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judgement_n	according_a	judge_n	law_n	4,882	5	5.2868	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33498	The books and divers epistles of the faithful servant of the Lord Josiah Coale collected and published, as it was desired by him the day of his departure out of this life.	Coale, Josiah, 1632?-1668.; Coale, Josiah, 1632?-1668. Collection of the several books of Josiah Coale.; Coale, Josiah, 1632?-1668. Whore unvailed.; Coale, Josiah, 1632?-1668. Vindication of the light within.; Parker, Alexander, 1628-1689.; Whitehead, George, 1636?-1723.; Penn, William, 1644-1718.	1671 (1671)	Wing C4751_PARTIAL; Wing C4760A_PARTIAL_CANCELLED; ESTC R23397	193,793	414

he would Pray the Father and he should send them the Holy Ghost the Conforter John 16.7 13. Which should ABIDE with them for ever and they did receive it and were led by it into a Heavenly Habitation Ephes 1.3 For they were made to sit together in Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus So it s hereby clear that the Apostles knew from whence the Spirit came and whither it led them and it s also plain that A. S. either wilfully or sottishly wrests the Words of Christ and by his additious to them would make them import another thing than was intended by him of purpose to divert People from being led by the Spirit of God or to disswade them from adhering to the leadings of it under pretence that they cannot tell whence from God or the Devil it doth come or whither to Heaven or to Hell it goeth when indeed Christ's words in themselves importeth quite another thing as above shewed Wherefore let all mind and obey the Spirit of Truth which will lead into all Truth and condemn sin in the Flesh and will lead out of all Unrighteousness and Errours and Heresies which the Church of Rome is full of and that Spirit which condemns the Abominations of the Whore and all Sin and Unrighteousness that is the Spirit of God and comes from God through the Son of his love who is the Light of the World that lighteth every man that cometh into the World and leadeth up unto God the Father from whence it commeth all who are Taught and Guided by it but condemneth from God all who in Unbelief or in Rebellion do dispight unto it and disobey the Motions thereof But to return to the matter concerning the Churches being Judge First I find A. S. in the beginning of his seventh chapter saying Methinks I hear a Quaker whispering The Light that is in thee is the Judge of all Controversies and the Law and Rule according to which thou must walk Answ I answer Yea The People called Quakers do believe and say That the Light which every man is enlightened with is the Law and Rule according to which every man ought to walk and is the Judge in all Controversies in Matters of Faith for as before All Judgment is committed unto the Son Joh. 5.22 Who lighteth every man that cometh into the World so all Judgment being committed to the Light that lighteth every man the Light that is in every man must of necessity be the Judge of all Controversies And this I further add That all who are Baptized into Christ hath put on Christ and all who are by one Spirit Baptized into one Body though they were sometimes Darkness are made Light in the Lord and so they being in him and he in them are all one even as Christ and the Father is one and he that sanctifieth and they that are Sanctified are all of one by which its clear that Christ in his Church who is Light with him is the onely Judge of all Controversies and indeed this supernatural Light is the true Touch-stone by which all spitits may be tried whether they be of God or not for as the Apostle said Whatsoever makes manifest is light Ephesians 5.13 so that without this Touchstone none can try spirits because an evil spirit may speak good words Again Christ is in all things to be the Example of all Believers and he lighteth every man that cometh into the World John 1.9 so every man being enlightened with the light of his Spirit who is to be our example in all things it must of necessity be that the Light that is in us is this Judge and the Law and Rule according to which all ought to walk Secondly But then A. S. replyes That the Light that is in thee tells thee that thou must hear Christ and Christ tells thee that thou must hear the Church c. Answ I answer Yea the Light that is in us teacheth us to hear Christ who hath enlightened us and also to hear his Church with whom he dwells and that hears him and in whom his Spirit speaks so as I said before I shall not go about to deny the Authority of the True Church but the usurped authority of the Church of Rome I do deny usurp'd I say because she hath been and here is sufficiently proved not to be the true Church to whom Christ gives power and authority both to bind and to loose therefore her authority if usurp'd and she is not to be heard but to be turned away from Thirdly A. S. saith If you object that the Spiritual judgeth all things and the Spirituall is judged of no man I answer that the godly Spiritual judgeth all things c. But I deny that you or any other Sectaries in the World is Godly Spiritual for as St. Augustine saith they have not the Holy Ghost that are out of the Church Reply To which I say that as A. S. hath confessed That the spiritual man judgeth all things its according to my own belief but what doth this avail the Church of Rome who as I have proved is not godly spiritual but is sensual and devilish and is not the true Church but the Whore for although as he saith The godly spiritual is judged of none yet the Whore is judged of all who are godly spiritual and although A.S. denyeth that the Quakers are godly spiritual yet he is never able to prove his affirmation for though they have not the holy