Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	great_a	rome_n	5,301	5	6.4962	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

not the weapons of the Spirit of God whereby his true Church was ever defended for because Cains sacrifice was not accepted therefore he slew his Brother and persecuted him and thus you that are of Cains seed do the same upon the same ground because your works are rejected and theirs accepted with which you deal thus in this violent way of persecution and wickedness And this is the protestant Church so called and her Ministers with whom I am now dealing which seems to be the true Church and more then the Church of Rome for you Protestant Ministers do deny and cry against the Church of Rome as a false Church and her Ministers to be deceivers which in it selfe is very true But yet your hypocrisie in this doth appear and your double-mindednesse for let me tell you while you cry against the Church of Rome as a false Idolater and a persecutor of the true Church and against her Ministers to be deceivers and contrary to the Apostles are not your spirits the same and your works the same in nature though not in measure and in particular this work of yours to imprison people and whip them and put them in the stocks and beat them and abuse their persons and bodies who doth but speak against you and your Religion is not this worke of the very same nature as the work of the Romish Church she to defend her Church hath Inquisitions and banishment and many cruel tortures with these things her Church she defends killing and afflicting of peoples bodies that doth oppose her Church and deny their Religion and you have stocks and whips and houses of correction and putting great fines and taskes upon people and banishing people out of townes and spoiling their goods and casting men into Prison who doth oppose your Church and deny your Religion and is not this equal and justly according in Nature to the persecution that is in the Romish Church and what difference between the defence of the Church of Rome and your Church of Protestants they have their inquisitions and you have your houses of correction they have their slavery in the gallies and you have whips and stocks they have their divers torments and cruel dealings towards persons that oppose them and upon their bodies in one manner and you have your torments and cruel dealings towards us in an other manner though not in the same measure yet in the same nature and what difference between you and them And herein doth the hypocrisie of the Protestant Church and their Ministers appear in that they cry against and denies the Church of Rome and their persecution and cruelty acted against others and yet in nature and manner doth practice the very same upon us as in England this day is witnessed And not onely in this particular may the Church and Ministers of the Protestants be condemned for hypocrisie but also in many other things even the most of their practices in their worship is of the same nature and by the same spirit which the practices of the Church of Rome is practised by and in and not onely so but it may be truly proved and made manifest that the original and institution of many of your Church practices proceeded from the Church of Rome and the Church Pope of Rome did ordain institute many of your practices great a part of your worship which is performed in the church by the Ministry of the Protestants so called this in its time season I may make fully appear and discover to the Nations and I may shew in the particulars what particulars of the worship practice in the Protestants Church had their first rice and beginning and originall in the Church of Rome though they are minced and degressed with diminishings addings according as their imaginations have guided them yet still they retaine the strongest taste and savour of the Church of Rome and had their rice and original there though in the performing thereof they may be altered and changed in appearance and form but are perfectly the same in ground and Nature as springing from the Church of Rome and shee the mother of the Protestant Church and of the practices of the most of her performances in worship and this may be proved as God willing upon occasion as the Lord moves I may let forth my mind and what I know in these things and may shew though that the Church of the Protestants have disserted the Church of Rome yet their Ministrie its Call and ordination and its practice and maintenance hath a dependancy upon the Church of Rome as being the original of that which is by them therein practised though in some things deviated from the perfect form and practice thereof And also the whole worship of all the particulars in relation to the Protestant Church and Ministrie and worship hath a dependance upon the Church of Rome as being the first original thereof and though they cry against her and her Ministers and have denied her yet is she the mother and wombe in which was bred and out of whom proceeded the Protestant Church Ministry and worship and practices and this may be manifest at full that the Protestants Church Ministry and worship chiefly tasteth and savoureth of the Church and worship of Rome and had their original out of her And also further may be shewed that the Protestant Church and worships and Ministry are not an other in nature and being then the Romish Church Ministry and worship but is sprung out thereof as a branch out of the same root the ground being one and the same though differing in appearance for in her beginning and first dissenting from the Romish Church she did not deny her in ground and being as not being at all the Church of Christ but onely in some particulars dessented alwayes then to this day retayning divers of their practices in worship and Church government which doth shew that the Protestant Church is not perfectly another nor her Ministry and Government and worship another then is the Romish Church but is the same in ground and being onely digressed and deviated in particulars and this may be fully manifest in season that the protestant Church worship Ministry is of the Romish Church sprung as a branch out of her not contrary to her and against her and all these things is the Lord discovering and laying open that Nations and peoples may come to behold the mother of harlots that mistery of Iniquity and all her children and may see the state and turning of times and things ever since the daies of the Apostles and true Churches and how that all these divers sects and all these Churches falsely so called are risen up and sprung out one of another and coming from one seed and wombe and though divers in appearances and sundry in practices and professions yet are they all one in the ground and nature sprung from the mother of harlots all

