Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
heaven_n earth_n power_n see_v 8,567 5 3.5162 3 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A40196 The great mistery of the great whore unfolded, and antichrists kingdom revealed unto destruction in answer to many false doctrines and principles which Babylons merchants have traded with, being held forth by the professed ministers, and teachers, and professors in England, Ireland, and Scotland, taken under their owne hands, and from their owne mouths, sent forth by them from time to time, against the despised people of the Lord called Quakers, who are of the seed of that woman, who hath been long fled into wildernes ... in this answer to the multitude of doctrines held forth by the many false sects, which have lost the key of knowledge, and been on foot since the apostles dayes, called Anabaptists, Independents, Presbyters, Ranters, and many others, who out of their own mouths have manifested themselves not to be of a true descent from the true Christian Churches : but it's discovered that they have been all made drunk with the wine of fornication received from the whore which hath sitten upon the beast, after whom the world hath wondred / by George Fox. Fox, George, 1624-1691.; Burrough, Edward, 1634-1662. 1659 (1659) Wing F1832; ESTC R18020 590,130 408

There are 37 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

is a time for men to see they have sin and sinned and a time to confess it and forsake it and their is a time to witness the blood of Christ cleansing from all sin and then a time to witness the birth born of God which doth not commit sin 1 John 4. Chap. Pr. He saith Here is a strange conceit of a person that fills heaven and earth with his presence and dwells in the Saints blindness with a witness c. See page 8. Ans Here thy ignorance hath appeared again for all power in heaven and earth is given to him Christ Jesus who is in them at the right hand of God who is in the Saints dwelling and doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world but this to thee is a strange conceit and blindness with a witness Thy witness is blinded with thy conceit which shews thy ignorance of Scripture and thy unskilfulness in the word and doctrine that all things is upheld by his word and his power and that there is no creature but is manifest in his sight For all things that was made was made by him that he might have a name above every name and that to his name should every knee bow and every tongue confess to the glory of God and God will dwell in man and it is he that seeth the heart Pr. He saith Sin is in the Saints c. See page 10. Ans Sin is not in the sanctified but in the unsanctified And he that saith sin is in the Saints he is blinded he is of the Serpent and he and they be in the po●lution themselves which the Saints have escaped and are washed and cleansed and so far as any one is sanctified it is from the sin Pr. He saith That we will not enter into the Kingdom by the Blood of the Covenant that hath been often proved c. See page 10. Ans And Francis Blake did publish it in Print that the Quakers did witness the blood of Christ that cleanseth from all sin and so thou Prints against us and he prints for us thou Prints that we deny the blood of Jesus and he Prints that we own the blood of Jesus and so ye are devouring the innocent betwixt you and the blood of the seed we own which cleanseth from all sin which doth not you which say sin must be in the Saints but make his blood of none effect which cleanseth from all sin Pr. He saith The Scriptures shall be our judge one day which we call the letter c. See page 11. Answ And the Scripture saith all judgement is committed to the Son and God will judge the world and the Saints and the spiritual man judges all things and thus thou art ignorant of the letter and this shall judge thee at the last Pr. He saith That the Kingdom is not come nor refreshing from the presence of the Lord c. Answ Which shewes they are like unto the Pharisees unconverted gazing here and there and Christ told them the Kingdom was in them And they that are not turned to the light which comes from Christ the refresher whereby refreshing might come so are not come to repentance yet Pr. He saith They that say they have no sin makes God a liar See page 12. Ans Which the Scripture saith no such thing but saith on the contrary the Scripture saith many were made free from sin And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin and they that are Christs have crucified the lusts and all things are become new and they that sin and lie are not in Christ the truth Pr. He saith All that have been are or shall be converted since the Gospel ministration are converted by the Apostles words c. See page 13. Ans So he hath thrown out the spirit that doth regenerate and Christ the way to the Father the word that sanctifieth and Christ the power of God to salvation Who said they would not come to him that they might be converted so if they get all the Apostles words and come not to Christ they are not converted and none are converted by the Apostles words but who comes to the Life that the words come from Pr. And he opposeth and saith It will be the Quakers fall because they say there is no other way to bring people to God but by the light in them c. See page 14. Ans Which is Christ the way to God from whence it comes which is mans condemnation not believing in it and so a saving light For saith God I will give him for a Covenant for a lgiht to the Gentiles that he may be my salvation to the ends of the earth the light shall and all that be not in the light are in the fall out of the Covenant in the unsaved state and knows not their salvation but as the Scripture declareth and so there is death and destruction talking of the same of wisdom and keeping people out of the light Pr. And he saith That Christ is not so the light of the World as he is the light of believers See page 14. Ans Christ is the light to the World as to believers and he that believeth in it shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life he that follows the light and believes in it shall have the light of life and shall not abide in darknesse He that follows not the light but hates it he abides in the darknesse and the light condemns him which the believer walks in and believes in and hath the light of life which light is one and the same which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world believers and unbelievers Pr. He saith That the Scriptures is the rule of the Saints and he saith the spirit is the guide to that rule c. see page 15. Ans And so would have the Scripture to be before the spirit Now the spirit was the Saints rule that led them to speak forth Scriptures and to let them to see to what condition they were spoken too and so by that they came to the law of Faith and they was not Ministers of the Letter but of the Spirit So in this ye have proved your selves not to be Ministers of the Spirit but of the Letter which the Spirit was before the Letter was Pr. He saith That the time of perfection will be when Christ comes from heaven and not before till then the Saints must be warring waiting groaning and mourning c. See page 20. Ans And David saith he had seen an end of all perfection contrary to Collier And the Apostle saith they should hunger no more nor thirst no more And Christ saith He that eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood shall hunger no more and thirst no more He that believeth is entered into his rest shall hunger no more and thirst no more And the Apostles and Saints witnessed Christ in them and the Kingdome while they were upon earth and
before the Apostles decease they saw them that were false accusers and fierce despisers of them that were good They that had the forme of godlinesse but denyed the power that should be lovers of themselves and covetous and these were crept up before the Apostles decease and since the dayes of the Apostles the world have been after them That both covetous and heady and fierce despisers have rul'd they have been like Jannes and Jambres who withstood Moses when the children of Israel were to come out of Aegypt And so do you that crept up since the Apostles decease who are covetous and high-minded heady fierce despisers of them that are good have a forme of godlinesse but deny the power thereof which are to be turned away from and so keeps people in spirituall Aegypt and Sodome Are ye not all covetous and lovers of your selves And do not you all deny the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world Christ the power of God and so keeps people under your teachings all their life time laden with their sins divers lusts while they be upon the earth and the body of it and telling them that there is no perfection here That Ministry that tosseth people up and down with your slights and wiles and windy doctrine and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth which truth is the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Are not ye fierce despisers of them that are good Hath not all the blood which hath been shed since the days of the Apostles of the Martyrs and Saints been by the stock that you are in who are the false spirits erred from the true spirit that the Prophets and Apostles were in and gone out into the world from them as ye confesse ye have not the same infallible spirit as the Prophets Christ and the Apostles had and Eaton the Pastor saith And the Indians will not deny the Light nor Turks neither that convinceth them of sin for to the Turks and Indians was the Covenant promised as well as to the Jewes for they are Heathen and thus your ignorance appears of the Scripture of truth and Ministers of God and with them you are judged Pr. Priest Coale saith The light which he is justified by is a created light Page 56. Answ The Scriptures of Truth which the Saints declared and Christ never held forth such a light as was created as justified them for the Saints are justified by Christ the light by whom all things were created Light was not created that was the Saints justification Pr. He saith Who are washed from their sins by the blood of Christ and made Priests unto God and in this sense if they themselves do not once become Priests they will become companions of Devils for ever See page 56. Answ They that become Priests to God and are washed by the blood of Jesus Christ are come out of the Devils power and overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and owns the light to be their justification which thou denies Pr. He tells us of Pauls mediate call and his extraordinary call of it selfe had not been sufficient Answ The Scripture tells us no such thing of Pauls mediate call and Paul declares himselfe take Pauls owne words not of man nor by man but by the will of God and that was sufficient which call you are out of since his dayes by men are ye called Pr. He saith Christ doth not forbid not simply to be called of men Master c. page 62. Ans It was Christs command plainly to his Disciples Be not ye of men called Master for ye have one master even Christ And thus thou stands against Christs doctrine and commands and so a transgressor and an Antichrist Pr. He saith Christs humane nature c. Ans Where doth the Scripture speak of humane the word humane where is it written tell us that we may search for it Now we do not deny that Christ according to the flesh was of Abraham but not the word humane And Christs nature is not humane which is earthly for that is the first Adam Pr. Priest Coals principle He saith His justification is not done within him but without him in the Court of heaven Answ Reprobates may talk of Justification Did not Christ work Justification without them upon the earth for man kinde and brought righteousnesse And where there is Christ made manifest within is not their Justification wrought there from heaven within Where faith is witnessed within doth not that justifie and none knows Justification in truth but where it is wrought within See page 77 78. Pr. Again Priest Coal saith The life that he lives is a created life Ans So thou hast shewed thy selfe a naturall man not spirituall nor a son of God led by the spirit of God nor in the faith and dost not live by faith nor a living in the spirit so hast manifested vain glory Pr. He calls trembling and quaking the shaking of the soule Answ The power of the Lord God cometh to shake down that nature which prisons the soul c. and sets it free And as for all thy other Complaints Reviles Railings and Lies will turn upon thy selfe and they will be hard for thee to bear and thou shalt cry out with Cain when thou and you feel the burthen who are cut of Christs steps who is the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world In the day of thy judgement thou shalt witnesse and the witnesse in thy conscience shall answer Francis Fullwood His Booke called A True Relation of a DISPVTE His Principles follows Pr. HE saith The Scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation Again the Son in whom eternall life is is onely found in Scripture and they are they that testifie of him and therefore eternall life is found in Scripture Ans Many had the Scriptures but stood against the Son of God and many may have the Scriptures and not the Son of God The Son of God is not Writings Scriptures signifies writings And many may have the Scriptures and not have the Son of God and so not eternall life For the Devill hath Scripture but hath not eternall life for he that envyeth his brother hath not eternall life abiding in him So who have eternal life they have that which the Scripture speaks of testifies of it testifies of Christ the life of the spirit and so they are the words given forth by the spirit of God and so are to be fulfilled by the same spirit again And the Scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus For they were not wise unto salvation who had the spirit without the faith Pr. He saith We attain our Gospell another way then Paul did And it is blasphemy to tell us that what ye deliver is by revelation from heaven c. Answ You have received your Gospell another way then Paul did I do believe who are apostates
at those that will not touch them Robert Semple Priest of Lasmahaga came to George Weare of Saffield to reason with him and he laid down these following things for his doctrine and principles His first doctrine and principle was to prove the lawfulness of being called of men Master standing praying in the Synagogues going in long Robes and he mentioned Ezras Pulpit of wood upon which he stood and read the Law to the people and for the rest he said nothing for his mouth was stopt concerning these things being found in the steps of the Pharisees Mat. 23. we do grant that Ezra had a Pulpit of wood but you prosess your selves Ministers of the Gospel and Presbyterians and are ye fain to run to Ezra in the Law for a Pulpit now you have shewed your selves what you are and brought your deeds to the light but the Priesthood was made by the Law of God so were you never That Priesthood changed and the Law changed also by which it was made and Pulpit and Tythes ended and Christ the everlasting Priesthood witnessed so thou and you have proved your selves no Ministers of the Gospel Christ Jesus the power of God and the wisdom of God the everlasting Priesthood who is the end of Priests Pulpits and Tythes that was true in their place So you that have got up another Pulpit Tythes Temple like Readers of the Law and not like Ministers of the Gospel and Priests are seperated from the Apostles in the delusion and from Christ the everlasting Priesthood Heb. 7. and are them that Jude 19. and 2 Pet. 2. speakes of That separates themselves having not the Spirit that they were in who witnessed against Pulpit Tythes and Priesthood and witnessed Christ the everlasting Priesthood which Pulpit Tythes and Priesthood ye are crying up and so Antichrist George Weare bad him prove his practice for sprinkling of Infants and whether or no they were not to believe before they were Baptized He said the promise was to Abraham and his seed George answered him it was not to seeds as to many but to thy seed which is Christ Robert the Priest said That seed Christ was natural contrary to the Apostles doctrine Gal. 3.16 who said Christ was the power of God 1 Cor. 1.14 15. and Christ the mystery Col. 1.2.7 The first man is of the earth earthly the second man is the Lord from Heaven heavenly 1 Cor. 15. the spiritual man judgeth all things 1 Cor. 2.15 The seed of the woman bruiseth the Serpents head Gen. 3 15. and the promise is to the seed and the seed is Christ the power of God And Christ the seed is the spiritual man and so not natural but the Priest said the seed is natural Now let all see in this whether he be not given up to delusion to speak lies in hypocrisie 1 Tim. 4.1 to delude and deceive people for dishonest gain Ezek. 22.13 Which seed he and all the Presbyterians shall find spiritual to judge them and bruise the heads of them and break their wicked cords and bonds of iniquity which they have laid upon the people Mat. 23. Eze. 34. Acts 15. The day is at hand that their judgement is come by that man whom God hath ordained Acts 17.31 and to judge the world in righteousness to give to every man a reward according to his works Ps 62.12 Rev. 22.12 who shall give to him an account of every idle word that they shall speak in the day of judgement Mat. 12.36 And William Kenedie came to George Weare and promised him that he should have a publick hearing he hearing what the Priest and the rest of the Elders charged him withall And when he came they would not give him a hearing and so found them truce-breakers that are to be turned away from 2 Tim. 3. and such as creep into houses and be of themselves boasters proud high minded as James and Jambres who have a form of godliness and denys the power which are to be turned away from And after that the said Priest did excommunicate George Weare in another parish without any hearing nor would not let him know for what they excommunicated him which was a work of darkness to make the peoples minds envious against the just upon which George Weare went to their meeting place to read a paper to him to shew why he denyed him and two Priests Robert Semple and John Hume being there bad the people to knock down that excommunicated Swinger which is in English Rogue upon which the people did obey the Priest and did beat and knockt George Weare down to the ground and might have murthered the man had not the Lords mercy been seen so they be in Cains way in envy Gen. 4. Jud. 11. And George got up again and the priests bad the people strike him and they did beat him and pluckt him by the hair of the head and the priests bad beat them away and they did so And after the priest summoned George to the Court and told the Bayliff he would prove it by the Scripture he must be stoned to death now here is the murthering Jewes nature that stoned the Prophets and stoned the Apostles and stoned Steven and took up stones to stone Christ Mat. 23.24 Joh. 8.59 Acts 7.58 And bloody Butchers man-slayer no Ministers of Christ did not the false Prophets go alwayes with the beast to war Rev. 13. Rev. 16. against Saint and the Lamb and did not the chief priests stir up the rulers against Christ and had not the priests a hand to murder and was not the priest at the examination of Steven and the Councell gave order that he should be stoned to death and did not the priests stir up the Rulers and Magistrates though they themselves did not often do it which had not the power but they stirred up the Magistrates to do it And they came to be their slaughterers to execute their malice and be their executioners ye do not ye may say it is the Magistrates which ye stir up to do it It is not said the priests did slay crucifie Christ but Pilate but the priests had power amongst the multitude to perswade the multitude to ask the murderer Mat. 27. which had murder in their hearts and Pilate did the thing and did not God overthrow Jerusalem and destroy the power of the Magistrates there and priests both hath not God done it in many ages for executing the Priests malice and their envy against the just and his anointed have not ye many examples see downe in the scripture which ye may all take notice of it Therefore take heed all ye Magistrates how you execute and avenge the malice and wickednesse and envy of any one against the just for the envy of the envious and the wickednesse of the wicked shall stay himself Psal 34.21 and the righteous shall see it Therefore you that are called Christian Magistrates execute no● neither be ye executioners of their madnesse and envy
Errors and found in them did not they set up the Tithes and the Masse-houses and the Colledges where thou wast made a Minister and give you the names of Rectors and Curates and your means to your Colledges and old Masse-houses art not thou found in them and among them their errors false Church great whore since the true Church went into the wildernesse among them that drinks the blood of the Saints with sheeps cloathing having not the spirit as the sheep had nor in the nature so in the Error Pr. Thou saist The Scripture speakes of God after the manner of men Ans The Scripture speakes of God after the manner of the Spirit and to the spirit whereby men might receive him and know him by the spirit which naturall men cannot Pr. Thou Queries to know whether the Holy Ghost be a distinct person and the worship of God in three persons Ans Art thou going about to confute the Papists errors and hold them up and justifying of them which the scripture doth not Mat. 28. but the Papists common prayer book and old Cannon book speaks of three persons but the scripture speakes of Father Son and Holy Ghost and thou speakest of Christ but yet are not come to the Light which Christ hath enlightned every man which comes into the world withall and thou speakest of Adams being the Image of God and yet art not come to Adams state as he was in the beginning so therefore knowes not redemption and knowes not predestination nor election but found in Adams state in the fall and reprobation thou speakest of Ordinances and yet art a transgressor of the commands of Christ who art called of men Master and an imitator of the Pharisees doctrines thou speakest of the Church but art found one of those that are dressed with the whores rags since the true Church went into the wildernesse thou speakest of the Magistrates yet not in the higher power which goes over all sin and transgression which answers the transgressed in every man upon the earth thou speakest of Dogs and evil workers seducers and Hereticks who are doing their work as your Goales and prisons may witnesse in the Nation and whole Christendome the fruits of Dogs and evill workers and seducers and hereticks which was not Christs worke nor the Apostles Thou speakes of the Common wealth but yet art out of that which is the generall good to all men Christ the light of the world who is the saving health all power in heaven and Earth is given to him in whom men have wisdome by which all things was made and created to order the things by the wisdome by which they were created thou speaks of Souldiers and yet art not come to Iohn a man sent from God but art one from the Colledges the Papists houses since the Church went into the wildernesse and men made by the will of man who have been set up by the dragons power so art not come to the Light that Iohn came to bear witnesse to that did enlighten every man that comes into the world so art short of rectifying solderie who stops up the eye by which they should see thou speakest of the error of the Quakers who art found in the error thy selfe not come to see that which must be shaken before that do appear which cannot be shaken nor come to the trembling of the Devills not knowing the strong man bow himselfe that hath kept the house who is at peace who is the author and ground of the error and not he that is stronger then he that kept the house made the Devil tremble shake the Earth where he hath had his foundation yea and the heavens also thou also speakest of the first birth whose habitation is in the earth and propriey there who made me a divider of mens inheritances me who am the end of the Law for the Law is just among you to devide to every man his right but I who am the end of the Law redeemes you from under the Law and out of the earth but you who are found in this first birth in the earth have set up your tenthes and keeps people in the ninths your greediness of it your presence declares thou speaks of mine thine in collections so selfe you are found in and your coldnesse incollections the blind and lame Fatherlesse and widdowes the streets in London declares you and the countries abroad yet you are all Christians and baptized and you weare rings and scaries and points and others crying for bread thou speakest of buying and selling c. who art arming thy selfe to hold up the honour of the beast which was simple words spoken and as for your buying and selling the fruits of the great whore hath declared it selfe made merchandize of souls and all other things out of the Law of equity which who acts in acts in the will of God thou speakest of good morrow and good evening and would blind the world though thou broughst scripture for it and makes them believe it is the Quakers error to say the contrary the morning is good and the evening is good and all is good that God created and made as it was in the beginning but by transgression they come to be vile and evill going out of the truth as things were created and standing in the truth are all blessed thou speakest of giving of thanks and craving a blessing and yet you say you must have a body of sin whilst you be upon earth so your thanks and your blessings is from the unclean lips in the mouth that blesses and curses and so proceeds from the bad fountain thou speakest of Christian Magistrates and higher powers and thou speakest of saluting and honoring and bowing downe before men who art not come to Christ the power of God who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him being not come to the light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the world and hath all power who subjects all Magistrats to himselfe who doth enlighten them to see him and you are not come to the Angels state that said to Iohn see that he did not bow to the Angel but worship God Iohn who saw all the World worshipping the beast in the old time they had bowed to the Angell but Christ is come to whom the Angels must bow and who is in him hath life and worship and that is honourable which is in the truth for who honours God God will them honour but honour to a fool is not seemly but like snow in summer and thou speaks of Christs Freemen and thy choosing it rather then to serve Idolatrous Masters and these Freemen that have chosen their freedome and cannot serve you Idalaters who are spirituall Egypt to worke in the earth for you to make you brick to set up your building you persecute them as Idolaters you Imprison who have the forme of godlinesse and denies the power who will talk of the words but deny the
