures and there lodgeth all mens subtility cunning and craft within lying and waiting to deceive this doctrine was coming up before the Apostles decease which since in the world hath reigned which all the heapes of Profession in all Christendom discovers it how people are tossed to and fro and changed about and every one stands against perfection and overcoming sin while they be upon earth so throwing themselves out of the work that the Ministers of Christ were in so from it Apostated and hath denyed the Ministers work which is the perfecting and you cry no perfection Pr. He saith They call breaking of bread carnal faith comes by hearing of the Scriptures and it is the way to teach men to Christ to convince and convert souls how should we know sin to be sin or righteousness to be righteousness but by Scripture Scripture hath been a fit rule to walk by and guide into truth and peace Answ Breaking of outward bread is not spiritual for the Papists they say it is spiritual and you say it is not carnal what differs Priests and Baptists from Papists and you say it is not as other bread is and thus you deceive people and make them believe a lie and the Pharisees had Scriptures and knew not the way of truth and peace nor was not guided in it neither any upon the earth Except they be in the life that gave it forth and the Pharisees had Scriptures read every day among them and hearing not the word that they heard that was in them that gave forth Scriptures they heard not the word of faith and the word of faith they have not neither hath any upon the earth for faith comes by hearing the word the word Preached not by hearing the Letter he that hath the Word of God may speak it dayly for they were Ministers of the Letter which begot people into a form and they were more ten fold the children of the Devil then they were before there was any Profession after they were got into Profession and all upon the earth do not know righteousness to be righteousness but as they have the life that gave forth Scriptures for the Pharisees chief Priests and Jewes had the Scriptures and read them every Sabbath day among them and they knew not righteousness to be righteousness Jesus Christ the righteousness of God neither did they know sin to be sin for they crucified the Lord of life they denyed the light the Covenant of God the Covenant of light the Jewes whicâ— had Scriptures so none doth know sin to be sin but as they do by the light which comes from the Lord Jesus Christ that makes it manifest and Abraham and Enoch knew sin before Scripture was Pr. Again he saith Try their own hearts by Scriptures Ansâ— They that tryed their hearts it was by the spirit of the Lord that searcheth them which led them to speak forth scriptures for before Scriptures were given forth there was that in the heart to try it which led all holy men of God to speake forth scriptures if all men upon earth had the scriptures and have not that which gave it forth they have not that which will try the heart for the Pharisees had the scriptures and they could not try their own hearts and so they turned against the light as the world do now that have the scriptures for that is it which brings to stand approved of God and tries their hearts with it Pr. He saith the overseers of the Church are visible An. That which doth oversee and maketh to be overseers was the holy Ghost before the Apostles deceased which was invisible but since the dayes of the Apostles men have made officers by the letter such are visible therefore have all men come into divers formes out of the unity and have lost the bond of peace Pr.
from the spirit of God you had not known there had been a father or spirit or grace or worshâ—p if the scripture had not declared it but they that had not scripture had faith had the Hoâ—y Ghost had the Father knew the Father knew Christ knew the spirit they that had the scripture the Pharisees knew not the father knew not the holy Ghost nor the Redeemer but resisted as it was in Steven knew not father nor Christ the author of it knew not him that was borne of the spirit Now they that had the scriptures knew all these things that had the spirit that gave them forth they that had the scriptures and not the spirit knew not these things they that had the spirit of error that were in heaps about the saints words now they had the scriptures the Pharisees walked in darkenesse had not Davids Lanthorne to their feet and so could not see Christ as David did saith the Apostle their table was their trap there they struck David that had the life that gave forth the scriptures who had the lanthorne to his feet and had not they a lanthorne before the scripture was written Abraham Enoch what led them all to give forth scripture are not all they that have the scripture and out of that that they was in that gave them forth out of the light and out of the Lant-horne and they had a rule of obedience before the scripture was given forth the word of God that lives and abides and endures for ever that is the word of faith in which the scripture the words of God ends And man had the scripture and knew not Christ that was from the life that they were in that gave forth the scripture Pr. The Gospell is the scripture Answ Many may have the Scripture and deny the power of God which is the Gospel many had the Scripture and the form and stood against the Son of truth Christ Jesus the power of God the Gospel And as for thy other lies and slanders which are not worth mentioning which comes from thy drunken spirit when the spirit is awakened that suffers by it thou shalt feel every word of thy own thy burthen and thou that doth set the Scriptures above Christ and God and the spirit art a heathen THOMAS LEADGERS Antiquakers Assertions His Principles in it as followeth Pr. HE saith The Divine nature is without mixture of sin but it doth not destroy wholly the sinful nature that is in us and the being of sin dieth not until the body die and sin hath been in us to humble us Answ Sin is that which doth not humble but lifts up That which humbles people which brings down the sin Is the humilitie which bears the sin and iniquity which is Christ And the Saints were made free from sin while they were upon the earth and had the body of sin put off And the Divine nature they which have received it knoweth it and have escaped the pollutions that is in the world and the lust of it and so the Divine nature destroyes sin in its being Prin. Again he saith The Scripture is a quickening spirit the wisdom of God the power of God unto salvation the words of the blessed Scriptures every Line of it I have had saith he the righteousness of God revealed in my soul I have had the love of God the grace of Christ the Communion of the Holy Ghost manifest in me but I trample upon all attainments the highest as dung Answ Many had the Scriptures and stood against the wisdom of God and stood against the power of God yea killed and persecuted the Lord of glory of life They that had the dead Letter without the life and many got the form and denyed the power and denyed the quickening spirit and the Spirit of Christ doth not bring to trample upon attainments not the love of Christ nor the righteousness of Christ the love of Christ the grace of Christ the righteousness of Christ this was never esteemed on as the dung trampled upon as the dung such as was transgressors was as dung and they trampled upon the love of Christ the righteousness of Christ but who comes into this tramples upon their own notion Pr. He saith again that perfection is a golden dream and the Scriptures is the word of God Answ Perfection is over all dreams be they never so golden and it ends them all and is above them all and Christs name is called the word of God and the Scriptures are the words of God which Christ the word of God by which all things were made came to fulfill A Book called A serious review of some PRINCLES of the QUAKERS Pr. NO man hath reason to say that the spiritual substance is in the creature the Divine Essence is subject to change as is the soul of man and every one is enlightened that comes into the world by the light of Christ and this he cals a natural light and that some persons are come up out of the fall is an errour I do not own a perfection without sin and it is an errour to say there is any perfection without sin Answ All erring is in the fall and that which is come up out of the fall is come out of the errour into the second Adam where no errour is which many witness for all errour is in the first Adam in the fall and in him that tempted And the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world by which the world was made which was before the world was made by which all things was made and created in whom is life and this life is the light of men which men being in the light which they be enlightened withall they coming by the light to him from whence the light doth come they come into the perfection out of sin for all sin and imperfection is in the first Adam in the earth And perfection is in the second Adam Christ Jesus who bruiiseth the Serpents head the Author of imperfection And who be in him are in a perfection without sin and there is no sin in the perfection nor any errour in the perfection of Christ and all who be in the unreasonableness are â—gnorant of the spiritual suâ—stance and power of God and Holy Ghost the spirit of truth the Spirit of Christ the nature that dwels in the Saints which all this is substance and not shadow and the Divine power and the power of the Lord God and Gâ—d doth not change nor his spirit nor the soul nor his power so read thy self God doth not change in his being neither doth that which comes from him that which he hath in his hand and in his power Pr. Hâ— saith That which is imperfect can be reconciled to God and that they are poor blind creatures that say the light doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and needeth no light and discovery to help and the Scripture doth no where call Christ
the word but the Scripture is the word and so these poor creatures erre not knowing the Scripture to speak in the singular number is non-sence and they that translated the words thee and thou might have translâ—ted them you Answ The spirit gave to speak the proper Language singular and plural and spake such words as cannot be condemned And if translators that be out of that translate the words given forth from the spirit into what form soever they will yet the spirit will finde it out and the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world by which all things were made made lights and created lights Christ Jesus the light whiâ—h doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world need not have these outward lights or discoveries they were all made by the light which light was before these were made and they which are come into the reconciliation with God are in perfection out of the imperfection from under the wrath and the Word reconciles hammers down cuts down and burns up that which is contrary and sanctifies and makes clean and Christ Jesuâ— his name is called the word of God the Scripture saith so and they say that the Scriptures are the words of God which in Christ the word which was before they were given forth comes to fulfill them and that which is imperfect is done away Pr. To say that God is substantially in man as Essentially one with him can be no other but the man of sin the Devil himself having transformed himself into an Angel of Light and if it were possihle would â—â—â—â—â—ve the very Elect. Answ The Scripture saith that God will dwell in man and walk in him and the Saints had unitie with the Father and the Son and all that hates the Light which Christ the Light hath enlightened them withall hath not the Father and the Son in such the man of sin reigns and in such the Devil may transform but the Elect he cannot deceive the Elect hath the victory and Dominion which were elected in him before the foundation of the world glory for ever and as for all the other words in thy book they are not worth mentioning they will be thy own burthen they will fall heavy upon thee in this day when thou shalt shalt give an accompt to God James Brown His Book called Antichrist in spirit His expressions and Principles as followeth Pr. THat the light in every man is a certain guide and rule in all things this is the means whereby Scriptures are slighted Answ No one knows nor owns the Scriptures but as the light of Christ that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world doth guide and teach them the