THE GREAT MISTERY OF THE GREAT WHORE UNFOLDED AND ANTICHRISTS KINGDOM Revealed unto DESTRVCTION In Answer to many False Doctrines and Principles which Babylons Merchants have traded with being held forth by the professed Ministers and Teachers and Professors in England Ireland and Scotland taken under their owne Hands and from their owne Mouths sent forth by Them from time to time against the despised People of the LORD called QVAKERS who are of the Seed of that Woman who hath been long fled into the WILDERNES ALSO An Invasion upon the great City BABYLON with the spoling of Her golden Cup and delicate Merchandize whereby She hath deceived the World and Nations And herein is declared the spoyling of her prey in this Answer to the multitude of Doctrines held forth by the many false SECTS which have lost the key of Knowledge and been on foot since the Apostles dayes called Anabaptists Independents Presbyters Ranters and many others who out of their own Mouths have manifested themselves not to be of a true descent from the true Christian Churches But it 's discovered that they have been all made drunk with the Wine of Fornication received from the Whore which hath sitten upon the Beast after whom the World hath wondred By GEORGE FOX And the Merchants of the Earth shall weep and mourn over her for no man buyeth their merchandize any more Rev. 18.18 And they cryed when they saw the smoak of her burning saying what City is like unto this great City And they cast dust on their heads and cryed weeping and wailing saying Alas alas that great City wherein were made rich all that had Ships in the Sea by reason of her costliness for in one hour is she made desolate Rev. 18 18 19. LONDON Printed for Tho Simmons at the Ball and Mouth near Aldersgate 1659. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER TO all the world to whom this may come to be Read that they read with a good understanding and hereby they may come to the perfect knowledge of the ground of difference between the Priests and Professors and all Sects in these Nations and Us who are in scorn called Quakers shewing that the conversie on our pa●● is just and equal against them all and t●●● we have sufficient cause to cry against them and to deny their M●●●stry their Church their worship and their whole Religion as being not in the Power and by the Spirit 〈…〉 ●●●ng God as commanded of him or ever practiced by his Sain● 〈◊〉 ●ut 〈◊〉 ●●clareth the g●●und and foundation thereof to be anothe●●●●●g a●●●ot the same on which the true Church and Ministry an●●●actice 〈◊〉 worship and true Religion was builded in the daye● 〈◊〉 Apo●●●es And also this is an Invitation to all Sects and professio● of People to come forth and try if what they hold and professe be according ●o the Scriptures of truth and to do this in tryall by evident and sound Arguments and by the best spiritual weapons they have and to la●●●●e all this persecution and unrighteous dealing and stocking and w●●pping and imprisoning of us for speaking against their Religion and that they come forth in fair dispute to contend in the Spirit of meekness for what they professe and practice and to prove according to the Scriptures their Ministry Church and whole Religion that it is in and by the spirit and power of God or otherwise to renounce and deny all their Religion and the profession and practices thereof that every man may be satisfied who it is that are in the true and right way and of the true worship and true Religion and who it is that are not and this is desired by us who are called Quakers and also a true account of our first beginning and coming forth in the world and of that great sufferings we have sustained and how we have been carryed on and are preserved to this day The Lord God everlasting who is true and faithful hath fulfilled his promise in us and unto us and we are gathered from the mouths of all dumb Shepherds and out of the mouths of all Hirelings who have made a prey upon us and fed themselves with the fat and devoured souls for dishonest gain And we are come to the fould of Eternal rest where Christ Jesus is the chief Shepherd and he is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls that feedeth his Flock with living bread that nourisheth us unto life eternal he hath called us by his Name and put us forth and he feedeth us in green pastures and we are fed with hidden Manna and lies down at Noon with his gathered Flock and out of Nations kindreds multitudes and peoples are we Redeemed to God and are come out of the world and out of great Babylon and out of spiritual Sodom and Egypt where the Lord Christ was and is crucified and lyeth slain to this day and a top of the world hath the Lord set us on the mountain of his o●n house and dwelling where we behold and feel the life and glory Crown of the world that hath no end and the world that hath an end is seen over and its Crown and glory is his footstool that Reigns among us And as for all that which this perishing world brings forth which men seek after only It s reckoned our temptation though all the sons of Adam are seeking its glory its Riches its Crowns its contentments But of that birth are we which hath no Crown no glory nor rest under the Sun and a birth is brought forth amongst us which is heir of another Kingdom and possessor of ano●●er Crown whose glorying is in the Lord all the day long and he is ou● Refuge our Rock and our fortresse against all our Enemies and what though the wicked arm themselves and the ungodly bend their b●w what though all sorts of people from the Prince upon his T●●● 〈◊〉 ●he Beggar upon the dunghill exalt themselves against th● d●●pise●●●ople of Lords inheritance who for his Names sake are ki●●●d all the ●ay long what though the wisemen bring forth their A●●●●●nts an● what though the Rulers bring forth unrighteous Judgeme●●s again 〈◊〉 ●eed that God hath blessed what though the revilers and scorners open their mouthes and reproachers and revilers cast out their bitter words as a flood against the remnant of the womans seed that hath long been fled into the wilderness and what then if the Teachers the Prophets and the Elders and the heads and wise men of the world set themselves to pray and Preach and Print against the chosen seed of Jacob yet notwithstanding all this though this is come to passe and hell open her mouth and her floods break forth to overflow and be much more increased yet shall the King of righteousness rule among his people and his presence will not forsake his chosen ones But the Lord is with us a mighty and terrible one and the shout of a King is amongst us and the dread and terror of

