God again which soul Christ is the Bishop of and doth not thou speak of a humane soul an earthly soul and is earthly immortal and cannot die nor be killed And is not that which came out from God which God hath in his hand taken up into God again which Christ the power of God is the Bishop of is not this of Gods being And doth not the Scripture say God is all and in all And how dost thou here devide the word of God aright who shewes so much ignorance of the letter of Scripture Pr. He saith It is a wretched doctrine to say men have not a humane soul in them and to say that the soul is a part of the Divine Essence Ans Is not that of God that come out from him and is not the earthly and humane of the ground and is not that mortal and is that which is immortal humane And dost thou say it is humane and is not that earthly And where doth the Scripture of the Prophets Christ or the Apostles tell people of a humane soul and of Christ having a humane body in heaven and doth not the Apostle speak of his glorified body Pr. He saith that God should dwell in his Saints and Christ inhabit in believers how can this be the heaven of heavens cannot contain him how much lesse shall the strait heart of man Answ The Scripture saith God will dwell in men and walk in men and Christ that fills heaven and earth is in you except ye be reprobates and so in this thou hast shewed thy self one not able to divide the word aright and the bodies of the Saints are the Temples of God and God will dwell in them and walk in them and he will be their God and they shall be his people Pr. He saith Nor is it an essential in-dwelling of the Divine nature in Gods people c. Answ Doth not the Apostle say the Divine nature the Saints was made partakers of and God dwells in the Saints and Christ in them except they be reprobates And doth not the Saints come to eat the flesh of Christ and if they eat his flesh is it not within them Pr. He saith God dwells not in the Saints as a personal union c. page 22. Answ How comes the Saints then to eat of his flesh and to be of his flesh and bone and God dwelling in them and have unity with the Son and the Father and to be of his body which is the Church and Christ the head Pr. To say a man is justified and made righteous by Gods putting righteousness into us and by righteousness wrought in the creature confounds Justification and Sanctification c. See page 25. Answ The Apostle brought the people to the faith by which they was justified that was in their hearts for with the heart man believes unto righteousness c. And the light they was to believe in that was Christ And the light that shined in their hearts gave the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus their Saviour Now Justification by the works of the Law was do this and live Circumcise the children if they did not they was to be cut off and they was to keep the Law and the works of the Law the faith of Christ ended for it took away the nature that the Law went upon now the Papists and Priests be out of the works of the Law or the works of faith that works by love for they are slaying one another about Religion though they pretend works and this was ever out of the faith of Christ Jesus to kill one another about Religion Now the Apostles was in the works of faith who neither prisoned nor persecuted any that was a contrary minded that did so nor wrestled not against flesh and blood but against the power that captivated creatures And so all this work about works doth shew you and the Papists both be out of the faith that works by love where love should overcome all things and bear all things I do not measure Priests and professors nor Papists by the works of the Law which the Apostles speakes of which the false teachers were bringing people to in the dayes of the Apostles Neither do I compare or measure Papists or Priests with the works of faith that works by love that becomes all to all for the winning some of them Papists and Priests and professors will kill one another about their faith which is not the faith that works by love and contrary to the Apostles and Quakers faith Pr. He saith our warfare cannot be expected to be over as long as we are in the body and the best of Saints do not live free from sin Pag. 27. Ans The Apostles said they was made free from sin and the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth us from all sin and such as witness the everlasting Covenant of God that blotted out their sins and transgressions And they did witnesse the one offering that perfected for ever them that are sanctified And the Saints did witnesse the Kingdom of God which stands in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost and were new Creatures and the old man put off and they were more then conquerours So thou art ignorant of the Scriptures And it is the Doctrine of Devils that Preacheth that men shall have sin and be in a warfare so long as they be on earth that is not the Doctrine of Christ which brings people to the faith the which gives the victory in which they have unity one with another and please God Pr. He saith to witnesse heaven within and hell within and the resurrection is the mystery of Iniquity Page 31. Ans Which shewes thou never knew heaven in thy self nor hell there nor Christ the resurrection and the life which they are blessed that are made partakers of the first resurrection on them the second death shall have no power And the Scriptures doth witnesse heaven within And if Christ that was offered up the resurrection and the life be not within thee thou art a reprobate Pr. He saith We shall have incorruptible powerful glorious and spiritual bodies and yet they say Christ is in heaven with a humane body which is earthly See pag. 34. Again the spirits can enter into heaven while the body is upon the earth c. And he saith the fourth Commandment commandeth the keeping of a seventh day and he that breaketh the least Commandment and teacheh men so to do is least in the Kingdom of Heaven Page 41. Answ Have not all the Priests and teachers in England denyed the Jewes Sabbath the seventh day and do not you work on it And do not you meet together on the first day of the week And do not you all teach men to break the Commandment there And you keep markets and fairs on the seventh day the Jewes Sabbath ye meet together on the first day of the week which
Christ and the Apostles and the Scriptures are owned by them in scorn called Quakers and the light it speaks of who out of the apostacy are come and so from among the apostates And as for the lyes and slanders in his Book that are not worth mentioning but they shall turn upon his own head whose immodesty hath discovered them Pr. In his Preface to the Reader He saith It is an expression of a darke deluded minde to say that God is not distinguished from the Saints Ans But God and Christ is in the Saints and dwell in them and walk in them and he is a Reprobate and out of the Apostles doctrine Pr He saith We have broken the everlasting Covenant of God Answ Because we own the teaching of God by his spirit and the light which doth enlighten every one that that cometh into the world which is the covenant of God Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the rule of life See page 4. Answ Contrary to Christ who said the spirit should lead them into all truth And they that are the sons of God are led by the spirit of God And the Churches was to hear what the spirit saith for the spirit led them to speak forth Scripture Pr. Again he saith It is a contradiction and a confused sencelesse thing to preach the word of faith in the mouth and in the heart see page 6. Again he saith Most senseless is this profession of Christ in the mouth and believing in him with the heart God that made all things These are his words page 8. Ans It is not a senselesse profession to preach the word of Faith in the heart and in the mouth and to say God will dwell in you and the word is in the heart and in the mouth The word is God and thou art senselesse and fallen in confusion in the contradiction out of the Apostles doctrine and the Apostle saith Christ in you and with the mouth confession is made to salvation Pr. And he calls it a Notion to say that Christ lighteth all and therefore the light is Christ. Ans So here he is kicking and spurning against the light Christ that lighteth every man that cometh into the world which is the Rock the foundation of God the corner-stone which is fallen upon thy head and all be in the notion that be out of it Pr. He scoffs at the Quakers because they say they have the word of God in them Ans Christ his name is called the word of God Pr. He saith God blessing or blasting his owne Word to some according to the different ends intended by himselfe see page 9. Ans Now the Word of God is not blasted God never blasts his own Word but it is they that are blasted that disobey the Word For the Word of God doth its service and accomplisheth the end which it goeth forth for and doth not return in vain And it is the sword of the spirit and that is not blasted It is a hammer and a fire and it lives and doth endure for ever So thou art blasted who saith the Word of God he blasts and art to be cut down by the word of God for thy blasphemy Pr. He saith the Quakers are deceivers because we say that Christ is not in outward observations and formes And John Bunyan saith that he is distinct from the Saints and would have him in the forms c. see page 13. Ans And we say he hath triumphed over the Ordinances and blotted them out and they are not to be touched and the Saints have Christ in them who is the end of outward forms and thou art deceived who thinks to finde the living among the dead and Bunyan is deceived who said he is distinct from the Saints and so you are a company of pittiful Teachers Pr. He saith Every true Christian doth believe that the holy Scriptures alone is to be the object of faith c. page 17. Ans So he hath thrown out God the giver of it and Christ the Author of it for many have the Scriptures and deny Christ the Author of faith and object Pr. He asketh Did you ever read of law and testimony in the heart c see page 18. Ans Yea God saith I will write my law in their hearts The law was in Davids heart the law was in the Apostles heart The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy and that is in the heart See Heb. 8. Rev. Pr. He saith The covenant of God is not to all in the Church of Christ see page 19. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures for where the Church is there is the Covenant the head Christ Jesus And God saith I will give him for a covenant to the Gentiles those are the heathen And I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah and these are called the people of God And therefore thou art in the fall in ignorance and a man without understanding and affirms thou dost not know what and silence would become thee better then to publish thy shame in print for they are not in the Church of God that be not in the covenant of God Pr. And he saith The Scriptures is the sure and perfect rule page 20. Ans And the Scripture saith Christ is the Bishop of the soule and God hath all souls in his hand And many have Scriptures but their soules the Bishop of them they know not but they remain in death and the life they want that gave it forth and so are all on heaps about the Scripture one with another and calling them the rule and the spirit And the spirit of God that led them forth to speak forth the Scripture was the rule to the Saints and holy men of God but they that be in the transgression will kill one another about their words and the spirit leads to see them again and brings them into unity with them and God Pr. He saith It is blasphemy to say that Christ is in them as God and man c. see page 23. Ans How are they of his flesh and bone And doth not the Scripture say Christ in you and God will dwell in you and walk in you And are not the Saints of his flesh and of his bone And are they not partakers of the divine nature Pr. He saith It is a fancy to say the eternall word of God is in them see page 26. Ans Thou art in the fancy that the eternal word is not in and witnessed and under the fire and sword and hammer to be hammered down And so art corrected by the Apostle who saith Let the word of God dwell in you richly The ingrafted word which is able to save your souls and immortal word which is immortal Pr. He saith The Scriptures is the only rule of knowing God c. See page 26. Ans Christ saith none knoweth the father but the Son who spoke among them that had the Scripture and so he
truth cometh to be reproached You are such as turn his grace into wantonnesse as cause the way of truth to be evill spoken of and such shall have a reward according to their works thee and you all Pr. They say The fashions of the world and the Complements are not sin to use them c. See page 45. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures which the Ceremonies commanded of God to use them after the substance was come was sin much more the fashions and customes of the world Yea but saith they this brings us in our living and by the other we lose our livelyhood so ye may see what minde is up in choosing And all the zeale in the wills which runs out before the Light guide that is that which the Priests catch at to make their defence withall against the truth But the Lord will reward them according to their works who hath shewed mercy to Toldervy and made him confess in another Book that which formerly the Priests and he had set forth and vilified the truth and so is published to the Nation after the Answer to this Book called The foot out of the Snare Such as deny the fashions of the world which the Priests are in points and ribbons double cuffs and boot-hose-tops and the honour of men which God will stain and be called of men Master Such things as these 8 great Priests justifies and insnares people under them and if any forsake them they will say they are snared and deluded and it is manifest who is their Master and whom they serve that the keeping Christs command is a snare to them and because we cannot call them Master and keep Christs commands therefore they rage who transgresseth his command and then say they are Ministers of him but your fruits are seen and works praysed be the Lord you eight Priests have discovered your selves who are the false spirits gone out into the world from the Apostles and out of Christs command Matth. 23. Where do you read Mr. Paul Mr. Peter and c. And where do you read that Paul and the messengers of Christ were hung about with poynts and double cuffs and boot-hose-tops and ribbons and made such a stir about doffing of hats and thee and thou as the novice Teachers do now that are found in the lusts and fashions of the world which the Apostle declares against and brought to sound words which could not be condemned and to obey the doctrine of Christ not to be called of men Master But you are the transgressors that abide not in Christs Doctrine but are the Antichrists 2 John which the Apostle speaks of that hath reigned from their dayes but now discovered by the spirit praised be the Lord God and they know in their Latine originall it is not proper to say you to a single person and they know to be called of men Master is against the command of Christs in the transgression and so usurping that authority which Christ forbids Thomas Collier his Booke called The Looking-glasse for Quakers His PRINCIPLES followes And as for all his Lies they will be heaped upon his own head and to his owne sorrow Pr. HE calls James Nayler a lyar because he said That by which the just lives is that by which the creature is justified See page 2. And he saith It is another righteousnesse because we witnesse the righteousnesse of faith which is in the heart which God is the Author of c. page 3. Answ Now that which we say God and Christ is not the Author of but gathered from the letter is a dead faith and righteousnesse and there is your justification that stands in the unbelieving state and is condemned onely speaking of the Letter as the Jews did of a Christ that is come as they did of a Christ that was to come have not heard his voice nor received faith from him who is the author of it through which men is justified and cometh to have peace with God and this faith is in their hearts Pr. He calls it a hearkning to the voice of Sathan to hearken to the voice within and saith they cry the light within the voice of Christ the true word which he saith is but their own lying fancies at the best c. See page 4. Ans Now to call the light within the word within Christ within the word of faith within which is to be obeyed and done lying fancies at the best here thou may see Collier how thou divides the word not aright and art ignorant of the Scriptures And Christ saith the Spirit of the Father speaks in you is not this all Scripture and if they hearken to this do they not hearken to Scripture and is not the Scripture fulfilled in this And is thy voice all without thee onely in the letter And judges all delusion that hath any speaking within them and so hath judged thy self from the holy men of God one of the dumb Prophets and so contrary to the true Prophets and Apostles Pr. He saith If the very Christ of God be within those that are called Quakers he cannot come down from Heaven c. See same page Ans Here he stands against the promise of Christ that he shall come and dwell in you and walk in you I will come again unto you And he hath revealed his Son in me saith the Apostle And this thou Thomas Collier and John Bunyan is ignorant of plain Scripture the Scripture it declares it and the Apostle said know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be reprobates and the Spirit of the Father speaks in you and see how contrary thou art to the Prophets Christ and the Apostles Pr. He saith The Heavenly bodies spoken of in Cor. 15. are the Sun Moon and Stars c. See page 6. Answ Let all people read that Scripture and see if it hold forth that Pr. Again he saith They abuse the Scriptures because they say he that is born of God doth not commit sin c. page 6. Answ When the Scripture is witnessed as it relates and speaks And he abuseth it when he gives private interpretations to it and owns it not as it speaks Pr. Again he saith He that saith he hath no sin deceiveth himself c. page 6. Ans But the Scripture saith If we say we have no sin c. So he perverts the Scripture for it is not he for if he say he he may put it upon Christ who is without sin and upon this account he may charge the Elect whom God lays no sin too and sees no iniquity in Jacob nor transgression in Israel And it is Colliers wicked eye that sees sin in the Elect they that are born of God and thus he abuseth the Scriptures and is not able to divide the word aright and therefore such Spirits is to be kept out of Scriptures with the Spirit that gave forth Scripture For he that is born of God doth not commit sin and there
but at things which are not seen For the things that are seen are temporall but the things that are not seen are eternall and that which is to savation is eternall and is not external Pr. He saith Whâ—t word did Paul and Barnabas preach in the synagogues but the Prophets c See page 19. Ans Nay they preached Christ the end of the Prophets Pr. He calls that a monstrous opinion for to compare them to the Heathen who had not known there had been a God but by the Scriptures and have no more knowledge but by it c. page 20. Ans For the Pharisees had Scriptures and here heathen men may get Scriptures but know not the true God for none knows the true God but by the spirit of God and the Son of God reveals the Father though they may have all the Scriptures and the light that shines in the heart gives the knowledge of him and this the Apostle spoke to them that had the Scriptures and who are of faith are of Abraham and in the knowledge of him that knew God before the Scripture was written Pr. And he saith That the Law and the Testimony is Moses and the Prophets c. See page 21. Ans Contrary to the rest of the Priests which say it is the Old and New Testament and he and the rest of the Priests are contrary to the Apostle which saith The law and testimony is the light and spirit of prophecy which many may have the Old and New Testament yet deny the light and spirit of prophecy as Priests and professors do now who say prophecy is ceased There they deny the practice of the Church where edification learning and comforting is prophecying all one by one such they prison and persecute and they are not like to own prophesie when they deny the light which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world who is the end of prophesie and none owns Christ who owns not prophesie A Prophet is a Seer and them that deny Prophets are all blinde and in the dark and are such as have ravened from the spirit of God and have killed the Prophets Prin. He saith The Prophets are more certaine then any other Revelation See page 21. Answ Was not the Son of God revealed the end of the Prophets Did not God reveal him which came in the volume of the Book to do the will of God And so the Prophets and the Law and types and shadows which they that had the Prophets and the Law and types and shadows knew not the Son of God that was revealed that was their end spoken of in the Prophets and Epistles who is now revealed Pr. He saith The Patriarks and Prophets were justified by conceiving Christ without c. See page 24. Ans Now the Patriarks and Prophets had the spirit that did give them an evidence of him and by faith they saw him which is beyond a conceiving by which they were justified Pr. He saith Justification by works and inherent grace we call Christ c. See page 25. Ans We say Christ is the end the substance and who believes in him hath ceased from his own works he is the end of gifts and graces and mans own inherenting and no one knows justification but who receives the grace that brings salvation Pr. He saith This justification by a righteousnesse within us is mans grand Idoll and Christs arch enemy c. See page 25. Ans We are justified by faith in Christ Jesus and that is in us in the heart this he calls an Idoll and Christs enemy which he is the author of So what doctrine this man teacheth contrary to the Apostle erred from the Apostles and faith it is that purifies the heart by which we are justified by faith and not by works which throws down all Idols and the enemies of Christ which thou art one and none owneth justification but who witnesseth justification within faith in the heart and Christ being within there is justification Pr. He saith We miserably wrest the Scripture because we say he that respecteth persons commits sin c. Ans Now let all read that in James the Apostle how that he that respects persons commits sin and is convinced by the Law as a transgressor so teaching men to transgresse the commands of God contrary to the Apostles who teach men to keep them Pr. He saith Popery and vain philosophy is the foundation of the Quakers Religion c. See page 30. Ans Whose foundation is the light of Christ which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which was before Popery or Philosophy was which you are in as your books naming of days and Colledges and Steeple-houses makes it appear Pr. He saith And to believe or thinke our Justification is by something wrought in us is that Antichrist whose name is mystery Babylon the great the mother of Harlots c. See page 32. Ans And the Apostle saith we are justified by the faith of Christ Jesus Gal. 2. And faith purifies the heart and is a mystery held in a pure conscience This Justification is by the faith of Christ within and this thou calls Antichrist and the mystery of Babylon who art there thy selfe that be out of this faith that purifies the heart For all the holy men of God were justified by their faith and the faith is in the heart And thy belief that is without thee and faith in Christ is like unto the Jewes who stood against him when he was come True faith gives victory over Mysticall Babylon and the world in which men please God in which is unity Ralph Halls Booke called The Quakers Principles Quaking In it his Principles follows and lies upon himselfe turned whose works are for the Fire and to be burned Pr. HE saith It is delusion to give up to the light within to be the Judge c. which is Christ and calls it an obscure kinde of chymistry c. Answ Which the Apostle commands to judge themselves which they cannot judge themselves but with the Light by which they may see themselves Pr. He saith doth the Light of nature as he calls it give liberty to women to teach And so that he concludes and calls grosse and palpable darkness c. Ans Contrary to the Apostles Doctrine and the mind of God and the Prophets who said God will pour out his Spirit upon all flesh and his sons and daughters should prophesie So he is a limitter of the holy one and a quencher of the Spirit and in the darkness and this is above the Light of nature Pr. He saith the Quakers blame every thing and convinceth of nothing c. Ans Are ye not all convinced of your hirelings of your covetousness of your respecting mens persons for advantage and your teaching for filthy Lucre and your gain from your quarters and your love of money Are not ye all convinced Have not the Quakers convinced you all of those things and of your pride and