light of Christ within which gives them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and Scriptures and to see the Scriptures and doth not slight them Pr. To witnesse God and Christs glorious resurrection and heaven and the happinesse of new Jerusalem this is lookt upon as an errour Answ Christ within who is the resurrection the glory the kingdome of heaven is there and David who witnessed him was in hell he was upon the earth too and he that witnessed the new Jerusalem and that happinesse was upon the earth And they that have all these words not possessing the life they have no comfort in what they speak nor in what they professe and the babes and the children that are free knows their mother that is from above Pr. If there be no outward meanes but light within what need of the Scriptures Answ The light Christ within was in the Saints before the Scriptures was given forth and that was it which was their guide to give forth the Scriptures wherein they walked and did not stumble and that is it which gives to see the Scriptures again to what condition they are spoken and the use of them Pr. The day is not yet dawned nor the day-star the bright and morning Answ The Apostle tells the Saints of the Day-star and they were children of the day and the night was over the true light shined and the darknesse past Though some indeed were not come to the day-star and the light shined in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not Where darknesse rules there be the works that are out of the light and among such as have apostatized since the dayes of the Apostles the day-star is not risen to them they see it not but amongst the children of light it is seen and they that see it not are comprehended The day-star is risen and they are children of the day Pr. And them that bring people to looke at the light within them are as Corah Dathan and Abiram Ans All that go from the light within them are as Corah Dathan and Abiram amongst the Lords Prophets exalting themselves and persecuting Pr. All men are not so taught of God as they shall be at Israels return Answ All men are taught of God that be in the Covenant whether Israel heare or not Pr. I know that many of the Quakers are temperate sober self-denying people but this is but the tything of hearbs Answ It was the Doctrine of the Apostle who preached Christ the end of tything and hearbs and self-denyall sobernesse temperance was not called the tything of hearbs for the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures brought to this Pr. And the light within is darkness and I never read of the Churches of the Saints that spoke by two Answ The Apostles doctrine to the Corinthians was that they might speak by two or three And the light within which is the light of Christ which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world the darknesse cannot comprehend it though it shine in it till it shine forth in the heart to give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Pr. And that the Kingdome that is in the Saints is in the Pharisees I deny Answ The same that is in the Saints is in the Pharisees in the measure though it be but as a grain of mustard-seed which is like to the leaven little Pr. The state of arising from sin to grace is never called a resurrection Answ They that arise from sin to grace out of the first Adam into the second Adam comes into the resurrection the second death shall have no power over them and the Saints comes to judge the world Pr. Such as trust to a light within them forsake the holy oyle the Lords spirit that speaks in the Scriptures Answ The Lords spirit spoke in them that gave forth the Scriptures who had the holy oyle the light within them And the spirit speaks not from the Scripture but by that which gave it forth which is the Author of it Pr. I deny that any have a light within them to attain to the measure of God and Christ as they that have the writings Ans None attains to the mystery of God but by the light
houses but the papists have taught you it The Papists were persecutors so are you they haled out of Synagogues so do you they took tithes so do you they preached by the hour-glasse quenched the spirit so do you They preached for means gleab-lands so doe you They had the cross on the top of steeple houses so have you in many places they had Trinity Colledge Emanuel Colledge and Christs Colledge so have you They named the Saints daies so you follow them they called their houses by the name of Trinity Jesus Emanuel and their Masse-houses by Peter and Paul and Mary and so do you Is not this the papists game do not they called Quakers deny this game and you both and Christ thou art ignorant of who is come to reigne and rule and teach his people himselfe Pr. Ministers are spurring on the Magistrates to cast out the bad and scandalous Ministers Have not Lawyers and Phisitians an easier life and more honourable in the world then the Ministers and have not the ministers been the principall instruments to pluck downe Deanes and Chapters Bishops c We ministers breake our health and all our wordly interests for you And I had rather be a ploughman or the meanest tradesman but for the greatest necessity and the truths sake Ans Have not all you Ministers in this manifested your selves did ever the Apostles fly to the Magistrates or spur up them to cast out scandalous Ministers had not the Apostles authority and the spirit and power to cast out reprove and rebuke in the Church Had they not denyed their power if they had gone to the Magistrates and falen on the mountaines which is the papists game and not the Apostles was it not the soldiers that were the cause of pulling down your Railes and Surplices and your Deanes and Chapters and Bishops was it not the Magistrates work but have you had a hand in it have you killed and taken possession have you put out Bishops and got into their places who are in the Bishops Deanes and Chapters maintenance will you needs make your selves so foul and odious to all people were not many of you tradesmen and ploughmens sons poor men and yet now gotten up into great interests and takeing great sums of people of many whom you doe no worke for How can you for shame say you leave your wordly interest when you are but running into them when you come to be Priests and ministers who are the proudest people in the parish in the glories and vanities of the world and honor of it but the priest and his wife and his children Are not you worse then Lawyers and Phisitians taking the peoples money yet cannot make them perfect men but say they must not be perfect The Phisitian is to make one perfect doe they take money of people they do naught for are they not ashamed to doe so but you take money of them you doe no worke for are you not worse then the Lawyers who are bad doe you not take money of such people you do not worke for and sue them and cast them into prison Are you not the unreasonablest men upon the earth and this is the Devils game you are playing and doe you not live in more honour in the world greater gain and no worke done for it then any people in the Nation againe as the Goals in the Nation may witnesse your fruits Pr. All nations that are of the Christan world are for the ministers to this day and they that are not are the dry branches that are out from the Church Oh how have I besought the Lord that he would convert you to remember them that hath the rule over you they that hath spoken the word of God and rules well are worthy of double honour Ans You are apostatized from those Elders among the Apostles and from the Apostles in an usurped authority Ministers made by the will of men at schools and Colledges not by the will of God as the Apostles were so your honour must be defaced and you are the dry branches cut off from the true Church your Church and Ministery both wanting the vertue and life of God among you so broken into heapes and sects and names among your selves wanting the unity and bond of peace the nations have gotten the names of Christians but are dead are from the life and your prayers are as the Pharisees you being found in their steps as Matth. 23. read you all You say none must be perfect upon earth how then converted who are converted are converted into Christ who is perfect out of the first which is not perfect Pr. The enemies of the Ministers are the fore-runners of the heavy wrath of God and the Jewes were quite cut off from the Church and made vagabond upon the earth they mockt the the Messengers of God untill wrath came upon the people Ministers are either their Fathers or Nurses in the Lord their sins killed and grace is quickned by the ministers meanes Ans It was the forerunner of the wrath of God upon the Jews that they had Temples and Tithes and stood against the Ministers of Christ it is so to you as it was with them that saw not the substance that now stands against the light and fight against it And was not Railers envious men and persecutors alwaies the vagabonds and are not all you vagabonds from the life of the Apostles as the Jews were from the Law of God and are not you all on heaps about words and scriptures shewing you are without life and is not the wrath and plagues of God and over flowing scourge come upon you who are thus standing against his Ministers in this his day that are sent among you cages of unclean birds who the people comforts not their sins kills not their grace quickens not keeping the people in their sins telling them they must have the body of sin while they are upon Earth they are crept into houses before and since the Apostles decease dispersed over the Nations of the world Are not you mocking the messengers and ministers of Christ hath not the wrath come upon you many of the people stricken dead for so doing you that are out of Apostatized from the Church of the Apostles that are persecuting and mocking the Ministers of Christ which in scorn are called Quakers who are sent freely amongst you not for Gleab-lands Tithes Easter reckonings nor Midsomer dues nor like unto you that puts the Papists out of Gleab-land Tithes Easter recoknings and Midsumer dues and gets into them your selves that puts Papists out of their Masse-houses run into them your selves so in this you are not like the Ministers of Christ the Apostles who seeks not these but them but you are seeking these not them but are putting them out this causeth plagues to come upon you and so it is Papists and drunkards and them that are now called ministers which are
seeking the peoples means not the people which makes the true Ministers of Christ odious which are in scorne called Quakers who seekes not theirs but them and you are neither the true Fathers nor the true Nurses but in the Apostacy from them and kicking against that which pricks you going in Sauls steps who went with Priests that had Tithes who were strayed from the life saw not the substance as you Raveners from the spirit of God have set up Tithes who see not the substance you harden your selves not hearing the voice from whose eyes repentance is hid posting on for your earthly interests and meanes posting to Courts Sessions Assizes Benches and this is the work you are doing and posting on in the Nation as the Courts Sessions and Assizes declares your hurrying the people thither seeking theirs not them your spirits are tryed at Courts Sessions and Assizes to be the false spirits that went forth into the world which Peter Jude and John speakes of which went forth from them and seperated themselves which since the world went after you who have been in Caines Cores and Balaams way Pr. Tradesmen and princes labours preserves health but mine consumes it Ans Here thou hast shewed that thy labour work and ministry is not of God that preserves health and strength for the work of the ministry is to bring into the saving health and preserve it and not consume it as thy worke doth that they may honour God with their substance and serve him with all their strength Pr. The law gives Tithes say the priests and allowes We may forbare working and we are content with food and rayment and to give away our tithes if the people will allow us food and raymet for us and our children as is fit to make them servicablâ— yet the Qâ—akers call the ministers covetous Ans The Jews priests who were made obedient to the faith which had a commandement while they were under the Priesthood to take Tithes according to to the Law but the ministers now turne again from the faith to the Law and saies the Law of God gives it them and saies the Tythes are not the people 's but the Lords Did