abundantlie cried out against and printed against the Quakers as hereticks and deceivers and witches and all what they could say that 's evil and these things being not unknown but publiklie brought to passe therefore it will be good to discover unto every man the first ground and cause of this great strife and the matter of it and its beginning so that all may know the certaintie of these things and know they are not without good ground and sufficient reason on our part to wit that we have just cause to do and strive against that generation of Priests and Teachers and that we doe nothing rashly and without sufficient reason It is now about seaven years since the Lord raised us up in the North of England and opened our mouthes in this his spirit and what we were before in our Religion profession and practices is well known to that part of the countrie how generalie we were men of the strictest sect and of the greatest zeal in the performance of outward righteousnesse and went through and tried all sorts of Teachers and run from mountain to mountaine and from man to man and from one forme to an other as doe many to this very day who yet remaines ungathered to the Lord and such we were to say no more of us that sought the Lord and desired the knowledge of his waies more then any thing beside and for one I may speak who from a child even a few yeares old he set his face to seek and find the Saviour and more then Life and treasure or any mortal Crown sought after with all his heart the one thing that is needfull to wit the knowledge of God And after our long seeking the Lord appeared to us and revealed his glory in us and gave us of his spirit from heaven and poured it upon us and gave us of his wisdome to guid us whereby we saw all the world and the true state of all things and the true condition of the Church in her present estate first the Lord brought us by his power and wisdome and the word by which all things were made to know and understand see perfectly that God had given to us everie one of us in particular a Light from himselfe shining in our harts consciences which Light Christ his Son the Saviour of the world had lighted every man and all mankind withall which Light in us we found sufficient to reprove us and convince us of every evil deed word and thought and by it in us we come to know good from evil right from wrong and whatsoever is of God and according to him from what is of the Devil and what is contrary to God in motion word and work and this Light gave us to discerne between truth and error between every false and right way it perfectlie discovered to us the true state of all things and we thereby came to know man what he was in his creation before transgression how he was deceived overcome by the devil his estate in transgression in disobedience how he is drove banished from the presence of the Lord and the sorrow and anguish which he is in to undergo also by the Light in us we perfectlie came to know the way of Restauration and the meanes to be restored and the state of man being come out of transgression and restored these things to us were revealed by the Light within us which Christ had given us and lightened us withall what man was before transgression and what he is in transgression and what he is being redeemed out of transgression and also the Light which shined in every one of us as to it our mindes became turned and our hearts inclined the perfect estate of the Church we came to know her estate before the Apostles daies and in the Apostles daies and since the daies of the Apostles and her persent estate we found to be as a woman who had once been cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet who brought forth him that was to Rule the Nations but she was fled in the Wildernesse and there sitting desolate in her place that was prepared of God for such a season which season in the very end thereof when the time of her sojorning was towards a full end then were we brought forth if any have an eare they may hear so that all these things concerning man and concerning the times and seasons and the changing and renewing of times and all things that pertaines to salvation and Redemption and eternal Life needfull for man to know all this was revealed discovered and made knowne to us by the Light which was in us which Christ had lighted us withall And we found this Light to be a sufficient teacher to lead us to Christ from whence this Light came and thereby it gave us to receive Christ and to witnesse him to dwel in us and through it the new covenant we came to enter into to be made heires of life and salvation and in all things we found the Light which we were inlightned withall and all mankind which is Christ to be alone and onelie sufficient to bring to Life and eternal salvation and that all who did own the Light in them which Christ hath enlightened every man withall they needed no man to teach them but the Lord was their Teacher by his Light in their own consciences and they received the holie anointing And so we ceased from the teachings of all men and their words and their worships and their Temples and all their baptismes and Churches and we ceased from our own words and professions and practises in Religion in times before zealously performed by us through divers formes and we became fooles for Christs sake that we might become truelie wise and by this Light of Christ in us were we led out of all false waies and false preachings and false Ministers and we met together often and waited upon the Lord in pure silence from our own words and all mens words and hearkned to the voice of the Lord and felt his word in our hearts to burn up and beat down all that was contrary to God and we obeyed the Light of Christ in us and followed the motions of the Lords pure spirit and took up the Crosse to all earthly glories Crowns and waies denied our selves our relations and all that stood in the way betwixt us and the Lord and we chose to suffer with and for the Name of Christ rather then all the pleasures upon earth or all our former zealous professions and practices in Religion without the power and spirit of God which the world yet lives in And while waiting upon the Lord in silence as often we did for many hours together with our mindes and hearts toward him being stayed in the Light of Christ within us from all thoughts fleshly motions and desires in our diligent waiting and feare of his Name and hearkning to

