doctrine It is not a strange thing to the Saints for these Priests and Teachers to question the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world for the Jewes Priests and Levites stumbled at it in the dayes of John and it set them all up in an uproar as it does you and they examined John and questioned John and he said This is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world that all men through him might believe Pr. He saith None were ever baptized into the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost that were not baptized with water c. page 52. Answ Where was Matthew or Mark or Luke or John baptized and many more which the Apostle said he thanked God he had not baptized c. which he had begotten many Baptizing is making disciples to the Lord Jesus and Baptizing them into his name that is his power and he telleth the Saints that they were Baptized with one spirit into one body such he tells that he thanks God he had Baptized but a few but he told of the spirits Baptisme and brought the Saints off from things that were seen and water is seen and its Baptisme And as for all thy rabble from thy contentious spirit and railings and unsavoury expressions they will turn home upon thy self and thy own words will be thy burthen and the witness in thy conscience will answer in the day of thy Judgement Francis Harris his Booke called his queries to the Quakers c. his Principles followes Pr. THou saith doth not these people that pretend to the light stumble at noon day as in the night and there be no Gospel Light we mean of the revealed and written Gospel Light in them c. page 9. Ans The Gospel Light is that which doth enlighten every man that cometh into world and who hates it neglects the Gospel Light and receives not the power from God which is the Gospel for that is the Gospel Light Christ Jesus that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world The Light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall is the Gospel light and they that walk in it stumble not They stumble that be out of the Light which every man that cometh into the world is lighted withall which Light is the way to the Father and many may have the written words yet out of the Gospel Light and the power of God which is the Gospel as Rom. 1. which brings people to where the sheep lies down at noon day Pr. He saith what did Christ mean when he bid people search the Scriptures or Peter when he called the Scriptures the sure word of prophesie the light shining in the dark place and yet Scripture without is a dead letter c. page 12. Ans And yet they call it the Light and the word which is a dead letter Christs bids the professors of Scriptures to search it that thought to have had life in it not that they should find life in it but that they should search it and see how it did testifie of him who was the life that was his end and those that was come to Christ the life they was come to him the Scriptures testified of as John 1. we have found him of whom Moses and the Prophets writ and those were them that was come from John the others were them that stuck in John and came not to the life but to the Scriptures to have had life in the Scriptures and came not to him the Scriptures testified of and persecuted that And Peter means as he speakes he tels them of the sure word of Prophesy and bids them take heed to it as unto a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawn and the day Star arise in their hearts He doth not say this is Scriptures without which thou saith it is a dead letter how can that shine Pr. He saith doth not this draw people to gross Idolatry to bid people to take heed to the light in you which you call the pure Light of God not the light of nature And whether you do not delude people by saying there is a pure Light of God and Christ in every man and woman by nature c. page 14. 17. Ans The light which doth enlighten every man c. leadeth from all Idolatry for all that be out of the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world they be in the Idolatry And every man that cometh into the light the light which they are enlightened withall be in that which was before any natural lights was and the the natural lights are the Sun the Moon and the Stars And they delude and deceive people that say the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is a natural light and they keep people in the Idolatry And so shut up the Kingdom against men and go not in themselves nor suffer others for all Idolatry is out of the Light Pr. He saith to be carryed up to the power and to the Spirit which resembles fire whether this be not Antichrist like a Lamb to call fire from heaven to come down in the sight of men And whether the power be from God or from Satan that brings people into a trembling and shaking like Belshazar c. See pag. 20. 21. Ans That power was not of Satan that broke down the head of gold the brests of silver neither was that power of Satan that made Belshazar to shake and quake and that power all must know before the most High rules in the Kingdoms of men and to be carryed up by the power and the Spirit of God is not Antichrist nor is not as the beast which with his lying wonders caused fire to come down from heaven for the power and the Spirit of God fathomes all such things and seeth those were the Spirits that were erred from the Apostles and the life they lived in that did so Pr. He saith the most righteous man falls seven times a day the Scripture tell us See page 22. Ans The Scripture doth not speak any such thing as seven times a day but it saith the Just man falleth seven times and riseth again but the wicked falls into mischief Pr. He saith such as have fasted till their neighbours who lived nigh them have not known them they have been as though they had been come out of the jawes of death whether this be not as the Pharisees and an occasion to Satan c. page 24. Ans What would ye have said to David in his dayes when that he fasted till he might number his bones and was a stranger to all his acquaintance was this an hypocrites fast and because some now by the same power are moved of the Lord so to do Is this now like unto the Pharisees that appears to do so Have not all Ministers and teachers shewed their ignorance of the Scriptures and the life that
hath thrown out the Son the rule of knowing the Father who reveals him For many had Scriptures who knew not the Father nor knew the Son nor heard his voyce as in John 5. Pr. He saith All those that be without the Scriptures are without all comfort and hope and God See page 26. Answ Here then is thy Doctrine that none have comfort none hope none have God but who have Scriptures Abraham will tell thee otherwise and Enoch for those knew God and walked with him and knew hope and comfort and Joseph and Jacob and God was with them before the Scriptures was written And Christ was promised before the Scriptures was written and many have the Scriptures and not the comfort nor the hope but stand against him as the Jewes did against Christ And many may have the comfort and not read Scriptures Pr. He saith The onely judge of all errour is the Scriptures c. see page 37. Ans So he hath thrown out Christ and thrown out the spirit and the spirituall man and the Saints and God the judge of all who was the Author of the Scripture Pr. He saith The Apostle doth not say that God in these last dayes doth speak or will speak unto us by his Son but God hath already in time past spoke by his Son and that speaking is to these last dayes and we are not to look for any other speaking or revelation c. page 39. Ans And so by this thou hast denyed the scriptures and the authority of them which is Christ Jesus and denyed the Apostles doctrine and the new covenant where the law is writ in the heart and minde and all taught of God Thou hast thrown down and laid waste Christs commands who saith Learn of me And the command of God who saith This is my beloved Son heare ye him And so art ignorant of the scriptures and the power of God Pr. He saith It is abhorred dotage they are bewitched with to say they witnesse forgivenesse within c. See page 41. Answ Thou shews thou never knew a Saints life and that which cleanseth from all sin and the testimony within of forgiveness of sin for where it is forgiven it is within The Apostle saith If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin And many may speak of Christ without them and the body of sin not dead And so the Wolfe may get the form of godlinesse and the Devill may confess the son of God in words Pr. He saith It matters not much if the sense be in the Scriptures where the words be there or no See page 47. Ans And yet he saith the Scriptures is the rule and it is the word and so by that means have all men run into their senses into confusion from the words of the Scriptures which is not to be added to nor taken from nor can it be broken nor is it of any private interpretation and the Scriptures are the words of God and Christ is the word and in him they end and the spirit is the rule Pr. He saith Doth not Christ approve of the Jewes opinion in thinking that in the Scripture they should have eternal life And he saith Christ refers them to the Scriptures to finde life See page 48. Answ When as Christ said They would not come unto him that that they might have life and bid them believe in him whom God had sent who was the end of the Scriptures And Christ did not approve of them that thought to have eternall life in the Scriptures Pr. He saith to say that the light of Christ is not received from the Scriptures it is an abominable thing to be asserted Ans But the light is received from Christ and many had the Scriptures as the Jewes but stood against the Light as you do now and did not receive it that had the Scriptures which testified of it And the Light cannot be blotted out but it doth condemn and it leads to the knowledge of God and to eternal life Pr. He calls it a fancy of an idle brain to witnesse the law of God written in the heart that is different from the morall law c. see page 61. Ans The Scripture saith I will write my law in their hearts and put it in their inward parts and I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel not according to the old And this is the Covenant with Israel not according to the old and so they be in the fancy and idle brain that be out of the new Covenant of light Christ both Jews and Gentiles and all false Christians Pr. He saith This I do deny that the perfection of the whole law of God is writ in mans heart so as to know it and do it as it is written in the Prophets and Apostles c. See page 64. Answ Here thou hast discovered thy selfe to be in the unbelief and limits the Holy One that God is not the same Christ is not the same yesterday to day and for ever And none knows the Prophets and Apostles but who have the same covenant as they had and the same law and same spirit And whereas thou art opposing those as say the Word is within them and the Light is within them and the Spirit is within And because they say those be in unity and be one which makes thee appear one offended who must be ignorant still He that is ignorant let him be ignorant still but the light in thee shall see they are one Pr. He saith That none have ever had such attainments of Christ a Redeemer without the help of the Scriptures c. see page 65. Answ Now Abraham and Enoch and Noah and Adam had the promise of Christ before Scripture was written And the Gospel is the power of God and many may have the forme and not the power and eternall life is not in them nor the power of God For Christ is the power of God who saith Yee will not come to me that yee may have life who was afore Scripture was and all the Attainments is in him the Scripture speaks of and he is not attained to without life Pr. He saith Where did ever any say that they went through the Law to Christ This he judgeth and saith that they be strangers to the life of God that say so c. See page 71. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who saith I through the law am dead to the law but alive unto God And the law was our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ And again he saith The righteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in us Pr. He saith All notionall light is from Christ whatsoever c. see page 72. Ans Now notional is imaginations and that is not properly called light and therefore thou mistakest for light is not notion but is the thing it selfe that is from Christ Pr. Here again he denies that Christ hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world with light sufficient if
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
gave it forth and to be such as cannot divide the word aright nor speak a word in season But are rather such as burthens the just and oppresseth whereby the poor groanes and cries under not to distinguish between the fasting of the servants of God and you that appeared to fast So in this you shew you put no difference between the precious and the vile and are not able to Judge of things that differs so are Judged with that which doth put a difference in things that differ and David was a wonder to his neighbours about him Francis Higginson his Book called A brief Relation of the Religion of the Northern QUAKERS His PRINCIPLES follow c. Pr. HE saith in his Epistle The great number that is fallen away from the Word of God Answ The falling away from the Word of God was before the Apostles decease and since the world is gone after you and them that are fallen away and so you put the Letter for the Word the Scripture which are words and so run into all opinions into Sects but now are people coming to the Light and so to the Word Christ Jesus him by whom the world was made before it was made from you apostates to the word and the Apostles are we come Pr. Again he saith I do not detest Popery it selfe more heartily then I do your Religion Quakers c. Ans I do believe thee for Popery it selfe is thy stock The Tythes the Universities the Steeple-houses Masse-houses and so I know thou must be a friend to Popery and detest us before thou canst Popery the Kingdome would be divided else against it self and then it were not like to stand But Popery and you we see is come up since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy and so with the power of God yee are denyed Pr. Again he saith Beware of false Prophets for there shall arise false Prophets and false Christs and if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect Math. 7. and Matth. 24. Ans And Christ said they should come and they should be inwardly ravening Wolves but they should be cloathed with the sheeps cloathing to his Disciples he spake this and before the Disciples decease they saw that they were come the false Prophets and the Antichrists as in 1 John 2.4 which went forth from them that inwardly ravened that Christ said should come that had gotten the sheeps cloathing which the Apostle saw was come that went forth from them And in the Revelations he saith all the world went after them All the world wondred after the Beast and the false Prophets And the Beast had power over all Nations and Kindreds and Tongues and Peoples and the false Prophet which the world went after and these made war against the Saints and overcame them And so the false Prophets and the Antichrists you have had the sheeps cloathing but have been the wolves ravening and devouring the Lambs Ye could not have deceived if ye had not had the sheeps cloathing upon you And so the Beast and his names who have had power over all Nations and Kindreds and Tongues and so the Beast and Whore hath been upon you Tongues which makes you Orthodox men which John calls waters Here have been the beast and his names who have had power over all Nations And the mother of harlots the great whore wch all nations have drunk her cup of her fornication that the inhabitants of the earth are drunk with the wine of the wrath of her fornication and the Kings of the earth have committed fornication with her and she sits upon the waters and the waters are Peoples and Tongues and Nations and Multitudes Now you have told long the poor people that the false Prophets are come but now and the Antichrists are come but now and bids them come to Matth. 7. and Matth. 24. and so have shewed your ignorance of the Scriptures which saith they were before the Apostles decease as in the first Epistle of John which went forth from the Apostles the false Prophets Antichrists and false Spirits which Christ said should come which the world since have gone after them Now have and doth your ignorance of the Scriptures appear and not to be men able to divide the word aright The discerning now is risen among people that they begin to see and know who divides the word aright And so all this hath been but for pretence to bid people to go to Matth. 7. Matth 24. and say false Prophets should come Now we see you which John said they were come and all that dwelt upon the earth went after them And so ye have had the form of godliness but the power hath been denyed and so you have burst into names and heaps and sects but now is the vials and thunders and plagues and trumpets sounding and going forth and the seven woes going out And now are the Kings of the Earth and the Beast and false Prophets and Antichrists and the mother of Harlots and the Beast and his names and horns gathering together with the old deceiver the Devil to battel against the Lamb and the Saints of the Lamb But the Lamb and the Saints have got the victory and the rivers of living waters is opening to all that thirst Sing and rejoyce let us give glory to God for now is the marriage of the Lamb come Pr. Again thou makes a great pudder that any one should witnesse he is equall with God c. page 2. A. And in a Catechism of the Assembly of the Priests called Divines which they put forth to the Nation in which they have laid down for young children and old men and all to learn That the holy Ghost and the Son is equall in power and glory with the Father Yet if any one come to witnesse the Son revealed in him or come to witnesse the holy Ghost in them as they that gave out Scriptures or witnesse the minde of Christ and witness that equall with the Father that equality which you speak of You Priests destroy that which you have put forth to the Nation and cry out horrid Blasphemy And thus ye confound that which you have set up and kill that which ye have begotten Pr. He saith I shall mention their errours First they hold their speakings are a declaration of the word Christ in them 2. That the letter of Scripture is carnall 3. That Jesus Christ is come in their flesh that he is in them as man 4. And that the Scriptures are not the written word of God 5. That the soule is a part of God or a Divine essence 6. That they enjoy God here and Christ here 7. And attain to a state of perfection 8. That sprinkling of Infants is a marke of the Beast 9. And our Church and worship and Temple are Idols Temples and Beast-houses 10. And not to be called of men Master 11. And the not speaking to a single person in the plurall number c.
Nay the power of God that woâ—ks out the salvation with fear and trembling brings off from the Covenant of works and brings above all the powers of wickedness and so that is it which brings the people of God to be persecuted and hated to live in the power and the seed of God and no one knowes salvation but who knowes fear and trembling Pr. It is a delusion with you for one to witness an Immediate call and others to witness with them that they are so called Ans Was not the Apoâ—tles and Saints written in one anothers hearts and one anothers Epistles there and called immediately and witnessed one another as it is now Pr. And ye say some of them go naked And another to come and say he had a call Immediately from heaven to take away the Priests hour glasse And of their mean apparrel And the forsaking the world though they neglect their families And they run up and down in places and streets or Steeple-houses to vent their Doctrine c. Ans These are the marks they give to us whereby they give to their books the name of perfect Pharisees And the Apostles Preached as they went up and down in Townes and Markets and Synagogues and those was not Pharisees but those was Pharisees that held up Synagogues and Tithes and Temple and Priests so ye have the mark of the perfect Pharisee The name is entered into your bowels and hearts And as for any being moved of the Lord to take away your glasse from you by the eternall power it is owned And to take away your limmit carnal limmit to your earthly spirits that are gone out into the world from the Apostles from the spirit And if any have been moved of the Lord to go a signe among you to put off their cloaths to shew you are naked and want the covering of the spirit And as for any going in mean apparell and forsaking the world and come off from cosâ—ly attire was not this the Apostles doctrine Are ye like unto the Apostles the messenâ—â—rs of Christ or the messengers of Satan crying up the world and its glory and costly attire And who are come to forsake the world are come out of the sinfull neglect of their families into the wisdome of God that preserves the creation and not destructive And as ye are speaking of Perfection so far as men are perfect they are perfect in glory and changed from glory to glory and witnesse perfection upon earth and see an end of it as David did who had out-stript all his teachers but among all yours that are kept under your teaching there is no talk of perfection among you nor your hearers so fall short of coming to see the end of it And the one offering and the blood of Christ and the new Covenant that perfects blots out and cleanseth from all sin And as for all the rest of your unsavoury and hard expressions in your Book the judgements and sorrow ye will feel for them and in the day you are judged the witnesse in you shall answer Thomas Pollard a member of the Church about Litchfield in his Book which he calls The Holy SCRIPTVRE clearing it selfe from Scandals His Principles follows Pr. HE saith It is a cavill to say thee and thou to a single person Ans Which shews that he never learned Accidence nor Bible the Language that the Saints spake one to another Pr. He saith It is wickednesse to call the letter of the Scripture and what is gotten from the Scripture to be brain knowledge page 4. Answ The letter paper and inke the letters are carnall and what is gotten from it is brain knowledge without the spirit But the Scripture the thing it speaks of is spirituall the Word is spirit c. Pr. He saith the Lord never said to us as he said to David that you are after his heart or any of your way or that ever went in your way and do not destroy all by your Doctrine page 7. Ans No David had out-stript all his Teachers so have we many of us who have trembled as David did witnessing the new covenant Christ Jesus in which we need not say know the Lord And who witnesseth this witnesseth the Tabernacle of David built Again our Doctrine destroys but mens and transgressors and doth not destroy the smoaking flax and bruised reed and we can say we are after his heart and God hath said we are after his heart Pr. He saith And how people may finde rest to their soules take the Law and Testimony See page 9. Answ They that had the Scriptures and have the Scriptures denyed the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and say prophesie is ceased so then they may say the spirit is ceased it is all one For the law is light saith Solomon And the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesie Now cries the world the Law and Testimony is the Old and New Testament which many may have the Old and New Testament and yet deny the Law and Testimony which is the light and spirit of prophesie for the Law and Testimony was before Matthew Mark Luke and John and the Epistles and Revelations was written in the dayes of Isaiah And so they that be not according to the Law and the Testimony they be out of the light and the spirit in the darknesse though they have all the Scriptures which the Law and Testimony ownes in their places And many may have the Scriptures given forth from the spirit of God and yet not have the comfort and rest to their souls till they come to Christ that the Scriptures testifies oâ— Pr. He saith Try the spirits whether they be of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world page 11. And Satan transforming himselfe into an Angell of light and false Apostles and Ministers of unrighteousnesse transforming themselves as the Ministers of righteousness And he saith If they bring another Gospell and Doctrine then what is preached receive them not into your houses nor bid them God-speed Ans That which ye tell people is the Gospell now which ye preach is the 4 Books of Matthew Mark Luke and John you say c. As instance Priest Shaw of Aldingham in Lancashire said so Contrary to the Scriptures which saith the Gospell is the power of God And many may have the four Books of Matthew Mark Luke John c. the forme but deny the power and so deny the Gospel which is the power of God And so they that deny the power have put the four books for it and they that have not the Father and the Son are not to be received into their houses as saith the Apostle John for they would come in the form and deny the light as you do but he that hath the Son and the Father he is in the power the substance of the form Again the Devill transformed himself as an Angell of light before the Apostles
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
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus Pr. The Priests bear rule by their means this is the meanes of the false Prophets saith he If there be a burthen upon paying of Tythes lay it upon God and the Magistrates and not upon me the Pastor Answ Tythes to the similitude Melchisedeck Tythes to the Priest-hood made by the Law of God Christ is come the end of the similitude the end of the Priest-hood and disannuld the commandement that gave Tythes and all his Ministers Pastors and Teachers preached down Tythes and preached up the substance and preached down the Priests that took them and the Law that gave them and the authority and the Magistrates both that held them up And so you that have gotten Tythes since the dayes of the Apostles whose root and ground was by the Papists in the apostacy are such that burthens the Creation and a griefe to all true Christians that be in the life and the power and the spirit that the Apostles was in before the apostacy Now if thou wert a true Minister of Christ if the Magistrate would give thee tythes thou wouldst not take them which is got up since the Apostacy came in them that have got the sheeps cloathing but are ravened from the spirit of God And doth not thou think that the Priests that were obedient to the Faith if they would have turned again to the Jews Magistrates dost thou think they would not have given them tythes And dost thou think that any of them that was obedient to the Faith that they took Tythes after they were converted to Christ and his faith the substance And dost thou think that any that is out of the apostacy now will take Tythes of the Magistrates now if they would give them which were set up since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy I will warrant thee they will dye before they will lose their glory and their Crown And they that preach the Gospell shall live of the Gospell And the Prophets prophesie falsly and the Priest beares rule by his meanes What doth the Priest receive his gifts by the false Prophets means Doth not the people love to have it so And are not you all found fallen into this Ditch that are inwardly ravened from the spirit of God The false spirits gone into the earth for money and for tythes for lucre for means for gifts admiring mens persons because of advantage yet covering your selves with the sheeps cloathing crept up into a Masse-house and calls it a Church and tells people while they be upon the earth they must have corruptions and the body of sin and this is the work of your Ministry So among the Lyars Whoremongers Sorcerers Adulterers inwardly ravened from the spirit of God out of the Kingdome are ye found And as for all the rest of thy rabble and unsavoury expressions in thy Book they are not worth mentioning But in the day of thy judgement thou shalt feel thy owne words thy burthen in the tryall of the Fire thy works will burn Immanuel Bourne who calls himselfe Pastor of 〈◊〉 Church in Ashover in his Book called A Defence of the Scriptures and the holy Spirit speaking in them are these Principles following And Priest Gifford of Bedford his PRINCIPLE Pr. HE saith Christ himselfe sent his hearers to the Scriptures as the chiefe judge of Controversie and of Faith Answ Christ did not put the Scriptures above himselfe he said All judgement was committed to the Son and for judgement he was come into the world And the Pharisees that had the Scriptures they could not judge of Faith nor of controversie nor knew not Christ the Author of the Faith nor none can judge but who be in the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures And the Scriptures was given forth from them that was in the faith of Truth but such as be not in the faith knows not the Scriptures neither is it able to make them wise unto salvation without the Faith For the Pharisees and chief Priests were not though they had Scripture and they judged and condemned the Author of Faith that had Scriptures without the life and so do all that are out of the life still that have the Scriptures judge the Author of the Faith Christ Jesus who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And the holy spirit spake in them that gave forth the Scriptures and so they spoke it forth Now they that be from the spirit of God in their owne particulars speaking there knows not the spirit that spoke in them that spoke them forth but such are they that saith The spirit speakes in the Scriptures Such are the Ministers of the Letter and not of the Spirit that gave it forth And the spirit that gave forth the Scripture is that which judged of all conditions which gave them the spirituall understanding For people have not the spirituall understanding to judge and to discern if they have all the Scriptures unlesse they be in the spirit that gave it forth And so the Scripture it selfe without the spirit that gave it forth cannot be the Judge of Controversie nor of Faith but is a dead Letter in it selfe but the spirit is it that gave forth Scriptures Pr. He saith Christ within is inherent holinesse And George Fox professed equality with God page 20. Answ Christ within is beyond all mens righteousnesse or holinesse for he is the righteousnesse it selfe And the Assembly of Divines gave forth a Catechisme presented to the Parliament for people to learn wherein they say that the Holy Ghost is equall in power and glory with the Father Now every one that cometh to witnesse the Son of God and the holy Ghost that gave forth the Scriptures by your account they witnesse that which is equall in power and glory with God And doth not the Assembly give forth this in their Catechisme that people should learn And is it blasphemy for to come to witnesse this which you have given forth and the minde which was in Christ Yet neverthelesse Georges words was not spoken as yee preach them for his words were spoken beyond all creatures and out of all creatures and he did not say Geo Fox Pr. He saith no natural man that is darkness is bound to look to the light within him to direct him to salvation for it is in vain to look for light in darkness Page 22. Answ The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall the salvation to the ends of the earth which no man cometh out of darkness out of his natural state but who doth believe in the light which was Christs Doctrine believe in the light that ye may be the children of the light and he that believeth in it shall not abide in darkness And so they come to see the spending of the night and the light shining out of darkness giving them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
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
of glory Pr. He saith It is a Devillish doctine not to forsake quaking and trembling Answ So in this thou mayest say it is Devillish doctrine to say salvation must be wrought out by trembling and quaking so thou shewest thou never knew salvation for before men have salvation wrought out they must know trembling and quaking and so thou hast shut thy selfe out from Moses and Davids condition and such as the Lord regards and trembles at his word Prin. He saith Flesh and bone cannot be a measure in one and a measure in another Answ Whereas the Apostle saith we are of his flesh and of his bone Here thou art contrary to the Apostle and that was more then one that had the flesh of Christ and his bone and his spirit Pr. He cries Oh Luciferian pride to save souls Answ What good doth all your preaching do Here thou spoilest all the rest of the Priests and shews thy selfe to be contrary to the Apostles who watched for the soul and saved souls that turned people from a multitude of sins Pr. He saith God the Father never took upon him humane nature Answ Contrary to the Scripture who saith God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe and art ignorant of the great mystery God manifest in the flesh and his name is called the everlasting Father As for the word Humane which is from the ground it comes from thy own knowledge which is earthly and Christ took upon him the seed of Abraham and David according to the flesh and this is Scripture-Language Pr. He saith The holy Ghost is a person and that there was a Trinity of three persons before Christ was born Answ Thou knowest not him that is in the Father and the Father in him glorified with the Father before the world began And the Scriptures doth not tell people of a Trinity nor three persons but the Common-prayer-Masse-book speaks of three persons brought in by thy father the Pope and the Father Son and holy Spirit was always one Pr. He compares immediate revelation from heaven like unto the false Prophets dreams And again he saith the Scriptures is the word of God Answ Here he fights with the rest of his fellows who saith Scriptures signifies writings and writings are not God but the Scriptures of truth are Gods words which Christ the Word fulfils They are not the word of God which thou hast blasphemously affirmed but Christ is the word of God and they be out of the feare of God and the spirit and knows not the Son nor the Father that denies Revelations but are among the false Prophets and false Dreamers Pr. He saith The Scriptures are the Word except you dare to deny Christ is God And he brings a Scripture Let the word of God dwell in you richly Answ So he makes the Scripture Christ and God and he doth not say let Christ dwell in you but means the Scripture and God dwels in you And the Apostle said Let Christ dwell in your hearts by faith and God will dwell in you but thou saith Christ doth not dwell in them personally Doth not Christ dwell in his Saints as he is in the person of the Father the substance and are not they of his flesh and of his bone Pr. They that hear the Word of God do not hear the Son the holy Scriptures are the mediate Word of God Ans Now all people where ever did you read of a mediate word of God Doth not the word of God endure for ever and is it mediate And that he calls God heavenly Father and never heard his voyce nor his Sons and denies immediate teachings and he that knows the spirit that gave forth Scriptures hears the Son Pr. He saith God limits the supream holy one by the inspired writings of the Apostles and that is his third dispensation of his minde to men And he saith they are taught by inspired Scriptures which is mediate not by Letter which is litterally the Letters or Letter Answ Inspired Scriptures and yet mediate the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy and the Spirit inspires which the Letter doth not and Gods teaching is by his spirit and the holy one is not limited by the words of the Apostles who fulfils them and many words the Apostles spoke which he did not write Pr. And he calls the Devill the tutor to say not made Minister of the Letter Answ So we speak the Apostles words and he makes the Devill the Apostles tutor who said the letter killeth but the spirit gives life who was not a Minister of the Letter but of the spirit said and sayes this that makes the Devill the Apostles tutor which is a lye and his own and the Devill is the Tutor of the Ministers of the Letter and not of the Spirit who can run into it who is out of the truth Pr. He speaks of a morall Law Answ Which he hath no Scripture for the Scripture speaks no such thing but darkens counsell by his words Pr. He saith The Scripture contains the mediate inspired teachings written word of God that was and is God Ans Which the Scriptures say the heaven of heavens cannot contain him and God and Christ was before any written words was and the mediate teaching of the whole Scripture-letter he speaks of which he calls God and Christ and all the mediate teaching is carnall and the Scriptures doth not continue the immediate teachings of Gods inspiration but testifies of those things Pr. He saith The written word is the sword of the spirit And he makes another rule besides the Scripture's false Answ Which we say is the spirit that gave them forth whereby peace is known upon the Israel of God And the Pharisees had the Scriptures but had not the sword of the spirit the Scriptures testifies of the sword of the spirit Pr. He saith It is a lye to say the Saints shall judge the world Answ So he would make Christ and the Apostles lyars and would take the judgement from the Son and make Christ at a distance from the Saints so he is ignorant of the Saints and Christ both and knows not the time of the Saints judging when the Lord is come but stands in the counsels of his own heart and in the hidden things of darknesse Pr. He saith No Saint can be a judge of the world Answ Contrary to Cor. 6. where the Apostle saith Do ye not know the Saints shall judge the world And they abide not in the truth that affirms it as thou saith so hast shewed thy ignorance and one of them that is judged by the Saints Pr. He denies the Son of God to be revealed in man onely by adoption and cries against equality with the Father Answ And that is contrary to the Apostle who had the Son of God revealed in him And the Assembly of Divines gave forth a Catechisme which children old and young was to learn and said the holy Ghost and Son was equall in substance
