your blind zeal the mouth of iniquity hath been open in you with all the world against the truth but with it in a great measure it is stopped Pr. The evils hath been so strong that they have wrestled all weapons out of the hands of Saints and Ministers that have been formed against them Answ These have been pitiful weapons that you Ministers and Saints have had in your hands that the evil wrestled them out they have been carnal not spiritual for the spiritual weapons the evil cannot wrest out of the hands of Saints and Ministers of God but with them they are plucked down his holds and high places and spiritual wickednesses the evil dares not come nigh the Saints weapons which are spiritual Pr. You say We desire no longer to rest in a testimony of words but take an effectual course that sin and sinners may be purged out of the house of God we desire the Church would set some days apart wherein they may bewail iniquity and pollution that Ministering Brethren would without respect of persons from house to house night and day bear their testimony to flie from those abominations Answ The Church of God you cannot which is the Pillar and ground of truth which Christ purchased with his blood without spot or wrinkle or blemish and the house of God you know not who talkes of purging of it who is established a top of all the mountains and all your abominations and pollutions and respecting of persons is out of the Church and the Law both transgressors of it and it is time to begin to stir up your selves and turn from the evil of your wayes and turn to Christ the Light who hath enlightened you that you may bear testimony against your selves and your Ministers and lightness and abominations in your own families and do not say it is the house of God and the Church of God but amongst your selves and we do believe it is but the testimony of words who have denyed the light and so denyed the power Pr. They may deliver themselves from the blood of souls having declared the whole counsel of God Answ Can dust and ashes declare the whole Counsel of God and cankered ones and pollutions and abominations can such declare the whole Counsel of God such be out of it for they that come into the counsel of God declares that and come out of pollutions and cankered with the world to him by whom the world is made who is perfect and makes them perfect who declares his perfect will and counsel Pr. Another evil we thought to have spread before you but wanting opportunitie shall now omit and that from Chard we have laboured in vain that which hath been brought forth hath been to little purpose Answ This you may speak to your shame and shew forth your own nakedness that you have laboured in vain and that which you have brought forth hath been to little purpose in this the Church of Christ believes you who hath been them that hath beaten the air and why do you Print abroad that there is another evil among you which you have not laid open had you not been better have held your tongues except you had mentioned it is not this Hams spirit who lays open one anothers nakednes to the world in Print but how can you do otherwayes who hath denyed the light that hath enlightened every man that comes into the world which comes from Christ Jesus and so wants the covering and as for all your dirt and drosse and dung which is not worth mentioning in your Epistle and confused words which you set forth thinking to your glory but it is to your shame had you been in the life that gave forth Scripture which the Saints was in that was of the Church you would have covered your nakedness and would not have said pollution was in the Church and in the house of God but for all these things you are judged and you and your Epistle and your words to be unsavory and is judged with the life of God that gave forth Scripture and them that be of the house of God and the Church of God where no pollution is nor comes nor canker the witness in your conscience shall answer it in the day of the Lord. By us Richard Baxter c. Pastor of the Church at Kederminster In their Paper called the Judgement and advice of the Assembly of the Assosciated Ministers In it their Principles as followeth Pr. THat ever there should be so much to do among Christians yea the leaders of Christs flock and to bring them to so clear a duty that after all there labour there is no more done Answ Ye have been them that God never sent and found to be such as Christ cryed wo against and so you have not profited the people at all And you have not been the leaders of Christs flock but been such as turned against them that hath been your duty so therefore be all the people on heapes Pr. That all men must know that we are Christs followers if we love one another for he that saith he loves God and hates his brother is a liar Answ In this poor men you have judged your own selves for is not debate and strife and vain glory and persecution and prisoning found among you Cain turning against his brother Abel and slaying and killing him whose blood cryes for vengeance upon you so it is a proof that you are out of the faith that works by love in which is the communitie and Love with God and one with another And so in stead of making up breaches you are wounding and bringing confusion being out of the faith and life that Christ and the Apostles were in so in heapes about their words Pr. It is not our business to change mens minds from infidels and heresie to the faith but to bring the Churches of Christ to understand each other to be true Churches which take the holy Scriptures for our Rule of your faith and lives and believe it to be the infallible word of God and this Rule is Divine so our faith is Divine had we but a humane Rule we could have but a humane faith proud men thrust their opinions into the Churches Creed Ans Your businesse it is true is not to change men form infidels and heresie and to bring them to the faith so not into the unity for you bring no people into that nor to the Faith and you bring no Church to know one another in the faith and the Churches of Christ knowes each other to be a true Church and you whose businesse is not to bring men off heresie to Faith know not the Church of Christ which is the pillar and ground of truth built upon Christ who is the faiths author and the scriptures which signifies writings as you say outward writings paper and ink is not infallable nor is not divine but is humane and a humane knowledge from it men get and so writings
they that separate themselves from the Apostles sensual having not the Spirit Jude 19. and are of old ordained to condemnation who separated from the light which turns the grace of God into wantonness so these are they that neglect the common salvation it was the charge of the Apostle to Timothy before his decease 1 Tim. 4.2 2 Tim. 4.7 Then told him perillous times should come and Doctrines of Devils and men speaking lies in hypocrisie he said unto them that they should trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all men and especially of them that believe 1 Tim. 4.10 But the Devils Doctrine leads them from their Saviour and from the grace 2 Tim. 4.1 And they that are not in the Doctrine are from the light which Christ hath inlightned them withall Io. 1.9 And have turned the the grace of God into wantonnesse and pernitious waies and drawes others from it and we do conclude that to be the Doctrine of Devills which saies God calls all men to repent and intends not to give them grace nor would not have them to repent as thou Henry Foreside doth say for it was the charge of the Apostle to Titus to speak sound words and sound Doctrine and could not be condemned Titus 2. and told him that the grace of God which brings salvation had appeared to all men which taught them to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lust and to live godly soberly and righteously in this present evill world these things speak and exhort with all authority Tit. 1. But as I said before ungodly men that turne the grace of God into wantonnesse are of old ordained to this condemnation and this is the condemnation of the world that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evil Io. 3.19 he that loves the light the light is his Saviour but he that hates the light it is his condemnation Pr. That the two parts of the Church must be prophane and godlesse Ans The Church is the Pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 The Church of the living God for the ungodly are out of its grounds and that which is ungodly the pillar and ground of truth there is no ungodly in it and the Church is without wrinkle or spot holy without blemish Ephe. 5.27 and the Church is in God 1 Thes 1.1 That which is in God is in the light and out of the ungodly Pr. That God before the world was had ordained one little part of the people for eternall life that sin or doe all the evill they could they could not loose that which was ordained for them Here thou goest about to make Christ a lyer for he that commits sin is the servant of sin Io. 8.34 saith He that commits sin is of the Devill saith the Apostle and thou wouldest make God partiall and hast taught a doctrine contrary to the scriptures For God is no respecter of persons Rom. 2.11 Who will give to every one a reward according to their works Psalm the 62.12 And he that workes iniquity must depart cursed from Christ Mat. 7.23 and Mat. 25.41 And he that sinneth after he hath received the truth there remaines no more sacrifice for sin but a fearefull looking for of Judgement Heb. 10.27 And the elect doth not commit sin and who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Rom. 8.33 and the Elect is Christ Isa 42.1 who was elected before the world was he that is borne of God doth not commit sin neither can he because his seed remaines in him 1 Io. 3.9 And he that commits sin is of the devill and never knew God ver 6. And here is the children of God manifest and the children of the Devil 1 Io. 3 10. And God hears not sinners and them that regard iniquity Psal 66.18 Io. 9.31 Prov. 15.8 Pr. That the great part of the world was ordained for Hell that repent or doe all that they are commanded to doe they would not obtaine salvation because God had Ordained them to Hell Ans Then he was asked wherefore he preached His answer was to save the elect he was answered again if it was so there was no need of that seeing they could not be lost Then he was asked before he preached to them that were ordained to Hell he answered to make their damnation hotter it was answered them again that they had small friends of them and they could not make is hotter seeing they were ordained before the Priest aforesaid was asked who had the blame that men went to Hell His answer was Seeing ye desire to know I shall tell you there is one part of the blame in man and another part of the blame in the Almighty that men went to Hell Ans In this here is confusion thou saist God hath ordained them thou saiest God has done it then marke then thou sayest there is part in man and thou sayest before it was in God now if it be in God as thou saist that he hath ordained them to hell repent or doe all that they are commanded to doe thy preaching is needlesse and thou cannot adde to Hell hotter or colder Therefore thy preaching is done and ceased And thou saist part of the blame that men goe to hell is in God here thou wouldest make God unrighteous who desires not the death of a sinner God is not to be blamed in any thing he doth but praised and righteous in all his judgements and God is not to be blamed for God is truth so let God be true and every man a lyer Rom. 3.4 thou wicked one mans destruction is of himselfe Hosea 13.9 and God wills not the death of a sinner but rather that he would repent so no fault in God who saith let the unrighteous man forsake his unrighteousnesse and he shall live so let the righteous man forsake his righteousnesse and he dies Ezek. 18.22 So my waies are equall the Lord hath no pleasure at all that the wicked should dye but that he should return and live so mans destruction is of him selfe And whereas thou saist God hath ordained a great part to Hel what makest thou of Christ who came to be a Saviour of the world Io. 4.42 he doth not say the Elect onely but to save the world and not to condemn it and God so loved the world marke the words Je. 3.19 he doth not say so hated it that he gave his onely begotten Son into the world that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life and he came not to condemn the world but that the world through him might have life but they that hate the light and doe not believe in it are with the light condemned but thou sayest otherwise that he condemns a great part of the world and he doth not say he loves the Elect onely but God so loved the world and God was in Christ reconciling the the World to himselfe 2 Cor. 5.19 he