which cometh from Christ with it they shall see a Saviour Christ Jesus from whence it comes And the light shining from the East to the West and the coming of the Son of man and receive Christ and so come to the Rock And so people having been from the Light which every man is enlightned withall that cometh into the world they have been all brought on heaps But now they are coming to the Rock And thy words Thomas Collier shall be thy own burthen and for them thou shalt receive judgement And this is the word of the Lord God to thee and thy time is not yet past John Billingsley who calls himselfe Mr. of Arts Minister of the Gospell and Pastor of the Church at Chesterfield in his Booke called Strong COMFORTS for weake CHRISTIANS His Principles follows c. Pr. HE saith He would have the Mayor and Aldermen of Chesterfield to shew themselves to be really affected to the cause of Christ and his blessed Sabbaths c. Ans In this thou hast shewed thou art one that keeps people in darknesse and not a Minister of the Gospel of Christ and the new Covenant but of the Law and in the signes and shadows For the Sabbaths the Apostles did bring people off of them and they met together on the first day of the week and denyed the Jewes Sabbath and still it is your practice and yet thou cryest up to shew themselves for the cause of the blessed Sabbath what blind and dark stuffe is this For never did Pastor or Minister of Christ preach up such a Doctrine as to stir up Aldermen and Mayors and great men to shew themselves zealous for the Sabbath And thus thou hast shewed thy selfe to be one of them the Apostles was afraid of that observed the dayes which he brought the people off to the substance which they met together on the first day of the week which Christ rose on and so was a crosse to the Jewes who met together on the seventh day And Circumcision was on the 8th day on that day Christ rose Pr. He saith The Scripture and the Spirit are unseparable which he calls the Word Page 7. and that the spirit is alwayes in the Scriptures Again He is in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity who calls the spirit a dead Letter page 9. Ans Every one that hath the Scriptures cannot say he hath the spirit that gave it forth for the Devill may have Scripture who is out of the spirit And the Apostle which said the Letter kills and was old was not in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity And the spirit was in them that gave forth the Scriptures And the Scriptures are the words of God which ends in Christ the Word who fulfils them Pr. He saith Prize the holy Scriptures through which is all our hopes of eternall life communicated to us And I wonder what any soule hath to shew for eternal life but the Scriptures So I call it Gods warrant Page 13. And in the midst of thoughts prize the Covenant of free grace And if ye would have substantial comforts from the Covenant do not lay hold of Covenant comforts Page 12. Answ Thou cannot speak a word to the wearied who art in the presumption thy selfe and to be brought down who art applying the promises to the wrong nature And many may have the Scriptures and many have the Scriptures and all ignorant of eternall life untill they all come into the life as they was in that gave forth the Scriptures For the Scripture communicates not the life but God of whom they learned that gave forth Scripture it is it that testifies of eternall life And the souls comfort is Christ which it speaks of Pr. He saith The Apostle to the Philippians speaks of Saints as Citizens our trading is in heaven Now Citizens great trading is Mercandize as ships go from London to India c. So thousands of soules go towards heaven worth nothing a poore empty creature See page 15. Answ The merchandize is in the earth in Babylon and there thou and you are all The soule is worth more then all the world which goes to heaven it goes richly full of all attire and fruitfulnesse and not empty Is not an empty creature that which God breathed into man the breath of life whereby it became a living soule And he hath all soules in his hand and Christ is the Bishop of it the power of God and therefore it is not empty for the Saints had the heavenly treasure in earthen vessells Pr. He saith The Sacrament and Baptisme is a most refreshing cup for we walke by faith and not by sight page 18. I can say frequent mention is made of salvation by Christ without mentioning any act of faith in us c. page 19. Answ Sacraments and sprinkling Infants called Baptisme who walks after them walks after sight not by faith for these things are seen and they follow their owne traditions and not the Scriptures for them either sprinkling Infants or Sacrament And who walks by faith and not fight comes off the things that are seen For things that are seen are temporall but things that are not seen are eternall saith the Apoâ—â—le And he that believeth shall be saved he that believeth not shall be condemned this is the doctrine of Christ to the Apostles they are condemned already And where the belief is there is faith and salvation seen and known but where belief is not there is condemnation there salvation is not known and every one that is saved believes Pr. I do not say that there is perfect victory against every corruption But that grace will be eating out and curbing sin in the heart page 21. And there is no peace nor comfort that is miantained without warring and constant combating c. Yea peace and war against sin are alwayes inseparable companions page 22. All true comfort hath its foundation from the written Word they are fancies and flashes rather then comforts from pretended immediate revelations page 23. Answ None knows true comfort but who comes to the immediate Revelation that is to the spirit that reveals the things of God If men have all the Scriptures the written words and not the word in which they end they have not comfort neither can they do any thing without Christ neither have the wearyed rest neither is the Bishop of the soule known neither is the burthen and the old yoak gone off though they have all the Scriptures but as every one doth come to the life that gave forth the Scriptures with which they see Christ the end the substance of them him by whom the world was made before it was made these have comfort of the words And the Scriptures are words not the Word and such as are here comes to know peace and the end of war and the occasion of war taken away And sin and corruption is separated from the precious and contrary to the Just with it
for for their own bellies and these cause divisions among all people Do not these serve their bellies And are not people come to mark them what a division they have set among people yea for Tythes and maintenance and persecuting and prisoning for it and haling before Judges and Justices by Writs into Courts and at Assizes and Sessions Doth not these serve their bellies that makes all this division and not Christ but they deny the light which doth enlighten every man c. and so deny Christ the Lord that bought them And the light that every man hath that cometh into the world and the light that shines in the heart it gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and brings all off from serving their bellies and leads out of the lusts in the fall which came by Adam in the transgression Pr. He saith To speak the Word of God immediately and that which I speak I speak it immediately I am strengthened against that and admonished by God to hold fast the form of sound words And that which is able to make men wise unto salvation through faith And Timothy was to stir up the gift of God that was in him mediately and the putting on of the hands and the neglecting not the gift that was in him And God hath published his last dispensation and nothing more to be added or altered page 15. Answ It thou art strengthened by God against speaking his Word immediately or if thou speaks immediately thou being strengthened by God against this as thou saith In this thou shews thou never knew him who ever is strengthened of God it is by his power and that is immediate who ever speaks his word that lives and endures for ever it is immediate In this thou and you all have shewed your selves to be Ministers of the Letter and not of the Word of God which is immediate which lives and abides and endures for ever and is immortall and fades not away and this thou and you speak not immediately and therefore have ye indeed put the Letter for it that be from the Word of God in your hearts not born again of the immortal seed the Word of God And whosoever stirs up the gift of God in them it is immediate and by the immediate And who ever holds fast the form of sound words the Scriptures they are made wise unto salvation by them through the faith they are in the immediate gift of God and gift which brought Timothy to lay on the hands upon the Presbytery and see and divide the word aright and kept him out of partiality it was immediate and the immediate Word of God that he was to preach in season and out of season And since the dayes of the Apostles from this have you all been apostatized and asleep in the night of apostacy in the great City though there hath been Pipers among you and sounding of Trumpets and the voyce of thâ— Bridâ—â—â—d the grinding of Mills and the light of Candles And the time is coming that Bâ—â—ylon shall fall and become the habitation of Devils and the Saints shall rejoyce and sing over her c. Pr. He saith It is not properly and absolute in a full sense that God is manifest or glorified in the flesh of his Saints page 29. Ans The Saints are the Temples of God and God dwels in them and walks in them and they come to witnesse the flesh of Christ and they glorifie him in their souls and bodies and the Lord is glorified in their bringing forth much fruit And they witnesse the seed the one offering for sin and transgression to be manifest within and such are not Reprobates yet witnesse the one offering Christ Jesus and them that have not him within they are Reprobates Pr. He saith The body is dead because of sin yea it is yet in it selfe is but a wretched vile body page 30. And Christ is in or among believers the hope of glory And that person Christ is personally absent from the believers And we do not possesse the glory of this glory Christ in us page 32. Answ I do believe you that are not come to the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world ye do not possesse the hope of glory in you ye are ab ent from Christ and do not feel him But the Saints in the light receive Christ the hope of glory and so he is not absent from them for they have unity with him and the Father and knows a change in them from glory to glory and witnesse Christ in them as believers in the light which walks not in darknesse that have the light of life And where the body of sin is destroyed and put off they glorifie God in their souls and bodies and spirit which is the Lords and those are not wretched Prin. He saith CHRIST is absent from us while wee are in the mortall body Answ Contrary to the Apostle who saith the life of Christ is manifest in their mortall flesh Pr. He saith Christ is in heaven with a spirituall body Answ And Priest Higginson saith he is in heaven with a carnall body And thus ye are confused and discerned who are from the Light and can speak of the body of Christ by the Letter and tell where he rose by the Letter as the Priests of old could tell Herod where he shâ—uld be born but Christs body is glorified Pr. He saith The first Resurrection we desire not to account our selves to have apprehended page 44. Such as magnifie their belly to be some eternall operation and making it withall deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish glorying in their shame minding sensuall earthly things All since the Apostle have not the Ministry of the Gospell immediately but mediately from the person of Christ in their believing through their word page 46. And the Text saith not the word of faith in the heart Answ Rom. 10. The word of Faith which they Preached was in their mouth and in their heart nigh them even in their heart And all since the dayes of the Apostles we do believe you have not received the Word immediately from Christ as the Apostles did who have erred and apostatized from them So none are Preachers of the Word in the Truth but who are Preachers of it immediately and such all are the false Apostles and such as serves not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies which mind earthly things sensually and are in the deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse deceiving the people with the good words forcing and taking maintenance of people they do no work for and keeping of them all from the immediate teachings of God they themselves being out of it and concluding all under their own dominion and shall all agree in one against the immediate teaching And they that be out of the immediate teaching is under the power of the Beast and Antichrist and the great whore the mother
of the light and so out of unity and seeth not the Saviour the Redeemer the substance of all types figures Parables the end of the Law that goes upon the man of strife And so being out of the light out of the unity out of the Covenant with God In the light is the Covenant of God Pr. He saith the whole soul and body of Saints and every faculty of the soul and member of the body there is some presence of sin in them all their dayes Page 113. Ans The Saints are sanctified and washed and cleansed body soul and spirit and they are made free from sin and then can live no longer therein and the body of sin is put off And they witnessed the darkness was past so then the works of the true light shined and the day was come and they was of one soul And they witnessed as he was so was they in this present world And he that is in Christ is a new creature And where Christ is within the body is dead because of sin And he that is born of God doth not commit sin And the Saints was upon the earth when they was made free from sin and not all their dayes sin in them as thou speakes of Prin. He saith sin dwells in the Saints if any Saint think otherwise he knowes not himself and if he be one really sanctified he is under a strong delusion and drousie dream Page 119. Answ He that is sanctified is sanctified from sin and washed and cleansed and he that is out of this sanctification is in the drowsie dream For who are in sanctification are in Christ the righteousness of God and they are awakened to righteousness out of the fall in the second Adam and drowsiness and dreames and delusions that come in the first Adam And sin and drowsie dreams and delusions dwells in them that pretend that they are sanctified ones and not really Pr. He saith it is a Popish Tennent that sanctification is wrought within men and Justification or a believers being justified from sin and ungodliness and not in it but the mystery of iniquity lies in this qualification pag. 120. And they that are justified by their sanctification it is a falshood And that none are justified but Saints perfect in holiness is a notorious contradiction Page 121. Answ He that is the sanctification is the justification and so by their sanctification are they justified it is one and the same that which sanctifies justifies And every man that cometh into the world having a light that cometh from Christ the sanctification redemption justification but them that be not in the light are with it condemned And such as be in the light they come into perfect holiness and their sins are not imputed to them But them that doth not believe in the light the spirit of truth that leads the believer into all truth reproves them for their unbelief and their righteousness and their judgement and so doth not justifie them but reprove them And the justification within roots out all Popery and all contradiction But to speak of justification and sanctification without and not manifest within ye are yet in the first Adam in the Popery where ye must have a Puratory to cleanse and not the righteousness of Christ within and sanctification within and Justification So such be reproved that can talk of it without sanctification without so there is the old Adam in the sin and transgression And all falshood is among them that can talk of justification without them and not witnesse it within them For who witnesse Christ within them they witnesse justification there and sanctification for Abraham believed and it was imâ—uted to him for righteousness and his belief was within and he saw Christ his glory And such as believe they come to witness the imputation But such as come again to witnesse that they are nearer then when they did believe and to witness that they have received Christ within is the end of their belief there they witness the righteousness it self without imputation which is the substance that which the promise ends in and all the fathers hoped for who stood in the imputation and all the believers in him But Christ being come the end of mans belief the righteousness it self here is a justification alone without the imputation Christ the righteousness of Gods blessing and glory for ever And a believer that is jâ—stified he is a new Creature and is past from the death which came by the sin comes to enter into his rest where sin is not And all the falshood and the contradiction is without the possession of justification and sanctification which reprobates talk of it in the mystery of iniquity and unbelievers in the mystery of iniquity which have the sheepes cloathing the outside the clothing of the Saints yet ravened from the spirit inwardly These have not been like to own justification within or sanctification there that inwardly ravened from the spirit of God which all must come to that which they ravened from and they themselves before they feel the justification sanctification Christ within them and have received the substance the thing the Scripture speakes of which not believing in the Light and going from it though they get all the sheeps cloathing yet are they not thereby justified though they get all the good words and the forme of godlinesse and obey not the Gospell the power of God for none obeys the Gospell but whâ— obeys the Light within And who are justified it is by the faith of Christ Jesus and without faith they cannot please him And who are in the Faith are the believers in the Light and so the Justification and the Faith doth qualifie from their old nature and mindes Pr. He saith They are not justified because they are new borne nor for their believing page 122. And I can say I am crucified with Christ and yet I have a corrupt rotten heart and an old lying heart as before he saith and Christ lives in him and there is a body of sin and death dwels in him And the life that he now lives in the flesh is by the faith of the Son of God Page 124. Answ Where Christ is within the body is dead because of sin and where the saith of the Son of God is lived in it gives victory over sin And the life of Christ is out of Adam in the Fall in sin and transgression And the Circumcision comes to be witnessed that puts off the body of sin And where the life of Christ is lived in the new Covenant is there the new heart rotten corrupt lying is put off the old man and his deeds with his deceitful lusts And he that believes is borne of God is justified and he comes into the faith by which he pleaseth God and he that doth not believe is out of the faith and it is impossible he should please God and is out of that which should justifie him Pr. He saith Christs