and power and glory with the Father What then all that have the Son and the holy Ghost hath that which is equall in power and glory with the Father In this thou hast not onely judged thy selfe but all the Assembly of Divines at Westminster 1649. Pr. It is a false thing to say Christs person is in man Answ Which is as much as to say none are of his flesh or of his bone nor eate it nor had not his substance Pr. For denying all meritorious works that cast men out from enjoying any thing from Gâ—d for their salvation Ans And nere they are turned to the Pope who are in their own meritorious works out of the faith that works by love Pr. And there is no other way to salvation but by meritorious wâ—rks Ans And there is no man attains to salvation by his own meritorious works in his will but they that attain salvation comes to the light which Christ hath enlightned them withall Pr. He calls that Satanicall to say as he is so are we in this present world Ans Contrary to John who saith as he is so are we in this present world so thou hast denyed Johns words Pr. That God doth exclude all works wrought in man and by man by what spirit soever Answ So here is thy spirit tryed and works are totally excluded without any distinction and so the works of God and Christ his Son are excluded by thee and the Apostle bids them worke out their salvation with fear and trembling which he opposeth and gives another sense to it and the works of God Christ and the spirit are not denyed by us as thou dost by the Devill which is in thee Pr. To be justified by Christ alone he calls it a justified self-quaker Answ There is no man self-denyed and justified in the sight of God but by Christ alone And they that are not justified by Christ alone are in themselves and it's justification Pr. It is against the Scriptures to say men must be without sin and that men must be perfect Answ That 's contrary to the Scriptures for they mention that there was just men perfect men and holy men upon earth for they that gave forth Scriptures were holy men and Paul spoke wisdom amongst them that were perfect and Joseph was a just man And the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin and are perfected by the one offering for ever mark the words are and he that is borne of God doth not commit sin Prin. He makes people believe that false Prophets and Antichrists are come but now Ans Which Christ said should come in Matth. 24. which John saw were come 1 Epist 2. And in the Revelation he saw the world go after them which he is one of them but the Quakers own but one Christ which is the seed which is now risen on top of them all and witnesse the Lamb He that was dead is alive and lives for evermore Pr. That the Quakers are of the Devill Ans And it hath been the Devill in him that hath testified against the Quakers and so makes his Kingdome divided against himselfe and it is Christ that is in the Quakers and hath appeared that cannot be shaken whom he calls Belzebub like some of his old Fathers but his reward will be according to his works Pr. Hâ— saith No other people upon the earth go about to save soules but the Quakers Answ So he hath judged himselfe and all the people upon the face of the earth to be deceivers of souls and not savers of souls but the Quakers are so the preservers and savers of souls and yet he calls them equivocating deluding hypocrites which he hath proved himself and all others to be so except Quakers Pr. He denies and sayes that the Saints bodies are not Christs body Answ And how are they Christs how dwels he in them and how are they of his flesh and of his bone then and how bruitish are you become in the knowledge hath not he bought them with a price and are they not his Pr. He saith That neither Gods Essence nor the heaven nor Christs person was in Peters holy body Answ But the Apostle said God will dwell in you and walke in you and Christ in you And again he saith our conversation is in heaven And here thou art striving against the Apostles Doctrine and the Beasâ— is blaspheming against the Tabernacle of God and they that dwell in heaven And thus thou wrangles with the Apostle who said Christ was in them and is not his power that which thou calls his essence Pr. He sayes There is not whole Christ God and man in men Answ Then how must men grow up in the measure of the fulnesse of the stature of Christ and Christ and God will dwell in man and walk in man God that made all things and Christ by whom all things were made Pr. He saith It is a shame for the Quakers to say as he is so are we in this present world Ans Which is the Apostles words and the Apostle was not ashamed to speak them but thou that lives in the power of darkness art ashamed to hear them Pr. He saith Christ had not appeared unto the Saints in his second coming to them much lesse in them Ans Contrary to the Apostles Doctrine 2 Colos And Christ said he would dwell in them And the Apostle said the son of God was come and Christ said he would come again to the Apostles which he did according to his word and God did dwell in them and walk in them and John in his Epistle said the Son of God was come Pr. And he saith The Saints are not as Christ is Answ So he denies Johns Doctrine who said as he is so are we in this present world Pr. And he said The righteous man sins seven times a day and that David nor no man living is justified in the sight of God at any time so long as he was a living man upon earth and that the Prophâ—ts were not made free from sin Ans And there is no Scripture that saith a righteous man sins seven times a day and David said his sins were removed from him as far as the East is from the West and yet thou saith David was never at any time free from sin of having sin in him while he was upon the earth And God said I have found David a man after my owne heartâ— fulfilling all my will So here he was justified And the Apostle said in Rom. 6. that they were made free from sin and were justified by faith in Christ Jesus Pr. He saith Paul was not made free from all sin A. Yet Paul said he had kept the faith he had kept that which purifies and gives victory over sin and yet he goes about to disprove Pauls words and saith Paul had sin when he had finished his course so his great work is to prove the Saints sinners which they witnesse against him and charging Job Paul
pure as God is pure Pr. God may justly require his due of man though man cannot give it Answ God requires no more of man then he gives Pr. That the Quakers sends men to the light within them to be perfected which is no better then darknesse Answ Thou that sendest men to any thing but not to the light within them thou keepest them out from Perfection in utter darknesse And none comes out of utter darkness to perfection but by the light within them and so growing up in the light they grow up in that which is perfect and so in the fulnesse which is Christ which is the perfection of God Pr. Christ saves his people from the guilt of their sins here in the state of justification The state of the best Saints here are imperfect Answ Who are justified are saved from the guilt of sin and who commits sin feels the guilt and cannot say they are justified in the committing of it for he that saves sanctifies redeems and destroys the Devill and his works and death where he hath power where he keeps up his authority And if the best Saints here are imperfect then they are not brought out of Adams state in the transgression for a Saint is one that is sanctified and one that is redeemed and one that comes to know the works of the Devill destroyed and washed and cleansed and sanctified through the name of the Lord and that which justifieth takes away sin and it's guilt both For as it is written he shall save his people from their sins and from the guilt and from the wretched state Pr. Surely they cannot be perfect here or hereafter in equality but onely in quality Ans Christ makes no distinction in his words but saith Be ye perfect even as your heavenly Father is and be ye mercifull as he is And as he is so are we And that which is perfect and mercifull as he is perfect and mercifull is in equality with the same thing which is of God and from him Pr. The Saints they were come to the spirits of just men made perfect but not on earth Answ The just mens spirits that led them to give forth Scriptures was the spirit of God and that was perfect and was while they were upon earth the Saints were come to which was Christ the end of all words and so to God the Judge of all the Earth Philip Taverner called Preacher of the word in his Book called The QVAKERS Rounds These are his Principles as followeth Pr. WE distinguish between the Essential word and the declarative word we own Christ to be the Essential and the Scripture to be the Letter Answ The Scripture tells us that Christ is the word the Scriptures of truth that was given forth from the spirit of truth were the words of God in whom they end in Christ the word and you talk of a declarative word and the Scripture you call a History and you call it a Creed and you call it a Catologue and these Titles and names you have given to the Scripture of truth the words of God which as I said before was the Scripture of truth the words of God given forth from the spirit of God which ends in Christ and doth not speak of a declarative word but you in your nicity Prin. There is a two-fold comming of the Gospel the one in word the other in power Answ The blind people here thou wouldst make believe that the word was not the power which the word and the power is one for Christ the word and Christ the power of God his name is called the power of God and he that Ministers the word Ministers the power of God and the Gospel Pr. The Saints that stood upon mount Sion that followed the Lamb those Saints that was without guil before the throne of God is to be understood in the justification and not in sanctification that is spoken of in the Revelations 14. Answ Here thou hast manifested thy self to be an accuser of the Brethren who are justified and said to be without fault now who are justified are sanctified and are justified it was said in their mouths was no guile they were not defiled and now these that have no guile and are justified and were not defiled with women such are sanctified so that thou Judgest of things that are too mighty for thee and medles with things that are two weighty and brings Judgement upon thy own head whose measure is measured and weights are tryed and thou art of them that art found too light Prin. He that is born of God sins not after the same sort as them that are of the Devil Answ He that commits sin is the servant of sin and he that commits sin is of the Devil and he that is born of God doth not commit sin for he cannot because he is born of God born of that nature which cannot sin and those who doth sin is of the Devil is of the same nature of their father but he that is born of God doth noâ— commit sin at no rate for he is of the same nature of his father Pr. As John saith as he is so are we in this present world that Scripture saith he cannot be so in the latitude of it Answ I believe you for from the men of your generation it was not given forth but them that are the Sons of God understands it as it is and believes it as it speakes Pr. Christ was holy from his conception so are not we saith he but we are sanctified in time Christ was holy and so are not we for there still remains the in dwelling of sin in us Ans And some was sanctified from the womb and some children was holy that were born of the believers Christ in the male and in the female is as he was in his eternal generation and is the same and remains and is the sanctification sanctifies the unsanctified Sons of Adam in the transgression and who hath that without and not within are hypocrites and Christ changeth them and makes them like himself Pr. That the Saints are compleat in point of justification and not in sanctification Ans They that are not compleat in sanctification they are not compleat in justification for they are one they that are compleat in the one are compleat in the other and so farre as a man is sanctified so far is he justified and no farther for the same that sanctifies a man justifies him for the same that is his sanctification is his justification and his wisdome is his redemption he that knows one of them knows all he that doth not feel one of them feels none of them at all for they are all one Pr. Faith justifies onely instrumentally neither doth it justifie instrumentally as a worke wrought in us by the spirit Answ The man is blinde he is angry there and fretting himself about things that are too weighty for him about things that he knows not For faith is the
gift of God which purifies the heart which brings people to have accesse to God In that and by that which purifies men men are justified and in that 's vertue by the hearing of that men receive the spirit so that this is confusion and contrary to the Scripture and confuted by it for ye are justified through faith and by the spirit and that instrumentally from God in which men please him and without which they cannot therefore that is instrumentall and in that they have victory and in that they have unity one with another and in it have accesse to God But saith he faith doth not justifie instrumentally by any vertue that is in it any more then is in love Love and faith is one without faith there is not love Love is the fruit of faith flows from it without it there is not unity and without faith there is no victory and without victory there 's no love and it justifies and is wrought by the spirit Pr. A perfect conformity to the Law of God wrote in the strength and power of grace the spirit working all in us and for us and all this is no more then the righteousnesse of the Law Answ That 's the end of the Law that brings to the righteousnesse of the Law and to a perfect conformity to it and fulfills it that 's the seed Christ in the male and in the female by whom grace comes by Jesus Christ which brings to live in the righteousnesse of it which is the righteousnesse of faith by which the spirit is received which works all in people and for them who ends the Law The BROWNISTS Principles Pr. THey never heard Gods voyce from heaven nor see his shape And yet they affirme they have the same power and spirit that the Apostles had though much below and yet they have the Word abiding in them Answ You that never heard the voyce of God nor see his shape you have not seen him who is a spirit nor his power nor his Word abiding in you for who hath the spirit of God and the power of God and the Word of God abiding in them with the spirit of God with the power of God sees Gods shape and who hath Gods Word abiding in them hears the voyce of God for God is the Word and God will dwell in them and walk in them Pr. That they are brought to the Church that is in God the pillar and ground of truth where there 's neither spot nor wrinkle nor any such thing Ans And yet you never heard the voyce of God and how can you be brought to the Church that is in God and never heard the voyce of God for none comes to the Son but through the drawings of the Father and none knows the drawings of the Father but they heard his voyce The Jewes that came not to the Son Christ told them they had not known the voyce of God and none come to him but whom the Father draweth Pr. We do not look for any such thing as revelation from heaven or speaking as they are moved or waiting for the power as the Apostles did we say we do not looke for any such thing Answ This shews that you have not received the grace for the grace comes by revelation and you have not received the Son for the Son comes by revelation Nor you have not known the Father whom the Son reveales You are not come to the holy Ghost whom the Saints witnessed that led them to speak forth Scriptures which no prophesie of the Scriptures came by the will of man so you are among those men that have the Scriptures in their wills and wants the thing that the Scriptures were given forth by that is the holy Ghost for holy men of God were moved to speak them forth who learned them of God and spoke them forth as the spirit gave them utterance Therefore how can ye say that you are come to the Church in God and waits neither for the power nor revelation as the Saints did and were in for if you have all the Scriptures and have not that you have not revelation and have not the holy Ghost for the Scriptures are not known but by revelation and they are revealed by the spirit that gave them forth And though men have all the Scriptures yet the Son is not known but by revelation of the Father Pr. The Scripture is the Gospell the Scripture is the Light the Scripture is the Word Ans The Scriptures are the words of God given forth from the spirit of God learned from him The Gospel is the power of God the Scripture declares it A man may have the forme and deny the power and so deny the Gospel Christ is the light of the world the life and the light of men by whom the world was made and many have the Scriptures but denies the light the life and power of it Christ Jesus who is the life and power and the authority of them Pr. That they knew no law of God against praying and preaching by an hour-glasse and that the Apostles did performe the Ordinances of God at set times and Daniel and David prayed customarily and how this can be said to be will worship and to be seen of men we shall leave it to the Lord. Answ The Lord judgeth it to be will-worship that which limits the holy one to an hour-glass and the spirit of the Lord that taught the Saints to pray never limitted it selfe to an hour-glasse so you by an hour-glasse pray and preach as the Papists with their beads so that that limits the Lord to a set time those are traditions and vain customes of the heathen and traditions of men which alwayes the spirit limitted which spirit gave freedome to the just in every one which said quench it not nor limit it but knock down vain customes and traditions of men which was set up by men which had quenched the spirit in themselves and would limit the holy one in others and such were alwayes judged of the Lord and them that had his spirit to be Idolaters and in the will-worship and not in the spirit which are got up since the dayes of the Apostles John Turners Principle Pr. THat light which convinceth a man of sin was a wicked conscience Ans The wicked conscience doth not convince of sin then Satan were divided against Satan That which doth convince of sin is not wicked nor sin but the spirit of God the light of Christ Jesus that convinceth of sin and the Elect hath faith where faith is there is obedience The Ranters Principles Pr. CHrist without comes to destroy Christ within Ans Christ is but one and it is the devill that he destroyes and his works the Anti-Christ and not the true Christ the seed in male and female and it is the false Christ he destroyes in the male and female and he comes to end the types and figures and shadowes that people might live in him the
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
who comes to the Kingdom of heaven in them comes to be perfect yea to a perfect man and that is above any degree and thus thou art blind and ignorant of that wich the Scriptures declare Pr. Thou wouldst have it proved that they are false prophets that declare the true Prophets words Answ They that make Merchandice of the true Prophets words were the beast false prophets and great Whore but they that speak freely as they had received was the true Prophets and true Apostles and such in all ages was distinct each from other known by the spirit of the Lord who had received from the Lord what they spoke and declared freely and who had got the Saints words and had not received them from the Lord but spake them forth for money these were distinct one from another A Paper I have received the Title of it is A form of sound words containing the first Principles of the Oracles of God framed for the use and benefit of the Inhabitants of two adjacent Parishes in the County of NOTTINGHAM Their principles in it as followeth Pr. WHen for the time you ought to be Teachers you have need that one teach you again which be the first Principles Answ How can you teach the first Principle of pure Religion when you deny the light that Christ hath enlighten every man that comes into the world withall And this may whole England witness and so your Doctrines that you have taught them and commandments are such as perisheth being not men sent of God so have not profited the people at all Pr. And you say False teachers this age is too full of and that you may henceforth be no more children tossed two and fro and you intreat to except a word from us your Ministers for what profiteth a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul Answ Who hath tossed people more up and down then you and carried them about with your windy doctrines and so the multitudes of the false teachers the world have been too full of you since the dayes of the Apostles who is more for gaining the whole world then you that calls your selves Ministers hath not and doth not your fruits declare it to the whole Nation in prisons there lies your fruits for where may people see the Priests fruits but in prisons And how your Congregations be all on heapes when any comes in the Name of the Lord amongst them and hath shewed that your Exhortation hath not profited the People at all Pr. We intreat you to take heed of that dangerous deceit in hoping to be saved by your own works or in any thing in our selves Answ He that believes hath ceased from his own works so not sayed by them and he that believes is saved and this belief is within him in Christ And the ingrafted word is able to save the soul and Christ the Saviour revealed and manifested within Pr. Out of the holy Scriptures Old and New Testament which it the word of God we may learn the true knowledge of God Answ The Jewes had Scriptures and did not know God nor Christ nor did not know themselves And the Scriptures is not the word but the words of God and so you teach Parishes and your children to lie as you may read in Exodus God spake all these words and said And whosoever shall add to these words Revelations and Christ saith my words And would you make people believe the Scriptures were but a word when they say they are words And Christ is the word as in the Revelation And so that which brings to the knowledge of God is the spirit And the Son reveals him Christ Jesus who is the light which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world and every man that comes into the world receiving the light Christ will reveal the Father to him Pr. There is three persons Father Son and Holy Ghost And we intreat you to take heed of the natural Popish conceit Answ The word three persons is the natural Popish conceit which is out of thy Father the Popes Canon-books where thou hast learned it but Father Son and Holy Ghost that is sound Scripture but thou canst not take it as it speakes but thou must add three persons to it so brings the plague upon thee Pr. There is many that have share in that salvation purchased by Christ Answ Christ was the offering for the sin of the whole world And he gave his body for the life of the whole world And he came a light into the world and doth enlighten every man that comes into the world he that dyed for the sin of the whole world was an offering for the sin of the world that all through this light might believe And so many are condemned for not believing that which they should believe in condemns them Pr. God works faith in us inwardly by his spirit and outwardly by his word Answ Here thou goest about to make the spirit and the word not one is not the word spiritual and Christ called the word who is the Author of the faith which mystery of it is held in a pure conscience and is not this word of faith in the heart Pr. The whole word of God in general is summed up in the Apostles Creed Answ Where hast thou been for the word Creed but out of the Masse-book and Popes Canon-book not out of the Apostles Epistles And the Apostles Epistles declares of the word and the Saints writings and saith it was in the beginning and saith the Letter kills for the Jewes had Letter and did not find the word in it but stood against it and you have the Letter the Apostles words but you do not find the word in it it speakes of the word the word was in the beginning and in the heart before the words Pr. Brethren be perfect be of good comfort no man can be made free from sin in this life Gods children have sin in them Answ The Devils doctrine is that men shall not be perfect while they are upon earth and all his Ministers but you that say they must be perfect and yet must have sin that makes them unperfect And the children of God that was born of God did not commit sin neither could they because the seed of God remained in them and they were made free from sin and had put off the body of sin as in Romans the 6. and John the 3. Pr. No man is able to keep the commands of God perfectly we break them dayly in thought word and deed And in all our best duties we are unprofitable servants Ans Here you shew that you do not love God for who loves God keepes his Commandments and love fulfills them and all your best duties and deeds be but unprofitable servants in that we do believe you So your Preaching is unprofitable praying unprofitable so you judge your selves out of your own mouths singing instructing praying all is unprofitable and they are
to destroy all Israel and all men upon the earth but thou errs in thy judgement and in thy understanding for I know it is the seed of the Serpent that speakes in thee that puts no difference between the pretious and the vile and when Israel thought Christ had called them serpents many of them were converted to the faith their outward creatures were not destroyed thou talkes foolishly and given up to the Devils power and who works wickednesse and mischiefe and if men be the serpents seed as thou doth say who shall be saved for the Serpent and his seed must be destroyed and if men be the seed of the serpent then must the seed of the serpent obey the spirit must not the spirit destroy him and the brightnesse and breath of the Lord consume him and it is men whose lives Christ came to save that are captivated by the seed of the serpent and redeemed and turned from the power of Satan to God and thou must be threshed and feel the weight of the Lords hand before thou beest humbled and what hast thou to doe to talke of ordination before man had a being in the world and would make men like thy self and say they are the serpents seed which man is not so as he is man and we and thousands do witnesse election and salvation before the foundation of the world was laid and are come into that which comprehends time and being which are since time in which power the elect reignes where salvation is known Pr. The woman that the Serpent deceived her seed breakes the Serpents Dominion Ans The seed of the woman doth bruse the serpents head where ever he is found in any male or female that Christ may rise in the male and in the female and this seed is a top of thy head and thou hast no power but to reach to his heel and thou art the house of darknesse and the seed is yet in Egypt not come forth yet and there is a strong man must bow himselfe and them that keep the house must tremble and hath kept thy heart from the Lord God and hath carryed it a whoring abroad and a stronger he is then he that keeps the house that spoiles his goods and takes possession who comes to rule and will rule and reigne Pr. That the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man in the Church to profit withall and not to every man in the world Answ The manifestation is given to every man to profit withall without distinction I will power out my spirit upon all flesh for the spirit of truth shall lead the Saints into all truth and he shall reprove the world and that which doth reprove the world is manifest to the world Pr. That no man hath received a measure of the spirit of Christ but such as doe believe in Christ and that no man doth believe in Christ but such as Christ is revealed to in time and that he is revealed to none but by the manifestation of his spirit Answ The true believers that believe in Christ the revelation knew him in time and out of time and the unbelievers are reproved Pr. Which of the people of God Prophets or Apostles did direct all people to a Light within them for their instruction and guide before the manifestation of the spirit unto them or the worke of Regeneration wrought in them Answ The Prophet said I will give him for a Covenant of light unto the Gentiles and a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah will I make and write my Law in their hearts and put them into their minds and this was in generall directed to them before they was converted and Regenerated and this light was to inlighten the Gentiles whereby the prisoners should come out of the pit where there is no water and the new Covenant was held to the Jewes before they were converted that all may see who can read but the outward letter and the Apostle was sent to turn people from darknesse to light and Iohn the highest Prophet borne of woman said that was the true light which did inlighten every man that cometh into the world which he was a witnesse of and shined in the darknesse and the darkness comprehendeth it not and Christ directed the Pharisees to the kingdome of heaven in them which were not converted read the pearl and the lost piece of silver read the talent and the pearle hid in the field read the slothfull servant his talent and then read thy selfe how blind and ignorant thou art in the things of God and be silent that thou may come to know the Lord and his feare that the witnesse of God may stir in thee that thou may do righteously in the fight of God and men least the judgement of God be upon thy head for thou art manifest to all that be in the light THE DOCTRINS PRINCIPLES OF THE Priests of Scotland CONTRARY to the DOCTRINE OF CHRIST and the APOSTLES Here all may see The Priests of Scotland and their Church and their Persecution against the Saints and Lambs Servants and Children of God which the Lord moved to go among them to visit the Seed of God in that dark wilderness-Country who has been as Sheep among Wolves Also How pure Religion is turned upside down and vain Religion got in its place And the pure Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles which saith Entertain Strangers Love Enemies is lost among you In stead of entertaining strangers and loving enemies they Imprison and Persecute and have made their Church unsavoury And the Teachers fruits declares to be false who are wrestlers against flesh and blood and strikers at creatures which Christ and the Apostles did not George Weare John Hart. William Grey William Lowry William Mitchell Richard Isamaell FIRST These Presbyterian Priests of Scotland which Excommunicate and puts out of the Synagogues knowes not the Father and the Sun John 16. so no true Christians for how can they be true Christians that knowes not the Son of God nor the Father Secondly They are no Ministers of Christ for Christ saith When they curse blesse ye so they be out of Christs doctrine and teaching not blessing but cursing and giving forth curses and all the people must say Amen to their Curses Thirdly They be out of the Apostles doctrine who saith Blesse and curse not Rom. 12.14 so are no Ministers of Christ that curseth and gives forth their Curses to the people to say Amen to them and here they are shut out of the Apostles doctrine and Christs all people mark and take notice them they are that curse which the Apostle saith Blesse and curse not these are the Cursers and not blessers that Excommunicate you out of the Synagogues Hugh Archball Priest of Stravan John Hume Priest of Lesmabaga William Hambleton Priest of Glasford James Durram Priest of Glasgow John Castaires Priest of Glagow Francis Ard Priest of Discert Matthew Mackel
Matthew Markell and the rest of the Priests present with him did Excommunicate those people called Quakers in the prâ—â—ence of many witnesses and he required his hearers to say Amen to every particulâ—r sentence JOHN HVMES Priest Pr. THey who have not the Scriptures knowes not the Attributes of God by the light of nature but the Scriptures declare the great mystery of the three persons in Trinity which they who want the Scriptures knowes not Answ Thy Principle is a lie and who had not the Scriptures knew God and Christ as Abraham and Enoch and the Scripture doth not declare of the three persons nor of the Trinity and the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God Pr. That the Scriptures reveal the great mystery of Election the great works of the Creation and the work of Redemption Answ There thou hast set up the Scripture in stead of God and before God and the Son for it is God that doth reveal to babes and sucklings Mat. 11.25 and God did reveal by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.10 and God shall reveal Phil. 3.15 and the things of God are hid from the wise and prudent Mat. 11.25 that have the Scriptures the Jews had the Scriptures and God reveals his secrets to the Prophets his servants Amos 3.7 no man knows the Father saving to whom the Son shall reveal him Mat. 11.17 now the Son reveals and the Father reveals and the things of God are revealed by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.10 the Jewes had the Scriptures and knew not the Son 1 Cor. 2.8 nor the Father as in John nor the things of God by a natural light as they call it the Iews had the Scriptures and did not know the Election Isa 24. because they were from the Spirit So it is God that reveals the Son and Redemption and Election and not the Scripture the Scripture was given forth from them that had the Revelation from God Pr. That we and the Papists and Jesuites and Priests do agree all together that the Scripture is the word of God that liveth and endureth for ever Ans I do believe that you and the Papists and Jesuits agree all in one but ye did not agree with the Apostles and Ministers of the word for the Ministers of the word calls the Scripture a Declaration as ye may read Luke 1. and ye do not agree with them that set forth the Acts that called it a Treatise Acts 1. likewise ye do not agree with some of your own who say the Scriptures signifies writings and writings will not endure for ever so ye are Babylon and do not agree with Christ and ye do not agree with Iohn Rev. 22. who saith the words nor with Moses nor God who spake all these words Exod. 20. In the beginning was the word and the word is God and the word liveth and abideth for ever but the Scripture is words and the Scripture cannot be broken John Nasmith Priest of Hambleton his Principles Pr. THat the soul of man is a reasonable sinful substance Ans How can that which is sinful be reasonable and if that which is unsinful be reasonable and sinful be reasonable both then they are one in unity The Lord will take the soul for an offering for sin doth the Lord take that which is sinfull for an offering Isai 53. see how thou and the Prophet agrees here But what is that soul that the wicked is not able to kill is it not that which God hath in his hand and this is a lie to say that which is reasonable is sinful of one that puts light for darkness God breathed into man the breath of life and he became a living soul who hath all souls in his hand and the soul is immortal and Christ the Bishop of it is immortal and God hath it in his hand which goeth against him that doth evil whose hand is immortal but man transgressing the commands of God the soul lies in death so Christ is the Bishop of the souls so they that came to know Christ their souls rejoyced in God their Saviour Luke 1. Pr. That the evil Spirits are both sinfull and reasonable Answ This is a lie for reasonable is not sinful and unreasonable is sinful 2 Thes 3. they have not the faith and if the evil Spirit be reasonable and the good reasonable they are both one who then is unreasonable If the evil Spirit be reasonable thou puts no difference between the precious and the vile thou hast the Mark of a blinde guide and a false Prophet in thy forehead Pr. That one of them Quakers is worse then the Devil This is a lie with his strange wonder for there is nothing worse then the Devil whose children you are for when he speaks a lie he speaks of himself and he is the Father of it Henry Foreside Priest of Lingiah in Dunbarton-shire His Doctrine and PRINCIPLES Pr. THat God commands all every where to repent to the end that they should not have it to say but they were warned but not that he would give them grace to repent Ans Here thou makes God that he does not intend that he speaks and so thou would make him unrighteous though the Lord commands all men every where to repent Acts 17.30 who hath made all Nations of men of one blood to dwell upon the Earth and all being concluded under sin and unbelief that he might have mercy upon all Rom. 3.9 For both Jews and Gentiles all were under sin and none of them did good no not one And Gods intent is that when he calls men to repentance they should repent when he calls them and many did repent and you are not fit men to be Ministers of Christ or God Now if God command all men every where to Repent and as thou sayst does not intend they should Repent thou and you go about to make God unjust First the Lord he desireth not the death of a sinner but that he should turn from his wickedness and live Exod. 33.11 Now in the turning from his wickedness he lives but in going on in his wickedness he dies so Repentance was Preached from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 6.1 and Christ came to call sinners to Repentance not the righteous for the whole needs not the Physitian but the sick Mat. 9.12 13. And as for saying God did not intend to give them grace though he calls them to repentance That is a lie and unrighteous doctrine for the grace of God hath appeared to all men which brings Salvation Titus 2.11 and so as he calls them to repentance he gives them grace that grace which brings salvation which men are justified by so it is saving grace that brings salvation and teacheth to deny ungodlinesse Now they that live ungodly turns the grace of God into wantonnes Jud. 4. and these are the wells without water in Cains way Balaams way Cores way Jud. 11. speaks the high words in hypocrisie and these are