and deceivers were throughout all ages and this I charge upon it in the face and view of all men to whom this may come for this we saw concerning it in the beginning and our first assurance And as for other places and orders of men and callings we saw them also corrupted and degenerated and evil and iniquity abounding among all sorts of people and blindness and darkness covered the face of the earth and of the world and all people were in their transgressions and making void the Law of God and that it was time for the Lord to work and to arise to ease himself of his adversaries and as for all Churches so called and professions and gatherings of people we beheld you as all in the Apostacy and degeneration from the true Church nor being gathered by the spirit of the Lord nor anoynted thereby as the true members of Christ ever were but to be in a form and in forms of righteousness without the power and in Immitations without life and perfect knowledge so that all the practices of Religion we beheld without power and life though some had a sencerity in them and a zeal and a desire towards the Lord yet all people erred in Judgement and none were guided in Judgement by the Eternal spirit and because of the error in Judgement that made their zeal blind and their performances of righteousness not accepted though acted in some sincerity and zeal because they were not guided in practice and led in Judgement by the spirit of the Lord which onely leads into all truth and none are in the truth but are who led onely thereby so that we beheld all profession but as coverings with figg leaves while the nature of transgression stood uncondemned not crucified Also then we saw not only the performance and practice in Church state and in Religious orders were corrupted but also Goverment and Magistracy and all things in civil state were not aright in the sight of the Lord nor as the Lord required neither as he had ordained in the beginning for Government we know as ordained of God is to punish and limit and terifie all evil doers and to preserve and defend all that do well and that mens consciences are to be left free to be ruled by the Lord alone and guided by his spirit and that outward power and civil Magistrates and Lawes so called ought not to be Lord or Ruler in mens consciences nor over them but we beheld how unrighteousness and iniquity and sin and wickedness was strengthened and encouraged in the Government and by such as were in Authority and how the fear of God and the exercise of a good conscience was abused so that it was turned backward from what it ought to be them that did well were punished and limited as transgressors and the evil doers were set free and not made afraid so that we could truely cry truth was fallen in the streets and justice and true Judgement turned backward and equity had no place to enter and the innocent was devoured through want of true and just Judgement and the needy was spoiled and made a prey and thus it was framed for no sooner had we opened our mouthes but the Magistrates begun to put us in prison and execute great injustice upon us and became oppressors of the innocent and laid grievous unjust burdens upon us grievous to be born and true justice and judgement was neglected and wrong judgement brought forth and good Government abused and men in authority not ruled by the Lord neither ruling for the Lord among men and thus it came to passe upon us through the corruption and degeneration in Government and Magistrates which we saw to be as it was fulfilled by them to wit not as the Lord required nor as he in the beginning ordained it but quite the contrary and this we saw in the beginning when the spirit of the Lord was poured down upon us and power from on high was revealed to declare against all the the abominations of the Earth and to make war against all corruption in all orders and places and men Then being prepared of the Lord and having received power from on high we went forth as commanded of the Lord leaving all relations and all things of the wo●ld behind us that we might fufill the work of the Lord into which he called us and with flesh and blood nor any creature we consulted not nor took councel of men but of the Lord alone who lifted up our heads above the world and all fears and doubtings and was with us in power and dominion over all that which opposed us which was great and mighty and gave us power over it all and to bind Kings in chains and Nobles in fetters of Iron and this is the saints honour and the word of the Lord we sounded and did not spare and caused the deaf to hear the blind to see and the heart that was hardned to be a wakened and the dread of the Lord went before us and behind us and terror took hold upon our enemies And first of all our mouthes were opened and our spirit filled with indignation against the Priests and teachers and with them and against them first we began to war as being the causers of the people to erre and the blind leaders that carried the blind into the ditch and against them as the fountain of all wickednesse abounding in the Nations and as being the issue of prophanes for from them hath prophaness gone forth in all nations and against them we cryed a loud as being redeemed from their mouths who had made a prey upon us as they do upon all that follow their waies and in steeple-houses we did visit them often and in markets and other places as the Lord moved and made way for us shewing unto all them and all their people that they were not Lawfull Ministers of Christ sent of him but were deceivers and Anti-christs and such whom the Lord never sent and we spared not publikely and at all seasons to utter forth the Judgements of the Lord against them and their waies and against their Churches and worships and practices as not being of God nor commanded by him by which they deceived the world and this was our first work which we entred upon to thresh down the deceivers and lay them open that all people might see their shame and come to turne from them receive the knowledg of the truth that they might be saved and this we did with no smal opposition nor danger yea often times we were in danger of our lives through beating abusing punishing haling casting over walls striking with staves and cudgel● and knocking downe to the ground besides reproaching Scorning revilings and houtings at and scoffings and slanderings and all abuses that could be thought or acted by evil hands and tongues and often carried before Magistrates with grievous threats and some times put in the Stocks and whipped and often