Ghost who are out of the Church yet it doth not follow that they have it not who are out of the Church of Rome except she could be proved to be the true Church The contrary whereof I have already proved for the people called Quakers though they are out of the Church of Rome are led by that Spirit which teacheth them to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World as thousands of their Neighbours can bear witness therefore the people called Quakers are godly Spiritual Again That Prophet which is of God is godly spiritual Jer. 28.9 and that Prophet which speaketh a thing and the thing come to pass that Prophet is of God But the people called Quakers have prophesied several things as to the late overturn'd Powers of this Nation * Witness the Book Intituled Good Counsel and Advice Rejected with divers other things which accordingly came to pass as to their sorrow they were made to know therefore they are of God and godly spiritual Fourthly A. S. again said If you say Know ye not your selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates 2. Cor. 13.5 I answer The true sence and meaning of this place is this c So here A. S. is again undertaking that which himself saith is the Churches work for saith he in his eighth Chapter the Church is the alone Interpreter of all Scriptures and yet he himself who is but a particular man is here undertaking to give an interpretation or meaning to the

was puting himself upon nevertheless the King would not hearken unto Micaiah but commanded that he should be put in Prison and fed with the Bread of affliction and with the Water of affliction c. and hearkned unto the lying spirit that was in the mouthes of his many Prophets who prophesied smooth things unto him and by them this lying spirit prevailed and caused him to fall before the Host of the King of Assyria Well I say I could heartily wish that it may not be so with thy Rulers and Magistrates Oh Nation as it was with Ahab and that they have not so far provoked the Lord by Persecuting and sheding the Blood of the Innocent as to cause him to seal his Decree against them or any of them as he did against Ahab and I could wish that it might not prove so which I have cause to believe it will that he hath given permission to the lying spirit to go in the mouthes of thy Priests and Prophets to perswade thy Rulers to go on in this Antichristian Work of Persecuting the Innocent and harmless People of the Lord thereby to fill up the measure of their Fathers Iniquities that so he may be avenged on them But Oh that thy Rulers had hearkned unto the Counsel of those whom God sent unto them who came not for filthy Lucre nor with flattering Speeches but in the Name of the Lord declaring his Counsel in plainness and faithfulness for thy good but Alas instead of hearing their Counsel they have done unto them as Ahab did unto Micaiah even put them in Prison and fed them with the Bread and Water of affliction and thereby they have provoked the Lord of Hosts So that without all controversie as I said before if thy Rulers persist and go on following the Counsel of those false Prophets into whose mouthes the lying spirit is entred to perswade them that the way to remove or stop the present Visitation of Gods Judgments which is Revealed in the midst of thee is to be severe in Persecuting and Banishing his despised and harmless People out of thy Borders I say if their counsel be hearkned unto and obeyed therein that lying spirit will certainly thereby prevail and will cause them to fall and none shall help them and they shall be broken with a perpetual breath and none shall bind them up Wherefore hearken unto this ye Heads and Rulers of the Nation of England the Land of my Nativity be not Proud nor stout hearted against the Lord but fear and dread the Almighty God of Heaven and Earth for he hath certainly a Controversie with you and he will not at all regard the lofty looks nor your proud Carriage for he will be reverenced wherefore humble your selves in Dust and Ashes in his presence you who have not quite sinn'd out your Day and put on Sack-cloth before him if so be there may be hope lest he break you in pieces as a Potters Vessel of Clay and there be none to save you And thus Oh England I have briefly and faithfully declared unto thee thy state and condition according as God shewed it unto me and the cause of thy present Calamities and of the future Judgments that threatens themselves and also the way in which they may in a great measure be prevented and the hot displeasure and indignation of the Lord be appeased in which thy Rulers may likewise see the state and danger they are in But yet I know many will not hear nor regard at all untill their desolation come upon 〈◊〉 yet nevertheless I shall be clear in that I have discharged my Conscience unto them from time to time according as God required me 〈…〉 if they perish in their gain sayings and 〈◊〉 neckedness their blood will be upon themselves and upon them who caused them to err Postscript WHen the good will and loving kindness of God who wills not the death nor destruction of any hath been largely manifested unto a rebellious and stiff-necked Generation of people in striving with them by his good Spirit and when he hath oft reach'd unto them with the visitation of his Love and called unto them by the mouthes of his Servants Prophets and Messengers to repent and turn every one from his evil way that they might be healed and find mercy with the Lord and yet they will have no regard thereunto but refuse to be reformed and continue still in their rebellion against the Light of his good Spirit in their hearts and despise hate persecute and despitefully use the Servants and Messengers of God whom in tender mercy love and good will he sent unto them I