with Humane Learning thus unsuccessfully and worse But his talk of Inspiration confutes it self and his own Example is the best proof that as yet it hath not advanced beyond a Dream But if that be pleaded which he suggests That in the Country for want of Books In the Preface he was forced to take some few Quotations upon Trust but yet using much Caution in his Choice It is Replyed that these are so gross and palpable that an easie Learning might detect them and in a matter of such moment which the poor Quakers do implicitely believe and hug he was obliged to the severest Caution nor to impose upon their tame and easie Credulity And as to us who know our selves fallible and in Gods extream account very imperfect it must be allowed for an excuse But as for him who defends perfection pleads for Immediate Revelation which his Master extends to many things which are not in Scripture so much as by Consequence Keith Im. Rev. p. 6. 2d Quib. p. 11. Others of them challenging Infallibility in all things and cases and he as a Believer pretending the Unction whereby they know all things p. 229. and yet in many discovering and in some confessing his Ignorance I know not p. 227. to him this Plea can be no Advantage it pulling down that very thing which he is building up For if there be such a standing perpetual Ordinance as Immediate Revelation Gods Veracity and Goodness is concern'd at that time to let them be Infallible when they are pleading and become the Advocates for it But it is a good Confutation when a Champion proves an Instance against himself 2. T. E'lwood's Courage As to his Courage and Confidence they are high enough shewing great dis-esteem to the Sacred Scriptures as will appear in a proper place by a Catalogue of his Rules of Exposition such certainly as the Sun never saw especially by such a pretended intimate of Heaven We shall onely now consider his Carriage to most Orders of Men in the Kingdom for he presumes to Tax our World like Augustus Caesar The King must be plainly Tâ—ou'd and the Head covered before him The Turkish Fashion they esteem most proper and the tuissare or thou'ing which in Erasmus's time was opprobious among the English is dubb'd into both Religion and Manners My Lord the King is no pleasing Dialect to these new Saints it is Old Testament Divinity Dread Sovereign and Sacred Majesty must not now be used p. 46. Who must have the Majesty then Not the King I 'le warrant you it is taken from Him to be appropriated to their own dear selves take a few of their Expressions having spoken against Magistracy and for the Destruction thereof he proceeds * Fire in the Bush p. 39. If you would find true Majesty indeed go among the poor distressed ones of the Earth †Parnel's shield of the Tr. p. 25. 27. Here is the ground of all true Nobility Gentility Majesty Honour No more after the Flesh but after the Spirit Quakers are sprung of the Noble Gentile Seed ‡ In his Noble Salutation to thee Charles Stewart from the Council and Nobility of the Royal Seed the Lion of the Tribe of Judah the Everlasting King of Righteousness who reigneth in George Fox the Younger In the Testimony from the Brethren The Quakers Ministers are the Dignities and Government and Dominion The King must not write in the Plural Number We p. 27. though he be a Publick Person and Act by Advice of his Council all that is sprung from Pride and Flattery Besides this he saucily and pragmatically medleth with the Kings Revenues the Office for first Fruits Tenths offends him p. 355. No Flower can be fair in an English Crown which was taken out of a Popes Mitre if nothing else could be said against it but that it once stuck in the tripple Crown that alone were enough to make it unworthy to be worn in an English Diadem It seems he hath more than this to Object against it such like things are frequent in their Books which stealing out into the World are apt to leaven mens Spirits with bad Principles One of them acquaints us * Parnel's shield of the Truth p. 19 25. What Magistrates they do not own but deny and testifie against and to make their Negative Power better Armed he saith The Kings and Nobles of the Earth shall be bound in Chains and Fetters of Iron This was Printed 1655. but lest it should be onely Serviceable in those times †Some Principles of the Elect People of God called Quakers p. 89. Isaac Pennington a Name deep enough certainly in Royal Blood to make it currant Quaker Doctrine now re-prints that Book in 1671. leaving out the beginning and end of it but he hath the Conscience and Confidence to re-print those very words out of what design let our Superiours Judge But lest since then so beloved a Doctrine of binding Kings should be forgot they keep up the Memory of it ‡ The true