that the Officers and Elders of the Church are to be ordained by a mediate way the power without the person government without governour is a meer fancy Ans Since the dayes of the Apostles that Christ said should come and inwardly ravened that went forth from the Apostles the false-spirit gone out into the world and the world hath run after them They can speak no therwise but of a mediate call and their Elders and Members are made mediately and so have all erred from the power and spirit of God of that which they call a Church and this is since the dayes of the Apostles For all Elders and Officers of the Church of God the pillar and ground of Truth they are made immediately by the spirit For the Church is spirituall else how should they see the things that are immediate or behave themselves in the Church of the living God which is the ground and pillar of Truth the Church which is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ The power of God rules and orders people when there is no outward government Nay it strikes down government of men and governors as in the days of Daniel and Pharaoh and in many other places of Scripture mentioned the power of God strikes down government and Governours out of it and this is the power that is honoured which strikes down false governours and Government and which is not a fancie as you ignorantly say Pr. And ye say Christ doth not forbid to be called of men master in the expression of civil honour and we will warrant a Pulpit from the Scripture Ezra's example and ye say they that stand praying in the Synagogues that are reproached as Antichrist c. Answ They that pray for mony and Preach for mony and get up a Pulpit and plead Ezras example They might have pleaded the Pharisees had the chiefest seat they are ignorant of Christ the Light and the life and the power who came to put an end to Ezra and the Pulpit both who Preached up and down the mountains and wildernesses and denyed the Pharisees praying and all that are got up there without the power and that is the Antichrist that is got up in the long robe and praying for mony and pleads Ezras Pulpit and saith it is a civil honour to be called of men master and so slights and transgresseth Christs Commands and calls it civil respect these I say are they that have gotten the sheepes clothing upon their backes but inwardly ravened from the spirit of God and deceives the world But now their hypocrisie cannot be hid but must come to light and be published upon the house top and give light to the whole house and not under the bushell and the children of light shall shine that men shall come to glorifie their Father which is in heaven and you Antichrists in the Apostacy has got up in Ezras Pulpit which comes to end Pr. They say it is a civil respect to say you to one Again Christ laid down the very reason why his disciples should take neither gold nor scrip but wholly depend upon the means due unto them for Preaching c. Ans When saw we the New castle Priests go out in this manner without gold or scrip and wholly depending on the Preaching of the Gospel Or when saw we any of them called Ministers of England do so go without a scrip depending only upon Preaching the Gospel nay are not there Petitions flying up and down the Nations to the Magistrates for maintenance enough to shame both Magistrates and Church and themselves too if they had any shame that their flocks and Vineyards would not maintain them to shame all the people that ever they have Preached too and make people so ashamed of them to turn their backs on them For they cannot say that they have lived upon the Gospel but they have lived upon the States and what they have got by ravening He that lives upon the Gospel gets a flock and gets a Vineyard ye are found in the Popes maintenance which is tithes and offerings from men and not in the maintenance of Christ which he allowed to his disciples whom he is with to the end of the world Now these are States Ministers made by man and so have their allowance so put in and taken out by men so are out of the allowance of Christ which he gives to his disciples whom he is with to the end of the world which you may see ye are out of the steps of them and will appear to all sober people to be the Apostates in the Apostacy ravened from the spirit of the living God and the power the Apostles was in who said have not I power to eat and to drink not great sums of mony Stipends and Gleab-lands and tithes set forth by the Magistrates And the Apostles often would not use their power to eat though they had power And never did any of the Prophets or Apostles bring up their people they Preached too with an hour-glasse no such form or custome or when any spake within their hour glasse they had a law to prison that is the beast that doth so that quencheth the spirit and is not the Ministery of Christ And doth not many of you shake the glasse and think the time long And you could not tell when to give over and you would run all into confusion but for a glasse And is not this carnal glasse your limit See how ye can Preach without it and so tell well when ye have done without a sickness in your spirits which must have a carnal to limmit them which shewes man hath not power over his own spirit And the power of God knowâ—s when to speak and when to keep silent And so all your Preaching by the glasse which is a limit of your earthly spirits which went out into the world forth from the spirit the Apostles were in which they Preached by but that which ye study out of old Authours the sheepes clothing ye sell yearly by the glasse Is that your measure The Priests measure that he measures out to people look in any steeple-house almost and see if the Priest have not a measure or it may be two measures a day Do not call this the weakness of the people for many people are ashamed of these things that you should give them but two glasses a week Now is it not more honour to lay by your glasse and come into the spirit and Preach by the spirit and so speak as it moves and gives utterance and quench it not in any and so that all may learn and all may be comforted in your Church and you to one is not a form of sound words so not civil but to be condemned and shewes you have not learned your accidence nor Grammar Pr. Such as trembles at the word of God and works out their salvation with fear and trembling is judged to be notorious bringing back to the Covenant of works Ans
Father as well as Master c. See page 68. Answ Thou hast in this denyed the doctrine of Christ and slights it who saith be not ye of men called master for yee have all one Master which is Christ and ye are all brethren And thou hast shewed thy selfe out of the Brother-hood and there is a birth to be born which can call no man Father upon earth which thou art ignorant of Pr. He saith There is lawfull respects of persons and it is said God himselfe is the respecter of persons and the Quakers overthrow all authority because they do not respect persons because they deny that page 71. Answ God is not a respecter of persons as saith the Apostle for his Covenant he gives to the Gentiles as well as to the Jewes And the faith of Gods elect is held without the respect of persons and he that respects persons commits sin and transgresseth the Law And so thou divides not the word aright Pr. He saith False Prophets shall arise and damnable heresies and many shall follow their pernicious wayes by which the way of truth shall be evill spoken of Ans The Apostles saw them come up the false Prophets that brought in the damnable heresies that was covetous c. and many followed their wayes And the false Prophets goes from the light that Christ hath enlightned them withall and raveneth from the Spirit and gets the sheeps cloathing and through their covetousnesse makes a trade of that and you are such which causeth the truth to be evil spoken of which are come up manifest since the days of the Apostles Pr. And the Quakers are not to be received into their houses nor bidden God-speed and such as creeps into houses leads silly women captive laden with sin and led away with divers lusts Ans The Apostle saw such as crept into houses and saw such as transgressed the Doctrine of Christ that was not to be received into houses and saw the deceivers that walked after their ungodly lusts before the Apostles decease and such as led people always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth as it is manifest now in the world they are learning 40. 50. or 60. years and yet there is a cry among them that they must have the body of sin while they be upon the earth and live in their sins and none can be without it and this is the height of your doctrine it leads too which is now in the mouths of all people that be under your teaching that teach that Doctrine and yet you will say the work of the Ministry is for the perfecting of the Saints to the edifying of the body of Christ till all come into the unity of the faith unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ And this work ye have denyed your selves to be in but such that are as Jannes and Jambres how should it be otherwise that ravened from the spirit of God inwardly that went forth from the Apostles that be covetous that keeps people alwayes learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth So you are them that keeps people from the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and keeps them in spiritual Aegypt Sodome and Gomorah where they be always learning having the forme of godlinesse and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth and this to you all will be a sad cup at last And as for all thy lyes and slanders in thy Book which are not worth mentioning they will come sad upon thy selfe one day for the grievous lyes thou hast uttered in it unto the Nation which thousands in the Nation that are not under the name of Quakers knows and sees the contrary to what thou hast published but they will fall upon thy own selfe and be thy own burthen And then thou shalt say when thou feelst thy owne works burn thou hadst better have been silent and not have published forth thy folly and made thy name to stinke and brought thy name upon record who hath made lyes thy refuge but the haile is come and coming that will sweep them away William Thomas called Minister of the Gospell of Vbley His Book called A Vindication of the SCRIPTVRES and MINISTERS His PRINCIPLES followeth Pr. HE saith Christ directs to looke for life in Scriptures because they testifie of him and that the Scriptures are the ground of Faith and the Saints rule And again We are justified by Christ without us and not within us See his Epistle Ans The Scriptures many had and searched them and found not life in them for Christ is the life and if men have all the Scriptures and have not Christ they have not life And so Christ did not say they should have life in Scriptures but he saith they thought to have life there and they testified of him And they would not come to him that they might have life How ignorant art thou of the Scriptures and of Christs words to divide them on this manner And Christ is the Author of the Faith And many if they have Scriptures they have not the ground of faith untill they have Christ the Author of it and God the giver of it which is able to make wise unto salvation through the faith which Christ is the Author of For Enoch and Abel c. had faith before the Scriptures was written and so before thy ground was And the Saints had a rule before the Scriptures was written for the spirit was their rule that led them into all truth and to speak forth Scriptures that is the rule that mortifies circumciseth baptizeth and leads into all truth The Word of God that fulfills Scriptures leads into all truth that is the truth that leads into all truth Now the Scriptures cannot lead into all truth but it testifies of that that doth so And if Christ be not within people they are reprobates And is a reprobate justified And if Christ be within is not the Justification there redemption and Sanctification witnessed Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Pr. He saith We consider how few there be in the Church that belongs to God See his Epistle Answ This is your owne Church which is not the pillar and ground of truth For who be in the Church of Christ the pillar and ground of truth where there is not a spot nor wrinkle nor blemish nor any such thing they are them that belong to God they are living stones built up together a spirituall houshold but this thou art afar off Pr. He saith We willingly acknowledge we are fallible men that may be deceived and to finde infallible Teachers is against experience None pretends infallibility but the Pope See page 9. He saith The Scriptures is the Well and living Fountaine from whence living waters have been drawn this hundred or thousand years page 8. Answ If every one that hath the Scriptures hath
Answ None knowes nor is made Ministers of Christ by Arts nor by Languages let them get all the Languages upon the earth they are still but naturalists and men learning anothers mans natural Language and he hath learned but that which is natural and he knowes but that which is natural what another natural man can speak and all their Arts is there Now that which makes a Minister of Christ is beyond the natural yea all the natural Languages upon the earth and seeth before they was let it cost them never so much yea gold and silver a wedge of gold and silver to get naturals and the most precious things upon the earth cannot purchase nor make a Minister of Christ that which makes them is the Spirit of God nor none knows the Scriptures but with the Spirit of God given forth from the Spirit of God Nor none knowes the errours but by the Spirit of God Now if all men upon the earth have Scriptures in every one of their natural Languages yet none of these knowes the errours nor none of these knowes the Scriptures without the Spirit of God from which they was given forth Pr. He saith If the Magistrates could find out any other way for maintenance for Ministers they would part with tythes which have been this many hundreds of years Page 9. And there is many Ministers will not take their Tythes but they compound with the people for their Tythes And we dare not trust the people for maintenance But we see care hath been taken for us many many hundred years before we were born c. Page 10. And why doth not the Quakers charge us with idleness as well as with taking wages Answ Are ye not all a company of idle fellowes bred up at School in the filthiness of the earth pride and filth and when ye come out ye raven after great Benefices and troubling Parishes and stirring up the people to envy against one another like a company of mad-men and suing and hailing people up and down to Courts for maintenance Are not these the works of belly-gods And is the Magistrate the Lord of the vineyard that he must allot Ministers maintenance and the labourers Hath not Christ told his Ministers what they must have already And was not the Apostles to go forth without any thing and to trust the Lord and the people which you dare not trust them And trust to the Gospel which ye dare not trust the Gospel to maintain you but you have a set Benefice or augmentation or a Magistrates power to give you maintenance before you go out to a Parish Oh how are ye biting and devouring one another for such things as was not accounted of or esteemed among the Saints who suffered joyfully the spoiling of their goods by such devourers as you are And is that your deceit to compound with people for their Tythes and is that your cloak then to say you do not take Tythes and since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy since the power of God the Gospel hath been lost hath tythes been set up which men should have Preached and lived on So you that have had the form of godliness denyed the power the Gospel ravened from the life of God your Gospel will not maintain you and ye cry help Magistrate help Law cast into prison summon up to Courts and this hath been your work for many hundred years for maintenance And so all sober men that stands and looks on are ashamed of you Thus the poor people are deceived with your false covers wolvish spirits you have gotten the sheepes cloathing upon your backs but now is the vials and hail storms fallen upon your heads which makes many of you