abundantlie cried out against and printed against the Quakers as hereticks and deceivers and witches and all what they could say that 's evil and these things being not unknown but publiklie brought to passe therefore it will be good to discover unto every man the first ground and cause of this great strife and the matter of it and its beginning so that all may know the certaintie of these things and know they are not without good ground and sufficient reason on our part to wit that we have just cause to do and strive against that generation of Priests and Teachers and that we doe nothing rashly and without sufficient reason It is now about seaven years since the Lord raised us up in the North of England and opened our mouthes in this his spirit and what we were before in our Religion profession and practices is well known to that part of the countrie how generalie we were men of the strictest sect and of the greatest zeal in the performance of outward righteousnesse and went through and tried all sorts of Teachers and run from mountain to mountaine and from man to man and from one forme to an other as doe many to this very day who yet remaines ungathered to the Lord and such we were to say no more of us that sought the Lord and desired the knowledge of his waies more then any thing beside and for one I may speak who from a child even a few yeares old he set his face to seek and find the Saviour and more then Life and treasure or any mortal Crown sought after with all his heart the one thing that is needfull to wit the knowledge of God And after our long seeking the Lord appeared to us and revealed his glory in us and gave us of his spirit from heaven and poured it upon us and gave us of his wisdome to guid us whereby we saw all the world and the true state of all things and the true condition of the Church in her present estate first the Lord brought us by his power and wisdome and the word by which all things were made to know and understand see perfectly that God had given to us everie one of us in particular a Light from himselfe shining in our harts consciences which Light Christ his Son the Saviour of the world had lighted every man and all mankind withall which Light in us we found sufficient to reprove us and convince us of every evil deed word and thought and by it in us we come to know good from evil right from wrong and whatsoever is of God and according to him from what is of the Devil and what is contrary to God in motion word and work and this Light gave us to discerne between truth and error between every false and right way it perfectlie discovered to us the true state of all things and we thereby came to know man what he was in his creation before transgression how he was deceived overcome by the devil his estate in transgression in disobedience how he is drove banished from the presence of the Lord and the sorrow and anguish which he is in to undergo also by the Light in us we perfectlie came to know the way of Restauration and the meanes to be restored and the state of man being come out of transgression and restored these things to us were revealed by the Light within us which Christ had given us and lightened us withall what man was before transgression and what he is in transgression and what he is being redeemed out of transgression and also the Light which shined in every one of us as to it our mindes became turned and our hearts inclined the perfect estate of the Church we came to know her estate before the Apostles daies and in the Apostles daies and since the daies of the Apostles and her persent estate we found to be as a woman who had once been cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet who brought forth him that was to Rule the Nations but she was fled in the Wildernesse and there sitting desolate in her place that was prepared of God for such a season which season in the very end thereof when the time of her sojorning was towards a full end then were we brought forth if any have an eare they may hear so that all these things concerning man and concerning the times and seasons and the changing and renewing of times and all things that pertaines to salvation and Redemption and eternal Life needfull for man to know all this was revealed discovered and made knowne to us by the Light which was in us which Christ had lighted us withall And we found this Light to be a sufficient teacher to lead us to Christ from whence this Light came and thereby it gave us to receive Christ and to witnesse him to dwel in us and through it the new covenant we came to enter into to be made heires of life and salvation and in all things we found the Light which we were inlightned withall and all mankind which is Christ to be alone and onelie sufficient to bring to Life and eternal salvation and that all who did own the Light in them which Christ hath enlightened every man withall they needed no man to teach them but the Lord was their Teacher by his Light in their own consciences and they received the holie anointing And so we ceased from the teachings of all men and their words and their worships and their Temples and all their baptismes and Churches and we ceased from our own words and professions and practises in Religion in times before zealously performed by us through divers formes and we became fooles for Christs sake that we might become truelie wise and by this Light of Christ in us were we led out of all false waies and false preachings and false Ministers and we met together often and waited upon the Lord in pure silence from our own words and all mens words and hearkned to the voice of the Lord and felt his word in our hearts to burn up and beat down all that was contrary to God and we obeyed the Light of Christ in us and followed the motions of the Lords pure spirit and took up the Crosse to all earthly glories Crowns and waies denied our selves our relations and all that stood in the way betwixt us and the Lord and we chose to suffer with and for the Name of Christ rather then all the pleasures upon earth or all our former zealous professions and practices in Religion without the power and spirit of God which the world yet lives in And while waiting upon the Lord in silence as often we did for many hours together with our mindes and hearts toward him being stayed in the Light of Christ within us from all thoughts fleshly motions and desires in our diligent waiting and feare of his Name and hearkning to
Scriptures and made free from sin c. pag. 18. Ans Contrary to Rom. 6. Contrary to the Apostle to the Colossians where he had put off the body of sin And contrary to Christ who saves cleanseth from all sin by his blood blots out all sin And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin Pr. He saith that Christ is in heaven in his humanity therefore not to be seen not to be heard not to be handled by us or any others that live upon earth and they cannot give their own assurance c. pag. 19. Ans So shews that they were never made Ministers by him who never saw him nor heard him so never handled the word of life from the Father nor the Son nor saw it nor heard it so are the Pastors that spoil the flock And he is the earthly Adam and humanity but Christ the second Adam is the Lord from heaven Pr He saith that Timothy was commanded to preach and yet had not heard nor seen nor handled any thing of Christ c. page 20. Ans Contrary to the Apostle who bid him to stir up the gift in him and told Timothy he was in the faith and he was to be strong in the grace of Christ And whosoever hath faith knows Christ to be the Author of it and knows something from Christ and so thou thy self hast confuted Pr. He saith that the Saints doth not see Christ for the heavens contain him page 20. Ans And the Apostle saith they sate with Christ in heavenly places so he is contrary to the Apostle And Christ was in them and walkt in them and God dwelt in them and Christ in you except ye be reprobates Pr. He saith the whole minde and will of Christ and God is left them in letters page 21. Ans And the Apostle saith it is past finding out the unsearchable wisdome and the secret things belongs to God and are revealed by the spirit and no man knows them but by the spirit Pr. And he saith the Gospel is the Letter c. Ans And the Apostle saith It is the power of God and the letter kils and many may have the form and deny the power and so stand against the Gospel which is the power of God Pr. And he saith the Devill shews his spight and spleen in them who say they have the word as it was in the beginning against the Scriptures c. page 22. Answ That is not so for they that have the word as was in the beginning own the Scriptures and are not against them but are in that which fulfils them Pr. He saith that all the Saints receive the spirit of Christ yet never heard his voyce Ans This is confusion for who are the sheep of Christ know his voyce Pr. He saith they are uncovered when commonly they have two caps on their heads and the people are covered when they have a hat on their heads c. page 29. Ans This is according to thy deceitful teaching and learning Pr. He saith the Scriptures is the voyce of Christ to them c. Ans And Christ said to them that had the Scriptures They never heard the voyce of God at any time to the Pharisees John 5. For there thou art un-put forth amongst the sheep and they heard the voyce that gave forth the Scripture and came to the life and Christ at the end of them Pr. And he saith there is an immediate voyce which speaks within which we have never heard nor do we know it within our selves experimentally and we believe and hope that we never shall know it c. page 30. Ans And so shews that they never knew the spirit of the Father speaking within them but follows their own dreams and spirits and stops their ear against that of God in them and they blesse themselves from that immediate voyce within and calls it the voice of the Devil which is the spirit of inspiration and the word of God in their hearts which men must obey and do Pr. And he saith to say Christ is within them doing all immediately and infallibly within them and so do say it is Christ and the spirit within them and not they Ans Now this he calls a spirit of Delusion And the Apostle saith I live yet not I but Christ in me And he works all in us and for us after his own good pleasure And this was not a spirit of delusion in them And this thou art reprobated from and found in thy own works Pr. And he saith That which is within them is not eternal and infallible when the Quakers asked him whether it was or no and he saith nay that which judgeth in them is not eternal infallible He saith they assert no such things as that concerning themselves And he saith though all the Saints have the spirit of Christ dwelling in them which is eternall and infallible yet that this spirit should do all that Saints do and should say all that Saints say and should judge for them both for persons and of things after an infallible manner and that they should neither say nor do nor judge any thing by any understanding of their own but the spirit all this we deny These are his words page 31. Ans Which is contrary to the Apostle who saith As many as are the sons of God are led by the spirit of God And Christ acts all in them and for them and the fruits of the spirit c. and the spirituall man judgeth all things And that is it which leads the Saints to devide and discern all things both temporall and spirituall the spirituall wisdome of God which gives them a spirituall understanding which men must rule withall but not with their own that comes to nought and you that have not that which is infallible to judge in you know not the spirit of Christ neither can you judge of persons or things that have not the infallible judgement nor have the spirituall man Neither have you the word of God in your hearts nor Christ which is eternall and infallible all which the Quakers have to judge persons and things Pr. He saith that children are of the seed as to the Church priviledges and externall Ordinances of a spirituall nature Ans Mark his confusion But Christ saith ye must be born again or else ye cannot inherit the kingdome of heaven and such be of the Church Pr. He saith If they can but destroy all formes the power will fall with it for the forme preserves the power page 37. Answ Contrary to the Apostle many have the form but deny the power The power preserves the forme sees the end of forms and destroys them and brings to see before forms was where forms is not For the Apostles who lived in the power denyed the Jewes forms and Gentiles both as we do now deny the Popish forms and yours which you have invented and set up Pr. And an immediate teaching he saith of
call free will c. see page 12. Ans Which light brings out of the will of man into the will of God to him that is not born by the will of man from whence it comes in which light men do his will and know his doctrine So here they are corrected again for the free-will and will-worship is out of the light which is Christ which John speaks of And they that hate the light are out of Christ and are not made free from the wrath to come but they that be in the light are made free from the wrath to come in covenant with God So you that would set up another light then Christ are Antichrist in your own wils for all wil-worship and fained humility is out of the light in the transgression Pr. Here they say that God made a difference where there was none see page 13. Ans And the Apostle said they were all gone astray And God puts a difference between the precious and the vile judgeth righteously and respects no mans person and makes a difference in judgement And they say God checks and chides the wanderings of his people and yet they say God makes a difference where there is none and you are to be checked and chidden Pr. Again they say The children of God are all their life-time found groaning under sin c. page 14. Ans The Apostle tells you plainly He that is borne of God doth not commit sin neither can he because the seed of God remains in him and he keepeth himselfe that the wicked one toucheth him not and they are made free from sin And here the Apostle corrects ye again for those are not groaning under when the wicked one toucheth them not but these reigneth over it Pr. Here they say Who puts men to the light of the eternall word with which they are enlightned withall puts men besides the way of life and puts men besides the way of salvation See page 16. Ans None knows salvation but by the light which comes from the eternall Word nor the way of life which is Christ which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall and so the salvation to the ends of the earth Pr. Here again they say That the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world shuts up the Kingdome of heaven against men and takes away the ministration of the Gospel and d●stroys the ministries of man c. See page 17. Ans None comes into the Kingdom of heaven but who comes into the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world It opens the Kingdom of heaven but it destroys mans ministration and brings in the ministration of God and the Gospell And this light ye call law or works that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which he that believeth in it hath ceased from his owne works as God did from his and comes to the end of the Law Pr. Again they say the Scriptures are the means of faith Answ And so have thrown out Christ the author of it and God the giver and the Scripture is but the declaration of the Saints faith and it saith men had faith before Scripture was as instance Abraham and Enoch Pr. Again they say As for the expected dictating the Scriptures by the spirit to us as to the writers thereof it is groundlesse c. see page 18. Answ So shewing of what spirit you are who with the true spirit are corrected that have the Scriptures dictated to you but not by the same spirit as the Prophets and Apostles had Pr. They say Instruction in the Scriptures is the way of sowing the seed in Children c. Ans And the Scripture saith the seed is the Word and Christ is the seeds-man which was before Scripture was and yet it doth no good except they eat the book and so confute themselves And many had the Scriptures which stood against the seeds-man as you do now and the Devill out of the truth makes a cloak of those things who will not feed upon the Word Pr. So the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which we say is the Covenant of God they say that is to break down the inclosed Garden see page 20. Ans This is that which confounds Babylon the great and brings it into remembrance with God and brings the great Whore into judgement The Light which is the way into the garden of God breaks down their inclosed garden that from the Apostles have apostatized Pr. They say that the power to justle out the forme is an errour c. see page 24. Answ Which was the Apostles work to bring off the form into the power the substance Christ which was not an errour But you being in the errour keep people into forms out of the power and so not in the Apostles work Pr. Again they here say It is blasphemy to say God is in all c. See page 30. Ans And the Apostle saith God over all and in you all blessed for ever and through all Ephes 4. Pr. They say It is not a transgression though men pray not nor preach not for many dayes weeks and moneths together though necessity is laid upon them c. page 32. Answ Contrary to Christs command who bid them watch and pray And contrary to the Apostles doctrine who said woe be unto him if he did not preach the Gospel So where there comes a woe there is a transgression so likewise where Christs doctrine is denyed and the Apostle which said pray alwayes but without wrath and doubtings and lifting up holy hands and pray for enemies But you pray in the wrath and hands full of blood and persecute friends as your Gaols may witnesse so as Pastor Eaton saith you never heard the voyce of God And Micah said Night is upon Priest and Prophets that divine for money and preach peace to the people if they put into their mouths if not they prepare war against them Such have no answer from God Pr. They say That apparell is for distinction of qualities of persons c. See page 36. Ans That is but in the world for that which distinguisheth persons is the Word the person of Christ from the persons of Adam in the fall and who be in the transgression and who be out of it and who be vessels of honour and dishonour and your wearing of gold and costly apparell it distinguisheth you from the Apostles doctrine And the holy women of old which was honourable it was not the apparell that made them so to be but the hidden man of the heart which was of great price to the Lord which were brought to do the command of God That honour which is in the world for cloaths and respect God will stain which stands in the lust of the eye and the pride of life and the lust of the flesh and there stands the worlds honour in transgression Pr. They say It is most true
the end of groaning and gruling which thou art in that art out of this and keeps people which are apostatized from the Apostle from the Light which is the Truth John Deacon's Book called A Publique Discovery of a secret Deceit His Principles follow And as for the rest of his Lies and Slanders in his Book which are heaped up they will fall upon his own head and be his sorrow And all Liars upon the earth that are given up to believe tell lies are comprehended with the innocency and truth by which innocency is preserved and men and people shall heap to themselves sorrow by their owne lies and inventions Neverthelesse the Scriptures of Truth are owned in their place to the condition that they were spoken to Pr. HE saith That the light wherewith every one that cometh into the world is enlightned withall is the light of nature and reason and sense c. See page 5. Ans Which is contrary to John 1.9 who saith it was the true light by which all things were made which as many as received him he gave them power to become the sons of God which is beyond naturall sense and reason Pr. He saith That the worke of faith and the growth of faith is by the naturall use of Ordinances and calls it deceitfull sophistry which denyes it c. page 7. Answ Faith is the gift of God and Christ is the Author of it It cometh not by the naturall use of Ordinances The naturall man receiveth not the things that be of God which faith is the gift of God And thou art in the sophistry and in the poyson that saith faith the work and growth of it is by the naturall use of ordinances Pr. And he speaks of a temporall expressive word of God c. see page 8. Answ But the Scripture tells us of no such thing as temporal word but speaks of the Word of God that lives and endures for ever and so the other is but his own imagination Pr. He saith The Quakers go about to picke forth the right eye of Christianity Ans Because they hold forth the light that lighteth every man that comes into the world Christ Jesus the Covenant of God which makes all the apostate Christians blind And your right eye must be plucked out that offends and this the Christians shall witnesse when their eyes are open that sees the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world the covenant of God Prin. He saith The Quakers were never heard of till of late yeares c. See page 12. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures which speaks of them before Moses by Moses by the Prophets and Apostles and he bids them to worke out their salvation with feare and trembling And now the great Earth-quake is coming amongst you false Prophets and Antichrists John speaks of and Harlots and Apostates from the Apostle compellers to your worship And now are you comprehended with the spirit of God are you judged who are ignorant of the salvation wrought out with feare and trembling Pr. He calls them subtill deceivers and hereticks that questions the word Trinity and says it came from Rome c. see page 13. Ans Which he is justifying and so he is turning to his Teacher the Pope and Common Prayer-book of whom he hath learned it For the Scriptures have not taught it him And the Son and the Father is in unity and this we own that are called Quakers and deny you and your Pope and your Common-prayer-book and your false Teachers got up since the days of the Apostles Pr. Again he saith O incomparable hypocriticall lyars Is not this the character Paul gives of a false prophet to speak lyes in hypocrisie because we preach Perfection c. See page 16. Answ It is agreeable to Scripture Christs doctrine and the Apostles doctrine and the life of Christ And we are made free from sin saith the Apostle And again As he is so are we in this present world And as many as are perfect are thus minded c. But this thou cals hypocrisie lies and thus thou art out of the Apostles Christs doctrine and life and like a mad man rages against them that be in it and hath denyed thy owne work the work of the Ministry which was for the perfecting and so art a Physitian of no value Pr. He saith The enjoyment of immortality is not till they have put off the body c. See page 17. Ans Contrary to the Apostles doctrine who saith Immortality was brought to light through the Gospell this was when they were upon earth and the word of God was in them and Christ was in them which was immortall Pr. Again he saith They shall not have power over death and the grave untill the naturall death c. See page 17. Answ Contrary to the Apostle who saith Oh death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory And they were passed from death to life And he that believes shall never dye and such hath power over death and the grave And he that believes shall never dye they have passed from death to life Pr. He calls them secret deceivers to grant perfect purity and perfection c. See page 18. Answ Which is contrary to to the Apostles doctrine who brought people to perfection and purity and holinesse without which none shall see the Lord And they were to stir up their pure minds Pr. He saith To witnesse perfect purity is an alluding to an enjoyment of heaven upon earth and saith this is as the world c. See page 19. Ans Which is contrary to the Scriptures who witnessed the Kingdome of heaven in the Saints and their conversation in heaven and thou that brings to the contrary art a deceiver and grants not that other Pr. He saith He dare boldly assert that the Gospell is not first made known by the seeing within but by hearing tidings without c. Ans Contrary to that which they call their Originall which saith the Gospel is preached in every creature And there is none cometh to hearing and seeing of the Gospell but it is with the eye within that which is opprest For the Jews that heard not and saw not within they stood against the Gospel And Christ said their ears were stopped and their eyes were closed and so they heard words but the Gospel the power of God they could not hear but stood against Christ and so none heare but they that hear within and he is not a Preacher of the Gospel which is the power of God but he that preacheth to the inward eye Pr. He confesseth That none of the Saints had ever a particular command and then again he confesseth they had and so he is in confusion page 26. He saith It is a lye to preach the Kingdome of heaven within unbelievers Answ Contrary to Christs words who told the Pharisees the Kingdome of God was within them Luke 17. So in confusion