say after the long suffering and loving kindness of God hath been so largely and on this wise manifested unto a rebellious and stiff-necked people who so evilly requite his love to them is it not then justice in the Lord to cease striving with them and to give them up to hardness of heart and to seal his Decree against them in his wisdom to find out a way that their eyes may be closed and their hearts hardned least they should see and understand and be converted and healed that so it may come upon them according to that Prophetical saying of Solomon viz. He that oft-times is reproved and stiffneth his neck shall suddenly be cut off and that without remedy Wherefore now consider Oh Nation of England is not this the very state of many of thy Inhabitants at this day hath not the love and good will of God been largely manifested to them in that he hath long strove with them by his good Spirit in their hearts and hath not his immortal Word of Life been plentifully declared amongst them even to the uttermost of thy borders every way hath it not been line upon line and precept upon precept unto them even by the mouthes of his faithful Servants and Prophets whose cry in thy Streets hath oft and long been Turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes why will die c And did they not declare that Gods dreadful Judgments were nigh to be revealed upon them that would not repent and turn from the Abominations against which they testified But alas few at all had regard thereunto but many lookt upon it as an idle Tale or as a whimsical Imagination and refused to hear and fear even as Jerusalem did in the day when Christ would have gathered her and therefore now in the Justice of God is his Decree gone forth and sealed against many of them as it was against Jerusalem and his righteous Judgments which was threatned and prophesied of by his Servants and Hand-maids is begun to be revealed amongst them and in the midst thereof he hath in his wisdom found out a way to blind their Eyes and to stop their Ears and to harden their Hearts least they should see and hear and understand and be converted and healed for as Job said He taketh away the perfect and the wicked and because it is so

forementioned Scripture by which it is plain that he condemns himself in the things he is doing 5. Again Fifthly he saith That the Spirit of God saith Hear the Church but the spirit of the Devil contradicts and saith Hear not the Church but Christ alone for of Christ saith he it s written This is my beloved Son him hear ye behold the Devil pleads for Christ of purpose to deceive Christions c. Answ To which I answer That I think I need not say much to convince all that reads but A. S. his own words that he is either grosly ignorant or else abominably wilful and wicked for who can believe that the Devil will plead for Christ or perswade people to hear Christ and disswade them from hearing of the Church certainly if he would perswade people to hear the greater he would not disswade them from hearing the lesser And how can people possibly be deceived that hears Christ and obeys him I cannot believe that its the spirit of the Devil that perswades people to hear Christ but rather that its the drawings of the Spirit of the Father that invites them to come unto the Son and to hear him for Christ said None cometh unto me except my Father who hath sent me draw him Joh. 6.44 But A. S. contrariwise in effect saith That the Devil draws people to come unto Christ and to hear him By which he hath manifestly shewed that he is of a contrary spirit unto Christ Therefore A. S. is an Antichrist and one that puts Light for darkness and darkness for light against whom the woe is pronounced Isa 5.20 And although A. S. so much pleads for the Church whom I know all will hear that hears Christ yet upon serious consideration I find its of purpose to deceive Christians and so he hath shewed himself as bad as the Devil he speaks of being found doing the same work of which he seems to accuse the Devil for in his sixth Chapter I find him as afore declared in effect perswading people Not to adhere to the motions of the Spirit of Christ under pretence that they cannot tell whence from God or the Devil it comes or whither to Heaven or Hell it goeth c. And as above he is again perswading people That its a dangerous thing to hear that Spirit that invites them to hear Christ calling it the Devil because it doth not invite them to hear the Church of Rome also But I never read or heard before that any spirit did invite people to hear Christ but the Spirit of the Father and his Spirit said This is my beloved Son him hear ye Mat. 17.5 Therefore that Spirit that invites people to hear the Son of God is not the Devil but the Spirit of the Father and ought to be heard and obeyed by all Sixtly Again S. A. affirmeth that the Spirit of God saith That Carpenters Smiths Masons and other Tradesmen must not meddle with Ecclesiastical things as to Preach or Teach c. But saith he the evil spirit affirmeth the quite contrary by perswading them they may all prophesie one by one But alas then saith A. S. He deceiveth for that place is understood of the real and True Prophets of whose number all the Devils in Hell cannot prove all Tradesmen to be Answ Here A. S. seems to oppose that which for my part I know none affirms for who is there that saith all Tradesmen have the Spirit of Prophesie I know none Yet although all Tradesmen have it not it doth not therefore follow that no Tradesmen have it neither did I ever read that the Spirit of God did forbid Tradesmen to meddle with those things nor doth that Scripture which A. S. quotes confirm any such thing which he affirmes but rather the contrary And we do read in the Scriptures of Truth that Christ did call some