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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

old saith Sware not at all Jer. 31.31 32. and though Moses and the Prophets were to be heard under the ministration of the first Covenant yet they said when Christ the second Covenant was come people must hear him for said Moses a Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me him shall ye hear Deut. 18.15 And the Prophet said that Nation and people that will not serve thee that Nation shall perish Isa 60.12 So that although Moses said thou shalt perform thy Oath to the Lord yet Christ that Prophet who is the end of that Law and whom Moses said the people must hear or else be cut off he said Sware not at all and although the Prophet said thou shalt Sware the Lord liveth c. yet Christ who is the end of the Prophets whom the Prophets said people must serve or else perish saith Sware not at all and although it may be alledged that the Angels swore yet Christ the first born amongst many Brethren to whom all the Angels must bow saith Sware not at all and although it may be further alledged that God himself swore and therefore its lawful for Christians to Sware yet God himself said concerning Christ This is my beloved Son hear ye him Mat. 17.5 And this beloved Son of God whom all Christians ought to hear saith Sware not at all All which being rightly weighed and considered it plainly appears that Swearing by any Oath whatsoever was forbidden by Christ Jesus who is the Law-giver unto all Christians and therefore it is not lawful for Christians to Sware at all And that spirit that tollerates Swearing or would set it up as a Religious Act is an Antichrist spirit because it is against the command of Christ And although the Apostle might or did call the Lord to witness concerning the Truth which he spake yet that doth not prove that the Apostle swore as A. S. affirmeth that he did neither do we read that ever any of the Apostles did either propagate or tollerate Swearing since Christ forbid it But contrariwise the Apostle James saith Above all things my Brethren Swear not neither by Heaven nor by the Earth neither by any other Oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay lest you fall into condemnation So that although A. S. would wrest the words of Christ to perswade people that his intent was they should not Swear but in Truth and in Righteousness yet the words of Christ and the Apostle whom all true Christians are to hear doth clearly import that their intent was that people should not Swear at all by any Oath whatsoever But this Antichristian spirit which opposes the Doctrines and Commands of Christ and his Apostles we have had large experience of and we have oft-times seen that it leads people to swear and also to forswear themselves both which are an Abomination to the Lord and in the Transgression against God and the new Covenant Ninthly and A. S. saith the Apostle said salute one another but the Devil saith salute not one another for Christ saith he sending his Disciples bid them salute no man by the way Luke 10.4 this Devil follows all Quakers but alas Christ's meaning there was that none should hinder them by the way c. Answ To which I answer here again A. S. goes about to make us believe that the Commands of Christ are the Impositions of the Devil or at lest that the Devil stirs up people to keep the Commands of Christ the first of which is Blasphemy in the highest degree and the second is little less for if the Devil would teach people to keep the Commands of Christ then might they serve Christ and Belial but as Christ said that cannot be And indeed we do experimentally see find that the Devil always opposeth the keeping of Christs Commands As now in A.S. Who would diswade them from it under pretence that its the Devil that leads them to it And as to his saying this Devil follows all Quakers I answer It s true but alas its intentionally to destroy them for it was said to the Serpent in the beginning that the Seed of the Woman should bruise his Head and he should bruise its Heel Gen. 3.15 And even so it s now come to pass for the Lord Jesus Christ the promised Seed Gal 3.16 being become the Leader of his people and the Angel of Gods present going before them the Devil as A. S. saith comes after them and follows them with his fiery darts of persecution and Serpent-like is snarling at the Heel But blessed be the Lord he that goes before them and is in them is greater and mightier then the Devil that follows them and he hath been their Preserver hitherto and I doubt not but he will unto the end perserve all who trust in him And as concerning Christs words there needs no meaning to be given to them for he meant as he spoke but if they did according to A. S's own conclusion he is not the Interpreter but the Church Therefore A.S. being not the Church but a particular