doctrine It is not a strange thing to the Saints for these Priests and Teachers to question the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world for the Jewes Priests and Levites stumbled at it in the dayes of John and it set them all up in an uproar as it does you and they examined John and questioned John and he said This is the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world that all men through him might believe Pr. He saith None were ever baptized into the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost that were not baptized with water c. page 52. Answ Where was Matthew or Mark or Luke or John baptized and many more which the Apostle said he thanked God he had not baptized c. which he had begotten many Baptizing is making disciples to the Lord Jesus and Baptizing them into his name that is his power and he telleth the Saints that they were Baptized with one spirit into one body such he tells that he thanks God he had Baptized but a few but he told of the spirits Baptisme and brought the Saints off from things that were seen and water is seen and its Baptisme And as for all thy rabble from thy contentious spirit and railings and unsavoury expressions they will turn home upon thy self and thy own words will be thy burthen and the witness in thy conscience will answer in the day of thy Judgement Francis Harris his Booke called his queries to the Quakers c. his Principles followes Pr. THou saith doth not these people that pretend to the light stumble at noon day as in the night and there be no Gospel Light we mean of the revealed and written Gospel Light in them c. page 9. Ans The Gospel Light is that which doth enlighten every man that cometh into world and who hates it neglects the Gospel Light and receives not the power from God which is the Gospel for that is the Gospel Light Christ Jesus that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world The Light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall is the Gospel light and they that walk in it stumble not They stumble that be out of the Light which every man that cometh into the world is lighted withall which Light is the way to the Father and many may have the written words yet out of the Gospel Light and the power of God which is the Gospel as Rom. 1. which brings people to where the sheep lies down at noon day Pr. He saith what did Christ mean when he bid people search the Scriptures or Peter when he called the Scriptures the sure word of prophesie the light shining in the dark place and yet Scripture without is a dead letter c. page 12. Ans And yet they call it the Light and the word which is a dead letter Christs bids the professors of Scriptures to search it that thought to have had life in it not that they should find life in it but that they should search it and see how it did testifie of him who was the life that was his end and those that was come to Christ the life they was come to him the Scriptures testified of as John 1. we have found him of whom Moses and the Prophets writ and those were them that was come from John the others were them that stuck in John and came not to the life but to the Scriptures to have had life in the Scriptures and came not to him the Scriptures testified of and persecuted that And Peter means as he speakes he tels them of the sure word of Prophesy and bids them take heed to it as unto a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawn and the day Star arise in their hearts He doth not say this is Scriptures without which thou saith it is a dead letter how can that shine Pr. He saith doth not this draw people to gross Idolatry to bid people to take heed to the light in you which you call the pure Light of God not the light of nature And whether you do not delude people by saying there is a pure Light of God and Christ in every man and woman by nature c. page 14. 17. Ans The light which doth enlighten every man c. leadeth from all Idolatry for all that be out of the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world they be in the Idolatry And every man that cometh into the light the light which they are enlightened withall be in that which was before any natural lights was and the the natural lights are the Sun the Moon and the Stars And they delude and deceive people that say the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is a natural light and they keep people in the Idolatry And so shut up the Kingdom against men and go not in themselves nor suffer others for all Idolatry is out of the Light Pr. He saith to be carryed up to the power and to the Spirit which resembles fire whether this be not Antichrist like a Lamb to call fire from heaven to come down in the sight of men And whether the power be from God or from Satan that brings people into a trembling and shaking like Belshazar c. See pag. 20. 21. Ans That power was not of Satan that broke down the head of gold the brests of silver neither was that power of Satan that made Belshazar to shake and quake and that power all must know before the most High rules in the Kingdoms of men and to be carryed up by the power and the Spirit of God is not Antichrist nor is not as the beast which with his lying wonders caused fire to come down from heaven for the power and the Spirit of God fathomes all such things and seeth those were the Spirits that were erred from the Apostles and the life they lived in that did so Pr. He saith the most righteous man falls seven times a day the Scripture tell us See page 22. Ans The Scripture doth not speak any such thing as seven times a day but it saith the Just man falleth seven times and riseth again but the wicked falls into mischief Pr. He saith such as have fasted till their neighbours who lived nigh them have not known them they have been as though they had been come out of the jawes of death whether this be not as the Pharisees and an occasion to Satan c. page 24. Ans What would ye have said to David in his dayes when that he fasted till he might number his bones and was a stranger to all his acquaintance was this an hypocrites fast and because some now by the same power are moved of the Lord so to do Is this now like unto the Pharisees that appears to do so Have not all Ministers and teachers shewed their ignorance of the Scriptures and the life that
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
his Apostles and his messengers and truth is a top of him and them all and with it are shut out Pr. He saith honour is the expressing of the inward respect that we hear to persons and many Scriptures he brings for bowing and for master pag. 23. and so stumbles at thee and thou Ans Which shewes he never learned his accidence or Bible and is a transgressor of Christs commands who saith be ye not of men called master for ye have one master even Christ and ye are all Brethren and a transgressor of the Law which they that respects persons commits sin and are convinced of the Law as transgressors and reprobate concerning the faith which is held without the respect of persons And though they bowed in the old time several that bowed before the Angels yet Christ is come by whom all things was made the salvation to the ends of the earth to whom powers principalities Thrones and dominions must be subject to whom Angels and Thrones must bow yea things in heaven and things in earth and every tongue confesse him to the glory of God and every knee bow and there people comes into the unity and there they hold the head Pr. He saith the Quakers light teacheth to forsake the Scriptures and set up a spirit in man which will not be examined by Scriptures page 26. Answ This is he which is out of the truth speakes it for the Quakers have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit of God by which they know the things which are freely given of God and know the Scriptures given forth from the spirit of God and with the same spirit the Scriptures is owned again Pr. He saith Paul swore after Christ and the Angells swore page 27. He saith I wonder Paul should so forget himselfe and sin so fearfully in swearing c. So the Quakers light that denies swearing is of Satan and not the light of Christ page 28. Answ Christ the Light which Satan is out of who is the oath of God ends all oaths sworn by Prophets or Angels whatsoever And who swears be fallen into the condemnation of the Devill and it is no where said that the Apostle swore but such as thou art matters not what thou speaks So that spirit that preaches for swearing is not the spirit of Christ but is the spirit of Antichrist preacheth up that which Christ and the Apostles preached down and preached Condemnation to them that did swear Pr. He saith The light in the conscience that takes them from the Law of God is the light of Satan Answ The light Christ in the conscience is the end of the Law for righteousnesse sake And that which keeps men from that which doth end the Law is not the Doctrine of the true Apostles but the false And the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which is the substance leads men off of all types and figures and signes who comes to enjoy him enjoys the end who comes off of all outward Elements as Bread and Wine and such things to the substance it self to look at things that are not seen For things that are seen are temporall but the things that are not seen are eternal Pr. He speaks of a new creature distinct from Christ and saith while we live sin lives And saith I deny that the righteousnesse of Christ whereby a believer is justified doth dwell in him page 36. Answ Is not the new creature in Christ He that is in Christ is a new creature and is not distinct from him and how hast thou divided the word here And Christ is justification sanctification and wisdome and righteousnesse and if he be not within ye ye are Reprobates And where Christ is he is not without righteousnesse Therefore they are not without righteousnesse and wisdome Justification and Sanctification if Christ be within that is within for where he is that is not wanting And the Apostle said they were made free from sin And let not sin have dominion over your mortall bodies minde mortall bodies which sin was not to have dominion over And old things passe away and all things become new Sin is an old thing from the old deceiver So while any sin is standing all things is not made new and sin hath its dominion Pr. He saith He hath not read where a believer dwells in Christs righteousnesse page 37. Answ Every believer that is true is born of God and he that is born of God doth not commit sin And he that dwells in Christ dwels in righteousness and truth is that which sin and the Devill is out of which blots out sin and transgression where the body of it comes to be put off Pr. And the light which teacheth men to say they have no sin is of Satan And saith The Quakers light teacheth them to deny prayer Answ The Apostles light taught them to say they were made free from sin they had put off the body of sin and their sin and transgression was blotted out Little children their sins was forgiven them that walked in the light the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth them from all sin taught them to know the saith that gave them victory over the world that purified their hearts held in a pure conscience And this is the Quakers light which teacheth them the path of the Apostles and it teacheth men to be holy as God as holy and perfect as he is perfect This was the light of Christ and bid them to be as Christ is and said as he is so are we in this present world And the light that guides the Quakers doth not teach them to deny prayer but brings them to pray aright with the spirit and with the understanding which all prayers without it be in the hypocrisie Pr. He saith We acknowledge there is a thousand of perfect men in England as perfect as children tossed too and fro page 40. But he saith I deny that any man hath that perfect knowledge of Christ in this life c. Answ Christ is in you except ye be reprobates And the Scripture speaks of such as had both the Son and the Father And all those children that are tossed too and fro and are carried about with the windy doctrine which hath gotten up in the apostacy since the dayes of the Apostles that are ravened from the spirit of God Such their doctrines are windy and doth not settle nor doth not perfect not doth not bring into the unity of the faith nor the knowledge of the Son of God the faith that gives the victory nor to a perfect man nor to the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ which was the work of the true Ministry which was before the Apostacy Nor none comes to the knowledg of Christ but by the light Pr. He saith The Church teacheth to pray without ceasing but you bid stay till the spirit moves us c. Ans The Church prayes not without the spirit which
with the light that cometh from him nor none knowes the Saviour Christ Jesus but with the light that cometh from him and that le ts see the body prepared Christ who was the seed of Abraham according to the flesh the one offering that ends all offerings and his blood that is the attonement which is the Saints drink which who drinks it shall live with which their consciences are purged from dead works to serve the living God And none knowes the foundation of God that standeth sure nor feels it nor sees it but with the light which cometh from Christ the foundation which breaks down all other foundations which light that every man is enlightened withall gives him the knowledge of the foundation of God Pr. He saith I do believe that there was never a Saint perfectly free from sin here but they shall have the body of sin and death which will be their burthen to keep them humble Page 52. And it doth not appear that they do attain purification or perfection before the change of the body Answ That which is the true humiliation bears the sin and iniquity which is Christ such as are not brought down with the Judgments for their sinful actings never knew the seed that puts off the body from which all the roots proceed in that is the true humility and the righteousness of Christ and the glory revealed And the Saints witnessed the body of sin and death put off while they were upon the earth and such as was in Christ was new creatures all things become new And the Apostles spoke wisdom among them that was perfect and that was before the change of the body as ye look upon And the work of the Ministery was for the perfecting of the the Saints until they all come into the unity of the faith that gives victory and to the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure and stature of the fulness of Christ This was the Ministers work Not as children tossed up and down with every slight and windy doctrine of men who lie in waite to deceive So ye have tryed the work of your Ministry and brought it to the Light Pr. He saith such a trembling as a way to perfection is to set it in the roome of Christ beside the truth and slight and undervalue the word of God and justifie trembling let all men beware of this trembling page 78. Answ Who ever ownes the word of God that reconciles to the Father and hammers down and brings out of the fall and cuts down and burns up they must know their salvation wrought out with fear and trembling And these ownes the word of God and the words of God the Scriptures and these owns this trembling there is a cloud of witnesses in the Scriptures and none will deny this trembling that ownes the salvation wrought out or to be wrought out but such as be out of the truth and that gets Scriptures being out of the truth and deny the power of God who are with it judged those that have the form but deny the power deny the trembling so they deny the salvation to be wrought out with fear and trembling and none knowes the salvation but them that know trembling And such may say that are the the Devils messengers beware of this power that makes to tremble Pr. He saith the Scripture is truly the Ministry of the spirit to us pag. 67. Answ Those were the Ministers of the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures And those are the Ministers of the Letter that be out of the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and that cannot Minister the spirit Pr. He saith the Scriptures doth not speak of a general Redemption of all from the state of sin and freedom from sin pag. 75. Answ There is a general state and redemption of all and freedom from sin by believing in the one offering the blood of Jesus Christ and unbelief shuts out Pr. He saith mystical Babylon shall fall by the Kings of the earth And many precious Saints shall destroy Babylon with the sword pag. 84. And he saith I cannot apprehend that the Saints shall have the Government of the world pag. 86. And the beast when he ariseth shall give a mark in the right hand c. Answ Christ hath all power in heaven and earth given to him who believe in him and are in his power who hath all power in heaven and earth given to him have the government and are in the government the Lambs government but the unbelievers are out of it And that which slayes mystical Babylon is not the Kings of the earth and the Saints that be on the earth slay not with the carnal sword for they that kill with the sword must perish with the sword here is the faith and patience of the Saints Their weapons are not carnall but spiritual mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds And the Lamb slayes and kills with the sword and takes them the beast and the false prophet and the Devil and casts them alive into the Lake of fire where they shall be tormented for ever that burns with brimstone who kills and slayes with the sword which is the words of his mouth And the Beast hath been long up his marks and his heads and horns with his names but the Lamb and the Saints is trampling him to pieces under and over him getting the victory And the everlasting Gospel is Preaching and the witnesses you are ignorant of but are them that have been the slayers of them Pr. He saith I do not professe my self infallible but I shall freely give my apprehensions pag. 110. to contend earnestly for the faith which is the first unto Justification and services of faith pag. 111. he saith false Christs and false prophets shall come And to the Law and to the testimony c. Answ The Law is light and the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophesie and men may have all the Scriptures of the old and New Testament yet being from the light the spirit of prophesie from the Light and from the spirit they know not the Law and testimony And we do believe thee that thou art not infallible but art onely in the apprehensions and before thou come to contend for the faith and to know that by which the Saints are justified thou must come into the Light that doth enlighten every man c. which lets see Christ the Author of the Faith And false Prophets and Antichrists Christ said should come which should get the sheeps cloathing and say loe Christ is here and loe he is there These Christ said to the Apostles should come which before their decease did come which since their decease the world hath gone after them So every man that cometh into the world being enlightned and having a light from Christ the Saviour of the soule every man being in the Light Christ hath enlightned him withall Every man with the light
which cometh from Christ with it they shall see a Saviour Christ Jesus from whence it comes And the light shining from the East to the West and the coming of the Son of man and receive Christ and so come to the Rock And so people having been from the Light which every man is enlightned withall that cometh into the world they have been all brought on heaps But now they are coming to the Rock And thy words Thomas Collier shall be thy own burthen and for them thou shalt receive judgement And this is the word of the Lord God to thee and thy time is not yet past John Billingsley who calls himselfe Mr. of Arts Minister of the Gospell and Pastor of the Church at Chesterfield in his Booke called Strong COMFORTS for weake CHRISTIANS His Principles follows c. Pr. HE saith He would have the Mayor and Aldermen of Chesterfield to shew themselves to be really affected to the cause of Christ and his blessed Sabbaths c. Ans In this thou hast shewed thou art one that keeps people in darknesse and not a Minister of the Gospel of Christ and the new Covenant but of the Law and in the signes and shadows For the Sabbaths the Apostles did bring people off of them and they met together on the first day of the week and denyed the Jewes Sabbath and still it is your practice and yet thou cryest up to shew themselves for the cause of the blessed Sabbath what blind and dark stuffe is this For never did Pastor or Minister of Christ preach up such a Doctrine as to stir up Aldermen and Mayors and great men to shew themselves zealous for the Sabbath And thus thou hast shewed thy selfe to be one of them the Apostles was afraid of that observed the dayes which he brought the people off to the substance which they met together on the first day of the week which Christ rose on and so was a crosse to the Jewes who met together on the seventh day And Circumcision was on the 8th day on that day Christ rose Pr. He saith The Scripture and the Spirit are unseparable which he calls the Word Page 7. and that the spirit is alwayes in the Scriptures Again He is in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity who calls the spirit a dead Letter page 9. Ans Every one that hath the Scriptures cannot say he hath the spirit that gave it forth for the Devill may have Scripture who is out of the spirit And the Apostle which said the Letter kills and was old was not in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity And the spirit was in them that gave forth the Scriptures And the Scriptures are the words of God which ends in Christ the Word who fulfils them Pr. He saith Prize the holy Scriptures through which is all our hopes of eternall life communicated to us And I wonder what any soule hath to shew for eternal life but the Scriptures So I call it Gods warrant Page 13. And in the midst of thoughts prize the Covenant of free grace And if ye would have substantial comforts from the Covenant do not lay hold of Covenant comforts Page 12. Answ Thou cannot speak a word to the wearied who art in the presumption thy selfe and to be brought down who art applying the promises to the wrong nature And many may have the Scriptures and many have the Scriptures and all ignorant of eternall life untill they all come into the life as they was in that gave forth the Scriptures For the Scripture communicates not the life but God of whom they learned that gave forth Scripture it is it that testifies of eternall life And the souls comfort is Christ which it speaks of Pr. He saith The Apostle to the Philippians speaks of Saints as Citizens our trading is in heaven Now Citizens great trading is Mercandize as ships go from London to India c. So thousands of soules go towards heaven worth nothing a poore empty creature See page 15. Answ The merchandize is in the earth in Babylon and there thou and you are all The soule is worth more then all the world which goes to heaven it goes richly full of all attire and fruitfulnesse and not empty Is not an empty creature that which God breathed into man the breath of life whereby it became a living soule And he hath all soules in his hand and Christ is the Bishop of it the power of God and therefore it is not empty for the Saints had the heavenly treasure in earthen vessells Pr. He saith The Sacrament and Baptisme is a most refreshing cup for we walke by faith and not by sight page 18. I can say frequent mention is made of salvation by Christ without mentioning any act of faith in us c. page 19. Answ Sacraments and sprinkling Infants called Baptisme who walks after them walks after sight not by faith for these things are seen and they follow their owne traditions and not the Scriptures for them either sprinkling Infants or Sacrament And who walks by faith and not fight comes off the things that are seen For things that are seen are temporall but things that are not seen are eternall saith the Apo●●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