Christians Faith and Experience by William Shewen p. 136. Another Book Printed 1675 speaks home Christ Reigning in the heart gives Power to bind Kings in Chains and Nobles in Fetters of Iron This Honour have all the Saints To the like contempt of Authority write several of them Howgils glory p. 107. Kings and Magistrates as Christians have no Priority but as they stand in the growth of Truth that is in Quakerism I charge you all by the Lord Parnel's shield p. 41. Will. Smith passim Fire in the bush p. 21 22 23. to take heed of medling about Religion meddle with such Affairs as you are set about Meddle not with Religion keep within your bounds And Winstanley the Instituter of their Order speaks roundly to all Four Idolized Powers must down The Imaginary Teaching Hear-say Book-studying Power or the Ministry The Imaginary Kingly Power must be shaken to pieces in all Nations The Imaginary Law of Justice which is but the declarative Will of Conquerours and buying and selling the Earth and being enslaved one to another must all be destroyed at the Resurrection of Christ and that he saith was then beginning and therefore the pretence to Revelation looks a-squint upon the safety of Kingdoms had not the Magistrates the Sword they might meet with as Reproachful words as the Ministers and had some Persons strength their Principles might carry them to repeat the Munster Tragedy If this Measure be dealt unto the Prince what will not be unto the Subjects The Peers and Lords must expect the like treatment from these Levellers Ploughmen James Parnel's shield p. 24 25. Fisher-men Herds-men Shepherds are Noble-men sprung of the Noble Seed here the true Honour is no more after the Flesh but after the Spirit He that boggles at using Sirs p. 46. will stumble at higher Titles and if this new Critick may be credited Titles are to cease and Epithets and Adjuncts are
an excellent Engine towards God and man no Act of Parliament can bind a Quaker except he be expressly named George Whitehead Thomas Ellwood c. You by name must do so and so this becometh the Majesty of the Quakers Smiths morn Watch. p. 75. Smiths Demonstrat passim in their papers The Scriptures are other mens Traditions other mens lives and Labours the Spirit of God must try all Spirits the Scriptures are but a report or declaration of the Condition of those who received them a true Testimony of what the Saints were made Witnesses of no command in Scripture is any further obliging upon any man Smith Pen. in Faldoes vind of 21 Div. p 97. Faldo Q. no Chris ch 12. than as he finds a Conviction upon his Conscience direct old Libertinism and Ranterism They make it Idolatry to follow the Precepts or Examples in Scripture Having thus depressed the written Word of God yet to keep up some seeming Honour to it In his Letter though to use T.E's. words it be an Hosannah in the morning that ends in a Crucifige ere night they find out this Expedient the Scripture as the Codex wherein Gods will is Recorded binds them not but they have it renewed and repeated to them or as Naylor words it God speaks to us by Scriptures when they are given by Inspiration to us Light of Christ p. 29 So that Repetition is but laying the top-stone and improving or pursuing their other claims T. E. is so confident that he asserts p. 239. Revelation is necessary yea of necessity even to understand the Scripture absolutely necessary p. 238. so received and understood and not otherwise p. 251. he must then have every line in the Old and New Testament repeated not so much as Abraham begat Isaac is to be omitted else it is not understood by him a thing that is so Impossible and so Impracticable that it affords fresh evils each time it is considered I might make short Work what need the renewing of that to him which he looks upon as not obliging as in its place will appear or as his Landlord conceits the one thing necessary to Salvation Penningtons naked truth p. 23. not being contained in the Scriptures the Repetition thereof if true yet would be ineffectual but in regard this fancy hath been considered by none I know of I shall a while view it as that which makes the confusedst work in Prophecyes Historyes and all the parts of Christianity In brief it revives the Ministry of Angels as the Conveyers of Gods Will in the Christian State it sets up Moses to be a Teacher reinforceth Circumcision the Tabernacle the Jewish Common-Wealth and the Law of Sacrifices it raiseth up Multitudes of Persons out of their Graves where they have rested some thousand years it sets up the Kingdoms of Egypt Assyria Syria and the rest that bordered on the Holy-Land it musters a great part of the World together Kings and Kingdoms to come and stand before him it lays aside Christianity