man according to his own Argument his interpretation is not to be heeded Again he saith Every man is not the Interpreter for saith he Every man is a Lyar And indeed he hath conformed unto us that himself is a Lyar because he hath belyed the intent of Christs words aforesaid by giving his meaning to them Then saith A. S. Yet these deluded Souls think that this their deluding Spirit is of God and why forsooth because it reprehends them of sin c. and did not Judas his spirit rebuke him of sin and notwithstanding induce him to desperation and to hang himself Answ Here A. S. is again putting Light for darkness or calling the Spirit of Truth a deluding Spirit for is not that the Spirit of Truth that reproves the World of sin John 16.7 8. Did not Christ say that he would send the Comforter that should reprove the World of sin and we never read of any other Spirit that did reprove sin but the Spirit of Truth which A. S. blasphemously calls a deluding Spirit neither did I ever read that a deluding Spirit was the Comforter which that Spirit that reproves for sin is as Christ said And again is it not clear that A. S. puts Light for darkness in calling that a deluding Spirit which reproves sin for the Apostle said that whatsoever things are reproved are made manifest by the Light for whatsoever makes manifest is Light Eph. 5.13 and the deluding spirit is darkness it self so that hereby it manifestly appears that A. S. cannot discern betwixt Light and darkness so is a miserable Blind-Guide indeed And though the Spirit of Truth did rebuke Judas for his treachery doth it therefore follow that it was the same that led him to hang himself no this is great Ignorance in A. S. to affirm for he might as well have said That the same Spirit that led him

therein that the Cause of God may not be betrayed by any through their declining from that godly Practice and duty that the Enemy may not be encouraged thereby to vaunt against the Remnant that are faithful to oppose them therein also but rather through your faithfulness and stability the enemy may be discouraged in his Enterprises and put to flight that you may be Conquerors over him and may tread Satan under foot and may reign with the Lamb for ever And my Friends consider the faithfulness of many of the Servants of the Lord who loved not their lives unto death who are gone before who preached and made known the Truth and way of Life to you how they laboured and traveled amongst you in the Name and Strength of the Lord to beget you unto God and to build you up in the most pretious Faith and how they exhorted you time after time to that godly practice of Assembling together and how they gave Example and President therein as well as Exhortation thereunto Nay have not divers of them laid down their Lives not counting them dear to them for that very Practice of Assembling together Yea certainly they have so some in Prisons and some otherwise Oh therefore my Friends this Duty of Assembling together ought not to be slighted nay hath not the present Liberty that we do enjoy in our meeting together cost the Lives of many was it not with the blood of many of them that bore the same Testimony which we bare that this present Liberty hath been purchased and ought not this Liberty then to be prized and made a right Use of I am jealous with a godly Jealousie that all who are concerned do not rightly weigh ponder and consider these things but I desire all to consider it and let not that Testimony fall by the negligence of any which hath been sealed with the Lives of so many of Gods Servants and Messengers whose Knowledge and Understanding in the Way and Mysteries of God was not inferiour unto any that are left behind and yet they chearfully offered up their All for that Testimonies sake Therefore my Friends be diligent and faithful to the Lord walking in his Covenant of Life which will be a true Guide unto you and an Instructor and will keep your Desires fresh towards the Lord and your Love one towards another so that you will be constrained to Come together and to wait together upon the Lord to receive refreshment from his presence which you will see and feel in the middest of you as your hearts are kept in his Fear and enter not into consultation with Flesh and Blood nor into reasonings which will say Thou needest not go to Meetings because thy Teacher is present in all places and so will draw thee into negligence of meeting with the Children of Light for if thou gave heed unto such reasonings thou wilt soon find thy Love will wax cold towards the People of God and thou wilt lose the sence of the Teachings of the Lord who is present in all places for although he be in all places present yet hath he ordained and appointed that his People should Assemble themselves together to wait upon him and to worship him and hath given the promise of his Presence unto such that