and Verse he can finde it again this is not like them which gave forth Scriptures which be learned of God and what they had received of God afterwards recorded which now you and the Priests fall out about and are in heaps and have no unity with it nor God nor one with another and would tear one anoâ—hers flesh to pieces about it and here your spirits are tryed William Greenhill Priest of Stepny who makes a trade of the Scripture his principle as followeth Pr. THe scripture is the Divine word and wisdome of God Ans Thou hast thrown out Christ in this and put scripture in his place and given the scripture his name who is the Word as in the Revelation Whose name is called the word of God who is the wisdome of God and this the scripture testifies of as in the Corinthians Iohn and the Revelations Pr. William Stanly a Tutor to children said That some had a priveledge to sin and yet were free from the condemnation of the Law by the sufferings of Jesus Ans But none have a priveledge to sin from God but from the devill for it is contrary to the Law of God for the Law doth not tolerate any such thing nor the Son of God who was made manifest to destroy the Devill and his works and to condemn sin in the flesh so no one hath a priveledge to commit sin but from the Devill and it is no priveledge to sin from God A book called the Relation of the Quakers shaking those whose names are at it are Iohn Gilpin Thomas Craster Thomas Sands Iohn Archer Edw. Turner Priest Walker WHo are like unto Jannes and Jambres who resist the truth being men of corrupt mindes who blaze abroad in the Nation to make truth odious and to posess the hearts of people by some that turne from truth first Iohn Gilpin who by truth was made to confesse his sin and had openings and then turned from it again and turned to the persecutors and this Gilpin was these mens convert which was most of them all the greatest persecuters in the North which after Iohn Gilpin had turned from these people called Quakers to these men whose names are to the book he turned drunkard being drunk a warrant was granted out for him by a justice of peace and yet these men whose names are at this book stiled this man one of their high converts but according to their works their reward will be Iohn Gilpin said While he was with the Quakers he never found such effects among the Ministers of England as he did amongst the Quakeres of the discovery of his sin in perticular of his Covetousnes which had a great long root in him And this all these men whose names are in the book tearms it to be of the Devill and this is their judgement because Iohn Gilpen run out in his imaginations therefore that which discovers to a man all his sins and his covetousnesse that is of the Devil too O! no my friends you have wrong judged and you will fail at last whom you have judged and what you have justified that which discovers your sin and filth and covetousnesse that which discovers the Devill which is the author of it that is the light and life of Jesus Christ and so in stead of saying the Quakers are shaking you are shaking yourselves and your foundation made knowne not to be the foundation of Jesus Christ And the light that discovers sin and when the true thing did convince and work in Iohn Gilpin then his imaginations run out and you and he calls it delusion to hearken to the voice within and yet you and Iohn Gilpin saith that he was in some measure raised to believe that God would deliver him and yet it is delusion to hearken to the voice within Ans What confusion is here amongst you and your convert doth any believe or come to deliverance or faith but who heares the light within and who heares the voice within and beares witnesse within doth not he that believes hearken to the witnesse in himselfe and hath he not it there and is not faith in the heart and any deliverance is it knowne but what is known from that within and thus you poor deluded creatures are glad to trust in lyes and make them your refuge Pr. He saith He began to consider how he had offended God by his neglect of the use of externall meanes reading hearing and prayer and rejecting the revealed will of God in his word and hearkening to the voice of God only within Ans Is reading and praying in the spirit externall meanes is this your judgement all you Priests and teachers and great professors found in this book can any pray but in the spirit and Read the scriptures and know them againe but in the spirit and is not that eternall can any man know the revealed will of God and his word but it must be by the spirit is not the word in God is not Christ the word his name is called the word of God and can any know these things but by the voice within which voice is the spirit the spirit of the Father speaking in believers the saints which led them to speak forth Scriptures so when that voice was neglected then was Iohn confused as you are all now that speak against it that whatsoever filth and durt you run into you will father it upon the voice within or the light and Christ within but you are comprehended and seen who are now flown to your external meanes you tell people of and your prayers and Reading are external we do believe you who be all out of the spirit but if ever any of you come to know God and true praying in the spirit you will deny your principle and we do believe your meanes is external and your prayers externall without the spirit of God and this Gilpin who had been thus covetous grievous sinner whom the Lord smote that he came to be almost a distracted man after he had got a little ease from under the judgement his flight being in the winter he goes to the Priests and professors which be here mentioned in this book enemies of all righteousnesse and presently turns a drunkard and a Justice of the peace granted a warrant to set him in the stocks and so he passed away about thirty miles off to Cacebie and this is Gilpins Lord who was convicted by the truth of his covetousnesse and his sin who run into his imaginations whose latter end is worse then his beginning And this is the convert of this many persecuting professors and teachers who to their shame have published it which comes a top of their own heads and truth is cleare and filth is wiped away and wiping and the refuge of lies is flying away that people shall not make them their refuge and those persecuting professors and Priests take occasion to speak of one James Miler in whom the Lord did open true prophesies and mighty
is in you who are got up since the dayes of the Apostles and such as are born of God and begotten of him cannot call any man father upon the Earth which is born of the immortal seed heirs of the world which hath no end Pr. We through patience and comfort of the Scriptures have hope Answ Who hath Christ in him in whom the Scriptures ends and he hath the hope hath the comfort of the Scriptures who was before the Scriptures was given forth Christ Jesus who hath not him hath not comfort Pr. The Scriptures is able to make wise unto salvation Answ Not without the faith the Scriptures are not for the Pharisees had Scriptures and was not wise unto salvation and was out of the faith and knew not Christ the salvation Pr. Fear hath its rice from faith and hope in God by the means of Christ which is made known in the Scriptures Answ The Scriptures testifie of faith of God of fear but people receive not hope nor faith nor God nor fear from the Scriptures but from God as they did that gave forth the Scriptures who feared him for many that had Scriptures were out of the true fear of the Lord and called Christ a devil and was from true hope and true fear though they had the Scriptures given forth from them that were in hope and fear but their ears and eyes was stopped to that of God in them and such are never like to receive God and Christ until their ears and eyes be open to that of God in them Pr. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us and there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not and in many things we offend all and the state is not attained in this life but that men shall be growing under weaknesses the highest attainments of Saints is but a spark but the dawning of the day that highest enjoyments is not to the attainment of desires Answ The truth it is that lets men see they have sinned and lets them see they have sin that is within them and it brings them to confesse it and forsake it and the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth from all sin then he that is born of God doth not commit sin neither can he because the seed of God remains in him here in the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devil which makes him to roar in whom he hath no habitation he that is born of God which doth not commit sin nor cannot because he is born of God he is not born of the Devil nor by the will of man nor flesh nor blood And Solomon saith in Eccles 7. speaking to the just man that doth no good under the Law where no flesh is justified saith the Apostle but he that comes to Christ the just the end of the Law his faith gives him victory over sin and the word whereby he becomes dead to it and comes to the end of the Law which faith the just lives by by the life and the faith of the Son of God the Apostle saith in the Epistle to the twelve Tribes in many things we offend all Mark in the many things we offend all but we are come to the one thing Christ Jesus the end of the many things and in him there is no sin And who is in him sins not who put an end to the many things that must end and change and the Saints was come to the day and the children of the day further then a spark And they witnessed the night was gone and some again was not come to the day-Star that was according to their growth And the Saints again was made free from sin Rom. 6. And had put off the body of sin by the Circumcision of the spirit Colos 2. And they was compleat in Christ and they witnessed the Kingdom of heaven that stood in joy and peace in the Holy Ghost and so not groaning alwayes and the Saints witnessed the Marriage of the Lamb and Christ in them and their bodies the Temple of God and the end of their desires and so was not alwayes desiring but they witnessed their bread from above which they that eat of it should hunger no more nor thirst no more Pr. The Light which is in every man is but darkness being compared with a Revelation of Christ in the Saints our Justification hath its rise from what Christ hath done and suffered for us not from what he hath done in us Justification and Sanctification are ever distinct in their nature distinct one from the other Justification is not Sanctification nor Sanctification Justification but two things real distinct in their nature Answ The light which every man that cometh into the world is lightned withall is Christ and this light reveals Christ and the Saints light and this light is condemnation to the world which hates it And no man knoweth justification but as he knoweth it wrought within from Christ and no man knowes the seed that was offered the sacrifice of the whole world but as he knowes it within through the faith and who are of the faith they are of Abraham they are of the flesh of Christ the flesh of him that suffered and if men have not Christ within them they have not justification and though they may talk of him without and have him not within such are reprobates that hath not Christ within them reprobate from Christ from justification and sanctification both but are of the generation that caused him to suffer and justification and sanctification are one not distinguished the one from the other in their natures but are one in nature not two things really distinct in their nature but really one for Christ our sanctification and justification he that sanctifies and justifies they are one in nature which is Christ which is sanctification and justification both and thou art rebuked which makes two of them and distinct when it s but one thing the same that justifies sanctifies Pr. If the fulfilling of the righteous Law in us be Justification then Christ died in vain Justification is the direct opposite to condemnation that which makes a change in the heart of the creature is sanctification and justification faith doth not save nor justifie by vertue of any worth or excellencie found in it nor merely because Christ is the object of it Ans He that fulfills the righteousness of the Law in us is Christ the justification hereby men come to know him that he redeems them from under the Law and they are led by the spirit And they know he is their intercession and died not in vain and he ends the Law who fulfills it And he is the justification to every one that believes And this is known in us that do believe to the justification of it whereby a tittle of it is seen not to be broken whereby the body of Christ is seen which makes
forth from the Apostles into the world that Christ said should come that inwardly ravened from the spirit and went forth from the Apostles and onely have had the sheeps cloathing and so are the spirits which the Apostles bids the Saints try which went forth into the world that had the true spirit the record the spirit of God and they that have found the record the spirit of God tries all your spirits and findes you fallible ravened from the spirit of God inwardly onely having the sheeps cloathing that hath covered the wolfe in you all the devourer And so we do believe neither yoâ—â—or the Pope hath the infallible spirit being the false spirits that went forth into the world and led the world after you That Nations are come to be like waters so are you broken all into heaps and sects and wants the infallible spirit in which you should have unity And so hath not the Son of God revealed among you who have not revelation as the Apostles had which we witnesse who are come to that the Apostles were in and so the Son of God reigns Pr. He saith The holy Scriptures are the temporall word c. see page 11. Answ Now see if this be not an undervaluing the Scriptures of truth and the words of God and Christ and the Prophets and Apostles which cannot be broken he calls it a Temporall word which the Scripture teacheth no such doctrine but thy lying spirit Pr. He saith The Gospell or Word is the externall light flowing out unto us from the Son c. See page 12. Ans Contrary to the Scripture which saith the Gospell is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes so not temporall not a temporal light And the light which cometh from the Son of God that lighteth every man that cometh into the world that shines in peoples hearts that gives the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus is not temporall thou that saith so art in the delusion Pr. He saith The Scriptures are able to make men wise unto salvation without any more additions and there is no more to be expected c. see page 12. Answ Contrary to the Scripture it selfe and the Apostles doctrine who saith through faith they are able to make wise unto salvation So there is an addition which the Apostles adds and all the Saints and true believers which is the faith which thou art reprobated from and so no Minister of Christ in the un-victory so in the worlds lusts Pr. He saith The soule of man is a spirituall substance c. And Magnus Byne saith the soule is not infinite in it selfe but it is a creature And Richard Baxter saith it is a spirtuall substance c. See page 13. Answ Now consider what a condition these called Ministers are in They say that which is a spirituall substance is not infinite in it self but a creature that which came out from the Creator and is in the hand of the Creator which brings it up and to the Creator again that is infinite it selfe which the hand goes against him that does evill in which hand the soule is which is immortall and infinite which hand is infinite which brings it up to God is infinite Pr. He saith Do not they blasphemously make Christ an Idoll that call our Temples Idols Temples c See page 15. Ans Christs body was and is the Temple of God who ended all outward Temples made with hands and so that is no Idoll but others are Idols held up by you and the Pope Jewes and Gentiles that prison the seed of God in your selves And Stephen was stoned to death for denying the Temple and for witnessing the substance so have you almost stoned many to death for denying your Idols Temples Pr. He calls that most ignorant and sottish dealing to own Christs commands that bids be not called of men Master c. page 18. Answ And thus he shews his ignorance and sottishnesse and doth not read Mr. Paul Mr. Peter and they transgresse the doctrine of Christ and he hath not the spirit of Christ but is gone out into the world where all the false spirits are opposing Christs commands and the Spirits commands and so no Minister of Christ Pr. He saith All the Ministers since the dayes of the Apostles was to be ordained and called which the Apostles were not c. See page 21. Answ Doth not the Apostle speak of them that usurped the authority Yes we say that all of you and the Pope since the dayes of the Apostles are called by men and made by men who are the false spirit that went forth into the world that ravened from the true so have not heard the voyce of God at any time So he hath not sent you but you have usurped the authority being made by man And as no prophecy of Scripture came by the will of man therefore all as do get the Scripture in their own wills out of the holy Ghost are made by man such are out of unity with God with Scriptures with one another and all upon heaps about words and such men make and sets up Pr. He saith The Scriptures is Gods law and a sufficient rule for doctrine and worship it selfe c. See page 22. Ans Now many may have the Scriptures and if they have not the spirit that gave them forth they do not worship God in the spirit And they that have the Scriptures and do not do the will of Christ they know not his Doctrine And the Law is light Pr. He saith But I must tell you that our Bells are not carnall if they were they would scarce sound so well or last so long c. See page 23. Ans If they be not carnal then they are spiritual and in that all the world will judge thee that they are things seen and so they are temporall and carnall and what is temporal is not eternal nor spirit The Apostle speaks of carnall weapons 2 Cor. 10.4 and carnall ordinances Heb. 9.10 And whereas thou speaks of baptizing your Bells c Have not many Bells in England been baptized And was not the Pope the first Authoâ— of it And we do say that they are carnal and not spiritual let them sound never so well and last never so long though in many Towns you have made them to tune Psalms yet we cannot say that these are spirituall that can tune Psalms neither dare we but do judge them that do say they are so For the Scripture calls those Ordinances which were Ordinances of God once worldly and carnal and the Sanctuary is called a worldly Sâ—nctuary when the substance was come And so we see and say all your sorts of Bells though they may be tunes of Psalms yet they are carnall and not spirituall that is our conclusion though indeed poor people being ignorant may well when such as thou saith they are not carnall when they be yet they stir up the fl
my knowledge of them c. See Pag. 2. Ans The Quakers are revolted from you Apostates that are inwardly ravened as the converted Jewes did that were turned to Christ for the Jewes revolted from the Temple and the Priests and turned to Christ from the other Jews and owned the Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which you Revolters deny that have reigned since the dayes of the Apostles and so are ignorant what we are come to and the Apostles were in and that which was before you and they was Pr. He saith the Angels of Light which are holy and without sin may be devils c. See pag. 3. Ans Which the devill fell from the Light from the holiness and so he cannot tansform into that And all holiness intended which is not in the light is as the Pharisees was in and the whole world and is condemned with the Light He saith salvation by the Light within is cursed c. See pag. 6. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who saith the light that shineth in the heart gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And contrary to John who saith every man that cometh into the world is enlightened And as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God and the power of God is the Gospel of salvation to every one that beleeves in the light And he that beleeveth in the Light hath the witness in himself and the Apostle turned them from the Darknss to the Light And the word was in their hearts of Faith that saves the soul and there was the glad tidingâ— the Gospel And Priest Shaw saith the Gospel is the four bookes of Matthew Mark Luke and John And the Apostle saith it is the power of God and saith many have the form but deny the power So now here himself he hath cursed So this same man is a curser as the Papists are Both he and them are found out of the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles who saith bless and curse not And the Scotch Priests likewise are cursers as in the Scotch Principles ye may see and no one knows salvation but by the Light within which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world who is the salvation to the ends of the earth Pr. And he calls his Steeple-house St. Andrews See page 7. Answ Which never did Prophets nor Apostles give such names to houses but the Pope who is his teacher Pr. He saith It is an errour to say that the light which every one hath that cometh into the world is sufficient to salvation without the help of any other meanes or discovery c. See page 9. Answ Contrary to Christ who brought the Jewes off of all others helps to himself who said Believe in the light while ye have the light and they that believed in the light should not abide in darknesse And no man cometh to the Father but by me saith Christ For he was the way the truth the light in men and the life and there is no salvation by any other name but by him And there is none knows the blood of Christ which cleanseth and the offering for the sins of the whole world but with the light which cometh from Christ Jesus who is sufficient who is the salvation to the ends of the earth so he is the only means without any other help And as the anointing in people doth teach people they shall continue in Christ and as they walke in the light as he is in the light they shall have fellowship with the Father from whence all helps comes and Christ will dwell in man and walk in man and what need they have any more helps Pr. He saith It is an errour to say we are justified by that which Christ doth in us c. See page 9. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who saith we are justified by faith in his blood and the faith is in the heart and the blood is in the heart that purifies it and held in a pure conscience And the word of faith is within Rom. 10. And faith gives victory over the world and that which gives victory justifies and Christ is within who is justifi-fication and sanctification and condemnation either of them is found within and thou art in the errour and not fit to talk of these things which thou understands not Pr. Again he saith It is an errour if not damnable to say Christ is the means and that there is no other means of salvation c. see page 13. Ans And Christ saith No man cometh unto the Father but by me and he is able to the utmost to save And he shall be my salvation to the ends of the earth saith the Lord. And saith the Apostle God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself And he that hath the Son of God hath life and the Father and the Son are one and there is no salvation in any other Pr. He saith That Christ gives light to no man under that name but believers c. See page 13. Ans Contrary to John who saith he doth enlighten every man that comes into the world that all might believe through the light And contrary to Christs own words such as hated it and would not come to it and bids them believe in the light while they had it and he that did not believe was condemned already and he that did believe had the witness in himself Pr. He saith It flatly contradicts the whole Scripture to say that the light wherewith Christ hath enlightned every man c. will save c. See page 14. Answ Which God saith I will give him for a covenant for a light to the Gentiles new covenant to the house of Israel and Judah and he shall be my salvation to the ends of the earth and believing in it are saved and not believing are condemned Pr. The wise heathen Philosophers had a greater measure of light in them which is the first Adam then I can thinke any men have now c. See page 15. Answ Which shews that he knows none of Christ the second Adam the quickning spirit And he knows no new creature For who are in Christ are new creatures Nor none of Christ the Covenant of God of light of life of peace who was glorified with the Father before the world began which is beyond the first Adam and hath shut himself forth not to be as high as his Heathen Philosophers and many witnesse Christ in them in this age as in the dayes of the Apostles which is above the Heathen Philosophers Pr. The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall is Christ he saith this is the light of nature and of reason And saith It is a damnable doctrine to deny all externall means of salvation c. See page 16. Ans When as the Apostle saith We looke not at things which are seen