destroys the Motives of Believing it making such a Miscellaneous hotch-potch of Religion as Mahomet did not hit on it makes the whole Scripture Scenical a Theatrical thing that like a Puppet-play goes round is renewed repeated in plain English acted over before him The Portentousness of this chimaera will appear by looking on its Aspect upon the old and new Testament wherein we may consider Historyes Prophecyes and other mixt matters and discover whether they be capable of Repetition For History hath God renewed to T. E. that Command of putting off his shoes from off his feet which was enjoyned to and done by Moses have the Tempests Thunderings Voices which were at the giving the Law been heard by him can God speak to him from between the Cherubims and from the Door of the Tabernacle which are not now in being hath he received with David Answers from the Vrim or need he some outward light from the Breast-Plate who hath such a Light within have the Angels Revealed those Messages to him which they did to Abraham Lot and others then Sodom was but fired the other day or things are burnt in Effigie before him Have the Voices to Samuel been rehearsed to him or that to Elijah 1 King 19.15 then Jehu and Hazael are now alive and T.E. is an anointer to Kingdoms The like might be shewed of all Scripture-Histories that this Dream destroys or confounds and intangles the Truth of all For History relateth things done Repetition looks on them as undone and in doing confounds times past present and future disorders and mixeth both Persons and Matters and by making nothing distinct leaves nothing true Nicodemus came to Jesus by night Thomas put his hand into Christs side c. If these which we know from Scripture be repeated then those persons must be now alive if they be not repeated they are not understood Is it not enough to have all these recorded in a Divine History for our Admonition and Example but these old Revelations must be new Revealed and Acted over to gratify a morose Illuminado This fancy doth as much disservice to the Truth and certainty of Prophecyes hath T. E. laid 390 days upon one side in a Visionary Siege against Jerusalem gone to the River Chebar beheld the draughts of a most glorious Temple c. with Ezekiel or hath he had the Revelation of St. John repeated before him Vision after Vision This Supervisor general need but move a pin and all the Prophecyes present themselves before him I have seen some Printed papers joyned at the end of a Quakers Bible containing the Epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans the life of Paul a Catalogue of several Scriptures which are mentioned but not inserted in the Bible as the Prophecy of Enoch cum-multis aliis several Scriptures corrupted by the Translators most of which are where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred otherwise than In and Lastly the Differences betwixt the Old English Translation and the New All which reflects both upon the version now used bu especially are designed to render the Saored Scripture defective that there are other Revelations besides those therein consigned and hereby to pave the way for the Belief and Admittance of what they pretend to bring from Heaven to us The same Confidence and Principles may carry such persons on to such words as the Vision of Isaiah which he saw in the days of Izziah or The Testimony from the Brethren the Revelation of Jesus Christ signifyed to his Servant John to annex such like claims as this which Visions or Revelations begun to be renewed and repeated to the Quakers in England who are the Church returned out of the Wilderness in the year 1648. Can T. E. have had the Prophecies of Daniel reacted as that St. of old had then dead Belshazzar is now afoot and Nebuchadnezzar weilds his Scepter the 70 weeks are never begun nor never ended the Messiah must be uncut off each
Obscurity and Darkness The Romanists make it difficult to be understood Fiat lux Cap. 3. Sect. 15. p. 192. Sure footing in Christianity Sect. Dis p. 12 13. G. Keith Immed Revel not ceased p. 34. p. 96. and dangerous to be read to make way for the Proposals and Expositions of their Infallible Head And the Quakers do use the very like Expressions and Exceptions giving great Reason to suppose that they both are Hammer'd on the same Anvil We find it to hurt and weaken and deaden us to think any thoughts even from the Scriptures but as the Life and Spirit of God influenceth and concurreth If any time we do it we find our selves rebuked and chastised by the Lord for it And elsewhere Scripture words are but as a sounding brass and Tinkling Cymbal a killing Letter it is onely the words that Christ himself speaks that are Spirit and Life and they who seek Life in the Letter