do so But if any draw back from answering his requirings his Soul will have no pleasure in them and such will dye as to God and will become as dry and withered Branches and their Love will decay and wax cold and they will not have a sight nor a sense of the Omnipresence of the Lord nor of his Teachings though they may talk of it as multitudes do at this day who are altogether strangers thereunto further than by hear say And therefore once more I say unto you all Be faithful to the Lord in your several measures and stations where the Lord hath set you and be diligent in that godly Practice of Assembling your selves together in which a Testimony for the Lord is born which many have laid down their Lives for and let none make their blood of no effect by slighting Meetings the present Liberty for which hath been purchased through the shedding their blood but let all meet together and being met wait upon the Lord in faithfulness that you may feel the Springs and Fountain of Life opened amongst you and in the midst of you that you may be refreshed and strengthened and may grow and be enabled to encounter with your Souls Enemy in all his appearances and may put him to flight and may tread Satan under foot and reign as Kings on Earth and as Conquerors to the praise of his Name who hath called you that he may take delight to dwell amongst you and to do you good who over all is worthy God Blessed for evermore By a Companion of those who hold the Word of God and Testimony of Jesus Christ and suffer for the same Josiah Coale A SONG Of the Judgments Mercies OF THE LORD Wherein the things seen in Secret are declared Openly Being A Brief Demonstration of the Secret Work of the Almighty in me his Servant Given forth at the Movings of the Spirit of the Lord and is to go abroad throughout the World With a Hearty Salutation of Pure and Unfained Love flowing from the Innocent Life 〈◊〉 in a few words to all the Souldiers of the Lambs Army though out the Nations and also to the Suffering Seed every where With a few Words by way of Information unto such who may have desires in them to know the Way to the Kingdom of Peace and Righteousness which we 〈◊〉 and are Heirs of through Christ Jesus our Lord which to the● 〈◊〉 the Visitation of God I Will sing of the Judgments and Mercies of the Lord and declare his wondrous Works unto all people that the Inhabitants of the Earth may hear and fear and reverence the Lord who is holy When I walked in the way of the Wicked and knew not the Path of the Just when I lived in Transgression against God and knew not his holy Law to walk therein then oft-times did fear surprise me and terror seized upon my heart for I saw that the way in which I walked was the way that led to destruction then as I considered the way of the World I saw they were all gone astray and though they had a Profession of God yet acquaintance with him they had not neither was he to be found in their Assemblies Then my Soul languished after the Knowledge of him and after the Knowledge of the Way of Life yet still was I captivated with vanity and the deceitfulness of sin stole away my heart But the good Spirit of God still strived in me to come out of the wayes of the World whose Worships I had long seen to be but as the offering of Swines-blood and in my heart I could not joyn with them but had a testimony in me against their wayes and that which

the Lord your God raise up unto you him shall ye hear c. And when this Prophet was rais'd and was with his three Disciples in the Mount the Immediate Voice from the Excellent Glory said This is my Beloved SON hear ye him Mat. 17.5 This then is that Word which they were blessed that heard according to that Saying of Christ to his Disciples Blessed are your Ears for they hear c. For many that had Ears could not hear the Word though they had the Scriptures that were then in being which testify'd of the Word So its plain that Christ spoke of himself when he said Blessed are they that hear the Word of God c. And that he spoke not of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament there is not any thing can be more plain because the Scriptures that are call'd the new Testament were not then written nay not any part thereof So that its great Ignorance in John Newman to think that Christ spoke of the Scriptures especially of the new Testament and not of himself But then in page 4. he saith I shall undertake to prove that the Scriptures of the two Testaments c. are properly and principally call'd the Word of God c. And his first Proof is Psal 18.28 30. where the Prophet said Thou wilt light my Candle the Lord will enlighten my Darkness And as for God his Way is perfect the Word of the Lord is try'd And from hence argueth That the Scripture is the Word of God which David spake of Because saith he it s the same that 's call'd the Way of God So takes it for granted