not the Apostles cut off tithes afore the Law and in the Law the priest-hood and law both and have not you here shewed your selves Apostatized from the Apostles so in the Apostacy who have set up a Law the first author whereof was the Pope and say the Law gives it us and you would not leave tithes unlesse the people would make a bargain with you to maintain you your wives and children was this the work of the Apostles Ministery what shamelesse words are these what set your selves thus that all people may view your folly what the Apostles did give was it upon this condition the people should give them food and rayment for it Dâ—d not the Apostles say he that wil not worke let him not eate but from the whole practice of the Apostles you are apostatized and is not your covetous practises discovered through all the Courts Sessions and Assizes in the Nations you posting up thither and suing and causing them to go thither you doe not worke for what is this but covetousnesse and unrighteousnesse Pr. That the Quakers say that the priests are persecutors like the priests and phari sees of old but they shall be taught one day to know that if the Magistrats stop their mouthes he does no more persecute them then a thiefe when he is hanged c you say you wish all the Lords people were prophets Answ This is a lye found in your mouths for you say prophecying is ceased this you sound abroad all the world over as farre as you can This shews that you are not able to stop their mouths nor resist the spirits of them whom you say it will be no more persecution for the Magistrate to stop their mouths then to hang a thief And thus to all Magistrates that feare God you appear with shame and all may see what you crouch for under the mountains for blood Jezebe like and makes the Magistrates your pack-horses and executioners of your malice but the Lord God of heaven and earth in his wisdome is opening the eyes of many that moderation appeares in such in whose hearts the feare of the Lord is placed that tries many of you and turns many of you to your own weapons to see what weapons you have and they finde you but wrestlers against flesh and blood striking at the creatures not at the power which captivates them to bring them out of it into the liberty of the sons of God The true Ministers work was to beat down blasphemers errours false Prophets and stop the mouths of gain-sayers Rebuke exhort teach instruct with all authority cut off occasions with spirituall weapons And this power had they in the Church and cryed not to the Magistrate take them away they disturb me Oh shameless shame thy selfe before all the people in the Congregation This was not the work of the Ministers of Christ to do so And this authority in the Church before mentioned had the Ministers of Christ to stop the mouths of Gain-sayers silence false Prophets and blasphemers This power and authority they had from God and looked not at men to help them but they which apostatized from the Apostles the Beast the false Prophet the mother of Harlots that deceived the Nations that be out of the power of the Apostles and Christ have their power from men all the false Ministers upon earth are seeking to them to stop blasphemers as they imagine being but contrary to their mindes while they themselves are the blasphemers as weighed and judged by the Scriptures and spirit of Truth And the Magistrates work the power which he receives from God is to punish prophane open sins and the Ministers work is to bring people from under that occasion Pr. The Magistrates sets their guards at our doors and lets in none but who they please Let the Kings of the earth shew an uninterrupted succession giving them right to their Crown and I will shew a more undoubted succession to the Ministery All the Christians in our Parishes are our Flock we undertake to prove the truth oâ— such Churches Answ Your â—hurch is guarded with carnall weapons and the succession of your ministery is like unto the succession of earthly Kings Crowns which are all made by the will of men And the Magistrates have been but your servants and through ignorance have quenched the spirit and your work hath been to destroy the order concerning edification practice and doctrine of the Apostles in the true Church which said let all speak one by ne If any thing be revealed to another that sits by let the first hold his peace The spirit of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets From this you are apostatized and have gotten a law to stop the practice of this in your Church-apostacy whose doors many of
the power of God that went out of the truth that tempted others out of the truth to transgresse and to sin by which came death by which the devil hath the power of death that went out of the truth so is the power of death which Christ the power of God destroys death and him that hath the power of it Prin. Mayo saith To say the Gospel is the power of God is but a Metapohrical speech Answ The Apostle doth not say so for the Apostle saith the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes in plain words Rom. 1. Chapter Pr. He said That Lanthorn and that Light spoken of in the Psalms which was a light unto Davids path was not meant Christ the word Ans Why then doth the Apostle bring often Davids words to prove that David did speak of Christ And spake of the sure mercies of David the everlasting Covenant of light and in his light should see more light and called him Lord and David saw his flesh that should see no corruption and see his resurrection and many other Scriptures might be brought to prove this Prin. He said The Scriptures was the seed which the sower went forth to sow Mat. 13. Answ The seed is that which the Scripture speaks of which Christ said is the word which many have the Scriptures which knowes not the seed nor the thing it speaks of nor the seed that is sown which is the word as instance the Jews and you Christians which put Scripture for it for if the Scripture be the seed it is sown already it is printed and what need you go out to sow it Pr. He faith That Paul in the 5. of the Ephes 18. Exhorts the Ephesians to follow a light which was not the light of the Gospel and it is said in plain Scripture in so many words he could not prove that any of the Ministers of Christ doth exhort the Saints to follow a light which was the light of the Gospel Ans We herein see his confusion who confounds himself and Paul and that in the Ephesians which he saith was not the light of the Gospel let all people read who bids them not be drunk with wine but be filled with the spirit And this is the light of the Gospel which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which darkness cannot comprehend where the God of the world hath blinded the minds of the Infidels least the light of the glorious Gospel should shine into them as the minds of all the Priests of the world doth appear to be blinded with the God of the world that the light of the glorious Gospel which is the image of God which shines in the hearts of believers which they do not behold and though the light shines in darkness there darkness comprehended it not therefore they rage like the Jewes and are professing the Letter as the Jews did standing against the light with which Light they are comprehended which was before ages was Pr. He saith That Paul persecuting the Saints was a righteous thing in the sight of men and he said that he denyed that any doer of the Law is justified so as to be saved Answ Paul persecuting the Saints was not a righteous thing amongst righteous men that was in the righteousness of God for Christ the righteousness of God saith Paul why persecutest thou me now Pauls persecuting was justified by them which were in the self righteousness out of the righteousness of Christ and such that be in that righteousness may justifie thee and thy persecution and the doers of the Law are justified and who are justified are saved and Christ the end of the Law they come to know salvation it self who redeemes from under it so I through the Law am dead to it and know it a School-Master and the righteousness of the Law fulfilled in me Pr. That a man may be a righteous man and not a godly man Answ A righteous man in the righteousnesse of Christ is a godly man who have the righteousness of the Law fulfilled in him but a righteous man in self-righteousness is ungodly Pr. That a man may be justified by God and yet condemned by his own conscience and justified by his own conscience and condemned by God Answ A man that is justified by God is not condemned by his own conscience for the mystery of faith is held in a pure conscience in which men are justified in the sight of God and a man that is condemned in his own conscience is not Justified in the sight of God that which condemnes is the light and that is the cause of condemnation the hating of it and not believing of it and that is the cause the conscience comes to be seared whereby comes condemnation and that in the Romans proves no such thing which thou layes down Pr. That every believer hath not the witness in him Answ That is contrary to Scripture and the Ministers of Christs Doctrine which saith he that believes hath the witness in himself mark he and after he believes he comes to be sealed with the spirit of promise and can set to his seal that God is true and comes to believe the record of his Son which is the spirit that recordeth all things Pr. That the Gospel is not the power of God Answ The Gospel is the power of God in this thou art contrary to the Ministers of the Gospel which said the Gospel was the power of God to salvation to every one that believes and in this thou haâ—t proved thy self to be an unbeliever Pr. He would make Christ speak blasphemy leaving out half his words Answ That is false thou couldst not make Christ the power of God the light the life the truth speak blasphemy in leaving ouâ— many of his words for all blasphemy is out of the truth and the power of God and in the power and life of God there is no blasphemy Pr. That a man may persecute Christ in the Saints and be a righteous man and that the Scriptures saves instrumentally Answ A man cannot persecute the Saints and be in the righteousness of God or the righteousness of the Law but they that persecute Christ are in their own self-rightrousness and the Scripture saves not instrumentally but as men be in the faith and men knowes not salvation but as they be in the Life that gave it forth and Christ the Saviour it speakes of and there 's the instrumental saving that the Scripture owns for Christ asked them that had Scriptures how they could escape the damnation of hell that were out of the life of it Pr. They that did not sware broke the Law of God and man Answ They that sware are not come to Christ the end of the Law and they are out of Christs Doctrine and the Apostles who said sware not at all not by heaven nor by earth nor any other oath but let your communication be yea yea nay nay least thou