without spot before any work done or good whatsoever c. page 3. Ans There is none doth the work of God but who believes and he that believes overcomes the world and his works are wrought in God and he hath the word oâ— reconciliation in him And by this means of thine all the world is presented perfect to God for he is the offering for the whole world But them that believe are partakers and them that do not believe are condemned Yet I say the Lord helps the unbelief of many who is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe and men are not presented to God while they do evill and afore they are sanctified and holy Pr. He saith The invisible things of God and the eternall power and glory of God may be known by that of God in every man but not his good pleasure or purpose of grace c. See page 4. Ans Is the glory seen and that known the God-head known the invisible things of God and the eternall power and not the good pleasure of God nor his purpose of grace Doth not the God-head dwell in Christ and his fulnesse bodily And is not Christ the power of God And he that knows God and his glory and eternall power and God-head Doth not he know the Son Consider that For he that hath known the Son hath known the Father also and grace and the purpose of God Pr. He saith Man may know God and his eternall power and God-head and glory and yet know nothing of the mystery of Christ nor can that which thou saith shews these things lead unto the mystery of the knowledge of Christ c. See page 4. Answ Where the eternall power and God-head is known his power his glory and the invisible things of God there is something of Christ known the mystery For there is none knows the Father but the Son and he to whom the Son reveals him And he that knows the Father knows the Son Pr. He saith To say that Christ is within man is to worship Angels and not to hold the head Christ c. See page 5. Answ Which none comes to witnesse Christ the head but who witness him in them that the Angels must worship that dyed and suffered at Jerusalem and they that worship him in them worships not the Angels and they that are not worshipping him in them are worshipping Men Devils or Angels Pr. He saith It is a bewitching of the mindes to preach Christ within the Saints c. Answ Did not the Apostle say to the same Colossians of worshipping of Angels not holding the head Did not he preach Christ in them the same Colossians And he told them of intruding into things they never saw Did not he say Christ in you the hope of glory whom we preach warning every man that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus How dost thou devide the word contrary to the Apostles and Christ Jesus and calls this Doctrine bewitching and thou that preacheth another doctrine contrary to his art accurst Pr. He saith To say the light in every one wherewith Christ Jesus hath enlightned them withall that comes into the world is the way to Christ and the Father and is the sure word of prophesie which people are to take heed unto He saith this is to deny the person of Christ as the object of faith and the Scriptures as the rule of faith and faith it selfe c. See page 8. Answ In this thou hast shewed thy ignorance for none knows the person of Christ but with the light that comes from him None knows the Mediator none knows the Author of their faith but with the light that comes from Christ And none knows the Scriptures of truth but with the light And Christ is the rule of faith and author of it and giver And many may have Scriptures and not saith so in this thou devides not the word aright uncapable of dividing the word and that is the sure word of prophesie that shines in a dark place which people are to take heed unto till the day dawn and the day-star arise in their hearts Pr. He saith To say that redemption righteousness is wrought within is to bring Christ down from above out of heaven or raise him from the dead and to make the blood of Christ as another mans c. See page 9. Answ Now Christ is not known to be the justification but as he is known within and redemption out of Adams state in the fall For he that believes hath the witnesse in himselfe and ceaseth from his own works and enters into his rest as God did from his For the world may professe Christ without them but if he be not within them they are reprobates and shall fall short of the justification and redemption if he be not within them And if they have not the Son of God they have not life and many will say Lord but doth not the thing that he commands And one of thy generation of Professors that writ against the Quakers and said That the blood of Christ was corruptible and so it was like the blood of another man and thou saith it is not Now we say that blood which cleanseth from all sin is incorruptible and they that witnesse Christ in them and justification and redemption and need not say who shall raise Christ from the dead or fetch him from above as thou says Pr. He saith Obedience to the spirit within and Christ a worker and a Law-giver in their conscience and a worker of it in their persons but not as a Saviour and what of God is felt or wrought in them that they believe While the unspeakable righteousness opperation of life in Christ reserved with faith liberty joy and peace c. is hid from their eyes c. See page 10. Ans Now can any be obedient to the spirit within and to Christ a worker and a Law-giver and feel the work of God in themselves and believe it and yet the unspeakable righteousness and the operation of life hid in Christ and faith and liberty joy and peace to be hid from their eyes Can a man know all these things and yet not know Christ to be a Saviour here thou art judged and thy knowledg for he that knows these things knows a Saviour and let the righteous judge whose eyes are open how thou divides the word Pr. He saith Faith holds things as true in Christ though hid from sense and feeling c. See page 11. Answ How cometh the just to live then if there be not a feeling in his faith And how cometh he to have the victory then over the world And how doth faith purifie if there be not a feeling And how is it holden then in a pure conscience if there be not a feeling And how cometh he to have accesse to God through faith And doth not the Scripture speak of them that was in the faith felt and handled the
by revelation for no man knows Christ but by revelation And all that ever own Christ they must own the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world to be the covenant of God which light men are to believe in which not believing in they are reprobated And thousands and thousands I do believe you who have had the sheeps cloathing upon the back of them and so have covered the Wolfe with it Neither you nor they never knew the revelation of the Son of God and so never know the son of God untill he be revealed and so hath not the knowledge of him The Scriptures testifie of him but they that had the Scriptures knew him not but who was in the light and in the Covenant and so ye have all discovered your selves in the apostacy apostatized from the Apostles spirit and all to be the false spirits gone out into the earth into the world for means for maintenance and so ye are all puft up in your pride and so that makes all your doctrine to be so dry and so barren there being no revelation among you nor no immediate speaking from God and Christ but feeding people with the husk with the outside And have proved your selves here to be but the Wolfe in the sheeps cloathing inwardly ravened from the spirit But with it ye are comprehended and if it had not been so you would never have published your folly to the Nation But the spirit of love and humility and meekness which bears all things comes to be known by the spirit Pr. For people to be led with a light within this is to make the Scriptures uselesse Ans No this lets see the Scriptures in their place and the fulfilling of them which was given forth to be believed practised read and fulfilled not for men to make a trade of them and call people from the Light within with which they should see the Scriptures and none comes into Covenant with God with their hearts and their minds that they need not say one to another know the Lord that they may be always living under mans teaching Pr. How clear say they the Scripture is that faith cometh by hearing and not by minding the light within Answer Doth any man know Christ but by the Light within And is not Christ the Word Can any see without the Light the Word Doth it not make manifest Nay doth it not give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus read 2 Cor. 4.1 from whence faith comes and so faith comes by minding the light within Christ the author of it and brings to look as him and hear him Prin. And Multitudes were converted by those faire Epistles written by the Spirit Answ None are converted but who be in the spirit that gave forth those Epistles though they may have all the Epistles For that hath been the Papists and your convertings who hath had the Epistles by the Epistles out of the life since the dayes of the Apostles and so made proselites Pharisee-like For that baptizeth and that circumciseth for in that is the fellowship and the unity People as I said to you before may get the sheeps cloathing as ye have long time been covered with but inwardly ye have been ravening wolves as your fruits have declared as the Northern part of the nation may make it manifest The witnesse in all your consciences shall answer for me and let you see that your own words are your burden and an heavy cry will come upon you when ye feel it who now are fat and full and fresh and lusty but a day of requiring is coming and inquisition is made for the blood that hath been shed of all the Prophets Martyrs and Saints since the dayes of the Apostles and the prisoning and the persecuting by you and your off-spring got up since the dayes of the Apostles the false spirits that went out into the world that are now standing against the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world So marks that you be inwardly ravened and that you be the Antichrists and the false Prophets you are not like to own the light in every man who are ravened from it and are turned against them that walke in the light and keep the testimony of Jesus Here is the Beast and the false Prophet that makes war against the Saints and overcomes them for a time but the Lamb and the Saints must have the victory And you about Newcastle Ministers and Teachers are like to a heap or dunghil sogged and mudded but come to the witnesse else eternally you will be condemned Pr. They say Blessed are they that heare the Word and keep it which is a word spoken and written not the eternall word It is a notion of the Word of God to call the Word of God a Declaration And the holy Scriptures is able to make men wise unto Salvation to the Law and Testimony Ans To the Law and to the Testimony The law is light saith Solomon And the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy And many may have the Old and New Testament and yet be out of the Light and out of the Testimony as you and so out of the spirit of prophecy For Isaiah had the testimony before Matthew Mark Luke John and the Revelations was written and bid them come to the Law and to the Testimony and you that do not speak according to that rule it is because you hate the light in you And the Scriptures Luke calls them a Declaration who was a Minister of the Word and the Scriptures are the words of God and the words of Christ and so not the Word but the words which the Word Christ fulfills So ye are men not capable nor of a true understanding to divide the word aright nor to speak a word in season to the wearyed but do all lead the halt and lame and blinde out of the way who for so doing must find misery Again they that hear the Word of God they hear that which lives and doth endure for ever and this Word is eternall which lives and doth endure for ever which they have within them and with that they see the words and letters and writings or outward Tables may be broken but still the Word remains That ever the Ministers of Newcastle should say that the Scriptures are able to make men wise unto salvation and leave out faith you are no more made wise then the Pharisees was with the Scriptures without faith The Pharisees were not made wise unto salvation by the Scriptures without the faith neither are you But who are in the faith they are made wise to salvation through the Scriptures and comes to Christ the end of them for it gives to see the Scriptures and in it in the faith is the unity which Scribes and Pharisees and Apostates are out of Pr. That a mediate call since the time of the Apostles and
Apostles by the Beast and the false prophets and the great whore which have been in the power of the Devil that went out of truth and that the Saints was not subject to But now Christ is come to reign the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory and the higher power is owned that is higher then all the transgressors upon earth that reaches to the soul and the transgressed principle of God in every man upon the earth for the Beasts power hath set up your Tythes Temples and Colledges and compeld men to worship which the Saints could not and therefore have suffered by it that have worshipped God in the spirit and truth that the devil is out of and such was in the higher power Pr. He saith there is a kinde of Infiniteness in the soul and it cannot be Infiniteness in it self Pag. 103. Ans Is not the soul without beginning coming from God returning into God again who hath it in his hand which hand goes against him that does evil which throwes down that which wars against it And Christ the power of God the Bishop of the soul which brings it up into God which came out from him hath this a beginning or ending And is not this infinite in it self and more then all the world Pr. He saith the soul is a creature and yet it is a noble power and an Essence and is the appetite fancy c. Again he saith he knowes that the soul is a spiritual thing and cannot be divided into parts and powers as being one single entire essence Page 107. Ans The soul being in the death in transgression so mans spirit there is not sanctified and the soul is in death And fancy and the appetite and anger and pleasure c. which thou saith is taken for the soul usually and called the soul are them that wars against it so thou divides the soul into parts which is one and art ignorant of it and yet thou said it cannot be divided So thou art in the Babylon and confusion So the living of the soul and the spirit sanctified that diligent hearkening is come to where the Counsel of God is stood in his voyce heard his hand felt that the soul comes up into that comes from him from God that 's living and Immortal and gives a Creature its feeling and sencibleness through things and so the Covenant of God comes to be received wherein the soul lives the Bishop of it which is immortal and then the new creature born is known whereby the spirit of man is sanctified whereby the God of the spirits of all flesh is known Now where the power and life guides up to God the Father of life that works down and directs the mind up to God where the soul hath the issue the immortal to the immortal whereby light springs in Christ is known the soul praiseth God the Saviour the low estate that God hath regarded and reached down to it Now where the light is hated that of God within transgressed that doth pertain to the righteous Law of God and answers it the spirit of man is not sanctified and mans understanding darkened the higher power is denyed the soul comes into death transgressing of the Law is known the witness buried which should guide the mind whereby the soul should live in the diligent hearkening thereby comes man to be defiled and his spirit and body and minde whereby he glorifies not God in his body and soul and spirit and glorifies not the God of the spirits of all flesh thereby he comes to be an alien and a stranger to the life of God and his wayes and Covenant and thou sayes the soul is a spiritual thing and yet a creature an appetite and fancy And every man that cometh into the world having a Light from Christ the second Adam though they be in the first Adam the Bishop of their souls So every one being turned to the Light which Christ the second Adam hath enlightened them withall they shall see the Bishop of their souls Christ the power of God which is immortal brings the immortal soul into the immortal God Christ their sanctification who sanctifies their spirits and bodies and brings the soul up into God from whence it came whereby they come to be one soul For in the lusts of the world and the affections of it is the war against it and there is the powers of wickedness the soul must be in the higher power higher then the flesh which stains the man spirit and body and powers of wickedness So the light being turned to he receiveth the spirit of God which sanctifies him the spirit of Sanctification in Christ Jesus the Sanctification and Redemption So every man that cometh into the world having a light from Christ Jesus the way out of the fall the second Adam receiving the light they receive their Redemption and Sanctification whereby their spirits bodies and souls are sanctified Pr. He saith The binding of Sathan shall not be by a personall reigne of Christ in a body He saith the Quaker denies the light written in Scripture And he saith when yee that pretend most love to Christ within and light within ye deny the Lord that bought yee And the high talke of a Light within goes out for ever into utter darkness Ans The Light within and Christ within who owns this and are come into it owns the Lord that bought them Christ and no other and they that receive not this within are Reprobates without him and deceives him yet talk of him as the Devils false Prophets and Deceivers And they that go from the Light within go into utter darknesse and stumble and do not know whether they go and wants the garments and the Lambs cloathing And so the Light within he that believes in it hath the witnesse in himselfe abides not in the darknesse nor in the condemnation but hath the light of life And the light within that shines in the heart gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And who knows Satan bound and false Prophets and Antichrists and Beasts and mother of Harlots taken and cast into the fire and Christ reign and know his bodily presence they know his flesh and are of his flesh and of his bone and his spirit and minde and power who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him over the Devil over the Aâ—tichrists false Prophets Beast and mother of Harlots reigns above their power triumphs tramples above their power and this is known by the Light within And now doth Christ reign in his Saints and the Paradice of God is known and Eden where all things are sanctified and blessed and good where there is no curse but blessing and he that went out of this did transgresse and disobeyed which brought the death upon all his posterity earthly Adam But who are come in through the obedience of another the second Adam Christ Jesus who
so are hardned from the spirit they was in which said Christ is all in all which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And none seeth the person of Christ in heaven but who be in the Light that he hath enlightned them withall yea the Covenant of Light to the Gentiles and Heathens as well as Jewes and so God is not a respecter of persons And all that be from this Light are now making war against the Lamb and the Saints and the accuser of the Brethren is cast out and the light which doth enlighten every man which comes into the world is Christ Pr. They say It is a delusion for them that are in the light to see what mens inward states are before God page 29. Ans Have ye given your selves a name of the Church of Christ and is there not a spirit of discerning among you Have ye not manifested here that ye are harlotted from the Church of Christ the Apostles was of And how can ye minister or teach people if that ye do not discern their states how they stand before God How can you commend your selves to every mans conscience in Gods sight How can ye present the soules of men to God and see not their states how they are in his sight How come ye to have fellowship in the Spirit How can you or any Minister to the state and condition that people be in and see where they are and doth not know how they stand in Gods sight in this how have you shewed your ignorance of the Scriptures and the Epistles written to the Saints which speaks to the state and conditions the Saints were in How have ye a name but declared your selves dead from the life How have ye stained your own glory and marred your own beauty and sets your selves out of the steps and paths of the Church of Christ Pr. Simpson he saith If my heart deceive me not I could wish that God would recover you out of the Devils snare page 40. And ye speak of breaking of bread and Ordinances and the Lords Supper and Baptisme page 35. Ans The prayers of the faithfull are acceptable that are in the spirit but he that doubts he knows not his own heart and prayes without discerning being out of that which purifies it And for Baptisme and Ordinances and the Lords Supper and the bread that the Saints broke ye have all been ignorant of in this night of apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles who had spoken to the Corinthians what he had received of the Lord he delivered unto them And as oft as they did eate that bread and drinke that cup they did shew forth the Lords death till he come and they were to do it in remembrance of him And afterwards the Apostle writ again to the said Corinthians tells them the light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And said while we look not at things that are seen but at things that are not seen For the things that are seen are temporal Bread Wine and Water are seen but the things that are not seen are eternall And bids them examine themselves and prove their own selves and said Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you except you be reprobates Pr. He saith He hath been a Preacher of the Gospell at Bristoll and Wells and he hath not need to seek a proof of any man page 43. And he saith I am no Preacher to bid every man turn to the light within him neither did I ever read or hear that any of the Apostles or holy men of God preached such a Gospell And they said Sarah Latchet who was excommunicated who had been one of them it was fittest to send her to Bridewell Answ This was not the Ministers of the Gospels work to wrestle with flesh and blood which is yours And they in the sight of God had witnesses and they could seek them which thou saith thou needs not And they turned people from the darknesse to the light and Christ bid them believe in the light while they had it that they might become the chilldren of the Light And the Apostles doctrine was that the light that shined in their hearts would give them that light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and this thou never heardest of as thou saist And thy Gospel that is not this and agrees not to the Apostles is another and so accursed And the Saints was one anothers Epistles written in one anothers hearts read and seen of all men And thou hast been a bad Preacher at Wells and Bristoll that knows not the Light Prin. They say A man may be a Christian a believer a converted soule he may be in Christ and yet not not have received the spirit of sealing and establishing page 53. Ans This is like to the rest of thy Doctrine who are out of it themselves they are not able to judge of the state of babes believers converted soules which are in Christ For they that are in Christ have the spirit and they that are converted are converted by the spirit And he that believeth cometh to be sealed with the spirit of promise Prin. They say The light in every man is a notion and yet they seeke God by prayer solemnly And they shut up the Kingdome of heaven against men that bid all men turne to the light within them and from the believing on the person of Jesus Christ page 60. Answ None opens the Kingdom of heaven to all men but who turns people to the light which Christ Jesus hath enlightned every man withall that cometh into the world Nor none believes in Christ but who believes in the light which Christ the light hath enlightned them withall and such have the witnesse in themselves and can set to their seales that God is true And they see their Sanctification Justification and Redemption and none ever prays the acceptable prayer of the Lord but who be in the light that cometh from Christ and such calls not the light a Notion for all notions be among such that be out of the Light which Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world withall They are from the Rock the Foundation and Sanctification and see not Christ And this is not to deny Christ but receive him and believe in him And all upon the earth be Antichrists that denies the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and be from it Pr. And as for your speaking of judging and not to judge before the time untill the Lord do come c. Answ That was spoken to the Corinthians who will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and make manifest the counsels of the heart Now the same Apostle said to the same Corinthians that God would dwell in them and walk in them and they were not to judge before