of several Tradesmen to Teach the Way of God and to Preach the everlasting Gospel witness St Peter a Fisher-man St Paul a Tent-maker with divers others that might be mentioned so that though all Tradesmen have not the Spirit of Prophesie yet we see that some had and they were not forbidden but commanded to Preach and Teach and therefore they who have the Testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit of Prophesie although they be Tradesmen they may Preach and Teach according to the Gift thereof received for the Apostle said Every one as he hath received the Gift of the Spirit so let him administer 1 Pet. 4.10 Seventhly And saith A. S. the Apostle said Women must not speak in the Church but the Devil saith they may For the Scripture averreth saith he That your Sons and Daughters shall Prophesie this Devil deceiveth the Women-Quakers But alas that Scripture was fulfilled in the Apostles and in the true Prophetesses in their times as Anna Luke 2.28 and now is in such as have the True Spirit of Prophesie which Quakers Wives and Daughters can never prove themselves to have Answ Here A. S. hath confessed that there was Prophetesses in the Apostles dayes and that there now is at this day also and the Apostle spake of Women that were helpers with him in the Gospel Phil. 4.3 So then its undeniable that Women did speak and Prophesie and now may though the Apostles did not Permit Busie-bodies and Tattlers to be asking Questions in the Church but said they should ask their Husbands at Home So the thing disputable is whether or no Quakers Wives and Daughters have the true Spirit of Prophesie concerning which I say this The Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophesie and many Wives and Daughters of the people called Quakers have received the Testimony of Jesus and knows the Life of Jesus manifested in them as by their fruits of Love Meekness Gentleness Patience Long-suffering c. which are fruits of the Spirit doth appear unto those who have a knowledg of them Therefore they have the Spirit of Prophesie And further several of the Wives and Daughters amongst the people called Quakers have Prophesied of the desolation of the great Whore the Church of Rome and when that comes to pass it will be thereby proved that they have the true Spirit of Prophesie and then shall every Tongue confess to it and in the mean time let none speak evil of the things they know not lest they be found fighters against God Eightly Again A. S. saith That the good Spirit saith It is a Religious Act to Swear by God in a Just Cause but the Evil-spirit contradicts for it s written saith he Sware not at all Behold the Puritanism of this impure spirit but alas he deludeth for God expresly commands Jer. 4.2 Thou shalt Swear the Lord liveth in Truth in Judgment and in justice c. Answ I answer although in the Law and Prophets people were commanded to Swear in Truth and Righteousness and to perform their Oaths to the Lord yet Christ the new Covnant whom God promised should not be according to the

they called their Ordinances I saw there was nothing of God in it for they were but as a shadow vanity and nothing but how to come into the Way of Life to this I was still a stranger until the Lord in his Eternal Power sent the Ministers of the Word of Life who were anointed of the Lord and endued with Power from on high to preach the glad tydings of the Gospel to the captivated Seed and to minister to the spirits that were in prison whose voice I rejoyced to hear and whose Testimony I gladly received For they declared the Way of Life that it was in the midst of the Path of Judgment and the Witness of God in my heart did seal to the truth 〈◊〉 their Testimony and this I saw was the way that the Workers of Iniquity knew not For there is no judgment in their goings Then my soul cryed unto God for the pourings forth of the Spirit of Judgment that I might walk in the paths thereof and that the filth thereby might be purged away For I saw that my heart was polluted and that there was no Habitation for God which caused me to mourn in desolation and to wander in solitary places So as I waited in the Light of his Son which shined in my Heart and Conscience there he revealed his righteous Judgments and the just rejoyced therein yea he brought me into the valley thereof and there did he plead with me even by sword and by fire c. He poured the Cup of his fury upon me and made me drink of the dregs thereof yea the Cup of trembling he put into my hand and gladly did I receive it though it was in my belly bitter he oft-times sorely afflicted me and caused deep sorrow to compass me about and poured his indignation upon me Then said I I will bear it with patience because I have sinned against thee Yet many times I was strongly assaulted with the violent rage of the wicked one for he shot his fiery darts at me which often wounded my Soul Then I cryed unto the Lord in my distress and he comforted me with his precious promises which begat a secret hope in me or else I had fainted in the tribulation when his vials of wrath were poured upon me and the Enemy came in like a flood then was I ready to say in my heart I shall one day fall by the hand of mine Enemy yet I was still sustained by a secret hope so that I cryed unto the Lord That he would never let his Judgments depart until the Prince of this World was judged and cast out So he followed me with his righteous Judgments until I was near ready to faint Then I cryed again saying If thou wilt indeed bring me through thy Judgments and grant me thy Everlasting Peace If thou wilt destroy the Enemy of my Soul and give me rest from those that oppress me Then will I Teach Sinners thy wayes and Transgressors shall be converted unto thee yea I made many promises unto him that my