Perfection in the creature is Christ who destroys the Devill and his works and bindes the strong man and spoyls his goods and takes the possession of it to himselfe and the creature is a perfect creature out of transgression He that is borne of God doth not commit sin being the seed of God remains in him and that is the doctrine of Perfection in the creature and Christ makes all things new and thou that cannot witnesse any thing made new art in the old things crying up imperfection and that is perfect that brings men to confesse their sin and that is in the creature Thomas Hodges Rector in Oxfordshire Batchellor in Divinity saith Pr. THat the holy Ghost speaks in the Scriptures Ans Here all may see his ignorance whether this man be fit to be a Rector who is thus corrected with the Scriptures which saith that the holy Ghost moved in them that gave forth Scriptures which led them into all truth and did not say the holy Ghost moved in the Scriptures but said the letter was dead and did not give life And thus he Rects into darknesse in telling the people the holy Ghost is in Scripture when the Scripture never gave forth that speech but said it was in them that gave it forth for many may have the Scriptures and want the holy Ghost as the Pharisees Pr. To the Law and to the Testimony and thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image that is in heaven or in earth Answ I say to the Law and to the Testimony before Matthew Marke Luke John Epistles and the Revelations were written The law is light the testimony of Jesus the spirit of prophecy as in the dayes Isaiah the 8. And you have told the people that it is Old and New Testament which the new was not written in his dayes in the dayes of Isaiah And why do you make likenesses of things in heaven and in earth and hang up in your houses and signes yet thou saith we should not make them for it is a breach of Gods command Of whom have you learned to make all these Images of things in heaven and things in the earth since the dayes of the Apostles but of them that went forth from the Apostles of whom ye are of the Popes tribe Richard Heath Priest in Shrewsbury His Principles as follows Pr. THat the drawing people to a light within them you draw them from God t themselves from the instruction of the spirit Answ Here thou art an unlike Minister to the Apostle who brought people to a light within them Cor. 2.4 and told them that the light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ And so none comes to the knowledge of the spirit but such as comes to the light within and from themselves though they have the Scriptures as the Jewes had Pr. If we Ministers should send people from all other lights to the light within them they should then turne them from light to darknesse from God to the power of Sathan Answ None comes to God but who comes to the light within from the power of Satan and darknesse And God will dwell in man and walk in man and make his abode who is light and the end of all other lights before they were And yee that turnes people from the light turnes people into darknesse the power of Satan and there keeps people under his dominion from the light Christ Jesus that hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world with which they might see their Saviour Daniel Gaudry Priest of great Billing in Northamptonshire His Principles as followeth Pr. THat the Saints are partly sinfull and failing in their best works and subject to continuall lustings one against another Answ The life of the Saints is Christ not sinfull at all and they are ceased from their own works and are true believers and the works of faith are not sinfull nor the works of the spirit which the Saints are led withal and they come into Christ in whom they have peace and not lust one against another but live in the spirit in which there is unity in which is the bond of peace and the lusting one against another is in the transgression of the spirit of God So who be in Christ be in peace and who be in the world be in trouble in wars but who be in Christ be in him who was before Wars was inward or outward of whom thou art ignorant Pr. The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin the guilt of it instantly and perfectly from the stain and power of it gradually Answ Where sin is there the guilt of it is felt at that instant but whoever feels the sin shall feel the guilt of it and the blood of the seed cleanseth it makes free from that which the Law takes hold of And the blood of the seed it cleanseth from sin the power and stain of it and then the guilt is gone of it and where this is known the seed that destroys death and him that hath the power of it which is the Devill the fulnesse is known which is above degrees that which degrees ends in Pr. It is the tang of Popery that a man may fall from saving grace Answ The grace of God that appeared to all men which brings salvation is saving and such thee and many Papists turns into lasciviousnesse and wantonnesse That which brings salvation is saving So you are turned to be murderers of one another about Scriptures which was not the practice of them who lived soberly righteously and godly who deny the worldly lusts and ungodlinesse but their hearts were established in grace which was their Teacher but you and Papists that live wildely and ungodly unrighteously in the lusts of the world that from the grace and the saving grace are fallen your fruits your actions daily declares and shews it and so you be talkers of grace which is turned into wantonness among you and the Papists both your unseasoned hearts and words makes it appear Pr. We shall not see Christ as he is till he comes to judgement then and not before we shall see him And then he adds Every man that hath this hope purifies himselfe which also argues that he is not pure and perfect but onely in hope Answ You where you are sees him not nor know him not as he is we do believe you but the Saints the true Church whom he is the head of whom he is in the midst and in whom he is And Christ told his Disciples they had known him and they knew the Son and had the Son and they had the Father also and he that had not had not life And they had handled and seen and hope in it selfe is pure and that is it which purifies man and makes him pure as God is pure The hope now is pure in it selfe a distinct thing and that is to make man
end of the types and figures and shadowes the substance Pr. And the woman that Paul speaks of that is forbidden to speake in the Church but must learne of her husband at home is the whore that drinks the blood of the Saints in Revelations Ans That is false for the woman the Apostles speaks of there that must learne in silence and must be in subjection aske her husband at home is in the state of Eve who must not teach but learne in silence as also said the Law for shee was first found in the transgression now the woman here hath a husband to aske at home and not usurp authority over the man but Christ in the male as in the female who redeems from under the Law and makes free from the Law the man may speak Christ in the male and female who are in the spirit of God are not under the Law but the whore who drinks the blood of the Saints is gone from her husband from under the Law to aske the whore-master that doth drinke the blood of the saints which Christ the seed judgeth upon to whom he gives judgement Pr. And the outward creatures which God had made and created and blessed are the serpents meat as the old Ranter of Bristow when he was gnawing a peece of plum pudding said he was eating the serpents meat Ans The Serpents meate is dust and he goes on his belly and so hath proved him selfe to be a serpent who eates his meat which the children of God the seed doth not and Christ who eate of the bread he did not eate the serpents meate he did not call it serpents meat and that is cursed and judged that doth so Francis Duke his book intituled The fulnesse and freenesse of Gods grace his Principles are as followes Pr. GGod made man perfection of parts in this life but not perfection in degrees Ans Perfection of parts is perfection of degrees for where there is a part there a degree so in this thou medlest with things that are too heavy for thee Pr. That God did elect that drop of humane seed to be personall God man as the text is the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpents head Ans The elect is Christ the seed and Christ the second Adam is not humane for humane is earthly so thou erres in thy judgement for as Christ the seed saies he that is born of the flesh is flesh and he that is born of the spirit is spirit and the election obtaines it and he that is of the earth is earthly but he that is from above is heavenly Pr. Men may obey imperfectly but truly Ans Truth is perfect Christ is truth who is perfect and they that obey truly obey perfectly for perfect obedience and true obedience is one Pr. The seed of the Serpent and the Devils seed remaines in the best of men in this life for without this seed of the Devil issuing in humane nature it is not capable of Eternal life Ans This seed of the Devill hinders men to be capable of eternall life and such as are sanctified from the wombe was capable of eternall life and such as were made free from sin and the body of death and sin put out of them could not sin because the seed of God remaineth in them and witnessed redemption the works of the Devill destroyed and Christ manifested in their flesh condemned sin in their flesh and Christ in them the body being dead because of sin which was borne of God and they did not commit sin they were past from death to life for sin brought death and where the Devill had the power of it which went out of truth but the seed having destroyed death and him that hath the power of it which is the devill and God the God of all peace have bruised Satan under the faints feet such is a top of the seed of the devill and they are capable of eternall life and tells thee thy doctrine is a lye Pr. Man may believe truly but never rightly Ans He that believeth truly and is in the true beliefe believes rightly and he that believes truly is borne of God and he whose beliefe is false and not born of God it is as his that is out of truth which is not right which the true beliefe in truth is over him in that the Devill is out of all his generation that stands in an outward beliefe Pr. The will of man remaines in good men and bad men in heaven and in hell and in earth Ans There 's noe prophesie of the scriptures came by the earthly will of man but that mans will be subdued denyed with the Crosse and power of God whereby he that doth the will of God abides for ever but he that doth his own will abides not ever and flesh and blood enters not into the kingdom of God and they that goe downe into Hell go down into their owne wills and wilfulnesse but he must be born againe before he can enter into Gods Kingdom he that is borne of the flesh is flesh and will persecute him that is born after the spirit for there 's the two wills and earth is their footstool Pr. The Saints affirme themselves that they are all unclean things and their righteousnesse as filthy rags Ans The Saints are cleane and are sanctified and are washed and are cleansed now are you clean saith the Lord ye were such and such and the saints rightousnesse is Christ such as never will grow ragged which was before the world was made which was before rags and ragged righteousnesse was this is the Saints righteousness and true believers and the saints are not unclean things for it is the unsanctified that be unclean Pr. The Saints have a twofold righteousnesse in this world Ans The righteousness of the Saints is one Christ and is in one in God from whence all righteosnesse comes and the true believers righteousnesse is Christ Jesus the end of the Law Pr. Thou saist that James envies those that brag of their faith without works thou saist the Lord attributes that to the eye which is not proper the eye is the light of the body but yet the eye hath no light in it selfe to enlighten the body so he attributes that to the eye which is not proper to the Light Ans James did not envy for envy was of Cain and of the devill and of the wicked one he did not envy them whose faith was dead without works and Christs speech was proper who said the light of the body was the eye and without the eye the body hath not light looke of it either inward or outward t is proper within and proper without for when the eye is blinded within the body is full of darkenesse when the eye is blinded without the body is darke and he wants the light and the light of the body is the eye that being single the body is full of light and that is perfect