gnaw your tongues and now is the thunders coming out and plagues which makes many of you free your selves Pr. He saith False Apostles and deceitful workers and Satan transforming himself into an Angel of light c. Page 11. Answ Christ said false prophets Antichrists the inwardly ravenors in the sheepes cloathing should come the Apostles saw they was come before their decease which was devouring as most of the Epistles declare of them the Apostles saw them before their decease that made a prey upon the Saints that served not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies now since the dayes of the Apostles hath the world run after them and they have devoured the world and they have gotten the sheepes cloathing upon their backs therefore have ye deceived the world Now you have been the skirts and the suburbs of this great City the day hath declared you your City is besieged and the Lamb and the Saints have conquered it by whom the Saints have been slain and their blood drunk In which City hath a trumpet sounded and the piping hath been and the mourners have gone about the City But now is come Lamentation desolation and wo to her and all her Merchandize that hath builded up and thrown down whereby the world is brought into confusion the faith and truth and life and love being reprobated out of and from that the Saints was in that gave forth the Scriptures that which the Apostles saw coming in before their decease which Christ said should come hath ruled and raigned since their decease until this day that Christ hath come and made it manifest Pr. He saith the devil could not do mischief in the Church where the candle is burning and light shining but he gets on his garbe and the weakest of children are carryed about with every winde of Doctrine pag. 17. He saith the prince of darkness is transformed into an Angel of light he walketh in the Churches pag. 18. Answ The Church of Christ is the pillar and ground of truth which truth the Devil is out of and abode not in it he walkes on the out side and is not in the Church and so children thou knowes not that are heirs of the Kingdom of Christ and are of his Church the pillar and ground of truth And the devil and false prophets and mother of harlots though they have all the sheepes cloathing yet cannot get into the Church where the candle is and the burning shining light with all his Garbe as thou calls it Let the whore be arrayed never so gorgiously who hath ravened from the spirit of God that 's the Church the pillar and ground of truth that be in the spirit of God the Candle is burning and light shining this the whore and the Devil and the wolves and the false prophets and Antichrists and beast is out of raging on the outside in the earth so the Church is the pillar and ground of truth the Church of Christ and here the elect is known that cannot be deceived And the Devil and the Prince of darkness though he transform himself into an Angel of light yet he doth not walk in the Church for the Church is in God the pillar and ground of truth and out of that he is and all
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
Judgement upon all the Priests the rest of his fellowes who in most coasts of the Nation are troubling people for Tythes and their maintenance and you are blind-folded who leads people from the spirit within who are ravened from it and hath the sheepes cloathing in the humane learning which is from the earth from the ground and that cannot distinguish the naked truth and with that the Pharisees could not see Christ as you be that cannot see the light which hath enlightened every man that cometh into the world nor the Sons of God who are led by the spirit Pr. He saith The Scripture was given forth in the Hebrew Greek and Latine which we truely say is the Original and to attain spiritual wisdom by depending upon miraculous Revelations from heaven is attempting the good Spirit of God Answ And here he is contrary to the Apostle what he had received from the Lord he declared and David waited upon the Lord and all the Prophets of God for Counsel and teaching and Revelation and this he calls a Temptation which no one knowes the Son but by Revelation nor the Father nor the Scripture not a Hebrew nor a Greek nor a Latinist but they that think to find it out by natural Languages are in the temptation from the Spirit of God which reveals the deep things of God which to all you inwardly raveners is miraculous and as for the rest of thy confusion and lies it is not worth the mentioning but shall cover thy self thy Judgement the witness shall answer and manifest thy cloathing John Wallace Priest of Kendal William Moore Priest of Kellet Priest WALKER Their Principles as followeth Pr. THey say That the Devil is transforming himself into an Angel of Light and this is to oppose the Light of Christ Answ The Light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall is that which Satan is out of and you that be out of the Light which Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world withall in you may Satan transform who tranformed before the Apostles decease which since their decease it hath been him that hath made this work among all creatures which you be under his power since the dayes of the Apostles in the night of the Apostacy and he hath been the cause of destroying people which be out of the Light in which is the unity To sing without the spirit to sing words made ready to their hands as the Jews could whose songâ— might be turned into howling and to sing in â—he spirit there is the melody made to the Lord where hymnes Psalms and spiritual songs are known but to say that Christ and the Apostles sung Davids Psalms turned into Meeter as you do now a thing made ready to their hands this would make as though the Apostles and Christ could not sing without Davids Psalms and would put every one besides the spirit for Christ was Lord of David and the Apostles Preached the end of David in that they sung and every man that cometh into the world having a Light from Christ and that which may be known of God is manifested within man though Jewes and Gentiles be from it it guiding all minds it will bring them to sing in the spirit as David Solomon Christ the Apostles and the Saints and in this let all make melody to the Lord in their hearts all having moving and breath from the Lord. So let all praise the Lord in the spirit and in it unto him sing who in him moves and lives and have their being Gawen Eglesfield His Principles as followeth Pr. THat his call into the Ministery is mediate Answ So is not a Minister made by the will of God which is immediate nor a Minister made by the spirit which is immediate Mediate is naturall and the naturall man knows not the things of God for they are spiritually discerned Pr. And he saith The Law is not changed that gave tythes Answ The Law of God is changed and the Commandement disannul'd though the Pope set up another Law since the apostacy from the Apostles Ambrose Dickinson His Principles as followeth Pr. HE saith That there is nothing within man but what puts him on a Covenant of works Answ First there is faith within man and there is Christ within man that works by love and God will dwell in man and walk in man and the Son of God is revealed within Dost thou liken all these to things without in the Covenant of works which ends them all and was before they was Pr. He saith There is no knowledge of Christ in this generation but by the Scripture Answ Many may have the Scriptures and not know Christ they will not give the knowledge of Christ that which comes from him and shines in the heart doth give the knowledge of Christ the light And the Jewes had the Scriptures but had not the knowledge of Christ as you that doth not know the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world the eare being stopt to that of God in you and eyes closed and it is not the spirit and the letter of it cannot give life Pr. John Stockdale said the Scriptures must try the spirits Answ The spirit was before the Scriptures was and the Jewes had the Scriptures yet knew not Christ but crucified him and that must try the spirits that gave forth Scriptures Pr. He saith The spirit and the Scriptures are one and the same thing Answ Scriptures are writings as the Priests and professors say and Christ was before it was given forth which owns it and is when it ends and is fulfilled Pr. Priest Heywood in Lancashire said It was blasphemy to say that the Church was in God Ans Contrary to the Apostle 1 Thes 1.1 who said the Church was in God Prin. Again he said It was blasphemy to say that God dwels or walked in his Saints Answ Contrary to the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.16 Eph. 4.6 which saith God will dwell in you and walke in you and ye are the temples of God Christopher Wade His Book called Quakery Slain His Principles are as followeth Pr. HEe saith in page 3. Oh horrible to say the infallible spirit must open the Scriptures Answ Which hath shut himselfe out of the spirit that gave forth Scriptures and must open them again in which is the unity and that is infallible and he that hath the spirit of God hath that which is infallible and he that hath not the spirit is none of his so out of the infallibility where thou art in the horrible state Pr. He saith It is whimsicall to say Christ God and man flesh and spirit is in them Answ Contrary to the Apostles Doctrine who said they were of his flesh and of his bone and Christ in you and he would walk in them And he that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his and they are of his flesh and of his bone and Christ in you the hope
them you keep with clubs and staves lest any should be moved from the spirit of the Lord to speak amongst you from the Lord. And your Parishes and Flock which you undertake to prove to be a true Church alack for you that people should be so impudent to say these are pillars and ground of truth or the Steeple-houses be the pillars and ground of truth A company of Drunkards Swearers covetous proud persons given to pleasures you are like them that said they were Jewes and were not but the synagogue of Sathan a nest of unclean birds Pr. We expect not perfect unity till we have perfect knowledge and holiness Ans Have you cryed up your selves to be the ministers of Christ all this while and have not perfect knowledge perfect holinesse perfect unity The least unity is perfect in the spirit and the least knowledge and the least holinesse in the spirit and this you acknowledge you have not perfect unity perfect knowledge perfect holinesse and this hath been the cause you have kept all people since the Apostles in blindnesse out of the unity in that which is unholy who say you have not the perfect knowledge for the least of holinesse is perfect and in the holinesse is the unity in whith is the perfect knowledge though in the least degree and this thou hast confessed you have not and we doe believe you and so out of thy own words thou and you are proved unsanctified for who are sanctified have perfect unity perfect knowledge perfect holinesse Pr. I use notes as much as any man when I am laâ—y or busy c. Ans This is it which holds up your lazy minds which you gather out of books selling it again by the hour-glasse and make that day you call sabbath your market day selling both prayers and preaching who have not the spirit of the Lord to lead you to speak as it moves and to lead you to all truth as it did the Disciples so it is lazynesse indeed that hath set up your notes and reads them by the glasse for money and who have learnd seven years out of books Colledges and then gather up out of your authors books in notes and thus make a trade of them and then teâ—ls the people you are sent and it is the word of the Lord which it is but the reading of books and yet you tell people you never heard the voice of God if any aske you thus deluders are judged out of their own mouths who have a law if any are moved of the spirit of the Lord while they are reading their notes or speaking before or after none to speake against what they have gathered out of their books and studies which was not the works of the true ministry but the worke of those who were out from the true spirit and so were ministers of the letter and old authors and notes Pr. He saith They are unmercifull men that say more glorious dayes are appearing and that the Saints shall rule the world Answ In this thou hast judged thy selfe and there need no more words be spoken to it And the rest of thy lyes and slanders in thy Book which are not worth mentioning they will fall upon thy own head John Cole His Book printed 1658. His Principles in it as followeth Pr. IT 's a common thing for the young Harlot to say minde the Light within Answ The light which doth enlighten every man which cometh into the world all Harlots draws from and be out of it and such may beget proselytes and father them upon God which are not in the Truth but the day is come that all things are made manifest and by it doth appear and the light which every man which cometh into the world is enlightned withall is the offence to all the evill doers who be out of salvation and the Covenant of God and none sees salvation but by it Pr. The young Harlot can but mend evill old Adam by her exhortations and instructions and doings and threatnings and she doth fright some to her obedience Ans The Harlot is in that which evill old Adam is in in the transgression and so they which be harlotted from the spirit of God cannot mend and instruct the transgressor they themselves being in the transgression They may tell them of the Saints words and speak them as the Devill doth who is out of the Truth but thou John Cole art fallen into the earth and there art quarrelling And as for the rest of the stuffe in thy Book which is not worth mentioning but when thou feels the root and tree burn and fall into a fire about thee and thee in it then remember thou hast not that which doth not savour withal as thy confused childish workâ— do appear which in print thou hast published to the world Alexander Rosse his Booke which he calls A view of all RELIGIONS His Lies and Principles Pr. GOd is not in the quaking of the body Ans Was it not God that made the body of David to quake and Daniel and Habakkuk and Job and the mountains quake at the giving forth of his Law And doth not God say He doth not shake the earth but heaven also Now dost not thou manifest thy selfe to be one of them that cast them out that tremble at the Word and tells them that God is not among them And as for Alexander Rosse his lies and slanders in saying the Quakers said Christ had failings and distrusted God which thousands of thousands that can witnesse to thy face thou art a liar it is a sufficient proof to them that thy book is made up of such stuffe of lyes which is thy view from the Creation And the rest of thy Book is much like unto that and the false prophets studying a divination of their owne brain to get money by we deny but such as divide the word aright we own and all that pray and preach and sing for money and make a trade of the Scripture to get money by we disown but such as pray and sing by the spirit we own and all your Readings for money we deny but who reads freely we own and all your Seremonies we do deny and are come to the substance Christ Jesus before the world was made Pr. The leaves of a tree are not the fruits thereof and yet without them the fruit would not prosper Answ Art thou a fit man to give a view from the Creation of the World who erres thus in Naturals For pluck off the leaves of the Vines and see if the grapes will not prosper Art thou a fit man to give a view of Religion and blasphemy and errour from the Creation who art not able to give a true view of the Naturalls Pr. Thou sayest It is horrid blasphemy to say the Scripture is not the Word of God and to say the soule is a part of God Answ The Scriptures are the words of God in Exodus and the four Books of the