That the Scripture is the Way of God and concludes That it must needs follow that the Scripture is the Word there spoken of saying It doth appear that the Scriptures or perfect Way of God in which the Prophet walked and by which he should be enlighten'd is here called the Word of the Lord. Answ I cannot but Marvel that men should be so wilfully blind to go about to wrest the Scriptures after this manner when never a word of David here inserted so much as speaks of the Scriptures much less of the Old and New Testament But he here speaks of what God his Way and Word was and of what God whom he said was his Lamp would do for him Likewise in the 29th verse which J. N. willingly omits he declares what God had done for him or what himself had done by the Lord not by Scripture By thee I have run through a Troop and by my God I have leapt over a Wall And vers 3● It is God that girdeth me with Strength and maketh my Way perfect Mark He did not say That he made the Scripture a perfect Way for him for the Scripture was not his Way by which he run through the Troop Nor did he say That by the Scripture he would light his Candle and enlighten his Darkness but by Him who is Light by whom he run through a Troop So that it appears it was the Power and Strength of God in which David walked and by which the Lord did those things for him and not by Scripture So that this serves nothing at all to prove the Scriptures the Word and Way of God neither do I understand that the Scriptures any where say That they are the Way but contrariwise testifie That Christ is the Way whose Name is called the Word of God which was with God in the beginning and in the Bosom of the Father from Everlasting John 1.18 nevertheless the Law written in Tables of Stone was in the dispensation of time the Rule though not the Supream Rule which they were to observe and do until Christ the Seed came who is the Way Everlasting The next Scripture offer'd by J. N. to prove the Scriptures the Word is out of Psalm 119.100 105. where the Prophet saith Thy Word is a Lamp unto my Feet and a Light unto my Path. Now saith J. N. what this Word is he sheweth at large in vers 97 98 101. where the Prophet plainly sheweth That it was the holy Law of God which was his Meditation day and night And further he saith Thou through thy Commandments hast made me wiser then my Enemies And in vers 101. to shew what this Way of God was he saith I have refrain'd my Feet from every false way that I might keep thy Word And in vers 106. he saith I have sworn that I will perform it that I may keep thy Judgments From whence we may plainly see That God's Word which was a Lanthorn unto his Feet and a Light unto his Path which Word he had sworn to keep that it was the Commandments or Word of God in which was contain'd the Will of God in order to David's Salvation And it is plain the Word here is not meant of Christ because the Prophet calleth it The Word of God and saith He had sworn to keep it And it cannot in reason be understood That David or any other man did ever keep Christ for all his Saints are kept by him for we are kept by the Power of Christ through Faith unto Salvation c. Answ How can a rational Person judge but that J. N. is willing to put out his own Eyes lest he should see and likewise to blind the Eyes of as many more as he can who thus tears the Scriptures to pieces that the import of them may not be understood and then patch up a few bits together again mixed with his own Imaginations and Meanings to make them shew like what himself would have Wherefore did he not instance the 99th verse also as well as the 98th 100th where David said I have more Understanding then my Teachers Was it not lest People should perceive that surely David had some farther Acquaintance and Community with God then his Teachers had and that God was his immediate Teacher by his Word which he sent and healed them that were in distress Psal 107.20 which was a Light unto David 's Feet and a Lanthorn to his Path A thing which his Teachers were not so acquainted with though they well knew the Law outwardly which David also stricktly observed as otherwise it cannot be rationally understood that David's Teachers did not well understand the Law yet he had more understanding then they for he was a Prophet of God and knew the Word of the Lord though it was as he said forever settled in Heaven vers ●9 and said he In God I will praise thy Word Psal 56. ● And thy Word hath quickened me Psal 119.50 And I have hoped in thy Word vers 74. And when this Word was with-drawn out of his sight he said Mine Eyes f●il for thy Word vers 82. Now who can be so ignorant and blind as to think that he spoke of the Scriptures when he said Thy Word is settled in Heaven For were the Scriptures settled in Heaven And in God I will praise thy Word Was it

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