his salvation Ans This is contrary to scripture for God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe And God is the Author of salvation who sent his Son into the world to be a Leader a Captain a Teacher and a Redeemer and a Covenant And there is no name by which men must be saved but by this Name Ellet and Crabs Principle who are Baptists Pr. THat it was blasphemy for any one to say he was justified by a Christ within him and that if they should looke to a light within they should not have peace an houre Ans If Christ be not within you to justifie you are Reprobates for he is justification and sanctification both and the light within you looking at that it will not let you have peace but let you see your works actions deeds thoughts and words which you have acted and spoken Now the Saints peace is in the light which is within for the light is Christ the Covenant of God Priest Fowler of Reading his principle Pr. HE said That the Scripture was the foundation of foundations A. Here thou hast thrown out Christ who is the tryed stone and the sure foundation and not the scripture but the scripture declares of it by the Prophets and the Apostles and no other foundation can any man lay but what is laid Christ Jesus and so thou hast laid another foundation and so art contrary to the Prophets and Apostles and thy work will come into the fire For God layd the foundation of the waters which is not Scripture God laid the foundation that all the lost state of men the sons of Adam that be in the transgression that all might come to build upon him the foundation Christ Jesus when wise men are turned backward and the soothsayers and inchanters are gone mad and the chaffe scattered and all makers of trades of Christ and the Apostles words Babel and the builders fall the foundation of God remaines Christ Jesus who are built on him are sure and doth remain Pr. Priest Goodgroom and the Priest of Ware affirmed and said the Scriptures were both the writings and the thing signified Answ By this the Scripture is Christ and God and spirit and life and saviour and Devill and Hell and errour and blasphemy by your Principle and Doctrine which is all false which is not errour nor blasphemy nor heaven nor hell nor Christ but declares of these things How have you led people in the ditch ye blinde guides their wallowing in their sins in the mire and crying out of them and then you tell them they shall never be made free from them while they be upon earth making a trade of saints words Prin. That Christ justified persons secluding and seting aside the new birth and worke of sanctification Answ Justification sets not aside the worke of sanctification nor new birth but is one with it for justification is sanctification for they who are justified it is by Christ who is the sanctifier and who are in him witnesse the new birth for as many as receive him Christ who doth enlighten every one that comes into the world And as many as receive him to them he gives power to become the sons of God And those which hates the light which they be enlightned withall which is their condemnation For this is the condemnation that light is come into the world but mâ—n love darknesse rather then light because their deeds be evill Prin. That the Letter is the Word and denies that any were converted by a light within Answ The principle of God hath been transgressed within so comes unconversion going from God and the higher power added upon the transgressor the Law which who had it had the types figures and shadows which made nothing perfect but the bringing in of a better hope which hope is Christ within and none is converted to God out of types figures and shadows out of transgression Adams state in the fall and knowing the renewing of the inward man life and immortality come to light but as they come to know the light within Christ who is the way to God and who is in him is in conversion translation and regeneration in a new life serving God and the Scripture or Letter is not the Word Christ is the Word And they that had the Letter killed him who was before the Letter was who were the blinde Priests and Pharisees like your selves Pr. â—hat Christ ju tified sinners as sinners Answ Christ justifies them as they have been sinners and come from it in the faith for by faith are they justified and faith purifies them from their sin but them that hate the light which Christ hath enlightned them withall they are condemned by it and that is the worlds condemnation the light in which light the saints witnesse their Justification and see Christ the Author of their Faith Lamb in the City of London the Baptists Teacher and some of his company their principles as follows Pr. HE affirmed That the Scripture was the Kingdome of heaven and that the scâ—ipture was the light of the Lamb. Ans The kingdome of heaven is within people as in Luke 17. And the Pharisees had Scripture and knew not the Kingdome of heaven within them but were gazing for it without them as thou who art gazing without and saith the scripture is it when the scripture doth but declare of it and tells people it is within them and saith Christ is the light and the scriptures is a Declaration of it Pr. Two of the Baptists said That the light which doth enlighten every one that comes into the world is a naturall light and Christ was a naturall man Answ The light which doth enlighten every that comes into the world is Christ the Covenant of God which was before the Sun and Moon and Stars was which were made by him which are naturall lights and Christ is not a naturall man nor was not for a naturall man receiveth not the things of God but they are foolishnesse unto him and the things of God Christ did receive and they were not foolishness unto him Two Baptists affirmed The Quakers denyed the Scriptures because they did not speak with a book in their hands Ans This is ignorance for a man may speak the Scripture and have never a book in his hand and though he do not name Chapter and Verse which is set up by mens wits which the spirit that gave them forth did not set them in a frame to please mens wills withall And the Quakers do not deny the Scripture because they do not tell people Chapter and Verse and hold a book in their hand but are come into that it speaks of which are come into that which cannot be shaken And here the blinde ignorance of the Teacher appears who can get no further then the Chapter and Verse and Book in the hand this is like the horse which can finde the pasture again when he hath been there So when he hath seen Chapter
is in you who are got up since the dayes of the Apostles and such as are born of God and begotten of him cannot call any man father upon the Earth which is born of the immortal seed heirs of the world which hath no end Pr. We through patience and comfort of the Scriptures have hope Answ Who hath Christ in him in whom the Scriptures ends and he hath the hope hath the comfort of the Scriptures who was before the Scriptures was given forth Christ Jesus who hath not him hath not comfort Pr. The Scriptures is able to make wise unto salvation Answ Not without the faith the Scriptures are not for the Pharisees had Scriptures and was not wise unto salvation and was out of the faith and knew not Christ the salvation Pr. Fear hath its rice from faith and hope in God by the means of Christ which is made known in the Scriptures Answ The Scriptures testifie of faith of God of fear but people receive not hope nor faith nor God nor fear from the Scriptures but from God as they did that gave forth the Scriptures who feared him for many that had Scriptures were out of the true fear of the Lord and called Christ a devil and was from true hope and true fear though they had the Scriptures given forth from them that were in hope and fear but their ears and eyes was stopped to that of God in them and such are never like to receive God and Christ until their ears and eyes be open to that of God in them Pr. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us and there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not and in many things we offend all and the state is not attained in this life but that men shall be growing under weaknesses the highest attainments of Saints is but a spark but the dawning of the day that highest enjoyments is not to the attainment of desires Answ The truth it is that lets men see they have sinned and lets them see they have sin that is within them and it brings them to confesse it and forsake it and the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth from all sin then he that is born of God doth not commit sin neither can he because the seed of God remains in him here in the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devil which makes him to roar in whom he hath no habitation he that is born of God which doth not commit sin nor cannot because he is born of God he is not born of the Devil nor by the will of man nor flesh nor blood And Solomon saith in Eccles 7. speaking to the just man that doth no good under the Law where no flesh is justified saith the Apostle but he that comes to Christ the just the end of the Law his faith gives him victory over sin and the word whereby he becomes dead to it and comes to the end of the Law which faith the just lives by by the life and the faith of the Son of God the Apostle saith in the Epistle to the twelve Tribes in many things we offend all Mark in the many things we offend all but we are come to the one thing Christ Jesus the end of the many things and in him there is no sin And who is in him sins not who put an end to the many things that must end and change and the Saints was come to the day and the children of the day further then a spark And they witnessed the night was gone and some again was not come to the day-Star that was according to their growth And the Saints again was made free from sin Rom. 6. And had put off the body of sin by the Circumcision of the spirit Colos 2. And they was compleat in Christ and they witnessed the Kingdom of heaven that stood in joy and peace in the Holy Ghost and so not groaning alwayes and the Saints witnessed the Marriage of the Lamb and Christ in them and their bodies the Temple of God and the end of their desires and so was not alwayes desiring but they witnessed their bread from above which they that eat of it should hunger no more nor thirst no more Pr. The Light which is in every man is but darkness being compared with a Revelation of Christ in the Saints our Justification hath its rise from what Christ hath done and suffered for us not from what he hath done in us Justification and Sanctification are ever distinct in their nature distinct one from the other Justification is not Sanctification nor Sanctification Justification but two things real distinct in their nature Answ The light which every man that cometh into the world is lightned withall is Christ and this light reveals Christ and the Saints light and this light is condemnation to the world which hates it And no man knoweth justification but as he knoweth it wrought within from Christ and no man knowes the seed that was offered the sacrifice of the whole world but as he knowes it within through the faith and who are of the faith they are of Abraham they are of the flesh of Christ the flesh of him that suffered and if men have not Christ within them they have not justification and though they may talk of him without and have him not within such are reprobates that hath not Christ within them reprobate from Christ from justification and sanctification both but are of the generation that caused him to suffer and justification and sanctification are one not distinguished the one from the other in their natures but are one in nature not two things really distinct in their nature but really one for Christ our sanctification and justification he that sanctifies and justifies they are one in nature which is Christ which is sanctification and justification both and thou art rebuked which makes two of them and distinct when it s but one thing the same that justifies sanctifies Pr. If the fulfilling of the righteous Law in us be Justification then Christ died in vain Justification is the direct opposite to condemnation that which makes a change in the heart of the creature is sanctification and justification faith doth not save nor justifie by vertue of any worth or excellencie found in it nor merely because Christ is the object of it Ans He that fulfills the righteousness of the Law in us is Christ the justification hereby men come to know him that he redeems them from under the Law and they are led by the spirit And they know he is their intercession and died not in vain and he ends the Law who fulfills it And he is the justification to every one that believes And this is known in us that do believe to the justification of it whereby a tittle of it is seen not to be broken whereby the body of Christ is seen which makes