things to him in some things his minde runned out and that he condemns and yet these wicked men will go tell the Nation of it so what will they have more of a man but his life for abundance they have cast into prison and again these persecuting professors and Priests hath published in one of their books to the world of one Hugh Bisbrowne of buggery who had some time come to the Quakers meetings but was turned from them and durst not meet them for he had been judged by the Quakers before such things were heard of him by them and yet these filthy men will villifie truth with such things that they might make it odious to the world but the sober people see all these things is but their envie and again these persecuting professors and teachers hath put in their book that they have published to the world one Cotten Crosland and they say he was a professed Quaker and that he knew higher things then the Ministers and that he hanged himselfe and he was buried in a Crosse way and a stake was driven through him that passengers might take heed of Quaking This man I saw him once at a meeting another time in the rude multitude he was amongst the Quakers the first time he said little the second time he spak something amongst the rude multitude which the Quakers did not own him and he raised a grievous lye agianst G. F. and said he said he was Christ which was on a market day among the market people This is the third time that ever I saw him amongst any of the Quakers and he told G. F. he had witness to prove it and G. F. told him he was Judas And he went away and after a while hanged himself And Christ in the male and female if he speak he was Christ the seed and the seed was Christ but he did not speak it as a creature and here 's the Priests and Professors Quaker which turned against the Quakers and would have betrayed them but Quaking we own and trembling which you all must do before you know your Salvation wrought out with fear and trembling And a many lies you have gathered up together and stuffed up your book withall and make them your refuge and think the world will refuge under them but a lack for you people begin to see it was nothing but envy in you And it was known that Gilpen was never no long Quaker though the Devil was made to tremble in him And the Lord will reward you according to your work The witness in your conscience shall answer it in you all in the day of your Judgement Thomas Collier Nathaniel Strange Thomas Glasseys who cals themselves servants of Christ in his Paper to all the Churches called Saints through the immortal seed Answer The Churches and Saints who be of the immortal seed hath viewed your paper and your principles in it As FOLLOWETH Pr. YOu say You have taken upon you to speak to God though dust and ashes and yet you said you are Saints through the immortal seed Answ Thou hast forgotten what thou hast written before in thy Preface who hath taken upon you to speak to God though dust and ashes yet says through the immortal Seed such as be Saints though the immortal seed are not dust and ashes for the immortal seed lives and abides and endures for ever Pr. You say You have been bewailing Congregation-iniquity family iniquity personal-iniquity and close-iniquity for by your Search you have found Sion full of unsoundness from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot all puterified sores and now call upon them that tremble at the word of God to come to us Answ You have cast them out that tremble at the word of God and made them your by-word and written and Printed against them and the Lord hath appeared to their glory and what Saints close iniquity family iniquity Congregation iniquity and personal iniquity and Sion from the head to the foot all full of putrified sores and no soundness from the head to the foot and now do you call to them that tremble at the word of God whom you have cast out whom in scorn you have called Quakers will you now turn Quakers do you begin to be ashamed Pr. O come and sit down in the dust and weep bitterly before the Lord for your abomination you have but as it were playd with God you have not trembled at his presence you have been wanton before him and have forgotten what manner of men and women you were and thought no more of your prayers O how often have you mocked God how doth the world canker your affections while you have been asleep in the lap of this delia Answ Thou hast even shamed thy Church dost thou call them Saints through the immortal seed and say they mock God and are asleep in the lap of this delila and the world hath cankered their affections thou hast shamed thy Church and called them Saints through immortal seed and yet they must weep bitterly for their abominations and sit down in dust and ashes are these like Saints sanctified ones of the immortal seed or like transgressors the unsanctified ones not worthy to have a name to be called Saints for such as mocked God and was in abominations must lament for it was not sanctified nor was not come to know the immortal seed but the Saints and the immortal seed reigned over all mockers and such as was cankered with the world and mocked God and was in their abominations they came to reign over all that in the wisdom of God with which they ordered the creation to his glory you call your selves servants of Christ If your people be cankered and mockers of God in the abominations you have laboured in vain and shews you have not profited them at all but are the false teachers Pr. Thou sayest you have reigning abominations cruelty to servants and children exating labours taking no time to counsell them we have mourned that we have had so great a hand in this trespasse and not born testimony against our Ministers Answ This hath been your condition your fruits hath declared it therefore it is time for you to repent and amend your lives and doings and turn to the Lord for while you have time prize it for you that have stood against the Light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the world are not of the Church of Christ for none comes to it but through the light Pr. Though slavish fear had stopped our mouthes until the mouth of iniquity hath almost devoured the poor Church of Christ Answ The Church of Christ is the Pillar and ground of truth it cannot be devoured by the mouth of iniquity the gates of Hell cannot prevail against it but through your mouth of iniquity enmity and envy you have almost slain your selves who is against the truâ—h turned who hath been slavish for it but against it mad in
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
not the weapons of the Spirit of God whereby his true Church was ever defended for because Cains sacrifice was not accepted therefore he slew his Brother and persecuted him and thus you that are of Cains seed do the same upon the same ground because your works are rejected and theirs accepted with which you deal thus in this violent way of persecution and wickedness And this is the protestant Church so called and her Ministers with whom I am now dealing which seems to be the true Church and more then the Church of Rome for you Protestant Ministers do deny and cry against the Church of Rome as a false Church and her Ministers to be deceivers which in it selfe is very true But yet your hypocrisie in this doth appear and your double-mindednesse for let me tell you while you cry against the Church of Rome as a false Idolater and a persecutor of the true Church and against her Ministers to be deceivers and contrary to the Apostles are not your spirits the same and your works the same in nature though not in measure and in particular this work of yours to imprison people and whip them and put them in the stocks and beat them and abuse their persons and bodies who doth but speak against you and your Religion is not this worke of the very same nature as the work of the Romish Church she to defend her Church hath Inquisitions and banishment and many cruel tortures with these things her Church she defends killing and afflicting of peoples bodies that doth oppose her Church and deny their Religion and you have stocks and whips and houses of correction and putting great fines and taskes upon people and banishing people out of townes and spoiling their goods and casting men into Prison who doth oppose your Church and deny your Religion and is not this equal and justly according in Nature to the persecution that is in the Romish Church and what difference between the defence of the Church of Rome and your Church of Protestants they have their inquisitions and you have your houses of correction they have their slavery in the gallies and you have whips and stocks they have their divers torments and cruel dealings towards persons that oppose them and upon their bodies in one manner and you have your torments and cruel dealings towards us in an other manner though not in the same measure yet in the same nature and what difference between you and them And herein doth the hypocrisie of the Protestant Church and their Ministers appear in that they cry against and denies the Church of Rome and their persecution and cruelty acted against others and yet in nature and manner doth practice the very same upon us as in England this day is witnessed And not onely in this particular may the Church and Ministers of the Protestants be condemned for hypocrisie but also in many other things even the most of their practices in their worship is of the same nature and by the same spirit which the practices of the Church of Rome is practised by and in and not onely so but it may be truly proved and made manifest that the original and institution of many of your Church practices proceeded from the Church of Rome and the Church Pope of Rome did ordain institute many of your practices great a part of your worship which is performed in the church by the Ministry of the Protestants so called this in its time season I may make fully appear and discover to the Nations and I may shew in the particulars what particulars of the worship practice in the Protestants Church had their first rice and beginning and originall in the Church of Rome though they are minced and degressed with diminishings addings according as their imaginations have guided them yet still they retaine the strongest taste and savour of the Church of Rome and had their rice and original there though in the performing thereof they may be altered and changed in appearance and form but are perfectly the same in ground and Nature as springing from the Church of Rome and shee the mother of the Protestant Church and of the practices of the most of her performances in worship and this may be proved as God willing upon occasion as the Lord moves I may let forth my mind and what I know in these things and may shew though that the Church of the Protestants have disserted the Church of Rome yet their Ministrie its Call and ordination and its practice and maintenance hath a dependancy upon the Church of Rome as being the original of that which is by them therein practised though in some things deviated from the perfect form and practice thereof And also the whole worship of all the particulars in relation to the Protestant Church and Ministrie and worship hath a dependance upon the Church of Rome as being the first original thereof and though they cry against her and her Ministers and have denied her yet is she the mother and wombe in which was bred and out of whom proceeded the Protestant Church Ministry and worship and practices and this may be manifest at full that the Protestants Church Ministry and worship chiefly tasteth and savoureth of the Church and worship of Rome and had their original out of her And also further may be shewed that the Protestant Church and worships and Ministry are not an other in nature and being then the Romish Church Ministry and worship but is sprung out thereof as a branch out of the same root the ground being one and the same though differing in appearance for in her beginning and first dissenting from the Romish Church she did not deny her in ground and being as not being at all the Church of Christ but onely in some particulars dessented alwayes then to this day retayning divers of their practices in worship and Church government which doth shew that the Protestant Church is not perfectly another nor her Ministry and Government and worship another then is the Romish Church but is the same in ground and being onely digressed and deviated in particulars and this may be fully manifest in season that the protestant Church worship Ministry is of the Romish Church sprung as a branch out of her not contrary to her and against her and all these things is the Lord discovering and laying open that Nations and peoples may come to behold the mother of harlots that mistery of Iniquity and all her children and may see the state and turning of times and things ever since the daies of the Apostles and true Churches and how that all these divers sects and all these Churches falsely so called are risen up and sprung out one of another and coming from one seed and wombe and though divers in appearances and sundry in practices and professions yet are they all one in the ground and nature sprung from the mother of harlots all