Scripture and then Judge in your consciences and do not they suffer many hard and cruel things even all manner of evil spoken and done against them falsly for the Name of Christ are you ignorant of their great sufferings through this Nation and what do you think is their suffering for evil doing or is it not for righteousness sake what harm do they do to any by work or word why are they reproached and mocked and scorned and why are they put in prisons and whipped and thus sorely abused is it for any evil doing or is it not because they are the servants of the Lord compare their fruits with the Priests fruits their conversation with the Priests conversation and see whether be liker the Apostles and these things I leave to you that you may come to consider and judge justly of all things for the Lord God is risen and his light in peoples consciences is shining forth and it shall answer to what I say in this world or in the day of Judgement when we and all mankind shall appear and come forth to tryal and every mans work shall be tryed and all shall receive according to their deeds And so gladly would we be made manifest to all the world if that after the reading of this book any be unsatisfied still in this matter And if any especially of the heads and Rulers have doubts or Jealousies raised in them concerning us and the Priests and that they further would be satisfied and resolved for that end let any wise men propound for full satisfaction of all sorts of people that we with the consent of the chief in Authority that have power in this Nation who may preserve peace and safety among people and thereby to stop all Jealousies may freely and chearfully four ten twenty thirty more or fewer of us give as many of the wisest and ablest of the Priests and Professors a meeting for dispute at any place in England at what place time and for what continuance as they shall ascribe and consent unto and to dispute and controvert betwixt us and them any such thing and every such particular as shall or may be objected by any of the heads and Rulers or other grave understanding men wherein they are doubful betwixt us and would thereof be satisfied that by such dispute and opening of such causes objected full and real and total satisfaction may be given to the whole Nation and every particular man and member therein Otherwise Let the Priests or professors or any of them object what they can against us in our principles profession faith and practice and our whole Religion And if they shall affirme and alledge any one or more things against us that any principle we hold or practice we profess in any part throughout all our Religion are false Principles and false practices and not according to truth nor the scriptures but shall affirme that our Religion is not the true Religion nor we of the true Church of of Christ and they shall have free liberty to give their best proofe and reason for what they affirme and alledge yet by the strength of Christ and in the power and authority of God and according to the scriptures we shall confute all their proofes and strongest reasons and on the contrary we shall joine our Principles doctrines and practices and all our Religion and every part and particular thereof to be the very truth and agreeing with the scriptures and according to that shall maintain by lawfull arguments and plea that our Religion and worship and all that we professe and Practice is according to the mind of the Lord and justified of him and that whatsoever is and may be spoken against us upon that account is utterly false and to be condemned and upon this we will ingage with them and with any of our enemies of what sect and profession soever to the intent onely that truth may be manifest and embraced and deceit and Errour discovered and denied And also upon such an engagement we should agree to have the liberty freely and soberly to object against the Priests concerning their Ministry their call their practice their maintenance and their fruits and effects and concerning their Church and principles and worship and whole Religion and shall hear patiently all that can be said in defence thereof by any or all of them and shall prove by the spirit of the Lord and according to the scriptures that their ministry is not the true Ministry of Christ nor they true and lawfull Ministers of the Gospel but shal manifest by evident arguments that their call practice maintenance fruites and effects are not according nor agreeing but contrary and differing to what the true Ministry was and its call practice maintenance fruites and effects were in the true Apostles and among the true Churches and furthermore by the Grace of God we shall prove their Church their worship and their whole Religion in all parts thereof to be degenerated from what the true Church was and the true worship and true Religion in the daies of the Apostles and true Churches of old and these things shall we make manifest by faithfull and sound arguments according to the scriptures that all the earth may know and all people perceive who is in the truth and of the true worship and Religion and who are in the contrary and whether the Priests and that which they professe and practice for Religion or the Quakers and that which they professe and practice for Religion be of God and according to him and whether are contrary that the end of this long travel and war and controvercy may be desided and justly ended between us and all people may be resolved and satisfied concerning us and them that do oppose us And let all the Priests and professors lay aside and give over their houses of correction and imprisoning people and whipping of them and stocking of us and dealing in this manner of violence and cruelty as for years by-past they have done in defence of their Religion and resisting of ours and let them lay aside their carnall weapons and fighting against our persons and imprisoning of us about our Religion and let them come forth in sound arguments the best they have and let us see what spiritual weapons they have to resist us and defend themselves let us try whether their spiritual weapons or ours be the strongest and the most powerfull and mighty let theirs that are so prevaile against the other be it ours or theirs and this is the way to try the truth and to make all things manifest and to deside and end all the whole controversies between us and them which hath been great this many yeares and let the truth be set up and exalted where ever it is and all deceit thrown down to the ground and let us war with the weapons of the spirit against errour and false religion one in the other but le ts not hurt creatures