sin whilst they are upon earth they can be but in their sin if they never preach to them But the scripture saith He that believes is borne of God and he that is borne of God cannot sin because his seed remaines in him 1 Iohn 3.9 But this is of another world to him who is called James Dorram Minister of Glasgow Minister of darknesse who puts no difference between the children of God and the children of the devill 1 Iohn 3.10 They would have sin whilst they are upon the earth and it is darknesse but the Apostles said they were made free from sin Rom. 6.22 whilst they were upon the earth Pr. Christ being sinlesse separates him from all others Answ Christ being seperated from sinners Heb. 7.26 who are in Christ are seperate from sinners and sin both 2 Cor. 6 17. But this James Dorram hath made the offering of none effect Heb. 10.14 which hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified And hath made the blood of Jesus of none effect which cleanseth from all sin 1 Iohn 1.7 And he hath made the everlasting Covenant of none effect which blots out all sins trespasses And he hath made the faith of the Son of God of none effect which purifies the heart and gives victory over the world Acts. 15.9 1 Iohn 5.5 Thou dost herein preach and hold up sin and doth not preach it down and yet thou saist thou preachest not to hold it up and yet thou preachest they must have it whilst they are upon the earth here is confusion in thy tongue Prov. 17.20 Thou shouldst have preached it down and have brought them to a Church where there is neither spot nor wrinkle nor blemish nor any such thing Eph. 5.27 if thou wert a true Minister but your Church is full of spots and blemishes and wrinkles whilst ye are preaching up zeale to stone people and sin while they live as Henry Foreside and Iames Dorram doth Pr. God be thanked the scripture speakes nothing for freedome from sin and perfection Ans Thou thankest God that thou maist live in thy sin and imperfection and art glad of this thy false hope but thou art a lyar thou art out of the truth in this for the scripture saith they were made free from sin Rom. 6.26 and they preached wisdome among them that were perfect 1 Cor. 2.6 and he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 So the scripture speakes of freedome from sin and perfection and be perfect Pr. That the condemning power of sin is taken away Answ The believer doth not sin 1 Iohn 5.1 1 Iohn 3.9 but he that the believer overcomes commits sin 1 Io. 3.8 1 Io. 5.5 if the believer commits sin who overcomes the believer and so he that commits sin is under the condemning power of sin which thou saist not which thou and all other shall witnesse Pr. The believer is not in sin as the unbeliever is he sins not as the unbeliever doth and in an other place he saith the Law is the same to the believer that it is to the unbeliever Answ Here any may read thy confusion but I say unto thee he that believeth doth not commit sin but the unbeliefe is sin Rom. 11.20 and Christ is the end of the Law to every one that believes for righteousnesse sake Rom. 10.4 and yet thou puts both believers and unbelievers under the Law Lodowick Simerell priest of the new parish of Munckland his Principles and Doctrines Pr. THat it is blasphemy to say that the light in man which reproves of sin is the light of God is perfect is the gift of God Answ Contrary to scripture contrary to Christs words and contrary to the Apostles words is thy doctrine and Principles for every gift of God is perfect Isa 1.17 Isa 49.6 Iohn 1.3 Iohn 4. For Christ is the gift of God and he will give him for a Covenant of light to the Jewes and Gentiles which doth enlighten every man that commeth into the world which every one that doth truth comes to it which every one that doth evill hates the light and will not come to the light because the light will reprove him and so This is the condemnation of the world that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds be evill So this light is perfect which doth reprove every man of sin and is from above and it is the gift of God and thou art blind and in darknesse that comprehends it not And the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Christ Jesus the gift of God him by whom the world was made this light was before any naturall light was made Sun Moon or Stars for all things that was made was made by the light which came a light into the world that all through him might believe for he that believes not in the light is condemned already and he that does believe in the light hath the witnesse in himselfe to set to his seale that God is true and the spirit of truth that doth reprove the world is perfect of God The light which every one that cometh into the world is enlightned withall is not conscience for the light was before any thing was made or conscience named So the light is that which exerciseth the conscience towards God and towards man where it is loved and the voice heard but where it is hated and the voice not heard the conscience is seared and the light is their condemnation whose consciences is seared which light was before conscience was The Priest would not have thee and thou to be to a single person and so is the man that would not indure sound words that cannot be condemned thee and thou was the language between God and his Saints and one another and you is to many and thou was to one and this was the language between Jeptha and his daughter and between the Saints and the Kings this shewes thou hast not learned the Accedence nor Bible nor art come to the forme of sound words Iohn Castaires called Minister of Glasgow his principles Pr. THis is naturall folks duty to pray to God and worship him although they sinfully keep themselves under a sinfull necessity to sin against God through ignorance Answ This hath been your worke to keep people in ignorance which you may be ashamed of A naturall man cannot worship God for he cannot receive the things of God nor a sinfull man but worship the Devill for he that commits sin serves him and he that serves sin serves the devill and worships him Iohn 8.34 And Christ said the Pharisees should receive the greater damnation for their pretended long prayers Mat. 23.14 and so he did not justifie them in their long prayers but rebuked them and said Wo unto them who draw near with their lips when their hearts were far off Isa 29.13 And they that pray and worship God must pray in the
one another in this Church Papists and Protestants Lutherans and Calvinists so called how is it they are not of one body broken into so many heads now the baptisme of the spirit brings all into one body in which spirit is the fellowship and the unity which spirit is the bond of peace and Circumcision outwardly was a figure of Circumcision within and that it typed forth and baptisme without typed forth baptisme within and many may run into the outward water that doth decrease and doth not come to the body of Christ the light as you may read in the fifth of John for none are grafted into Christ the body but who comes to the light John bare witness of Pr. You say though Christ he in Heaven you on Earth and you are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Answ And yet before you said your consciences accused you and your best works in this life were sinful imperfect and you could not keep the commands of God now this is confusion who are of the flesh and bone of Christ are with him and fits with him in Heavenly places for their conversation is in Heaven Pr. We are grafted into Christ by the Holy-Ghost now according to his humane nature on earth Answ Humane nature is from the ground this is old Adam but Christ who according to the flesh was of Abraham and of David the Scripture doth not tell us of humane nature for humane is from the ground but Christ is from above and though he were a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world yet his nature was not corrupted nor his flesh saw no corruption he that is made of the dust is humane he that is the Lord from heaven is not humane so you erre in your understandings that doth not distinguish Pr. Teaching the Gospel and Ecclesiastical discipline by which the heaven is opened to believers and shut against the unbelievers Ans Christ hath the key which opens to believers which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world that through it they might believe and they that do not believe in the light which Christ hath enlightned them withal heaven is shut to them light condemns them and they neglect the Gospel upon whom the wrath comes which Gospel is the power of God and as for the Ecclesiastical discipline it is got up since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostasie which shuts up the Kingdom of Heaven against men that which they should have believed in that is the light Christ hath enlightned them withall which is the key Pr. And such you say that be wicked men the Sacrament is to them forbidden and shut out of the Congregation Answ Do you not call baptisme Sacrament and hath he given them it and did not you say they are grafted into the Church by baptisme and cannot Judas take the sop but for the word Sacrament that you may look in the old Canon Book the Masse-Book and such as you like you give your Sacrament as covetous and proud and lovers of gold and surfetted with the cares of this life and drunk with it and such as are in superfluitie and yet such you will give it to and common outward drunkards you will keep it from now are not all those forbidden and out of the Church of God read and judge your selves and amend your lives and repent that you may come into the spirit that baptizeth into the body of Christ Pr. You say Christ hath redeemed you by his blood and renewed you by his spirit to his Image Ans And yet your works before were sinful and you brake the command of God now this shewes still that you have but the form and unrenewed in spirit unchanged unconverted and not in the Image of God and not in the thankfulness of God out of a pure heart Pr. To mortifie the old man is to be sorry for your sins Answ A man may be sorry for the sin he hath acted but that which puts off the body of sin is the spirit and purifies the heart is the faith and that that cleanseth from all sin is the blood of Jesus and that that blots out all sin and transgression is Christ the Covenant of God and Christ within manifest in the flesh condemns sin in the flesh so having him within the body is dead because of sin Pr. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image the likeness of any thing in Heaven above or in the earth beneath or worship them or bow down to them thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain c. and remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day for six dayes thou shalt labour and do all thou hast to do but on the Sabbath thou nor thy ox servant or stranger shall do no manner of work Answ Do you not make graven images and Pictures of things in Heaven and of things in the water and of things in the earth and so make similitudes and representations and adore them and set them up in your houses and is not this quite contrary to the commands of God and hath not the Papists been your examples for these things and not the Apostles and do ye not take the Lords name in vain dayly in your streets and markets in your buying and selling and take the Lords name in vain when you call upon him with your lips but your hearts be in your covetous practices and full of hatred envy pride voluptuousness ambition self-honour and deceit and this is taking the Lords Name in vain to call on God with your lips while your hearts be after this manner do your servants or strangers or cattel rest on the seventh day and do you not keep Markets and Fairs on that day the Lord gave to the children of Israel after the fall of Adam for a sign of the restoration of the Creation that neither man nor servant nor family nor ox nor Asse should work on that day but rest so it was a signe the Apostles saith the Sabbath day was a shadow of good things to come which was Christ the good thing who restores the Creation and giveth the liberty to Horse Asse Ox and all the Creation unto man and stranger and servant and Redeemes man up into the image of God and renewes it which hath been lost and so is restoring of the Creation and gives rest to his people and all the Creation and destroys the Devil death and all his works Christ who is the restorer gives rest to the Creation who was before dayes was by which all things was made Pr. You say Thou shalt not do no murther thou shalt not steal nor thou shalt not covet thy neighbours goods house or servant nor any thing that is his his wife or ox or Asse c. Ans Do you do no murther that was the Law without do you fulfill it in Christendom then you do not murther the just principle of God in your particulars do you not quench the spirit in