to the language of the Apostle and Christ who bid them be perfect and the Apostle spoke wisdome among them that are perfect and said they were made free from sin And it is the Devill speaking in man that speaks for sin while men are upon earth and speaks for the Devill holds up him who makes men not perfect which Truth makes men free again from the Devil and speaks in man and says be perfect Pr. He saith Christ doth not condemn men for being called of men Master and it is not the title but c. Ans Contrary to Christs words who saith be ye not of men called Master for ye have a Master in heaven even Christ and ye are all brethren And thus he tramples upon the commands and makes the commands of Christ of none effect which is one of the marks that Christ gives to the multitudes to know the hypocrites by and so doth not onely deny Christs commands but teacheth men to break them so crucifies Christ and sayes they are his Ministers but that 's the Antichrist that abides not in his doctrine as in 2 John Pr. And he saith people are tossed up and downe like a bundle of feathers and Novices c. Answ How should they be otherwise but be tossed up and down by you when ye deny perfection of being perfect and calls it the voyce of the Devil speaking that speaks of perfection and overcoming sin How should you but be the men that tosseth people up and down with every slight and blown up and down with your windy doctrine that is not perfect and so bring the Nations and people like unto waters For all the unperfection is out of Christ in the first Adam in sin and transgression and the Devill which is out of the truth and all the perfection is in Christ the second Adam the covenant of God out of sin and transgression and so who are in Christ are new creatures and old things passeth away and all things become new So in the second Adam in the Lord from heaven above the earthly the first man in the perfection out of the tossing that 's your imitated Church got up since the dayes of the Apostles not the true Church Pr. He saith a true Church is guilty of injury c. See page 4. Ans Contrary to the Scriptures where the Apostle saith the Church is the pillar and ground of truth without spot or wrinkle or blemish or any such thing Pr. He saith God hath commanded a sufficient maintenance in generall for Ministers and left it to humane prudence to judge what is sufficient c. see page 7. Ans By this he hath left the spirit to judge and the wisdome of God which acts by his commands and so runs into earthly humane prudence Therefore is there so much oppression for Tytheâ— and maintenance for Ministers and so much making havock and prisoning and persecuting for the same And the power denied which the Apostles had to eate and to drinke which Christ gave them and so you run into the lust for the money of whom you do no work for and the earth and whilst they coveted after that they lost the faith and that is the cause that people have lost the unity and run all upon heaps Their Teachers have lost the faith through coveting and love of money in which they should have had unity with God and one with another and have pleased him and had accesse to him and have given them victory over the world the Devill enmity and corruption Pr. He saith all that come into the world are lighted with the light of nature See page 7. Ans For so he calls the light which John calls the true light which is Christ that lighteth every man that cometh into the world so is ignorant of Johns doctrine and the Scriptures a man not fit to teach but is gotten up by an usurped authority and is not able to divide the word aright but with the Scriptures thou art corrected and the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world the naturall lights were made by it the Sun and Moon and so forth And men that are born blinde are enlightned with that Light which was before the Sun was before all things was made which came a light into the world to enlighten every man that all men through it might believe Now all men may see how all men are mad against John Christ and the Apostles doctrine that bore witnesse to the true light and Christ bid believe in it Pr. He talks of and preacheth up an externall word See page 8. Answ Which the Scripture speaks notâ—ing of nor the Prophets nor Chrrst but saith the word that lives abides and endures for ever and of the Scriptures of truth that cannot be broken And of Gods words and Christs words and that is not external this is not agreeable to sound words that cannot be condemned but that is like his doctrine that knows not the eternal but the Ministers of Christ did not tell people of an externall word but an eternall word but you being made by the will of man speak to the people of an externall Pr. He saith He hath not seen God in glory nor any man c. See page 9. Ans We do believe thee and the Priests have not seen him but the Saints saw him and Job saw him and Isaiah saw him the Lord of hosts and Steven saw him and Abraham saw his glory and the Apostle saw him and beheld his glory the glory of God And you are as the Pharisees that stand against Christ that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world that Christ said never saw the shape of God Pr. He saith The word infallible is the pillar of the Popish Kingdome and the master-point of new Religion c. see page 9. Ans Now thou that calls infallibility a Popish point a new Religion Thy Religion thou hast manifested and thy points that are not infallible contrary to the Apostle who had many infallible proofs of the spirit of Jesus Christ they who have not are none of his and who have the spirit of Christ have that which is infallible and lets them see infallible proofs as thou mayst read in Scripture And who have the spirit of God have that which is infallible And the Religion which is out of the fallibility and out of the spirit of God is vain and there is thine and the Popes as your fruits have declared got up since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy fallible but that which is in the spirit of God is infallible Pr. And thou saith Thou hast no such revelation as the Apostles had as thou knowest of and the Apostles were brought to speak infallibly to the Church by an infallible spirit and thou nor the Pope hath no such infallibility as the Apostles had c. see page 10. Answ We do believe you for you are the false spirit you and the Pope that went
from them And is it not blasphemy for you to speak and preach that which ye have not received from heaven so ye have brought your selves under the curse and shewed another Gospel For whosoever receiveth the Gospel which is called the power of God it is immediate and by immediate revelation from God from heaven And so your Gospel which is of men and after men is another not the power of God received from God for whosoever receiveth the Gospel the power of God must receive it immediately for the power of God is immediate and that is the glad tidings to poor souls that sets the souls free which is immediate Pr. He saith We claim Tythes not by the Law of God but by the Law of the Land and Tythes seems to be Christs wages and Melchisedeck still liveth to receive Tythes in Christ c. Answ Christ is come the everlasting Priest-hood who ends the true commandement that gave tythes and the Priests that took them which ends in him Melchisedeck that received tythes of Abraham of whom Christ came according to the flesh And so Christ doth not any where to his Disciples who ended the true command that gave tythes give forth his Disciples an order to set up another Law in the Nations to give them tythes the tythes of mens estates and so you are none of the Order of Melchisedeck never come thither but of the order of them which Christ said should come who are inwardly ravened which John saw was come went forth from them the false spirit that went forth into the world into the earth and so ye have set up Tythes and Temples and Schools and Priests by the Popes authority Had yee not your Spiritual Courts not long since And was not the Pope the first author of your Tythes And are not you of that Order far off of that spirit that leads after the Order of Melchisedeck for ye are ravened from the spirit For none comes to the Priesthood after the Order of Melchisedeck but who comes to the spirit of Christ and these are Kings and Priests to God for ever So ye have received your Tythes after the order of that spirit that went forth from the Apostles into the world into the earth that inwardly ravened and went forth from the Apostles which the world have been after since the dayes of the Apostles and have had the sheeps cloathing but ravened and devoured the Lambs and worried the sheep Ministers Prophets and Saints So your Order will all men comprehend that be of the royall Priest-hood after the order of Melchizedeck to be come of the Popes stock for the Apostles and Christ did not set up Tythes Pr. He saith Baptisme comes in in the room of Circumcision and it is called the circumcision of Christ Again he saith that thee and thou is a custome So if any man be contentious we have no such custome in the Church of God Ans Circumcision is no where said to be a type of sprinkling Infants and that sprinkling Infants is no where said to be the circumcision of Christ But the circumcision without of men was a type of the circumcision within And that the Apostle witnessed the fulfilling of it in the spirit and so denies the outward And the baptisme of John was a type of that within And you to a particular which is your custome which the Scripture doth not declare to us that that custom was in the Church of God But the Apostle bid them keep to the form of sound words that could not be condemned Now you to a particular is not a found word as they can tell that have but read either the Bible or Accidence And there is no Heathenish customes comes into the Church of God that will spot or wrinkle it nor nothing cometh into it that is the pillar and ground of Truth that will be condemned Pr. And he tells us of a word Trinity And he saith the onely ordinary way to know Jesus Christ is outward Revelation and to attain to the knowledge of Christ is by the Scriptures and he may be a Minister of Christ though he be partly out of Christs doctrine and though he be called of men Master He saith the Scripture tells us plainly that Baptisme is a Christians circumcision Again He that saith that light which is in every man is sufficient to discover and lead men to Christ is under the darkness of his own fancy having so far left the true light the word of God Answ The light in every man which Christ hath enlightned him withall loving it and walking in it it is sufficient to discover Christ and salvation and they that be out of that be in the darknesse and fancy And as for the word Trinity that comes from the old stock the Pope the Scripture teacheth us no such word And none can know Christ by the Scriptures they testifie of him but none can know Christ but by Revelation flesh and blood had not revealed it to Peter and the Son was revealed in the Apostle and none can preach Christ that deny revelation in truth and they that are Ministers of Christ they be in his doctrine For when they are out of his Doctrine and his commands then they are wrong Ministers which ministers not for Christ but they preach themselves and are Antichrists transgressors And the Scripture doth not tell any where that Baptisme is a Christians circumcision as sprinkling Infants but Circumcision in the spirit and Baptisme in the spirit is all one in which the oâ—â—ward ends And as for all thy other silly expressions published to the Nation it bad been better thou had kept silent and all of you then to have published your shame to the Nation But your folly you must bring forth to make it manifest to all men whose eyes are opening Are not you in the Devils snare who are out of the discerning For you cannot tell what to bring people into alack for you who are hung about with rags and are not covered with the spirit of the Lord but are all from that which we are in and so hast kept people in darknesse and not turned them to the light being all ravened from it and so think there is life in the Scriptures which testifie of the life So I say search it and see if it do not testifie of the life And every one of your words that ye have all spoken that have not been from the life shall be your burthen the witnesse in thee shall answer it Thomas Weld Richard Prideaux Samuel Hammond William Coale and William Durant Ministers in Newcastle Their Booke called The perfect PHARISEE Their Principles as followeth Pr. THey say If they shall say that every man hath the knowledge of Christ by speciall revelation and that immediate by the spirit that which it quite contrary to the common knowledge of thousands Ans All that ever come to know Christ you and all the people upon the Earth it must be
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