nor stood in his Counsel therefore have they not profitted the people nor turned them from the evil of their wayes neither are they brought to the knowledge of the Truth by which Freedom and Redemption is witnessed So their Preaching is vain and their Faith is vain and they remain in their sins which separates them from God and are dead while they live and are unrestored and unreconciled and have no assurance of their eternal wel-being And when any comes into a serious Consideration and unto a true sence of the sad state they are in and how they have lived and spent their time all their Life long Then Judgment and Wrath Condemnation and Pangs and the Sorrows of Hell conpasseth them about and then seeing themselves in the perishing state are even at their wits end yet these things they consider not in the time of their prosperity Wherefore all people every where who desire to come out of these Distractions and Confusions and Hurryings and Contentions about Faith and Worship and Ordinances and out of the Pollutions which the World lives in and to come into the Spiritual Worship which is in the Spirit and in the Truth To you I say that is the Spirit of Truth in you all in which God will be worshipped which reproves you of sin in your hearts and as you come into obedience to that it will bring you into the Spiritual Worship For the Spiritual Worship consisteth in Obedience to the Spirit and this is the everlasting Ordinance of God viz. Christ the Light the quickening Spirit for him hath God ordained of old to all that believe and work Righteousness for Salvation So all being exercised in the Light and with the quickning Spirit here you are exercised in the Ordinance of God and here the living Substance is known in which the Shadows Types and Figures end And here the Hand-writing of Ordinances is blotted out And here the Law ends which was contained in Ordinances mark that in Christ the everlasting Ordinance Concerning FAITH ANd the Living FAITH which gives the Saints victory over the World this cometh by hearing of the Word which is nigh unto you all even in your hearts and in your mouthes and as every one comes to hear and obey it you will thereby be begotten in the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints by which they wrought Righteousness and that is the Faith which giveth victory over the World and which worketh by love for the purifying of the Conscience from dead works to serve the living God and without this Faith it is impossible to please God for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin So search your selves and see whether you are in this Faith yea or nay or whether your Faith be not a dead Faith For that which doth not lead to work righteousness is a dead faith for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also yet by works only there is none justified and faith without works is dead for the Faith of Abraham wrought with works and by works Faith is made perfect So let not any deceive themselves with a fained faith or framed in the imagination for that is a vain faith and not able to save you Also beware that your Faith towards God be not taught by the Precepts of men for that will stand you in no stead neither will it give you victory over the Pollutions of the World nor purifie your hearts from sin Wherefore mind the Word which is nigh by the hearing of which Faith cometh even the Living Faith by which the Just live which was once delivered to the Saints and which we earnestly content for Concerning HOPE ANd the living Hope which maketh not ashamed but puryfieth the heart even as God is pure This is not witnessed nor known but through the tribulation patience in the experimental working and operation of the Spirit of Life in the inward parts and Word of Life For by the Word of God which lives and abides for ever are we begotten again unto a lively Hope which we have for an anchor both sure and stedfast in all our Tryals and tossings and hurryings which we meet withal in the World and amongst the hypocritical Professors thereof whose Hope will perish in the day when the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven upon all who hold the Truth in unrighteousness But he whose Hope is begotten by the operation of the Word and Spirit of Life even he it is that purifies himself even as God is pure So all who desire the Way of Life to knowe and to walk in the Path of Peace which the Worker of Iniquity knows not I say unto you all it is in the midst of the Paths of Judgment which Christ the Light the wisdom of God leads unto So every one the light in your own Consciences minde wherewith Christ Jesus the Son of the Fathers love hath enlightened you and as you Wait in it you will finde it checking and reproving you for sin and iniquity in the secret of your hearts and Consciences and as every one comes to be guided by this Light which is the