would have them persecuted would have them stoned you that be teachers of the people how do ye love your neighbours as your selves and fulfill the Law and the prophets Mat. 7.12 to doe so as you would be done by To ye Presbyterians of Scotland I speake that be teachers whose principles is to stone chop off heads and persecute them that be contrary minded to you would ye have those that be contrary to your mindes stone you to death chop off your heads imrpison and banish you and persecute and excommunicate you This is the Law and the prophets to do as you would be done by as others should doe to you so doe unto them but Christ who is the end Of the Law and the prophets Rom. 10.4 saith his doctrine is to love enemies Mat. 5.44 and saith if men persecute you pray for them and blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that persecute you and despitefully use you you may be the children of your father which is in heaven who makes the Sun to shine upon the evill and the good and the raine to descend upon the just and the unjust if ye love them that love ye what reward have ye the Publicans and Pharisees doe so and the apostatized Christians who are got into the formes of words but out of the life of the Saints of Christ and the Apostles and there they are saluting their brethren onely but saith Christ be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect which you stand against so ye are they that have denied the one offering which hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 And makes the blood of Christ of none effect which cleanseth from all sin and the new Covenant which blots out all sin and transgression and all upon the earth professors and worshippers that call your selves Brethern and Christians and offerers of what sort soever that have but the name before thou offers be reconciled to thy brother goe leave the gift at the altar and be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Mat. 5.24 then will the Lord accept thy offering and all upon the earth that prayeth so that ye doe forgive others that trespasse against you as you would have the Lord forgive you your trespasses Oh how is the beauty of the Church of Presbyterians marred and diformed oh how are they become Cages of uncleane birds Synagogues of Sathan oh how are their Teachers become envyous men and murtherers of Caines stock in whom the eternall life is not abiding That would stay stone and chop off heads of strangers servants of the Lord God and Sons and Daughters and excommunicate and put out of their Synogogues these things have I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended Io. 16.2 they shall excomunicate you yea the time cometh that they that kill you shall think they doe God good service these things will they doe unto you because they neither knew the Father nor me These things have I told you before that when the time comes ye may remember that I told you of them Io. 16 4. so the sayings of Christ are fulfilled by you that excommunicate and put out of the Synagogues of the Jewes ye are like and these are their marks that they neither know the Father nor the Son of God These Temples Pulpits Priests that are set up since the daies of the Apostles are amongst the false prophets that Christ said should come Mat. 7. Mat. 24. and John saw was come 1 Io. 2.18.19 and 1 Jo. 4.1 2 3. which went forth from them which all the world went after Rev. 13.3 And these excomunications from you are that none should buy nor sell but such as worship the beast and receive his markes Rev. 13.14 And it was the Beast that would kill and destroy and the Dragon and the fall prophets them that kept the testimony of Jesus Rev. 12. here is the patience and faith of the Saints that by the blood of the Lamb that overcomes that have testimony of Jesus and kept the commands of God so the Jews excomunications which had the true Temple true Tithes and true Priests which had the figure the Type Christ being come the substance Heb. 10.34 the everlasting Priesthood Heb. 7. the everlasting Covenant and the one offering Heb. 10. so them that went from the priesthood went to Christ The Jewes did excommunicate them out of the Synagogues now they did not know the Son nor the Father that did excomunicate Jo. 16. though they had the figures and Types of the Son of God They held up their outward things and saw not the Son of God the substance when he was come so these knew not the Son of God nor the Father that excommunicated and put out of the Synagogues which Christ bad them that was to be put out of the Synagogues not be offended at those things he told them before they came to passe That when these things come to passe ye may remember that I told you Now those are they that Christ said should come and the Apostles saw was come that went forth from them which hath got up Tithes and Temples and Pulpits and priests and the Priests are excommunicating out of their synagogues and these must neither buy nor sell with them nor eat nor drink nor have nothing to do with them except they will worship the beast or his image and fall down to him and this is the worship of the Beast got up since the Apostles who apostatized from the true Church and went forth from them which all the world wondered after and worshipped and received his mark and his image They that buy and sell and will let others do so with them that are of them that make war against them that keep the testimony of Jesus and the commands of God and against the Saints and the Lamb but the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory But the Lamb of God the seed of God is risen the beast and the false Prophet is taken which hath long deceived the Nations Revelations 2. The old Dragon the Serpent the murderer the deceiver the devourer the Mother of Harlots Babylon which hath made all Nations drunk with her fornications which hath corrupted the earth Rev. 14. which the beasts and the false Prophets that deceives the Nations and the Antichrist the false Prophets say they are come but now These are deceivers of the Nations that say they come but now for Christ said they should come and John said they were come before his decease whereby he said he knew it was the last time and in the Revelations he said all the world went after them and all Nations have drunk of the wine of her fornications and the Kings of the earth have committed fornications with her Rev. 17.2 mark the word have and the false Prophets say they come but now and now is the last time And these are
him by true faith Ans Salvation is purchased to all men that perished in Adam though they do not believe it for he is the Saviour of all men especially of them that do believe and an offering for the sin of the whole world mark the world and doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that all through him might believe and he that believes not is condemned by Christ the light the life the sacrifice the offering that through death that which in them was the power of death the Devill he destroyed and his power and so entred into his glory all that believe in him have life and all that doth not and receive him not hath not life but are condemned through unbelief Now if if you say that in Adam all dyed I say yes and in Christ all shall be made alive to the Justification of life I say yes as in Adam all dyed as in Christ they come to be made alive so them that are the believers are the holy so the believers children a new creation a new generation new creatures out of Adam in the fall the believers passed from death to life that came by Adam and so in that is a cleane creation and holy generation Pr. All things contained in the Gospell is summed up in the Apostles Creed Ans The Apostles doth not tell us of a creed but the Popes Canon-book and common prayer book and many things the Apostles had to say which was not lawfull to utter and many things Christ had to say they could not beare but the Gospell is the power of God and that the scripture speakes of but doth not say the Epistles is it Pr. God hath manifested himselfe in his word that these three distinct persons are one Ans The word nor the scripture doth not tell us of three distinct persons but it tells us of Father and of Son and of Holy Ghost but indeed as I said before the Popes canon book and Masse-book doth so for the Holy Ghost is not distinct from the Son and the Son is not distinct from the Father but they are all in one Pr. Having our chief hope placed in God being assured that nothing may with draw us from his love Ans Yet you say you are not able to keep the commandements of God perfect then you are drawne from the living God and you are from the chiefest hope Christ for who loves God keepes his commandements and such have the chiefest hope Christ in which the commandement ends here the love goes forth out of the pure heart but is not riches your hope and doth not riches and the glory of the world and the fashions thereof drew your hearts away and your love and hope stand in them and hath taken up the possession of your hearts more then God therefore who keeps them not perfectly keeps them not at all Pr. You say Christ hath ransomed your bodies and your soules from sin and by that one sacrifice of his body he hath redeemed you Ans Are your bodies redeemed and your soules that are immortall and your spirits sanctified and do you glorifie God in your bodies soules and spirits which is the Lords and is there not sin in your bodies and are not your spirits corrupted now who witnesses redemption of the body and soule from sin these are out of the first Adams state and are the holy ones and these be in the end of the law and that which fulfills the Law Christ Jesus but now if you come to say that you have sin in your bodies and the fruits will shew it selfe to persecute or envy rage malice pride or such wickednesse this shewes not the fruits of Redemption Pr. You say That God in Christ hath put out the remembrance of your sins and of your corruptions within you wherein you must fight all your life time Ans Whilst the sins you are fighting withall are not blotted out in your own particulars this is not the life of the Saints they are not fighting all their life time but come to the kingdome of God witnessing sin and iniquity blotted out the everlasting covenant of peace and life with God Pr. You say You are righteous before God through faith though your consciences accuse you for your trespasses against the commands of God being prone to evil yet notwithstanding imbrace the benefits of Christ as if you never had committed any sin or corruption and this is as if you your selves had perfectly compleated the obedience Ans Where the conscience accuses it is impure and that the true faith is out of for the mystery of faith is held in a pure conscience and that is it that receives Christ and which is not prone to evil nor transgresseth the commands of God but you are out of the perfect obedience and out of the faith both and are in the corruption are not the lovers of God nor come to Christ the end of the commandements which is loved in a pure heart and whereas you talke of conscience accusing and yet faith that is your ignorance for faith is held in a pure conscience the conscience doth not accuse but the unsanctified Pr. Not that we please God through the worthinesse of our faith for our works the best of them are imperfect in this life defiled with sin Ans It is faith that brings men to please God which Faith comes from him and gives victory over that men have lived in and not pleased God so faith there is a worthinesse in it it is the gift of God by which men please God and have accesse to to him and they are justified and through it they overcome and subdue mountaines and raise the dead your best workes being imperfect and defiled with sin in this life then they are not wrought in God but out of him in the darknesse they are works of darknesse unperfect defiled with sin are not the workes of darknesse to be condemned for the fire and to be out of the Law and Gospell but the works the Saints works that are in the Faith wrought in love are perfect wrought in God created to good works these are distinct from the unperfect defiled with sin and these good workes the Saints witnessed when they were upon the earth which is the works of Faith which works by love Ans Infants that are baptized belong as well to the covenant and Church of God as they of full age they by baptism being grafted into the Church of God so discerned from the children of Infidels so this baptisme succeeds Circumcision Answ Then by this all Christendom that are baptized are the Church and grafted into the Church Papists and Protestants and all and how is it that your Church is so much in confusion then for you say they are grafted into the Church of God and in the Church of God there is no confusion it is the Pillar and ground of truth without spot or wrinkle and how is it there is such killing
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
false worships in the Steeple-houses in the sheeps cloathing Did God let thee see the deceit of the tythes in the Priests Did God let thee see the vanity of respecting of persons and honouring of the creatures was thou turning from these things as thou confesseth And art thou now turned to them again By whom the way of truth comes to be evill spoken of Is thy latter end worse then the beginning will not all thy words be thy burden and fall heavy upon thee thy time is not past George Emmot And as for all the reviles scoffes mocks in thy Book they are not worth mentioning and raking in the dust for among sober people Hast thou turned the grace of God into wantonness which had taught thee to deny the ungodly lusts of the world and would have brought thee to salvation and so forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God the law in thy minde and in thy heart whereby thou might have been taught to know the Lord But now thou art run out to Teachers that may be removed into a corner that will poyson thee And do put some into coâ—ners and Prisoâ—s because they will not give them maintenance and then they are them that put into prisons and corners That which brought thee to leave off thy ribbons and vanities and lusts of the world waâ— the grace of God which thou hast turned into wantonnesse and published it to the Nation see page 6. And thou art turned in to that the grace taught thee to deny Pr. He saith The Steeple-house is a holy place more holy then a house see page 8. Ans The Pope hath taught thee this and his Teachers and thou art gotten into the holy place like the Pharisees and saies the Apostle defiled it and thus you and your Popes doctrine is got up since you have apostatized from the Apostles which Apostles brought the Jewes off the holy places thou speaks of and while you and them have been in these holy places you have been in the unholiness Henoch Howet his Book titled The Quaking Principles dashed to pieces by the standing and unshaken TRVTH He hath dashed himself to pieces upon the Rock as his torn Language in his Book discovers And his Principles are here as followeth which a great part of his Book is not worth mentioning but turned back upon himselfe who must bear his owne burthen in the day that burns as an oven that his works are tryed he shall remember to the witness in him I speak Pr. HE makes the Scripture to be the onely weapon whereby Christ overthrow the Devill see page 3. Answ Who bruiseth his head and was before Scripture was Yet the Scriptures is for correction and doctrine furnishing the man of God in his place and Christ the seed was before Scripture was And all them that hath Scripture and not Christ cannot overcome the Devill you and the Papists doing his work for they that overcome him it is with the power and those have the Scriptures of truth which the Devil is out of Pâ— Here he saith the Scriptures is the hope See page 4. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures which saith Christ is the hope and they that had the Scripture stood against the hope Christ Pr. He saith there is nothing in man to be spoken to but man See page 5. Ans How then ministred the Apostle to the spirit And Christ spake to the spirits in prison and Timothy was to stir up the gift that was in him and the spirit of the Father speaks within them and the light it shines in the heart which God hath commanded to shine out of darknesse And the Son of God is revealed in me saith the Apostle Here the Scriptures are for correction of thee and reproof of thee who said there is nothing to speak too â—n man but man when the Apostle saith that which may be known of God is manifest in man for God hath shewed it unto them Rom. 1. And the Apostle was manifest to every ones conscience in the sight of God and that was of God which the children disobeyed Pr. He calls that a darke delusive light Ans Which John calls Christ the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world which we speak of so he is fighting against the foundation of God that stands sure And thus the man is striking at the Rock and splitting himself is not come to John but is as dark as the Pharisees Heathen whose darknesse cannot comprehend the light that John saith lighteth every man that cometh into the world that shineth in the darkness that is the true light John 1. chap. So you that deny the light which Christ hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world withall be the enemies of Christ that will not that he should reign over you who are by him to be slain and so that Scripture which he mentions there in page 10. stands for himself who gets his words and calls him Lord but doth not do as he saith and ye all that be in darknesse stumble at the Scriptures which see not the light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world Pr. Hâ— saith They that deny the honour of men are Witches and Wizards page 14. Ans Wilt thou say that Mordecai was a wizard and had a familiar spirit that would not bow to Haman And the Apostle found fault with them that worshipped the creature more then the Creator who is God blessed for ever And all the familiar spirits and wizards fell down and worshipped Nebuchadnezars Image which Daniel could not bend to their Image nor inventions Pr. And again thou saith They that love God and love Christ keepeth his commandements see page 14. Ans And thou art bringing many Scriptures to oppose the commands of Christ who saith Be not ye of men called Master So thou art seen not to be of the spirit of Christ but the spirit that is gone out into the world that is Antichrist and opposeth his Doctrine who is the end of the Prophets and was before Abraham was and so hath given judgement of thy selfe thou neither loves God nor Christ Pr. And here he accuseth Paul and saith Paul saith he is not perfect Answ When Paul saith As many of us as are perfect are thus minded and brings himself in the number and speaks wisdome among them that are perfect page 15. John Timpsons Booke called The Quakers Apostacy from the perfect Rule of the SCRIPTVRES discovered A True title to his Book concerning his own condition as his Book doth witnesse himselfe in the Apostacy whose work is to oppose the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that John bore witnesse of So opposing the Covenant of God of life and peace and the foundation of God which stands sure Christ Jesus which he may as well say nothing or do nothing But the stone is set upon his head and the foundation of God is layd witnessed by the Prophets
Christ and the Apostles and the Scriptures are owned by them in scorn called Quakers and the light it speaks of who out of the apostacy are come and so from among the apostates And as for the lyes and slanders in his Book that are not worth mentioning but they shall turn upon his own head whose immodesty hath discovered them Pr. In his Preface to the Reader He saith It is an expression of a darke deluded minde to say that God is not distinguished from the Saints Ans But God and Christ is in the Saints and dwell in them and walk in them and he is a Reprobate and out of the Apostles doctrine Pr He saith We have broken the everlasting Covenant of God Answ Because we own the teaching of God by his spirit and the light which doth enlighten every one that that cometh into the world which is the covenant of God Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the rule of life See page 4. Answ Contrary to Christ who said the spirit should lead them into all truth And they that are the sons of God are led by the spirit of God And the Churches was to hear what the spirit saith for the spirit led them to speak forth Scripture Pr. Again he saith It is a contradiction and a confused sencelesse thing to preach the word of faith in the mouth and in the heart see page 6. Again he saith Most senseless is this profession of Christ in the mouth and believing in him with the heart God that made all things These are his words page 8. Ans It is not a senselesse profession to preach the word of Faith in the heart and in the mouth and to say God will dwell in you and the word is in the heart and in the mouth The word is God and thou art senselesse and fallen in confusion in the contradiction out of the Apostles doctrine and the Apostle saith Christ in you and with the mouth confession is made to salvation Pr. And he calls it a Notion to say that Christ lighteth all and therefore the light is Christ. Ans So here he is kicking and spurning against the light Christ that lighteth every man that cometh into the world which is the Rock the foundation of God the corner-stone which is fallen upon thy head and all be in the notion that be out of it Pr. He scoffs at the Quakers because they say they have the word of God in them Ans Christ his name is called the word of God Pr. He saith God blessing or blasting his owne Word to some according to the different ends intended by himselfe see page 9. Ans Now the Word of God is not blasted God never blasts his own Word but it is they that are blasted that disobey the Word For the Word of God doth its service and accomplisheth the end which it goeth forth for and doth not return in vain And it is the sword of the spirit and that is not blasted It is a hammer and a fire and it lives and doth endure for ever So thou art blasted who saith the Word of God he blasts and art to be cut down by the word of God for thy blasphemy Pr. He saith the Quakers are deceivers because we say that Christ is not in outward observations and formes And John Bunyan saith that he is distinct from the Saints and would have him in the forms c. see page 13. Ans And we say he hath triumphed over the Ordinances and blotted them out and they are not to be touched and the Saints have Christ in them who is the end of outward forms and thou art deceived who thinks to finde the living among the dead and Bunyan is deceived who said he is distinct from the Saints and so you are a company of pittiful Teachers Pr. He saith Every true Christian doth believe that the holy Scriptures alone is to be the object of faith c. page 17. Ans So he hath thrown out God the giver of it and Christ the Author of it for many have the Scriptures and deny Christ the Author of faith and object Pr. He asketh Did you ever read of law and testimony in the heart c see page 18. Ans Yea God saith I will write my law in their hearts The law was in Davids heart the law was in the Apostles heart The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy and that is in the heart See Heb. 8. Rev. Pr. He saith The covenant of God is not to all in the Church of Christ see page 19. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures for where the Church is there is the Covenant the head Christ Jesus And God saith I will give him for a covenant to the Gentiles those are the heathen And I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah and these are called the people of God And therefore thou art in the fall in ignorance and a man without understanding and affirms thou dost not know what and silence would become thee better then to publish thy shame in print for they are not in the Church of God that be not in the covenant of God Pr. And he saith The Scriptures is the sure and perfect rule page 20. Ans And the Scripture saith Christ is the Bishop of the soule and God hath all souls in his hand And many have Scriptures but their soules the Bishop of them they know not but they remain in death and the life they want that gave it forth and so are all on heaps about the Scripture one with another and calling them the rule and the spirit And the spirit of God that led them forth to speak forth the Scripture was the rule to the Saints and holy men of God but they that be in the transgression will kill one another about their words and the spirit leads to see them again and brings them into unity with them and God Pr. He saith It is blasphemy to say that Christ is in them as God and man c. see page 23. Ans How are they of his flesh and bone And doth not the Scripture say Christ in you and God will dwell in you and walk in you And are not the Saints of his flesh and of his bone And are they not partakers of the divine nature Pr. He saith It is a fancy to say the eternall word of God is in them see page 26. Ans Thou art in the fancy that the eternal word is not in and witnessed and under the fire and sword and hammer to be hammered down And so art corrected by the Apostle who saith Let the word of God dwell in you richly The ingrafted word which is able to save your souls and immortal word which is immortal Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the only rule of knowing God c. See page 26. Ans Christ saith none knoweth the father but the Son who spoke among them that had the Scripture and so he
every man that cometh into the world is to bring them from the Mediator and to draw men from eying his death resurrection and intercession c. as these men say see page 7. Ans Here they are corrected for none knows these things but who come to the light Christ who hath enlightned them for with the light they see their Mediator and see his death and resurrection And they that come not to the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world may speak of these things but cannot know them the witnesse in the conscience shall answer in all men for the light that shines in the heart gives them the knowledge of them of the Mediator death and resurrection of Christ And they say not every man in the world is enlightned and John saith every man is and so here their spirits are corrected again And I will give him for a covenant to the Gentiles and for a new covenant to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah And they bring these words Christ in you the hope of glory to oppose Johns words Pr. You say none comes to God but by Christ and yet doth not own him that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world Ans And so are not like ever to come to him though you may talk of him in words as the Pharisees and Devils did as all the apostate Christians doth now and yet not own his light with it you are all to be condemned Ministers of Satan which are out of the light Pr. And you say Far be it from you to say that Christ is equally God c. See page 8. Ans And the Scriptures saith He is the everlasting Father and his name is called the Emanuel God with us and his name is called the word which is God John 1. Pr. And ye say Whereby man sees the God-head of God but nothing of the mystery of the Father and Christ as Mediator See page 9. Ans Can man see the god-head of God and nothing of the mystery of the Father and Christ the Mediator Doth not he that knows the Son know the Father also And hath not he that hath seen God seen the Son Is not the Son in the Father Here your spirits are corrected For the light that enlightens every man that comes into the world le ts see the one le ts see the other Pr. You say For a man to say the light Christ which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world is pure and justifies them that obey it he justifies that which God condemns c. See page 9. Ans As you say who are with it condemned for the light is that which doth condemn and justifie both and God doth not condemn it for it brings into unity with him and peace and all be condemn'd that be out of it and none be justified but them that be in it Christ that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which is the justification of life to every one that believeth in it and every man receiving the light receives his justification and hating of it receives his condemnation to death Pr. Again Ye conclude the light of Christ is not pure before faith See page 9. Ans So have concluded you seven Joseph Kellet John Pomroy Paul Glisson Christopher Feak John Simpson George Cocken Lawrence Wise that ye never knew Law nor Gospel nor Faith from Christ nor God For the law is light saith Solomon Prov. 6. and that is the Schoolmaster untill faith And the Law of God is pure and the Law is just holy and good and perfect and what is just holy and good is pure And this ye seven have concluded not pure the light in the conscience before faith And the Law is the Light and Schoolmaster untill faith And the Light is given to every man to believe and while ye have the light believe in it And so men have this light before they believe in it and are children And this ye conclude is not pure so goes about to take away that men should believe in they having the Light and then afterwards to believe in it and with that they see the Author of their faith Christ Jesus from whence it comes and so would destroy the foundation of God the Prophets and Apostles which standeth sure and so are yee found in the spirit of errour and corrected knowing neither law nor faith Pr. Again they say the Light which is Christ with which every man is enlightned that cometh into the world withall they say doth not discover the sinne of unbeliefe See page 10. Ans And did not Christ marvell at their unbelief and see and discovered the unbelief of the Jewes of whose Father are ye And doth not Christ the Light which doth enlighten every man withal discover unbelief And doth not the unbelievers hate the light and know the light will reprove them which they should believe in that manifests their sin and yet you say doth not discover unbelief which is their condemnation not believing in it because their deeds be evill hating it Pr. And further ye say That the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world bringeth in a legal righteousnesse c. Ans Doth not the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world bring in the righteousnesse of God and is it not the righteousness of God So it corrects you that be in the legall righteousness and out of Christ which enlightneth nevery man that cometh into the world Pr. Again you say The righteousnesse performed by the grace of Christ the Gospel teacheth to deny it See page 10. Ans Now is there any righteousnesse wrought by the grace of Christ but what is by Christ who is the covenant of grace and the power of God which is the Gospel which lighteth every man that comes into the world Pr. They call it conscience or a natural light c. page 11. Answ Which light was before the word conscience was or a naturall light the Sun Moon and Stars either for all things that was made was made by it The natural light or made light are created lights He made the Sun the Moon and the Stars they were made And here is the naturall lights to the natural eye And the light that every man is enlightned with that cometh into the word was before these were made glorified with the Father before the world began and before the name Conscience was or things was made and then they was named and the light doth exercise the conscience towards God and towards man which light cometh from Christ the Author of faith which is held in the pure conscience who before the world began was glorified with the Father Pr. Again the light which cometh from Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which discovers the evill which will give thee power against it man walking in it and yet brings to the rest to the Father this they