nor imprison persons nor stock and whip creatures and make them to suffer but let us thresh deceit and whip and beat that and all false opinions let us throw them down where they are found whether in them or in us and let us fight with the weapons of the spirit that are spiritual let them sight no longer with such cruel carnal weapons and then let such as get the victory and overcomes appear to be in the truth of the Church and such as falls and is overcome be manifest to be in the error and of the false Church and Religion and let us love one anothers persons and let them act no otherwise towards our persons then we do upon theirs and towards them and let them take the liberty to deal with us and our persons as we deale with them and their persons and no otherwise And let such whether them or us that cannot prove ourselves to be the true Church of Christ nor of the true worship and true Religion nor in the truth but is found to be in the error and out of the truth let such deny their worship and Church and renounce all their Religion and confesse to all the world under their hands that they are and have been deceived and for ever hereafter stop their mouthes and never professe nor practice any more what they have done in such Religion And freely upon these Issues and conditions we will joine trial with them let them appoint time place and profer terms at their own pleasure and then to all the world it shall be manifest and to all people discovered whether we have not good ground and sufficient reason to war against these Priests and it may perfectly appear that what we have said and written against them these divers yeares have been upon a good foundation and we have had sufficient cause to speak and write against them as we have done and none thenceforth shall have cause to say or doubt that what we have spoken and written against them hath been out of malice or envy and without cause and good reason but on the contrary all shall know the ground of quarrel is sufficient and full of equity on our part And upon these or any equal tearms and conditions would we and are we willing to engage with these Priests and all or any one of these Sects in a lawful tryal in disputes or writings for the tryal and searching out of the truth and the true Religion And were it not equal reasonable that we had the same liberty among all these Priests and in their Church and Assemblies freely to declare our minds and to let forth our selves in what we hold and profess without being violently haled and beat and whipped and sent to prison as we have been this many years which liberty we do freely grant and allow among us to all to query or declare what is upon them without such violent dealing or whipping or sending them to prisons and houses of correction and the same and no other do we desire of others in this particular of freedom to declare the truth and what we hold then what we do and would allow to others and that no weapon be used by them against us nor dealing towards us but the weapons of the spirit the best they have or can bring forth against us and let them let creatures alone and not hurt nor do violence to them and no other weapons shall we use against them nor deal with them by any other thing but the weapons of the Spirit of God which is powerful and will bring down strong holds and as for creatures we shall not hurt nor do violence nor imprison them and whose weapons are the strongest let such overcome And such as are overcome is not the true Church for the true Church of Christ which is builded upon the Rock the gates of hell cannot prevail against and who doth overcome with such let it be manifest that God of a truth is with them and let them all cease to defend their Church and Ministry and Religion with prisons and whips and houses of correction for by such things was never the true Church Ministry and Religion defended but onely the power and Authority of God preserved them and resisted all their enemies and so it is at this day and let all cease to cry deceivers and being afraid to be deceived for if they be the true Church all or any of these Sects and Professions of Religions then if we be deceivers and come among them they cannot be deceived if they be in the election for no deceivers nor the gates of hell cannot prevail against the true Church of Christ nor against them that are elect which the Devil hath nothing in And if we be the true Church of Christ and in the election then if all the deceivers upon earth come among us they cannot prevail against us nor deceive us for the elect cannot be deceived and upon these tearms we may engage with any people and Sect upon earth therefore come to this and joyn with us take you the liberty to declare in soberness what you own and profess you shall not be persecuted nor your bodies nor persons harmed by violence and let us have that liberty to deelare in meekness and soberness and in Gods Authority amongst you what we hold and professe and let us not be persecuted and dealt violently withall and then let it appear whether we or our enemies hath a greater testimony and more powerful in the hearts of people And were not this a way full of equity for the tryal of all things But doing contrary as you have done these many years against us by violence and whipping and persecuting it shewes you have not the spirituall weapons nor the Authority of God with you nor among you and that is the cause of running to Magistrates and putting in Goals and whippings and all violence because the Authority of Gods spirit is wanting amongst you which all the false Sects and false Churches since the dayes of the Apostles have wanted to defend themselves and resist their enemies and so all sects have been fighting one with another and killing persons and creatures and defended themselves by prisons and inquisitions and destroying of lives and all this have been out of the power of God and not in it but by the power of the Dragon and of the Beast who hath caused all to worship and them that would not he hath had power to kill and hath killed them by fires and tortures and cruel deaths and all these have lost the spiritual weapons and been without the power and Spirit of God And what a Church is this of yours which hath need to be defended by Goals and prisons and whips and stocks and violent dealing this Church is not the Church of Christ for the power and Spirit of God defends her alwayes and not inquisitions and prisons and whips these are Cains weapons and