life I would give up unto his service and that I would follow him whithersoever he would lead me yet oft-times I enquired of the Lord why I should be so afflicted more than others For I said in my heart Never mans sorrow was like my sorrow Then he answered me and said How shouldst thou declare my wondrous works unless thou see and know them So when I had born the indignation long even the time of his good pleasure when I had been long tossed with tempests even as a ship upon the Sea and had long been as a Pelican in the Wilderness and an Owl in the desert yea as a silly Dove without a mate then he remembred Jacob his servant and was pleased to speak comfortably unto me saying Oh thou tossed with tempests afflicted and not comforted Behold I will lay thy Stones with fair colours and though for a moment I have afflicted thee yet with everlasting loving-kindness have I visited thee and with many sweet and precious promises he compassed me about which at this time is unutterable and he put the Cup of Consolation into my hand yea he caused it to overflow for which my Soul did magnifie his Name and gave praise unto him in the land of the living unto which by the Arm of his Powers I was brought through the long and terrible Wilderness for he had regard unto his own Seed and brought it forth by an out-stretched Arm for he plagued Pharoah with his Judgments and destroyed the Egyptians in the Red-Sea of his wrath Wherefore I magnifie the God of Heaven who is Light and extol him above all Gods for the Proud he is able to abase with his Judgments and to exalt the Meek with his tender Mercies Thus have I drunk the bitter Cup of Gods fierce indignation the Ministration of the Law and of Condemnation which in its time was glorious the Just rejoyced therein until the Prophets Ministery came whereby the hope came in of a Redeemer from all sin the Law and Curse thereof And of deliverance from the Judgment and the Wrath which stayed me in the patience to bear the indignation under which I long had travelled through many tribulations until John's Ministry I came to see which was the greatest of all the Prophets which had gone before from the greatest unto the smallest For then the Way was made so strait the Path was made so plain that the coming of God's Son I saw in his great Power to raign whose Kingdom now is come with Power the Lamb is set on 's throne the least that in this Kingdom is he greater is then John So here the Mystery of the work of Regeneration is he that can read me herein may know where my dwelling is So when he had thus exercised me with his Judgments and filled my heart with his tender Mercies and enlarged it with his Loving-kindness so that the Way of his Commandments was delightful unto me and my life was not dear unto me for his sake then he spake unto me saying Thou must be my Servant to bring again the dispersed of Israel c. with much more which I judge is not expedient here to be expressed So to his service I gave up my life truly and whatsoever I had I accounted not dear for his sake for he gave me the promise of his good presence that it should never leave me nor forsake me but that he would accompany me therewith And he is faithful and keepeth Covenant and performs his word unto his Servant For he hath carried me through many Countries in which I was a Stranger and from one Nation to another People he hath led me and sometimes through many People of divers and strange Languages and his good presence never departed from me since I left the Land of my nativity but he is a constant Companion unto me and his Almighty power is with me through which I am able to do all things

the Scripture that he would praise And I have hoped in thy Word Was his Hope in the Scriptures or in Christ as in him that was to come And mine Eyes fail for thy Word Was it the Scriptures that his Eyes fail'd for Surely no the Scripture so much of it as was then written which were chiefly the Books of Moses was obvious enough to him when the Word might be withdrawn out of his sight for a Tryal unto him as David said concerning Joseph Psal 105.18 19. Whose Feet they hurt with Fetters Until the time that his Word came the Word of the Lord try'd him And who dares deny without Presumption but that it was the same Word which David said Was a Light unto his Path and a Lamp unto his Feet So that all J. N s. tearing assunder the Scriptures with his additional Imaginations will not prove that it was the Scriptures David spoke of in this place but was indeed the Word by which David as a Prophet to whom the Word of the Lord came spoke forth that part of the Scriptures And although David did meditate on the Law of God which if I should grant it to be only the outward Law that came by Moses yet that doth not prove that he call'd it the Word nor can it be understood that he meant the Scripture when he so spoke of the Word for the Reasons afore given The Word was precious or scarce in those dayes which came to the Prophets saying So and so and those Sayings are signified or contain'd in the Scriptures But the Scriptures were not more scarce then then at times before though the Word was of which there was a Famine And though the Scriptures may be heard now which contain the Saying of the Word which the Word demonstrated yet all that hear them cannot be said to hear the sound of the Word as they did who heard those sayings demonstrated or sounded out of the Mouthes of the Prophets by the Word that so spoke And although J. N. saith It s plain the Word here is not mean of Christ because the Prophet calls it the Word of God and saith He had sworn to keep it and it cannot in reason be understood that David or any man did ever keep Christ Answ I answer Here J. N. hath wrong'd the Prophet's word for he did not say That he