ambition and been corrected by and reproved for this by Quakers and Scriptures Pr. He saith the Spirit of Light will be Judged by the Scripture keeping to the Scriptures c. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures and the Apostles Doctrine But he is there like to the Jews who had the Scriptures yet they Judged the spirit of Light But the spirit of Light ownes Scriptures and the Scripture doth not Judge spiritual Light and are not one against the other but are in unitie Pr. And whereas he saith Noahs Ark was a true figure of the Church of God so Noahs Dove is a clear Embleme of such as through affection of new and unknown pathes do stray from the Church of God c. See page 1. Ans Now you having strayed from the Church of God which Christ said are the false Prophets that should come Matth. 24. and John saw was come and the whole world are gone after you And ye have brought the Nation to be water and your tongues are waters and your multitudes waters and your peoples waters upon this occation is the Doves flying abroad and hath found the Ark of the Testimony and the Quakers hath found no rest for the souls of their foot amongst you waters and the opening of the Seals and the Tabernacle in heaven For there is nothing but waters among you the Doves finds ye all waters not to set the soles of their feet But according to the eternal Counsel and promise of God how that the waters should be abated and dryed up and the people of God begins to inhabit and the Kings of the earth should not passe and that which you call your Church hath been waters Pr. And whereas he brings the sayings of Scripture that speakes of Prophets and pastors c. and names places of Scripture to oppose Christs Command which saith be ye not of men called master c. See page 7. Ans Which is to no purpose but to manifest himself a transgressor that abides not in the Doctrine of Christ that hath not the Father and the Son Pr. And he saith the Prophecy of Malachy is upon us who saith cursed be the deceiver who do not bring in his Tythes and offerings c. See page 9. Ans Which we say the Priesthood is changed and the offerings is denyed and he that holdeth them up is under the curse Pr. He saith to take the Scriptures as ye speak brings in all absurdity as when the Apostle saith the priesthood is changed the commandment is disanulled that took tithes Then he saith he would prove that none had Faith to take the Scripture as it is spoken for if they had it saith he as a grain of musterd-seed then they should remove mountains and heal the sick c. See page 10. Ans Now by this he hath shewed his Ignorance for Christs words and the Prophets are true as they speak and the things they speak of the fruits of the Faith as they speak of is known and the fulfilling of the promise And that which the Apostle speakes of Hebr. 7. the Priesthood is changed and the Law disanulled also and another Priesthood is come in not after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchisedeck without Father without Mother without beginning of dayes or end of life You run into all absurdities that gives your meaning to Scriptures and private Interpretations have brought the world on heaps about the Scriptures And who are in the Faith are in the healing of the sick and removing mountains and you who be out of the faith have brought whole Nations into sicknesses and mountains and rough places Pr. He saith the priests work is changed in point of Administration onely but in respect of the order the priesthood is not changed c. See page 11. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who said Christ came after another order and not after the order of Aaron but came after the order of Melchisedeck So the order and all things pertaining to it falls which Ralph Hall saith doth not Pr. He saith the matter is not changed in any one of the Ceremonies only the manner of Administration c. See page 11. Ans The first Covenant could make nothing perfect saith the Apostle The matter and tâ—â— manner changed of all that pertained to the first Priesthood the matter and the manner fell down when the life came in the second Covenant where through the new and living way was felt whereby we enter in unto God by the blood and life of Jesus Christ and the offering And not by the first Priesthood first Covenant Tythes offâ—rings and sacrifices so matter and manner fell all and Christ came out of another Tribe that is of Judah And not after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchisedeck and so after another matter Pr. And thou brings that concerning Jacobs paying a Tenth to the service of the house of God and why may not ye have Tenthes for the maintenance of the house of God which is called the Steeple house which was the Papists Masse-house Now see what a sutable measure thou hast c. See page 16. Ans There was a time when the Ark was maintained and the Tabernacle and the Temple and the store-house and Tythes And there was a time when all these things are utterly denyed So thou art a man that doth not divide thy work aright but a workman that may be ashamed of thy work Look on thy book who art crying up Tythes and Priests and thou saith the order is not changed of Aaron in the substance contrary to the Apostle and yet pleads the order of Melchisedeck and so art in confusion And as for the order of Melchisedeck ye are as short of that as of Christ in whom Melchisedeck ends Pr. H◠〈◊〉 the best of Gods people have sin enough to be repented of and to be humbled for c. See page 19. Ans Conâ—â—ary to John who saith he that is born of God doth not commit sin neither can be because the seed of God remaineth in him and he keepeth himself that the evil one touchetâ— him not and they was not to lay again the foundation of repentance from dead works and saith the Apostle how can we that are dead unto sin live any longâ—r â—â—erein and so â—hou art ignorant of the Saints state for sin exalts and doth not humblâ— for that which brings down sin humbles Pr. He saith he knowes not one in the Nation that sues men at the Law those that will not put into their mouthes c. And again he saith if they should not sue at the Law such as do not give them maintenance they would sin in doing so for it were to uphold coveteous minds c. See p. 19. Ans Now this is to prove your coveteous desires And the Courts throughout the Nation will witness against thee and the most suites that be in the Nation for one perticular thing is the Priests and the
without spot before any work done or good whatsoever c. page 3. Ans There is none doth the work of God but who believes and he that believes overcomes the world and his works are wrought in God and he hath the word oâ— reconciliation in him And by this means of thine all the world is presented perfect to God for he is the offering for the whole world But them that believe are partakers and them that do not believe are condemned Yet I say the Lord helps the unbelief of many who is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe and men are not presented to God while they do evill and afore they are sanctified and holy Pr. He saith The invisible things of God and the eternall power and glory of God may be known by that of God in every man but not his good pleasure or purpose of grace c. See page 4. Ans Is the glory seen and that known the God-head known the invisible things of God and the eternall power and not the good pleasure of God nor his purpose of grace Doth not the God-head dwell in Christ and his fulnesse bodily And is not Christ the power of God And he that knows God and his glory and eternall power and God-head Doth not he know the Son Consider that For he that hath known the Son hath known the Father also and grace and the purpose of God Pr. He saith Man may know God and his eternall power and God-head and glory and yet know nothing of the mystery of Christ nor can that which thou saith shews these things lead unto the mystery of the knowledge of Christ c. See page 4. Answ Where the eternall power and God-head is known his power his glory and the invisible things of God there is something of Christ known the mystery For there is none knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him And he that knows the Father knows the Son Pr. He saith To say that Christ is within man is to worship Angels and not to hold the head Christ c. See page 5. Answ Which none comes to witnesse Christ the head but who witness him in them that the Angels must worship that dyed and suffered at Jerusalem and they that worship him in them worships not the Angels and they that are not worshipping him in them are worshipping Men Devils or Angels Pr. He saith It is a bewitching of the mindes to preach Christ within the Saints c. Answ Did not the Apostle say to the same Colossians of worshipping of Angels not holding the head Did not he preach Christ in them the same Colossians And he told them of intruding into things they never saw Did not he say Christ in you the hope of glory whom we preach warning every man that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus How dost thou devide the word contrary to the Apostles and Christ Jesus and calls this Doctrine bewitching and thou that preacheth another doctrine contrary to his art accurst Pr. He saith To say the light in every one wherewith Christ Jesus hath enlightned them withall that comes into the world is the way to Christ and the Father and is the sure word of prophesie which people are to take heed unto He saith this is to deny the person of Christ as the object of faith and the Scriptures as the rule of faith and faith it selfe c. See page 8. Answ In this thou hast shewed thy ignorance for none knows the person of Christ but with the light that comes from him None knows the Mediator none knows the Author of their faith but with the light that comes from Christ And none knows the Scriptures of truth but with the light And Christ is the rule of faith and author of it and giver And many may have Scriptures and not saith so in this thou devides not the word aright uncapable of dividing the word and that is the sure word of prophesie that shines in a dark place which people are to take heed unto till the day dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts Pr. He saith To say that redemption righteousness is wrought within is to bring Christ down from above out of heaven or raise him from the dead and to make the blood of Christ as another mans c. See page 9. Answ Now Christ is not known to be the justification but as he is known within and redemption out of Adams state in the fall For he that believes hath the witnesse in himselfe and ceaseth from his own works and enters into his rest as God did from his For the world may professe Christ without them but if he be not within them they are reprobates and shall fall short of the justification and redemption if he be not within them And if they have not the Son of God they have not life and many will say Lord but doth not the thing that he commands And one of thy generation of Professors that writ against the Quakers and said That the blood of Christ was corruptible and so it was like the blood of another man and thou saith it is not Now we say that blood which cleanseth from all sin is incorruptible and they that witnesse Christ in them and justification and redemption and need not say who shall raise Christ from the dead or fetch him from above as thou says Pr. He saith Obedience to the spirit within and Christ a worker and a Law-giver in their conscience and a worker of it in their persons but not as a Saviour and what of God is felt or wrought in them that they believe While the unspeakable righteousness opperation of life in Christ reserved with faith liberty joy and peace c. is hid from their eyes c. See page 10. Ans Now can any be obedient to the spirit within and to Christ a worker and a Law-giver and feel the work of God in themselves and believe it and yet the unspeakable righteousness and the operation of life hid in Christ and faith and liberty joy and peace to be hid from their eyes Can a man know all these things and yet not know Christ to be a Saviour here thou art judged and thy knowledg for he that knows these things knows a Saviour and let the righteous judge whose eyes are open how thou divides the word Pr. He saith Faith holds things as true in Christ though hid from sense and feeling c. See page 11. Answ How cometh the just to live then if there be not a feeling in his faith And how cometh he to have the victory then over the world And how doth faith purifie if there be not a feeling And how is it holden then in a pure conscience if there be not a feeling And how cometh he to have accesse to God through faith And doth not the Scripture speak of them that was in the faith felt and handled the
See pag. 16. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who said the Light that shined in their hearts should give the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and the Light within comes from the mystery and is of the mystery it self and le ts see the precious mystery which none knowes but with the Light within and so the God of the world hath blinded thy mind and hath shewed thy self that thou art of them that hates the Light and shewes that thou comes not to it for he that comes to it comes to the mystery for the least Light of Christ in man is of the mystery and comes from the mystery Pr. He saith to say Christ came to Redeem the Israel from the Law without to establish the work within and law in the conscience in obedience unto which men come to be Redeemed and the Law in the heart thus to say he saith is an errour c. See page 16. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who Preached the redemption established the Law in the heart and Christ within who redeemes men from under the Law who is the end of it and the word of Faith in the heart and they that have not this be in the errour though they may talk of Christ Pr. He saith it is the Divinity of Sophisters and a blotting out of the glory of the grace of Christ to set forth Christ as a law-giver and worker in us c. See page 17. Ans Which I say none knowes him as a Mediator and a law-giver nor an offering nor his blood that cleanseth them but as they know him working in them and they be in the Sophistery of their Divinity that knowes not the glory of the grace of Christ working in them Pr. He saith a man shall not see himself dead and buried with Christ and raised up with Christ by any work or obedience to Christ within c. See page 18. Ans He that believes hath the witness in himself and there is the work within and that is the work of God and Faith is wrought within And this is contrary to self for over it it gives victory and teacheth to deny himself So see how thou confounds thy self and he that believes is past from death to life and they that are dead with Christ seekes those things that are from above Pr. He saith again the Light within is the spirit of the world c. See page 18. Ans Contrary to Johns doctrine who saith he was in the world and the world knew him not neither doth your spirits of the world know him now and the worlds Spirit knew him not and the world hates the Light and darkness cannot comprehend it though it shines in darkness And here thou art medling with things that are too heavy for thee and the corner stone falls a top of thee and the Light that enlighteneth every one that cometh into the world was before the spirit of the world was Pr. He saith that they that affirm the light in every man that condemnes for sin to he Christ the Redeemer have set up an Idol c. See page 19. Ans Doth not Christ say I am the Light of the world which is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world who is the Redeemer and the Salvation to the ends of the earth and he that receiveth it receiveth Christ And is not this it that brings off of all Idols And are not they setting up Idols that are from the Light And doth not Christ the Light come to condemn sin in the flesh and is that the Idoll How dare thou say so he was manifest in the flesh to condemn sin in the flesh and he saith I am the light and that is not an Idoll Pr. He saith Christ comes not down in spirit into our persons to redeem but to manifest the redemption and saith he cometh the second time without sinne unto salvation c. See page 21. Answ The Apostle bids them worke out their salvation with fear and trembling And Christ brings not peace on earth but a sword and judgment and comes to make blind who is the redemption and makes it manifest by his spirit and whose light doth condemn him that hates it for he will not have that which manifests salvation And whosoever knoweth redemption knoweth it to be manifest in him from Christ Pr. He saith They who had the light within and pierced into the invisible things and eternall power and God-head had but the wisdome of this world c. page 23. Ans And so he would make the light of Christ the wisdome of this world which light cometh from Christ the wisdome of God the wisdome of the world cannot pierce into the eternall power and God-head Pr. He saith The light within denies all things that God hath done for us in Christ which hath no glory but spreads a veil over c. page 25. Ans Which none knows what God hath done for us nor sees the glory in Christ but by the light which comes from him who works all both in us and for us according to his good will and pleasure and brings not to deny what God worketh in us and they nullifie it that are against his light and are against his glorious person for the light that 's within le ts see his glory Pr. He saith Obedience to the light within is another atonement and a denying the atonement of Christ and calls it a mystery of iniquity See page 28. Answ VVhich none knows the attonement of Christ but by the light within and all be in the mystery of iniquity that be out of the Light which cometh from Christ the covenant of God to Jewes and Gentiles and that gives them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus Mark he saith the light is that which gives the knowledge and the Light within doth not set up another atonement but they do that do deny the light within set up another atonement then Christ Pr. He saith To obey the Law within which we say is the law of the spirit of life which makes free from sin and death in this he saith we agree with the Papists and Pagans See page 30. Answ Now in this thou may see where thou art out of the Apostles doctrine And neither thee nor the Papists nor Pagans own us in this that we should be made free from the Law of sin and death while we be upon the earth And here the blood of Jesus is witnessed and the attonement and the Father and the Son and this is all seen with the Light within Pr. He saiâ—h He began by faith to behold the love joy and redemption prepared for him before any evill or good was done by him c. page 37. Answ Dost not thou say thou beheld it by faith And now is not the work good to behold by faith And doth not that give victory over the evill And doth not
that do good that beholds by faith And so what is not of faith is sinne Pr. He saith He is in heavenly places and yet in the shadow of death with the earthly See page 38. Answ He that is in heavenly places is in Christ Jesus a new creature And he that believeth in the light shall not abide in darknesse so comes out of shadows And he that believeth abideth not in the condemnation and so comes out of the shadow of death though they have sate in the shadow of death before belief and comes out of the earth and so hast proved thy self not a true believer which comes out of the shadows and death Pr. He saith To purifie the members as reckoning it our redemption our righteousnesse all such purity is sin blindness and idolatry page 40. Ans And the Apostle calls Christ our redemption and our sanctification and our righteousnesse and so we can truly say Christ is ours and no idolaters And them that cannot say Christ is their sanctification redemption righteousness and mortification is in the idolizing and sin Pr. He saith The way to attain the spirit of Christ is not by waiting on the light within c. see page 52. Answ Christ saith believe in the light that ye way be children of the light and he that is a child of the light cometh to the birth born of the spirit And Christ doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world And as many as received him he gave them power to become the sons of God And none hears faith but who hears the light within which is Christ within who is the Author of it by which the spirit is received Pr. He saith That doctrine or spirit that calls to the Light within doth but build up the worship of the world c. page 53. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who said The light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ Jesus And Christ saith they that worship God must worship him in truth And he is the light and he is the truth that doth enlighteth every man that comes into the world and this throws down all the worship of the world And I say none comes out of the worships of the world and the doctrines of the world but who comes to the light wherewith Christ hath enlightned every man c. that shines in the darkness and the darknesse comprehends it not Pr. He saith To believe in God as in the Light within men redeeming from sin is to deny the witnesse of the Son and have neither Son nor Father c. page 54. Ans Which I say none owns the witnesse of the Son but who owns the Light which comes from the Son with which he is enlightned Nor none knows the Father nor the Son nor receives them but who receives the light which Christ the Son hath enlightned them withall nor knows God to be a Saviour but by the Light within Pr. He saith They that seeke for righteousnesse by obedience to the light within differs nothing from the Jewes but onely in the copies of the Law c. See page 56. Ans None sees the obedience of Christ the second Adam the end of the Law and copies of it but with the Light within which comes from Christ Jesus that brings in righteousness and ends sin and transgression who is the end of the righteous Law with which light man sees the weakness and unprofitableness of it and the types and the shadows of it which Christ is known in the light within who ends it Pr He saith To rest in hope that I am saved from sin and wrath by the blood of Christ the head and while conscience condemns for sin this is to hope against hope c. See page 57. Ans Such as are saved from the wrath by Christ the head and his blood they are saved from their sins And then they that are saved from their sins how can conscience condemn for sin and the wrath come upon them for sin and they that are saved from the wrath they are saved from their sins But where conscience doth condemn for sin there is wrath and he cannot witnesse a cleansing nor salvation wrought out nor saved from sin but is in the false hope and not in the true hope which goes against hope for the true hope is Christ within Pr. Whereas thou speaks of Christs working and giving an example c. page 67. Ans Yet thou and the rest are offended at those people that are called Quakers who say Christ was their example And so ye can allow what ye speak your selves but if another speak the same words it is an offence to you Pr. He saith Such as preach redemption by the light in every man are not of God c. See pag. 70. Ans The redemption of Christ the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And every man that cometh into the world that seeth his redemption it is by the light which he that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world hath enlightned him with which is Christ the Redeemer the Saviour the second Adam the way to the Father who shall make every tongue to confess him to the glory of God but thou that hates the light art condemned Pr. He saith Not the light in every man but the words of the Prophets and Apostles is that which leads to the Lord Jesus c. See Page 82. Ans Many may have the words of the Prophets and the Apostles but none comes to that which leads to the Lord Jesus but who comes into the light and life that the Prophets and Apostles was in which Christ Jesus is the end of who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Therefore every man that cometh into the world must come to the light which Christ hath enlightned him withal before he come to the end of the Prophets and the Apostles Christ Jesus the Lord of life and glory Pr. He saith The Scriptures are the image of Christ and he that seeks for God out of the humanity of Christ he shall lose both God and himself c. See pag. 82. Answ The Scriptures are writings and the writings will not endure for ever and the image of Christ is the image of God And all who be in the life that gave forth Scriptures be in the image of Christ which was afore Scripture was and all that have the Scriptures out of the life that gave them forth they have not the image And he that is out of the truth may have the Scriptures but he is out of the image all are who be out of the truth but who be in the truth be in the image And God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe And who knows the Son knows the Father And he that hath found the Son hath found the Father also And he that seeks after God out of Christ shall
decease and the false Apostles Devils messengers and Ministers of unrighteousnesse was got up before the Apostles decease and the false Prophets were gone out into the world and the false spirits before the Apostles decease as in John which since the dayes of the Apostles they have led the world after them they have been received into houses and corrupted the whole earth of whom you have been Therefore the Apostles brought the Saints then to the annointing within them and to the light that shines in their hearts which would give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus which light you bring from it And now since the dayes of the Apostles have ye been carried away swallowed up by such as have not the Father and the Son and the false spirits that went forth into the world and the false Prophets and Satan who hath transformed himself as an Angell of light and the Ministers of unrighteousnesse and false Apostles which do confesse they have not the same spirit as the Prophets Christ and Apostles had so are erred from the false spirits and false Prophets who hath been destroying since the dayes of the Apostles and gone out into the world and false Apostles for the false Apostles Satans Ministers transforming themselves as Angels of light the false spirits that went out into the world and the false Prophets these went all out from the spirit that the Prophets Christ and the Apostles was in So these were the spirits that was to be tryed by them that had the anointing in them you who now are seen and tryed by them that are come to the anointing in them to be gone out from the Apostles Pr. He saith You put out the eyes of poor soules by bidding them to hearken to the light within c. page 14. Ans The eye that sees the soule is the light which cometh from Christ the Bishop of it and no one knows the eye of the soule but who comes to the light within and opens it which cometh from Christ the Saviour of it which gives him the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ 2 Cor. 4. and lets him see his Saviour Pr. He saith I do affirme that no man can have salvation by vertue of his obedience c. page 17. Answ He that believes is saved he hath salvation he that doth not is condemned already and no man hath salvation but by believing and where believing is there obedience is to the Gospel They that obey it not are condemned and neglect their salvation Pr. He saith They lay in wait to deceive who call the breaking of bread carnall pag. 18. Ans We cannot say that the outward bread is spiritual the bread which perisheth the carnal and we say Christ is the bread which is spiritual and they deceive people which say outward bread is spiritual and not carnal Pr. He saith How should we have known sin to be sin and righteousness to be righteousness and a Christ that died at Jerusalem but by the Scriptures he saith nay we could not have known those things Page 21. Ans That which makes manifest sin is light and they that had Scriptures knew not Christ that died at Jerusalem but that they crucified him And David and Joshuah saw his sufferings and saw that Judas should betray him and they that had Scriptures knew not sin from righteousness they knew not the sin of unbelief they knew not Christs righteousness who had the Scriptures and knew not the way to the Father but turned against the light the truth as you do which makes manifest sin and as the Pharisees did Pr. To say The officers of the Church are invisible its plain of the Father the Devil Page 24. Answ The holy Ghost made the officers of the Church overseers and that made the officers the overseers to be invisible for they saw with an invisible eye and so they was in the spirit which is invisible and not in the flesh else they could not be overseers in the Church of God and you are the visible apostatized from them Pr. He saith that which is contained in the Bible is spirit and life Page 25. Answ That which the Bible declares of is spirit and life which is Christ which you are ignorant of that hath the letter and deny the Light and so saith life is contained in the letter Pr. He saith the Scripture is able to make men wise unto salvation c. page 25. Ans Through faith it is for the Pharisees and chief Priests had Scriptures yet were not wise unto salvation neither are you who deny the Light of Christ and they are seducers and evil men which the Apostle saw coming in which should wax worse and worse and have over grown the world with hardness and prejudice and wickedness that have the Scriptures but have not been made wise unto salvation without faith in Christ Jesus which have been since the dayes of the Apostles who have had the Scriptures without the faith and so out of unitie Pr. He saith Paul spake of some men that should be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and his glory that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ See pag. 36. Answ Who obey the Gospel obey the power of God and comes to the substance the end of all the Scriptures and obeyes the Light which Christ hath enlightned him withall And such as disobey the power disobey the Gospel and so you have brought judgement upon your selves who get all the form and put the form for the Gospel from the presence of the glorious God and his power doth the power punish them which they disobey which power is the Gospel And those was coming up before the Apostles decease which have led into disobedience since the Apostles decease but now by the power of the Lord manifest that discovers it Pr. He saith Christ left us an Example who is our example c. pag. 32. Ans And yet ye are offended at others who say he is their Example and would have none to own his light so he is not your example that deny the Light Christ but him that is out of the Light Pr. He saith for a perfection in glory to be attained to on this side the grave I utterly disown page 43. Ans Where glory is in the least degree it is in perfection and who have not glory and doth not attain to glory on this side the grave they are in a sad condition For the Saints rejoyced with Joy unspeakable and full of glory and they witnessed the hope of glory within them while they was upon earth and of that hope they was to give a reason that was in them and they saw the glory of God and the Father and so came to be changed from glory to glory till they were come into the Image of God And the Apostle saw before his decease such as
would not endure sound Doctrine such as was given to fables and had the itching ears and heapes to themselves teachers and those forsook the faith which such have now since the dayes of the Apostles reigned whereby none among them comes to be out of all teaching that they need no man to teach them and that they need not say know the Lord and to see the glory of God None comes into the everlasting Covenant into the power out of the form and none cometh to know all things by the anointing in them but they are all on heapes about their heapes of teachers and itching ears and so cannot endure the sound Doctrin that any should come into the Covenant of God that they need not to say know the Lord. That is the sound Doctrine to come into the Covenant of God Christ Jesus the substance of all the Prophets glorified before the world began to learn of him who is the way to the Father the truth and the life and the heaps of teachers are all erred from him and the Apostles and so from the true teacher Christ Jesus who saith learn of me And there people would destroy one another about their teachers which Christ teacheth otherwise to love their enemies and so there is men following their imaginations and not the Lord and reprobates concerning the faith in which is the unity and there are you Pr. He saith Paul did not commit the Church to the light within them for he told them deceivers should come c. page 39. Answ Paul when that deceivers was come and false Apostles among the Church of the Corinthians he told the Corinthians 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 Christ Jesus and so hear thou shewes thy ignorance of Scriptures and of the Church and of Pauls Doctrine whose work was to bring them to the light within them when the deceivers was got up and so committed the Church to the light within them and told them that that would give them the knowledge c. So they that draw people from the light within are the false spirits that the Apostle speaks of that went out into the world before the Apostles decease which led the world after them by whom the way of truth came to be evil spoken of for the Apostle told them that the Light that shined in their hearts would give them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and not their teachers without them as you do who bring them from the Light within them and so act contrary to the Apostles Pr. He saith to bring people to the Light within is dispising the word again he saith the Light that is in a man is not able to lead him to happiness c. page 50. Answ No man cometh to happiness but who cometh to the Light within which cometh from Christ the happiness of all man kinde the Redeemer the restorer of man kinde out of the fall out of the first Adams state to God into the second Adams state who is the Covenant of God with man in which they have peace So in this Light stands every mans happiness and he that hath the happiness hath Christ the light within him and the peace with God And the light within which cometh from Christ the word is not against the word nor Scriptures which are the words but it ownes them and with them hath unity and no one sees the word but with the Light within And as for all the rest of thy unsavoury expressions and childish speeches is not worth mentioning And thou hadst better have let silence have covered thee then to have published thy nakedness to the Nation for thy words will be thy burthen in the time of thy necessity the witness shall answer in thee Ralph Farmers Booke called Satan enthroaned in his Chair c. His Principles follows Ans Which is a Title sutable to himselfe discovered by the children of the day who is his Seeds-man as to the Nation he hath declared But them that be in the Truth Love and Peace he doth not touch Pr. HE saith We do not pretend to infallibility as you do which is lying and hypocriticall c. Ans We do believe you that in the infallible spirit of God you are not but in the false fallible spirit gone out into the world that went forth from the Apostles who had the spirit of Christ And so how can you be Ministers of the Spirit and not the Letter if ye be not infallible For who be in the spirit are in that which is infallible This I say none be Ministers of the spirit nor none be in the spirit nor none have the spirit of Christ nor the holy Ghost nor the spirit of the Father speaking in them but who have that which is infallible and in that which is infallible And they be in the lying spirit and hypocrisie that be out of it and all the false spirits that is gone out into the world So ye do well to confesse that ye have not the infallible spirit yee are not infallible and so no Ministers of the spirit And how can they but delude people that are not infallible and are none of Christs which have not the spirit which is infallible and are not Ministers of the Gospell which is the power of God which is infallible Pr. He saith We are foretold that false Teachers that shall bring upon themselves swift destruction and evill men and seducers which wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived should come And there should come false Christs and seducing spirits and the doctrine of Devills speaking lyes in hypocrisie such as deceive the hearts of the simple with their feigned speeches c. See page 39 40. Answ Hast not thou here brought forth thy ignorance of the Scriptures which saith the seducers and the false Christs and the false Apostles the Doctrine of Devils and the feigned words and fair speeches which deceived the hearts of people came up before the Apostles decease and doth not thou in this shew thy spirit to be that spirit that went out into the world not able to divide the word aright but art telling people they are now come when as the Apostles saw they was come before their decease which since the dayes of the Apostles all the confusion hath been among them and you that deny the light are in distraction And yet ye that be not infallible in the infallible spirit but fallible are crying to people they are come but now and so grow until ye are worse and worse And thee and the Priests of Newcastle and many of the rest of you are crying against such as say Christ is their example And yet many of you have published to the Nation in print that Christ is an example and the men are respected who speak them and not the words simply as they are in