to destroy all Israel and all men upon the earth but thou errs in thy judgement and in thy understanding for I know it is the seed of the Serpent that speakes in thee that puts no difference between the pretious and the vile and when Israel thought Christ had called them serpents many of them were converted to the faith their outward creatures were not destroyed thou talkes foolishly and given up to the Devils power and who works wickednesse and mischiefe and if men be the serpents seed as thou doth say who shall be saved for the Serpent and his seed must be destroyed and if men be the seed of the serpent then must the seed of the serpent obey the spirit must not the spirit destroy him and the brightnesse and breath of the Lord consume him and it is men whose lives Christ came to save that are captivated by the seed of the serpent and redeemed and turned from the power of Satan to God and thou must be threshed and feel the weight of the Lords hand before thou beest humbled and what hast thou to doe to talke of ordination before man had a being in the world and would make men like thy self and say they are the serpents seed which man is not so as he is man and we and thousands do witnesse election and salvation before the foundation of the world was laid and are come into that which comprehends time and being which are since time in which power the elect reignes where salvation is known Pr. The woman that the Serpent deceived her seed breakes the Serpents Dominion Ans The seed of the woman doth bruse the serpents head where ever he is found in any male or female that Christ may rise in the male and in the female and this seed is a top of thy head and thou hast no power but to reach to his heel and thou art the house of darknesse and the seed is yet in Egypt not come forth yet and there is a strong man must bow himselfe and them that keep the house must tremble and hath kept thy heart from the Lord God and hath carryed it a whoring abroad and a stronger he is then he that keeps the house that spoiles his goods and takes possession who comes to rule and will rule and reigne Pr. That the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man in the Church to profit withall and not to every man in the world Answ The manifestation is given to every man to profit withall without distinction I will power out my spirit upon all flesh for the spirit of truth shall lead the Saints into all truth and he shall reprove the world and that which doth reprove the world is manifest to the world Pr. That no man hath received a measure of the spirit of Christ but such as doe believe in Christ and that no man doth believe in Christ but such as Christ is revealed to in time and that he is revealed to none but by the manifestation of his spirit Answ The true believers that believe in Christ the revelation knew him in time and out of time and the unbelievers are reproved Pr. Which of the people of God Prophets or Apostles did direct all people to a Light within them for their instruction and guide before the manifestation of the spirit unto them or the worke of Regeneration wrought in them Answ The Prophet said I will give him for a Covenant of light unto the Gentiles and a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah will I make and write my Law in their hearts and put them into their minds and this was in generall directed to them before they was converted and Regenerated and this light was to inlighten the Gentiles whereby the prisoners should come out of the pit where there is no water and the new Covenant was held to the Jewes before they were converted that all may see who can read but the outward letter and the Apostle was sent to turn people from darknesse to light and Iohn the highest Prophet borne of woman said that was the true light which did inlighten every man that cometh into the world which he was a witnesse of and shined in the darknesse and the darkness comprehendeth it not and Christ directed the Pharisees to the kingdome of heaven in them which were not converted read the pearl and the lost piece of silver read the talent and the pearle hid in the field read the slothfull servant his talent and then read thy selfe how blind and ignorant thou art in the things of God and be silent that thou may come to know the Lord and his feare that the witnesse of God may stir in thee that thou may do righteously in the fight of God and men least the judgement of God be upon thy head for thou art manifest to all that be in the light THE DOCTRINS PRINCIPLES OF THE Priests of Scotland CONTRARY to the DOCTRINE OF CHRIST and the APOSTLES Here all may see The Priests of Scotland and their Church and their Persecution against the Saints and Lambs Servants and Children of God which the Lord moved to go among them to visit the Seed of God in that dark wilderness-Country who has been as Sheep among Wolves Also How pure Religion is turned upside down and vain Religion got in its place And the pure Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles which saith Entertain Strangers Love Enemies is lost among you In stead of entertaining strangers and loving enemies they Imprison and Persecute and have made their Church unsavoury And the Teachers fruits declares to be false who are wrestlers against flesh and blood and strikers at creatures which Christ and the Apostles did not George Weare John Hart. William Grey William Lowry William Mitchell Richard Isamaell FIRST These Presbyterian Priests of Scotland which Excommunicate and puts out of the Synagogues knowes not the Father and the Sun John 16. so no true Christians for how can they be true Christians that knowes not the Son of God nor the Father Secondly They are no Ministers of Christ for Christ saith When they curse blesse ye so they be out of Christs doctrine and teaching not blessing but cursing and giving forth curses and all the people must say Amen to their Curses Thirdly They be out of the Apostles doctrine who saith Blesse and curse not Rom. 12.14 so are no Ministers of Christ that curseth and gives forth their Curses to the people to say Amen to them and here they are shut out of the Apostles doctrine and Christs all people mark and take notice them they are that curse which the Apostle saith Blesse and curse not these are the Cursers and not blessers that Excommunicate you out of the Synagogues Hugh Archball Priest of Stravan John Hume Priest of Lesmabaga William Hambleton Priest of Glasford James Durram Priest of Glasgow John Castaires Priest of Glagow Francis Ard Priest of Discert Matthew Mackel