gift of God which purifies the heart which brings people to have accesse to God In that and by that which purifies men men are justified and in that 's vertue by the hearing of that men receive the spirit so that this is confusion and contrary to the Scripture and confuted by it for ye are justified through faith and by the spirit and that instrumentally from God in which men please him and without which they cannot therefore that is instrumentall and in that they have victory and in that they have unity one with another and in it have accesse to God But saith he faith doth not justifie instrumentally by any vertue that is in it any more then is in love Love and faith is one without faith there is not love Love is the fruit of faith flows from it without it there is not unity and without faith there is no victory and without victory there 's no love and it justifies and is wrought by the spirit Pr. A perfect conformity to the Law of God wrote in the strength and power of grace the spirit working all in us and for us and all this is no more then the righteousnesse of the Law Answ That 's the end of the Law that brings to the righteousnesse of the Law and to a perfect conformity to it and fulfills it that 's the seed Christ in the male and in the female by whom grace comes by Jesus Christ which brings to live in the righteousnesse of it which is the righteousnesse of faith by which the spirit is received which works all in people and for them who ends the Law The BROWNISTS Principles Pr. THey never heard Gods voyce from heaven nor see his shape And yet they affirme they have the same power and spirit that the Apostles had though much below and yet they have the Word abiding in them Answ You that never heard the voyce of God nor see his shape you have not seen him who is a spirit nor his power nor his Word abiding in you for who hath the spirit of God and the power of God and the Word of God abiding in them with the spirit of God with the power of God sees Gods shape and who hath Gods Word abiding in them hears the voyce of God for God is the Word and God will dwell in them and walk in them Pr. That they are brought to the Church that is in God the pillar and ground of truth where there 's neither spot nor wrinkle nor any such thing Ans And yet you never heard the voyce of God and how can you be brought to the Church that is in God and never heard the voyce of God for none comes to the Son but through the drawings of the Father and none knows the drawings of the Father but they heard his voyce The Jewes that came not to the Son Christ told them they had not known the voyce of God and none come to him but whom the Father draweth Pr. We do not look for any such thing as revelation from heaven or speaking as they are moved or waiting for the power as the Apostles did we say we do not looke for any such thing Answ This shews that you have not received the grace for the grace comes by revelation and you have not received the Son for the Son comes by revelation Nor you have not known the Father whom the Son reveales You are not come to the holy Ghost whom the Saints witnessed that led them to speak forth Scriptures which no prophesie of the Scriptures came by the will of man so you are among those men that have the Scriptures in their wills and wants the thing that the Scriptures were given forth by that is the holy Ghost for holy men of God were moved to speak them forth who learned them of God and spoke them forth as the spirit gave them utterance Therefore how can ye say that you are come to the Church in God and waits neither for the power nor revelation as the Saints did and were in for if you have all the Scriptures and have not that you have not revelation and have not the holy Ghost for the Scriptures are not known but by revelation and they are revealed by the spirit that gave them forth And though men have all the Scriptures yet the Son is not known but by revelation of the Father Pr. The Scripture is the Gospell the Scripture is the Light the Scripture is the Word Ans The Scriptures are the words of God given forth from the spirit of God learned from him The Gospel is the power of God the Scripture declares it A man may have the forme and deny the power and so deny the Gospel Christ is the light of the world the life and the light of men by whom the world was made and many have the Scriptures but denies the light the life and power of it Christ Jesus who is the life and power and the authority of them Pr. That they knew no law of God against praying and preaching by an hour-glasse and that the Apostles did performe the Ordinances of God at set times and Daniel and David prayed customarily and how this can be said to be will worship and to be seen of men we shall leave it to the Lord. Answ The Lord judgeth it to be will-worship that which limits the holy one to an hour-glass and the spirit of the Lord that taught the Saints to pray never limitted it selfe to an hour-glasse so you by an hour-glasse pray and preach as the Papists with their beads so that that limits the Lord to a set time those are traditions and vain customes of the heathen and traditions of men which alwayes the spirit limitted which spirit gave freedome to the just in every one which said quench it not nor limit it but knock down vain customes and traditions of men which was set up by men which had quenched the spirit in themselves and would limit the holy one in others and such were alwayes judged of the Lord and them that had his spirit to be Idolaters and in the will-worship and not in the spirit which are got up since the dayes of the Apostles John Turners Principle Pr. THat light which convinceth a man of sin was a wicked conscience Ans The wicked conscience doth not convince of sin then Satan were divided against Satan That which doth convince of sin is not wicked nor sin but the spirit of God the light of Christ Jesus that convinceth of sin and the Elect hath faith where faith is there is obedience The Ranters Principles Pr. CHrist without comes to destroy Christ within Ans Christ is but one and it is the devill that he destroyes and his works the Anti-Christ and not the true Christ the seed in male and female and it is the false Christ he destroyes in the male and female and he comes to end the types and figures and shadowes that people might live in him the
of them and being her children and she hath corrupted the Earth with her Fornications and Whoredomes and made Nations and Kingdomes drunk with her cup of idolatry But the Lord God is risen and will plead with her and give her double and the holy Prophets Apostles shal rejoyce over her this is coming to passe and this have I seen from the Lord received it from him thus it came upon me to write THe waters have I seen dry'd up the seat of that great Whore Who hath made all Nations drunk through her enticing power And caused the whole earth she hath her fornication cup to take Whereby Nations have long time err'd on whom she long hath sate But Peoples many are and shall and multitudes all may And Nations be converted all unto another way And tongues they are confounded now and kindreds they must mourn And when this is all finished her whole seat then is torn For these all be the great waters on whom her seat hath been And over whom she hath governd ' like as a stately Queen For ages many by-past gone she hath her Whoredoms play'd And Kingdoms hath bewitched and her power have obey'd But now her miseries are seen her witchcrafts are discover'd And sh● no more shall men deceive for day light is appeared And the Bed woful I have seen of torments great prepar'd Whereon she must be cast and plagues must not be spared But wo to her the cup of wrath is fill'd her to receive And as to others she hath done the same she shall now have And drink she must of that full cup of Gods fierce indignation And then shall all her lovers mourn and make great lamentation And I have seen that City great once populous rich and fair Laid waste and all destroyed and her Merchants dispair Who thorow her have gotten gain themselves for to exalt And from far come to traffique but now they must lament For fire in her is kindled which must her all consume Behold her smoake ascendeth day and night up to Heaven The Antichrist who hath put on and cover'd with sheepes cloathing And long rul'd King on Nations Inwardly ravening Who hath devour'd Gods heritage and had a Kingdom great I have seen him made war against and truth give him defeat Behold the Whore her flesh is burnt her beauty doth now fall She that is all Harlots great Mother whose daughters are Whores all Behold the City great who once made Nations rich and high she 's fallen to the ground and burnt and none more profit her by Behold the Antichrist once great his Kingdom is subduing The Lord alone for ever will rule his Sons Kingdom is coming And the woman that long hath fled into that place of mourning And rested in the wilderness she is again returning And her seed is again springing and shall replenish Nations And the man-childe must come to rule for ever throw gen'rations And when this is all come to pass O then rejoyce and sing Ye Prophets and Apostles all and heavenly children When God hath you avenged upon your enemies all Then is the day of praises for Saints both great and small London the 9. Mo. 1658. By a Servant of Christ Edward Burrough HEar are the Principles of Priests and Professors and Pastors in the Apostacy which have got up since the dayes of the Apostles that in this day are risen against the Lamb and against the Saints which since the dayes of the Apostles the Beast hath had power the false prophet and Mother of Harlots which inwardly ravened from the Spirit of God which hath had the sheepes cloathings and by that mens hath deceived the Nations and got in the Kings of the earth and cloathed them with the out-side whereby the Kings of the Earth and the Beast and false Prophet Dragon Devil Mother of Harlots and the great Whore hath joyned in one together against the Saints then overcame them and cast them into prison and drunk the blood of the Saints and Prophets and martyrs but now shall the Saints and the Lamb have the victory who kills and slayes with the sword which are the words of his mouth agreeble to the Apostles doctrine who wrestle not with flesh and blood now the Beast false prophet and Mother of Harlots Devil and Antichrist that drunk the blood of the Saints that have the sheeps cloathing these are the killers with the sword the slayers with the sword the imprisoners and persecutors which was not the work of the true Apostles true Ministers that kept the faith and patience of Jesus the Martyrs suffered the Saints suffered the Prophets suffered now these was in the spirit that gave forth the Scriptures now the others got the Scriptures Antichrists false prophets Mother of Harlots the Devil the beast and all his names which killed and slew with the sword these are inwardly ravening from the Spirit of God the spirit of the Lamb the spirit of the Apostle who killed and slew with the sword which are the words of his mouth so all these names in the whole Christendom amongst all that are called Christians are got up amongst them since the dayes of the Apostles which be gone out of the life and faith and spirit they were in which they had unity in which was the bond of peace which have had the words but ravened from the life and so are all on heapes about the words and giving one another names so look in whole Christendom and see what abundance of names there be which should be one family and all these names Horns and Crowns and building up and throwing down which is all a mark among them that have had the words but out of the life which now the life is risen which the Apostles lived in which they since the dayes of the Apostles have been out of in many names and heaps in the Apostacy now with the life is all this fathomed and comprehended in which is the unity which life brings people to know God and unity with him and with Scriptures and one with another and all are one here if there be ten thousand times ten thousand And who reads over this book you may read things and see things which you never read nor saw Printed did ever the Lambs worry the wolves and did not the wolves get the sheeps cloathing and ravened after the sheep and Lambs that they might get among them pride and wildeness and pleasure hath swallowed up people teachers and Minsters that if any be sober and still presently he is a Quaker and thus modesty is eaten up A TABLE Shewing in what page the severall principles and answers beginneth SAmuel Eaton his booke called the Quakers confuted Page 1. Iohn Bunyan Rich. Spenceley Iohn Burton Iohn Child their book book called A vindication of a book called some Gospel truths opened pa. 8. Doctor Glissons paper concerning James Parnels death pa. 13. Georg Emmot who calls himselfe a spiritual Quaker converted pa. 14.
to the language of the Apostle and Christ who bid them be perfect and the Apostle spoke wisdome among them that are perfect and said they were made free from sin And it is the Devill speaking in man that speaks for sin while men are upon earth and speaks for the Devill holds up him who makes men not perfect which Truth makes men free again from the Devil and speaks in man and says be perfect Pr. He saith Christ doth not condemn men for being called of men Master and it is not the title but c. Ans Contrary to Christs words who saith be ye not of men called Master for ye have a Master in heaven even Christ and ye are all brethren And thus he tramples upon the commands and makes the commands of Christ of none effect which is one of the marks that Christ gives to the multitudes to know the hypocrites by and so doth not onely deny Christs commands but teacheth men to break them so crucifies Christ and sayes they are his Ministers but that 's the Antichrist that abides not in his doctrine as in 2 John Pr. And he saith people are tossed up and downe like a bundle of feathers and Novices c. Answ How should they be otherwise but be tossed up and down by you when ye deny perfection of being perfect and calls it the voyce of the Devil speaking that speaks of perfection and overcoming sin How should you but be the men that tosseth people up and down with every slight and blown up and down with your windy doctrine that is not perfect and so bring the Nations and people like unto waters For all the unperfection is out of Christ in the first Adam in sin and transgression and the Devill which is out of the truth and all the perfection is in Christ the second Adam the covenant of God out of sin and transgression and so who are in Christ are new creatures and old things passeth away and all things become new So in the second Adam in the Lord from heaven above the earthly the first man in the perfection out of the tossing that 's your imitated Church got up since the dayes of the Apostles not the true Church Pr. He saith a true Church is guilty of injury c. See page 4. Ans Contrary to the Scriptures where the Apostle saith the Church is the pillar and ground of truth without spot or wrinkle or blemish or any such thing Pr. He saith God hath commanded a sufficient maintenance in generall for Ministers and left it to humane prudence to judge what is sufficient c. see page 7. Ans By this he hath left the spirit to judge and the wisdome of God which acts by his commands and so runs into earthly humane prudence Therefore is there so much oppression for Tythe● and maintenance for Ministers and so much making havock and prisoning and persecuting for the same And the power denied which the Apostles had to eate and to drinke which Christ gave them and so you run into the lust for the money of whom you do no work for and the earth and whilst they coveted after that they lost the faith and that is the cause that people have lost the unity and run all upon heaps Their Teachers have lost the faith through coveting and love of money in which they should have had unity with God and one with another and have pleased him and had accesse to him and have given them victory over the world the Devill enmity and corruption Pr. He saith all that come into the world are lighted with the light of nature See page 7. Ans For so he calls the light which John calls the true light which is Christ that lighteth every man that cometh into the world so is ignorant of Johns doctrine and the Scriptures a man not fit to teach but is gotten up by an usurped authority and is not able to divide the word aright but with the Scriptures thou art corrected and the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world the naturall lights were made by it the Sun and Moon and so forth And men that are born blinde are enlightned with that Light which was before the Sun was before all things was made which came a light into the world to enlighten every man that all men through it might believe Now all men may see how all men are mad against John Christ and the Apostles doctrine that bore witnesse to the true light and Christ bid believe in it Pr. He talks of and preacheth up an externall word See page 8. Answ Which the Scripture speaks not●ing of nor the Prophets nor Chrrst but saith the word that lives abides and endures for ever and of the Scriptures of truth that cannot be broken And of Gods words and Christs words and that is not external this is not agreeable to sound words that cannot be condemned but that is like his doctrine that knows not the eternal but the Ministers of Christ did not tell people of an externall word but an eternall word but you being made by the will of man speak to the people of an externall Pr. He saith He hath not seen God in glory nor any man c. See page 9. Ans We do believe thee and the Priests have not seen him but the Saints saw him and Job saw him and Isaiah saw him the Lord of hosts and Steven saw him and Abraham saw his glory and the Apostle saw him and beheld his glory the glory of God And you are as the Pharisees that stand against Christ that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world that Christ said never saw the shape of God Pr. He saith The word infallible is the pillar of the Popish Kingdome and the master-point of new Religion c. see page 9. Ans Now thou that calls infallibility a Popish point a new Religion Thy Religion thou hast manifested and thy points that are not infallible contrary to the Apostle who had many infallible proofs of the spirit of Jesus Christ they who have not are none of his and who have the spirit of Christ have that which is infallible and lets them see infallible proofs as thou mayst read in Scripture And who have the spirit of God have that which is infallible And the Religion which is out of the fallibility and out of the spirit of God is vain and there is thine and the Popes as your fruits have declared got up since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy fallible but that which is in the spirit of God is infallible Pr. And thou saith Thou hast no such revelation as the Apostles had as thou knowest of and the Apostles were brought to speak infallibly to the Church by an infallible spirit and thou nor the Pope hath no such infallibility as the Apostles had c. see page 10. Answ We do believe you for you are the false spirit you and the Pope that went
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
These comes under the judgements of the Almighty Gods decree is against them and the Spirit the holy Ghost doth lead into all truth and doth reveal and the Apostle bids the Saints wait for the revelation of Jesus And the grace was brought by the revelation of Jesus and the secrets are revealed to them that feare God and the spirit reveals the things of God and thou saith it reveals no more which shews thou doth not know Scriptures nor God nor spirit Pr. Whereas thou saith Ye have the Scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles Christs words and so are not to look for new Prophets and that would be a question to the Church and that would shew mutability in Christ See page 6. A. In this thou hast shewed thy self of what generation thou art For there hath been the Mother and the Harlot that hath drunk the blood of the Prophets and the Martyrs and the Saints and such as drink the blood have the forme and get the sheeps cloathing but cries prophesie is ceased and revelation from heaven is ceased onely they have a standing rule the Scriptures without and so there they have their cloathing the sheeps cloathing but ravened from the spirit and so hath denyed the Church in which there is prophecy and the spirit of God for where that is there is prophesie amongst sons and daughters but not amongst you apostates Pr. He finds fault with a man that will not believe except he see as instance a man will not believe they are Ministers of Christ except they worke miracles c. And a man will not believe there is a Parliament or Holland or France or Spain except he have been in them c. See page 6. 7. Answ Thou and thy wits are compassed for Revelations and Prophecies are now spoken forth and witnessed and thou cannot believe because thou dost not see and thou art finding fault with others that do not believe because they do not see Thou art seen and disapproved and so now in that thou judges others thou art judged thy selfe who art blinde and out of the life and many may see there is a Holland and other Countreys though they have not seen them with an outward eye And we believe the Ministers of Christ though they do not work miracles but from them are you apostatized we do believe and see Pr. He saith The Saints were not to forsake the assembling of themselves together as the manner of some was c. See page 8. Answ That was in the time of the Apostles before the apos●●cy But since the apostacy the Beast and the false Prophets and the murtherers of the Saints are got up which assemble themselves together and deceive the Nations and are breaking the Saints meetings which gather ●ther that keep the testimony of Jesus and the spirit of prophesie and overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of Jesus And Christ who is the Rock and his Church doth continue but that which Christ said should come is come the false Prophets that should get the sheep● cloathing and John saw was come which went forth from them which made war against the Saints and the Lamb but the Saints and the Lamb shall get the victory And we are come to the assembly of the Saints before you were apostatized for your assemblies hath forsaken the Saints your fruits declare it Pr. He saith Because they have the peoples consent and the Magistrates allowance therefore that is true ordination c. See page 11. Ans Balaam he had the peoples consent and the Heathenish Magistrates allowance when he should have cursed the children of Israel and so this is no proof of ordination And the chief Priests had the peoples consent and the Magistrates many of them which turned against Christ this is no ordination to be Ministers of Christ And the Beast and the false Prophet shall rise against the Lamb and the Saints and yet they shall have sheeps cloathing this is no proof of their ordination from God but all this proves it from man But all who have their ordination from God are not owned neither by people nor Magistrates in their wills but who feare God and are come to the spirit of God by that to which they minister and never went to the Magistrates for their allowance and here again you are apostates from the Apostles and in the steps of the false Prophets whose ordination is by the consent of the people and your allowance from the Magistrates who are from the allowance of Christ that he gives to his Ministers and the ordination of the Apostles that was not from man nor by man Pr. Thou bids us marke the Canon of the Holy Ghost in Timothy See page 11. Ans And there is no such word as Canon in Timothy and thou tells us of a Catholique Church and we cannot finde any such word in Scripture that it speaks of any such word but we perceive whom thou hast learned these words of what center and stock thou comest of from the Pope and not from the Apostles Pr. He saith They have an un-interrupted succession drawn from the Apostles c. See page 13. Answ For your succession is from the Pope apostatized from the Apostles ye are out of the Apostles Doctrine in all your whole worship corrected and reproved by Scripture Did the Apostle set up a Temple set up tythes set up your Schools and Colledges Is not the Pope the Author of all this Are not yee his Successors Pr. Thou sayes Ye are the Ministers of Christ because ye have the Scriptures and books and such like and you are not usurpers of the authority c. See page 16. A. Now there is never a one of you all that ever durst say ye have heard Gods voice immediately from heaven or Christs voyce or have the same spirit as the Prophets and Apostles and Christ had or immediate revelations from heaven as they had So then you be in another ordination then they was in and usurpers of authority into your ministry and intruders into those things you never saw And cannot any one be as good a Pastor or Minister as you seeing all your teaching is but from books and other mens writings Why may not others learn the same books and writings and so come to be Teachers and Pastors as well as you seeing you have nothing but from Books and Writings and old Authors Why may not all that read those be Pastors and Teachers and so then where be the hearers and so with the life are you all judged The spirit of God which gave forth Scriptures which was before your old Books and Authors were Thomas Higginson his Book called The Testimony of the True JESVS His PRINCIPLES follow c. Pr. HE saith The Word is not righteousnesse without the flesh c. See page 3. Ans The Word is righteous it selfe and the flesh righteous as it became Pr. He saith Men are presented perfect to God and
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 o● 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
the Son I will give him for a Covenant of light unto the Gentiles and a new Covenant to the house of Israel and the house of Judah Among the Jews to whom Christ was promised he told them he was the light of the world and the Prophet said he would give him for a Covenant of light unto the Gentiles And Christ bid them believe in the Light and they should have the Light of life and they should not walk in darkness And John saith if ye walk in the Light then have ye fellowship one with another and the blood of the Son of God cleanseth you from all sin So none cometh out of the darkness and out of the stumbling and have peace with God but who cometh to the Light And art thou offended at this object Dost thou stumble at this Light at the door the Rock the corner-stone splitting thy self against it but it is fallen upon thy head Again the spiritual man discerns and Judgeth all things And as face answers face so doth the Spirit of the Lord in man And man may discern by the Spirit of the Lord God where the seed is in the Death and where the seed is not and where the soul is living in which the Lord hath pleasure and where it is in the death as the Scriptures of truth doth testifie The holy men of God discern it and ye being ignorant of this doth manifest that ye have neither salt nor savour nor handling nor tasting nor seeing nor feeling But what ye know ye know naturally as bruit beasts and so there is the evil eye not having spirits of discerning and savoury How should ye minister unto people to their states and conditions if ye cannot discern their spirits which is in them How are ye ministers of the spirit The natural man though he have all the natural tongues doth not receive the things of God yet the natural man may get the letter and if he have not the spirit that gave it forth he is ●ot a Minister of the spirit but of the letter and c●red from the spirit that the Apostles was in as you are and you have made your selves manifest Pr. He saith the Quakers will have no Tooles taken out of the shops of humane learning to work withall See page 26. again they call our Ministers States Ministers or Priests and some of them quakers go naked through the streets c. Answ How ignorant art thou here of Scripture will not all people here judge thy ignorance and your ignorance which the Scripture lets them see that the Lord did make his Prophet Isaiah to put off his cloathes and go naked for a signe among the Egyptians and Ethiopians to Egypt and Ethiopia a figure of their nakedness and if the Lord did make some signes among you or have made some as signes among you to go naked a figure of your nakedness who are of spiritual Egypt and of their root and stock And of those spirits false spirits that went out into the world from the Apostles If the Lord make some signes as among you of your nakedness how you have ravened from the spirit of God and wants the cloathing of that look upon your own shame are they not Innocent people that go naked among you and are an offence unto you who sees not your shame that that may be covered And are not ye State Ministers made by men and Schooles and Colledges set up by States maintainance from the State and Tythes from the State out of the States allowance And ye say ye never heard the voyce of God nor Christs voyce immediately from heaven whose Ministers are ye then but States Ministers and deny immediate Revelation and inspiration How can we say ye are Ministers made by the will of God when as ye tell us ye never heard his voyce Or how can we say you are Ministers of Christ and deny Revelation and inspiration and immediate voyce from heaven and so knowes not the Son and the spirit that reveals As for your tooles that comes out of your shops of humane learning The Quakers deny your shops of tools that comes out of the humane learning And the Scripture gives no such expressions as a shop of tooles that ever the Prophets or A●ostles had a shop of tools of humane learning But your shops of tools of humane learning hath come up in the Apostacy since the days of the Apostles and these are your tools that you work withall in the Apostacy And so ye workmen will fall out with one anothers work and with your tools strick at one another Ye have had a shop that inwardly ravened that went forth from the Apostles the false spirits that went out into the world ye have had a shop of tooles with which ye have worked and lived in your old A●thors and books and studies and Fathers and so burst into many heads and heapes and one destroying another about one anothers work since the dayes of the Apostles who have a shop of tools out of your humane learning So all your tools ye have wrought withall since the Apostacy hath been taken out of the shops of humane learning which is earthly this proves ye are apostates and the spirits gone out into the world And Luke saith the tongues of the Hebrew Greek and Latin was set up a top of Christ by Pilate who crucified him And John saith the beast had power over all tongues And the whore sits upon the tongues and the tongues are waters What hath the beast sate upon our tongues our Orthodox-men our Schooles and Colledges what doth the whore sit on our tongues Original and upon our tools and shops that which is a top of Christ It is not unlike but that the Beast may have power over all these The earth was of one language before they built Babel and when they imagined to build Babel God confounded them into many Languages And so the life is risen Christ Jesus which was before Babel was and when Babylon is not and before Pilate was that set the many Languages upon him The life is risen over them and you all which life is Christ which breaks your shops to pieces of your tools of humane learning and your tools both which was before Babel was and when Babylon is not and so your glory is marr'd there and your pride is stained The life is risen Christ the life is risen over you The Merchants and the Trades-men rages which hath long had your shops Sing and rejoyce over them ye Saints Pr. He saith the Apostle saith The last times are perillous there should be false accusers and fierce despisers of them that are good Again he saith a Turke or an Indian will deny the light within him Again Christ is in heaven with his carnall body See page 43. 45. 48. Answ Christs body is a glorified body and the Scripture doth not speak any where that Christs body is a carnall body in heaven Again the perillous times came