of God and are from the one way Christ the Light in which is unity Prin. He saith The Scriptures may be understood by the helpe of Tongues Page 12 Ans All Scriptures was given forth by inspiration and so without the same inspiration it is not understood again Pilate had the Tongues and yet did not understand the Scripture nor Christ the substance of it And this you have set up since the apostacy your Tongues ye raveners from the spirit Pr. Hâ— saith Tythes is not his infirmity the Lord hath given him Tythes And he doth take them as the Lord giving him maintenance and it is his liberty Ans Tythes to the first Priest-hood was allotted by God but Christ the second Priest-hood ended that Priest-hood and Tythes both and the Priests that took them made by Gods law and the commandment that gave them disannul'd And Christ is come the everlasting Priest-hood not after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchisedeck the similitude in whom the similitude ends Christ the end the substance the end of Wâ—r So thou that takes Tythes art out of the substance of Melchisedeck and the first Priest-hood that took Tythes in the Transgression and in the Imitation and the veil is over thy heart and thy liberty is bondage in the unsanctified state But the sanctification is in the Son of God who ends types and similitudes And he it is that sanctifies And who preacheth the Gospell lives of the Gospell and the Pope hath given thee thy tythes by his command and not by the command of the Lord for Christ and his Apostles established them not Pr. He saith That the Scriptures are the sure Word of God and that the Scriptures are a precious light page 17. Again he saith The Son of God is the first principle of the pure Religion Answ The fulnesse of the God-head dwels in the Son and he is in the Father and he is the Author of the first principle and the end of the Law for he is all and in all for many may have something from him yet cannot say he is come but he that hath him hath life eternall hath the substance the end of things And the Scripture declares and testifies of the light which is Christ and many may have the Scriptures but stand against the light for they are them that testifie of me the light So Christ is the precious light and the Scriptures are the words of God which Christ the word was before they was given forth the word in whom these words of God endâ— So thou may see thy ignorance Pr. He saith While we stay in Sodome we crucifie the Lord of glory And Christ is buried in us c. Ans And John Bunyan a Teacher there fights against him and thus they are not onely against the Truth but one another But he must know the suffering of Christ in the spirituall Sodome in him and to see the seed that suffers there before it reign and he reign with Christ in glory Pr. He saith It comprehends our suffering in the flesh after his example Page 21. Ans At this doth the Priests of Newcastle and John Bunyan and many others of the Teachers of the Nation rage and here you are one against another but Christ saith why persecutest thou me And he was in prison and it is your work to put him in prison Pr. He saith He hath the tythes of two Parishes and it is the old man that minds the â—athly things page 23. Again he saith and those that take tythes are not Antichrists And the Scriptures is a choise vessell of the Lords Sanctuary and it is the letter and the history c. page 25. Answ Well may people be all in confusion when ye say the Scripture is a History a Declaration the Letter a Vessell the choice vessell of the Lords Sanctuary a light and yet the Word of God Now is not this to break people to pieces The Scriptures of Truth are the words of God and it is called a Declaration and a Treatise And the choise vâ—ssels were them that gave it forth of mercy and of honour and they that take tythes and pay them they be out of the substance Christ who is the end of Tythes for he is the sum of tythes and all other figures that did pertain to the first Priest-hood first Covenant and all similitudes so thou taking tythes of two Parishes it is the mark of the old man For the Apostles did preach up and down in many Synagogues where the Priests was yet they did not seek for the tythes that did belong to them that did pertain to the first Priest-hood They preached the Gospel and lived of the Gospel and said they were evill beasts that did minde earthly things amongst whose spirits ye are found judged by the Word which is Christ Pr. He saith He is called of men Master through mans courtesie and calls them blinde and sinfull and in errour that speaks against it Again he saith it is not oppression in him to take tythes of two Parishes c. page 28. 30. Ans Here under the woe of Christ art thou come who said woe unto them that was called of men Master and said be not you so unto his Disciples c. For ye have all one Master which is Christ and they abode in his Doctrine And we do not read of Mr. Paul Mr. Peter Timothy or Titus or Mr. James or John but among you the Apostates we read of such titles And to set up that which Christ him by whom the world was made before it was made came to fulfill and end in the world which typed him forth Christ the way to the Father out of the world and tythes in the first Priest-hood is not the way they are oppressors that cries them up and builders up of that which Christ ended so transgressors So have not the Son nor the Father and they bring not the glad tidings for the Gaols may witnesse in the Nation that glad tidings is not brought and the Courts and the oppressed Parishes of which ye take treble damages of many people ye do not work for and cast into prison and so this is not the Gospel this is not the glad tidings nor the Gospel Pr. He saith I finde not this power of binding Kings with chains and Nobles with fetters of iron which is the honour of the Saints this Scripture I finde not fulfilled c. page 35. Again he saith A Saint may be found in that which is sinfull though this man the Quaker will not allow of sin Again he saith the people of God are more then conquerours in the Lord which gives them rest and peace in the midst of their wars Again hope keeps the soul groaning and waiting all the while in the earthly tabernacle c. Ans I know the power and spirit and sword of the Saints that executes the judgments to binde and chain and fetter Kings and Nobles thou art out of it
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
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
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 Father is one the Father is in him and he is in the Father and the Father and the Son dwells in the Saints who are out of the transgression of his Doctrine and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life and he that hath the Son of God hath life eternall really in possession and such perverts not the right way of the Lord but such as have not the Son of God they are all in the first Adam in the crooked wayes and crooked by-paths in the world nâ— witnessing life but standing against the Light which shineth in the Darknesse which their darknesse cannot comprehend which are all the inwardly raveners since the dayes of the Apostles among whom hath been the apostacy and the Apostates from wâ—om the light of life hath been hid But he that followeth the Light he cometh to have the light of life And he that receiveth the light receiveth life eternall and to receive the Son of God And he that receiveth the Son of God hath eternall life in substance and possession Prin. He saith Death which hath passed over all men is not a spirituall Death page 51. Answ Thou and all you shall feel it as a spiritual Death before ye know life and immortality come to light and the spirituall wickedness wrestled against whose weapons are spirituall and not carnall that wrestles not against flesh and blood but spirituall wickeâ—nesses in high places And that is it which causeth the life of all creatures to groan and oppresseth it whereby life and immortality is hid from the eyes and the power transgressed whereby the spirit and soule of man must be sanctified before he witnesse thorow purification before he come from under the death and spirituall wickednesses For sin brings death and that is the spirituall wickednesses that is to be wrestled against and transgressing the pure Law of God the commands of God brings death And so he entertains the spirituall wickednesse which brings death upon his life so comes oppression on his body and on his spirit and his soule burthened and wearyed and unsanctified and polluted which Christ gives rest to who is the Sanctification and Redemption and Justification which the Law goes upon man agreeable to that of God in him but Christs body makes free from the Law and redeemes from under it So as the power of God the Gospel is known and Christ known the creature comes from under the bondage of corruption and life and immortality comes to the light through the Gospell whereby the death is known which who believes shall never dye and the life is known which shall never dye Pr. The Quakers deny Water-baptisme and slight it and call it a carnall thing Answ Outward water is not spirituall but it is a carnall thing as it is in it selfe and it is the spirit alone that baptizeth into the body which brings off of things that are seen which are temporall as the Apostle said while we look not at things that are seen for the things that are seen are temporall c. and water is seen Pr. He saith False Prophets and Antichrists should come in sheeps cloathing Answ These Christ said should come to his Apostles And before the Apostles decease they saw they were come And the Apostles saw before their decease the Devill transform himselfe into an Angell of light and Satans Messengers and Ministers come up such as had a feigned humility and will-worship got up and the abstaining from meats neglecting the body and such as Jannes and Jambres that crept into houses which had the sheeps cloathing the form of godlinesse and such were the seducing spirits the doctrine of Devills which ran into the strange delusions bringing in the damnable heresies which went in Cains Cores and Balaams way and they saw the coming of the man of sin and the Apostles all saw by the spirit of God before their decease which Christ said should come which inwardly ravened which since the dayes of the Apostles the world hath gone after them All this which Christ said should come which the Apostles saw was come and coming before the coming of the just One But the Just One now is come who hath revealed it the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Cain Core Balaam false Prophets Antichrists such as goes into strong delusions and brings in the damnable heresies and forbidding the eating of meats and Marriage these all inwardly ravened anâ— these all have been up since the dayes of the Apostles and these have been covered with the sheeps cloathing and the false Prophets and Antichrists they inwardly ravened and the Devill the man of sin he went out of the Truth and abode not in it which Truth which he went out of all they that have the sheeps cloathing and he and they all can get Scriptures but inwardly ravened and gone from the spirit of Truth in their own particulars such are the destroyers of the creatures and of the Creation But with that which they all ravened from are they all manifest and discovered which to that are now people come and coming which these inwardly raveners have had the sheeps cloathing which have been the Beast and false Prophets Devills messengers and Ministers out of the truth which have reigned since the dayes of the Apostles having had the sheeps cloathing which have long deceived the Nations But now the Devill Beast Antichrist and false Prophets are all discovered with the light and life which they all went from and the truth And the place is seen where there is no Curse and the Beast and the false Prophet is taken that they shall deceive the Nations no longer and is cast into the lake of fire under whose dominion thou art whose words shall be thy burthen Pr. He saith Let us minde the Law and Testimony Answ Then ye must all minde the Light for the law is light saith Solomon then ye must all minde the spirit for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy which many may have the Old and New Testament yet be from the Law and Testimony for the Law and Testimony was before Matthew Marke Luke John the Acts Epistles and Revelations was written as in the 8. of Isaiah which the Prophet minded And they that say the Old and new Testament is it shews themselves to be ignorant of the spirit and ignorant of the Law and Testimony And the Law and Testimony doth not deny the Scriptures but owns them in their place and sees the fulfilling of them with the Testimony of Jesus they see Jesus who was afore Scripture was and comes to fulfill it William Jefferies his Booke called ANTICHRIST made known In which these PRINCIPLES are following c. Pr. HE saith Men are mistaken in saying the Romish Whore of Babylon is Anti-christ And the chiefe City of this great Whore the mother of Harlots is the City of Rome the Pope Cardinals Bishops and Clergy And the spirit of Antichrist denies
not in the darknesse but hath the light of life And you that keep people from the Light that doth enlighten every one c. are the messengers of Sathan out of the truth And the God of the world blindes the mindes of such as do not believe in the Light that every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall that all through it might believe And who believes in it that doth enlighten every man c. the light of the glorious Gospell shines in them which is the mage of God Prin. And you say Visions are ceased and Revelations and immediate Inspirations Answ But I say Repent every one of you and come to the Light for the burthensome stone is fallen upon you and all that stands against the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world shall split your selves against the Rock and be grownd to powder And every one that cometh into the world Teachers Professors whatsoever must come unto the light which Christ Jesus the salvation that saveth the souls hath enlightned them withall before they come to life or know the light of the glorious Gospell shining in their hearts or come to the end of the Law or end of the Prophets or end of the Revelation or out of the apostacy or out of the Jewes state whose ears was stopt and eyes blinded out of the Gentiles state that goes astray after the vanities of their mind So all you and all upon the earth Jewes Gentiles and Christians of what sort soever must come to the light which every one of you is enlightned withall before every particular comes to see their salvation or satisfaction yea the salvation to the ends of the earth the glory of Israel the light of the Gentiles which the apostate Christians have ravened from the spirit of God within them have got the forme but stands against the Light that doth enlighten every man c. such have caused the way of truth to be evill spoken of yea among other Nations of the Heathens They have been hot and broyled in their lusts having had the forme of godlinesse and sheeps cloathing but all standing against the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world smiting striking their fellow-servants Now the Lamb is come and the Saints to reign with him Such their portion must have with the hypocrites who to every one will give a reward according to their works And the Lamb and the Saints shall have victory him by whom the world was made before it was made glorified with the Father before the world began Now is the seed Christ come to reign and the Just have preheminence And I say to you all Subscribers to all these Books Priests Professors Teachers whatsoever your patience would have better covered your shame and folly then your hast extreams and rashnesse But your folly must come forth that to all men it might appear Abundance more of Stuffe is in it which is not worth mentioning whose words shall be your own burthen the witnesse in all your consciences in the day of your judgement when your works are all tryed with fire shall answer to a friend of your souls and your goods eternall but judges your fruits words and actions for the day of the Lord is come that will try every mans work John Stalham who calls himselfe a Servant of the great Bishop of Souls who watcheth over a Flock at Terling in Essex In his Booke called The Reviler rebuked These are some of his Principles following Pr. HE saith Immediate Ruptures and Revelations seduceth simple peoples mindes c. And the perverse Principles of their selfe-adorning light And the Quakers deny all externall worship of divine Authority as not to be found among us And let Learning be advanced among pious men for God hath his witty and learned ones And the life of their Religion is the rule of the holy Scriptures the glory of the blessed Trinity See his Epistle to the Protector Answ The life of Religion is the spirit that gave forth Scriptures for all that have the Scriptures and be out of that be in the feigned Râ—ligion And the Scripture no where speaks of a Trinity but the Papists who be apostatized from the life of the Scripture It speaks of Father Son and holy Ghost and the water spirit and blood and the learned ones upon earth never knew Christ with all their naturall learning And if one get all the Naturals upon the earth and the Scriptures in all the naturall Languages and one supream power of a Nation tollerate all these Languages to be the Originall and they have the Scriptures in all these Languages these are witty ones but these knows not God nor Christ by all this though they have all the Scriptures while they are from the spirit of God that gave forth Scriptures For that which brings to know God is by the revelation of the spirit of God the light which doth not deceive the minde but their mindes be deceived that be from the light And all worships that be in the spirit and in the truth that gave forth the Scriptures called the Old and New Testament that we own and is owned among the Quakers For God who is a Spirit who led his servants and Prophets and Son by his spirit to speak forth the Scriptures which Christ the Son is come to fulfill who saith they that worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth and that among the Quakers is owned And the light which cometh from Christ leadeth from perverse Principles and adorning selfe for it leads out of its righteousnesse But perverse men ever stood against it in all ages and so spurned against the foundation and overthrew themselves Pr. He saith The spirit speaking in the Scriptures And them that say they have no sin a gracious heart will slight and despise He saith the Kingdome of God is not within them Luke 4. And he saith The soule prepares it selfe for death See Epistle to the Church Answ Such as had gracious hearts never despised him that had no sin but the ungracious did As for example all the Pharisees against Christ and against the Apostles and Saints and the holy men And the Apostle which told the Romans they were made free from sin and they that were dead to sinne how could they live any longer therein he slighted them not but encouraged them So we finde thee not to be a Minister of Christ and have proved and tryed thy spirit to be of such as say they are Apostles and are not And the spirit spoke in them that gave forth the Scriptures so they were declared forth And men may have the Scriptures and not know the spirit that spoke in them that gave forth Scriptures So that is the cause that all people be on heaps about the words and saying the spirit speaks in the Scriptures which spoke in the holy men of God that spoke them forth and learned of God
the Father of spirits So who have not it the spirit have but Letters and are Ministers of the Letters and not of the Spirit And the Kingdome of heaven is within you saith Christ in Luke 17. to the Pharisees and thou saith with or among them And I say that is the Kingdome within them which never consented to sin and in you all which one day ye shall witnesse which the gazer and observer abroad his eye and eare is closed and stopt too which he must come to before he be as a little child and know the leven that levens up the new lump and knows the Kingdom which is like unto a grain of mustard-seed and where the diligent waiting is the soule comes to live and the everlasting Covenant felt And thou that brings souls to be prepared for death thou art more like to do that then to present them to God a slayer and executioner so not a servant to the Bishop of soules where the soule liveth and rejoyceth and comes out of death and magnifies God the Saviour And so all the Ministers of Christ their work is to prepare souls out of death for life Pr. He saith The Bible is the soules physick And people must depend upon the spirits speaking in the Scriptures He saith the person of Christ is not his man-hood and the naturall light the Quakers call Christ within and nature grace And he saith The body of sinne is in the believer till he lay down the body Epistle Answ The souls refreshment is Christ and Physitian Christ Many may have the Bible and not know it and the Scriptures as the Pharisees had The soules Physitian is that which the Scriptures speaks of which many may have the words the Bible and yet have not the thing it speaks of and they that have the thing it speaks of have both And many holy men had their souls Physitian before the Scriptures was written and printed and they that had the spirit that gave forth Scriptures they had the souls Physick and they know all the springs is in God and the Lord who in his hand was the souls And such as are in the spirit they depend upon that and they come to see the Scriptures by the spirit given forth from it and such comes into the unity of the spirit and the light which is Christ within by which all things was made and created was before the naturall Lights was and Nature For all the Naturalls that was made was made by the Light Christ Jesus the wisdome who is the wisdome of God by which all things was made with which wisdome we see over the naturall Lights and over Nature And the grace that comes from the Throne that brings salvation which is the Saints Teacher teacheth not to call Nature grace And he that believeth is borne of God and he overcometh the world and entereth into his rest and shall never dye And he that believeth hath victory yea while he is upon the earth he cometh to witnesse the Circumcision that puts off the body of sin and makes free from it which the synagogue of Satan cannot witnesse Pr. He saith The Scriptures are the Word of God page 4. And the Spirit is given by the Letter And he saith the spirit proceeds from that which is put within the Book or Bible page 5. And I judge them that pretend the spirit without the Scriptures And the Scripture is a more sure rule then visions and revelations pag. 7. And God that gave the letter gives the spirit with it and by it page 9. Answ God gave the spirit before he gave forth Scriptures And the Devill and wicked men may get Scriptures but they have not the spirit nor none have it but as they come to feel it given from God as it was given to them that gave forth Scriptures And so people are to finde the spirit of the Father speaking in them as it did in them that gave forth Scriptures then the spirit answers to the spirit that gave forth Scriptures then there is an unity with the words and with God of whom they learned which many may have the Bible and not know the spirit that spoke it forth but be erred from it And the Scriptures are the words of God of truth God spake all these words He that adds to these words the words of God is pure Christ is the Word his name is called the Word of God who was before the words were spoken forth who comes in the volume of the Booke to fulfill the words And the spirit was before the Scripture was given forth for it led them to speak it all forth the words of God as they had learned of God So the spirit comes not by the Letter but the Letter comes forth from the spirit And many had the Scriptures and knew not the Revelation and judged the Revelation of the Son of God and judged Christ who was come the end of the vision which was for an appointed time So therein thou hast concluded thy selfe to be among them that have the Scriptures and sets up that beyond the Revelation of the Son of God which is the end of Scriptures which none knows the father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him though they may have all the Scriptures And the things of God is revealed by the spirit of God Pr. And he saith The Scriptures is the rule and the guide of Saints And saith the old administration of the Covenant of grace is abolished page 13. He that understands Matth. 11.2 27. of immediate revelations onely shuts out all mediate revelation by the Scriptures and falsely accuseth the Lord of the Scripture page 14. And the Apostle saith not that the spirit reveals the deep things of God If we should deny the Scriptures to be the rule we should deny the Scriptures of God page 18. Answ The Saints rule was the spirit that gave forth Scriptures and the Word of God which fulfills the Scriptures without him they can do nothing if they have all Scriptures And the spirit of truth shall lead into all truth And none knows the Scriptures nor God nor can be a Minister of the spirit by a mediate Revelation but a Minister of the Letter for who are Ministers of the spirit are immediate and are in the immediate revelation of the Scriptures to them by the spirit that gave them forth and these ministers to the spirit and brings people to God the Father of spirits that they may know what to reveal to others they minister to And all they that have the Scriptures and not the spirit that gave them forth they are on heaps about words and wants the rule And the Covenant of grace which is the end of the old Covenant is witnessed and stablished and cannot be abolished which ends the decaying Covenant And as for abolishing the Covenant of grace thou dost not know what thou speaks of And the Apostle said the deep things of God was revealed
cometh into the world the light by whom the world was made He knowes neither the word of God nor Father nor Son nor Christ nor the Lord nor Scripture and the word and the Father and the Son and Christ these are to be found in man the Lord searcheth the heart and is not to be found in the letter but it testifies of these things And they that speak so much of Christ from the letter which gives not life because it speakes of him and are from the light within them which cometh from Christ which doth enlighten every man c. they speak as the Devil doth and the Pharisees preaching a Christ is come as they did he was to come and stood against the light that doth enligthen every man that cometh into the world and sent their Priests and Levites to examine John as they do now who be professors and Priests And many may have the Scriptures and yet be from the light and deny the light the Devil who is out of the light may bring Scripture and he hath not the light And that is light and that is the word which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world So he is all and in all and through all God over all blessed for ever which shall make every tongue to confesse and all stand guilty before him that hate it and say he is righteous And Christ which is called the word of God which doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world is not contradiction And many may have the Scriptures and yet never know God till they come to the light which comes from the Son who reveals him Pr. He saith Christ saveth by the declaration or by Scripture and makes the Declaration saving Answ Christ is the Saviour and that the Scripture declares of and speakes of and many may have the Scriptures and declaration and reject Christ as the Jewes did and all do that deny the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world from their Saviour which is not Scripture Pr. And to say the light in every man gave forth Scripture and will open Scripture to us is palpable darkness and contradiction to Scripture page 74. Answ All be in the utter darkness and know not the Scripture until they come to the light that every man was in that gave forth Scriptures for the light lets them see to what it was spoken and Christ the end of them Pr. And to say every mans light is the sure word of prophesie is an old fable pag. 75. No man shall be able to spell out a sillable of the Gospel by all that is written in mans heart And the universal light layes waste the free grace of God so never was it every mans light or free gift And the light in every mans conscience is a bill of condemnation discovers no salvation pag. 76. And that which Adam had before the fall was imperfect Answ The light that every man is enlightened with is Christ Jesus the gift of God the Covenant of God the way to the Father that all through the light might believe in him who is the way to the Father out of the first Adam the state in the fall who fell from that which was perfect and so became unperfect And the light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall which shineth in the darkness will be his condemnation if he hate it and a sure word of prophesie to him he shall finde it and condemn him for all his faults and it was found in the heart which brought them to know God that gave forth Sâ—ripture He goes unto fables when he goes from the light which all ye and the world is in the fables And the light which every man is enlightened with that cometh into the world doth not lay waste the grace of God but he that is in the light seeth the Covenant of grace and receives it And all that deny the light tramples the new Covenant under their feet And the light which every man is enlightened withall is the light of the Gospel which all men shall be Judged according to and it is it that discovers the Saviour which doth condemn Pr. He saith the light is an imperfect light and it is mixed with darkness And if the Saints should say they have no sin no darkness they are more dark and sinful page 78. And every man is in Christ while he hath sin in him p. 79. and the light in every man is none of the six principles in the Hebrewes Page 81. Answ The Sâ—ints witnessed the darkness was past the true light shined they was not in the night and the Sâ—ints was made free from sin and the night was over and they were children of the day not of the night And the light is perfect which doth enlighten every man c. And all lights that was made was made by the light Christ Jesus that was before any thing was made this is it that discovers them and leâ—s see them and this is perfect And all be in ignorance that be out of it And who be in Christ doth not commit sin is a new creature old things passe away the old man and his deeds And in the light which every man is enlightened withall all the principles in the Law in the Prophets in the Hebrewes ends for it was before any words was spoken forth glorified with the Father before the world began Pr. He saith no man will ever be saved by his best obedience to the light which doth enlighten c. pag. 85 Christ hath satisfied and merited for a certain number of sinners their deliverance Page 87. Ans No man is saved or doth witness salvation but who are in the light Christ Jesus doth enlighten them withall And who are in the light they are in obedience of faith and they neglect not the Gospel nor the hearing the voyce that speakes from heaven But who hate the light they neglect the Gospel and him that speakes from heaven and doth not come into the obedience of faith but be in their own works in the dark without light Christ is the offering for the sin of the whole world not for the sins of a people but the seed Christ the second Adam overthrowes all the sins is the offering for all the sins that was brought in by the first Adam and reconciles to the Father and is the restorer and nothing shuts out but the unbelief in the light for Christ saith believe in the light And so Christ is the offering for the sins of the whole world and not for some only Pr. He saith Christ the suretie payes the elects debt Pag. 103. Answ Christ is the surety for all that dwell on the earth that believe in him as he doth enlighten every man And God layes no charge of sin to the elect for it is not possible that they should be deceived And the cause of all bringings into Sects is that people be out
But your swearing now is not like to the Jewes for they swore by the Lord not swore by the book of the Prophets writings neither did they swear by the Tables in which the Law was writen Neither did the Apostles nor the Saints swear by the Epistles nor Christs words after they were wriâ—ten and recorded Now this is worse then the Jewes for they were to swear by the Lord from whom the Law came they were to swear by the Lord of whom the Prophets learned and not by the Tables nor by the Prophets words Now the heathen was to swear by Moloch and to swear by Baal and kist Baal and the children of Israel to swear by the Lord not to swear by any Writings or Declarations of the Prophets or Moses Neither do we read that the Saints swore by the Epistles or the Revelations or Matthew Marks Luke or John and kist it For the true Christians that wiâ—nessed Christ the end of the Prophets the end of Moses a greater then Solomon Him by whom the world was made before it was made before Abraham was which reigns over the house of Joseph and Jacob to whom the Angels must bow saith swear not at all This is my beloved son saith God heare ye him Pr. He saith A believer hath both the rise and furtherance of his faith and evidence from what is written And if the Scripture be a dead letter and the word in the heart be one with the Scripture then that in the heart is dead page 246. Let them tell the world how the Scripture is the Declaration without contradiction and yet the word in the heart page 247. Answ The Scripture as it lies and is in it selfe is a dead letter but as the word is felt in the heart that gave it forth then it is its own words Now to them that be from the Word within the dead mind the dead letter And so the words themselves there gives not life to that but as the words is raised up within as it was in them that gave it forth and that is it which gives life and that sees the Scriptures and the fulfilling of them and then that knows the Scriptures that cannot be broken and in that the words ends the word Christ And that 's it that gives life to all people and saves the soule which the Letter doth not as it is in it selfe without one have that which gave it forth and that is not dead And a believer the author of his Faith is Christ and the giver of it And if he have all that is written and be not in the light Christ who is the author of his Faith he wants the foundation of God that stands sure Christ Jesus that all the Fathers and holy men of God rest in in the faith before any Scripture was written in him stood their faith the foundation of God Israels glory the light of the Gentiles this is that which fulfills all Scriptures and ends the faith the salvation And the Ministers of the Word that comes to fulfil the words those Ministers of the Word they took in hand to set forth in order a Declaration of the things wrought among them which had a perfect understanding from the very first of what Christ both said and did And so this Declaration was given forth to be read believed fulfilled and people to enjoy the thing it speaks of that which the Apostles preached to Jewes and Gentiles the new Covenant the one offering the blood of Jesus Christ him the end of the first Priesthood that Abraham saw and David saw and Moses had the type of the Prophets wrote of Now who enjoyes him that these all spoke of saw and preached they have the end the comfort of the Scriptures And here is the Declaration seen and known and here is the substance possest and here is the words of God and here is the Word of God that fulfills the words which word was before the words in which word the words end and are all sum'd up into Pr. For to say Christ and faith is not to be found in Scriptures He saith I hope no humble Saint will pin his faith upon this c. And they crying up thee and thou to a particular c. pag. 247. Answ Christ was before the Scripture was written and Christ is life not found in a dead letter nor faith and he is the end of the Scriptures and the substance of them and many had the Scriptures and could not finde faith in them nor Christ nor life And Christ told the Pharisees he was the life the Scripture testified of him but they would not come to him that they might have life who is the end and substance of the Scriptures by whom the world was made And as for the words thee and thou and you who are stumbling at it shews they have never learned their Accidence or Bible So short oâ— the language of the spirit that teacheth to speak sound words that cannot be condemned who are ignorant of the literall knowledge Pr. He saith The Scriptures was breathed forth by the spirit of God but we receive the spirit another way then they did as gave forth the Scriptures and the Scriptures was given forth immediately but thus the Scriptures comes not to us nor the understanding of them We have Books and Canons and printed Translations in the Mother Tongue page 248. Answ All your Books and Canons and if ye have all the Scriptures printed in all the Languages of the world and if ye have not the same immediate inspiration that gave them forth ye understand not the Scriptures And we do believe you that ye have not an immediate inspiration as they had nor do not receive the spirit as they did that gave forth the Scriptures who are ravened from it But who ever knows the Scriptures of truth it is by the same spirit as gave them forth with this and by this is the Scriptures of truth the excellent words known again to what state and condition they were spoken Pr. He saith The spirit is in the Letter or the whole Scripture Page 254. And they that writ forth the Scriptures were imperfectly holy but Gods Word was holy To conclude the spirit is in the Letter and given by it daily experience demonstrates it And they that owns not the spirits dwelling in the letter have lost their faith of the spirits presence and runs to other Gospels and Doctrines the spirit of errour is in all mens Doctrines that have not the spirit in them page 255. Answ The holy men of God that gave forth the Scriptures as they were moved by the holy Ghost but the Apostle said they were holy and we shall believe him before we believe any of you apostate Teachers which say they were not holy And the spirit was in them that gave forth the Scriptures received of God the Father of spirits and dwells in God And they that be from the spirit of God within which gave