sufficient that declares of Christ And the Prophets did not take Texts and raise Motives and Uses and Reasons and lay in them halfe a yeare together and sell them for money as ye do now since the days of the Apostles in the apostacy But now I am come to reckon with you and you shall have a portion a reward according to your works And I will slay you with the sword the words of my mouth saith the Lamb. And your Poynts and Reasons and Imaginations which ye fetch out of Scripture is but to lead people under condemnation and keep them from the immediate teaching and the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And James Parnells blood who dyed in the Prison that righteous man his blood lies upon you and that shall lye upon your heads sparkling and from under it ye shall never come but ye shall own it And the spirit of God levels down all the proud and lofty hearts of men by which people are brought into unity with God and one with another And the first day of the week which ye call the Sabbath ye never read it in the Scriptures as a strict command among the Apostles Pr. And the Magistrate is not to levell the Laws with the light in every mans conscience Again If the Magistrate be in the Light and discern into the minde of Christ and understand his law Is he to compell all the Nation and Common-wealth to come to the practice of his light page 308. Answ The Magistrate of Christ the help-government for him he is in the light and power of Christ and he is to subject all under the power of Christ into his light else he is not a faithfull Magistrate And his Lawes here are agreeable and answerable according to that of God in every man when men act contrary to it they do evill So he is a terrour to the evill doers discerns the precious and the just from the vile and this is a praise to them that do well Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the more sure word of prophecy that shines in the darke heart untill enlightned by the Law And every mans light c. is the shimmerings of the law and not of the Gospel light and it is the voyce of the spirit of unbelief that saith the spirit and the power is not in the declaration See his Appendix Answ The spirit and the power was in them that gave forth the Declaration and many have the Declaration and wants the spirit and wants the power as the Pharisees did as all you Apostates inwardly ravened from the spirit of God have had the Declaration but not found the power in it nor spirit in it and so are in the unbelief and are all on heaps about it For if ye had found the power and the spirit in it ye had been all one and quiet before now about Religion yea whole Christendome in power and in the spirit and in the bond of peace and in fellowship one with another and the Scriptures and the spirit and God And the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world every man being in the light which hath enlightned him he shall feel the word of prophecy he shal feel the light shining in his heart he shall feel the Day-star arise there in his heart he shall see that no Prophecy of the Scriptures came by the will of man but holy men of God spoke them forth He shall see that many may have the Scriptures yet quench the spirit despise prophecying he shall see the Scripture is but the Letter declared forth from the spirit of Prophecy by the Prophets and the spirit of God in the Son and in the rest of the Apostles And the light which doth enlighten every one c. is the end of the Law and all shimmering lights and it is the light of the Gospel And none knows the Gospel the power of God Christ Jesus but with the light that cometh from him And here cometh every man into his particular comfort And that is the voyce of the unbeliever like the Pharisees that thought to have had life in the Letter and would not come to Christ the life the substance of Scriptures but stops his eare to the light of God in him Pr. He saith Let all know that the worke within is not the ground and purchase of true peace And that God is more pleased with that which Christ works without for them then that which he worketh within them And those that Peter speaks of that had escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Christ yea cleane and yet are in the naturall state first and last See Appendix A. Them that have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledg of Jesus Christ and are clean are out of the naturall state for they have escaped out of that state which they were in first And such as witnesse their Sanctification Justification wrought within them they witnesse in this they please God by the faith in the blood of the Son of God Now they feel not the comfort nor the benefit but by the faith of Christ Jesus the one offering in which God is pleased withall which is acceptable which is Christs offering his sacrifice his flesh his blood his life his mind must be manifest and received within before they come to Justification Sanctification and Redemption and the serving of God in the new life And herein is God glorified to believe in the onely begotten Son of God and here they honour the Son in believing in him whom the Father hath sent And so they that feele not Chirst in them are Reprobates And as for all the rest of thy lyes and slanders and strife and confusions who would set one against another all cool and quiet sober spirits will see thy confusion and so thy words shall be thy own burthen and the lyes torn upon thy owne selfe And no man shall establish Sion nor lay a stone there as he is in himselfe but the Elect makes up Sion and the living stones where the elect and precious stone is in the midst which is Christ laid in Sion And all thy Babylonish wayes actings doings and the rest of all thy Brethren and who are begotten with the same spirit of the great Whore that inwardly ravened from the spirit of God which long hath had the sheeps cloathing upon your backs who all come from one Popish flock are comprehended now by the spirit of God which ye all ravened from inwardly with it are ye all fathomed And how the Whore hath been arrayed with the sheeps cloathing and hath had power over Kindreds Tongues and Peoples and Nations and Multitudes and brought Nations into waters and Peoples and Tongues Multitudes like waters which have drunk the blood of the Prophets and the Saints and the Martyrs And so thou art flattering the Authorities of the earth and crouching under them out of whose
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
eight and that was before Matthew Mark Luke and John or any of the Epistles was written and as for the rest of thy lies slanders and hard speeches they shall fall upon thy self and be thy own burthen the witness in thy conscience shall answer me in the day of thy judgement And they that have not the Eternal Spirit are none of his Thomas Weld Richard Prideaux Samuel Hammond William Coles and William Durant their Book called A discovery of a generation of men called Quakers In it are their Principles as followeth Pr. FIrst That the soul is a part of the Divine Essence Asw That which comes from God which God hath in his hands which Christ is the Bishop of is of God and Divine and immortal which many of the Priests say is appetite lust and pleasure and the soul of Christ say they is humane which is earthy and so you that are come from one mother are not agreed here among your selves and people begins to see you the time hath been they knew not which of you to believe but now they believe in Christ who is the Bishop of their souls Pr. There lies a Mystery of iniquity for to say The world calls them so by such and such names or gives them their Christian name Answ There are names given by the heathen the heathen outwardly which men are called there is a new name which the world knowes not written in the Book of life here is the new man known after God in rigteousness created and true holinesse Now who is this new man and this new name the world may call him by the old So it is not a mystery of iniquity to say the world calls him so Pr. It is a sinful neglecting of their families to wander up and down And the forsaking of apparel changeable he calls it monkish holiness Answ When people runs into transgression from the life of God into the earth Then comes up the lusts of the eye the lusts of the world and the pride of life which leads them into all the fashions of the world which is not of the Father but of the world Now the lusts and the affections must be mortified which have outwardly transgressed the pure principle of God within whereby the minds hath gone out into the creatures and things without whereby it falls under the creatures and so comes to worship the creatures thereby more then the Creator who is God blessed for evermore being gone from the Principle of God in their own particulars that is it which mortifies the world when men turn to it and this brings off all the lusts of the world and excess and affections and professions whether they be such as thou cals monkish or notionists or whatsoever it brings into the possession into the life which mortifies for this which thou calls monkish holiness is like unto your own who have not the spirit as they lived in who gave forth the Scriptures so all holiness which stands out of that is self righteousness And the Apostles and the faithful in all ages that wandred up and down did the will of God spoke the word of God were commanded and moved of the Lord forsooke all for Christ Christ did not teach men sin And he that doth not forsake all is not worthy of him House Lands wife children whatsoever he that esteems any of those more then Christ he lives still below he lives still not given up he is not worthy of him and they that do not forsake all and come out of all are in the sinful neglect of the family of the Lord of heaven and earth and they stick below in their own cieled houses habitations nests holes and rocks falling into the mountains and there garnishing the Sepulchres and living in all fashions customes honours and pleasures of the world And the Priests work hath been this to teach the people to keep in the lust and not to forsake and come out of all their lusts to Christ who are not worthy of him and if any do they look upon them to be sinful neglecters of their family which wisdom was before all things were made and is the preserver and finisher of all things and not the destroyer but tha it rebukes and in this are men ordered to Gods glory Prin. The Quakers deny the imputed righteousness prayer baptisme Church-government Ministery Answ That ever ye five that are called Ministers should ever thus publish your lies to the Nation The higher powers the one government the Church the Pillar and ground of truth The Ministry that is in the spirit that Ministers to the spirit in the prison baptized with the spirit into the one body prayer in the spirit the Lords Supper who dwells in the Saints and walkes in them and Sups in them the Gospel the power of God imputed righteousness to the believer Abraham believed and it was accounted to him for righteousness and Christ come and Christ in you who is the end of the belief who is the justification it self and righteousness it self nigher then when they did believe And so here is justification it self without imputation the righteousness of God here the belief ends And all these things are owned according to the Scriptures but all such teachers that be in the earth and teaches for money and means we deny and baptiseth and sells your prayers and Preaching and Supper for mony we deny Pr. Will a discerning of the Gospel mysteries prove a power to discern the state and condition of souls what it shall be to all eternity is not this a large ignorance Answ The Ministers of the spirit did watch for the souls the Prophets and Apostles knew its state and knew Christ the Bishop of it and saw when the soul was in death and saw when God had pleasure in it when it lived and saw the soul in Gods hand for who have the mysteries of the Gospel which is the power of God which gives liberty to the captive to the soul and all that is imputed in man this is glad tydings to the Just this is a true work-man that divides his work aright and is not ashamed of his work of his building but presents the soul to God and knowes when it is in death and when it is living And so who are come up into the Bishop Christ they are one soul they know the hand of God which the soul lives in which is the power and so knowes it from eternity to eternity And so ye Priests which do not discern the soul and its state to eternity and from eternity ye are not in the mystery of the Gospel which gives liberty to it neither have ye it for ye are stumbling at the light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world which comes from Christ the Bishop of the soul so your darkness cannot comprehend that and so what fellowship hath the light with darkness it is not a strange thing It hath no fellowship with it for
Likewise he saith That which is contained in the Bible is spirit and life An. This is as much as to say that spirit is in the letter and life is in the letter now hadst thou said that which is declared of is spirit and life these words had been true and the letter it selfe death and the life was in them that gave it forth that is sound now the people have it among them as a general word that the Bible is a History or a treatise or a catalogue or calls it the letter these are the common words among professors and preachers now we say they are the words of God and a declaration of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles and Christ is the word in whom they end that is agreeable and according to scripture which cannot be broken and sound words Pr. And the words was confirmed to them by signes Aâ— Them that had the scriptures knew not the word by signes and wonders they were declared and signes and wonders shewed unto them that had the scriptures from the word now to them that had the sciptures which the word to them had shewed maricles when they desired a signe of the word he told them that had the scriptures no signe should be to them but that of Jonas Pr. And they say thee and thou to a particular is a proper speech but it is not a sin to say otherwise and so not to give offence to Jew nor Gentile but you is the nationall speech and the Devill said thou and Cain said thou and this was the bad mans language as well as the good An. Though the Devill and bad men got the forme of true words yet the forme of sound words is to be held fast and though Paul said give no offence to Jew or Gentile yet we do not find that Paul spoke out of the form of sound wordâ— as you to one and because it is a nationall forme of speech and ye not come into the forme of sound words which hath professed both Scriptures Christ and the Apostles which shew they never learned either nor comes into the practice of either you to one is not righteous and all unrighteousnesse is sin for one to say thou Henry Hager art many men would not thou say they spoke unrighteously now Judge thy selfe Pr. You call all men dead and carnall in the serpents Nature in what forme soever if they differ from you Ans All that be not in the light that inlighteneth every man that cometh into the world which is the way to the Father Differeth from us such be dead such be carnall in the serpents nature for none comes to the life but who comes to the light in what forme soever they be in and such as differ from us differ from Christ for none comes from under the Serpents head and nature but who comes to the light Pâ— Likewise he saith But for a perfection in glory to be attained on this side the Grave I utterly disalow Aâ— We do believe thee but a perfection in the glory is attained to while the Saints be upon the earth for they were changed from glory to glory so there is a perfection in the least glory and that glory which the saints was changed from into glory was not glorious but as it was in the perfection in the leâ—st degree or measure as it is in it selfe and so for the rest of thy lies and slanders and unsavoury expressions which are not worth mentioning will cloath thy self and they cover not thy shame but make it manifest they shall be thy own wounds in the day of thy indignation the witnesse within thee me shall answer and thy silence