is upon them that leave the Scriptures to look to the light within them Page 9. And many deceivers should come into the world that confesse not Christ come in the flesh receive them not into your houses And the man Christ is testified against by the light Pag. 13. and he saith they publikely deny the resurrection of the dead body And he saith Christ in the flesh his sufferings was but an example and a figure Ans Christ ended all figures in suffering and examples and paterns yet he is the Saints patern and example as the Scripture witnesses and there is no other example nor patern to be heeded but Christ alone which they are to learn of but to say he is nothing but a figure for that thou and you all will be judged for he ended all figures and is the resurrection and the life both and thy dead body shall live with my dead body this is Scripture and they that said the resurrection was past in the dayes of the Apostles overthrew the faith of some That which overthrowes the faith denying the resurrection kept the seed in death where it hath been in you all since the dayes of the Apostles for who are of faith are of Abraham of Christ according to the flesh and so if the dead arise not their Preaching is vain and their faith is vain So I say mortal must put on immortality and corruption must put on incorruption the first man was made a living soul the second was made a quickening spirit there is earthly bodies and heavenly bodies and there Is a resurrection of the just and unjust the one to eternal life the other to condemnation And the Judge is the man Christ Jesus to Judge the quick and the dead who both dyed and rose again that he might be God of the dead and the living And the light which every man hath that cometh into the world doth not testifie against Christ And the light doth not bring to deny the Scriptures but to own them And none ownes them aright nor Christ but who are in the light which cometh from him And all that do deny the light that doth enlighten every man c. are the wolves and the false Prophets and Antichrists that have gotten the sheeps cloathing and such cannot be received into the houses of the Saints that are from the light which every man is enlightened withall And none confesseth Christ come in the flesh but who is in the light which Christ hath enlightened them withall And so now is all Professors and teachers upon the earth and Kings of the earth ravened inwardly from the light which Christ enlightened them all withall standing against the light and the Lamb and the Saints that be in it and are not to be received into the houses of the Saints neither to bid them God speed for they be out from God that be out of the Light which Christ the Son hath enlightened them withall Pr. And he saith Christ hath a humane reasonable soul Again Christ the Eternal Son of God distinct from the Father Eternally before he was made flesh his spirit was distinguished from the Father and the Son from Eternitie and not onely when he was manifested by descending on Christ in the likeness of a Dove or by falling upon the Apostles like cloven tongues c. page 17. Answ Christ saith he is in the Father and the Father is in him and he will send them the Spirit of Truth the Comforter that proceeds from the Father and the Son and Christ saith he was glorified with the Father before the world began and yet ye say the Son is distinguished from the Father from Eternity and the Son saith he is in the Father and the Father is in him and you say the spirit is distinguished from the Father and the Son from Eternity and Christ saith it proceeds from him and the Fathers and he is the God and Father of the spirits of all flesh and the substance of all things And is not a humane soul earthly for you say that Christ had a humane soul and is not humane earthly and hath a humane body and is not a humane body an earthly body Is not his body of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh and is not his body a glorified body was not the first man of the earth earthly and had an humane body the second man the Lord from heaven And is not the soul immortal which cometh out from God which is immortal and goes into God again and is not humane or earthly mortal And are there not three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and are not they all one how then are they distinct and three that bear record in earth the spirit the water and the blood which agree in one And Christ saith I and my Father are one and I in the Father and the Father in me and he is in the Saints and so not distinct Pr. He saith it is impudency in the Quakers to deny the word Trinity and three Persons And the Church ever denyed such as denyes the Doctrine of the Trinity Page 18. 19. Ans As for the word Trinity and three Persons we have not read it in the Bible but in the Common-prayer Book or Masse-book which the Pope was the Author of but as for Unity we own and Christ being the brightness of the Fathers glory and the expresse Image of his substance of the Father we own That we own which agrees with the Scriptures and for that which the Scripture speakes not which men speak and teach for Doctrine their own words that the Scriptures speakes not nor teacheth such the Scriptures shut out and we deny Pr. He saith that is the weak ignorant dark and the wicked Sect of the Devil that maintains an equality with God the soul to be one being with God or part of God And saith the Quakers say there is no Scriptures speakes of a humane soul and the soul is taken up into God and God is all in all Answ The Assembly or Synod of Priests put forth a Catechisme and say that the Holy Ghost and the Son is equal with the Father in power and glory and this they put forth that people should learn it what then if any come to witness the Holy Ghost they come to witnes that which is equal in power and glory with the Father what if any come to witness the Son of God revealed in them which he that hath not him hath not life do they not come to witness him who is equal in power and glory with the Father this is your own Catechisme and is it blasphemy to confesse your own words that ye have given people to learn God breathed into man the breath of life and he became a living soul God who hath all souls in his hand And is not this that cometh out from God which is in Gods hand part of God of God and from God and to
is the eight day and so not one in seven And if the Saints-sat in heavenly places with Christ Jesus And if the Saints in heaven must have a glorious body and Christ an humane body which I say is earthly how doth this agree with Scripture that says Christs is a glorious body And is it an earthly body the Saints eats when they eat the flesh of Christ And is not people in their first state in the earthly before they come to witnesse a spiritual body like unto his glorious body How do you divide the word aright and they that have the spirit of Christ their spirits are in heaven and they have unity with the Father Pr. We have no such immediate converse with God now as to see him face to face page 42. Ans We do believe you have not who are gone from the spirit that the Prophets and Apostles were in ravened from it since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy and so are not in the counsell of God and are out of his teaching and instruction and so farre off of having fellowship with God for who have fellowship with him comes to see him and you are not of Abrahams seed who saw God face to face but are of the Pharisees stock who never saw his shape John 5. Pr. And you say In the last dayes false Prophets should arise and shew signes and wonders and if it were possible they should deceive the Elect. And the coming of the man of sin is after the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders c. page 44. Answ Christ said they should come the false Prophets and the Antichrists which John saw were come yea many Antichrists were gone out into the world And the Apostle Paul saw the man of sin before his decease the coming of him with the lying signes and wonders which since the dayes of the Apostles in this night of Apostacy they have rul'd and reign'd the man of sin with his lying signes and wonders and these are not the true signes but lying And when they were ravened from the spirit of God they got the sheeps cloathing inwardly ravening wolves which if it were possible they would deceive the very elect which went forth from the Apostles in the apostacy and since they have deceived the Nations the wolves the inwardly raveners though covered with the sheeps cloathing And here these things have been among you in the apostacy And the Apostates have reigned and rul'd and have had the dominion since the dayes of the Apostles But now with that which ye all have ravened from are ye made manifest and comprehended So this man of sin with his lying signes and wonders who ravened from the spirit of God as the Devill did who went from the Truth is he that compels all his members to plead for the body of sin while they be upon earth and so to keep them out of the faith of Gods Elect that gives the victory over the world And such he cannot deceive nor none of his members that ravened from the spirit of God Pr. He saith The Quakers the despising the fashions of the world contemning the honours and pleasures thereof and their sober carriage and deportment among men and willingnesse to suffer all these he calls wickedness See page 49 50. Answ But it seemeth this practice sobernesse denying the fashions of the world and contemning of honours and pleasures thereof and the sober carriage offends him and the world and the rest of the Priests and Professors and to deny their lusts which they be in Pr. He saith The Devill is not an Adulterer page 51. Answ Did the Devill abide in the Truth And did not he go out of it Are not all that go out of the Truth of him Adulterers who begets his own image and is the foundation of adultery Pr. He saith The light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is a naturall light or law page 56. Ans Which light is the end of the Law Christ Jesus before any naturall light was made or created for all things that was made was made by him and he doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world who is the end of the Law Pr. He saith the light will not bring men to salvation page 56. Answ The light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world is Christ the salvation to the ends of the earth Pr. He saith again The light is not sufficient to lead men to salvation page 60. And to witnesse Sanctification within and Justification there is to confound justification and sanctification And grace and justification is a created thing and the sight within is meer darknesse which the Quakers speak of See page 61. Ans The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall comprehends all darknesse and leads out of it and there is no occasion of stumbling in it for as many as receives him to them he gives power to become the sons of God And the light is not darknesse but he that saith the light is darknesse is out of the light in the darknesse And Justification and Sanctification within doth not confound it without but is the same that is within as is without And grace is the gift of God and Sanctification both Christ Jesus who was before any creature was created and the grace comes from the Throne Pr. He saith They are the unstablished people that are running after every way of errour that owns the Quakers in these Nations page 62. Ans In that the Nation will witnesse against thee for them that own the Quakers it 's known that they have been the most knowingest seeking people that have been in the Nations and the most sincerest people and none comes out of errour but who comes to the Quakers light which they follow which is Christ Pr. He saith That Christ hath a humane created soule See page 63. Again and the light in the conscience to be Christ is a false Doctrine And the Quakers seeke to bring people from all other teaching but the light within them page 65. Answ The soule of Christ is witnessed But to say it is humane earthly and created when the Scripture doth not teach us that doctrine we cannot own your words nor believe but deny them And Christ is the light in the conscience which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world who was before any creature was which he that receiveth it comes to him to be his Teacher and feels him reign And every man must come to the Light which Christ hath enlightned them withall c. who is the Covenant of God to feel the Law written in their hearts and in their mindes to bring them off all other Teachers whereby they need not teach one another nor to say Know the Lord. Pr. He saith Men may be called of men Master and it is but a cavill to deny it And they may deny to be called
the Father and over it gives victory And the word material the Apostle doth not call it so but precious and Jerusalem is come down from heaven and witnessed among the Saints heavenly Jerusalem and the Babes knowes their mother And who are in Christ and Christ in them see it possesseth it But all such as are against the light within which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world are the Antichrists the false prophets the wolves which have gotten the sheepes cloa●●ing which may deceive the world but not the elect as thy book hath declared ●hee And such Christ said should come and John saw was come and since the dayes of the Apostles the world hath gone after them And they inwardly ravened from the light and so have gotten the Kingdoms of the earth into a profession and form which are now standing against the Light within and gathering against the Lamb and the Saints that are in the light and is the light which they ravened from making War against them but the Lamb and the Saints shall get the victory Pr. He saith And the righteousness of God wrought by Christ for us which need not to be wrought over again in us pag 58. And that Christ our Justification should be in us that dyed and suffered that ascended this he cals a fancy to fancy him in a particuler person Page 59. Answ Whosoever hath not Christ within are Reprobates and whosoever hath Christ within hath the righteousness Now Christ that suffered Christ that was offered up is manifest within and the Saints are of his flesh and of his bone and eat his flesh and drink his blood and not another The Christ that ended the Priesthood ended the offering ended the Temple ended the Law and the first Covenant the seed of God Christ Jesus this manifest within he that hath him hath life Justification Sanctification and Redemption And so Christ the same to day yesterday and for ever who is the hope and the Author of their faith And so all be in the fancy that be out of the state of witnessing Christ that suffered within them and rose again and who be in this they be out of the fancy and shadowes and comes to see where there is no changing but possesseth righteousness glory substance the end of their faith and Christ their hope that remains that abides Pr. He saith There is something of God in man that will render the light which the Quakers speakes of natural Page 67. Answ That which is of God in man captivated viz. life and immortality who are not come to the light will not render the light when he cometh to it through the Gospel naturall which the darknesse now cannot comprehend though in it it shines and that of God in man will not call Christ the light naturall which the Quakers speaks of Pr. He saith Yee may remember in the last times false Christs and false Prophets shall arise and shall bring in damnable heresies c. and will shew signes and wonders and if it were possible they would deceive the very Elect. And such as follow strong delusions and believe lyes and be damned who obey not the Truth nor receive it in the love of it page 68. Answ Christ said false Prophets should come Antichrists should come with signes and wonders which the Apostles saw was come which inwardly ravened and went forth from them which since the dayes of the Apostles they have got the sheeps cloathing and the world is gone after them and have deceived the world by their lying signes and wonders and have brought them to be all on heaps about Religion And the damnable heresie and the lying signes and wonders and strange delusions yee may look into the whole Christendome among your selves and your own stock of Papists For none obeys the Truth but who owns the Light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which cometh from Christ the truth and all false Prophets are from that and all Antichrists are from that which hath reigned since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy and inwardly ravened have gotten the sheeps cloathing which have made war against the Saints and overcome them but now to that which they ravened from are the Saints come And the woman hath been in the wilderness and the man-child is brought forth to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron And all such now that inwardly ravened from the Light are standing up against the Lamb and the Saints But the Lamb and the Saints have the victory and the rej●ycing over the Beast and false Prophet is come who kills and slayes with the sword which is the words of his mouth And the Saints which are with him their weapons are spiritual And none lifts up the Son of God as the Serpent was lifted up in the Wildernesse but as every one is in the Light that the Son of God hath enlightned him withall and then they know him that draws all men after him Thomas Moor In his Booke called An Antidote c. Are these Principles following Pr. HE saith God doth not give the Revelation of these things now immediately as he did by the first Apostles nor in such manner as he did to the Prophets of old See his Epistle Answ All that have the Scriptures and are Ministers and not by the same power and spirit as the Apostles was in knows not the Scriptures and all who be in it are in the immediate and in that which reveals and in that which fathoms all the Ministers of the Letter who saith God doth not give forth now immediately as he did to the Prophets and Apostles Since the dayes of the Apostles in the apostacy such as have ravened inwardly from the spirit of God the time of Antichrist Beast and false Prophets reign and the mother of Harlots who have had the sheeps cloathing such immediate Revelation hath been hid from them and such should continue untill the words of God was fulfilled and the fulfilling of the Prophets But now is the fulfilling of the words of God and that come into which the Prophets and Apostles was in with which that is seen and known and him that hath been slain from the foundation of the world Pr. He saith To looke to the Light within that is in opposition to looking at Jesus That the light in every man is naturall And if yee turne your eye inward ye shall presently see their mover and teacher and this he calls foolish and Antichristian And saith That no man hath in him as of him that light spirit and wisdome in the inward parts See his Epistle Answ All upon the earth that ever comes to the knowledge of the glory of God they come to the light in them which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which light was before any naturall lights was made or created which light gives the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus and
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 se●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
the glory of God And the Law was in their hearts and the Word was within them and the annointing and such had the gifts for the worke of the Ministery for perfecting the Saints for the edifying the body of Christ till they all come to the knowledge of the glory of God and to a perfect man in Christ Jesus Pr. He saith Christ is without his Saints in respect of his bodily presence Answ How then are they of his flesh and of his bone and eate his flesh and drink his blood And how have the Saints his minde and spirit and he with them and they with him and sit with him in heavenly places and he is the head of the Church how then is he absent Ye poor Apostates from him who feels not Christ with you but he is with the Saints and they feel him Pr. He saith Salvation and faith are the gifts of God distinct from Christ Answ They are all of him and from him and with him And how is he the Author of Faith in whom it ends from whence it comes Pr. He saith The light which discovers sin and iniquity in mans heart is not Christ the light the door Ans The first Adam was the door where all sin and transgression entered Christ the second Adam the light which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world saith I am the door the way the life which finisheth sin and transgression and brings in everlasting righteousnesse and the way of life out of death which Light discovers sin Pr. He saith To call Christ the light the gift the door the way is to take the Gardiner for Christ as Mary did Answ Christ the light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world we do not put him for the Gardiner We know him and as many as receives him he gives them power to become the sons of God and this thou sayest is not used power but prerogative authority and thus thou art wresting Scripture So thou should have been more meek and low in thy heart and then thou wouldst have bridled thy tongue and so have learned of Christ and so come to the light the sure foundation out of the errour of thy wayes and have kept in the footsteps of the flock and if thy tongue had been shorter and thy bridle streigher then wouldst not thou have mixt the Covenant of God with mans spirit and have compared it to the Law of works which Christ the light which doth enlighten every one that comes into the world is the end of And mans spirit in the Fall is polluted and his body but as the light is believed in and the minde changed his spirit is sanctified and his body and so comes to be a childe of the Light and his spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are the Sons of God And none owns the Door Mediator the Life the Way but with the light which Christ doth enlighten every man that comes into the world withal which light is the door the way and the life Ellis Bradshaw His Booke called The Quakers quaking Principles which he directs to the PROTECTOR His Principles are as Followeth Pr. HE saith That Christ who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world by an immediate illumination not the Elect themselves to bring them to salvation Answ Doth not Christ say I am the way the truth and the life And he is the Door and no man cometh to the Father but by him and learn of him This is my beloved Son heare ye him saith God And is not he the new Covenant in the heart by which men need not say Know the Lord And there is no other name by which men can be saved but by the name of Christ who doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that all through him might believe And he that believes in the light abides not in darknesse but hath the light of life and they that believe not in it but hates its the light is their condemnation and the light that doth enlighten every one that cometh into the world is the salvation though men neglect it which the Elect walk in which condemns the unbeliever which is immediate and no man sees salvation but who comes to the light Pr. He saith The Word that was made flesh is visible and the Word is the Letter and they never received the spirit of life from it and that 's the Quakers errour Ans Such as had the Scriptures which was the words of God to them in old time and the ordinances the Apostle calls carnall which the Jewes stuck in and would not come to him that they might have life not to Christ And so if men have all the Scriptures and have not Christ they have not life For the Devill he may have the Scripture and hath he life therefore And the power of God Christ his name is called the Word of God The Word of God lives and endures for ever and the Spirit is not in the Letter and the Letter is not the Word which was made flesh and they be in the errour that thinks so for the Word is invisible Pr. Paul adviseth not onely to the Light within but is bidding them bring his cloak books and parchment and give attendance to reading Answ The Apostle did tell the Saints that the light that shined in their hearts might give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God and bids them walk in the light And Christ bids them believe in the light and they should not walke in darknesse and there is no other name under Heaven by which men can be saved but by the name of Christ And the Scriptures none sees the substance of them nor the fulfilling of them but who walks in the Light whom God speaks to by his Son who is the end of the Prophets and there is the true reading and knowing of all books and p●rchments which none knows the Scripture but by the light which comes from Christ in whom they end Pr. And again thou sayst there is more words then one Ans God is the Word and the Scriptures of Truth are his words which Christ fulfills Pr. He saith They have fellowship with the Father but not in the like measure of the gifts of grace the Apostle had Answ Then you are not like none of you to understand the Apostles words nor to be judges of them but as you do come into the like measure and gifts as they was in else you will not be able to judge of their conditions nor know their words Pr. He saith There is no man justified through the faith in Christ that owns the Scriptures to be but a dead letter But that ownes them to be the Word of God in which there is spirit and spirituall life as words of eternall life Answ The spirit and the life is not in the Scriptures but was in them that gave it forth and many have the Scripture and not the