seek the Living among the Dead for it declares of the Life but it is not therein but in him Among others Thomas Ellwood in a late Book which he calls Truth prevailing and detecting error c. makes it his profest business Chap. 8. To draw a Veil and obscurity over the Scriptures questioning and at last denying the Bible to be the Word of God p. 249. calling the Bible a dead thing the Scriptures dead letters p. 250. whereas they dare call their own Printed Works Living Divine Testimonies And T. E. The Works of William Smith upon his Principles cannot give the same Title to the Book of God which he gives to his own viz. Truth prevailing c. He further tells us that the Scriptures are not sufficient to Salvation p. 241. nor the Rule ibid. and the like Contempts are most subtilly insinuated Withal he disbands humane Learning from all Religious Concerns affirming that the Bible is a sealed Book needs the same Revelation to understand it that the Apostles had to Write it And all this is designed to usher in his partyes pretended immediate Inspirations as the only certain means of understanding any thing in Holy Writ This seeming Dishonorable to God Disgraceful to his Word Dangerous to Souls and the quiet of Kingdoms and the whole being wrongfully stated by him I have herein endeavoured an Examination of his Notions concerning this matter G. The Quakers plainness detecting fallacy p. 71. Whitehead acquaints us concerning the Quakers Writings That some of their Titles have not been strictly but figuratively placed upon their Books a Confession which if pursued gives us great Latitude he neither naming what those Books nor Figures are a rare Art of Equivocation in the Frontispiece what figures may he pretend their Books to have within and by this sleight they may evade the most pressing Arguments And should I by this figure call Ellwoods Book Falsehood prevailing and protecting Errour I should do no Injustice for it is but a pursuance of their own Concessions But to new a while his self pleasing title why it is not less Humble than Truth prevailing is this given strictly or figuratively or imposed by his so much boasted of Inspiration The World is too wise to be gull'd with a book that bears a feather in its top it is truth we look for within not anticipating Titles without Modesty and Reason go further than a hundred such sounding Brasses or tinkling Cymbals Truth prevailing c. so sound some other of their works Truth exalted and Deceit abased Truth lifting up its head above scandalls c. But he may know that enemies to God and truth have given such titles to the Creatures of their Brains which he doth to his Work Antiphon the Philosopher writ a Book against the very Providence of God Orig. Con. Cels Lib. 4. p. 176. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he denyed and attempted to take out of the World and yet he had the Confidence to call it a Discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concerning Truth Celsus that bitter Enemy of the Christian Religion wrote a tract against it which he named The true word or saying Idem Lib. 1. p. 14. 31. In his Fragments out of Eusebius p. 26 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierocles also no mean person composed one against the Christians which he intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lover of Truth So that bad lying Books may through confidence wear good names and yet all these three concerning Truth the True word the lover of Truth are more modest than Truth Prevailing alias Rampant but it is well Books can get Titles for T.E. is shy in giving them to men his new Heraldry and learning orders they must now have Epithetes and Adjuncts p. 45. By Thomas Elwood why Thomas he doth dis own his Baptism why hath he not changed that name which is the memorial of it why nothing but Thomas Ellwood one while they were at another pass * In the plain Answer to his 18 Queries called of the World John Whitehead ‡ In his Answer to the 15 New castle ministers by one whom the World calls James Naylor †A shield of the Truth Lib. 2. Refert nosse ingenium mores ejus eum quo velis congredi written from the Spirit of the Lord by one who is known to the World by the name of James Parnell of late such alias's are omitted for they continue changing and are but yet going on unto perfection It is a Rule in the Recognitions ascribed to Clemens to know quibus sit moribus quibus artibus c. To understand the temper of that Person with whom you have to deal which must be observed and I desire the freedom of inquiring a while into the Quakers particularly into our present Author by way of Introduction and then shall address to the main Concern His Repeated Immediate and Expository Revelations and his other