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
his decease Therefore he chargeth Timothy to Preach the word in season and out of season which word is immediate And so since the dayes of the Apostles ye have reigned of Timothy and Titus and transformed your selves as Apostles as the Ministers of Christ and gotten the form the sheepes cloathing the outside but no immediate Revelation we do believe you really it is so So you are all Ministers of the letter in your own lusts for the word of God is immediate And ye are ignorant of the grace of God which is brought at the Revelation of Jesus And ignorant of the Son of God who reveals the Father And ignorant of the spirit of God which reveals the deep things of God to the Minsters of the spirit But Revelation is ceased say you and the rest of your generation do discover it And thou sayes they went after the fableâ— itching ears immediate Revelation Nay they that went from the immediate Revelation and turned into fables they had itching ears as all whole Christendom may witnes the itching ears how are they itching abroad their ears without and cannot endure sound Doctrine and all inwardly ravened from the light which doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world whereby with which every man might see the Authour of his faith in which is the unity And how have you broken into Sects and heapes and into fables and heapes of teachers after your own lusts and there burning after them and broken wedlock with Christ and ready to burn and prison one another about Ministers maintenance Churches as whole Christendom discovers it But I say it is better to marry then to burn Pr. He saith That this God who is the Creator is eternally distinct from all creatures pag. 53. That Christ being God onely in one mans person remains a distinct person from all creatures and Angels Page 55. Answ This is contrary to Scripture The Saints bodies are the Temples of God and he will dwell in them and walk in them and he will be their God and they shall be his people and this is to them that witnesse the new Covenant and Christ in you the hope of glory and he is within you except ye be reprobates And them that eat not his flesh and drink not his blood have no life in them and they that eat his flesh have his flesh in them And the Saints are not distinct from him for they sate with him in heavenly places and he is in them and they in him And Christ in you the mystery the hope of glory and he is the head of the Church and so not distinct Pr. He saith God is distinct in his being and blessedness from all Creatures And that God who is the Creator is eternally distinct from all creatures Page 62. Answ God is a spirit and he dwells in his Saints and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him In him we live and move and have our being who is in all and through all and over all God blessed for ever And the spirit of the Father speakes in the Saints and he makes his abode with them And the Saints have fellowship with the Father and the Son so not distinct so these keep people from unity with God and out of his knowledge which the knowledge of God shall come to cover the earth as the waters cover the Sea And while any are separated from the Lord it is their misery and distinct from him they are from the Spirit of God in their own particulars and are not Saints But such as come to walk in the spirit they have fellow-ship with him and lives in his presence and seeth his face and behold his glory and stands in his Councell and hears instruction and they are one he that sanctifyeth and they that are sanctified are all of one And so God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself though sin and iniquity had separated who breakes down iniquities bonds and brings light life and immortality to the light through the power which is the Gospel whereby fellowship and unity comes with God and not distinct and his blessing and blessednesse felt for they that have unity with God they have unity with his blessing and they that have fellowship with God know his blessedness Pr. He saith if any man that cometh into the world have a sufficient light within him to lead him unto salvation then there is no absolute need of a Saviour and this is to offer violence to Christ Page 73. 74. Ans Every man having a light from Christ the Saviour of the soul him by whom the world was made before it was made which none sees the Saviour but with the light which comes from him And none seeth the offering and the blood of the offering but with the light which cometh from him the blood of the second Adam the Lord from heaven And all that doth deny the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world knowes not Christ nor salvation But they being from the light and out of the light which Christ hath enlightened them withall they are out of the truth as the Devil is And so he can confesse Christ without as they do not within now none seeth salvation the Saviour Christ Jesus but with the light which he hath enlightened them withall that is within Pr. That the holy Scriptures is the rule of knowing God Answ The Pharisees had the Scriptures but knew not God knew not Christ nor none doth but who be in the life that they was in that gave forth Scriptures with which they learned of God the Father of life and stood in his Councell Pr. He saith Christian wouldst thou have another righteousness then that of Christ wrought in thee I know thou wouldst and must have if ever thou be saved then the righteousness of Christ wrought within thee for thy sanctification but to rely upon another righteousness for thy justification the righteousnes of Christ without thee pâ—g 70. And it is a blasphemous opinion and filthy puddle for to say the righteousness of Christ within And I had rather be a Papist then a Quaker Answ The righteousness within sanctification within hath been lost since the dayes of the Apostles in the Apostacy amongst you and the Papists And they that witnesse a righteousness within sanctification within they are not in the blasphemous opinion raking in a puddle And I know that thou hadst rather turn to the Papists then to the Quakers for they was your root which ye came from the Papists who first erred from the faith and so lost the righteousness within and justification and sanctification And I say none comes to witnesse salvation and to be saved but who witness Christ within their sanctification and justification and redemption and the others are reprobates And all upon the earth that can talk of a righteousness without them and sanctification and justification without them and a Christ without them and not within them they
not worth mentioning but the Scriptures are owned And Iohn art thou finding fault because men wears no hatbands and eats and drinks bread and water and casts by their pride Now thou mayst see who thou hast taken part with and who is the scoffer and sheweth thy self and who is thy Master short of all good And as for all your bad names and misconstruing of Scriptures it will come upon your selves and thou hast shewed in all thy Book that thou art not able to divide the word aright nor an instructer of Babes Pr. And thou saith that Christ dyed for the sins of the elect Answ And the Scripture saith he was an offering for the sins of the whole world and who shall lay charge to Gods elect whom he justifies Pr. And thou speaks of God destroying men for their ignorance and they shall finde no favour in the day of judgement Answ Whereas the Scripture saith in the time of ignorance God winked at but now he commands all men every where to repent and every man that cometh into the world is enlightned And the spirit of truth shall reprove the world of sin of righteousnesse and of judgement which leads believers into all truth And the grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared to all men but they turne it into wantonnesse which is the Saints teacher And this shall make every tongue to confesse to the glory of God and every knee to bow at his name which is the Emanuel and so none shall plead ignorance as thou saist who art in the ignorance thy selfe but inexcusable because convicted and hast rejected the tender mercies who hast lifted up thy selfe against the Saints and the Lamb but a stone is set over thy head that shall grind thee to powder and the Saints shall have the victory and the Kingdome that is an everlasting Kingdome the witnesse in thy conscience shall witnesse against thee for all thy hard speeches and let thee know that you and thou had better have been silent then to fight against the Lord the Lamb and his Saints that 's the word of the Lord God to thee and you all When ye are judged the witnesse in all your consciences shall answer W. P. his Principles in his Book intituled according to truth that quakes not trembles not nor quailes Pr. THey say If the Apostles had been put to preach upon a short Text or methodically as by a long practice in the Church it is expected from us that they might oft times have studyed for it Answ In this you have shewed your spirits and made manifest you are voyd of the revelation from God and your ignorance of the Scriptures for the holy Ghost shall not speak of it selfe but take of his And the Apostles what they had seen and heard they declared And Christ what he had received of the Father he declared and the spirit that which speaks in the Church and it shews the fulfilling of the Scriptures and it keeps not people long in Texts as the world doth that wrests Scriptures up and down and keep people in sects and so there is the spirit leading into all truth and the spirit of the Father speaking within and the holy Ghost that moved men to give forth Scripture that teacheth to divide the word aright which is the spirit of prophecy in the Church not studying Pr. They say Every man that hath the spirit in some measure doth not attain to the great height and degree that they did that gave forth Scriptures that therefore may not lawfully and infallibly teach as they did Ans Every man that hath a measure of the spirit of God in the least measure or degree it is infallible and so far may they teach infallibly and know Scriptures but they cannot know all Scriptures but as they attain to the full measure of the spirit of the Prophets and Apostles and to the measure and stature and fulness of Christ and if they do not attain to all this they are not able to know all the Scriptures and the work of the Ministers of God was to bring people to this to the measure and stature and fulnesse of Christ and saith Let every one minister as he hath received the grace And take heed of any of you going beyond your measure and them that deny the grace of God appearing to all men cannot minister Pr. They say The greatest part of professors in the visible Church were and are always earthly minded nor can rightly value spirituall and heavenly things Ans In this you and your Ministers hath shewed your fruits like Balaams which withers and are earthly such as Jude speaks of that separateth themselves sensuall and had not the spirit but went forth from the Apostles that are got up since the days of the Apostles Church and Ministry like Priest like people and to be such as was coming up before the Apostles decease as he speaks on in Timothy which minded earthly things like Teacher like People that preach themselves thorow with many hurtfull lusts while they coveted after money they lost the faith and so came people to be all on heaps out of unity in the earth being out of the faith of Gods elect so this is all in the apostacy since the Apostles Pr. And he saith That he is not a hireling that takes wages The wages are allotted to him for his worke Ans But do not all you preach for hire and is it not for hire you preach Now the least in the truth may see you Is there ever a Priest in the Nation but he is hired to work or if he have it not he will not stay Now to prove that you do preach for hire where many Steeple-houses in many Parishes that hath no Priest thither you go not because there is but a little Benefice and they have soules as well as others and where there is agreement for so much a year thither you go is not this for hire and so the Prophets words fulfil'd the Priests preach for hire and all these great sums of money which has lifted you up and gathered a great deale of it out of poor mens labours this hath been the undoing of you all and Nations and many poor people because they cannot put into your mouths but now is God come to judgement upon you all in the apostacy apostates Pr. And thou calls the Steeple-house a Church Ans Which is the Church which is come up since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy for the Church is the people of God the elect seed which Christ is the head of who in the midst of this Church doth sing praises which is the pillar and ground of truth without spot or wrinkle Whereas the Steeple-house you call your Church will spot wrinkle and blemish and decay and fall down and wicked men may prevail against it but the gates of Hell cannot prevail against that Church which is built upon the rock Pr. And thou sayst Thou dost not
not the Son of God him whom the Father hath sealed that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have eternall life and are sealed So every man in the light shall see the new Covenant and the Mediator before he hath power to become the Son of God and there is prophecy before the Son is born and openings from the Lord and those are things of God Pr. No man can ever see God who is invisible with the light by which all things were made and calls it a little light Answ This is contrary to John who saith he that walks in the light shall have fellowship with the Son and with the Father and so sees him and it is not a little light by which all things were made and created Pr. The unction in every man is not the light Answ It is far from the Apostle to say that the Unction in men is the light If the Unction be Christ in the man it is light and every man that comes into the world he must receive the light that Christ hath enlightned every man that comes into the world withall before he can receive the unction and he that hath the Unction hath the light of life Pr. The sure word of prophesie the Apostle speaks of is the prophesie of Scripture or Scriptures Ans Doth the Scripture shine in a dark place untill the day dawn Are they them that must be taken heed unto as unto a light Can any see the Scripture and know the Scripture but with the light within Cannot a Cain or a Balaam or Core bring Scripture that is gone from the spirit of prophecy within and then put the Letter for it Pr. They know not absolute perfection that are admitting of measures and degrees Nor come to the day nor the bright morning-star is not risen Answ Did not the Apostle speak that they were children of the day and night was over and knew the whole body and yet said he would not go beyond his measure And doth he not speak of the stature and measure and fulnesse of Christ And were not they come to perfection and spoke wisdome amongst them that was perfect Pr. He saith The evill done can never appear to be evill by the light Answ Doth not the light make it manifest and reprove the evill done and condemn it Pr. He saith It is not in the power of the light to call any thing that 's done good or evill Answ This is contrary to Scripture that saith whatsoever doth make manifest and reprove is light and there 's power in that that doth make manifest and reprove and call that which is evill to be evill and that which is good to be good Pr. He saith The light convinceth man not for not believing in Christ Answ It condemns him and convinceth him and reproves him Pr. He saith The light or law as he calls it will convince a man of sin and there leave him inexcusable before God Answ Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness sake to every one that believes in the light and so comes to witnesse the Law of faith and of life the hope and the promise of this brings from under the Schoolmaster to the Son-ship and to know and see his salvation which none doth but with the light Pr. He saith That Scripture in John is misapplyed which saith that Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And saith it meddles with none but the children of the new Covenant Answ This is contrary to Scripture that saith one loves the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world the other hates it He that hates it it condemns him and he hath it to the other the light of life and he is a Covenant a light to the Gentiles and to the Jewes whether they own it or believe in it or receive it or not he is so neverthelesse according to the promise of God and it is the covenant of light which doth enlighten every man believing in it and he shall not need to say Know the Lord for he shall finde the Law in his minde and the Law in his heart and the Saints witnessed the light shining in their hearts and that gave them the knowledg of the glory of God and they are passed from death to life and from darknesse to light and the unbeliever abides in darknesse and in the death and the light shines in the darknesse and the darkness doth not comprehend it and there thou art and such know nothing as they ought to know but naturally as bruit beasts Pr. He saith The light in every man which cometh into the world will not open all Scripture nor lead men out of the fall to God the Father and to eternal life Answ The light which doth enlighten man that cometh into the world is the substance of all Scriptures and the way out of the Fall up to eternall life out of the first Adam and is the life and that opens all Scriptures and that all Scriptures ends in man being in the Fall in the first Adam drove from God in the sin and transgression Christ the second Adam which doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world who is the way again to God is he who bringeth in righteousnesse life and immortality and finisheth sin and transgression and ends the Prophets types figures shadows and opens and lets see all Scriptures Pr. He saith The light tumbles men into the grave and roules a stone upon them and tumbles them in transgression and he shall act against the annointed ones of God and against the Lord. Answ Nay the light leads men out of transgression and from wallowing in their blood whereby they have life and leads them out of the graves and from under their stony hearts and rocks whereby the new Covenant of light is known and the new heart which is pure with which God is seen and the light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall will prick them that persecute the annoynted ones and act against the Lord though they kick against it Pr. He saith To what purpose should Christ be preacht dead and risen to be believed on for life if the light be in every one Answ Man-kinde being in the fall Christ being made manifest to witnesse that he shouâ—d come and made manifest to many witnesses when he was come and John came to bear witnesse to the true light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Then these witnesses that did believe that Christ was come was to go into all the world all Nations Jewes and Gentiles and preach the everlasting Covenant of God to them which was promised and was witnesses of his Resurrection And to turn people from darknesse to light and the power of Satan to God and then told them the light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God And the Law was in their hearts and the Word was within them and the annointing and such had the gifts for the worke of the Ministery for perfecting the Saints for the edifying the body of Christ till they all come to the knowledge of the glory of God and to a perfect man in Christ Jesus Pr. He saith Christ is without his Saints in respect of his bodily presence Answ How then are they of his flesh and of his bone and eate his flesh and drink his blood And how have the Saints his minde and spirit and he with them and they with him and sit with him in heavenly places and he is the head of the Church how then is he absent Ye poor Apostates from him who feels not Christ with you but he is with the Saints and they feel him Pr. He saith Salvation and faith are the gifts of God distinct from Christ Answ They are all of him and from him and with him And how is he the Author of Faith in whom it ends from whence it comes Pr. He saith The light which discovers sin and iniquity in mans heart is not Christ the light the door Ans The first Adam was the door where all sin and transgression entered Christ the second Adam the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world saith I am the door the way the life which finisheth sin and transgression and brings in everlasting righteousnesse and the way of life out of death which Light discovers sin Pr. He saith To call Christ the light the gift the door the way is to take the Gardiner for Christ as Mary did Answ Christ the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world we do not put him for the Gardiner We know him and as many as receives him he gives them power to become the sons of God and this thou sayest is not used power but prerogative authority and thus thou art wresting Scripture So thou should have been more meek and low in thy heart and then thou wouldst have bridled thy tongue and so have learned of Christ and so come to the light the sure foundation out of the errour of thy wayes and have kept in the footsteps of the flock and if thy tongue had been shorter and thy bridle streigher then wouldst not thou have mixt the Covenant of God with mans spirit and have compared it to the Law of works which Christ the light which doth enlighten every one that comes into the world is the end of And mans spirit in the Fall is polluted and his body but as the light is believed in and the minde changed his spirit is sanctified and his body and so comes to be a childe of the Light and his spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are the Sons of God And none owns the Door Mediator the Life the Way but with the light which Christ doth enlighten every man that comes into the world withal which light is the door the way and the life Ellis Bradshaw His Booke called The Quakers quaking Principles which he directs to the PROTECTOR His Principles are as Followeth Pr. HE saith That Christ who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world by an immediate illumination not the Elect themselves to bring them to salvation Answ Doth not Christ say I am the way the truth and the life And he is the Door and no man cometh to the Father but by him and learn of him This is my beloved Son heare ye him saith God And is not he the new Covenant in the heart by which men need not say Know the Lord And there is no other name by which men can be saved but by the name of Christ who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that all through him might believe And he that believes in the light abides not in darknesse but hath the light of life and they that believe not in it but hates its the light is their condemnation and the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world is the salvation though men neglect it which the Elect walk in which condemns the unbeliever which is immediate and no man sees salvation but who comes to the light Pr. He saith The Word that was made flesh is visible and the Word is the Letter and they never received the spirit of life from it and that 's the Quakers errour Ans Such as had the Scriptures which was the words of God to them in old time and the ordinances the Apostle calls carnall which the Jewes stuck in and would not come to him that they might have life not to Christ And so if men have all the Scriptures and have not Christ they have not life For the Devill he may have the Scripture and hath he life therefore And the power of God Christ his name is called the Word of God The Word of God lives and endures for ever and the Spirit is not in the Letter and the Letter is not the Word which was made flesh and they be in the errour that thinks so for the Word is invisible Pr. Paul adviseth not onely to the Light within but is bidding them bring his cloak books and parchment and give attendance to reading Answ The Apostle did tell the Saints that the light that shined in their hearts might give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God and bids them walk in the light And Christ bids them believe in the light and they should not walke in darknesse and there is no other name under Heaven by which men can be saved but by the name of Christ And the Scriptures none sees the substance of them nor the fulfilling of them but who walks in the Light whom God speaks to by his Son who is the end of the Prophets and there is the true reading and knowing of all books and pâ—rchments which none knows the Scripture but by the light which comes from Christ in whom they end Pr. And again thou sayst there is more words then one Ans God is the Word and the Scriptures of Truth are his words which Christ fulfills Pr. He saith They have fellowship with the Father but not in the like measure of the gifts of grace the Apostle had Answ Then you are not like none of you to understand the Apostles words nor to be judges of them but as you do come into the like measure and gifts as they was in else you will not be able to judge of their conditions nor know their words Pr. He saith There is no man justified through the faith in Christ that owns the Scriptures to be but a dead letter But that ownes them to be the Word of God in which there is spirit and spirituall life as words of eternall life Answ The spirit and the life is not in the Scriptures but was in them that gave it forth and many have the Scripture and not the
to justification sanctification and righteousness Answ None comes to Justification to Righteousnesse who are out of the fear of God nor to receive his righteousnesse but who comes to the light within which comes from Christ the righteousnesse the wisdome the justification and sanctification and ye be in the errour that be not in this Light that leads too and le ts see it Pr. Perfection in holiness cannot be attained in this life for Adam was under such a Covenant he had no Mediator upon the breach of the command Ans God said to Adam the seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head Christ the Promise the Mediator made the way which was the way in again to God of mans redemption and got down the Serpents head which got up in transgression that Christ the head should bear rule that the seed of the woman should have dominion the second Adam the seed Christ Jesus the Lord from heaven Perfection is not to be attained to by the life ye live untill ye come to the principle of God in you but the life that David lived in saw an end of all perfection And all who come to Christ the second Adam they come to perfection and all who attain to him they attain to perfection in the life of God out of the first Adam but who deny the light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world and rest in the first Adam the life they live in denies perfection and never owns it in the life they live in But who comes into perfection comes into Christ a new life out of Adam in the Fall in transgression All Physitians to sick men are to make them perfect And do yee say make none whole make none perfect make never a man perfect For being made whole they are made perfect for sin wounds for the Ministery of God was to bring people to the perfect man to present them perfect These were Physitians of value and of worth whereby the body soule spirit and all were cured and they glorified God in the body and spirit Now yee that say they shall not be perfect and that none shall be without sin upon the earth no perfection in the life we live in These are Physitians of no value yee are not worthy to have the name of Physitians Ministers nor Teachers Thomas Weld Richard Prideaux Samuel Hammond William Cole and William Durant for yee are pleading while men be upon earth they must have a body of sin and he that saith otherwayes is a deceiver and so ye keep them in their wounds and sores putrifying and imperfect and not makers up of the breach and binders up of the wound And the Lord saith Though their sins be as red as crimson I will make them as white as wool and will blot out sin and transgression And this tender love and kindnesse of the Lord and mercifulness to sinners transgressors hath the Lord made manifest amongst them which the world in scorn calls Quakers and it is not a strange thing that you would not have people to forsake the fashions of the world who are thus hung about with ribbons and cuffs and scarfs and your double Boot-hose-tops and more like unto Stage-players then Ministers Pr. Perfection is a fancy those were not words of true Physitians who brought men to a perfect man to the growth up in perfection amongst the perfect ones who speak wisdome They say It is no where said that the Law is fulfilled in any Saints in this life Answ They that love God keep his Commandements Christ is the end of the Law to every one that believes and who be in him be in the end of the Law And all that dwell in love dwell in God and love is the fulfilling of the commandement who are of the seed of God keep the words of God which the Beasts and false Prophets since the dayes of the Apostles who have inwardly ravened and turned against the royall seed of God and keep the Commandements of God and so none of you that raven from the spirit of God cannot keep Gods commandements though ye have all the Saints words for the Saints witnesse the end of the Law and witness perfection and a perfect man and spoke wisdome among them that were perfect and growing up to perfection Pr. That Christ gives to every man a saving light we utterly deny Answ He is the true light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the world saith John the Minister of God and he is salvation to the ends of the earth and they that hate the light neglect their salvation and turns the grace of God into wantonness and denies the Lord that bought them And every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to the Sonne and none heareth or cometh to the Father that cometh not to the Son But who comes to the thing that is transgressed in them and the light that every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall nor hears nor learns of the Father nor comes to the Son but by that and the light that lighteneth every one that cometh into the world is the salvation to him that believes and he that doth not it is his condemnation Pr. But how dare these men lift up themselves in their blasphemous pride to say they are pure as God Answ Doth not Christ say Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect is that blasphemy and to be holy as I am holy is that blasphemy whose Ministers are you is not this the work of Christ and the Apostle without Holiness ye shall never see God and as he is so are we in this present world Pr. The word of God is contained in the Scriptures Ans The Scripture saith God is the word and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him are ye not more like void of reason then Ministers whose ignorance thus appears of the Scriptures which saith God is the word and the Scripture is the words and Christ is the word who fulfills them Pr. The Scriptures were given forth some more darkly some plainer Answ They which gave forth Scripture and they that be in that in which it ends to them the Scripture is not dark but such as be from the Principle of God in their own selves they be darkness so darkness happens to them which blinds their minds and the Scriptures was not given forth darkly but in the light but you who be from the light be dark Pr. The Apostles ordained them elders by a mediate call and we are convinced clearly of a mediate call to the work of the ministry and of the word Answ That which made the Officers and overseers in the Church amongst the Saints before the Apostasie It was the Holy-Ghost which holy men spoke Scripture from that made them Overseers that was not mediate but immediate that did oversee in the Church of God And we do believe that you Elders and Members called Ministers are all mediate and
and David with sin which God justified and said Job did not sin with his mouth Though Paul did cry out of the body of sin yet he found victory over the body of sin and knew the redemption which the creatures waited for the liberty of the Sons of God and said they were made free from sin in Rom. 6. and they were justified from all things and by the one offering for ever he had sanctified Because the Quakers own the light Christ and are come into the spirit that gave forth Scriptures and heard the voyce of the Son of God and denies all them that sayes they have not heard the voyce of the Son of God and Christ to be in them Therefore he saith they have forsaken the truth because they deny them that have the forme and are out of the life and despises and denies the power that shakes that which is to be shaken for no one knows salvation but by the light Pr. He said God did not come in his spirituall Essence with his Son on the earth And he saith that God the Father was not in his spirit with his son upon the earth Answ And the Scripture said the fulnesse of the God-head dwelt in him bodily and the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father I in thee and thou in me so he was not alone but the Father was with him Pr. He saith The Quakers are lying deluders in saying the Kingdome of heaven is within them Answ That 's contrary to Luke 17. which saith the Kingdome of heaven is within you Pr. And he hath not heard of any other people in the world taught immediately by Christ but the Quakers Answ And the two witnesses which he calls them he brings against truth which opposed truth in London So shewing what he and all people are taught by a mediate use of the Scriptures all may judge where that is and the Devill rules such that be from the immediate and all that are not taught immediately are not taught by God nor by his spirit Pr. This sort of people that are for immediate Revelation and it is dangerous for any man to trust to immediate Revelations and preach Christ within man and the two Witnesses preached Christ without And this he saith is a hellish snare to please every mans pallate Answ And thus he may charge all the people of the Lord who were taught and are taught of the Lord And thus he fights against them that were taught immediately and his teachings and mans teachings are mediate and they are in the snare that be out of the immediate teaching and all that know God and the Son are taught immediate by the spirit that is immediate And so it is not a very strange thing that he should give forth so many ill-favoured railing expressions which his Book is stuffed full withall against the people of God whose work in it is to charge the Elect with sin but we say the Lord rebuke him Pr. And he saith The Saints are not any time without sin even when they were borne of God Ans So not knowing the creatures coming into the liberty of the sons of God nor the birth born of God Pr. And saith Sin is in the saints for their humiliation Ans Contrary to the Scripture which saith Christ is their humiliation and bears their sins and destroys it which humility is not like mans being brought down by sin for sin exalts Pr. That the inward man and the power of God in man never brings the outward man so subject as to be without sin Answ This we say God wrought salvation by Christ alone without mans works and who believes in him are saved and who doth not are condemned and the power of God and Christ subdues the sin in man and destroys it that man becomes the Temple of God His Query is Whether God could not have saved man without Christs dying Ans God can do what he will who was in Christ reconciling himselfe to the world and Christ did not save the world without God And thou hast shewed in thy Book stuffed with lyes how thou hast been tormented and of the filthy ayre come out of thee And the Devill was in thee and thou saith thou art saved by Christ without thee and so hath recorded thy selfe to be a Reprobate and ignorant of the mystery of Christ within thee for without that thou dost not know salvation And these before mentioned be thy Principles which thou to the Nation hath published in print and all sober people may judge thee as for thy lies they are not worthy mentioning neither are they worth reading of them but upon thy own head they will fall and a heavy weight and burden thou must bear who goes about to sow discord among the brethren but the accuser of the brethren is cast out but the witness shall answer me in the day of thy judgement Christopher Wades Principle in his book called Quakery slain irrecoverably who himself hath slain irrecoverably and the same judgement wherewith he judgeth us he hath brought upon himself and the Quakers are recovered out of his snare and hath taken him in his own and hath chained him and bound him Henry Hagger's Book called The holy Scripture clearing it self His Principles in it as followeth Pr. DAvid never boasted of perfection nor Paul nor John and such as say they are free from sin it is their whole work to carry away poor souls from truth Answ There is none comes into the truth nor no soul comes out of the deceived estate but who comes out of the sin and is made free from it as the Apostles speaks of to the Romans such as served God in a new life was made free from sin and God said Job was a perfect man and eschewed all evil mark all and David said he had seen the end of all perfection and Paul spoke wisdom among them that were peâ—fect and said the life that he lived was by the faith of the Son of God though the Apostle had cryed out of a body of sin ye the saith he was manifest in his flesh to condemn the sin in his flesh and through Christ he hath victory and witnessed the Circumcision that put off the body of sin and saw where there is no condemnation Pr. The Scripture is the sure word of prophesie and the Scripture will bring men to the knowledge of God Answ The spirit is the rule that gave forth the Scripture and the Word of God gave them to discern and to savour who spoke the word of the Lord and who stole their word from their neighbour when the Lord had never spoken to them where the spirit was in the prison where the spirit was out of prison with whom they had unity and who had the form of godliness but denyed the power and who was the false spirit that went out into the world and the Antichrists and the false prophets and such as was turned from the