to justification sanctification and righteousness Answ None comes to Justification to Righteousnesse who are out of the fear of God nor to receive his righteousnesse but who comes to the light within which comes from Christ the righteousnesse the wisdome the justification and sanctification and ye be in the errour that be not in this Light that leads too and le ts see it Pr. Perfection in holiness cannot be attained in this life for Adam was under such a Covenant he had no Mediator upon the breach of the command Ans God said to Adam the seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head Christ the Promise the Mediator made the way which was the way in again to God of mans redemption and got down the Serpents head which got up in transgression that Christ the head should bear rule that the seed of the woman should have dominion the second Adam the seed Christ Jesus the Lord from heaven Perfection is not to be attained to by the life ye live untill ye come to the principle of God in you but the life that David lived in saw an end of all perfection And all who come to Christ the second Adam they come to perfection and all who attain to him they attain to perfection in the life of God out of the first Adam but who deny the light that enlightneth every man that cometh into the world and rest in the first Adam the life they live in denies perfection and never owns it in the life they live in But who comes into perfection comes into Christ a new life out of Adam in the Fall in transgression All Physitians to sick men are to make them perfect And do yee say make none whole make none perfect make never a man perfect For being made whole they are made perfect for sin wounds for the Ministery of God was to bring people to the perfect man to present them perfect These were Physitians of value and of worth whereby the body soule spirit and all were cured and they glorified God in the body and spirit Now yee that say they shall not be perfect and that none shall be without sin upon the earth no perfection in the life we live in These are Physitians of no value yee are not worthy to have the name of Physitians Ministers nor Teachers Thomas Weld Richard Prideaux Samuel Hammond William Cole and William Durant for yee are pleading while men be upon earth they must have a body of sin and he that saith otherwayes is a deceiver and so ye keep them in their wounds and sores putrifying and imperfect and not makers up of the breach and binders up of the wound And the Lord saith Though their sins be as red as crimson I will make them as white as wool and will blot out sin and transgression And this tender love and kindnesse of the Lord and mercifulness to sinners transgressors hath the Lord made manifest amongst them which the world in scorn calls Quakers and it is not a strange thing that you would not have people to forsake the fashions of the world who are thus hung about with ribbons and cuffs and scarfs and your double Boot-hose-tops and more like unto Stage-players then Ministers Pr. Perfection is a fancy those were not words of true Physitians who brought men to a perfect man to the growth up in perfection amongst the perfect ones who speak wisdome They say It is no where said that the Law is fulfilled in any Saints in this life Answ They that love God keep his Commandements Christ is the end of the Law to every one that believes and who be in him be in the end of the Law And all that dwell in love dwell in God and love is the fulfilling of the commandement who are of the seed of God keep the words of God which the Beasts and false Prophets since the dayes of the Apostles who have inwardly ravened and turned against the royall seed of God and keep the Commandements of God and so none of you that raven from the spirit of God cannot keep Gods commandements though ye have all the Saints words for the Saints witnesse the end of the Law and witness perfection and a perfect man and spoke wisdome among them that were perfect and growing up to perfection Pr. That Christ gives to every man a saving light we utterly deny Answ He is the true light that doth enlighten every man that comes into the world saith John the Minister of God and he is salvation to the ends of the earth and they that hate the light neglect their salvation and turns the grace of God into wantonness and denies the Lord that bought them And every one that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to the Sonne and none heareth or cometh to the Father that cometh not to the Son But who comes to the thing that is transgressed in them and the light that every man that cometh into the world is enlightened withall nor hears nor learns of the Father nor comes to the Son but by that and the light that lighteneth every one that cometh into the world is the salvation to him that believes and he that doth not it is his condemnation Pr. But how dare these men lift up themselves in their blasphemous pride to say they are pure as God Answ Doth not Christ say Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect is that blasphemy and to be holy as I am holy is that blasphemy whose Ministers are you is not this the work of Christ and the Apostle without Holiness ye shall never see God and as he is so are we in this present world Pr. The word of God is contained in the Scriptures Ans The Scripture saith God is the word and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him are ye not more like void of reason then Ministers whose ignorance thus appears of the Scriptures which saith God is the word and the Scripture is the words and Christ is the word who fulfills them Pr. The Scriptures were given forth some more darkly some plainer Answ They which gave forth Scripture and they that be in that in which it ends to them the Scripture is not dark but such as be from the Principle of God in their own selves they be darkness so darkness happens to them which blinds their minds and the Scriptures was not given forth darkly but in the light but you who be from the light be dark Pr. The Apostles ordained them elders by a mediate call and we are convinced clearly of a mediate call to the work of the ministry and of the word Answ That which made the Officers and overseers in the Church amongst the Saints before the Apostasie It was the Holy-Ghost which holy men spoke Scripture from that made them Overseers that was not mediate but immediate that did oversee in the Church of God And we do believe that you Elders and Members called Ministers are all mediate and
was never the way to beget to God but that which strikes at the power which captivates creatures reacheth to the witnesse in prison and brings people into unity with God and one another in the spirit which is the bond of peace Pr. To love the Word for the good parts that in regard of the Christian is a dangerous thing and in regard of the Word of God a dishonourable thing Answ Where the good parts are not in the Christian that is a dishonourable thing to the Word and causeth the Word of God to be evill spoken of As the whole Assembly of you Ministers have done by your bad conversations earthly covetous impatient spirits that cannot endure any should speak but your selves in your places so by you hath the Word of God been dishonoured and not honoured for the Apostles did write that they were to shew themselves Patterns and Examples to the Flock of God in life and conversation that the Word of God might not be evill spoken of Now where the Word is evil spoken of and the bad parts in a Christian proceeds this grieves the righteous and causeth the truth to be evill spoken of and the Word makes them vessels of honour in whom it is Pr. Now when Christians leave the Word and Sacraments and Sabbaths it is a dangerous pride lifting up the Light within as they do Answ The Christians that denyed the Sabbaths and witnessed Christ the substance the rest said The light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ And they lifted up Christ the Light and they walked in him the Covenant of God and of light to the Jewes and Gentiles come which who walk in it are in peace with God and unity one with another and have the light of life and rest and all be in the dangerous state that be out of that And as for the word Sacrament there 's no Scripture for it but one of the Papists common words and the Light brings off it and the Jewish Sabbath Pr. Buy the truth and sell it not not pleading for sufficiency of a common light and leaving their Callings as the Monks and their books flying abroad their wings unclipt and no mention of eternall salvation from the wrath to come And he saith he loves the word Sacraments Sabbaths and Ministry Answ Christ came to put an end to the Jewish Sabbaths and the Apostles preached their end and forsook all for Christ and so to revile such as are in the same power and to call it by the unsavoury expression Monkish thou and yee are more like to that that tells us of Sacraments which is from the Monkish holinesse And for speaking of clipping the wings of our Books that flies abroad that 's another unsavoury expression and shews that spirit that it is not able to resist that spirit that gives forth the Books As for the Word and Ministry that thou hast shewed thy selfe against though thou professes the Scripture to be the Word And those are the words of God which Christ the Word fulfilled and this the Ministers of Christ witnesse And ye never read that the Ministers of the Gospell said they loved the Jewish Sabbaths and held up the Sabbaths those were the Ministers of the Law that held up the Sabbaths which Christ the Rest came to put an end to by which the world was made before it was made glorified with the Father before the world began And you sell the Truth and take the world which deny the Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world which is sufficient to him that believes in it Pr. We exercise and order our preaching for the getting of money and maintenance And the greetings in the Markets is but that which humanity requires nor to be called of men Rabbi else Christ would not have taken it Must a Minister lose the members of his Church and the maintenance of his place both at once Answ Christ said to his Disciples they should know the false Prophets by their fruits and said be not ye called of men Master to his Disciples for one is your Master even Christ and denyed the Pharisees greetings in the Market which thou calls humane right And the Apostles ordered not their preachings to get money by them but they laboured to keep the Gospel without charge and the Ministers of Christ brought the people off the Jewes Assemblies and their maintenance both And yee that be found out of the Apostles Doctrine in the apostacy such as come from you that you do no work for how can you expect that they should give you maintenance or how can you in righteousnesse take maintenance of them that you do no worke for So if ye lose the members will ye take the maintenance which of the Apostles did so Nay is it not the way to gain members to deny the maintenance Is not that the way whereby the power of God may be known that raiseth the seed of God whereby the hearts of people may be opened and whereby the seed is known And the Apostle declared against such as taught for filthy lucre and made merchandize of the Word and that which thou calls humanity which is your earthly right seeing your conversation is in earth and not in heaven Pr. It cannot be concluded that there is a light in every man teaching unto Christ and unto salvation And if Christ put a light in every man that cometh into the world to guide him unto the Father and unto life I deny that to be true for that 's a naturall light which is onely the light which Christ the Word communicates to all men Nay the light that all men have though it seem to make them to know God as God yet it is not sufficient to make them to know that there is a Father or a Son or the holy Ghost that there is a Gospell And saith I am the light of the world that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world that is both Jews and Gentiles And he that walks in the light shall have the light of life Now here lyes the deceit Answ The light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall the C●venant of God to Jewes and Gentiles which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world which they that walk in the light walk in Christ and come to see before any naturall light was And he that walks in the light shall not abide in the darknesse but shall have the light of life and with the light he shall know God he shall know the Son he shall know the Gospell he shall know the holy Ghost and that light is not naturall And he that knoweth God knoweth the Father and none knows him but with the light of Christ Jesus who reveals him for God is the Father And I will give him for a Covenant a light to the Gentiles a new Covenant
to the house of Israel and Judah which doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world a leader of the people a leader of them from death to life to God out of the fall the first man Adam a bringer in of righteousnesse peace and joy and truth and grace to all that believe and receive him but them that hate the light it is their condemnation The light Christ the Covenant of God is the leader of the People out of the fall out of all deceit unto God and it is sufficient It is the end of the Prophets and the Apostles teaching the fountain of life in which every one sees life Pr. Hath every man a light sufficient to bring him to God when none comes to God but by Christ If there be a light sufficient within for the enjoyment of life For direction to the Father the fountain of life the holy Ghost saith Ye shall teach no more every man his neighbour ye need not that any man teach you He doth not speake absolutely and strictly Answ Jewes and Gentiles who witnesse the new Covenant of God promised the Law in their hearts it is absolute they need not say to one another Know the Lord in the Covenant of life and peace with God in him by whom the world was made before it was made But they that have these words in a form are they that set to themselves heaps of Teachers And the teachings of the Apostles to all Nations were Ambassadors of this Covenant declaring the substance to the bringing of people off all Teachers that they needed not be taught by any man to know the Lord and the light Christ which doth enlighten every man that comes into the world is sufficient to guide to eternall life and he that believeth in it shall not abide in darkness but shall have the light of life and shall come out of condemnation and he that hates it abides in darknesse and knoweth not whether he goes And it is sufficient to let every man see his salvation For I will give him for a covenant of light saith God he shall be my salvation to the ends of the earth the Covenant of light that doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world Pr. What Christ and the Apostles saith swear not at all neither by heaven or earth or any other oath They did not mean as they spoke but that men should swear and they did not speak against all swearing And the Quakers may blush for it is as if God should speak as he meant by Moses in the Law Answ Christ and the Apostles meant as they spoke to what state and condition they spoke the words was truth to that state if it was by parables or patterns or figures Now Christ being the end of Oaths and Types saith Swear not at all who is the Covenant of God the end of the Prophets of Abraham of David of Solomon of Jacob of Joseph Oaths and swearing and Angels which must bow to him who s●ith swear not at all And the Apostles preached this Covenant this Oath of God Christ Jesus and the Apostle that was in the Doctrine of Christ bid them above all things my brethren swear not at all but in all your communication let your yea be yea your nay nay for whatsoever is more cometh of evill And they spoke as they meant for they came into condemnation that broke the doctrine of Christ Now Apostates and Hypocrites and false Brethren may swear that be out of the light the Covenant of God that have the form of godlinesse and denies the power and such be Antichrists against his doctrine and wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction and say that Christ and God and the Apostles did not mean as they spoke which God did mean as he spoke when he spake to Abraham And Christ meant as he spoke when he said swear not at all And the Apostle meant as he spake my brethren above all things swear not at all Pr. We are Ministers under the new Covenant and have the allowance of the Gospel and the tythes being onely designed unto us we may with a good conscience take it And the tythes are not in themselves Ceremoniall Abraham paid tythes to Melchisedeck If there be not a maintenance setled out to the Ministery we know we cannot subsist to do service to their soules without a worldly support a sufficient maintenance They call us greedy dogs because nursing Fathers and Mothers have provided for our nourishment a maintenance for us To work or to beg are two straits whereof the world might be ashamed but especially the Saints Answ The world would not be ashamed nor the Saints to see you work who have taken the peoples bread for whom you do no work and the Saints do witness against you The Prophets Christ and the Apostles declares such to be greedy dogs that can never have enough And Christ came to put an end to tythes before the Law to Tythes in the Law to a Priest-hood made by the Law which had a command to take Tythes who is a Priest-hood for ever after the order of Melchisedeck who was the similitude and likenesse and not after the order of Aaron who continues a Priest for ever And so when the first Priest-hood was ended Tythes and all ended and the command that gave them and the Priest-hood and the Law which was made when Christ reigns over the house of Jacob who asore Abraham was I am that Abraham paid tythes too the similitude and likenesse which Christ is the end of here the Rock and the substance This is my beloved Son hear him saith God who was in the bosome of the Father So they that know him come to preach the Gospel and live of the Gospell who breaks down the earthly part and opens the hearts of people who breaks down the earthly part and reaches to the seed And as for your nursing Fathers and Mothers such as give you maintenance else you could not continue your Ministery without a worldly support That is it which hath held you up long and who are fain to fly to the old worship among whom the Tenths were payd and so roving up and down in sheeps cloathing for your owne ends to get maintenance and if that falls your Ministry falls And your nursing Father and Mother was the Pope the Pope was the Author that set forth your Tenths at the first since the apostacy from the Apostles and the Apostles doctrine hath been lost Therefore that life the Apostles were in is people now come to by which ye are seen and comprehended And a worldly support is not that which holds up the Ministery but Christ which is with them to the end of the world and they that preach his Gospel live of it and they are far above shaming the Saints or the world either for maintenance but ye have both shamed your selves and the Saints are ashamed of you and many of the world and your own
The Apostles were eye witnesses and understood by immediate Revelation from God inspired with the gift of the spirit more then any man could hope for since and he saith they do not pretend any such gift nor depend upon any such immediate miraculous Revelation from Heaven Answ Then all may see now in this what ye have received that hath been from man which is not from Heaven immediate nor the gifts of the spirit nor received the Gospel by the same means the Apostles did who are not the eye witnesses as the Apostles were neither have ye attained to the same knowledge and understanding as the Apostles did nor received it from heaven now let all people question whether it is the same Gospel which is not received from Heaven nor immediately nor by Revelation for the Gospel is immediate which is the power of God Rom. 1. they are in the same power understanding knowledge and immediate Revelation from Heaven that the Apostles were in that understand the Gospel and they that be in another cannot understand that Gospel so he confesseth to the Nation in his answer to some Queries and in his discourse upon the holy spirit that they have not the same knowledge gift nor immediate Revelation as the Apostles had so he hath made himself manifest and the rest of the Priests that he is in the Apostacy not to have the Gospel the Apostles had Pr. He saith page 11. An external means enables them to open the meaning of the Gospel Answ An external opens not the eternal this all may judge that is in the fear of God and that is it which keepes them from being deceived and seduce the external which opens the eternal he saith so which is false for the eternal opens the external and the Gospel is eternal and that which reacheth to the soul which is immortal and all they are seduced and seducers that thinks and saith the external must open the eternal Prin. He saith Learned men are them which must give the sence of the Scripture Answ Pilate was a learned man and had Hebrew Greek and Latine and knew not the sence of the Scripture which crucified Christ And the learning of God is that which knowes the Scriptures by the spirit that gave them forth and not the confounded natural Languages and the Querie to him was whether any was to be called Master his Answer is Master is a Title of civil honour a Pharisee a transgressor of Christs commands Mat. 23. that tramples upon Christs command and his doctrine and makes the doctrine of Christ uncivil and this is your Lordship and your usurped Authority who would lord it over Gods heritage but he is throwing you out as dung upon the face of the earth Pr. He saith The Pharisees paid Tythes when they neglected the Law of God Answ Do not all you so Is not this your condition that takes Tythes whose fruits in the Nation make it manifest and the Apostle said the Priesthood was changed that took Tythes and the Apostles denyed the Pharisees that took them but you take them by compulsion and carry to prison till death if you cannot get them and in this you are worse then the Pharisees and first Priesthood that took Tythes which denyed Christ was come in the flesh Pr. He saith That children are of the Kingdom of God and yet they must be born again before they can enter into the Kingdom of God page 17. and sprinkling of Infants is Baptisme Answ Which there is no Scripture for he saith Christ commanded both his disciples and them to take and eat this and yet they never heard his voyce Pr. He saith To give an answer without imagination or consequence is without reason or Judgement Answ There is a reason and a Judgement out of imaginations and consequences to be given which is in truth and out of the doubtful dispute Prin. He saith While men be upon the earth the body of sin is not wholly subdued Answ Contrary to the Apostles doctrine who saith they were made free from sin and this is to deny the Circumcision which puts off the body of sin this is to keep out of Christ the second Adam in the first Adam in the fall Pr. He saith The contents of the Gospel are things of the spirit of God attained by an external means and the Apostles was called of God immediately which he saith no man must hope for since Answ Then you have all followed your own spirits and are found amongst the number of the false Prophets and them that ran and the Lord never spake to them and the things of the Gospel and of the spirit are not attained by an external means Pr. He saith We must not look for an immediate extraordinary miraculous teaching from the Lord. Answ Yet he saith all men are taught of God what confusion is here the grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared unto all men and teacheth us and this he calls an outward teaching by the Lord Jesus Christ Is that which brings salvation outward all in the truth may Judge this and try thy spirit and the teachings of the Lord is not mediate but extraordinary above all yours which are men got up since the dayes of the Apostles Pr. He saith They shall teach no more every man his neighbour saying know the Lord but they shall all know me from the least to the greatest and he saith again the most knowing man hath not attained such a perfection of knowledge in his gift as not to need teaching Answ So he is one that believes not in the promise they that love are of God and they that loveth knoweth God and they that loveth not God knoweth not God here are the spirits of the world made manifest and the spirit of God in his Saints from thy confusion so them that know God are taught of him Pr. He saith The anointing within people is a measure of spiritual wisdom Answ And yet they attain to the Gospel by an external means and it is onely all they that give heed to such spirits as these that go from the anointing within them that did not take heed to the anointing so going from the eternal means to the external means and from the immediate to the mediate with which they are now tryed which the Apostle saw come in which hath been since over the world but now made manifest Pr. He saith Sprinkling of Infants is Gods Ordinance Answ For which they have no Scripture but a tradition which hath been taught men for a doctrine by them who cannot shew where God commanded it Pr. He saith pag. 31. For the spirit within we are not so blind folded to follow the dictates thereof and we draw men from the spirit within It is humane learning that distinguishes the naked Truth whereby it is clearly seen and calls them blind that saith otherwise and cannot distinguish persons from houses he confesseth it is contentions to go to Law Answ Here he hath given