Notions of the like Mold For the Quakers in general two things are not unfit to be considered Their Original or standing And their Temper First for their Original It may seem more difficult to discover where Sects are not called from their Founder but some property c. It may be harder to trace them to their Head The Quakers Original In 1652 their beginning is supposed and then abouts they were so called and known but they themselves raise it four years higher In Mr. Faldoes Q. no Christi Discourse bethe King and Hub. p. 3. p. 16. John Whitehead fixes it in the year 1648. and Hubberthorne in 1660. told the King that they were then twelve years standing In that black year to these Kingdoms their pretended light appeared Considering these things I am inclined to affirm them an off-set of the Levellers and anon shall tender strong probabilities for it proposing them to such whose Age Experience or Circumstances have qualified them for a further Discovery onely premising somewhat which seem'd preparatory towards their appearing In the North parts of
time this Vision is renewed but as a Mass-Priest dayly kills and butchers Christ who yet lives for all that Cruelty so this renewing makes all things Scenical in Prophecy but proves and settles nothing The Prophets name their Parents Places with such Circumstances owning it as a Vision made to themselves Moses the Prophets the Psalms are distinctly named this day saith Christ this Scripture is fulfilled but not any Indication that those Prophecyes could be renewed it cannot be proved that one Prophet had the Visions of another Prophet repeated to him no nor that the same received the same exact Vision twice so little is it probable that a thousand can have the same for ever renewed downwards This pretence in the Issue destroyeth Christianity for suppose that Mat. 1.23 a Virgin shall be with Child be renewed then Jesus is not yet born when a Vision is fulfilled 't is Impossible to have another that it shall be fulfilled or to desire one to inform that it is fulfilled is a like folly It is equally as reasonable to expect a Revelation that there was a K. Henry VIII as that Jesus died at Jerusalem for it makes Prophecy to have no fixed determinate sonce or completion Suppose the Revelations be repeated then no part of them is yet fulfilled for what hath been done cannot be scened or staged as undone and further it renders the Scriptures useless for what need I buy a sealed Book not to be understood when I have it line by line inwardly rehearsed by a supervening power to my own Spirit Repetition also would swallow up that Blessed Grace of Faith the believing things credible as credible and turn it into sense and Vision so that the desiring it if possible is either the Mother or Daughter of Infidelity There being also in tract of time some few Variae lectiones crept into the Sacred Volume T. E's Spirit if right will make a stand at the wrong ones so that he can inform infallibly which is the best Copy and where words are to be inserted altered or omitted Upon his Principles Revelations made to Women must be renewed to men which in Case of Conception or Child-Birth would look strangely though of all persons they seem the fittest for it your Mother the Pope saith Father Fox Lambs Officer p. 18. Winding sheet for Controv p. 1. Im. Rev. p. 118. Some Principles of the Elect p. 95 96. Her is He sometimes then He may be an Her at other times Blessed are the pure in Heart for they shall see Her in Imitation of Bonaventures change in the Psalms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hic haec Homo as Dewsbury observes who attempts to baffle St. Paul about Womens not speaking in the Church making the Woman to signifie either Sex in which Christ is not the Head such chops as those would make a man think them nearest a Kin to Tiresias the Prophet There are many particular Revelations concerning places as Nineveh Tyre c. Persons as King Ahaz Zedechiah c. Can these be reacted when both Kings and Kingdoms are extinguished but it is not worth the while to hunt this fly or pursue so serious a folly Only these few things shall conclude it That if he speak Truth he must have received all the Revelations conferred to the Saints of Old before and after the Flood those written in Scripture and the unrecorded ones or if only those in the New Testament then those of Christ the Apostles particularly S. John S. Paul the 70 Disciples and those mentioned in the 1 Cor. chap. 14. that which was the Work of many Ages Periods and Persons is in a trice Acted before him which if it was really done I verily think he could not live The Divine Light was so strong in a Prophets Soul that he could not long continue under it but fell into Consternations