people and suffer it not to have liberty do you not do murther to the just of God in you in your own particulars and so then stop it in the general for opening its mouth with all your force and might and are you not murtherers there and do you not steal by Sea and Land and cozen and cheat and wrong one another nay do you not steal the words from your neighbour and the Prophets and the Apostles and Christ which you never came into the life of is not this called theft and robbery for you have not received it from the Lord God as Prophets as Apostles as his Son did and servants did so all your profession Church and Ministery stand in the robbery and have not received it as they did as the true Apostles and Prophets did and Ministers did ye all stand in the robbery and do not you covet your neighbours goods Oxen Cattel and servants and wife and one getting from another goods and getting servants one from another is not this out of the love in which the Commandment ends where there is serving one another in love and is not all covetous Idolaters out of the love shut in which the Commandment ends and hath not this been the practice in the whole Christendom coveting mens goods servants cattel and that which is not his is not that out of the Law and Gospel and out of a pure heart where the Commandment is done and known and that which it ends in is in Christ and love keepes the Commands of Christ they that love do not covet and they are not Idolaters Pr. We are not to make any images to be tollerated in the Churches and Chappels or figures of things made for it is not seemly for God will have his Church be taught by living Preaching Answ How is it that your Churches so called are so full of Pictures and images of Males and Females representing a figure of Adam and Eve the Apostles and Christ and your houses and signs of fish in the Sea and Lyons and others creatures upon the earth and of things as you imagine in heaven are not all these your inventions your works and inventions you have learned of the Papists and they from the heathen not from the Apostles and you have daubed your Churches and them flourished with your Pictures these things you call your Churches but the Church is in God which the gates of Hell cannot prevail against but a showre of rain or an earthquake or a great wind will prevail against your Church and the devil may come with his carnal weapons and throw it down but the Church of Christ the Pillar of truth is that the devil is out of Pr. You say a man may swear before a Magistrate and that this kind of swearing is ordained by Gods word therefore well used of the Saints and it is not lawful to swear by the Saints or other creatures Answ Here ye be out of the Doctrine of Christ who saith swear not at all and out of the Magistrates state the Apostle speaks of and out of Christs Doctrine and the Apostles and hath broken the commands of Christ and the Apostles Doctrine which saith swear not at all so you wrong Christ Jesus and the word of God you deny and though Abraham swear and Jacob and Joseph sware the Prophets and Moses swear David swore and the Angels swore and men in strife swear by the greater and the oath ended the strife and controversie amongst men yet Christ saith before Abraham was I am he reigns over the house of Joseph and Jacob he is the end of the Prophets he is the end of Moses he is the end of men of strife and brings peace on the earth the Angels must bow down to him that saith swear not at all who was before Abraham was and David called him Lord who was greater then Solomon and this is my beloved Son hear ye him now which of you hear him they said in the old time perform thy vows to the Lord this was the old time the day of Abraham David Prophets Moses Solomon but Christ who was before all time by whom all things was made the oath of God ends the time and saith swear not at all so doth his true Ministers and the Apostles above all things my brethren swear not at all neither by heaven nor by earth lest you fall into condemnation now here were true brethren that kept the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles and his commands which swearers break which are got up since the dayes of the Apostles which are the false brethren Apostatized from the true so now the fruits of false and true brethren are seen who keep the commands of Christ and walk in the Doctrine of the Apostles and who doth not Pr. You say That in the fourth Commandment God doth command that the Ministers of the Gospel and the Schools of Learning should be maintained and that on the Sabbath frequent studiously Divine Assembles hear the word diligently using the Sacraments Ans Your Schools your Sacraments your Sabbath your Studies by men you have made these since the Apostles your Ministers at your Schools and not by the Lord but among your selves Apostatized from his spirit for the Apostles had not Shools and the Apostles said let no man judge you in meats or drinks new Moons and Sabbath dayes c. for the body is Christ and he brought them off of these services to Christ the substance the body who ended the Sabbath days and the offerings upon them who was before dayes who is the rest for his people and did not bring people into dayes but into Christ by whom all things was made who was Lord of the Sabbath and such meet on the first day of the week and are taught of God and out-strip all your Teachers made in Schools and learnings of men and so not of man nor by man but the outward Schools are of men and by men Pr. You say The fifth Commandment injoyns you to yield obedience to the faithful commandments of them that be over you and the Catechisme Ans The fifth Commandment brings that men should obey the command of God not of men nor the Catechisme nor such stuff as is in this Catechisme but who are come to Christ the end of the Commandments the end of the Law him by whom the world was made and was before it was made is enjoyed Pr. You say The meaning of the seventh Commandment Is that you should live temperate modest and chaste and holy in Wedlock Answ Is this so have you not broken Wedlok both with God and man and lost the chaste Virgin state and so gotten up into intemperate immodest unchastness into uncleanness and filthiness and so shew by your fruits that you neither come to keep this Commandment nor to Christ the end of it Pr. You say The eighth Commandment doth not only forbid robbery but covetousness after other mens goods evil witchcraft devices to
it any other except such as the Pope gave to his ministers having your degrees in your schools and attaining from one art and office to another till at last you professe to be attained to the ministry but this is not Gods way of Commissionating but antichrists way and the Lord God is risen who will confound it for the Lord hath not spoken to you neither hath he revealed his glory to you you have neither seen his shape nor heard his voice neither is the tidings you bring effectual to convert sinners for you are climed up another way and enters not in at the door and the Ape is truly your figure for your deformity appeares to the saints and all the children of light does see you and your originall which came up in the falling away of the true Churches when anti-christ took the Throne and the man of sin got up into the temple which for many generations amongst you hath shewn himselfe to be God and hath been worshipped as God Pr. The complices of Corah Dathan and Abiram who usurps the Priests office were destroyed a warning-peece for such as usurp the ministerial function uncalled and unordained let them take heed when they persume to vent their illiterat rude incoherence and blasphemous stuff Ans This belongs to your selves ye men of unholy lives who hath usurped to the ministry uncalled and unordained of the Lord by his spirit and you may take warning at Chorahs destruction whom the Lord shall as surely destroy with the fire of his jealousie for while the beast hath had power over nations and the whore made Nations drunk all this time hath your authority been exalted by which you have been set up and your ministers without the life that the true ministers were in and without that call and ordination which they had for you are of man and by man and your effects not the worke of the true ministrie of Christ but are left desolate and are desolate of the presence of God being your selves unlearned in the doctrine of Christ venting your imaginations out of the truth and out of the power of God and there stands your ministrie Pr. Vnsanctified ministers may possibly convert to God Ans No he that is unsanctified is out of the power of God and the word of God abides not in him and he runs and is not sent and it is not possible that such can convert sinners who are themselves unconverted from their iniquities Pr. That some learned Christians have been able to squees the greatest mysteries of our Religion out of the writings of some Heathens Ans This is the sum of your principles you 15. Priests and here is the sum of your ignorance and wretchednesse discovered and the vanity of your Religion whose foundation is the writings of heathens and the heathens that knew not God out of their writings is your religion made up as you confesse this is the whores Religion that sits upon the beast that the world hath long wondred after and not the true religion which the Apostles and true Churches were in and they are no Christians no Saints nor true Christians that goes to the writings of Heathens to squees out mysteries they that do so are the Christians in the Apostacie who are falne from the life of righteousnesse such as you and thousands are at this day being without the spirit and without Christ therefore you run to the Heathen for knowledge and shames true Christianity and true Christians in reputing the heathen wiser then your selves who are faine to run to their writings to make up your mysteries and such is your religion deceit and vanity and the mysterie thereof studyed for out of the heathens writings this is Christianity in the Apostacie and the Religion apostatized from the life of true Christianity for the true Christian Religion the foundation thereof is Christ who is the mysterie of God and of life and salvation and the mysteries of our true Christian Religion which we live in that are come out of the Apostacie are revealed to us by the spirit of the father that dwells in us is in all that are in the true Christian Religion who denies the Heathens and your Apostatized Christians and are come into the mysteries of eternall salvation which is not squeesed by imaginations of men but revealed by the spirit of God the great mysterie Christ in us and the mysterie of the Kingdome all this is made manifest to us and to true Christians whose Religion stands in the power of God and not in the tradition of men nor fetched from the Heathens writings and this Religion will stand for ever but your Religion and mynistries and Church will the Lord confound the author of whom is the heathens writings and how then shall it stand it is out of the bottomlesse pit and ariseth out of that your Religion and mysteries and thither shall it be turned into the pit that hath no bottome oh how have you blinde leaders led the blind that have been professing to teach Christ this many years and faith in him and have you taken so much money of the Nations and do you now tell us that the greatest mysteries of your Religion are squeesed out of the heathens writings oh ye unrighteous men blind leaders the Lord God Almighty is now risen and the Nations can no longer be satisfied with this Religion but the Lord is a gathering out of your mouths and you must howl and lament all the Idols dumb shepherds and they shall be confounded and the soules delivered of which they have made a prey for the soules of men have been the merchandize of Babylons merchants they have bought and sold the souls of men they have blinded the eye of it and troden it downe and the immortall soule hath not been respected otherwise then to make merchandize thereof to get gaine thereby there has been many traffickers since the daies of the Apostles that have made merchandizes of souls but the judgement of the great Whore is come and of Babylon the Mother of Harlots and the Lord God and the Lamb will plead against her and the jawes of the wicked shall be broken and their hearts shall utterly faile in the midst of them and the Lord will reveal his righteousness from heaven and by his judgements shall he be known in the earth a mighty God and a dreadfull and his dread and terror shall take hold upon your consciences come down and sit in the dust for the Lords controversie is against you he will bruise you with an Iron rod hee 'l break you as a potters vessel and his hand ye shall not escape for ye are but like Bryers and thorns in battel before him and like the stubble in which the fire is kindled and you will be as the dross in time of purging and at reprobate silver the Lord God hath said it W. S. His Book called A Parsons guide concerning of Tythes and the Law of Tythes