the Scriptures the words of God and properly to call Christ his name the Word of God and the Word that became flesh that is proper Scripture And they that had not the Scriptures worshipped God before the Scriptures was written as Abraham and Enoch and others and they attained to eternall life And if people have all the Scriptures and not the Spirit which was before they was given forth they want the standing rule they cannot know the Scriptures they cannot worship God aright they cannot finde eternall life they have not unity with God neither do they worship God aright but who be in the spirit that gave them forth And we do believe you that immediate revelations now by the holy spirit of God revealing things to you im-immediately ye have not and you say it is not the work of Gods spirit now nor the way of God now c. You that have ravened from the spirit of God inwardly have been the Wolves which Christ said should come which John saw was come which the world hath gone after you and yee have burst into Names and Heads Horns and Sects And the power was given to the Beast and the false Prophets and the great Whore hath corrupted the earth All Nations have drunk her cup of fornications and the Kings of the Earth So they have flown to the Kings for help against the Saints and against the Lamb but the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory And so when you have been ravened from the spirit of God it hath not been like yee should attain to immediate Revelation by the spirit of God But now who are come to the Lamb are come to that ye ravened from they witnesse immediate Revelation They are come to that the Apostles was in the spirit of Christ the spirit of God they witnesse immediate Revelation Who are come into the feare of God the things of God is revealed unto them who are come into the spirit of God it reveals to them the deep things of God So you that deny immediate revelation by Gods holy spirit now and discovering things to you immediately you have shewed your spirits to be the false spirits unclean spirits that be in the earth like the Frogs that go out of the mouth of the Beast and the false Prophet which was discovered by John and revealed to John discovered and made manifest which now with the same holy spirit of God are you all apostates revealed and discovered to the children of the Light to the Lambs and the Saints who witnesse the spirit of God which reveales the things of God to them and immediate revelation As ever the false Prophets false Apostles false Teachers in their false prophesies and teachings did who had gotten the form and denyed the power immediate Revelation by Gods holy spirit And was it not they then that cryed to the powers of the earth for help against the Saints in all ages which was discovered and judged by the spirit of God and must go into the fire Pr. He saith The Scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation and they are a more sure word of prophecy then any voyce that we can hear from heaven page 6. And we will call them the Word of God whether the Quakers will or no and we are to go to the Law and Testimony page 7. Ans In this ye are contrary to the Ministers of the Word who calls the Scriptures the words of God and Christ the Word and calls the Scriptures a Declaration and a Treatise which Christ the Word came to fulfill And the Law and Testimony which ye say is the Old and New Testament which many may have and yet stand against the Law which is light as saith Solomon and stand against the testimony of Jesus which is the spirit of prophecy and crucifie them that be in it in the Law and Testimony they that have the Old and New Testament as witnesse the ravening Wolves that have had the sheeps cloathing but inwardly ravened from the spirit which Christ said should come John saw was come went out from the Apostles which since the world have gone after them And many may have the Scripture and stand against the voyce from heaven as the Jewes did him that spoke from heaven which was more sure him that spoke from heaven who was the end of the Scripures and comes to fulfill them And the Scriptures are not able to make wise unto salvation as you say who leave out the Faith but through faith they are Pr. Let the Quakers shew where ever Christ or the Apostles bid people looke to the light within them And the Quakers say they write from the spirit of the Lord and speake from God immediately and infallibly as did the Apostles and doth not this bring them under the curse in the Revelations page 8. And say the Letter is a dead and killing letter these he calls wicked errours And to say the light within is sufficient an old Popish argument Answ The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall is the salvation to the ends of the earth and sufficient for he that believes in it shall have the light of life and come to witnesse the Law of God in his minde and in his heart and the new Covenant which he shall not need to say Know the Lord. And the letter of Scripture paper and inke is a dead letter And thou and you all that speak and write and not from God immediately and infallibly as the Apostles did and Prophets and Christ but onely have gotten the words you are all under the Curse in another spirit ravened from the spirit that was in the Apostles onely have had the sheeps cloathing inwardly ravening wolves so deceived the World and the Nations and have been held up by the powers of the world the powers of the earth And the Kings of the earth have drunk the cup of fornication and they were like to maintain that which they have drunk And so power hath been given to the Beast over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations and they should make war against the Lamb and the Saints and continue it till the words of God was fulfilled And the Apostles told the Corinthians that light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And so all people upon the earth that have gotten a knowledge and if the light that shineth in their hearts hath not given it them what they know they know naturally in these things they corrupt themselves And so thou and you that be ignorant of the Apostles doctrine the light that gives people the knowledge and the immediate infallible spirit that the Apostle was in and that the Scriptures was given forth from are and the Pope together in another fallible spirit then the Apostles were in comprehended with the spirit that gave forth Scriptures Pr. And what a dreadful Judgement
before the Apostacy in the days of the Apostles we say neither Elders nor Ministers was mediate But that which made the elders was the Holy-Ghost to oversee and that which brought them to minister was immediate and so they was Ministers of the spirit and all Elders made by the mediate is carnal earthly and their weapons are earthly and their rule which they over-see withall is earthly Therefore hath your Church broken into so many pieces and they divide and cannot hold together like earth because ye are not in an Immediate spirit And so we do see it is so since the dayes of the Apostles neither your Elders nor your teachers are called Immediately But only have the sheepes cloathing ravened from the spirit of God And so are the wolves tearing one another to pieces about the letter and your apprehensions of it And Timothy which many of you say had not an immediate call and yet thou saith he had the gift of God Doth not that which God gives to men bring to do his will And that which is given from God to man is not that immediate and perfect And we do beleeve you ye do not witness that ye are of his flesh and of his bone that ye have not eaten it nor drunk his blood therefore do you say the Scriptures is the fountain of life and have been this hundreds or thousand years which the Pharisees had Scriptures in their ages and had not life ye have had the Scriptures which ye call the well and fountain of life many hundreds or thousand years yet though you and the Pharisees have all Scriptures except ye do eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood ye have no life in you neither you nor the Pharisees which flesh is our food and blood is our drink which we do believe you this many hundred of years ye have not eaten his flesh nor drank his blood and so are not of his flesh nor of his bone therefore cry ye so much against immediate and infallibility Pr. He saith The holiest man that is is not able to give an infallible Character of another man Pag. 49. we do grant that our Ministers came from Antichrist and past through him And he chargeth people for leaving their callings and say that the Quakers are like to them that flie from the wrath to come Answ We do believe that your Ministers came from Antichrist and through Antichrist for he was the Chanell But the Quakers are neither of you nor of Antichrist nor of the Pope but they are of the Apostles stock and of Abraham and of Christ before the Pope was Antichrist was or you was and so with the spirit of God and the Apostles you are fathomed And the Quakers do witnes they are made free from the wrath to come which the Pharisees did not that fled to John And there thy measure is too short all may see it that be in the light and thy ignorance of the Scriptures thou hast discovered and shewed and thou saith that the holiest man is not able to give an infallible Character of another man hast not thou in this discovered thy self to be no Minister of Christ or of the spirit who cannot give an infallible Character of another man how canst thou minister to his condition how canst thou see where he is how canst thou see them that be turned from the darkness and that be in the darkness and distinguish the one from the other and a holy man from an unholy man that canst not give an infallible Character of any mans state How canst thou know when men be in the spirit and that they are Epistles written in one anothers hearts not with paper and ink but with the spirit of the living God oh a divider of the word aright hath been wanting among you dark ones thou may say right enough your Ministers came from Antichrist and through Antichrist And did not the Saints leave their callings Pr. He saith It is a fancy to witness the righteousness of Christ within us Page 61. and to maintain persecution he brings Ahabs slaying the false Prophets and for the laying on of hands he brings the practice of the Apostles And to stop the liberty of conscience he saith must Saul be permitted to do what he will against Jesus of Nazareth Answ False Prophets are enemies yet they are not to slay them now the Apostles did not wrestle against the flesh and the blood with the false Prophets at you Ministers do now though Saul did before he was Paul and shewed himself of your nature you be now in unconverted And who ever be not in that state to witness Christ in them manifest in their flesh and there condemning sin in the flesh that they may through him become the righteousness of God they be in their fancies And Christ destroyes the ground of all fancy and brings to see where there is no shadow nor changing and brings their conscience into liberty and washeth it and sprinckling it where the Ministery of faith is held in it And your laying on of hands since the apostacy from the Apostles is not as the Apostles who have not an infallible spirit nor are infallible nor called immediately as they were none of them you lay on your hands can receive the Holy Ghost who you your selves are not in the immediate spirit nor infallible nor called immediately So all in the apostacy is from the Apostles hands and calling your folly is made manifest the light hath discovered you at which ye are stumbling and every one is wrestling against the Lamb and the Saints that are wrestling against the Light and such are Antichrists that shall be slain with the sword the words of his mouth and the Lamb and the Saints shall have the victory Pr. He saith humane learning helpes to understand heavenly things Page 70. Again Christ inlightens men no more wayes but one to wit by a natural light Page 71. And the righteousness within is not that which justifies and we are not freely justified and saved and redeemed that is through that Redemption and righteousness that is within us Page 74. 75. He saith We are justified freely but not by the grace wrought in us Answ By grace ye are saved and that not of your selves is is the gift of God and this in the heart manifested before it be known and possessed And every one that knowes Justification Redemption righteousness and salvation this is all known within us else people be in the first Adam drove from God not come to the second Adam not knowing salvation in the ground Justification in the ground Redemption in the ground If Christ the righteousness of God Redemption Justification and salvation the righteousness be not felt within and found within they are Reprobates And the Reprobates may talk of it without but where that is there is salvation righteousness Redemption Justification c. And Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world him by
it hath no unity And there is no true peace untill they come into the Kingdome which stands in joy in peace in righteousnesse Now where the body is standing and the root of sin in the heart not a perfect victory The Circumcision is not known that puts off the body the victory is not known while the body stands which the Apostle withessed the body of sin put off by the circumcision of the spirit which was in the inward man and he thanked God through Christ who had victory who was manifested in his flesh to condemn sin in his flesh that he through him became the righteousness of God And the life that he lived was by the faith of the Son of God And such as are made free from sin and dead to it and cannot live no longer therein these had the peace And such have not the peace where the body of sin is standing and sin in the heart there is the war But such as stand in the faith which purifies the heart and comes to witnesse the Circumcision of the heart they come to have the heart purified and the victory over the body as the Apostle declares Pr. He saith James Naylor deserved to be hanged page 5. He saith I tell my people they cannot be free from sin a perfect freedome from the being of corruption in them while they are on this side heaven pa. 9. And your speaking against Ministers and speaking in Markets is as bad or worse as to bait a Bull page 8. And he saith The Steeple house is the Church Ans The Ministers of Christ and the Prophets of the Lord which spoke his word which spoke in Synagogues and in Markets in high wayes and under the hedges and upon the mountains which disturbed the world and all professors upon the earth that had the words of truth which was out of the life and disturbed the Heathen that knew not God And all such Ministers of the Letter that have it and not the spirit that gave it forth are disturbed by the Ministers that be in the spirit that preach and speak forth the substance of the Scriptures And we know you and do believe you who saith your people shall not be made free from their corruption and tells them the Steeple-house is the Church and say the creature deserved to be hanged to be such at inwardly ravened which Christ said should come John saw was come and the whole world hath been after you that are wrestlers against flesh and blood and strikes at creatures in stead of striking at the power that captivates Creatures and so have kept people under the bondage of corruption and led people alwayes learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth and kept them in spirituall Aegypt Sodome and Gomorrah in filthinesse and telling of them the Masse-house is the Church the Steeple-houses Was it not a place for the Masse set up for the Masse with a Crosse at the end of it Look is it not on yet And is the Masse-house become thy Church thou mayst thank the Papists for that Was not the Pope and the Papists the setters up of all your Masse-houses and Colledges which have gotten up since the dayes of the Apostles among you inwardly ravenors from the Church which is in God and so have gotten up the Masse-house for your Church and there ye do keep up people telling them they must have corruptions while they be upon the earth So ye are Ministers of corruption which is contrary to the Apostles who said they sate in heavenly places and had escaped the pollutions of the world and they were children of the day not of the night and the true light shined So you that are ravened from the spirit of God have got up the Masse-house got people thither and telling of them they must have their corruptions and they must have sin and they must not be perfect while they are on this side heaven Now they can but have sin and can be but imperfect if they never came at you nor at your Masse-houses Now you are the Devills Messengers and Ministers that preacheth up sin and corruption and imperfection that people must be in and have sinne while they be upon the earth But the Ministers of Christ preached up perfection to be perfect and overcoming sin and made free from sin and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin and they had faith which gave them victory and the Circumcision that puts off the body of sin and the new Covenant that blotted out sin and transgression And such Ministers as you that make a trade of Scriptures as the Scripture it selfe the Prophets the Apostles and Christ doth make you manifest your fruits to be contrary to them that gave forth Scriptures So with it are you disapproved and judged with the life that gave it forth Pr. He saith And it seemes to me to be no more sin to bait a Bull then any other recreation And he saith The Quakers came into the Steeple-house and bid people to look to the light within them and to tell him that he was an Antichrist and blinde guide And saith I had rather be a hireling such as Christ hath hired in his Vineyard and receive a penny then some of the Quakers that go naked in the markets Answ The Quakers who be in the power of the Lord God have been moved of the Lord God to go into the world among Apostates who are ravened from the spirit of God and so are the Wolves that tears and rends and are ravening up and down for your Benefices and would eate one another out if you could and swallow one another like the fishes to the Sea Are you contented every one with your penny from Christ Are not you all fighting and striking and smiting and casting into Prisons for meanes for Tythes which ye do no work for Is not Christ come and hath found you smiting and striking your fellow-servants eating and drinking like Sodome and living in pleasure like the old world some having two hundred some three hundred pounds some lesse some more is here equall a penny Are ye like Christs Vineyard dressers Husband-men in the Vineyard Blush and be ashamed The stones are thrown now at Babylon and dasheth her children to pieces And Sion is building and the Tabernacle of David is rearing up Come up ye Saints and Prophets the Lamb and the Saints hath the victory And all those upon the earth and you all are the blinde guides and Antichrists who guides not people to the Light within and bids them not look at that but leads them from the Light within ye lead them in the darknesse and you are from the light in your own particulars and so the blinde guides for the fleece for the earth out of the Apostles Doctrine and Christs who brought people to the Light and bid them believe in it who told them the light that shined in their hearts would give them the