it any other except such as the Pope gave to his ministers having your degrees in your schools and attaining from one art and office to another till at last you professe to be attained to the ministry but this is not Gods way of Commissionating but antichrists way and the Lord God is risen who will confound it for the Lord hath not spoken to you neither hath he revealed his glory to you you have neither seen his shape nor heard his voice neither is the tidings you bring effectual to convert sinners for you are climed up another way and enters not in at the door and the Ape is truly your figure for your deformity appeares to the saints and all the children of light does see you and your originall which came up in the falling away of the true Churches when anti-christ took the Throne and the man of sin got up into the temple which for many generations amongst you hath shewn himselfe to be God and hath been worshipped as God Pr. The complices of Corah Dathan and Abiram who usurps the Priests office were destroyed a warning-peece for such as usurp the ministerial function uncalled and unordained let them take heed when they persume to vent their illiterat rude incoherence and blasphemous stuff Ans This belongs to your selves ye men of unholy lives who hath usurped to the ministry uncalled and unordained of the Lord by his spirit and you may take warning at Chorahs destruction whom the Lord shall as surely destroy with the fire of his jealousie for while the beast hath had power over nations and the whore made Nations drunk all this time hath your authority been exalted by which you have been set up and your ministers without the life that the true ministers were in and without that call and ordination which they had for you are of man and by man and your effects not the worke of the true ministrie of Christ but are left desolate and are desolate of the presence of God being your selves unlearned in the doctrine of Christ venting your imaginations out of the truth and out of the power of God and there stands your ministrie Pr. Vnsanctified ministers may possibly convert to God Ans No he that is unsanctified is out of the power of God and the word of God abides not in him and he runs and is not sent and it is not possible that such can convert sinners who are themselves unconverted from their iniquities Pr. That some learned Christians have been able to squees the greatest mysteries of our Religion out of the writings of some Heathens Ans This is the sum of your principles you 15. Priests and here is the sum of your ignorance and wretchednesse discovered and the vanity of your Religion whose foundation is the writings of heathens and the heathens that knew not God out of their writings is your religion made up as you confesse this is the whores Religion that sits upon the beast that the world hath long wondred after and not the true religion which the Apostles and true Churches were in and they are no Christians no Saints nor true Christians that goes to the writings of Heathens to squees out mysteries they that do so are the Christians in the Apostacie who are falne from the life of righteousnesse such as you and thousands are at this day being without the spirit and without Christ therefore you run to the Heathen for knowledge and shames true Christianity and true Christians in reputing the heathen wiser then your selves who are faine to run to their writings to make up your mysteries and such is your religion deceit and vanity and the mysterie thereof studyed for out of the heathens writings this is Christianity in the Apostacie and the Religion apostatized from the life of true Christianity for the true Christian Religion the foundation thereof is Christ who is the mysterie of God and of life and salvation and the mysteries of our true Christian Religion which we live in that are come out of the Apostacie are revealed to us by the spirit of the father that dwells in us is in all that are in the true Christian Religion who denies the Heathens and your Apostatized Christians and are come into the mysteries of eternall salvation which is not squeesed by imaginations of men but revealed by the spirit of God the great mysterie Christ in us and the mysterie of the Kingdome all this is made manifest to us and to true Christians whose Religion stands in the power of God and not in the tradition of men nor fetched from the Heathens writings and this Religion will stand for ever but your Religion and mynistries and Church will the Lord confound the author of whom is the heathens writings and how then shall it stand it is out of the bottomlesse pit and ariseth out of that your Religion and mysteries and thither shall it be turned into the pit that hath no bottome oh how have you blinde leaders led the blind that have been professing to teach Christ this many years and faith in him and have you taken so much money of the Nations and do you now tell us that the greatest mysteries of your Religion are squeesed out of the heathens writings oh ye unrighteous men blind leaders the Lord God Almighty is now risen and the Nations can no longer be satisfied with this Religion but the Lord is a gathering out of your mouths and you must howl and lament all the Idols dumb shepherds and they shall be confounded and the soules delivered of which they have made a prey for the soules of men have been the merchandize of Babylons merchants they have bought and sold the souls of men they have blinded the eye of it and troden it downe and the immortall soule hath not been respected otherwise then to make merchandize thereof to get gaine thereby there has been many traffickers since the daies of the Apostles that have made merchandizes of souls but the judgement of the great Whore is come and of Babylon the Mother of Harlots and the Lord God and the Lamb will plead against her and the jawes of the wicked shall be broken and their hearts shall utterly faile in the midst of them and the Lord will reveal his righteousness from heaven and by his judgements shall he be known in the earth a mighty God and a dreadfull and his dread and terror shall take hold upon your consciences come down and sit in the dust for the Lords controversie is against you he will bruise you with an Iron rod hee 'l break you as a potters vessel and his hand ye shall not escape for ye are but like Bryers and thorns in battel before him and like the stubble in which the fire is kindled and you will be as the dross in time of purging and at reprobate silver the Lord God hath said it W. S. His Book called A Parsons guide concerning of Tythes and the Law of Tythes