man that cometh into the world they be in the errour out of the Covenant of God and strangers from the covenant of promise Prin. He saith It is an Errour to say the letter of Scripture is carnall page 22. Answ The letter of Scripture paper and inke we cannot say it is spiritual but that which it speaks of is spiritual Pr. He saith It is an errour to say they are perfect and without sin page 23. And another errour to say that none can come to God and Christ but they that come to perfection Ans Whoever comes to Christ and comes to God he comes in the one offering which hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified who ever comes to Christ comes to him that is perfect and without holinesse none can see him And they that pretend coming to God and Christ out of perfection they be in the errour and all sin is errour and who be in it be in the errour which the Apostle said that they were made free from sin and had put off the body of sin and by the blood of Christ was cleansed from all sin and by one offering he had perfected for ever them that are sanctified And so they that say men must have sin while they be upon the earth and that plead for it they are not the friends of Christ For who are the friends of Christ be in his power a top of the power of sin trample it under foot Pr. He saith That the Scripture is the Word And though Christ be the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world yet that light in every man doth not direct a man into the worship and service of God though it be the true light of Christ page 35. Answ Nothing can direct men into the worship and service of God but the true light for the light is that which doth let them see and is that which doth make manifest which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall which he hating it and not come to it because his deeds be evill that will be his condemnation And that thou shalt feel it heavy at the last though now thou mayst roar and rage for a time yet the bond is gone over thee the Chaine is set and the sentence is given Pr. He saith It is an errour of such as leave Water-Baptisme and breaking of Bread page 38. Ans Doth not the Apostle bring people off of those things that are seen And is not outward water and outward bread the things that are seen And are not these things temporall though these things in their places and service is owned But who comes into the baptisme of the spirit they come into the one in which all the other ends the greater For there was many come to John but when they should have come to receive Christ the Light which doth enlighten every man c. they stood against him as you do now And Christ told them they received honour one of another as you do now a mark of the unbeliever and the love of God was not in them and the Word of God was not abiding in them and they had never heard the voyce of God nor seen his shape at any time And there are you like unto the Jews whose Table is a trap sticking in the outward things standing against the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and so stumbling at the Corner-stone elect and precious But it is fallen upon your heads and will grinde you to powder fight bustle and do all all that ever you can do it is upon you and all your complements will do you no good And none seeks the honour that comes from above but who be in the light that doth enlighten every man c. And none honours the Son but who be in the light that comes from him though they have all the Scriptures as the Pharisees had in their age Pr. He saith Errour in life doth not prove errour in judgement page 46. Answ Who erres in the life erres in the judgement For all that erres in the judgment they are from the life from it erred And all the Pharisees that had Scriptures yet from the life being erred they all erred in their judgement and knew not Christ the substance of Scriptures So all you that be in errour in life you erre in your judgement you all stumble at the light with which Christ doth enlighten every man c. And none be out of the errour of life but who be in the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and out of the errour of conversation Pr. He saith That the Quakers foam at the mouth c. Ans It 's a shame that ever men should lose their sobernesse and come to be a shame to all modesty that so many that do call themselves Teachers in this Nation should publish such odious lyes and untruths to the Nation And how the Quakers have hung Ribbons upon one another and given Ribbons to one another as instance G. F. should have from M F. Oh! that ever modesty should be so lost and shamefastnesse quite gone which should have been a garment to have covered impudency That ever men and Teachers of people and professors should make lyes their refuge But I say the Lord forgive you for all these things shall be your owne burthen and a heavy burthen is come upon you and coming upon you all in the Nation that trusts in lyes But what if you should see every man with his hand on his thigh in paine to be delivered Pr. He saith The Prophet that shall presume to speak a word in my name and I have not commanded him to speak he shall dye See page 26. Ans Here thou hast brought thy selfe and you all under thy own judgement and given sentence upon your selves and all the rest of the Teachers that say they never heard the voyce of God immediately from heaven nor immediate inspiration nor revelation So ye all want the spirit of God and are out of it that the Prophets and Apostles were in and with it all judged Though ye may run in pretence of his name with the forme and say ye never heard his voyce but that Prophet shall dye thou saith So thou hast judged your selves and there be all you Teachers in the apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles Pr. And Christ said many deceivers should come in his name and deceive many and such as serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies And with good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple See Title page Answ Christ said in Matth. 24. and in Matth. 7. that false Prophets should come and Antichrists which before the Apostles decease they saw them then come and such as served not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies which went forth from the Apostles which in the Revelation John saw the whole world gone after them and
cometh into the world that gives him the knowledg of the Son of God of the author of his faith and the taste of his fulness and to become a perfect man Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the meanes whereby the righteousnesse is revealed from faith to faith page 82. Answ The Pharisees had the Scriptures read every Sabbath and the form of godlinesse denyed the power and was reprobate concerning the Faith and the righteousnesse of Christ Jesus And God it is that reveals the faith and gives the faith and the righteousnesse and many have the words and yet not it who hath it hath the word in their hearts and the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and seeth God the original of all good and the Scriptures cannot reveal it but they testifie of it and all must come into the spirit before they know revelation or know the Scriptures either Pr. He saith New Jerusalem is not come down from heaven and be will make all things new not hath made page 83. He saith The body is dead because of sin yet there is a remainder of the old man in the members page 84. Answ Where the body is dead because of sin and that put off by the Circumcision of the spirit If the root be holy the branches are holy also and such comes to glorifie the Lord in their bodies and soules which are the Lords who hath redeemed them out of the sin So they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts and all things are become new And the new Jerusalem is witnessed come down from heaven among the Saints for who witnesseth Christ and know Christ knows the Tabernacle of God and knows the new Jerusalem and knows the place where there is no curse And many knows their Mother now and that which had led captive is gone and going into captivity Pr. He saith The Apostles gave the last and full revelation of the Gospell to all Nations And Timothy learned Doctrine mediately and since none may expect to receive so immediately as Paul did but all mediately page 88 89. Again God now gives and teacheth mediately and spiritually by the testimony of him mediately page 90. It is a little necessary to shew the vanity of their pretence of immediate revelation from Gods spirit page 91. Answ All them be in a pretence and in vanity that are from the immediate revelation of the spirit of God And if all people have all Pauls Declaration and if they have it not immediately revealed to them by the spirit of God as Paul had they have not the comfort of Pauls words neither have they the comfort of the revelations And John saith the everlasting Gospell must be preached to them that dwell upon the earth since the apostacy from the Apostles mark that And that which Timothy preached who was in the faith the gift of God and spoke his word and divided it aright it was immediate But since the dayes of the Apostles hath the immediate been lost and I know yee cannot expect it in the state ye all stand in inwardly ravened from the spirit of God and truth But now is the Saints come to that which ye ravened from and the Apostles were in who witnessed the immediate teachings of God and Gods teaching is immediate and the testimony of Jesus is immediate which is the spirit of prophecy but many have that which testifies of him and be from the immediate spirit as was in them that gave forth the Scriptures And all upon the earth that be from the immediate spirit of God as was in them as gave forth Scriptures and their Ministry be but mediate and they be but in the mediate they are all Ministers but of the Letter made by man and what they have it is but from man and not from God immediately Such have nothing but the sheeps cloathing and inwardly ravened from the spirit of God in them And here is Babylon the mother of Harlots and the Beast and his names but over all have they victory that be in the immediate in that which the Apostles was in and answer that in them all which they ravened from Pr. He saith Even now in the dayes of their adversity while the person of the Lord the fountaine of their teaching for whom they waite is personally absent from them Page 92. Answ All they that hate the light sees not Christ the fountain of teaching and these be them that inwardly ravened Such have their teachers in corners and are in the dayes of adversity and eate not the flesh of Christ nor drink his blood and are not of his flesh and bone and receives not his spirit But all who wait in the Light which Christ Jesus hath enlightened every man that cometh into the world withall Every man that cometh into the world with which light he hath enlightned them their eyes shall see their Teacher that cannot be removed into a corner Salvation they shall see and dayes of adversity shall end and his guiding they shall know and come to be in unity with Christ and eate his flesh and drink his blood and be of his flesh and bone which thousands do witnesse this and the Prophet raised up the end of the Prophets and they that heare him not are to be cut off And none lifts up the Son of God but who be in the Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world and that brings him to understand the Scriptures and the substance of them Pr. He saith The grace of God that brings salvation it is a fancy to say it is stirred up in them but is a thing wrought in another for them And to say the Word of the Lord is within and the spirit within is mens following their own brain and visions of their own hearts And he saith whereas they imagine of a light within them all that knows God shewes the light in them to be darknesse it selfe See Post-script Answ All that knows God owns the Light within them to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus which light shines in their hearts And all that knows God owns the Light that doth â—â—lighten every man that cometh into the world Christ Jesus and believes in the Ligâ—â— and hath the witnesse in themselves And all that be from the Light within them be in the darknesse and stumbles which have been in this night of the apostacy from the Apostles Doctrine And all Gog and Magog and the Beast and false Prophets and the Kings of the Earth are making war against the Light that doth enlighten every man c. but the Light shall get the victory And all that be from the Word of God within in their hearts and their mouths though they speak of the Scriptures without yet they use their tongues and follow their own dreams and visions of their own hearts and brains and be from the Word of God that lives and abides