had been better then to the nation to have uttered forth thy folly and whereas thou speakest of the Church that to thee is a mistery which is the pillar and ground of truth but men have gathered together a forme in the apostacy and the seed in the grave since the dayes of the Apostles but now is the seed risen which treadeth such out and down that are gathered together in the words of scriptures but out of the spirit that they was in that gave it forth and that is the seed with which all the promises is to he doth not say it is to the visible Church but to the seed and who are of the seed are of the Church of Christ which is the pillar and ground of truth and so it is not the running up and down the scriptures from place to place and bringing people chapter and verse and telling people what the prophets said and did and what the Apostles said did so to be approved of in the sight of men but such are approved of in the sight of God as be in the life that they were in that gave forth scriptures and be in unity with the Saints that gave them forth with Christ the substance of them and with God Pr. He saith An Vnlearned question to askâ— whether your Baptizers cast out devils and drink any deadly thing and it not hurt you and whether the house where you meet was ever shaken and where he did give the holy Ghost to you Ans This is to shew that you are not belivers nor in the power that the Apostles was in and as for your saying rhe Apostles speaking wicked men should grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived now since the daies of the Apostles who saw those things come up those wicked men being deceived and deceiving now since their daies it is manifest that they have grown worse and worse till they have grown all to heaps and killed one another about religion the whole Christendom can witnesse it such as have had the forme of godlinesse but denyed the power out of the power and life that gave forth the scriptures and out of the bond of peace in the poyson one poysoning one another out of the holy ghost that gave forth Scriptures and out of the healing and the belief that cast out Devils and the devill the murtherer but he hath been your teacher to murther one another about your Religion which did not Christ teach but to love enemies and to save mens lives Thomas Leadger his book called a discourse his principles in it as followeth Pr. HE saith Such be in an error that sets up a light within above the scripture or equall with the scripture and knowes no Christ but a Christ within Ans The light Christ by which all things were made and created glorified with the Father before the world began which the scripture testifies of is above the Scripture before the Scripture was They that be not in this Christ within are reprobates in which the scripture ends and testifies of and so it is Christ the same to day yesterday and for ever that the Saints come to witnesse within them not another Christ neither many Christs And they that professeth a Christ without them have a Christ without them and another
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
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
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
one another in this Church Papists and Protestants Lutherans and Calvinists so called how is it they are not of one body broken into so many heads now the baptisme of the spirit brings all into one body in which spirit is the fellowship and the unity which spirit is the bond of peace and Circumcision outwardly was a figure of Circumcision within and that it typed forth and baptisme without typed forth baptisme within and many may run into the outward water that doth decrease and doth not come to the body of Christ the light as you may read in the fifth of John for none are grafted into Christ the body but who comes to the light John bare witness of Pr. You say though Christ he in Heaven you on Earth and you are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Answ And yet before you said your consciences accused you and your best works in this life were sinful imperfect and you could not keep the commands of God now this is confusion who are of the flesh and bone of Christ are with him and fits with him in Heavenly places for their conversation is in Heaven Pr. We are grafted into Christ by the Holy-Ghost now according to his humane nature on earth Answ Humane nature is from the ground this is old Adam but Christ who according to the flesh was of Abraham and of David the Scripture doth not tell us of humane nature for humane is from the ground but Christ is from above and though he were a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world yet his nature was not corrupted nor his flesh saw no corruption he that is made of the dust is humane he that is the Lord from heaven is not humane so you erre in your understandings that doth not distinguish Pr. Teaching the Gospel and Ecclesiastical discipline by which the heaven is opened to believers and shut against the unbelievers Ans Christ hath the key which opens to believers which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world that through it they might believe and they that do not believe in the light which Christ hath enlightned them withal heaven is shut to them light condemns them and they neglect the Gospel upon whom the wrath comes which Gospel is the power of God and as for the Ecclesiastical discipline it is got up since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostasie which shuts up the Kingdom of Heaven against men that which they should have believed in that is the light Christ hath enlightned them withall which is the key Pr. And such you say that be wicked men the Sacrament is to them forbidden and shut out of the Congregation Answ Do you not call baptisme Sacrament and hath he given them it and did not you say they are grafted into the Church by baptisme and cannot Judas take the sop but for the word Sacrament that you may look in the old Canon Book the Masse-Book and such as you like you give your Sacrament as covetous and proud and lovers of gold and surfetted with the cares of this life and drunk with it and such as are in superfluitie and yet such you will give it to and common outward drunkards you will keep it from now are not all those forbidden and out of the Church of God read and judge your selves and amend your lives and repent that you may come into the spirit that baptizeth into the body of Christ Pr. You say Christ hath redeemed you by his blood and renewed you by his spirit to his Image Ans And yet your works before were sinful and you brake the command of God now this shewes still that you have but the form and unrenewed in spirit unchanged unconverted and not in the Image of God and not in the thankfulness of God out of a pure heart Pr. To mortifie the old man is to be sorry for your sins Answ A man may be sorry for the sin he hath acted but that which puts off the body of sin is the spirit and purifies the heart is the faith and that that cleanseth from all sin is the blood of Jesus and that that blots out all sin and transgression is Christ the Covenant of God and Christ within manifest in the flesh condemns sin in the flesh so having him within the body is dead because of sin Pr. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image the likeness of any thing in Heaven above or in the earth beneath or worship them or bow down to them thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain c. and remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day for six dayes thou shalt labour and do all thou hast to do but on the Sabbath thou nor thy ox servant or stranger shall do no manner of work Answ Do you not make graven images and Pictures of things in Heaven and of things in the water and of things in the earth and so make similitudes and representations and adore them and set them up in your houses and is not this quite contrary to the commands of God and hath not the Papists been your examples for these things and not the Apostles and do ye not take the Lords name in vain dayly in your streets and markets in your buying and selling and take the Lords name in vain when you call upon him with your lips but your hearts be in your covetous practices and full of hatred envy pride voluptuousness ambition self-honour and deceit and this is taking the Lords Name in vain to call on God with your lips while your hearts be after this manner do your servants or strangers or cattel rest on the seventh day and do you not keep Markets and Fairs on that day the Lord gave to the children of Israel after the fall of Adam for a sign of the restoration of the Creation that neither man nor servant nor family nor ox nor Asse should work on that day but rest so it was a signe the Apostles saith the Sabbath day was a shadow of good things to come which was Christ the good thing who restores the Creation and giveth the liberty to Horse Asse Ox and all the Creation unto man and stranger and servant and Redeemes man up into the image of God and renewes it which hath been lost and so is restoring of the Creation and gives rest to his people and all the Creation and destroys the Devil death and all his works Christ who is the restorer gives rest to the Creation who was before dayes was by which all things was made Pr. You say Thou shalt not do no murther thou shalt not steal nor thou shalt not covet thy neighbours goods house or servant nor any thing that is his his wife or ox or Asse c. Ans Do you do no murther that was the Law without do you fulfill it in Christendom then you do not murther the just principle of God in your particulars do you not quench the spirit in
Church of Christ nor you Christs faithful Ministers but where or what is the ground of this ignorance that is amongst your hearers is not the Ministry in a great measure the cause thereof and doth not the blind lead the blind and have not you been unjust and unrighteous in taking money and wages of People for teaching of them and yet they have not received knowledge but continues in ignorance and as for your prayers and councel the Lord takes no notice thereof till you purge your selves of your iniquities and how should you profit the people and bring them to the knowledge of God while as yet your selves are shut up in a cave of darkness as you do confesse Pr. Speaking of your children you say do not they come into the woâ—ld with souls naked as their bodies nothing but filth upon the one and nothing but sin upon the other Answ It is manifest then that you are unbelievers and have not received the faith of Christ but are your selves in an unconverted estate for the Apostle saith concerning the believers children that they were holy If you can receive it you may but as for the soul that is immortal for God breathed into man the breath of life and made man a living soul and sin came by disobedience and that separates between man and God who is pure and hath all souls in his hand but as for you who are in a Cave of darkneâ—s the mystery of the soul is from you hidden but you confess it is by your means that sin is conveyed to your children yea take it to your selves it is your work and the Lord hath no hand in it not in sin nor in making sinners and it is manifest you are out of the power of God remaining in iniquity and are our of the Covenant of reconciliation Pr. For sending children to us we shall briefly offer the duty of it in these particulars we are to feed the Lambs of Christ as well as the sheep they are part of our charge who are to watch over souls Answ What are children now the Lambs of Christ and were they in the last having nothing but sin upon their souls being begotten and born in sin sinners are not the Lambs of Christ but children of wrath the Lambes of Christ are such as are regenerated and born again and as for feeding the Lambs how can ye do it who are taking substance to be shadowes and shadowes to be substance the bread of life ye know not which feeds the Lambs and the sheep but how many sheep and Lambs is found in your flocks do not they by their fruits the rather appear to be in the nature of of wolves and swine let their fruits witness against them and as for your charge who committed any charge to you and as for watching over the soul the soul is immortal which you watch not for but for money and hire and casting People into prison if they will not give it you and causing the servants of the Lord to be persecuted these and such like are the fruits of the Priests of England which if you watched for the soul It would be otherwise with you but who can gather grapes on thorns or figgs on thistles Pr. We should be full of affection to our selves if we desired to work upon our hearers and our Authority in Preaching is marred by unholy living Answ We do believe you and it is manifest to the whole nation that your unholy living marrs your Preaching for unholy men have not received commission from the Lord to Preach his word so you have run and not been sent and there is no possibility of working upon your hearers by words who gives them so evil examples by your practices by your unholy lives and no Authority of Gods presence can be in your Preaching to convert sinners till you repent and come to live holily and like God and this confession of yours hath shamed you for Christs Ministers never made such a confession but they witnessed the Authority of Gods presence in their Preaching whereby they wrought upon their hearers and they answered their Preaching by a holy conversation and did not marr their Preaching by unholy living as ye confesse ye do Pr. Sad one day will be the account of sleepy watchmen blind seers and dumb dogs that cannot bark to fright the wolves or warn the sheep Ans Then look to your selves for blind seers are such as doth not convert the People who speak imaginations of their own hearts and not from the mouth of the Lord and useth their tongues when the Lord hath not spoken unto them and Preaching for hire and devining for money and seeking for gain from their Quarter and that cryes peace to them that puts into their mouthes and prepares war against them which doth not such are blind seers sleepy watchmen and dumb doggs of whom you speak whose account indeed will be sad one day and these are the wolves that must be frighted that do put on the sheepes clothing but inwardly are Raveners and devourers which went out from the Apostles in the dayes of John and which Christ prophesied should come of whose generation you are and not of the generation of the sheep who ever were persecuted and the Lord is beginning to affright you and to gather his sheep and this is the Lord fulfilling in his day Pr. Many Congregations still continue waste none compassionate to tell them of the fire and brimstone from heaven for their sins how many shot off a few Pot-guns against their gross sins and then lick them whole with ill applyed promises but the blood of the People shall be required at their hands Answ Many Congregations are waste and ten thousands of People are as a wilness untilled or unploughed or unplanted in the way of Righteousness and the guilt of this will be laid upon the Teachers who have long been teaching and well paid for the work and yet left whole Congregations waste but it was not so in the Apostles days nor among their Churches who were in the faith of Christ Jesus but when the wolves in sheeps cloathing entred then began Congregations to lie waste which has continued for many generations even while the Beast and the Whore hath ruled over the Nations all Nations hath laid waste and been void of truth to the Lord and who is it except your selves that doth shoot Potguns against their grosse sins and then lick them whole is it not common to cry Peace to them that puts into your mouthes and to prepare War against them that does not and is it not common amongst you to apply Justification by Christ to People that are unconverted and unrenewed and you apply the promises to that birth that is not heire of the Kingdom and this is ill applyed and though you may cry against their unholy lives yet your selves being unholy this is but hypocrisie and sewing Pillowes under Arm-holes and the blood of People will God