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
Principles as followeth Priest of Cockermouth in Cumberland Pr. HE said He would come to Christ and never own the light within him Answ None comes out of transgression to the second Adam but who comes to the light within which is the way to the Father and that is it which gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ which comes from him Pr. George Larcum said I would to God I had power thou shouldst be severely punished Answ Here thou hast shewed thou art limited and thy weapons and thy Armour and art not a Minister of Christ in the armour of God the shield of faith nor shod with the Gospel but such is the Priests and false Prophets who got the Magistrates into the forme that denyed the power of God on their side that they might be ready to help the false Prophets against the truth when ever it ariseth Thomas Warwicke Priest came to the meeting of those called Quakers on a Green and struck John Grave and plucked him off the Green and his wife struck and beat sore and drew blood of friends And the same Priâ—â—t said If the Law were rightly executed thou might not stand there it would cut off all your necks Thomas Dentham Priest called me out of the meeting to him and said he would stand to prove his practice and then he went his way and bade the people take me away hang me and at his words the people did beat me and pulled the hair off my head John Grave witnesse Answ You shew your selves not to be Ministers of Christ â—ut to be such that ever was out of the Saints life who was found in the spirit of murderers and persecutors of him you are that is out of the truth would drink the bloud of the Saints this is the mark of the Beast and false Prophets that would kill creatures and wrestle with flesh and blood Pr. That the Devill is a Minister of Christ in some sense Answ Christ the seed of the womâ—n bruises the Serpents head and destroys death and him that hath the power of it and destroys the works of the Devill and judges the Prince of this world and takes him together with the false Prophets and the Beast and casts them alive into the lake of fire that he shall deceive the the Nations no more and so he will not suffer the Devill to minister and thus the Devill and his Apostles are bound under with the Truth which he is out of Pr. The Scribes and Pharisees were Ministers of Christ in the same sort as Moses was when Christ commands to hear them though in a lower degree of manifestation Ans The Scribes and Pharisees were not as Moses for Moses was in the life and light with which he saw Christ The Pharisees had the words of Moses and the Law and Prophets but out of the life that Moses was in and the Prophets though got up in Moses Chair they stood against Christ and saw him not as Moses did whom Christ cryed woe against So they were not the Ministers of Christ but against him who was the end of the Prophets John Owen who calls himself a Minister of the Gospell his principles as followeth in his Catechisme which he gives forth 1657. Pr. ALl truth concerning God and our selves is to be learned from the holy Scripture the Word of God Ans There was truth learned before the Scriptures were written and the Scriptures of truth are the words of God which ends in Christ the Word and there is no truth learned buâ— as the spirit doth lead into all truth which comes from Christ the truth which was before the Scripture was written And the spirit of truth leads into all truth of the Scripture And many has the Scriptures but knows not Christ the Truth but as the spirit leads them and reveals them and so he hath thrown out Christ and the spirit Pr. There is one God in three persons c. Ans Where doth the Apostle tell us of three persons but tels us of Father Son and holy Ghost but thou out of the Masse-book and old Common-prayer-book who are the mutterers about three persons Pr. I am conceived in sin and borne in iniquity Answ Then thy Parents were not believers so children unholy for by nature children of wrath that is in the unconverted state in the transgression unbelievers for they who by nature are children of wrath are not borne of the believers for the unbelievers are sanctified by the believers else were their children unholy but now are they clean Pr. We have not kept the Commandements of God but are all sinners and transgressors of them Ans We do believe thee John Owen and the rest of you who call your selves Ministers of the Gospell and yet have not kept the ten Commandements and would conclude all men in with you to be sinners and transgressors of them Nay John was separated from you who said He that loves God keeps his Commandements But what are not you false-witness-bearers that calls your selves Ministers of the Gospel and coveters after other mens goods houses c Are not you committers of Adultery and stealing Are not you murdering men in holes for goods like a troop of Robbers as the company of Priests did in the day of the Law and Prophets Do not you live in dishonouring your parents and God and taking it to your selves And do not you all come short of keeping the Sabbath bearing of burdens making a fire gathering your meat when you should be at rest Are not you all taking Gods holy name in vain both in Pulpit Town house Alehouse Streets Market-houses and naming Christs name in your iniquity so not held guiltlesse Are not you all making Images and graven Images and hanging them up in your Steeple-houses and signes and houses and gardens and high wayes and things above and things that are beneath And do you think that people do not believe you when you tell people in your Catechism that you have broken all the ten Commandements when we see your fruits have declared it And are you not ashamed to set forth such a Catechisme who say you keep not the Commandements Pr. The Sacraments are the seals of the Covenant of grace Answ It 's God that seal's the Son and sent him into the the world and not outward shadows And as for thy word Sacraments the Pope was the Author of them in his Common-prayer book And as for the rest of thy work in thy book of Catechism is like unto the old Doctors of the Jewes that broke the commands of God that loves him not whom Christ cryed woe against S. Palmer and R. Hooke who say you are the servants of Christ your Principles which followes in a Book called The forme of sound words And who directs their Book to the Friends Neighbours and Parishioners of Gedling and Sowdham Pr. THat henceforth ye be not children tossed too and fro and carried about with
Pr. That God redeemes his church with his blood yet bleeds not Ans Here againe thou cavellest with the Apostles words and art a perverter of the Scriptures who art with it corrected the Apostle speak of the blood of God and the blood shed and the conscience sprinckled with the blood Pr. Justifying faith simply considered in it selfe as to justification of a sinner is but 〈◊〉 dark body till it hath received Christ and his righteousnesse Ans Where justification is justifying faith there is Christ and his righteousnesse felt for he is the justification and this is not a darke body neither justifying faith nor justification of a sinner but thou art the darke body that those hath so judged for it is all one Pr. It is but perfection of parts but not of degrees that people attain to beware you dream not that y u attain to perfection of degrees as the Quakers do for when you so think of your selves that is the hour and power of darkeness and fall into temptations and abominations Ans Where perfection is in parts there 's degrees and that which is perfect keeps out of darkenesse out of the temptation and abomination he that speakes of perfection of parts and not of degrees he doth not know what he speakes of but is in a dreame and the hour of tentation and the power of darkenesse and in the tentation and abomination and doth not know what he speakes of for perfection of parts is perfection of degrees Pr. The Saints inherent righteousnesse is but imperfection of parts as filthy rages Ans Where dost thou read of the word inherent righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of Christ wrought in us is not filthy rags but that which thou pretends to work in thy selfe by dreaming imaginations is filthy rags and not true righteousnesse of Christ which is without rags but where dost thou read of inherent righteousnesse but of thy father the Pope Pr. Job had too high esteem of his uprightnesse wrought by the spirit of Christ in him who also assisted him to perfect patience An◠A man cannot be too high esteemed in uprightnesse wrought by the spirit of Christ in him which will assist to perfect patience and thus thou confoundest thy selfe Pr. If Job had hanged himselfe he might have said in this case it is not I but my deep distemper which strangled me Ans Thou wicked lyer of thy Father the Devill the murtherer had Job consented to the wicked one with his mind to have done the thing then it had been Job and this is not comparable to Pauls state he saith it was no more he but sin that dwelt in him who did not consent with his mind so thou art no true measurer but a false measurer for to say it had been the infirmity of the members but not Job yet there is the eye which was before the word Job was which the Devill hath nought in so both thee and thy measure is judged according to Scriptures which came not by the will of man which is of no private interpretation Pr. That the written scripture is a more sure word of prophecy then the excellent speech from heaven to Jesus upon the Mount as your Quaking doctrins which is bottomed upon the Light within which neither you nor no man else knowes what it is Ans The voice that spake upon the Mount the excellent speech was the same and was to them that gave forth Scriptures now the written scriptures many may have and deny the spirit of prophesy and knew not the light shining in the dark place untill the day dawne and the day star arise in their hearts and the Quakers light within which thou nor no man else knowes what it is as thou saist then why doe you judg of things you do not know we do believe that your darkenesse cannot comprehend it though it shineth in the darkenesse but where light hath shined out of darkenesse shins in the heart it gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus but all that be in the light walks in it have followship one with another and knowes what light is and comes to life Christ from whence the light comes which you nor no man knowes what it is which are ravened from the spirit of God and so knowes not Christ the light Pr. The Scripture is the ground of Faith Ans The ground of faith was before written Scripture was God and Christ Jesus who were the givers of Faith and the authors of it as Abel Enoch Abraham had Faith before that which you call your ground of Faith was written but I say its able to make wise to salvation through the Faith in Christ Jesus who is the author of it thou goest about to lay an other ground then God and Christ Jesus that gave forth to them that spoke forth the scriptures of truth Pr. You call a light within and tell us it is Gods word and calls the thing everlasting word and spirituall King and Christ and this lye is the ground of your faith Ans The word is light and Christ is light and the everlasting word and King and he rules the hearts of the Saints and is in the midst of his Church and dwels in his people and in them he makes his aboad and all that be not in this be in the lye and be not in the true foundation Jesus Christ Pr. When Christ told the devil that man should not live by bread alone but by every word that procedeth out of the mouth of God that was believing the scriptures and this the word of God in the scriptures was the ground of Christs faith and so to all that were his Ans Many may have the Scriptures and never hear the voice of God as the Jews in the fift of Iohn they said they believed the scriptures though they were out of the true belief but receiving the word from God is as they that gave forth scriptuers which man lives by not by bread alone so knows him which was before scripture was given forth and for saying that the scripture is the ground of Christs Faith he was afore the scripture was writ and fulfills their words and is the author and finisher of the saints faith which was before the scripture was given forth him by whom the world was made and is the author of the Saints Faith that bruised the serpents head under his feet which was before scripture was Pr. For the Lord Jesus Christ himself who was personally God-man simply created nothing yet you would have your light called Christ to be a Creator Ans God was in Christ and they are one the Creator the Father in the Son and the Son in the Father and Christ in you and God in Christ the Creator the maker of all things and God will dwell in the saints the Creator he creates in them right mindes new hearts new spirits gives them understanding and
breast-prophesie and yet thou sayest the Apostle doth not exclude heart-prophesie And thus thou with new names and thy words darkens counsell and knowledge but the children of light with truth sees thee Pr. The Father Word and spirit is to justifie the word Trinity not to make the holy Spirit and the Saints one person Answ The word Trinity is not in the scripture but in your old Fathers book the Canon book the Pope and the Father Son and Spirit are one and the Saints are in the spirit and who are joyned to the Lord are one spirit And the Scripture doth not tell us of three persons but as I said before the old Cannon book of thy Fathers the great Apostate the Pope Pr. The light that Adam was qualified with before the Fall which every man hath a sparke of since the fall was and is given from the Creation by things that are made Answ The light Adam had before the Fall did not come by the Creation nor by the things that are made If it were given from the Creation it comes by nature This word is contrary to Scripture for God made man in his image and placed him over all the creatures and gave him an understanding capable of his Law and to know dominion but when man lost his dommion he transgressed his Law and that light that he had before the fall was of God from him that made all things Pr. The Scripture is the meanes of regeneration If the blinde lead the blinde what will follow it is proof sufficient against absolute perfection in this life as Adam and the Angels Answ The Scriptures them that had them and out of the life that gave them forth were the blinde and what followed then And though Adam and the Angels fell who is in Christ the perfection of God he shall never fall as also saith the Apostle Pr. He saith It is ignorance that saith the light that makes manifest sinne condemns sin Answ That which makes manifest a mans sinne and he hates it that condemns him And he is ignorant that sees not Christs doctrine and believes not in it Pr. To deny that sinne dwelleth or remaineth in all the Saints upon earth hath been the Quakers doctrine the consequence whereof is to disclaim all godly sorrow for sin dwelling in them Answ It is the Quakers Doctrine to deny all sinne dwelling in the Saints upon the earth and to know Christ who destroys the Devill the author of all sin and the Saints comes to witnesse their joy and pleasures for evermore over their sin and the body of it put off and a Kingdome which stands in joy and peace in the holy Ghost and the godly sorrow before they come to this and they do know victory over their sin and Christ he had the godly sorrow who had no sin and that many of the Saints knows Pr. His Word is not his spirit Ans The Word and the Spirit are one which was before the written words were declared forth in which word they all end given forth by the spirit of God and the Word lives and abides and endures for ever and that is spirituall And so the mystery of Iniquity is found in thy Doctrine who art blinde and reads blindly not with the spirit which was in them that gave gave forth Scriptures And so thou art found a false Prophet in the steps of the Pharisees one of the Masters that Christ sets the woe on their heads who art ravening with the sheeps cloathing upon thy back to deceive but now the Lambs and the Sheep have discovered thee who is got up since the dayes of the Apostles into their words not into their life with that judged And whereas thou art offended because Edward Burrough speaks Chapter and Verse the spirit that gave forth Scriptures will lead to speak it all over again without offence but to the evill doers Pr. And if your teacher cannot but be publique how will you finde him in so private a place as your beds Answ The spirit that leads to speake forth publiquely or to minister to themselves and others the same is a private Teacher to them on their beds as he did David whom the Lord instructed in the night season And that which the Minister of the Spirit doth minister unto is a private Teacher to every particular in his owne particular And the annoynting which abideth in people John saith was their Teacher and they need no man to teach them but as it did teach them and they should continue in the Son of God and the Father And here was publique teaching and private which thou blind canst not see And as for all thy lyes and heap of confusion shall upon thy head stand which thou wouldst blinde people withall For the Son is risen and the mist is gone and going in the day of thy judgement the witnesse in thy conscience shall answer Philip Taverner of West Drayton in the County of Middlesex his Principles as follows in a Reply to to a Book to Edward Burrough whom he in scorn calls QVAKER Pr. WHo art thou that judgest another mans servant such who Lord it over the faith and consciences of their brethren a spirit wholly disowned by the Apostle Not that we have dominion over your faith and in this sin is that of Christ to be understood Call no man your Father upon earth neither be you called of men Master that is have no mens persons in admiration as to count them your Oracles in the things of faith Ans Such as serve the man of sin are to be judged that are the servants of sin that hath been servant to the man of sin We judge that man servant both and such as are spoken of in the Romans to judge another mans servant in the truth standing and falling to his Master every one in his measure such we do not judge but every one shall stand or fall to his Master who are scrupling about meates and drinkes and dayes that the life is leading them through such things and you that be called of men Master it s a great Oracle amongst the people so counted and you do both Lord it over mens faiths and consciences both therefore hath so much blood been shed through you and so many cast into prison by you who are Lording it over mens faiths and consciences Pharisee-like called of men Master who would have dominion over the Apostles faith as you who are called of men Master would have dominion over the Saints faith who are admiring mens persons because of advantage to help you And this people see since the dayes of the Apostles how you and the Papist have Lorded it over mens faiths your Jayles inquisition and prisons may witnes it how you would Lord it over mens faith and conscience that cannot give you Tythes you will cast them into prison are you not here Lording it over mens faiths doth not your practices shew it and so another spirit then the Apostles that
was to bring them in the end to work all manner of uncleanness I now judge they be carryed from one degree to another to act righteousness Answ Here thou confounds thy imagination and hath shewed thou hast followed thy own spirit and thy false prophesie is come to an end and proved thy self to be a dreamer for they are in the righteousness which comprehends thee Pr. Thou sayest The Lord doth not regain any of our age to walk so they that are called the Anibaptists and yet thou ownest them Answ Dost thou own that which the Lord doth not require and do they practise that which the Lord doth not require and so thou hast given Judgement upon tny self and them both Pr. I having also Communion with my former societie which is broken of through the mysterious working of Antichrist I would have spared my pen for a few lines but for the sake of a very few in the Nation and I have not time to write one line from first to last twice expect not from me an army of reasons and arguments Answ Thou hadst been better spared thy pen and tongue both then have written from that which thou hast written whose Communion is with the mysterious working of Antichrist and there is but a few in the Nation but will see thy work is but fuel for the fire and abundance of stuff thou hast in thy book which is not worth mentioning but will fall upon thy head In the day of thy judgement the witness shall answer Priest Tombes Baptist of Leo-Minster His Principles as FOLLOWETH Pr. THe words Joh. 1.9 enlighteneth every man are meant of a natural life or light Answ Christ that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world this light is not natural neither is he natural that is called the power of God who was before all natural light was made Sun Moon and Stars and so this light that doth enlighten every man that believes in it and is their condemnation that doth not believe in it that is above all natural for the light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the world is that all men might believe that is not natural life or light but of the Divine nature which is above nature for in him was life and the life was the light of men and is the salvation to the ends of the earth and in this thou hast shewed thy ignorance and dost not Preach that which people are to believe in Pr. Thou sayes the Ministers of Christ may seek what they shall have by the year and are not to go up and down to Towns and eat and drink what is set before them as those did Luke 10.7 Answ We do believe such Apostate Ministers from the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles as you are who have thrown aside the Doctrine of Christ trampled it under your feet and sees up your selves in great Benefices which lives in a Town doth not go up and down to eat and drink such things as are set before them but how are you then those that Christ said he would be with to the end of the world and how do you then observe all things that he hath commanded for lo I am with you to the end of the world and they were to observe all things that were commanded and how are you here out of Christs doctrine and are you not the wolves among the sheep with sheepes cloathing deceiving the world but not the sheep And how are you them that Christ said was to go into all nations and Io I am with you to the end of the world and this is not your work as you say and so judged out of the Apostles practices and Christs Doctrine Pr. Thou sayes That in the 1 Cor. 9.14 is meant of natural food which is to be obtained by civil Lawes and our declaring against such Shepherds as in Isai 56. doth not touch thee and that thou hast received the Gospel from the Epistles of Paul and that thou ownes not Revelations tremblings and quakings Answ The Saints did not by civil lawes or the Lawes of the Nation nor the Ministers of Christ get maintenance neither doth the Scripture then brings speak they did read it over again and let all sober people read it the Gospel thou hast received from the Epistles the Epistles doth not give thee the power of God and the Gospel is the power of God here thou hast shewed thy Ministry is of the Letter and of man and not from God for the Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that believes Preached to Abraham before the Epistles was written and that 's everlasting not received from Epistles and Paul an Apostle not of men nor by men but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ and thou that denyes Revelation denyes the Son of God and the grace that was brought by Revelation and denyes knowing the Father for none knowes the Father but whom the Son reveals him and thou hast denyed the â—ear of God and the Lords secrets for the secrets of the Lord are with them that fear â—im they are revealed to them and thou that denyes trembling and Quaking hath denyed thy salvation and the Apostles Doctrine and denyed thy self to be a Minister of Christ for the Apostle sayes work out your salvation with fear and trembling and thou that denyes trembling denyes salvation as is wrought out by it And Esa 56. doth judge thee for thou art one that seekes thy gain from thy Quarter a greedy dumb dog can never have enough as witness thy Eggs and how thou didst hale before the Justice for not paying of them Pr. Thou sayes Thou dost not uphold such as Mic. 3. speakes of Ans Art not thou one that Divines tor money and prophecies for money Preaches for money and if people will not put into thy mouth thou prepares War against them as I said before witness thy Eggs and give thee Eggs thou wilt say they are good Church-men and stop thy mouth with Eggs but if not thou hast them before Magistrates Pr. Thou sayes If any of the Church joyned to me leave me because I take maintenance it will be their sin Answ The true Prophets left the false prophets and the true Apostles did the false as taught for covetousness and means and declared against them and such as goes out from the spirit goes into the earth and such as comes to the spirit comes from the earth and teaching for gifts rewards and hire as thou Tombes dost upon whom is thy old garment Pr. Thou sayes Thou denies an absolute perfection of degrees in this life Ans In this thou hast denyed the work of the Ministry which is for the perfecting and doth none come to perfection in a degree of perfection doth none come to Christ who is perfect doth none come to the spirit who comes to the spirit comes to be perfect for who comes to the spirit and to Christ comes to that which is perfect
the slothful servants who are Reprobates to every good work but the Saints that prayed Preached sung in the spirit such was profitable that loved God and kept his Commandments which you that do not love God do not keep his Commandments So your fruits are unprofitable that keeps not the Commandments of God And there is your mark that you do not love him Pr. The Law is a rule for a believers life we must attend unto the Sacraments Answ Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness sake unto everyone that doth believe so Christ is the rule who ends the Law to believers And thy Sacraments must go again to the Common-Prayer Book to the Masse-book the Scripture doth not teach us those words as Sacrament and Creed but the old Masse-book thou art running to it and so leaving the Scriptures So thou art judged with the life of God Pr. Who are ordained lawfully or called to the Ministry Ans Your ordination and call is by men contrary to the Apostles and Christ who saith not by man nor of man and Christ saith pray to the Father that he may send labourers into the vineyard and such you persecute And thou saiest there is two Sacraments in the Gospell which the Apostles tells us of no such thing but the Pope in his Masse-book Pr. We may not learne for to seek for happinesse in this life these words I command thee this day shall be in thy heart to teach thy children and to talke of them in thy house Ans These words hath spoken long in your hearts therefore have you led the world in wickednesse but the children of God findes happinesse in this life being changed from the old in this life for they find God and they finde Christ and find rest for their soules And who is in Christ is a new creature and such hath happinesse Pr. This forme of sound words taken out of the best and soundest Catechismes that we could meet withall and our mouth is opened boldly Ans This is your forme of unsound words and if this be the best stuff you can find out of your best Catechismes it is pittifull durty darke stuff and you had better have kept your mouth shut If this be your Catechismes they are for the fire the children of light who are come into the light comprehends and sees the Cathchismes and you both and you are to be Catechised and if you will but read over the Priests and professors Catechisme you may learn some thing out of it This is a ralation of some perticulars and principles affirmed by some of the Priests of Bishop-rick at a publike dispute in Branspirth Castle upon the 21. day of the 7th moneth 1658. Pr. JOsias Dorker affirmed that immediate Revelation or inspiration is not to be expected in these daies Ans Then you are from the spirit that saith so which the spirit of God doth reveale you are them that have ravened the false prophets and ante-christ that inwardly ravened from the spirit of God having the sheeps cloathing in the darknesse the King of the bottomlesse pit hath been your king for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is not known but by revelation for none knowes the Son but the father and he to whom he doth reveale him that showes that you be out of the feare of God for where the feare of God is God reveales his secrets but the feare God is now witnessed and the Son of God is now witnessed and revelations is now witnessed in our daies as it was in the Apostles but not amongst you who have inwardly ravened from the spirit of God which hath Apostatized from the Apostles Pr. That it is needlesse and also diabolicall that is to say divilish to expect any such thing now Ans And so you be in the diabolicall divilish that expects not that now which was in the daies of the Apostles and be out of the feare of God and the spirit which doth reveale and the Son you know not which said to them the Pharisees that knew him not they were of the devill and so he is known by revelation Pr. That they had the scripture and the Gospell as he confessed not from God but from men Ans You know not the scriptures nor no man upon the earth but as from God and the spirit as they did that gave them forth who learned them of God and so who knowes scripture must know revelation and the Gospell for they are known not but by the spirit which gave them forth Pr. That the Bible was the Gospel Ans The Gospell is the power of God which was before the scripture was written preached to Abraham many may have the Bible but the power of God the Gospell glad tydings which is to the salvation of every one that believes and the scripture is a testification of the Gospell of the glad tydings and it is not called the power of God and Christ is called the power of God and the Gospell and many had scripture but would not come to Christ the power of God and so not to the Gospell Pr. That the flesh of Christ is not in them Ans The saints eate his flesh and they that eate his flesh hath it within them Pr. That Christ had and hath a carnall body Ans And Christs body is not carnall but spirituall the first man was of the earth earthly the second man is the Lord from heaven heavenly and is a glorious body and the saints are made like unto his glorious body therefore the first state is carnall the second glorious so there is a naturall body and there is a spirituall body Pr. That Christ is now in heaven with a carnall body Ans Carnall indeed is death saith scripture and it saith that corruption must put on incorruption mortall immortality so Christs body that is in heaven is a glorious body a and not carnall nor of the flesh corruptible Pr. That Christ hath a carnall humane body united to his divinity Ans And carnall humane is from the ground humane earthly the first Adams body and Christ was not from the ground let all people read what thou saist but he was from heaven his flesh came down from above his flesh which was the meat his flesh came downe from heaven Pr. That Timothy retained his ministry not from God but from Paul Ans Timothy did retain his ministry from God and knew the gift that which he did retain from Paul was not as man but Timothy was in the faith which Christ was the author of and he had the gift which every good and perfect gift comes from God and this was not by man nor of man Pr. That there it as much difference between a body and a spirit as there is between light and darknesse Ans Christs body is spirituall and that which is spirituall does not differ from the spirit and so there is a spirituall body and there is a naturall body and there is a