way it will be an infallible guide unto you to lead you in the way of Righteousness and in the midst of the paths of Judgment and the worker of iniquity you will see judged in your own particulars daily and the Prince of this World will come to be cast out as you dwell in the Judgment and this is the way whereby Sion comes to be redeemed Wherefore dwell in that which judgeth the man of sin in your own particulars and joyn not to that Nature which would lead to work iniquity or unrighteousness but joyn to that which in your own particulars judgeth it and here the Cross you will know which the whole World are Strangers to and then the Old man will come to be weakened and to be put off with his deeds that the New man be put on which is created in Righteousness and true Holiness but this work is not wrought nor effected but though many Combats Trials and great Tribulations which formerly you were not acquainted with while you were lead captive at the Devils will and followed his lusts and the strong man armed kept the house then all was at peace but when the stronger is come the other must be bound and a spoil of his goods must be made and his heritage must be laid waste for the coming of the second Adam Christ Jesus the Light of the World is not to send Peace on Earth but a Sword and then you will hear of Wars and rumors of Wars see then that ye be not troubled for these are but the beginning of sorrow but the end is not yet So as every one are exercised with the Spirit of Truth in your own particulars which reproves you of sin this will lead you into all truth and to work Righteousness and will bring you to fulfil the Royal Law and

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

will follow denying the Scripture to be the Word of God Without this saith he we know not that there is any God or Christ c. neither do we know what God counteth unclean or what he counteth holy c. Answ If by what God counteth Unclean and what Holy he meaneth the things appertaining to the Life and Conversation of People then the denial of Scripture to be the Word of God doth not hinder People from knowing what is Unclean and what is Holy Notwithstanding we cannot own the Scriptures to be the Word yet we own that to be unclean which is so accounted in the Scriptures of Truth in the Gospel Dispensation and that to be holy which in them is so accounted and that the one ought to be chosen and the other refused but if there were no Scriptures in beeing yet are people in the same capacity to receive the Knowledge of those things as they were before the Scriptures were written or as the Gentiles were who had not the outward Law yet in Life and Conversation shewed forth the Works of the Law that was written in their Hearts and if those Gentiles were now here they would condemn the Ignorance of J. N. who saith Without Scripture none know whether there be a God or what he counteth Unclean and what Holy For all the Heathen Poets and Philosophers who had not the Scriptures generally acknowledged a Supream Power and Beeing which all were to be subject to some calling of it by one name and some another but while they acknowledged the thing it is sufficient to signifie that if the Scriptures were not in beeing yet People might know that there is a God And they are not only in the capacity that the Gentiles were who knew and confessed That there was a God and shew'd forth the Works of the Law written in their Hearts but also in the capacity that the Fathers of old were who did not only know that there was a God but knew the only true God and were the acceptable Worshippers of him before Scriptures were written And these things I speak not in the least to under-value the Scriptures or out of a slight esteem of them for they are very profitable for Instruction c. and so I own them and have great esteem of them yet if people have no more Knowledge then what they carnally receive therefrom I may say as the Apostle said That what they know they know naturally as bruit Beasts and indeed knew nothing as they ought to know And those that he thus spake to had the Scriptures that were then in beeing yet had not the Knowledge of God which he spoke to their shame 1 Cor. 15.34 So that the End of my thus speaking is to enduce people not to rest in a Notional or Traditional Knowledge concerning God which is fecht into the Comprehension out of Scripture by the Wisdom that is from below but that all may encline unto the Inspiration of the Almighty which giveth Knowledge and wait in the Light which shineth in the Darkness or take heed unto the Word in the Heart as unto a Light that shines in a Dark place until the Day-star arise there that will expel the Darkness by which the Understanding hath been clouded and until the Light shine out of the Darkness which gives the Knowledge of the glory God in the Face of Christ Jesus And this is