works in us are not to be joyned with our faith in Christs works for that brings into the wildernesse page 131. And to say that men are justified no farther then they are sanctified is to deny Protestant doctrine c. Answ Men are justified by the believing and in the faith and by the faith and in believing they overcome and have victory and there is Mortification and Sanctification and Redemption and Justification all possessed together in the one which is Christ and this to the particular satisfaction And all Protestants or whatsoever that have a Justification and Sanctification and they in the unmortified state unsanctified they are out of the faith that purifies out of the belief that is born of God who hath past from death to life and so is out of the substance that justifies and is without Christ and so are reprobates but where Christ is within there is Justification Sanctification and Redemption And they are they that blaspheme the Tabernacle of God and them that dwell in Heaven that call good evill and evill good and leads into snares and into the wildernesse that go about to confound the Justification but split themselves upon the Rock that denies the Light and Christ is the offering for the sin of the whole world who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that all men might believe in him the offering and they are justified in him from all things which the Law could not do And here is the Covenant of God to the Jewes and Gentiles the light of the Gentiles the glory of Israel the new covenant to the Jewes the Law in the heart and in the minde by which the people should not need to say Know the Lord for all should know him from the least to the greatest the salvation to the ends of the earth where the way of redemption is the way for the ransomed to walke in in which the fools shall not erre in it in which way there is no wildernesse nor slippery places but the path of life the way of the Just and of holinesse and the way of Sanctification and the way of Redemption and Justification Pr. He saith Christ was a sinner by imputation page 132. A. The Scripture doth not speak such kind of words but that he knew no sin no guile was found in his mouth A Lamb without spot or blemish though it pleased the Father to lay the iniquity upon him by his stripes we are healed And by the one offering perfected for ever them that are sanctified made himselfe an offering for the sins of the whole world who breaks down the partition wall bewixt Jewes and Gentiles slayes the enmity among men reconciles in one unto the Father by his body his death upon the Crosse Of his body are all the Professors Protestants Papists upon the earth ignorant of this seed that breaks the enmity therefore be all in the enmity one among another having sheeps cloathing but the sheep in you is not put forth but the Wolfe is ravening abroad against the sheep tearing them where the seed is risen Pr. He that throws off imputed righteousnesse may go shift for his justification where he can get it and Christ shall profit him nothing though he be in faith or love and self-denyall page 133 And it is not the work of Christ in us that justifies and reconciles our persons I can detect this for an errour that Christs works in us is that which justifies our persons before God page 134. Answ Christ works in us Faith and is the Author of it and by faith is every one justified in the blood of the seed the flesh of Christ the Lord from heaven shed for the sins of the whole world And this faith in this blood of the seed not of the first Adam nor the Beasts but the blood of the seed Christ the precious blood which is the life of Saints and his flesh which is the food of Saints which whosoever eats it and drinks it hath life in the Son of God and lives in him as he lives in the Father And this is wrought within and no one knows it but as it is wrought within by the faith in the blood of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world the great sacrifice for the sin of the whole world overthrew Death and Hell bruised the Serpents head Devill and sinne the sacrifice for the whole world the blood shed upon the Crosse for the sins of the whole world The blood of the seed which is the life that cleanseth and this blood is felt within for it purgeth the conscience from dead works to serve the living God And here is the great mystery of God and the wisdome of God which covers all the wisdome of the earth the knowledge and the wisdome of the understanding ones of the earth The seed and the blood of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world which sacrificed and offered up the body prepared who fulfilled all types figures offerings ends them and all other bloods whom Death and Grave could not hold dead raised again set at the right hand of God manifest in the Saints and in the midst of his Church singing praise was dead and is alive and lives for evermore manifest in the Saints And he that hath him hath life and he that hath not him hath not life And whosoever witnesseth Christ within they witnesse the end of Imputation they witnesse the thing it selfe the end of their belief and they possess the sanctification and such comes to know faith and love And such as may have all the Scriptures and preach of Justification and Sanctification without them and not within them be as the Jewes be as the Witches and Reprobates They are reprobate that witnesseth not Christ within them nor Sanctification there nor Justification there and so witnesseth not faith and love nor the faith that works by love and they be in the errour and shifts thou talks of and Babylonish and none comes to witnesse the reconciliation but who witnesse Christ within So out of Justification and Sanctification there if he be not within they cannot witnesse reconciliation If they be not believers in the Light of Christ they cannot witnesse justification but condemnation Bâ—t in the light in Christ Christ received in them justification sanctification reconciliation is received Christ Jesus the Light that which reconciles to the Father Pr. He saith The body of sin is the naturall body consisting of flesh and blood and bones and the living soule is immortall page 140. And sin will dwell in the house untill the house be pluckt down over its head which is the naturall body And there is not one Saint that is absolute free from the in-dwelling and working power of sin page 140. To plead for Perfection is inherent holinesse and to serve under Antichrists colours and to make voyd the suffering of Christ He that holds the Saints perfectly fulfilling all the Law in all
believing and receiving it they come into covenant with God they come to know the Law of God in their hearts that is the law of God in their hearts the light which doth enlighten every man c. And every man is in his first state in the transgression many are worse then Beasts and brutish and what they know they know naturally as bruit beasts And thee and all of you who are ravened from the spirit of God inwardly what ye have known it hath been naturall as bruit beasts for ye are gone from the Spirit that should give ye to know and understand and so that is no contradiction And we do believe thee who looks for the light in the letter of Scripture thou art brutish and saith the light of Scripture is higher in the least degree then the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Alack for thee the light which doth enlighten every man c. was before Scripture was given forth And the Saints that do receive the light that doth enlighten every one c. receives Christ the perfect light and doth receive God and Christ the substance the end of degrees And thou shalt never see the Saints light while thou art looking at the Letter from the life within which was in them that gave it forth and the light shined in the hearts of them that gave forth the Scriptures Pr. He saith The Scripture light that is a standing rule for our faith and there is present light in it to guide men to salvation and so are not immediate revelations and teachings And the knowledge of Christ and eternall life is given forth in the letter page 283. Answ They that had Scriptures knew not salvation and they knew not the rule being erred from the spirit of God And none knows salvation but by the immediate teaching and revelation of Christ Jesus the Son of God the salvation And if men have all the Scriptures given forth from God they themselves are not able to make men wise unto salvation without faith which Christ is the Author of who is the substance of what the Scripture speaks of and so they are not able of themselves to guide men to salvation Neither are they a rule of faith but Christ is the Author of Faith and the Spirit is the rule that gave them forth and all that have them and is not in the Immediate knows them not neither the Gospell And none knows eternall life nor Christ which is the Authoâ— of life and faith which was before Scripture was by the Scriptures but as they come into the life that they was in that gave them forth And there is the life found Christ found Christ seen him by whom the world was made before it was made for the life was in them that gave forth the Scriptures by which they knew God and eternall life and Christ the Saviour Abraham the Prophet and Moses So the life must be in all now before they know Scriptures or Christ or God Pr. He saith If the letter declares of Christs fulfilling then we should need to know no more of Christ then what for substance is in the Scriptures then there is no need of immediate teachings page 284. He saith new Apostles and doctrine discovered of a righteousnesse within them and that is their justification And this is as the ring-leaders of the Jewes among the Galatians page 286. And the salvation which is to be wrought out with fear and trembling is not the same as made Moses and David Habakkuk and Paul tremble page 287. Answ The power of God is one which threw down Paul shook Habakkuk and Moses and David whereby these all came to know Christ which power who cometh into it and into the infinitenesse of it which raiseth up the seed which is Christ whereby the salvation is known and wrought out with feare and trembling And when ye all come to know this power that works out the salvation with fear and trembling your reproaches will be laid aside for reproaching of such whose salvation is wrought out with feare and trembling And righteousnesse within and sanctification within is a new Doctrine to you that are inwardly ravened from the spirit of God since the dayes of the Apostles and so from the spirit of faith from the hearing of faith which they that drew the people to the Circumcision without went from the hearing of faith within by which they should be justified So they that are come to the hearing of faith they are come to the justification and sanctification within and looks not to the Circumcision and Baptisme without So this is an old doctrine and not new but to you Apostates And though the Scriptures declares of Christs fulnesse and if people have all the Scriptures that speaks and declares of his fulnesse which you say you need know then no more of Christ then what for substance is in the Scriptures and so no need of immediate teachings we believe you But none knows the fulness of Christ but who comes into the immediate teachings Your mouths may be full of Scripture and use your tongues about the â—aints words and running up and down and the Lord never sent you saying Thus saith the Lord in Chap. and Verse And it is sufficient that the Scripture speaks of his fulnesse yet I say you nor none upon the earth never knew his fulnesse but as ye come to the light wherewith Christ hath enlightned you withal in every one of your own particulars though ye may have all the Scriptures for they that knew the fulnesse of Christ and they that gave forth the Scriptures had the spirit of God in them So must every one that knows it and them again Pr. He saith If the Scriptures be a rule for thee and thou then it is a rule for respect to superiours And keeping on the hat shewes the pride of the heart and a lying spirit He saith they have not a growth of Perfection in this life but a pressing on page 290. And he saith the Prophets took Texts and raised motives And he saith he that believes not our poynts from Scripture shall be damned that hee must tell him from Christ page 299. Answ Who are standing up against thee and thou and the Hat shewes the pride of their hearts and be out of the humility looking for an earthly honour which before the honour is the humility Nay the Scripture is not a rule for the respecting of persons neither is the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ they that do are out of the faith and are convinced by the Law to be transgressors and committers of sin and so out of the Law and Faith that respects persons And David he saw the end of all that perfection so he was past the growth of it when he saw it end And the Scriptures and Christ you know not who are not come into the immediate teachings nor have no need of that who saith the Scripture it is
of works or natural light which was before the Covenant of works was or a natural light was created which ends the Covenant of works and thou art to be judged for thy words and with that light every man sees the Mediator believing in it if not it condemnes him Pr. That all the light they have is but the light of a natural conscience and that is a blurr'd one too Nay how comes it to passe that in old England we see so many hundreds that manifest no other light but a natural conscience and New England that have conversed with the Indians and never saw the least breaking forth of the light Answ The light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world by whom the world was made was before natural conscience was or natural light either or the blurr'd light as thou cals it And many of the Indians do shew forth more in their conversations of the light then you do and as for old England what have you been doing all this while if you see so many hundreds manifesting no other light but a natural conscience But how should they manifest it when you keep them from it your work is to keep them from the light within But now there 's thousands that are manifesting the light on the house top by which the world was made which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world and you Ministers of Satan out of the light and truth are them that stands against it for the Devil that went out of the light and truth who sowed his seed in the hearts of people he would not have them to own the light in them and he would confesse a God without him and so he teaches them in whom he sowes his seed not to have the light within them the seed Christ the tree of righteousness the root of God Pr. I charge the Quakers to shew one Scripture that bids look to the light within the old trick of Errour the righteousness of faith doth not direct people to look for a Christ within this Scripture bids weary laden souls go to Christ is this to the light within them I am amazed at their ignorance Answ The righteousness of faith brings people to look at Christ within and what abundance of ignorance hast thou shewed who hath been a teacher of the people these many years and shews how contrary thou art to Christ and the Apostles in doctrine for in 2 Cor. 4. the Apostle tels the Corinthians the light that shined in their hearts to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus this was the work of the true Apostles when the false Apostles and Devils Ministers and messengers was got among them for the Devil is out of truth and so are his messengers and they will draw people from the light within and blind their minds that they should not come to the light within to see the glory of God in the face of Christ from whence it comes so thou dost conclude thy self among the Devils Ministers and false Apostles and messengers and no wearied soul that is burdened that comes to Christ who is the souls rest but first comes to the light within which comes from Christ who is the souls Bishop with which light they see him he shines in their hearts it gives them the knowlege of him and the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and thou that leads them from the light within leads them from Christ and the glory of God who should save them from their sins and give them ease rest and peace Pr. I said looking to the light and living upon the light within will lead men to Hell and going to and living upon a muddy puddle of natural light That Christ is the light in all in a saving manner I deny for Christ to be the righteousness of men in Justification differs and to send a man to live upon a light within it not to send him to Christ and if he live upon it upon the light as it is Justication it is a plain Covenant of works Ans There 's no man lives but in the light which comes from Christ the light by whom the world was made in whom was light and this light is the life of men and this light and life is manifest in us for he that hath the Son of God hath light and life he that receives not this though he be enlightned hath not life that hates it such as lead people from it go from it in their own particulars they lead people into hell into its gates it prevails against them but who be in the light the gates of Hell cannot prevail against them and believes in it they are not condemned and so they live in the muddy puddle and goes into the naturall light that denies the light within which Christ hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world withall they live not upon the life but in the muddy puddle of darknesse and are Antichrist out the light and are against it in their particulars and against them that walke in it and such are unlike the Ministers of Christ Every man that cometh into the world is enlightned with the saving light and he that believes in it is saved he that doth not is condemned There 's no one comes out of the covenâ—nt of works but by the Light within which Christ the covenant of God hath enlightned him withall And there 's no one lives out of the covenant of works but who lives in the Light and who lives in the Light lives in Christ and Christ in him I in you and you in me and who hates this Light they live not in Christ it condemns them for they be in their owne Covenant oâ— works Who believes in the light hath entered into the rest and ceased from his owne work as God did from his And righteousnesse and justification is one where Christ is known and felt in man they are both felt in one For Christ the righteousnesse of God and the justification and Christ in you and see if thou canst read this who sayes they differ Pr. What warrant have you to go out to the Quakers Shall a man go hear the Jewes and Popish Masse because Paul bid try all things No no. Answ Paul bid us quench not the spirit and where the spirit is not quenched they may try Papists Jewes Protestants who quenches not the spirit but who quenches the spirit and draws people from the light within they draw from that they should see withall then you stuffe them up with old Authors and lying stories as you print abroad Pr. Christs revealed Will is the word of Reconciliation Answ The Scriptures is not the word of Reconciliation But Christ is the word of Reconciliation who reconciles man to God and satisfies the Father and gives men peace with God and this the Scripture declares And as for the Ministers of Newcastle who hath
not capable of such a rest Answ In the sixe dayes thou was to do that which was just and that which the Law commanded which was justice and to do to all men as thou wouldst be done to Not to covet steale bear false witnesse nor kill the seventh day was the rest that signified Christ Jesus the end of the Law the rest If any man can receive this let him And the Sabbath-day that all servants strangers cattell son and daughter might rest upon it the seventh day the signe the shadow which Christ the body ends was a figure and a signe and a shadow of the restauration of the Creation to the rest whereby the Gospel might again be preached to every creature under heaven This is a touch of the thing more might be said in it The Sabbath was everlasting to the state wherein it was and Circumcision was everlasting to the state wherein it was through their generations and it was in the first covenant shadows types and figures but the body is Christ that came to do the will of God which ends them all and sanctifies man and brings him to rest and peace with God before dayes was Pr. And thou saith J. E. was instructed in the Old Testament which is able to make wise unto salvation through faith therefore be instant in season and out of season Now the onely morall season the Scriptures enjoynes us is the seventh-day sabbath never changed till the little horne arose And the holy spirit in the Apostles highly approves us in our fulfilling the Royall Law which as to the season of worship is none other then the seventh day-sabbath Answ They who are made able and wise to salvation they know the Scriptures through the faith they see the substance of them Christ Jesus and they see while Moses was read the vail was upon their hearts ' for the Sabbath was the signe type and circumcision and this was in Moses and this was the signe read the shadow was read the type was read and the figure read the vail over the heart Now as the seed Christ the body comes to be known the signe the shadow the type is ended the body is known that doth the will of God that brings people to the rest So who knows the Scripture that is able to make wise unto salvation mark that word through the faith that is in Christ Jesus they have salvation which are able to make wise unto salvation that testifies of it and so Christ the seed the body takes off the vaile of mens hearts that ends the types figures and shadows And such as come to know the fulfilling of the royall Law according to Scriptures he comes to the body Christ in which the Law ends to every one that believes and so they as be in dayes Sabbaths which Moses speaks of was a signe and Ezekiel and the Apostle said was a shadow they be not yet come to the body which is Christ that was before any dayes was who is the sanctification and rest of his people and who are in him that is the truth worships God in the truth and in the spirit which never changes but shadows signes of a thing is not the thing that 's signed too for signes and shadows will change but the spirit and truth doth not change in that is God worshipped Pr. And thou saith It cannot be that horne except he change your times also and that he had no time to change but the seventh-day-sabbath and the Sabbath is perpetuall a rule of righteousness Answ Christ made all things new he ends the Law and brings it in the heart he ends the Covenant and changes things as was in the old time changing circumcision offerings Priests and ends the Sabbath which was perpetuall to the Jewes in that generation among the types as the Covenant was and Circumcision and the Law was a rule of righteousnesse for them but Christ who is the end of the Law comes to redeem them that are under the Law and ends their covenant and ends their shadows and changes those times him by whom time was made and so thou that knows not the time in his hands shews thou art not in the time that are in his hands and so not of the body of Christ Pr. And vvhereas thou saith No other time but simply the seventh part must from week to week be devoted to Gods worship for whensoever the seventh part of time is altered the morality must be destroyed Answ They worshipped God that said the body vvas Christ and the Sabbath day vvas a shadovv of good things to come and so they that vvorship God must vvorship him in spirit and in truth and in that vvhich all figures and shadovvs and signes doth end in the spirit and truth before they vvas and not one day in seven a signification of rest sanctification the Lords signe he gave to the people in transgression Before transgression ye do not read it was to men given as a command to the first Adam but of the earth earthly But who comes to the second Adam the Lord from heaven he by whom the world was made comes into that that all types figures shadows ends and so doth not destroy nothing of the Law but comes to that which ends it Pr. And thou saves It 's a great stumbling block as to believers in Christ because Christians violated the Sabbath Answ Christ is the body that ends the shadows and the signes and fulfills the Law him who was before the world was made in him are the Christians the body that ends the shadows and the signes in whom the vayl is come off of their hearts and so Christ did not break the Law but fulfilled it and in him that fulfills it the Saints met who met together in him and gathers together in him Who is the body they are the members he is the head who is the Church in whom he is in the mids of Pr. And thou saith So that to produce the world of wonder manifest it is that night was the beginning of time Answ That 's false the beginning of time was God and Christ and times and seâ—sons are in his hands and God is Light read that who can Pr. And thou saith Thou supposest it will not be questioned in Moses time Answ This was while Moses was read while the body was not come Christ Jesus that ends the signe the shadow the type and blots out the Ordinances and Commandements that held them up from which vaile the Apostle brought the People to the body Christ Jesus where no shadow was nor changing Now dayes are changing but Christ doth not change which is the body And you that hold up the signe the shadow the type the figure you hold up the dead and come not to Christ the life the body the Sanctification it selfe before dayes was by whom they was made Pr. And thou sayst The unthankfull Christian ought to sanctifie the Sabbath Answ Here thou brings them into dayes