Christ within them here is two for if it be not the same Christ that ended all types and figures and shadowes If it be not him that is within they have not the possession the substance nor the comfort of the true Christ but who hath not Christ the end of the tipes shadowes figures in them they are among Ante-christs and false Christs and they that have the forme of godlinesse can confesse a Christ without them and notwithin them Pr. Again he saith The Saints have a glorious light within them but imperfect and it is an error to say they have an infallable light within them that they must follow which wil shew them all things and to Judge of Scripture that it must be fulfilled in them and these are them that are brought up in darke places of the earth that are as Sauls that goe to the witch and not to the Law and testomeny Ans None comes to the Law and to the testimony though they have the old and new Testament but who comes to the light in them for the Law is the light and who comes to the spirit within them which is the spirit of prophesy all that goe from this they goe into darke places of the earth and such are they that goe into the pathes of Sau l to such spirits that goe from the light within them and the spirit that is the testimony of Jesus and the light and the glorious light of the Saints which they are inlightened withall is Christ which is perfect and they are changed from glory to glory and so the light which thou saist the saints are in and yet not perfect and yet glorious minde thy words consider thy measure thy Judgement the infallible light which every one that comes into the world is inlightened withall is the leader of the people and the light they are to follow and it is the way to the Father out of the way from the Father that is in the first Adam in the transgression which light is Christ the second Adam that every man that comes into the world is inlightned withall and they who follow this and believe in it and walketh in it abideth not in darkenesse but have the light of life and the light within and the spirit of God within that gave forth the scripture is the tryall of the scripture of truth for men without that may wrest the words and wrong translate them so the light within the spirit of God is the Judge of the scriptures and knowes scripture which gave it forth and is the rule and ruled and led them to speak them forth and is the rule that leades them again to open them again and to lead into all truth as saith Christ Pr. He saith That which they set up above the scriptures is heathenish and the scriptures is the ground of Faith without it faith cannot act and faith hath no bottom to rest upon but scripture and scripture is more then faith the sure word of Prophesy the balme of the conscience it satisfies doubts heales wounds discerns the thoughts Ans The Pharisees and the chief Priests they were not healed except they came to Christ they found no rest for their soules though they had the scripture yet they came not to Christ the light which was before the scripture was given forth The Pharisees had the scriptures they had not faith stood against the author and the ground of it Christ so they had not faith the Pharisees had the scriptures but it was Christ and God that shewed them their thoughts so the scripture knew not their thoughts but who are in the spirit that gave forth the scriptures it is that which shewes mens thoughts Enock Abraham had faith and had not scripture all are heathens that are not in the light which was before scripture was written though they have all the scripture and the holy men of God acted in the faith in obedience to it before the scripture was given forth and they were all in the faith that gave forth the scripture and they did not act as from the scripture but from the spirit of whom they had learned who is the author of faith which the Just lives by and God and Christ the substance of the scripture Pr. And the scripture is an infallible rule of worship Ans The Jews and Pharisees they had the scripture and the Apostates since the daies of the Apostles they have had the scriptures been out of the life that gave it forth they want the rule which is the spirit in which God the father of spirits is worshipped that was the rule which all the holy men of God was led by to give forth scripture in which they worshipped God for the Pharisees had the scriptures not the spirit which gave them forth that worshipped they did not know what they wanted the rule the spirit of God that was in them that gave forth the scriptures in which they should have worshipped God so saw not the substance the ground of faith and author of faith Christ Jesus Pr. They will not put off their hat● they write thee and thou one to another they will not say master Ans The honour of the hat the putting of it off is an earthy honour of the earthly Adam in the fall in the transgression which Christ the second Adam the Lord from heaven not of the earthly comes to redeem man out of the sin and transgre●sion receives it not he will none of it but have the honour that comes from above cometh to stain that honour below and sees it a marke of an earthly honour of Adam in the transgression and not of the second the heavenly and as for thee and Thou you to a number and Thou to a singular who stumbles at this shews they have neither learned Accidence nor Bible so short of the spirit that spoke the sound words that connot be condemned and speaks proper which is the plant of renown and as for being called of men Master which Christ saith be not you ye have one master even Christ you are all brethren they be in the error that slight his commands and tramples them underfeet and hypocrits that after they have trampled his commands under foot and after makes a profession of his words Thomas Leadger thou professeth thou esteemes the scripture highly above ordinances above Angels and is not this scripture which saith be ye not called of men Master and Christs command yet thou denyes scripture and tramplest them under thy feet Pr. The scripture is the lanthorne of obedience and it directs men to Jesus and he cals the scripture the word of God the sum of truth and they could not have knowne there had been a Christ or a mediator or grace or glory or worship or father or spirit or light but as it is declared in scripture Ans I do believe you who are got up since the daies of the Apostles in the Apostacie inwardly ravening
seeking the peoples means not the people which makes the true Ministers of Christ odious which are in scorne called Quakers who seekes not theirs but them and you are neither the true Fathers nor the true Nurses but in the Apostacy from them and kicking against that which pricks you going in Sauls steps who went with Priests that had Tithes who were strayed from the life saw not the substance as you Raveners from the spirit of God have set up Tithes who see not the substance you harden your selves not hearing the voice from whose eyes repentance is hid posting on for your earthly interests and meanes posting to Courts Sessions Assizes Benches and this is the work you are doing and posting on in the Nation as the Courts Sessions and Assizes declares your hurrying the people thither seeking theirs not them your spirits are tryed at Courts Sessions and Assizes to be the false spirits that went forth into the world which Peter Jude and John speakes of which went forth from them and seperated themselves which since the world went after you who have been in Caines Cores and Balaams way Pr. Tradesmen and princes labours preserves health but mine consumes it Ans Here thou hast shewed that thy labour work and ministry is not of God that preserves health and strength for the work of the ministry is to bring into the saving health and preserve it and not consume it as thy worke doth that they may honour God with their substance and serve him with all their strength Pr. The law gives Tithes say the priests and allowes We may forbare working and we are content with food and rayment and to give away our tithes if the people will allow us food and raymet for us and our children as is fit to make them servicabl● yet the Q●akers call the ministers covetous Ans The Jews priests who were made obedient to the faith which had a commandement while they were under the Priesthood to take Tithes according to to the Law but the ministers now turne again from the faith to the Law and saies the Law of God gives it them and saies the Tythes are not the people 's but the Lords Did not the Apostles cut off tithes afore the Law and in the Law the priest-hood and law both and have not you here shewed your selves Apostatized from the Apostles so in the Apostacy who have set up a Law the first author whereof was the Pope and say the Law gives it us and you would not leave tithes unlesse the people would make a bargain with you to maintain you your wives and children was this the work of the Apostles Ministery what shamelesse words are these what set your selves thus that all people may view your folly what the Apostles did give was it upon this condition the people should give them food and rayment for it D●d not the Apostles say he that wil not worke let him not eate but from the whole practice of the Apostles you are apostatized and is not your covetous practises discovered through all the Courts Sessions and Assizes in the Nations you posting up thither and suing and causing them to go thither you doe not worke for what is this but covetousnesse and unrighteousnesse Pr. That the Quakers say that the priests are persecutors like the priests and phari sees of old but they shall be taught one day to know that if the Magistrats stop their mouthes he does no more persecute them then a thiefe when he is hanged c you say you wish all the Lords people were prophets Answ This is a lye found in your mouths for you say prophecying is ceased this you sound abroad all the world over as farre as you can This shews that you are not able to stop their mouths nor resist the spirits of them whom you say it will be no more persecution for the Magistrate to stop their mouths then to hang a thief And thus to all Magistrates that feare God you appear with shame and all may see what you crouch for under the mountains for blood Jezebe like and makes the Magistrates your pack-horses and executioners of your malice but the Lord God of heaven and earth in his wisdome is opening the eyes of many that moderation appeares in such in whose hearts the feare of the Lord is placed that tries many of you and turns many of you to your own weapons to see what weapons you have and they finde you but wrestlers against flesh and blood striking at the creatures not at the power which captivates them to bring them out of it into the liberty of the sons of God The true Ministers work was to beat down blasphemers errours false Prophets and stop the mouths of gain-sayers Rebuke exhort teach instruct with all authority cut off occasions with spirituall weapons And this power had they in the Church and cryed not to the Magistrate take them away they disturb me Oh shameless shame thy selfe before all the people in the Congregation This was not the work of the Ministers of Christ to do so And this authority in the Church before mentioned had the Ministers of Christ to stop the mouths of Gain-sayers silence false Prophets and blasphemers This power and authority they had from God and looked not at men to help them but they which apostatized from the Apostles the Beast the false Prophet the mother of Harlots that deceived the Nations that be out of the power of the Apostles and Christ have their power from men all the false Ministers upon earth are seeking to them to stop blasphemers as they imagine being but contrary to their mindes while they themselves are the blasphemers as weighed and judged by the Scriptures and spirit of Truth And the Magistrates work the power which he receives from God is to punish prophane open sins and the Ministers work is to bring people from under that occasion Pr. The Magistrates sets their guards at our doors and lets in none but who they please Let the Kings of the earth shew an uninterrupted succession giving them right to their Crown and I will shew a more undoubted succession to the Ministery All the Christians in our Parishes are our Flock we undertake to prove the truth o● such Churches Answ Your ●hurch is guarded with carnall weapons and the succession of your ministery is like unto the succession of earthly Kings Crowns which are all made by the will of men And the Magistrates have been but your servants and through ignorance have quenched the spirit and your work hath been to destroy the order concerning edification practice and doctrine of the Apostles in the true Church which said let all speak one by ne If any thing be revealed to another that sits by let the first hold his peace The spirit of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets From this you are apostatized and have gotten a law to stop the practice of this in your Church-apostacy whose doors many of
them you keep with clubs and staves lest any should be moved from the spirit of the Lord to speak amongst you from the Lord. And your Parishes and Flock which you undertake to prove to be a true Church alack for you that people should be so impudent to say these are pillars and ground of truth or the Steeple-houses be the pillars and ground of truth A company of Drunkards Swearers covetous proud persons given to pleasures you are like them that said they were Jewes and were not but the synagogue of Sathan a nest of unclean birds Pr. We expect not perfect unity till we have perfect knowledge and holiness Ans Have you cryed up your selves to be the ministers of Christ all this while and have not perfect knowledge perfect holinesse perfect unity The least unity is perfect in the spirit and the least knowledge and the least holinesse in the spirit and this you acknowledge you have not perfect unity perfect knowledge perfect holinesse and this hath been the cause you have kept all people since the Apostles in blindnesse out of the unity in that which is unholy who say you have not the perfect knowledge for the least of holinesse is perfect and in the holinesse is the unity in whith is the perfect knowledge though in the least degree and this thou hast confessed you have not and we doe believe you and so out of thy own words thou and you are proved unsanctified for who are sanctified have perfect unity perfect knowledge perfect holinesse Pr. I use notes as much as any man when I am la●y or busy c. Ans This is it which holds up your lazy minds which you gather out of books selling it again by the hour-glasse and make that day you call sabbath your market day selling both prayers and preaching who have not the spirit of the Lord to lead you to speak as it moves and to lead you to all truth as it did the Disciples so it is lazynesse indeed that hath set up your notes and reads them by the glasse for money and who have learnd seven years out of books Colledges and then gather up out of your authors books in notes and thus make a trade of them and then te●ls the people you are sent and it is the word of the Lord which it is but the reading of books and yet you tell people you never heard the voice of God if any aske you thus deluders are judged out of their own mouths who have a law if any are moved of the spirit of the Lord while they are reading their notes or speaking before or after none to speake against what they have gathered out of their books and studies which was not the works of the true ministry but the worke of those who were out from the true spirit and so were ministers of the letter and old authors and notes Pr. He saith They are unmercifull men that say more glorious dayes are appearing and that the Saints shall rule the world Answ In this thou hast judged thy selfe and there need no more words be spoken to it And the rest of thy lyes and slanders in thy Book which are not worth mentioning they will fall upon thy own head John Cole His Book printed 1658. His Principles in it as followeth Pr. IT 's a common thing for the young Harlot to say minde the Light within Answ The light which doth enlighten every man which cometh into the world all Harlots draws from and be out of it and such may beget proselytes and father them upon God which are not in the Truth but the day is come that all things are made manifest and by it doth appear and the light which every man which cometh into the world is enlightned withall is the offence to all the evill doers who be out of salvation and the Covenant of God and none sees salvation but by it Pr. The young Harlot can but mend evill old Adam by her exhortations and instructions and doings and threatnings and she doth fright some to her obedience Ans The Harlot is in that which evill old Adam is in in the transgression and so they which be harlotted from the spirit of God cannot mend and instruct the transgressor they themselves being in the transgression They may tell them of the Saints words and speak them as the Devill doth who is out of the Truth but thou John Cole art fallen into the earth and there art quarrelling And as for the rest of the stuffe in thy Book which is not worth mentioning but when thou feels the root and tree burn and fall into a fire about thee and thee in it then remember thou hast not that which doth not savour withal as thy confused childish work● do appear which in print thou hast published to the world Alexander Rosse his Booke which he calls A view of all RELIGIONS His Lies and Principles Pr. GOd is not in the quaking of the body Ans Was it not God that made the body of David to quake and Daniel and Habakkuk and Job and the mountains quake at the giving forth of his Law And doth not God say He doth not shake the earth but heaven also Now dost not thou manifest thy selfe to be one of them that cast them out that tremble at the Word and tells them that God is not among them And as for Alexander Rosse his lies and slanders in saying the Quakers said Christ had failings and distrusted God which thousands of thousands that can witnesse to thy face thou art a liar it is a sufficient proof to them that thy book is made up of such stuffe of lyes which is thy view from the Creation And the rest of thy Book is much like unto that and the false prophets studying a divination of their owne brain to get money by we deny but such as divide the word aright we own and all that pray and preach and sing for money and make a trade of the Scripture to get money by we disown but such as pray and sing by the spirit we own and all your Readings for money we deny but who reads freely we own and all your Seremonies we do deny and are come to the substance Christ Jesus before the world was made Pr. The leaves of a tree are not the fruits thereof and yet without them the fruit would not prosper Answ Art thou a fit man to give a view from the Creation of the World who erres thus in Naturals For pluck off the leaves of the Vines and see if the grapes will not prosper Art thou a fit man to give a view of Religion and blasphemy and errour from the Creation who art not able to give a true view of the Naturalls Pr. Thou sayest It is horrid blasphemy to say the Scripture is not the Word of God and to say the soule is a part of God Answ The Scriptures are the words of God in Exodus and the four Books of the
Perfection in the creature is Christ who destroys the Devill and his works and bindes the strong man and spoyls his goods and takes the possession of it to himselfe and the creature is a perfect creature out of transgression He that is borne of God doth not commit sin being the seed of God remains in him and that is the doctrine of Perfection in the creature and Christ makes all things new and thou that cannot witnesse any thing made new art in the old things crying up imperfection and that is perfect that brings men to confesse their sin and that is in the creature Thomas Hodges Rector in Oxfordshire Batchellor in Divinity saith Pr. THat the holy Ghost speaks in the Scriptures Ans Here all may see his ignorance whether this man be fit to be a Rector who is thus corrected with the Scriptures which saith that the holy Ghost moved in them that gave forth Scriptures which led them into all truth and did not say the holy Ghost moved in the Scriptures but said the letter was dead and did not give life And thus he Rects into darknesse in telling the people the holy Ghost is in Scripture when the Scripture never gave forth that speech but said it was in them that gave it forth for many may have the Scriptures and want the holy Ghost as the Pharisees Pr. To the Law and to the Testimony and thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image that is in heaven or in earth Answ I say to the Law and to the Testimony before Matthew Marke Luke John Epistles and the Revelations were written The law is light the testimony of Jesus the spirit of prophecy as in the dayes Isaiah the 8. And you have told the people that it is Old and New Testament which the new was not written in his dayes in the dayes of Isaiah And why do you make likenesses of things in heaven and in earth and hang up in your houses and signes yet thou saith we should not make them for it is a breach of Gods command Of whom have you learned to make all these Images of things in heaven and things in the earth since the dayes of the Apostles but of them that went forth from the Apostles of whom ye are of the Popes tribe Richard Heath Priest in Shrewsbury His Principles as follows Pr. THat the drawing people to a light within them you draw them from God t themselves from the instruction of the spirit Answ Here thou art an unlike Minister to the Apostle who brought people to a light within them Cor. 2.4 and told them that the light that shined in their hearts would give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ And so none comes to the knowledge of the spirit but such as comes to the light within and from themselves though they have the Scriptures as the Jewes had Pr. If we Ministers should send people from all other lights to the light within them they should then turne them from light to darknesse from God to the power of Sathan Answ None comes to God but who comes to the light within from the power of Satan and darknesse And God will dwell in man and walk in man and make his abode who is light and the end of all other lights before they were And yee that turnes people from the light turnes people into darknesse the power of Satan and there keeps people under his dominion from the light Christ Jesus that hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world with which they might see their Saviour Daniel Gaudry Priest of great Billing in Northamptonshire His Principles as followeth Pr. THat the Saints are partly sinfull and failing in their best works and subject to continuall lustings one against another Answ The life of the Saints is Christ not sinfull at all and they are ceased from their own works and are true believers and the works of faith are not sinfull nor the works of the spirit which the Saints are led withal and they come into Christ in whom they have peace and not lust one against another but live in the spirit in which there is unity in which is the bond of peace and the lusting one against another is in the transgression of the spirit of God So who be in Christ be in peace and who be in the world be in trouble in wars but who be in Christ be in him who was before Wars was inward or outward of whom thou art ignorant Pr. The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin the guilt of it instantly and perfectly from the stain and power of it gradually Answ Where sin is there the guilt of it is felt at that instant but whoever feels the sin shall feel the guilt of it and the blood of the seed cleanseth it makes free from that which the Law takes hold of And the blood of the seed it cleanseth from sin the power and stain of it and then the guilt is gone of it and where this is known the seed that destroys death and him that hath the power of it which is the Devill the fulnesse is known which is above degrees that which degrees ends in Pr. It is the tang of Popery that a man may fall from saving grace Answ The grace of God that appeared to all men which brings salvation is saving and such thee and many Papists turns into lasciviousnesse and wantonnesse That which brings salvation is saving So you are turned to be murderers of one another about Scriptures which was not the practice of them who lived soberly righteously and godly who deny the worldly lusts and ungodlinesse but their hearts were established in grace which was their Teacher but you and Papists that live wildely and ungodly unrighteously in the lusts of the world that from the grace and the saving grace are fallen your fruits your actions daily declares and shews it and so you be talkers of grace which is turned into wantonness among you and the Papists both your unseasoned hearts and words makes it appear Pr. We shall not see Christ as he is till he comes to judgement then and not before we shall see him And then he adds Every man that hath this hope purifies himselfe which also argues that he is not pure and perfect but onely in hope Answ You where you are sees him not nor know him not as he is we do believe you but the Saints the true Church whom he is the head of whom he is in the midst and in whom he is And Christ told his Disciples they had known him and they knew the Son and had the Son and they had the Father also and he that had not had not life And they had handled and seen and hope in it selfe is pure and that is it which purifies man and makes him pure as God is pure The hope now is pure in it selfe a distinct thing and that is to make man