or his Vision declined into a Dream all the Scripture Revelations if the thing was possible yet for length of time cannot be renewed to him since his turning Quaker in 1659. He must have time to recruit his Spirit between Vision and Vision allow Liberty for other intervening Assairs converse sometimes as a man and not always as a Prophet And Prophecyes in their preparatoryes and effects in their solemnity and dress are not so soon gone thorow Hosea was some 70 years a Prophet and yet hath but left some 14 little Chapters Isaiah was 45 years between the 6th and 36th Chapters which allows a year and a half to each Chapter Let Ellwood Study such things as these and the Nature of the Prophetick light it will make his Spirit be humble and modest and will Convince him that his Hairs will be gray before he see to the far end of the Revelations But possibly he foresaw not the Monsters he was hatching let us turn the Notion into what other more favourable shapes we can as First what was Revealed by several ways before is now renewed to him by the Spirit This is nothing better must the Holy Spirit repeat what was spoke by Angels Urim Signs Voices Visions Dreams Prophets Nay the very words of Christ I lay down my Life My Flesh is meat indeed I ascend to my Father c. can the Spirit repeat these for shame to Imbarque in such a leaky Vessel But Secondly what was Revealed by the Spirit at the first is by the Spirit renewed to him now try this also and he will reap no Advantage The Spirit said to Philip Go near and joyn thy self to this Charet Act. 8.29 is this renewed or is he Philip is Candace now alive or her Eunuch gone to Jerusalem to Worship The Spirit said unto Peter Behold three men seek thee Act. 10.19 is this renewed then Cornelius is alive and Ellwood is turned the Apostles Curate Agabus by the Spirit signified that there should be great Dearth throughout all the World which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar Acts 11.28 If this be Repeated then Paul is yet alive and Claudius hath not yet began his Reign But now the Spirit reveals to him that he did Reveal the Scriptures but this reacheth not his purpose renewing or repeating old Revelations is a distant thing from one single inspiring Assurance But the Spirit now renews to him those Expositions which he made to others this he cannot mean for those Expositions are not in Scripture and his are but the Repetition of what is therein Recorded Withal he supposeth the Spirit to turn Expositor of the Sacred Text but doth not prove it speaking of Scripture Revelations he should use the Word in the proper Sense for the Subject matter by God Revealed and not foyst in an uncouth Notion of his own That Revelation is Exposition turning the Spirit into a Glossary So the Revelation of John the Divine is the Exposition of John the Divine but this Fancy will be elsewhere met with What Peter in the Recognitionsis related to have spoken that those things which are
the Spirits of Elect Men and Angels most advantagious for his own Glory and their Consolation 8. Anna Trapnel exceeds both the Quakers and most of the other Pretenders in excessive fastings Poetical Enthusiasms lucky hits upon several things that came to pass afterwards rapturous Devotions The cry of a stone Title Preface c. She was in the Visions of God by an Inspiration extraordinary and full of wonder England was the Valley of Vision the wise have stumbled at this freedom of the Spirit in our days as well as in the days of Christ and yet her Inspired Doctrines were contrary to the Quakers God spoke to her p. 3 4 9 16. 36 49. shewed her Visions and the new Jerusalem a light shone she was taken into the Mount of God She was anothers voice a voice within a voice Gods Heavens came down into her Earth 5. 7. 76. she fasted 9 11 14 days c. was told by the Spirit of the Soldiers coming to London p. 4.6 7. had a Vision of the Scots over-throw before Dunbar and of the Fight with Holland of the dissolving the long Parliament 10. calling the Jews of the breaking up the Representative had a Vision against Rowse the Chair-man 13. 