no other way it teacheth but to the Kingdome and though men hate it and will not come to it because their deeds are evill yet that is the teacher in all men that gives them the sense of transgression and an understanding of reproof and knowing if they come so that they are reproved and there is the kingdome in men and that is it which lets all men see the most high reigning and shall make every tongue to confesse Christ to the glory of God and is that which gives every man assurance that God hath raised Christ from the dead who hath inlightned them and that is it which gives every man the hope of eternall life and in the light it is received Pr. That the seed to whom the promise of salvation is made is or hath been sinners Ans The promise of God is to the seed which hath been laden as a Cart with shaves by the sinner which seed is the hope Christ that purifies even as God is pure and here is the creature come to know its liberty amongst the sons of God and the seed Christ never sinned in the male nor in the female in the Jew nor in the Gentiles and of this mystery was the great high professors ignorant of that stood at a distance from the Gentiles that Christ had no room among them though they talked of him but in the stable in the manger and in their mouthes to talke of him with their lips and such Christ calls graves and Sepulchres and whited walls and the wall is not the seed but the seed is Christ and not the Sepulchre nor the grave so this promise is not unto seeds as many but to one the seed which is Christ Pr That there is no man doth possess the Kingdom of God whilest he is in the mortall body Ans In this thou art like Nebuchadnezer who must graze like the Oxe thy mouth downeward who knows not the most high ruling in the children of men and God will dwell in you and walke in you and where God dwells and walkes in men they are his temples which is holy there is his Kingdome his power his authority and the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell in them and walke in in them and this is the state of thousands that be in the new covenant that knowes the power of God of the most high his law put in their mindes and hearts and they that doe not know that they are the Temples of God and God dwelling in them and walking in them they are worse then the Corinthians Pr. That he that doth not preach the death and Resurection and the man Christ Jesus that rose from the dead at Jerusalem preacheth not the Gospell whatsoever else he doth declare Ans He that preacheth Christ must preach that Christ that dyed at Jerusalem for he is the same to day yesterday forever the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world which seed Christ breaks the Serpents head and destroyes death and the Devill that went out of the truth and death being destroyed the captivated one comes out by the power which is the Gospel and the prisoner of hope shews himself forth and then the covenant of light life is felt and peace with God but the Reprobate Devill death and destruction anti-christ Beast and false prophet may talke of Christ without and he not within felt such are then the Reprobates and thou saying the seed is not in all men first know it in thy selfe he is not in the man of sin that is to be destroyed who hath blinded thy mind and hath taken possession of thy heart and so first judge thy selfe Pr He that doth not expect the Resurrection from the dead of his owne person as Christ rose from the dead litterally understood hath no true hope of Eternall life borne in his understanding Ans The Saints rising is in Christ and he is the Resurrection they are of his flesh and of his bone and of his spirit and the Saints are of the flesh of Christ that saw no corruption and of his bone and hath the hope of eternall life promised of the Father and now the flesh of Christ the Jewes did not know that were the Idolaters and fornicaters for Christ according to the flesh was of Abraham who came out of all that Idolatry and generation of Fornicaters and in this the saints rise live and remaine with Christ for ever and such come to know the resurrection of the just and unjust according to the scriptures the one to eternall life and the other to condemnation Pr. That Christ by his death overcame him that had the power of death and thereby made way to life Ans But how is death overcome in thee when thou dost not see the kingdome of God in thee and saith it shall not be whiles men are in their mortall bodies and how short art thou of the Holy Ghost and the power and the joy and the righteousnesse which the Kingdome stands in and Christ which overcame death he is the life and the way to God the Father of life which doth inlighten every man that cometh into the world that by the light they might see it and believe in it that they might be children of light and come to the light of life which they that doe not believe in it with the light are condemned Pr. That the unchangablenesse of Gods purpose of his love is the onely ground of mans obedience stability or continuance in obedience not mans obedience the ground of his stability Ans Mans stability is Christ the light the life the foundation of God that stands sure the hope in him that remaineth the faith given to him of God the seed comes to be knowne the Son of God in the male and in the female which abideth in the house for ever which is the heir of the promise and there the unchangeablenesse of God is knowne he that doth not change is seen that is appeared which cannot be shaken that seeth an end of all changeable things and variablenesse and turnings and here is the obedience felt Pr. God hath ordained to eternall life every one that are or shall be saved before they had a being in this world but none come to possession of this salvation but through the obedience of the spirit Ans The ground of mans belief and obedience is Christ who doth inlighten him to the intent that he might believe and obey the truth and who knowes the seed knowes the election before the world was made Pr. That the seed of Israel are men and not onely something in man that the seed of the Serpent are men and not onely something in man Ans If the seed of Israel be men then by thy account the seed of Israel is the seed of the Serpent for they are men and Christ who came to destroy the work of the Devill and him that hath the power of death it is not said he came
Priest of Bothell Henry Foreside Priest of Lingiah James Nesmith Priest of Hambleton Robert Semple Priest of Losmahaga Thomas Garony Priest of Edenbrough John Burnet Priest of Hilbride Hugh Archballs Doctrine and Principles Priest of Stravan in Anandale These are his Principles as follow Pr. THat Christ hath not enlightned every one that comes into the world Ans Which is contrary to Johns doctrine John 1.9 Pr. That Christ doth enlighten none but those that do receive him Ans Contrary to John 3. speaking of them which hate the light and are enlightned and will not come to it because the light will reprove them so he that hates the light is enlightned and will not receive Christ Pr. That it is blasphemy to say that the true light doth enlighten and condemn the world Answ Contrary to John 1.9 3.19 that saith This is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world And this is the condemnation of the world that light is come into the world Pr. To say that which reproves for sin is from Heaven is blasphemy Answ Contrary to John 16.8 which saith it is the spirit that reproves which comes from the Father and the Son which is from Heaven Pr. He cryeth up a natural light as Sun Moon and Stars and the light of Christ was before these was made and saith it is blasphemy to say they that did the things contained in the Law was blessed in the deed and the Apostle said the doers of the Law was justified and said he would leave the Friends that spake to him to the mercy of the people Answ Upon which they struck bitterly with books fists and stones to destroy but that some moderate people and Souldiers stayed the Persecution John Hume Priest of Lesmahaga His Principles as follows who got into a Steeple house and shut the door upon him thus he taught the people Pr. THat which was to be known of God was manifest by the the things that are created Answ Contrary to the Apostles doctrine Rom. 1.19 For whatsoever may be known of God is manifest in them for the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and God-head so that they are without excuse So with that of God in them they know the invisible things from the foundation of the world and with that they see the God-head Pr. That God was to be known by the things that were made as the Sun Moon and Stars Answ But Jesus Christ said Mat. 11 27. No man knowes the Father but the Son and he to whomsoever the Sun will reveal him and the heathens know not God nor the Jewes had not seen his shape And his servants and workmen did throw water stones and lime and persecuted and dirtted and abused the people called Quakers and threw a pan full of water in a Souldiers neck and he the said Priest never reproved them and these be the fruits of him and his own Family in stead of gravity well may the whole Parish be out of order when his own Family is thus So he is one that is reproved by the Apostles doctrine 1 Tim. 3. which saith If you cannot rule your own Family how can you take care for the Church of God Henry Foreside Priest of the Parish of Lingiah in Dunbarton-shire said in his Preaching to the people Pr. IF they had any Christian zeal they would stone them whom they call Quakers Answ It is the blinde zeal that stones not the Christian zeal that have the life of Christ for the Christian zeal is to pray for them that persecute Mat. 5.44 and not to stone them to love enemies it was the Jews zeal that took up stones to stone Christ John 8.59 they stoned Steven Acts 7.5.8 and stoned the Apostles Acts 14.19 In this the Presbytrians have proved their Christianity to be out of Christ and the Apostles Prin. If Paul and the rest of the Apostles had been alive they would have stoned the Quakers Answ Here all may see his work to be the envious man in Cains way Jude 11. who would murther and wrongs the Apostle who never taught nor intended any such doctrine but said Overcome evil with good Rom 12.21 and love bears all things 1 Cor. 13.7 Now see whose Minister this man is that cannot bear but would have them stoned and would have the Apostle as bad as himself which Apostle said Christ was his example who laid down his life for his enemies Rom. 5.8 who suffered the contradiction of sinners we will render evil to no man but say the contrary the Lord Jesus forgive them Luke 23.34 and the Apostle said they wrestled not against flesh and blood Eph. 6.12 but them and you that stone do ye not wrestle against flesh and blood But if the Apostles would have stoned would they not have wrestled against flesh and blood And if the Apostles should have stoned all that were contrary to their minds bidden the people stone them told them it was Christian zeal what work would they have made as the said Henry Foreside called Minister doth where would have been long suffering Gal. 5.22 and loving enemies Mat. 5.44 and where would he have had any to have converted and who would have been persecutors and who would have prayed for persecutors ye may see what a pit ye are fallen into and how should they have convinced gain-sayers Titus 1.9 and loved them when they had stoned them And this is the Presbyterians zeal of Scotland and not Christan zeal who would stone and stir up his Congregation to do so for Christ who is cloathed with zeal Isa 59 17. said Love your Enemies but ye are cloathed with madness and folly And the Apostle that was in his zeal according to knowledge said Overcome evil with good Rom. 12.21 and vengeance is the Lords and he will repay it Rom. 12.19 and love bears all things but his blind zeal cannot bear any thing but cryes stone them out of the way and so wickedly and devilishly calls it Christian zeal which is false that is the Devils zeal Now the Apostles wrestled not against flesh and blood but against the powers of darknesse Eph. 6.12 but the Presbyterians called ministers are striking against flesh and blood whilst ye would stone them whilst that time spirituall wickednesse lies within you So ye Presbyterian-Priests are as a troop of robbers that would murther in the way by consent Hos 6.9 James Dorram called Minister of Glasgow his principles Pr. THat the believers even the reall godly are not without sin in this life Ans Here is one that is charging the elect and laying sin to the elect that God justifies Rom. 8.33 that in the godly there should he sin Sin is out of the godly in the ungodly which turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and what good doth his preaching doe them if they must never be without
murtherer and doth not his envy shew as much against the Magistrates as against the Quakers because they will not execute his malice and slay them for him and be his executioners and was not these Priests as mad against the Magistrates as they are now against the Quakers at Dunbar fight and would not they have had their heads off let their Pulpits witness though now they admire their persons because of advantage Jude 16. Who cannot hold in but their shame must be uttered forth who would slay the persons of men as Cain did so woe from the Lord God is gone out against you who are envious and strives to make the people envious but the life of God is risen in the hearts of his people with which they shall see you all and the Quakers be out of the way of Cain who be in the light of Christ Jesus the Saviour of the soul in which they come to have a habitation in God the Saviour of all men especally of them that believe 1 Tim. 4.10 So you that be out of the light be vagabonds though ye have great habitations in the earth for Cain built a City yet a vagabond Gen. 4. Pr. It was asked him of a foreordained number to destruction and for what Christ wept over Jerusalem He said as he was humane he mourned and his Godhead decreed them to Hell Ans This is a lying doctrine of the Devil for after many of them of Jerusalem came to be converted as ye may read in Acts 2. And many of the Priests came to be obedient to the Faith for all being gone astray both Jewes and Gentiles Rom. 3.9 concluded under sin the pure the eternal tendered over them who had stopped their ears and closed their eyes to that which was pure of God in them that they might have come to that which is pure and have been gathered under Christs wings Mat. 23.37 who is pure and so have been converted and healed and have heard with their ears and have seen with their eyes And as for the word humane that is not Scripture language it speaks not that Language there were converted many thousands of the Jews and they were pricked to the heart when that the Apostle said that was both Lord and Christ whom ye have have crucified Acts 2. mark ye here thou may see thy self to be a lyar for here was of the Jews and of Jerusalem that he had wept over thou sayst he had ordained them to Hell as he was God which were converted afterwards so thou would make God unequall that the Son is not in the Father and divideth them that the Son should weep over them and the Godhead decree them to Hell and did not Christ command his Apostles that they should not depart from Jerusalem and was not the mighty conversion at Jerusalem so hath not Christ wept over Jerusalem and after was there not a mighty conversion there And thou sayst he condemned them as God to Hell There thou may see thy self in the Devils doctrine 1 Tim. 4.1 Many thousands were converted at Jerusalem which Christ wept over before the Apostles departed from thence where he gave them command to stay to see thy Doctrine is damnabl and thou errs from the Scriptures let thy mouth for ever be stopped and are not ye found in the steps of them Mat. 23. that Christ gives the mark of blind guides to the multitude unto the Disciples which marks were such as the multitude might take notice of and I believe the multitude will take notice of and know you first ye bind heavy burthens upon mens shoulders ye are sayers and not doers and all their marks they do to be seen of men Mat. 6. they love the uppermost rooms as feasts and the chiefest seats in the Assemblies greeting in the Markets stands praying in the Synagogues called of men Masters they were swearers they should scourge you in their Synagogues and persecute do not ye put out of your Synagugues Christ should send Prophets and wise men among them and they should persecute and put out of the Synagogues Mat. 23.34 They should shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men and do not ye do so that do deny the light that lighteth every one that cometh into the world do any come to the Kingdom but who come to the light which every man that cometh into the world is enlihtned withall may not the multitude take notice of these things called of men Master stand praying in the Synagogues having long Robes salutations in the Markets uppermost rooms at feasts puts out of the Synagogues and swearers and Christ said swear not at all Mat. 5.34 And be ye not called of men Master for one is your Master even Christ and ye all are Brethren now here is the marks of the blind guides as ye may read Mat. 23. Are they not a company of swearers and will they not swear for their own advantage and were not the Priests alwayes envious and false accusers provoking the Magistrates against the Disciples against Christ and against Jesus did not the Priests say Jesus should die for crying against them Jer. 26. And were not the Priests at work when any of the Saints were murthered to stir up the multitude against them or the Magistrates was not the chief Priests and Elders seeking false witness to put Jesus to death Mat. 26.39 And did not the High Priests say he had spoken blasphemy it was Pilate that put him to death did not the chief Priests perswade their multitude to ask Barrabas Mat. 27.20 and crucifie Jesus and did not they mock him see how the Priests were alwayes busie for blood that all the righteous blood might come upon them shed upon the earth Mat. 23.35 And did not the Priests give mony to Judas to betray Christ and did not the Priests give large money to the Souldiers to tell a lie and say his Disciâ—les stole him away by night Mat. 28.11 12 13. had not Paul authority from the High Priest to persecute Acts 9.1 2. and so get you your Authority from the Magistrates and the people their Authority from you to persecute and would not the chief Priests have murthered Paul afterwards when he was converted Acts 23. Acts 2.7 did not a company come with swords and staves from the Priests with Judas â—o take Christ Mark 14.13 as a troop of robbers wait for a man so doth a company of Priests murther in the way by consent and have not ye consented together Hosea 6.2 Pr. That Christ scorned men when he bad them be perfect because he knew it was impossible for them Answ This is wickedness and impudency to say Christ scorned men when he bad them be perfect This is Antichrist and the Devils doctrine for to say that Christ did command that which men could not come to for Christ nor God commanded nothing but what should be attained unto and it will be attained unto and hath been attained unto Christ said be perfect
seek after other mens goods An. Then are you not all found in this seeking after other mens goods and endeavouring by force and hath not this been many of your practices both by Sea and Land of many people in the whole Christendom and been found in this witchcraft as you say as you speak of and is not all this to be judged with the spirit of the Lord God to be out of his commands and out of the love of God and Christ the end of the Law there-repent and amend all your wayes doings and lives that you may return to the Lord and find peace and rest in the time of need Pr. You say The ninth Commandment saith bear not false witness against any man and you should shun lying and not falcifie any mans word nor backbite nor reproach and shun all careles kind of lives c. Answ How is it then there are so many false witnesses backbiters reproachers rash condemners men living in such careless kind of lives and deceit among you which is the devils works this is all out of the commands of God and the Law and short of Christ the end of it and the fruits of this now hath shewed it self Pr. You say No one that is converted unto God perfectly observes and keepes his Commandments Answ Then no man loves God amongst you nor are you converted neither are you of the seed of the woman that keepes the commands of God neither are you the children of God that Johns speaks of that keepes the Commandments of God that love God neither are you the believers for Christ is the end of the Law to them that believes Pr. You say There is no man in this life able to keep the Law of God and why then should Gods Law be so exactly and severely Ans The law of God is just is not so exact nor so severely but is just and equal and righteous and perfect and good and not as you look upon it exact and severe now Christ the righteousness of God is the end of the Law and the man that loves God keepes his Commandments and comes to the end of the commandments that is love out of a pure heart Pr. You say Christ teacheth you to call God Father in the beginning of your prayers Ans Christ taught that to his Disciples which were his children his sheep but that was not spoken to the world that did not believe in the light that enlightens every man that comes into the world for the Pharisees could call him Father and Lord but did not the things he commanded them and such Christ said were of the devil and such their prayers he rebukes the Disciples could pray this in truth so you must be born again of God not committing of sin when you call God Father like him else you are Bastards begotten of the wicked one children of the transgressor sons of the Sorcerer the Prophet speaks of children of God distinct from such that call him Father in the transgression applyed to God which he hath not begotten the birth in the transgression the transgressors birth that is a Bastard a false conception Pr. You say Forgive us as we forgive them that trespasse against us Answ Is it so do ye do so and would you be forgiven no otherwise but as ye forgive others that hath trespassed against you would you have God forgive you no otherwayes who trespasseth against him but as you forgive the trespasses against you mark whether you would have as you say and whether here be not justice and whether you can witness you are forgiven that doth not forgive others whether you have the assurance within you Pr. You say The particle Amen means the things sure out of doubt for your prayers is much more certain heard of God then you feel in your hearts that you unfeignedly desire the same Answ Amen or so be it for the promise is to the seed yea and Amen which fetches up the seed out of time who hath been in prison in time and brings it by the power of God thither where there is no time and there is yea and amen and the Lord accepts no prayer from the corrupt heart or such whose works are sinful their best works are sinful for the praying is in the spirit the Lord accepts and Preaching singing hearing and tasting discerning handling and feeling the Lord knowes the mind of the spirit where it groans which spirit guiding the man it gives him an understanding of the signification of it and so every man being reproved with the spirit if he hears it and be at unity with it and turn to it it will bring him to turn to God and be at unity with God and here his prayers be acceptable to him and so every man being enlightned that comes into the world every man being turned to the light Christ hath enlightned him withall he is turned to Christ from whence it comes which brings him to know Christ and to ask in his Name who is the way to the Father and is in the Father who is God Immanuel Christ Jesus and so forth to the end Robert Tuchin Iohn Barnes Edward Buckler Robert Dingly James Crosswick Iohn Martine Vincent Sparke Joshua Tompkins Simon Pole Tho. Clarke William Harby Martin Wells Wil. Bignall Rich. Beminster Mathew Hearne Their Princples are as Followeth who are Teachers in and about the Island of Weight and these 15. Priests are in the rear of the Army of Babylon against the Lamb. Pr. THat the good tidings which the glorious Gospell of Jesus Christ brings to sinners was first heard at Jerusalem Ans The Goâ—pel which is the power of God which is the glad tidings to sinners was preached to Abraham before ever it was heard at Jerusalem and the shepherds in the field received the message of the good tidings of the glorious Gospell from the Angell which was sent to them of the Lord who said Behold I bring you good tidings of great Joy and this was before the Gospell was heard at Jerusalem and all the Fathers and Prophets that heard the power of God they heard the Gospel for the Gospel is the power of God glad tidings to the seed and great joy to the poor captives and this Gospell was preached to Adam the seed of the woman was promised to bruise the Serpents head and that was and is the power of God the glorious Gospell but as for such as knowes no Gospell in manifestation nor apparation but onely the scriptures which doth but declare of the Gospell they shew that they are without in the world and hath no other knowledge of the Gospell but naturall knowledge which is not unto eternall life nor can edefie the body of Christ which is immortall Pr. The good tidings which the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ brings to sinners was a great mercy to the Jewes a very gratious dispensation to us sinners of the Gentiles Ans The good tidings the glorious Gospell is in it selfe a
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
kindreds and tongues which is the power of God which brings People into unity with God and Scriptures and the mystery of God is revealed and the mystery of iniquity discovered and he that was dead is alive again and lives for ever more SEVERAL SCRIPTURES Corrupted by the TRANSLATORS Jude 14. BEhold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints in the Greek it is in ten thousands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.3 Expresse image of his person gr Substance or Subsistence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 2.16 He took not on him the nature of Angels in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is by true interpretation he doth not take hold of Angels as for the word Nature which is in our English Copies there is nothing for it in the Greek Mat. 3.11 In Beza his Latine Testament and our English Copies it is rendred I indeed baptize you with water and from the word with water is the act of Sprinkling pleaded for in the Greek it is I dip plunge or baptize you in water in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1.23 In the Latin and English Copies 't is thus which was preached to every creature which is under heaven in the Greek it is in every creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 16.15 In the Latin and English Copies it is that which is highly esteemed among men in the Greek it is in men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 15.31 In our English Copies it is I protest by your rejoycing c. Now I protest is added for there is nothing for it in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 2.6 We speak wisdome among them that are perfect in the Greek it is in them that are perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.29 In the English and Latin Copies it is that he might be the First-born among many Brethren in the Greek it is in many Brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 28.19 In the English and Latin Copies it is baptizing them in the name in the Greek it is into the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 6.7 In the English Copies it is for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking in the Greek it is in their much speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 3.16 In our English and Latin Copies it is great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles in the Greek it is preached in the Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11.2 In the Latin and English Copies it is wot ye not what the Scripture saith of Elias but in the Greek it is in Elias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 1.1 God c. spoke to the Fathers by the Prophets in the Greek it is God spoke to the Fathers in the Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hath in the last daies spoken unto us by his Son in the Greek it is hath spoken unto us in his Son 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.6 That you may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God in the Greek it is in one mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.19 In the Greek Latin and English Copies it is speaking of the Gentiles that which is known of God is manifest in them or made known in them though some dare say and do say among them Amos 3.6 Shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it this is the English Translation in the Hebrew it is shall there be evil in 〈◊〉 â—â—y and shall not the Lord do somewhat Heb. 5. last Strong meat belongeth to them that 〈◊〉 full of age in the Greek it is Strong meat belongeth to them that are perfect 〈…〉 Iohn 8.6 In our English Copies it is Jesus sâ—ooâ—ed down and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not as for the words as though he heard them not they are added by the Translators for there is nothing in the Greek for them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 1.14 The word became flesh and dwelt amongst us in the Greek it is in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By true interpretation it is the Word became flesh and pitcht his Tent in us Heb. 10.20 In the English Copies it is by a new and living way in the Greek it is of late slain and living way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies recens mactatus lately or of late slain saith Leigh and Pasor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IF any one want Light let him look upon the Law and the testimony whether they speak after this meaning If he do not this he stumbles and suffers hunger and if he suffer hunger he is not patient but blasphemeth his King and his God then looketh he upward and downward to the earth and behold there is trouble and darkness vexation is round about him and the cloud of error and out of such adversity shall he not escape even like as in time past it hath been seen well this is the old Translation Isai 8. New Translation thus To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them and they shall passe through it hardly bestead and hungry and it shall come to passe that when they shall be hungry they shall fret themselves and curse their King and their God and look upward and they shall look unto the earth and behold trouble and darkness and dimness of anguish and they shall be driven to darkness Isai 8.20.21 22. Old Translation Prov. 23. when thou sittest at the Table with a Lord order thy self mannerly with the things set before thee measure thine Appetite and if thou wilt rule thy own self be not over greedy of his meat for meat beguiles and deceives New Translation thus When thou sittest to eat with a Ruler consider diligently what is before thee and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to Appetite Be not desirous of his dainties for they are deceitful meat Prov. 23.1 2 3. Old Translation Amos 3. Cry they out Alarum with the Trumpet in the City and the people not affraid cometh there any plague in a City without it be the Lords doing New Translation thus shall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the People not be afraid shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it Hosea 5.6 In the first Chapter of the Heb. 3. in the new Translation it is said who being the brightness of his glory and the express Image of his Person But in the old Translation it Reads thus being the brightness of his glory and the very Image of his substance The 2 Cor. 2. Chapter the last verse in the English it is we do not corrupt the word but in the Latin it is we do not sell the word for money
this people according to the promise And that is Antichrist which keeps people from the light and the false Apostles for that was the true Christ and the true Apostles that bid people believe in the light and walk in the light and brought them to the light within and the true Prophet and Prophets said that he would give him a Covenant to the Gentles and this is the true light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and all that denies this are Antichrists and Deceivers Pr. He saith How beautiful are them that preach the Gospel c. not by the light within And the word of faith cannot be said to be in mens hearts and mouths page 14. And the sure word of prophecy spoken of in Peter is the Scriptures which people must take heed unto as unto a light shining in a dark place and the Saints received the words of the Apostles not as the words of men c. Wherefore the Quakers suppose that God himselfe is their teacher and so erre not knowing the Scriptures page 17. Answ They that preach the Gospel which is the power of God which gives relief to that which was captivated in every creature they are in the light in their own particulars with which they know the glorious Gospel and answer the light in every man that shines in the darknesse and life and immortality there comes to the light through the power which is the Gospel and this is that which is beautifull And the word the Apostle preached of faith was in the heart and in the mouth and is so understood by all the regenerate But by all them that have only the forme and inwardly gone from the spirit knows it not but are of this ignorant they cry how should this be so As the Jewes said how is it that thou maketh us to doubt Yea the Word was it that made them doubt And the sure word of prophecy which people do well to take heed unto as unto a light shining in a dark place mark in the dark place untill the day dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts This was it that let them see that no prophecy of Scripture came by the will of man and this lets them see that such as went in Cains Cores and Balaams way which were Preachers of the Forme but wanted the power but lost the holy Ghost and such admired mens persons because of advantage and came to be dead twice pluckt up by the roots which those dead have long reigned layd upon the earth whose carkasses stinks since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy so many may have the Scriptures and quench the prophesie Pr. He saith Christ is not yet so the Word but be himselfe testifies the Scriptures is the Word of God page 21. Answ Christ his name is called the Word of God and the Scriptures are the words of God which Christ the Word of God fulfills in whom the words all ends And such as the light shines in the darknesse and the darknesse comprehends it not they are not like to see the spirit untill they be turned to the light Pr. He saith They erre not knowing the Scripture when they affirme that the only means of faith is the immediate teaching of Christ dwelling in them page 23. Answ Could the Apostle preach Christ untill he was revealed in him who is the Author of every mans faith And the doers of the Law are justified and not the hearers only Pr. The Quakers will not own the Scriptures to be the touch-stone to try the spirits withal page 28. And the Scriptures are not the rule Oh shamefull deceit And George Fox said that he knew Christ come in him page 29. And this is the deceiving of many and this cannot be till first the true faith of his coming be made voyd which these men endeavour to do page 29. Answ The holy men of God before the Scriptures was had a rule and a touchstone and the Pharisees had Scriptures but were out of the life that the holy men was in that gave it forth and wanted the rule and the touch-stone But the Apostles that was in the life and the substance of what they spoke they had the rule and touch-stone And all in the apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles that are ravened from the spirit of God have had onely the sheeps cloathing but have lost the touchstone and so have destroyed one another about Scriptures the Saints words which was not the work of the spirit that gave it forth And Christ is in you except you be reprobates So reprobates witnesse it not therefore they stand against it and therefore are against them that witnesse it And all the false Christs and the destroyers of the Faith of people are such as draw people from the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and keeping them from witnessing and receiving Christ in them the substance and the author of their faith and such never knows him come in the flesh nor the spirit And such as witness Christ within them receive the author of their saith and destroy the faith of none And the spirit was the rule of the Saints that led them to give forth Scriptures and it lets them see in all ages who got the forme of godliness who used their tongues who lived in the spirit who erred from the spirit who run when the Lord had never sent them whom the Lord had never spoken to and this was the rule and this was the spirit of discerning and this was the touch-stone to try withal Prin. And they say they owne Christ that suffered meaning the Spirit within page 36. Answ There is none knows Christ nor his suffering but with the spirit of God within for with the spirit of God in the Prophets and the holy men they knew Christ that was to come to suffer with the spirit of God in the Apostles they knew that was the Christ that did suffer with the same spirit of God within people they now come to see him and enjoys him and receive him the same that did suffer which none doth that are out of the spirit And the Pharisees that had Scriptures knew him not who were gone astray from the spirit nor the Gentiles though they had Scriptures Neither doth the Apostates who are inwardly ravened from the spirit of God though they have all the sheeps cloathing know the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world though they be for multitude as the sands on the sea shore nor doth any know it and receive it but who comes to that which they ravened from Pr. He saith That Christ is a distinct being from the Father page 40. They that hold that they are now in the possession of the Kingdome of Christ and that they have eternall life now in possession perverts the right way of the Lord. Page 42. Answ Christ is not distinct from the Father for he and