the slothful servants who are Reprobates to every good work but the Saints that prayed Preached sung in the spirit such was profitable that loved God and kept his Commandments which you that do not love God do not keep his Commandments So your fruits are unprofitable that keeps not the Commandments of God And there is your mark that you do not love him Pr. The Law is a rule for a believers life we must attend unto the Sacraments Answ Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness sake unto everyone that doth believe so Christ is the rule who ends the Law to believers And thy Sacraments must go again to the Common-Prayer Book to the Masse-book the Scripture doth not teach us those words as Sacrament and Creed but the old Masse-book thou art running to it and so leaving the Scriptures So thou art judged with the life of God Pr. Who are ordained lawfully or called to the Ministry Ans Your ordination and call is by men contrary to the Apostles and Christ who saith not by man nor of man and Christ saith pray to the Father that he may send labourers into the vineyard and such you persecute And thou saiest there is two Sacraments in the Gospell which the Apostles tells us of no such thing but the Pope in his Masse-book Pr. We may not learne for to seek for happinesse in this life these words I command thee this day shall be in thy heart to teach thy children and to talke of them in thy house Ans These words hath spoken long in your hearts therefore have you led the world in wickednesse but the children of God findes happinesse in this life being changed from the old in this life for they find God and they finde Christ and find rest for their soules And who is in Christ is a new creature and such hath happinesse Pr. This forme of sound words taken out of the best and soundest Catechismes that we could meet withall and our mouth is opened boldly Ans This is your forme of unsound words and if this be the best stuff you can find out of your best Catechismes it is pittifull durty darke stuff and you had better have kept your mouth shut If this be your Catechismes they are for the fire the children of light who are come into the light comprehends and sees the Cathchismes and you both and you are to be Catechised and if you will but read over the Priests and professors Catechisme you may learn some thing out of it This is a ralation of some perticulars and principles affirmed by some of the Priests of Bishop-rick at a publike dispute in Branspirth Castle upon the 21. day of the 7th moneth 1658. Pr. JOsias Dorker affirmed that immediate Revelation or inspiration is not to be expected in these daies Ans Then you are from the spirit that saith so which the spirit of God doth reveale you are them that have ravened the false prophets and ante-christ that inwardly ravened from the spirit of God having the sheeps cloathing in the darknesse the King of the bottomlesse pit hath been your king for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is not known but by revelation for none knowes the Son but the father and he to whom he doth reveale him that showes that you be out of the feare of God for where the feare of God is God reveales his secrets but the feare God is now witnessed and the Son of God is now witnessed and revelations is now witnessed in our daies as it was in the Apostles but not amongst you who have inwardly ravened from the spirit of God which hath Apostatized from the Apostles Pr. That it is needlesse and also diabolicall that is to say divilish to expect any such thing now Ans And so you be in the diabolicall divilish that expects not that now which was in the daies of the Apostles and be out of the feare of God and the spirit which doth reveale and the Son you know not which said to them the Pharisees that knew him not they were of the devill and so he is known by revelation Pr. That they had the scripture and the Gospell as he confessed not from God but from men Ans You know not the scriptures nor no man upon the earth but as from God and the spirit as they did that gave them forth who learned them of God and so who knowes scripture must know revelation and the Gospell for they are known not but by the spirit which gave them forth Pr. That the Bible was the Gospel Ans The Gospell is the power of God which was before the scripture was written preached to Abraham many may have the Bible but the power of God the Gospell glad tydings which is to the salvation of every one that believes and the scripture is a testification of the Gospell of the glad tydings and it is not called the power of God and Christ is called the power of God and the Gospell and many had scripture but would not come to Christ the power of God and so not to the Gospell Pr. That the flesh of Christ is not in them Ans The saints eate his flesh and they that eate his flesh hath it within them Pr. That Christ had and hath a carnall body Ans And Christs body is not carnall but spirituall the first man was of the earth earthly the second man is the Lord from heaven heavenly and is a glorious body and the saints are made like unto his glorious body therefore the first state is carnall the second glorious so there is a naturall body and there is a spirituall body Pr. That Christ is now in heaven with a carnall body Ans Carnall indeed is death saith scripture and it saith that corruption must put on incorruption mortall immortality so Christs body that is in heaven is a glorious body a and not carnall nor of the flesh corruptible Pr. That Christ hath a carnall humane body united to his divinity Ans And carnall humane is from the ground humane earthly the first Adams body and Christ was not from the ground let all people read what thou saist but he was from heaven his flesh came down from above his flesh which was the meat his flesh came downe from heaven Pr. That Timothy retained his ministry not from God but from Paul Ans Timothy did retain his ministry from God and knew the gift that which he did retain from Paul was not as man but Timothy was in the faith which Christ was the author of and he had the gift which every good and perfect gift comes from God and this was not by man nor of man Pr. That there it as much difference between a body and a spirit as there is between light and darknesse Ans Christs body is spirituall and that which is spirituall does not differ from the spirit and so there is a spirituall body and there is a naturall body and there is a
people and suffer it not to have liberty do you not do murther to the just of God in you in your own particulars and so then stop it in the general for opening its mouth with all your force and might and are you not murtherers there and do you not steal by Sea and Land and cozen and cheat and wrong one another nay do you not steal the words from your neighbour and the Prophets and the Apostles and Christ which you never came into the life of is not this called theft and robbery for you have not received it from the Lord God as Prophets as Apostles as his Son did and servants did so all your profession Church and Ministery stand in the robbery and have not received it as they did as the true Apostles and Prophets did and Ministers did ye all stand in the robbery and do not you covet your neighbours goods Oxen Cattel and servants and wife and one getting from another goods and getting servants one from another is not this out of the love in which the Commandment ends where there is serving one another in love and is not all covetous Idolaters out of the love shut in which the Commandment ends and hath not this been the practice in the whole Christendom coveting mens goods servants cattel and that which is not his is not that out of the Law and Gospel and out of a pure heart where the Commandment is done and known and that which it ends in is in Christ and love keepes the Commands of Christ they that love do not covet and they are not Idolaters Pr. We are not to make any images to be tollerated in the Churches and Chappels or figures of things made for it is not seemly for God will have his Church be taught by living Preaching Answ How is it that your Churches so called are so full of Pictures and images of Males and Females representing a figure of Adam and Eve the Apostles and Christ and your houses and signs of fish in the Sea and Lyons and others creatures upon the earth and of things as you imagine in heaven are not all these your inventions your works and inventions you have learned of the Papists and they from the heathen not from the Apostles and you have daubed your Churches and them flourished with your Pictures these things you call your Churches but the Church is in God which the gates of Hell cannot prevail against but a showre of rain or an earthquake or a great wind will prevail against your Church and the devil may come with his carnal weapons and throw it down but the Church of Christ the Pillar of truth is that the devil is out of Pr. You say a man may swear before a Magistrate and that this kind of swearing is ordained by Gods word therefore well used of the Saints and it is not lawful to swear by the Saints or other creatures Answ Here ye be out of the Doctrine of Christ who saith swear not at all and out of the Magistrates state the Apostle speaks of and out of Christs Doctrine and the Apostles and hath broken the commands of Christ and the Apostles Doctrine which saith swear not at all so you wrong Christ Jesus and the word of God you deny and though Abraham swear and Jacob and Joseph sware the Prophets and Moses swear David swore and the Angels swore and men in strife swear by the greater and the oath ended the strife and controversie amongst men yet Christ saith before Abraham was I am he reigns over the house of Joseph and Jacob he is the end of the Prophets he is the end of Moses he is the end of men of strife and brings peace on the earth the Angels must bow down to him that saith swear not at all who was before Abraham was and David called him Lord who was greater then Solomon and this is my beloved Son hear ye him now which of you hear him they said in the old time perform thy vows to the Lord this was the old time the day of Abraham David Prophets Moses Solomon but Christ who was before all time by whom all things was made the oath of God ends the time and saith swear not at all so doth his true Ministers and the Apostles above all things my brethren swear not at all neither by heaven nor by earth lest you fall into condemnation now here were true brethren that kept the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles and his commands which swearers break which are got up since the dayes of the Apostles which are the false brethren Apostatized from the true so now the fruits of false and true brethren are seen who keep the commands of Christ and walk in the Doctrine of the Apostles and who doth not Pr. You say That in the fourth Commandment God doth command that the Ministers of the Gospel and the Schools of Learning should be maintained and that on the Sabbath frequent studiously Divine Assembles hear the word diligently using the Sacraments Ans Your Schools your Sacraments your Sabbath your Studies by men you have made these since the Apostles your Ministers at your Schools and not by the Lord but among your selves Apostatized from his spirit for the Apostles had not Shools and the Apostles said let no man judge you in meats or drinks new Moons and Sabbath dayes c. for the body is Christ and he brought them off of these services to Christ the substance the body who ended the Sabbath days and the offerings upon them who was before dayes who is the rest for his people and did not bring people into dayes but into Christ by whom all things was made who was Lord of the Sabbath and such meet on the first day of the week and are taught of God and out-strip all your Teachers made in Schools and learnings of men and so not of man nor by man but the outward Schools are of men and by men Pr. You say The fifth Commandment injoyns you to yield obedience to the faithful commandments of them that be over you and the Catechisme Ans The fifth Commandment brings that men should obey the command of God not of men nor the Catechisme nor such stuff as is in this Catechisme but who are come to Christ the end of the Commandments the end of the Law him by whom the world was made and was before it was made is enjoyed Pr. You say The meaning of the seventh Commandment Is that you should live temperate modest and chaste and holy in Wedlock Answ Is this so have you not broken Wedlok both with God and man and lost the chaste Virgin state and so gotten up into intemperate immodest unchastness into uncleanness and filthiness and so shew by your fruits that you neither come to keep this Commandment nor to Christ the end of it Pr. You say The eighth Commandment doth not only forbid robbery but covetousness after other mens goods evil witchcraft devices to
the Temple who was to swear by the Lord and to performe the oath to him Which that oath Christ ended and brought men out of strife and the earth into peace with God to the beginning to the glory which was with the Father before the world was began who brings the peace on earth and good will towards men And do not you that swear by the Bible swear by all that 's contained in it like as the Jewes swore by the Temple and so hath not the Bible judged you Here Christs words and the Apostles that tells you ye should not sweare and yet you swear And if yee say the Prophets and Moses and Abraham and Jacob and Joseph and the Angels swore and men of Strife swore Doth not Christ and the Apostle tell you he is the end of the Prophets a greater then Solomon David called him Lord Before Abraham was reignes over the house of Jacob and Joseph to him the Angels bow sayes sweare not at all This is my beloved Son hear him is the end of the Law and the Prophets to him that believes which hears him But it seems you will not hear him that are the swearers and forswearers And the Apostle brings that concerning an oath is the end of controversie among men of strife and men swear by the greater Yet they sware by the Lord he brings the example not that men should swear but shewing how God could not finde a greater sware by himselfe concerning his Son who is the oath of God the end of Oaths and the true oath that men swear that ends the strife He brought peace on earth and good will towards men that ended that oath and brought men to unity to God and one another out of the Earth to the beginning Pr. That Oaths are to be performed if the Scriptures were silent The Law of Nature and Nations would speak loud in this point because of the particular miscarriages in humane Societies Therefore sayes the Lord Mine oaths ye despised and my covenant ye have broken It would be a great dishonour to the nature of an Oath if it should tye any man to disobey the commands of God Governours are ready to thinke it their great security to establish themselves by Oaths Answ The commands of Christ let the Law as ye call it of Nature and Nations cry never so loud for swearing who stablish themselves by sin and trangression in the earthly humane societies the commands of Christ forbids swearing And I know that the Law of Nations and the Nationall Laws have sworn by severall Heathen gods and Idols as the Jewes swore by the Temple and you by the Evangelists and Christ sayes swear not at all and his Apostles And here 's great out-cries for oaths but here is a cry from the Lord Christ sayes swear not at all And oaths was in the Covenant which Covenant was to change mark that Oaths despised and Covenant broken This was the first covenant in which were the oaths that was to change and decay which Christ came to end both Covenant and Oaths and bid them swear not at all and took away the first covenant that he might establish the second And so as the Jewes brake the first covenant and despised the Lords oath which was to swear by himself who is the greater and to him to perform it So you despise his covenant his Son the everlasting covenant that ends oaths and the first covenant that are teaching men to swear and so there is swearing and for-swearing The lamentable work and doings as you may see in your Courts how they will swear a man hath so much when he hath not halfe so much as the Writs and Indictments and all their bad stuff declares it And so you that swear do break the commands of Christ though it was the command of God in the old time to swear yet it is the command of Christ who makes all things new swear not at all And the Governours that are established by Oaths are out of the doctrine of Christ that establish themselves by that which Christ denies and so establish themselves out of the power command and authority and doth not hear the Son and are not the true christians but are apostatized from the true Church hath onely his name but are dead to the life Now Christ that takes away oaths and shewed the danger of them that went into oaths more then yea and nay in all their Communications bid them swear not at all and that they went into the evill that did he established a way by two or three witnesses every word is established So they that would have any more then yea and nay may take the order of Christ minde the order of Christ two or three witnesses that yee may establish every word And this is a● way for all Trades-men and Magistrates and all whatsoever that they may follow and practice the commands of Christ yea and nay in all their communications and if they will have any more two or three witnesses that every word may be established And such are the true Christians the true Brethren that abide in the Doctrine of Christ they are not transgressors but hath the Son and the Father which the other hath not and that 's a practice for all true Christians Cities Countries and Magistrates upon the earth Pr. Thou saith Those that be engaged take oaths and they must be circumspect in taking of it and this is the word thou adds And you my Lord Major and Sheriffs under the bond of an Oath shall execute your office Answ The command of Christ the doctrine of the Apostles engageth men they shall not swear and doth not engage any to swear nor Christ who is the end of the Law and the Prophets but you Ministers of unrighteousness and false Apostles teach men to disobey and transgresse the commands of Christ which are the false Prophets and Antichrists which Christ said should come John saw was come went forth from them the Apostles and since the world is gone after you and so you have taught the world to swear and men to swear and Christ and his Apostles teach them not to swear And so here 's the Land mourning because of oaths among boyes and girles it 's become common in your Streets Courts and Houses Swearing for-swearing and profane swearing and that which is out of the command of Christ is profane for they bewitch people that draw people from the command of God The Apostle instances Circumcision which Christ ended and what are they that draw people to those things which Christ forbids but such as would not have him to reigne but Antichrists which hath been from the Apostles And so you and the Papists are one here doing what you do by an oath and the Apostle saith which you are apostatized from Above all things swear not at all neither by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath Marke this was to the brethren true christians true believers such
as obeyed Christs doctrine for he tells them the danger lest ye fall into condemnation Let all your communication be yea yea and nay nay what ever is more is evill Not by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath Now there was true and false and prophane whatsoever was comprehended in these words Not by any but keep to yea and nay in all your communications Now tell the Apostle he doth not mean as he speaks give him the lye pervert his words and Christs words who sayes swear not at all and sayes he meanes profane oaths And Christ brought the people off the true Oath which was in the old time that was performed to the Lord a profane oath was not performed to the Lord that 's not meant of that but that as was sworn by him Christ sayes now Swear not at all and so they that break the oath break the covenant the true oath and so they that swear now do not own the new covenant which ends the true oath and covenant in the old time The profane oaths they were judged by them that lived in the first covenant and they did not type out any thing but a true oath did which ended controversies among men which the oath Christ ends which is the peace between God and man and reconciles them to God and one another These be true brethren true christians that 's come to yea and nay in their communications and cannot swear by heaven nor by earth nor by any other oath lest they come into the evill but yea and nay in all their communications lest they come into condemnation So you that teach men to swear have brought them into the evill and a great out-cry to break the commands of Christ and under condemnation He that teacheth them to swear any oath whatsoever cast behind your backs the commands of Christ and doctrine of the Apostles And the Apostle that bid the Saints keep to yea and nay in all their communications and swear not at all said if yee will have any more take two or three Witnesses And for all thy other confusion and thy perverting and wresting of Scriptures to bring people into the condemnation and evill to swear is not worthy the mentioning and will but come upon thy selfe in the day of thy condemnation and judgement thee and all upon the Earth that are departed from the Apostles shall witnesse how ye have transgressed the commands of Christ and teach people to transgresse them and to sin have hath brought them into the evill and condemnation So repent and while ye and time prize it Samuel Hammond In his Book called The Quakers House built on the Sands A very fit Title for himselfe and the rest of his PRIESTS These are some of his Principles following Pr. YOung men and women having some convictions and awakenings of the Law and have followed the light of an awakened conscience and sit down before they have closed with Christ and there be not a distinction between the righteousness imputed upon the account of the blood of Christ and the righteousness inherent wrought in us by his spirit and this inherent righteousness they confound the attainments brought forth by the Light in every man not being able to distinguish the working of Satan Answ Inherent righteousnesse is a word of thy own and the Papists inventing and thou art a man that cannot distinguish between the workings of Christ and the workings of Satan For the light which every man that cometh into the world is enlightned withall which brings men and women to know the Law and the convictions of it it brings them to the end of the Law Christ and to see that appear that cannot be shaken and the Righteousnesse imputed to a believer that is within felt For he that believes hath the witnesse in himselfe and feels it there and the blood of Christ is felt within justifying and cleansing the conscience from dead works And the righteousnesse of Faith is found within and that righteousnesse which is wrought within is found within and no man sees this but with the light which Christ hath enlightned every man that cometh into the world withall and this Light is that which confounds all thy attainments for Christs righteousness and his blood and spirit are all one which justifies and sanctifies Pr. They dream of a perfection to obey the light within and this is delusion they are not able to distinguish between justified freely by grace which is the favour of God upon the account of Christs satisfaction and the grace that wrought by Christs spirit in the soul that natural light within being improved they call grace the work of God upon the soul leads into Covenant of works then it is no other then to tread in the Papists steps so this is delusion and the ground of their delusion is their not distinguishing between saving light given forth by Christ in conversion and the light of conscience that every man hath Answ None come to the perfection out of the delusion but who comes to the light within and followes that it gives him the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ the Covenant of grace is one that which was wrought without is within in the soul for Christ in you c and he is the Covenant of grace of light of life and of peace and none knowes him without nor Justification by grace but who knowes it in the heart and it is the one and the same thing it is not another grace nor another Covenant nor another Christ but the the same Christ in you the Saints are in his spirit and in his mind and are of his flesh and of his bone And thou who art so full of thy delusions Art out of this and thou alwayes have been in the dreams and never knowes perfection till thou come to the light within And Gods work in the soul leads to the end of the Covenant of works who works all in us and for us as sayes the Apostle who works faith grace commands the light to shine out of darkness shines in the heart to give the knowledge of the Son and so thou art in the delusion and the Papists doctrine that knowes not this within but calls it the Covenant of works dost not thou tread in their steps and have crept up in their great Masse-houses and the light given forth by Christ in conversion and the light in the conscience is one and it is not natural it was before natural was it exerciseth the conscience towards God and towards man in them that love it but in them that hate it they are not converted but they live in the many wayes out of the one way to God for he that 's the Covenant of light is the Covenant of grace and thus thou art blinding people with many things Pr. The owning not the imputation of Christ as the matter and formal cause of Justifications is damnable doctrine