had sworn to keep the Word but He had sworn to keep his Righteous Judgments as if he should have said He would observe the Judgments of the Lord to walk in the Paths thereof or That he would walk according to the Spirit of Judgment Yet notwithstanding this It is but the unreasonableness of J.N. to conclude That David nor any man did never keep Christ for they that keep in subjection to the Spirit of Christ and dwell under his Government may be properly said to keep the Word which is Christ And there were in the Church of Philadelphia those that kept the Word and such deny'd not his Name Rev. 3.8 Mark that He that kept the Word deny'd not his Name which is call'd the Word and in vers 10. he said Because thou hast kept the Word of my Patience I will keep thee c. Now can it reasonably be understood That it was the Scriptures that were here call'd the Word of Patience which they kept or that Scriptures were that Name which they deny'd not who kept the Word Certainly I cannot rationally judge that any should be so blind but if they should the very next verse will sufficiently clear the matter where it is said Hold fast that thou hast that none take away thy Crown Mark He having kept the Word of Patience was exhorted to hold that fast which he had that he might not lose his Crown And can any rationally conclude That the Scripture was his Crown Or else Was it not the Word of Life and of Patience which was in the beginning before the Scriptures were written and would be his Crown when Scriptures should be no more For Paul exhorts Timothy To lay hold on Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6.12 And must he not then lay hold on Christ who is the Word and the Life 1 John 1.1 and John 14.6 And they that had receiv'd him who was the Word and the Life and was to be their Crown as before is shew'd and were to keep or hold fast that which they had receiv'd May it not be properly said That they kept Christ Certainly none can be so ignorant who understand the Scripture to conclude that no Man did ever keep Christ although all his are kept from the hour of Temptation by him who is the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation By all which it plainly appears That the words of the Prophet produc'd by J. N. do not prove nor intend to prove the Scriptures to be the Word of God that the Prophets and Holy Men of God kept although I shall easily confess that they do contain many sayings and words that proceeded from the Mouth of the Lord all which were and are according to the several Dispensations of time to which they relate to be observ'd also The next Scripture produc'd by J. Newman to prove Scripture the Word of God is Isa 28.9 10 13. where the Prophet said Whom shall I teach Knowledge and whom shall I make to understand Doctrine c Precept must be upon Precept Line upon Line c. the Word of the Lord was to his People Precept upon Precept and Line upon Line c. So that saith J. N. its clear the Word of God is that Doctrine Teaching and Precepts that was given at large to God's People c. so its plain c. the Scripture is properly and principally called the Word of God Answ To which I answer This doth not at all prove the Scriptures to be the Word which the Prophet said was Line upon Line and Precept upon Precept unto them for though he said Whom shall I make to understand Doctrine and in order to it said The Word of the Lord must be Precept upon Precept Yet that doth not prove that the Doctrine was the Word but the Doctrine was of the Word and by the Word that came unto the Prophet was the Doctrine demonstrated and they thereby made to understand it And so the Word oft times came unto the Prophets not the Scriptures and bid them go and speak so and so and the Doctrine which they preached could not be properly call'd the Word it self that came to them though the sound of the Word was heard in the delivery of that Doctrine But their Doctrine proceeded from the Word which bid them so speak so that there was the Word the Teacher and the Doctrine thereof the Teachings And this Word so oft coming unto the Prophet to bid him go and speak unto the People it might well be said That the Word of the Lord was Line upon Line unto them so that it plainly appears that this Word here spoken of was

not intended to be the Scripture neither doth this at all prove the Scriptures to be properly and principally call'd the Word of God as J. Newman would have it Again in pag. 7. J. N. saith Another Proof to confirm this Truth is Mark 7.13 where the Lord Christ doth affirm the Commands of God in the first Testament or Scriptures of the Prophets to be the Word of God because he said unto the Pharisees in the 9th verse Full well ye reject the Commandement of God that you may keep your own Traditions and in the thirteenth verse he said Making the Word of God of none effect c. Answ This doth not at all prove that Christ call'd the Scripture of the Prophets the Word of God for it relates only to that particular Command of God viz. Honour thy Father and thy Mother and Matthew saith plainly in chap. 15.6 speaking of the same thing Thus have ye made the Commandment of God of none effect by your Traditions Now the Question will be whether Matthew or Mark gave the right relation of the words of Christ for both theirs are but a Relation in this matter of what Christ said to the Jews Or whether the Translators did not wrong the Evangelists in making one appear to speak one thing and the other another thing seeing its plain they both spoke of one thing which they had seen and heard of Christ And this one thing was the Commandment as aforesaid as Matthew plainly calls it and Mark in the 9th verse calls it the Commandment also from which we may rationally conclude that the Fault was in the Translator to make