his Apostles and his messengers and truth is a top of him and them all and with it are shut out Pr. He saith honour is the expressing of the inward respect that we hear to persons and many Scriptures he brings for bowing and for master pag. 23. and so stumbles at thee and thou Ans Which shewes he never learned his accidence or Bible and is a transgressor of Christs commands who saith be ye not of men called master for ye have one master even Christ and ye are all Brethren and a transgressor of the Law which they that respects persons commits sin and are convinced of the Law as transgressors and reprobate concerning the faith which is held without the respect of persons And though they bowed in the old time several that bowed before the Angels yet Christ is come by whom all things was made the salvation to the ends of the earth to whom powers principalities Thrones and dominions must be subject to whom Angels and Thrones must bow yea things in heaven and things in earth and every tongue confesse him to the glory of God and every knee bow and there people comes into the unity and there they hold the head Pr. He saith the Quakers light teacheth to forsake the Scriptures and set up a spirit in man which will not be examined by Scriptures page 26. Answ This is he which is out of the truth speakes it for the Quakers have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit of God by which they know the things which are freely given of God and know the Scriptures given forth from the spirit of God and with the same spirit the Scriptures is owned again Pr. He saith Paul swore after Christ and the Angells swore page 27. He saith I wonder Paul should so forget himselfe and sin so fearfully in swearing c. So the Quakers light that denies swearing is of Satan and not the light of Christ page 28. Answ Christ the Light which Satan is out of who is the oath of God ends all oaths sworn by Prophets or Angels whatsoever And who swears be fallen into the condemnation of the Devill and it is no where said that the Apostle swore but such as thou art matters not what thou speaks So that spirit that preaches for swearing is not the spirit of Christ but is the spirit of Antichrist preacheth up that which Christ and the Apostles preached down and preached Condemnation to them that did swear Pr. He saith The light in the conscience that takes them from the Law of God is the light of Satan Answ The light Christ in the conscience is the end of the Law for righteousnesse sake And that which keeps men from that which doth end the Law is not the Doctrine of the true Apostles but the false And the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which is the substance leads men off of all types and figures and signes who comes to enjoy him enjoys the end who comes off of all outward Elements as Bread and Wine and such things to the substance it self to look at things that are not seen For things that are seen are temporall but the things that are not seen are eternal Pr. He speaks of a new creature distinct from Christ and saith while we live sin lives And saith I deny that the righteousnesse of Christ whereby a believer is justified doth dwell in him page 36. Answ Is not the new creature in Christ He that is in Christ is a new creature and is not distinct from him and how hast thou divided the word here And Christ is justification sanctification and wisdome and righteousnesse and if he be not within ye ye are Reprobates And where Christ is he is not without righteousnesse Therefore they are not without righteousnesse and wisdome Justification and Sanctification if Christ be within that is within for where he is that is not wanting And the Apostle said they were made free from sin And let not sin have dominion over your mortall bodies minde mortall bodies which sin was not to have dominion over And old things passe away and all things become new Sin is an old thing from the old deceiver So while any sin is standing all things is not made new and sin hath its dominion Pr. He saith He hath not read where a believer dwells in Christs righteousnesse page 37. Answ Every believer that is true is born of God and he that is born of God doth not commit sin And he that dwells in Christ dwels in righteousness and truth is that which sin and the Devill is out of which blots out sin and transgression where the body of it comes to be put off Pr. And the light which teacheth men to say they have no sin is of Satan And saith The Quakers light teacheth them to deny prayer Answ The Apostles light taught them to say they were made free from sin they had put off the body of sin and their sin and transgression was blotted out Little children their sins was forgiven them that walked in the light the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth them from all sin taught them to know the saith that gave them victory over the world that purified their hearts held in a pure conscience And this is the Quakers light which teacheth them the path of the Apostles and it teacheth men to be holy as God as holy and perfect as he is perfect This was the light of Christ and bid them to be as Christ is and said as he is so are we in this present world And the light that guides the Quakers doth not teach them to deny prayer but brings them to pray aright with the spirit and with the understanding which all prayers without it be in the hypocrisie Pr. He saith We acknowledge there is a thousand of perfect men in England as perfect as children tossed too and fro page 40. But he saith I deny that any man hath that perfect knowledge of Christ in this life c. Answ Christ is in you except ye be reprobates And the Scripture speaks of such as had both the Son and the Father And all those children that are tossed too and fro and are carried about with the windy doctrine which hath gotten up in the apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles that are ravened from the spirit of God Such their doctrines are windy and doth not settle nor doth not perfect not doth not bring into the unity of the faith nor the knowledge of the Son of God the faith that gives the victory nor to a perfect man nor to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ which was the work of the true Ministry which was before the Apostacy Nor none comes to the knowledg of Christ but by the light Pr. He saith The Church teacheth to pray without ceasing but you bid stay till the spirit moves us c. Ans The Church prayes not without the spirit which
mercy to all but onely a mercy in manifestation and opperation to them that doe receive it whether Jews or Gentiles and it is a judgement and a condemnation to all that do not receive it both Jewes and Gentiles But as for you fifteen Priests you have included your selves among the sinners shewing that you are yet unconverted to the pretious faith which brings out of all sin and gives victory over it and who are converted are changed and renewed from being sinners to be righteous and these are not sinners of the Gentiles as is manifest you yet are but they are believers of the Gentiles who are made righteous in the righteousnesse of the second Adam who hath quickned them from death to life and from sin to God but upon such that do remaine sinner of the Gentiles and receives not the Gospell which is the power of God the dispensation of it is judgement and condemnation and this shall the testimony of God in every man give witnesse to Pr. Darke we are since the cloud of sin overshadowed our minds our brightest notions are stained our light eclipsed by nature we are Chained up into a Cave of darkness taking meere notions to be things substantial and substance to be shadowes and as our eyes are dim and can not see much so our sloath is great and heedlessnes inexcusable our ignorance of God may be charged on the want of meditation in all men the sinnes of teachers being teachers sinns Admit the Minister be sinfull shal the people despise his doctrine Scripture is Scripture though uttered by Sathan Ans The Ministers of Christ Jesus who were called and sent of him were light in the Lord and were translated from darknesse to the light and from Satans power to God and the cloud of sin was not over them for that was removed and they were as a City set on a hill and were the light of the world and their mindes were spirituall and inlightned and not over-shadowed with the darknesse nor with the cloud of sin as it is with these 15. Priests whose brightest notions are stained and their light eclipsed by nature as they confesse but thus it was not with Christs Ministers for their knowledge was in the spirit and what they knew was in and through the spirit and they were changed in nature and their light which was Christ was above nature and beyond nature and not eclipsed thereby neither were they chained up in a cave of darknesse but were as candles lighted and as a city set on a hill that could not be hid and they delivered forth to the world the pure truthes of the Gospell of Christ which were not stained nor polluted but pure and holy And in that you take notions to be substance substance to be shadowes this is your great ignorance and blindnesse but thus doe not the true ministers of Christ neither are their eyes dim but the Lord is the light and this promise is fulfilled to his ministers whom he hath sent the Lord is become their everlasting light but to you his promise is not fulfilled whose eyes are dim and sloth great and heedlessnes inexcusable as it was with the false Prophets and Dreamers of old whom the Lord never sent and thus it is with these 15 Priests according to their own confession but the Ministers of Christ were not so neither were they in sin nor in ignorance but had received the knowledge of God and were known of him and if the Minister be sinfull he is not sent of God but hath run and never was sent and his doctrine is dispised and not profitable for scripture in the mouth of the Devil is but a temptation no more is the doctrine of sinfull men as taught by them for if the minister be sinfull he cannot convert sinners to God nor turne them from darkenesse to light nor from Satans power to God which is the work of the true minister that have received the gift of the Holy ghost as its manifest these men have not by their own confession Pr. We are presented with a necessity of acknowledging that the Light of the moon with us is as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun as the Light of seven daies Ans How doth this confession of yours answer to your last let all wise sober people judge how confusion hath uttered forth it self what your light eclipsed you chaind up in a Cave of darknesse and your eyes dim and yet the light of the Son with you as he light of seven daies is there any thing in both these confessions except ignorance and a heape of confusion and plain contradictions that all may see your owne confusions out of your own mouthes But who are come to the fulfilling of the promises of God where the light of the Sun is as the light of seven daies sin and iniquity is blotted out and transgression is done away and life and immortality is brought to to light and the glory of the Lord is revealed and they that are in this promise are come out of the Apostasie and out of the beasts kingdome of darkenesse where you yet remaine as its manifest for you be such as Christ said should come and as Iohn saw were come who went into the world and deceived nations but now the nations are gathering from you againe into the fellowship of the mystery of the Gospel which Gospel that hath been lost I meane the receiving of it by the Holy Ghost and the preaching of it as the spirit of God gave utterance for many generations but that gospell againe is to be preached and it is going forth to nations tongues and people and great Babylon shall be confounded and all her merchants shall weep and lament for her fall Pr. We the unworthy Ministers of Christ whose names are under written having waited upon God in a way of earnest prayer have jointly agreed to communicate our thoughts c. Ans They that are true ministers of Christ are not unworthily so nor in the unworthinesse and being unworthy to what purpose do ye waite upon the Lord for who are in the unworthynesse God doth not heare nor regard nor give his answer to such and ye having no answer from God you must needs agree in your thoughts but have you nothing to communicate to your people but your thoughts which are vaine how shall thoughts convert any to God or establish any in him and your prayers that are in darkness are not accepted of him for who are heard of the Father are in Christ Jesus and are new creatures being changed from death to life Pr. Our deep sence of the ignorance of our hearers puts us upon your prayers to God and Counsell one to another what further course to take Ans Indeed a sad complaint may be taken up concerning this matter for ignorance abounds and many other grievous evils in your Church and amongst your hearers shewing that your Church is not the true