not the Son of God him whom the Father hath sealed that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have eternall life and are sealed So every man in the light shall see the new Covenant and the Mediator before he hath power to become the Son of God and there is prophecy before the Son is born and openings from the Lord and those are things of God Pr. No man can ever see God who is invisible with the light by which all things were made and calls it a little light Answ This is contrary to John who saith he that walks in the light shall have fellowship with the Son and with the Father and so sees him and it is not a little light by which all things were made and created Pr. The unction in every man is not the light Answ It is far from the Apostle to say that the Unction in men is the light If the Unction be Christ in the man it is light and every man that comes into the world he must receive the light that Christ hath enlightned every man that comes into the world withall before he can receive the unction and he that hath the Unction hath the light of life Pr. The sure word of prophesie the Apostle speaks of is the prophesie of Scripture or Scriptures Ans Doth the Scripture shine in a dark place untill the day dawn Are they them that must be taken heed unto as unto a light Can any see the Scripture and know the Scripture but with the light within Cannot a Cain or a Balaam or Core bring Scripture that is gone from the spirit of prophecy within and then put the Letter for it Pr. They know not absolute perfection that are admitting of measures and degrees Nor come to the day nor the bright morning-star is not risen Answ Did not the Apostle speak that they were children of the day and night was over and knew the whole body and yet said he would not go beyond his measure And doth he not speak of the stature and measure and fulnesse of Christ And were not they come to perfection and spoke wisdome amongst them that was perfect Pr. He saith The evill done can never appear to be evill by the light Answ Doth not the light make it manifest and reprove the evill done and condemn it Pr. He saith It is not in the power of the light to call any thing that 's done good or evill Answ This is contrary to Scripture that saith whatsoever doth make manifest and reprove is light and there 's power in that that doth make manifest and reprove and call that which is evill to be evill and that which is good to be good Pr. He saith The light convinceth man not for not believing in Christ Answ It condemns him and convinceth him and reproves him Pr. He saith The light or law as he calls it will convince a man of sin and there leave him inexcusable before God Answ Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness sake to every one that believes in the light and so comes to witnesse the Law of faith and of life the hope and the promise of this brings from under the Schoolmaster to the Son-ship and to know and see his salvation which none doth but with the light Pr. He saith That Scripture in John is misapplyed which saith that Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And saith it meddles with none but the children of the new Covenant Answ This is contrary to Scripture that saith one loves the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world the other hates it He that hates it it condemns him and he hath it to the other the light of life and he is a Covenant a light to the Gentiles and to the Jewes whether they own it or believe in it or receive it or not he is so neverthelesse according to the promise of God and it is the covenant of light which doth enlighten every man believing in it and he shall not need to say Know the Lord for he shall finde the Law in his minde and the Law in his heart and the Saints witnessed the light shining in their hearts and that gave them the knowledg of the glory of God and they are passed from death to life and from darknesse to light and the unbeliever abides in darknesse and in the death and the light shines in the darknesse and the darkness doth not comprehend it and there thou art and such know nothing as they ought to know but naturally as bruit beasts Pr. He saith The light in every man which cometh into the world will not open all Scripture nor lead men out of the fall to God the Father and to eternal life Answ The light which doth enlighten man that cometh into the world is the substance of all Scriptures and the way out of the Fall up to eternall life out of the first Adam and is the life and that opens all Scriptures and that all Scriptures ends in man being in the Fall in the first Adam drove from God in the sin and transgression Christ the second Adam which doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world who is the way again to God is he who bringeth in righteousnesse life and immortality and finisheth sin and transgression and ends the Prophets types figures shadows and opens and lets see all Scriptures Pr. He saith The light tumbles men into the grave and roules a stone upon them and tumbles them in transgression and he shall act against the annointed ones of God and against the Lord. Answ Nay the light leads men out of transgression and from wallowing in their blood whereby they have life and leads them out of the graves and from under their stony hearts and rocks whereby the new Covenant of light is known and the new heart which is pure with which God is seen and the light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall will prick them that persecute the annoynted ones and act against the Lord though they kick against it Pr. He saith To what purpose should Christ be preacht dead and risen to be believed on for life if the light be in every one Answ Man-kinde being in the fall Christ being made manifest to witnesse that he shouâ—d come and made manifest to many witnesses when he was come and John came to bear witnesse to the true light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Then these witnesses that did believe that Christ was come was to go into all the world all Nations Jewes and Gentiles and preach the everlasting Covenant of God to them which was promised and was witnesses of his Resurrection And to turn people from darknesse to light and the power of Satan to God and then told them the light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledge of
fall into condemnation for whatsoever is more then this cometh of evil so all swearers are in the evil false brethren fall into condemnation out of the Doctrine of Christ and breakes his command and are none of his Ministers Pr. He did believe in a Christ that died at Jerusalem but not in a Christ within Answ He that believes not in a Christ within doth not believe in a Christ at Jerusalem and he that doth not believe in a Christ within and Preach Christ within is a reprobate and out of the Apostles Doctrine Col. 2. 2 Cor. 13. and he is not in a true belief of Christ without who believes not in a Christ within but is in the Devils belief and believes as the Devill doth Pr. That if there be one grace within it is created and he believes not in any created thing Answ The grace that is within that stablisheth the heart is brought by the Revelation of Jesus the loines of the minde being girded up knowes it the grace by which they are saved which brings salvation which is sufficient this comes from the Creator which grace teached us said the Saints to deny ungodly lusts and to live soberly Pr. That light which Christ hath inlightned every man with is carnall and darkenesse Ans The light which Christ hath inlightned every man that is come into the world with all was before carnall or darknesse was and believing in it it leads every man from darkenesse his carnall estate into vnity with God for no man sees his carnall estate and darknesse but by the Light which makes it manifest and the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world is that which all professors in all ages stumbled at that were without life Pr. He knew no scripture that the world was in the heart of man and that it was non-sence Ans Thou art ignorant of Solomons words who saith 3. Eccles he hath set the world in their hearts that they cannot find the beginning or ending of the worke of â—od and here thou hast shewed thy self of the bottomlesse pit without the beginning or ending of the work of God and he is in the nonsence that is not in the beginning or ending of the work of God Pr. That men cannot be saved that have no other light Ans The light which hath inlightned every man that is come into the world is the Saviour and no man is condemned but for not believing in that Light and no man is saved â—uâ— who believes in tâ—at light Pr. That there is no perfection attainable in this life Ans There is no perfection but in wickednesse in the life of Adam in the transgression and there men live in sin and hath it in their body and carries a body of it which came by the devil sin and transgression but Christ the second Adam that destroyes the devill the power of death and death and his works who saves men from sin and blots out the sin and transgression and redeems from the Earth and who are in Christ the second Adam are in perfection and in that which is perfect and makes free from sin and the body of it and death and him that hath the power of death and comes to be perfect as their heavenly father is perfect and the work of the ministers of Christ was to the perfecting of the Saints and thou that dost deny perfection have denyed the ministers of Christs work who preach Christ within and preached every one perfect in him Pr That the scripture is the word of God Ans The scripture is the words of God as you may read Exod. and Matth. Revel and Christ is the word of God in whom the words end before the words were spoken forth and man without the spirit cannot interpret scriptures Pr. That the ministers of this nation are the ministers of Christ and the Gospell and that it is a sin to despise them Ans And the ministers of this Nation or no where else are not the ministers of Christ of the Gospel that denie the light that enlightneth every man that comes into the world and holds up swearing neither are they the men that are to interpret scripture they cannot see without the light which inlightneth every man that comes into the world before it was made who is the end of the Prophets with that they see the Prophets words and the end of them and so such afore mentioned are to be turned from that turns from the light and it is no sin to obey the Apostles commands 2 Tim. 3. to deny them which come up since the Apostles decease having the form but denies the power Pr. That they may lawfulâ—y taâ—e Tithes of the people Ans And you that takes tithes of the people are of the Popes tribe got up since the daies of the Apostles which said the priest-hood was changed that took the tithes the Law was changed by which the priest-hood was made and the commandement disanulled that gave tithes and Christ the sum the end of all similitudes which comes before Abraham was that paid tithes Heb. 7. the â—ope is your author in taking tithes since the dayes of the Apostles in the Apostacy and Christ is the end of the Law Pr. Richard Mayo saith That it is not unlawfull to say You to a single person Ans In this thou shewest thou never readst the Accidence or Bible and it is unlawfull to speak unrightously and to say there is many when there is but one to call one many you one Pr. That Ministers may exhort men to walke by the light of Reason as well as the light of the Gospel Ans No man walks by the light of reason but who be in the faith are in the light of the Gospell and all other reason is as the beasts of the field that which makes men reasonable is faith and all that be in the faith are in the light of the Gospell and this is one which all unreasonablenesse is out of it in the transgression for none are in the reasonablenesse but such as comes out of transgression and such as be reasonable walkes by the light of the Gospell Pr. That the Gospel it selfe is but a dead letter Ans The Gospel it selfe is the power of God that which the letter speaks of which many may have the letter the form and deny the power of God and so have not the Gospell Pr. That the Gospel is no more the power of God then the rose cake that lay in his window Ans The Gospell is the power of God preached in every creature more then a rose cake that gives every creature its living and being for it relieves the oppressed turnes against the oppressor so is called glad tidings for the Gospell is preached unto every creature in heaven which is the power of God which turnes against that which bondageth to wit the corruptions and so gives liberty and freedom to the captives and this is glad tidings which is the power of
God and is more then any Creature and all the creatures that which gives liberty and freedom to all is glad tidings Richard Mayo further saith It was no matter to him if the devill was the originall of Tithes if the Law of the Land would give it him he would have it Ans We doe believe thee his servant thou art thy seared conscience and hardnesse of heart discovers it but the ministers of Christ and the Gospell never preached nor held forth such doctrine nor would never act any thing from that which the Devil was the originall of which thou dost say thou would take tythes though he was the originall of them if the Law of the Land would give it thee he hath been the originall of them and the Popes Lawes first set them up whereby the Saints goods are strained and spoiled and made havock of and art not contented with the spoyling of their goods but you bring their bodies into your priests den and thus you eate up people and swallow up the needy for a thing of nought as they did of old your as fore-fathers did transgresse for a paire of shoos Pr. He saith Cain was no vagabond after he had built a City and he said there was no scripture as that the Apostles had no certaine dwelling place and that the steeple-house was the Church Ans This is contrary to scripture for Cain was a vagabond though he builded a City and disobeyed the command of God and lost his habitation in God so all great men upon the earth though they build a City and are Lords and Earls and Dukes and Princes and Kings if they doe disobey the command of God and doe not dwell in him they have no habitation but are all vagabonds and Paul had no certain dwelling place 1 Cor. 4 11. and yet he had a habitation in God and was no vagabond and the steeple-house is no Church but the old Masse-house set up since the daies of the Apostles since they lost the true Church Thess the 1. Priest Bushels Principles These words were given forth by Seth Bushel Priest of Whitley as follows the 25 day of the first moneth 1658. Pr. MEn are not converted by the light within them An. If Christ be not in you the body is dead and he is light within And the light that shines in the heart gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus And none are converted but they that be in him and by him within and the light that shines in the heart gives the knowledge of conversion and unconversion and there is none comes to conversion but by it the light which is Christ Pr. He saith That he denies that the light that lighteth every man is Christ as John speaks 1 John Answ In this thou hast denyed Johns Doctrine who said he is the true light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world And as many as received him he gave them power to become the sons of God and thus thou art ignorant of the Scriptures much more of the power of God Pr. He saith The light which every man is enlightned withall never converted any man to God Ans Here thou goest about in thy Doctrine to prove that Christ never brought any to God who is the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world who is the way to the Father that saves men from sin and destroys death and he that hath the power of it and brings men into that the Devill is out of Thou with the light and thy Doctrines art comprehended and condemned and no man is converted to God but by the light which hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world Pr. He saith That the light which lighteth every man is the broad way Answ Here people may all see this Priest a Minister of darknesse and wickednesse for the light which doth enlighten every man is Christ Jesus who is the way to the Father and leads people out of the broad way which is come up by Adam sinne the Devill and transgression which all be in the broad way that deny the light Hereford the 8. day of the first moneth 1658. these words were spoken in a meeting by Edward Price and Philip Langford which is their principles Pr. PHilip Langford said Paul was not freed from the act of sin whilst in this life Answ And Paul thanks God he was made free from the body of sin and saw where there was no condemnation and thus he wrestles and fights against Paul who said he was made free from sin and could live no longer therein and the body of sin was put off and their conversation was in heaven Pr. We do affirme that they that be in this faith that turns from sin be subject to sin the act of sin whilst in this mortall body Ans This is confusion and contradiction and not sound doctrine for faith that purifies the heart from sin over it gives victory in which men please God and have accesse to him by the which they are justified whilst on earth and by the faith the just lives and the life the Saints come to live which gives them victory over the world is by the faith of the Son of God Pr. Priest Price saith faith in Christ Jesus purifies not from the in-dwellings of sin whilst in this body Ans In this the Scripture hath corrected thee for it saith faith purifies the heart that which purifies takes away sinne Sinne which being unclean in its selfe makes unclean Pr. He saith The guilt of sin may be taken away but the act of sin may remain Ans A silly man one of the old Doctors the Scriptures speaks of Dost thou act sin and dost not thou feel the guilt of it Thou brings the whole world upon thy head the principle of God in them all will witnesse against thee And aske all the Thieves that are condemned to the gallows and the Drunkards and such as act sin such as professe Scriptures which are not in the life of it whether or no they have not a guilt upon them for acting sin but this is one of the blinde Priests principles none but mad men will believe them wicked lyers against that of God in their own conscience and thus they preach up the Devills doctrine of Lies Pr. Edward Price saith that all men should be judged by the Scriptures and that the Scriptures is the power of God Answ The Scripture saith Christ is the power of God And the Apostle said the Letter kills and all judgement is committed to the Son saith the Ministers of Christ And the Scriptures are the words of God and Christ is the Word and Judge in whom the words end whom thou hast thrown out and set Scripture in his room And as for the rest of his words they are not worth mentioning Enoch Howets Principles Pr. THe doctrine of perfection in the creature is a lye Answ The doctrine of
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