the one differ from the other in that Expression but if he did indeed call that Commandment the Word yet that doth not prove the Scriptures to be properly call'd the Word of God for that saying of Christ relates only to that one Command which with the rest of the Commandments are call'd the words which God speak as Exod. 20.1 God spake all these words saying c. And that the Scriptures do contain a Relation of the words that at sundry times God speak I shall easily acknowledge but that they are properly and principally call'd the Word of God as J. N. affirmeth I do deny neither hath he produc'd any Scripture that doth prove it as I hope by these few Lines will appear to the Impartial Reader And so J. N. concluding That he hath prov'd the Scriptures of the first Testament to be the Word of God he saith he shall labour to prove that the Scriptures of the New Testament are also call'd the Word and in pag. 8. he saith The first Scripture for Proof hereof is Acts 4.25 26 27. where John and Peter Preaching and Teaching Jesus Christ out of the Psalms to the Rulers c. pray d unto the Lord That they might Preach this Word with Boldness And saith ' Its plain from the scope of this place that the Preaching and Teaching of Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures of the New Testament is properly and principally call'd the Word of God Answ How hath J. N. besotted himself with labouring to pervert the Truth First saith he hath prov'd the Scriptures of the Old Testament to be properly call'd the Word of God and now saith It s plain the Scriptures of the New Testament are principally call'd the Word And sometimes saith Christ is call'd the Word of God Mark Christ call d the Word but the Scriptures principally call'd the Word so that he sets the Scriptures as the Word above Christ by saying principally c. And besides How many Words of God he will make or seem to make something he would have without to be call'd the Word to keep People from enclining to the Word in the heart lest they should come to know Christ manifested in them which before he confesseth the Apostles preached when they pray'd That they might speak the Word with Boldness Mark If they preached Christ and prayed that they might speak that Word with Boldness then Christ was that Word and not the Scriptures although their Preaching of him and bearing Witness of his Appearance and Coming was according to the Scriptures of the Prophets For they shew'd the People out of Moses and the Prophets that Jesus was Christ Acts 28.23 Yet this doth not prove that their Preachings and Teachings of him were by the Scriptures of the New Testament for they were not then written But they preached by vertue of the Word and Spirit that was in them which they had handled of 1 Joh. ● 1 which through them demonstrated it self according to the Pleasure of his Will who wrought mightily in them both to will and to do so that it may be observ'd that the Scriptures which J. N. produceth to prove Scriptures to be the Word do rather prove Christ to be the Word there spoken of which J. N. acknowledgeth the Apostle preached when he prayed That he might speak that Word with Boldness His next is pag. 9. to the same purpose where he saith In Acts 5.42 it s said the Apostle did daily Preach and Teach Jesus Christ and this Preaching and Teaching of Jesus Christ is in the 6th chapter verse 4. called The Ministry of the Word c. Answ To which I Answer It s true they that preach Christ they preach the Word and they that preach the Word they preach Christ for Christ is the Word as before shew'd and hereafter shall be more largely demonstrated But then saith J. N. The Word of God inrceased c. from whence in pag. 18. he argueth That none can in Reason imagine that the Word of God that so grew and multiply'd can be understood of Christ though he confesseth That the increase of the Word was so mighty notwithstanding the Opposition that the preaching of Christ met with Answ What can be understood by the Multiplying Increasing or Prevailing of the Word of God but the prevailency of Christ in that Work which in and by his Servants the Apostles according to the Pleasure of the Father's Will he had undertaken notwithstanding all the Opposition that he in them met withal according to that Saying in Isa 54.17 Every Tongue that riseth up in Judgment against Thee Thou shalt condemn So that through the powerful Operation of the Word Christ Which in them wrought mightily both towards the Circumcision and Uncircumcision Gal. 2.8 many were made to submit thereunto and to confess thereunto and thereby the Increase of his Government was known which the Prophet said Should be without End Isa 9.7 And the number of the Disciples or Believers on the Word were multiply'd so that the Word multiply'd the Disciples thereof and grew in Dominion over its Opposers and increas'd its Goverment in and among'st them And this in Plainness and Simplicity was the Growth Multiplying Increasing and Prevailing of Christ the Word and yet there was no more then one Christ prevailing and increasing in his Government and multiplying his Disciples though