that Knowledge which is saving and is of concernment for all to come to because whatsoever notional Knowledge they have they that have not the Knowledge of God shall be punished with Everlasting Destruction from his Presence 2 Thes 1.8 9. Ninthly And Lastly J. N. saith That to deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God c. is to leave men to walk by Fancy or Imagination leaving that holy Rule wherein Life and Salvation is declar'd c. Answ This is but like the rest viz. His own Assertion without farther Proof But whether denying the Scriptures to be the Word of God be to deny them to be believed as containing true Testimonies concerning the Word for so I have alwayes owned them I may leave to the Reader to judge and how it leaves men to walk by Fancy or Imagination while J. N. himself saith That the Blessed Spirit directeth into the Knowledge of the most holy Will of the Father and that thereby the Adoption is known and God owned c. seems very strange for the Light and Spirit reproves all Imaginations and Fancies and leads into all Truth those who receive the Reproofs and Instructions thereof And therefore the denying of the Scripture to be the Word while the Word in the Heart which the Scripture testifieth of is owned people are not left to walk by Imagination but by the Word which is a Light to the Feet of those who take heed unto their Wayes according to the leadings of it And the Help and Comfort that is to be found in the Scriptures People are not depriv'd of neither though they are not owned to be the Word So that J. N. hereby and others may see plainly that those sad consequences do not follow the denying the Scriptures to be the Word of God and Rule c. as J. N. vainly imagin'd and boldly without Proof affirmed And what do all those Affirmations signifie more then this That J. Newman for all his large Profession of Knowledge and Understanding is ignorant of the Holy Spirit Power and Word of God without which none can be born again And so himself is found in the Unregenerate-state and worshipping according to the oldness of the Letter a Blind Leader of the Blind which all are to beware of for its such that lead people captive laden with Sins and divers Lusts alwayes learning but never able to come to the Knowledge of the Truth which sets free and which sanctifieth which is the Word as Christ said John 17.17 but labours to keep them from enclining to the sanctifying Word which the Prophet declared should be their Teacher which their Ears would hear behind saying This is the Way walk in it when they turn to the Right-Hand or to the left Isa 30.21 And thus having briefly gone through with the principal Scriptures and Arguments produced by him to prove the Scriptures to the Word of God and Perfect Rule c. and with the sad Consequences which he affirmed would follow by denying of them so to be I shall leave it to the Reader to judge 1st Whether the Word so oft spoken of as before may be understood to be the Scripture or 2dly Whether that Word may not be understood to be that which was before the Scriptures were written which so oft-times came unto the Prophets by vertue of which they gave forth the Scriptures and 3dly Whether the Rule of the New Covenant be the Scriptures called the New Testament or 4thly Whether the Rule of the New Testament be not the Law written in the Heart even the Law of that

Spirit which the Apostle said was the New Testament and 5thly Whether those sad Consequences do follow by denying the Scriptures to be the Word or no as J. N. hath affirmed Concerning Christ being the Word of God AND now I shall come to the next thing which he insists upon which is Christ being the Word of God in which I observe he will own That he is call'd so but he is not really so pag. 49. and that he is call'd by many Names comparatively as a Door a Vine an Ensign a Star a Lamb c. but yet he is not really any of these pag. 50. Answ What absurdities are here might not J. N. as well have said that though Christ is called Christ yet he is not really so and although he is called a Saviour yet he is not really so hath he not the same ground for the one as the other If Christ be not really what he said he was is it not to make him a Lyar whether is it more safe to believe what Christ said himself was or to believe what John Newman saith he was For J. N. altogether contradicts Christ's sayings in Scripture concerning himself for Christ saith Joh. 15.1 I am the True Vine But J. N. saith in the 50. Pag of his Book he is not a Vine Certainly the greatest Truth that I can perceive demonstrated in this matter is That J. N. is no Branch of the True Vine nor yet grafted into it for if he had been a Branch in the Vine or a member in the Body that holds the Head he would have known that Christ is really a Vine and he would have also known that he is really all those things which he said