knowledge to know him which is eternal life and wisdom to walk in his waies which are perfect where Gods dwelling is in Saints there is light and they have fellowship one with an other in it and with the Son and the Father Pr That although the essence of God be within yet it no way conducts to the happinesse of man Ans Man feels not the happinesse but as he is in the power of God in which he hath communion with him and thou speaks thou dost not know what Pr. Iohn said he had heard and handled Christ and looked upon him but your Idoll Christ your light and everlasting word you say is within so that you nor any man else can say what it is except whimsies Ans Thou that hast not handled seen nor heard Christ nor felt him within art in the Idols whimsies and blasphemy for we witnesse that Christ and hath handled him and seen him and heard him and knowes the everlasting word and him within which torments thee and thy ground and thy seed because he cannot reign but Christ is come to take possession to dostroy him and his works and reigne and none sees this buâ— they that own the light within which comes from Christ the King Pr. By letters and witnesse without we will oppose your lying light within there to maintaine against the best men whatsoever your light within is a lye for you say the light within is Christ I deny the scriptures are a witnesse to beare to your light within which is your Idol and this word of God within to be no more nor less then a lye Ans The scripture beares witnesse to the light within for I know that 's thy work and the devils which is out of the light which is the truth to oppose it who rules in the Children of disobedience but cannot rule in the children of light and the scriptures saith Christ in you and God will dwell in you he is light and they are light the light that shines in your hearts to give you the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and this the Scripture bears witness to as in Cor. 2.4.2.13 and the word is nigh thee in thy hâ—â—rt and in thy mouth Rom. 10. and as for all the rest of thy stuff confused parsell of ignorance in thy book as this before mentioned which is not worth setting pen to paper but for the simple ones sake it is given forth for the day is appeared that all your works are seen and come to light praises and glory to the Lord God the Highest for ever in the day of thy fulness thou hast been in the mischief of iniquity but in the day of thy poverty when the witness of God stirs and rises in thee and judgement enters upon thee then remember when thy works burn and thou in the fire what thou didst in the world in thy life time against the Saints and the elect and spoke of things thou couldst not know nor weigh but were too heavy for thee and how thou actest against the light of Christ within which would have led thee to salvation Enoch Howet of Lincolne His Principles in his Book as followeth as he cals the Doctrine of the Light within Pr. I Have taken upon me as my duty to forewarn all men of the Doctrine that teach men to look at the Light within them Answ We do believe thee here thou art not only Ante-Christ but Anti-Apostle that 's against him who taught people to look to the light within them and told them that the light that shined in their hearts to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and this is the Doctrine which thou forwarnest all men of and said it is thy duty so thou mayest see whom thou servest that turns men from light and warns people of the Apostles Doctrine in that all may Judge what thou turns them to and whose duty thou art doing and whose messenger and Minister thou art them that be in the fear of God see thee Pr. To look to the light within is to look at his deceitful heart and it will offer thee darkness for light and its evident if thou look to that which thou cals the light within he brings thee to take councel of a corrupt heart the prince of the Aire the prince of darkness Answ The light that shines in the heart that thy darkness cannot comprehend it is not the Prince of darkness nor the Prince of the air nor the deceitful corrupt heart but by the light within is all discovered and made manifest for its the light within that discovers a mans thoughts a mans councels of his heart And Christ within is light and that the Apostle bid the Corinthians examine themselves and prove themselves and know not they their own selves how that Jesus Christ was in them except they were Reprobates Now where Christ is within there is light now Reprobates cannot endure to hear it talkt of within but cals it blasphemy corrupt heart and deceitful heart and so forth and the Apostle told the Saints that God would write his Law in their hearts and put them in their minds the law is light and God would dwell in them and walk in them and where God is there is light and in him is no darkness and the Saints are his Temple and this Doctrine the light within it s thy work and Ministry to teach and warn all men against Pr. To look at the light within leads men to look at a judgement here in this life and to take off men from eternal judgement Answ There 's none sees the judgement in this life nor the eternal judgement but with the light within for the light makes manifest what must be judged and what must not O that thou shouldst be so blind and who judge themselves shall not be judged Pr. The people which depended upon light within fell into shameful enormities and when they pretended the light within they pretended an Angel of light which cozens us which at the best is but a broken cistern the Ephesians were sometimes darkness Answ They are the broken Cisterns that cannot hold the water of life and they are under the pretended Angel of light that deny the light of Christ within and shameful enormities that be from the light which makes manifest all those things and though the Ephesians were darkness yet the light shined in the darkness and the darkness could not comprehend it John 1. Pr. The light within drawes from the expecting of the assurance of Christ by working in our hearts the children of disobedience so that we wait not upon God for assurance but to trust to the light within Answ None comes to assurance of Christ Jesus but who comes to the light that shines in his heart which Christ Jesus hath enlightened him withall who is the way to him none comes from under the power
Apostles and Christs words and minister of unrighteousnesse transforming your selves into the true ministers words whose soules is under the horrible delusions and misterious deceits under the observances oâ— the world who would beguile the soule that is not stablished but light is broke forth that few you can deceive and thy New-years gift is judged and proceeds from Cain and is his sacrifice from the earth for tâ—e Apostles saw such as was transforming into the false Apostles and false ministers he brings the saints to the light that shined in their hearts to give them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus which you deny to the false transformed into their words and judged with their spirit which brought people to the light within and you bring them from it so from that which should give them the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Chriâ—â— Jesus Pr. The Devil is called the Prince of darknesse because he lives in the darknesse as to the apprehention of divine love an enemy to all the Image of God which is light and purity and the devil transformed himselfe into the likenesse of God under a faire pretence heavenly words selfe-denyall actions righteous conversations Answ This is like your fruits who hath deceived the people but is your divine love to the devill who is out of truth doth not Christ come to destroy him and his works and there is none that can apprehend the divine love of God but who be in the truth And the Devill cannot transforme himself to be like God not in his image nor in his righteousnesse that is out of truth and his conversation that is out of truth is altogether unrighteous and is but in the pretence of selfe-â—enyalâ— but is not the thing though he and you may get the words that be heavenly and stands against the light and Image of God and purity it selfe for all you be of the devil that doth deny the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world for you come not into the truth which the devill is out of nor into the pure conversation which is in heaven and purity Pr. Thou saist Thou hast many occasions offered by the Quakers upon thy poor weake and sinfull heart the Lord hath filled my heart with moderation in giving my own once uncomfortable experiences Ans We believe thee that thy heart is weak and sinfull and a weak and sinfull heart is not filled with moderation and thy experiences which are uncomfortable are not the experiences of the Saints for the Saints experiences are comfortable and their heart is a pure heart that is filled with moderation and the Quakers will torment all sinfull and corrupt hearts for such the Lord is against and so be his Saints not to take his words into their mouthes Pr. Thou saist Thou hatest hypocrisie when thou livest in the light life and power of the first Adam and because the Quakers say they know my conscience better then my self I see they are acted through delusion I am able to to speak this truth from my own heart which is better known to me I do know that a naturall man may make a large progresse in the Gospel profession and conversation and that which the Quakers call back-sliding is my turning to my God Ans In the light and life and power of the first Adam as he was in the beginning thou art not in which he was in before the fall and the Apostles knew the state and condition of Jewes and Gentiles and people better then they did themselves and so doth the Quakeâ—s that be in their spirit and this is not delusion and thy owne heart yet thou dost not know as thou oughts nor the truth but first thou must come to the light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the world which is the truth and a naturall man doth not make a progresse into the Gospell nor doth not come into the conversation of it whilst he lives in the naturall estate and thy God thou art turned too which is the God of the world as all hirelings and diviners for money and teachers for filthy lucre did that went forth from the spirit of the Apostles and prophets and Christ and back-slided from them and so went from the true God and thou serves the God of the world for love of thy benefice and see if thou will not look upward and downeward and curse thy God Pr. I would have all the world to observe how that the Quakers that Anti-Christ hath cast that blindnesse upon their understandings for their reproving men sharply and rebukeing them crying woe to the hypocrites it s the devils policy to keep close to the scriptures I used arguments to people to look for the glorious way and discovery of the divine light and power to be brought forth among all the children of the most high O mystery Babylon of this delusion Ans Hears thy confession for the spirit of God where it is doth rebuke reprove sharplie and tell them that are hypocrites the woe is to them and the Quakers ante-christ cannot blind them they are come from under his power and authority but you are them that cannot feare reproof and the Lord may send a man as he did Philip to such a place and he not know what he shall do nor whom he shall speak to till he come to such a place and the devil is out of the life that gave forth scriptures though he and you may pervert the words who may get them but not own them as they speak and thou calls good evill and evill good for the children of the most high doth waite for the most glorious discovery of divine light and power which delusion and mystery Babylon is out of and so the Quakers is come to that which ante-christ is ravened from with that they comprehend him Pr. And thou saist These people that thou callest the Quakers will send most rayling accusations against the pillars of the Chuâ—ch of Christ Ans That is false but antichrists Church and his pillars which are waters which you call tongues which is your originall that Iohn calls waters the Quakers do judge according to truth and declare it in full power and majesty and can make it good which you call rayling which they deny for a company of greedy drumb dogs can never have enough that will prison and pesecute men till death for speaking to them and for meanes such as are apostatized from the true church and is a false Church who hath transformed themselves into the true Churchs words but now the true Church hath discovered you to be the false apostatized from the true and reigned since the daies of the Apostles Pr. I see no conviction the Quakers hath wrote by their speaking or any subjection of fear or love or any such thing wrought by them and to tell such that be praying reading or in meditation to say it is the power
saith whatsoever man doth God hath a hand in doing of it whether good or evil if a man commit never so much sin and live never so wickedly he shall goe to heaven if he be ordained there to come how was God grieved when David sinned the Lord was angry the Lord was wrath when the children of Israel sinned against him it grieved the Lord that he had made man when all flesh had corrupted his way Gen. 6.6 and thou and you goe about to make God the author of sin and saith God hath a hand in it whatsoever a man doth here againe you and thou be in the doctrines of Devils what shall we say that God is the author of sin God forbid Rom. 6. they that transgresse the commandements 〈◊〉 God provoke him to anger and though God created the evil Isa 49.7 yet his commandement was to man that he should not goe into it Gen. 2.17 Gen. 4.7 Eze. 18. but when he did he transgressed the command of God so he who saith if ye murther God is the author of it if ye persecute God is the author of it if ye doe unrighteously God is the author of it you that murther persecute and doe not righteously are of him that kept not the command of God of whom ye are Io. 44. that would persecute and murther thou art gon out of the command of God and joyned with the devill 1 Io. 3.8 that went out of the truth the devil he went out of his estate and the woman hearkned to him and went out of her estate and man to the woman Gen. 3. The Jewes went out of their state when they persecuted Mat. 27.25 Cain went out of his state when he murthered Gen. 4. the Christians went out of their estate since the daies of persecution who had the name of Christianity Cain went out of his state when he murthered and Balaam went out of his state when he coveted the wages of unrighteousnesse and admired mens persons Numb 22. Jude 11. Core went out â—f his state when he gain-said the truth Numb 16. Iude. 11. the false prophet and the Anti-christ which is the beast and the mother of Harlots went forth from the state of the Apostles 1 Io. 2.19 which hath been since the daies of the Apostles and so all wars and fightings and adversaries is because of being out of the truth fallen out of it Iam. 4. there is pride and Lucifer Isa 14. and that is it that is of old ordained to condemnation Jude 4. and to be kept down and to be condemned everlastingly and there the time that shall be witnessed fit for the fire and death and Hell and the false prophet and the Dragon and the Serpent cast into it Rev. 20.14 but leaven is known that leavens into the new lump 1 Cor. 5.7 the everlasting fire that burns for ever Mark 9.46 how are the professions formes and religions fallen from the state and lost the state and out of the state that Christ was in the prophets were in Abraham was in David was in Moses and the Apostles was in and remaines in a forme of their words 2 Tim. 3.5 and murthers them that enjoyes their life and persecutes them The devill abode not in the truth Io. 8.44 Adam and Eve abode not in the truth but trâ—nsgressed Gen. 3. Cain abode not in the truth when he murdered Abel Gen. 4. The Jewes abode not in the truth but crucified the just James 5.6 The anti-christ and the false prophets since the daies of the Apostles and the beast abode not in the truth 1 Io. 2.19 that made the war against the saints Rev. 13. And here is the murderers envious and persecutors warring and fighters and their sacrifice God never accepted Gen. 4.5 in all ages and these are them that persecuted those that was in the truth whose sacrifice God accepted to the witness of God in you all I speak that you may see your fall from the truth out of the prophets life Christs life and the Apostles life so be out of the commands and fallen from God and say that none can keep the commandements that is the word that shall stand for ever so ye are they that loves not God Jo. 14 13. 1 Jo. 2.4 but are of the beast and false prophets that makes war against them that keeps the commands of God Rev. 22.11 so that which saith none can keepe the commandments is fallen out of the truth and the commandements of God 1 Io 2.4 Io. 8.44 And to him the truth is death and the commands of God in which the saints live to whom the commandements are not grievous 1 Jo. 5.3 Thomas Garwine Priest of Edenborough his doctrine and principles Pr. That the Child that is not sprinkled with outward water is in a damnable state and worse then an infidell Ans Now here he and the rest of the Presbyterian Priests of Scotland may say Abraham was in a damnable state Isaac was in a damnable state Jacob was in a damnable state and Joseph was in a damnable state and David was in a damnable state and John the Baptist was in a damnable state which were not sprinkled by a Priest with outward water nor named by the Priest so thou and you with your traditions that say a Child is in a damnable state if ye do not sprinkle it with water and the Apostle bids them not look at the things that are seen and you are in the damnable state and the damnable doctrine teachers of lies and many simple people have been deceived by you and given over to believe you but God hath taken the vail off their hearts that you begin to be seen and their salvation shall they know stands not in elements as though you with your sprinkling Infants with outward water could bring out of the damnable state Oh ye deceivers did not the Apostle say they that were Circumcised Christ profited them nothing Gal. 5.2 ye have long deceived people with your beggerly rudiments and elements and doctrines and traditions Col. 2. hatched up at Schools and never commanded of God and say if people will not observe your traditions or your elements which you call a Papist word Sacrament and perishing they not observing it are in a damnable state and worse then the Heathen and Infidels an Infidell is an Heathen one that knows not God But your generation says it is blasphemy to say any hath known God hath seen God and spoken to God so they themselves have concluded to be Heathen The Heathen know not God The Heathen observes traditions and they that know God cannot observe the traditions of the Heathen but obeys the Apostles doctrine and touches not tastes not nor handles the traditions of men and Ordinances which will perish so not saving so they that observe not traditions are not worse then Heathen but they that observe traditions are as the Heathens and be out of the Apostles doctrine in their own traditions and rudiments and are offended
it any other except such as the Pope gave to his ministers having your degrees in your schools and attaining from one art and office to another till at last you professe to be attained to the ministry but this is not Gods way of Commissionating but antichrists way and the Lord God is risen who will confound it for the Lord hath not spoken to you neither hath he revealed his glory to you you have neither seen his shape nor heard his voice neither is the tidings you bring effectual to convert sinners for you are climed up another way and enters not in at the door and the Ape is truly your figure for your deformity appeares to the saints and all the children of light does see you and your originall which came up in the falling away of the true Churches when anti-christ took the Throne and the man of sin got up into the temple which for many generations amongst you hath shewn himselfe to be God and hath been worshipped as God Pr. The complices of Corah Dathan and Abiram who usurps the Priests office were destroyed a warning-peece for such as usurp the ministerial function uncalled and unordained let them take heed when they persume to vent their illiterat rude incoherence and blasphemous stuff Ans This belongs to your selves ye men of unholy lives who hath usurped to the ministry uncalled and unordained of the Lord by his spirit and you may take warning at Chorahs destruction whom the Lord shall as surely destroy with the fire of his jealousie for while the beast hath had power over nations and the whore made Nations drunk all this time hath your authority been exalted by which you have been set up and your ministers without the life that the true ministers were in and without that call and ordination which they had for you are of man and by man and your effects not the worke of the true ministrie of Christ but are left desolate and are desolate of the presence of God being your selves unlearned in the doctrine of Christ venting your imaginations out of the truth and out of the power of God and there stands your ministrie Pr. Vnsanctified ministers may possibly convert to God Ans No he that is unsanctified is out of the power of God and the word of God abides not in him and he runs and is not sent and it is not possible that such can convert sinners who are themselves unconverted from their iniquities Pr. That some learned Christians have been able to squees the greatest mysteries of our Religion out of the writings of some Heathens Ans This is the sum of your principles you 15. Priests and here is the sum of your ignorance and wretchednesse discovered and the vanity of your Religion whose foundation is the writings of heathens and the heathens that knew not God out of their writings is your religion made up as you confesse this is the whores Religion that sits upon the beast that the world hath long wondred after and not the true religion which the Apostles and true Churches were in and they are no Christians no Saints nor true Christians that goes to the writings of Heathens to squees out mysteries they that do so are the Christians in the Apostacie who are falne from the life of righteousnesse such as you and thousands are at this day being without the spirit and without Christ therefore you run to the Heathen for knowledge and shames true Christianity and true Christians in reputing the heathen wiser then your selves who are faine to run to their writings to make up your mysteries and such is your religion deceit and vanity and the mysterie thereof studyed for out of the heathens writings this is Christianity in the Apostacie and the Religion apostatized from the life of true Christianity for the true Christian Religion the foundation thereof is Christ who is the mysterie of God and of life and salvation and the mysteries of our true Christian Religion which we live in that are come out of the Apostacie are revealed to us by the spirit of the father that dwells in us is in all that are in the true Christian Religion who denies the Heathens and your Apostatized Christians and are come into the mysteries of eternall salvation which is not squeesed by imaginations of men but revealed by the spirit of God the great mysterie Christ in us and the mysterie of the Kingdome all this is made manifest to us and to true Christians whose Religion stands in the power of God and not in the tradition of men nor fetched from the Heathens writings and this Religion will stand for ever but your Religion and mynistries and Church will the Lord confound the author of whom is the heathens writings and how then shall it stand it is out of the bottomlesse pit and ariseth out of that your Religion and mysteries and thither shall it be turned into the pit that hath no bottome oh how have you blinde leaders led the blind that have been professing to teach Christ this many years and faith in him and have you taken so much money of the Nations and do you now tell us that the greatest mysteries of your Religion are squeesed out of the heathens writings oh ye unrighteous men blind leaders the Lord God Almighty is now risen and the Nations can no longer be satisfied with this Religion but the Lord is a gathering out of your mouths and you must howl and lament all the Idols dumb shepherds and they shall be confounded and the soules delivered of which they have made a prey for the soules of men have been the merchandize of Babylons merchants they have bought and sold the souls of men they have blinded the eye of it and troden it downe and the immortall soule hath not been respected otherwise then to make merchandize thereof to get gaine thereby there has been many traffickers since the daies of the Apostles that have made merchandizes of souls but the judgement of the great Whore is come and of Babylon the Mother of Harlots and the Lord God and the Lamb will plead against her and the jawes of the wicked shall be broken and their hearts shall utterly faile in the midst of them and the Lord will reveal his righteousness from heaven and by his judgements shall he be known in the earth a mighty God and a dreadfull and his dread and terror shall take hold upon your consciences come down and sit in the dust for the Lords controversie is against you he will bruise you with an Iron rod hee 'l break you as a potters vessel and his hand ye shall not escape for ye are but like Bryers and thorns in battel before him and like the stubble in which the fire is kindled and you will be as the dross in time of purging and at reprobate silver the Lord God hath said it W. S. His Book called A Parsons guide concerning of Tythes and the Law of Tythes