Delight is with the Sons of men Again If the Spirit in the Saints be as J. N. to the wounding of his own Cause saith of the same nature tendency and power with the Father and Son then there is a sufficient Saviour in man for the Tendency of the Son is to save as J.N. himself I dare say will acknowledge and his Nature is to save which was the end of his coming and he is of power to save For all Power in Heaven and Earth is given to the Son and the Nature of the Father is to save as I have befor shewed out of the Prophets therefore the Spirit that is given into the hearts of People which reproves them for sin being of the same nature power and tendence with the Father and Son is sufficient to save else it cannot be said to be of the same nature tendency and power so that none need go far or look to the Hills and Mountains for a Saviour but look unto him that is nigh who is of power to save even to the Light or Grace that hath appear'd as a Reprover of the deeds of Darkness and this will lead into all Truth and save out of all Unrighteousness and unto them that walk here in Christ the Light not after the Motions of the Flesh but after the Leadings of the Spirit there will be no Condemnation And although this God who is Light and is a Spirit be a God afar off also as being that Infinite Incomprehensible Fulness that fills all things yet all that can be known of him by any man is manifested within man Rom. 1.19 And thus the Confusions and Contractions of J. N. appears who thereby declares that he hath not the knowledg of Christ nor of God to exercise his Faith in nor yet doth he keep to Scripture neither to exercise his Faith therein but is seen and discovered to have his mind and his Faith exercised in Fancies and Imaginations which is the cause of his thus contradicting himself of his affirming so many Absurdities and Blasphemies without sound reason or Scripture Arguments sometimes dividing Christ and his Spirit and sometimes acknowledging them to be of one and the same beeing and sometimes joyn the Spirit and Scriptures and arguing that they cannot be separated and the reasons he gives is because the Scriptures are the givings forth of the Spirit and yet notwithstanding will say Christ hath a distinct beeing from his Spirit which is of his givings forth and thus as fancy leads him he affirms things as in Page 43. he saith If Scripture be denyed to be the Word of God it maketh void the exercise of Faith for Faith must be exercised in the Scriptures or else upon fancy and imagination and in Page 73. he saith if there be no personal beeing of Christ then there is no Christ to exercise Faith in so by this kind of Arguments of J. N. if Faith be exercised in a personal being of Christ it s exercised upon fancy and imagination which is very true for a personal beeing of Christ is not Scripture and he saith Faith must be exercised in Scripture or else upon fancy and imagination But the truth is he cannot tell what the true Faith is nor what it is exercised in sometimes Scripture is the only thing and another while a personal beeing of Christ and what will it be next but even what his Fancy and Imaginations bring forth which he appears full of like one that knows not Christ the Power of God manifested in him who is the Author of true Faith or the begetter thereof and is also the object thereof in which it is exercised and in whom it stands whom all must hear that receive the true Faith which is the victory that overcometh the World and which giveth access unto God in which Faith there is Peace and Joy unspeakable and full of Glory Again in Page 87. mentioning that Scripture which seems as a Block in his way which I perceive he would fain remove Gal. 4.19 till Christ be formed in you and therefore gives this meaning viz. This forming of Christ in the Saints was but to bring them forth into a Gospel-Purity c. this is his Interpretation of that Scripture and a very favorable one too but whereby should they be brought forth into a Gospel Purity Was it not by the Spirit 's operation that was in them which they received by the hearing of Faith Gal. 3.2 which J. N. acknowledged to be of the same beeing of the Father and the Son If so then was not Christ according to Measure who fills all things really in them who hath diversity of operations who came for judgment and to send Fire on the Earth and were they not to be brought forth into that Gospel Purity that J. N. speaks of by his Spirit of judgment and of burning which they had received who came for judgment and to send Fire seeing God signified by his Prophet that the Filth of the Daughter of Sion should be purged away with the Spirit of judgment and of burning Isa 4.4 and this was that Spirit by which the Saints were washed cleansed sanctified and justified when the Apostle told them they were so in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6.11 and they that were thus washed and brought forth into this Gospel Purity they were made a Habitation for God who as J. N. Confesseth is that Spirit even through the Spirit 's operations which is of the same Being or Substance with Christ so that the filth being purged away there was room for him to dwell there and so was really in them formed and they brought forth in his own Image by his own operation with whom the Apostles were Co-workers and therefore travelled for this forming of Christ in them or for the subjecting them in the Faith wholly unto Christ's Goverment that he might raign in them over all who is God Blessed forever One thing more which I find in the close of his Book which he entitules A Caution to all I cannot well pass by with silence where he saith Seeing God has cast us into a day wherein there is such a spirit running too and fro in this Nation that will seemingly own Truth and yet will draw all into a Mystery within man denying Truth according to Truth 's Intent let us therefore labour with our God for his blessed Spirit to guide us into all Truth Answ Mark Reader Is it contrary to Truth 's intent to own the Truth to be a Mystery within man Doth not God love to have Truth manifested in the inward parts Is not Christ the Truth which the Apostle declared to be the Mystery within saying Christ in you the Hope of Glory How then can it be said That that Spirit that owns Truth to be a Mystery within does not own it according to Truth 's intent Surely J. N. hath besotted his Understanding else he would not thus speak