of himself and which they that knew what he was to them said of him and that it is by the diversities of the Operations of this one Lord that he is known to be really all those things but J. N. hath sufficiently declared himself to be a stranger to the diversities of the operations of this one Lord by denying him to be really what he affirmeth himself to be and so hath given Christ the Lye of which let him repent before it be to late But what 's the cause that he thus works and shuffles and denys Christ before men to be what he said he was and what they that knew the diversities of his operations declar'd him to be is it not to take away the Key of Knowledg to hinder them from going in at this Door that are entering is it not to keep people from believing that the operation of the Word in the Heart which is a Hammer knocking for resception is the appearance of Christ lest they should be converted thereto by its own operation and thereby be healed of all their putrifying sores and is not this to do the Divel's work to shut Christ and his saving Power out of his People as though he whom the Apostle said ascended far above all Heavens that he might fill all things could be circumscribed onely to a Body of Flesh Mark he did not only say that he ascended into Heaven neither do I deny but acknowledge that he sits at the right Hand of God in Heaven But he also said that he ascended far above all Heavens that he might fill all things And because he fills all things therefore None need say who shall ascend into Heaven to fetch Christ from above or who shall descend into the deep to fetch him up c for the Word is nigh unto thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart which is incomprehensible and filleth all things so that all may look unto him and be saved even to the Word which is really the Word and is able to save the Soul even to the uttermost from all iniquity whatsoever but J. N. would not have this Word to be properly Christ by any means but shifts and shuffles and wrests the Scripture and brings in his Meanings as though they were of more credit then the plain words of Scripture and would fain put out our Eyes with his Atoms But in the true Light which makes all things manifest he is seen comprehended and denyed to be any true Follower of Christ or Branch of the true Vine or spiritual Worshipper But then in the 50. Page of his Book where he affirmeth that Christ is not really the Word though so called he saith there is an objection brought against this Truth in Joh. 1.1 where the Evangelist saith In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the word was God from whence saith he they object and say That Christ was the Word from the beginning which thing saith he I cannot grant for this place doth not prove Christ as Christ to be the Word from the beginning but it proveth the Word to be God from the beginning for Christ was not Christ in the beginning but the Word was God in the beginning but Christ was in time when the God head had taken Flesh to it self and not before c. And in pag. 51. he saith It cannot be understood that Christ as Christ should be the Word of God from or in the beginning or yet called the Word of God for he was not Christ till he took to himself Flesh in the Womb of Mary therefore Christ as Christ could not be the Word of God from the beginning Answ Mark Reader whether or no the Affirmations of J. N. do not frequenly contradict the Testimonies of Christ and his Servants for the Apostle speaking of the spiritual Rock which follow'd Israel of which they all drunk said That Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 But J. N. affirms That Christ was not Christ till he took to himself Flesh c. Therefore he contradicts the Apostle's Testimony who said That Rock was Christ and therefore is not to be received Again The Apostle said by vertue of the Revelation of the Father That Christ was the Son of God Mat. 16.16 17. Thou art the Son of God And this Christ the Son of God was glorified with the Father before the World was For that was Christ that said Glorifie thy Son with the same Glory that he had with thee c. Therefore Christ was Christ before the World was and before he took to himself Flesh And whereas J. N. saith He cannot grant that Christ was the Word from the Beginning Answ That doth not at all weaken the Testimony of John who said The Word was with God in the Beginning for his Testimony doth as much prove That Christ was the Word in the Beginning as it doth That the Word was God and J. N. in effect confesseth it but that he is blinded being a Stranger to the Spirit that giveth Understanding and being gone from the Scriptures which elsewhere he seems so much to applaud into his own Imaginations and Fancies for saith he He was not Christ till he took to himself Flesh and he that took to himself Flesh he acknowledgeth to be the Word