30. and several Visions to inform her that Oliver would be Protector which she was troubled at and fore-told Gideon's that is his being laid aside with many the like No Quakers have come nigh her Tyran detect p. 38. A Visitation of Love to the King c 4 5 p. 58.73 p. 20. p. 35. p. 15. for Ebbit's fore-telling the Firing of London was not believed by his Friends And Burroughs attempts to shew that the Quakers fore-saw the Kings Restoration came not near it She was for the Reign of Jesus destroying the fourth great Monarchy fore-told that all the Monarchies are going down Jesus was at hand Among the rest she fore-told we must have no more Kings and yet she was swallowed up of the Glory of the Lord. 9. The gifted Brethren who with the next are the most orderly of all the Pretenders else made use of this Engine by their Zealous Advocate c. Their Request was the most modest Not to lay aside the Ministers nor destroy Church-Order Blake's Embassage from the Kings of the East to his Highness Oliver Lord Protector p. 45. p. 47. they onely pleaded for an hour before or after Sermonâ— wherein they might exercise their Gifts they allowed the usefulness of Study that three hours in a day close employed therein would make a brave Preacher they offer to give Security to Preach sound and Peaceable Doctrine and begged but the liberty of a Tryal how beneficial their Model would prove offer upon misdemeanour to call in p. 42. and take back the Offenders Commission with a Dehortation to exercise any more for the present would have themselves not taken for absolute Ministers but Assistants they engage not to meddle with Administring the Sacraments or other proper Ministerial Offices with many such fanciful things in their Plat-form and yet the conceit of Inspiration together with acquired Abilities was the cause of it We leave Christs Work with you In the Epistle Churches the Spirit bid us do it the Word and Spirit and God himself is for us my Sons and my Daughters shall Prophesie p. 11. 23. p. 58. hear this day what the Spirit saith unto the Churches None must Preach by Notes we love to drink from the Fountain and yet they are for short work strive not to speak beyond the breathings of the Spirit p. 61. Hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches in England in this day of their Visitation p. 70. And the Socinians come somewhat towards this Model Cateches Eccles Polonicar in Praefatione though they deny Enthusiasms Divine Miraculous Inspirations or Prophetical Authority to be claimed by them yet they allow a great liberty of Prophecying that any one may Interpret who hath the gift of Revelation 10. The Congregation or People commonly called Considerers had recourse to this Trayte de la voye c. A Discourse of the way to the Kingdom though as sparingly as any of the others They were very much taken up in studying the Book of Nature saying that alone is enough for all men and that the study of the Prophets lay therein That Consideration was the Royal way to the Kingdom p. 76. They acknowledge the Trinity and Christs Incarnation p. 80. p. 52.90 100 used the Sacrament and the Lords Prayer meddled not with Worldly or State Affairs p. 74. were thrifty of their time Married such as they loved upon first sight 92. p. 52. were against the inclosing the Holy Spirit to any particular Sect of Men looking on the Creed as a sufficient instrument of Vnion among all Christians p. 4.88 But Immediate Inspiration was owned by them p. 4. The Voice of God that I heard said unto me Immediately God himself opened me by his Spirit p. 6. the way to the Kingdom resounding in my Heart Monck Rogers being so taken up with God p. 50. as not to remember the words a man just spoke to him is highly commended the Spirit of Wisdom and Vnderstanding hath appointed me to tell you and such lights as God infused into any of their hearts p. 72. they thought themselves bound to communicate to others p. 94. Here are Competitours sufficient that agree in one bottom though they build different and contradictory Doctrines upon it and all these likely an hundred to one and in this very Kingdom of late ten to one being the far greater number are all against the Quakers and therefore suppose the Scripture did not please me which of these Pretenders must I give Credit to The others whether old or late produce as good Proofs as T. E. can do and if I favour one side where the Evidences are equal I become partial and hold the Faith with Respect of Persons Do the Quakers say and witness their Inspirations The others do the like with an equal confidence Do they Experience it The rest come not behind them If their Refreshings perswade the Leveller and the late named Whore can use the same Topick and the Ranter is as brisk as any If some Scriptures befriend their Fancy the rest and all Hereticks and the Devil himself do bait their Hooks with wrested parcels of it In case then of different Revelations to which must I adhere Or shall I not suspend untill a third Revelation do determine which side is in the right Must we believe men meerly because they say so Or are yea yea and a few Solemn looks or wrings by the hand Evidences that the Spirit is secretly whispering They lay no Obligation on us to trust them rather than their Rivals In their Words Lives and Writings they seem at least Fallible like other men Thomas Ellwood must then produce better Evidences