who took his Disciples off from the customary praying of the Pharises and bade them not pray as they did but thou goest about to maintain the Pharises Kingdom which Iesus Christ cryed wo against and wrests several Scriptures to hold it up withall which is nothing to thy purpose and another Scripture thou bringest 1 Tim. 2. 8. he would that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting thou nor the world canst not witness this nor your hands to be holy to lift up to God therefore they are abomination and is to be denyed the Apostle to Timothy did not bid him go stand praying in the Synagogues but thou wrests his words to maintain thee in the chiefest place of the Assembly Pharise like Another Scripture thou bringest out of Acts 3. 1. Now Peter and John went up together into the Temple at the hour of prayer being the ninth hour They were commanded to pray not as the Pharises did who went to shew forth Christ Iesus the substance of all those types and figures which they lived in all these Scriptures will not maintain thee to hold up thy Pharises seat they went to cry wo against them and so do we now cry against thee and thy beastical worship and here I charge thee in the presence of the Lord to be an adder to the Scripture Psal 56. 5. and a wrester and a perverter of it 2 Peâ— 3. 16. For thou canst not finde any of these Scriptures thou bringest to hold thee up in thy Pharise like worship but arâ— a Rod for thy own back and openly thou shewest thy self to be Antichrist and one that doth maintain the Kingdom of the Pharises another Scripture thou bringest 1 Cor. 14. 26. and here I charge thee again to be a wrester of the Scripture let all people look upon the Scripture and see if it will maintain thee to have the chiefest place in the Assemblies and to stand praying before and after Sermon here thou shewest thy self to be out of the commands of Christ and art disobedient to him and he that doth pervert his words and wrests the Scripture O thou subtil twining Serpent how fain wouldst thou have a place in the earthly Letter but there is no place nor corner for thee but thou art found out and discovered Obad. 6. For the Apostle which spoke to the Corinthians spoke to them to whom the end of the world was come which were Brethren one had a Psalm another a Doctrine another a Tongue another a Revelation and another an Interpretacion that all things might be done to the edifying 1 Cor. 14. 26. and they might speak one by one and if any thing were revealed to him that stood by the other should â—old his peace that all things might be done to edifying that God in all things might be glorified but let all people consider how this Scripture doth confirm thee to have the chiefest place in the Assemblyes and to stand praying in the Synagogues before and after Sermon let all people see if thou be not a wrester of the Scripture and a perverter of the Apostles words and the condicions that the Saints were in thou openly shewest thy self not to be in and thy Church not to be in the condicion as the Corinthians were in for they were a gathered people out of the world but thou art without in the world in the Church of the Pharises who had the chiefest places in the Assemblyes Matth. 23. 6. and so art an Enemy to Christ here openly thou shewest it thou speakest of wayting on the great Builder God in Christ Dost thou speak of wayting upon God who justifiest the seat of the Pharises who were Enemies to Christ and teachest people to do so Acts 13. 10. O thou Enemy of Righteousness and full of subtilty a childe of the Devil I cannot but deal plainly with thee thou speakest of the great Builder and wayting upon God in Christ and art a maintainer of the Scribes and Pharises Kingdom and art justifying them in their ways and so doth teach Babylon which is confusion thou speakest of concluding thy speech with prayer Psal 28. 9. Thy prayers are abominacion and so are thy conclusions of them so long as thou walkest in the steps of the Pharises all thy blessings are cursed and thy seed is corrupted â—s Mal. 2. and as he saw them then so we see thee now in the same generacion by the same spirit as he did the Lord hath spoken it and thou canst not hide thy self from him Prayses be to the Lord God for ever who hath discovered your abominacions and friend another Scripture thou bringest Acts 20. 36. He kneeled down and prayed with them all and they all wept sore and fell upon his neck and kissed him sorrowing that they should see his face no more O thou filthy Beast What hast thou to do with this Scripture that art an hierling and takest the worlds gift and without God in the world and this Scripture Dost thou take him as an example to pray after thy beastly worship which Jesus Christ forbad to stand praying in the Synagogues and here again I charge thee before all the world to be a perverter of the Scripture to thy own destruction to whom the Plagues of God are added Revel 22. 18. Thou speakest of the seven Epistles of the Apostle which thou hast nothing to do withall but as a busie fellow makest a trade upon them neither dost thou know the Letters that are given forth by us now which are given forth by the same spirit which cannot be divided and thou art an accuser for if thou didst see our Letters thou mightst see the same as was in the Apostles but in the Letters that are sent to thee judgment is thy porcion and that is given thee shewing thy filthiness and abomination which thou livest in the testimony of love to thy soul is plainess of speech as for accusing us that we do not love Prayer so well here thou art an open Blasphemer but thy Prayers we do deny for they are abominacion to the Lord The prayers of the wicked are abominacion Psalm 28. 9. No Prayers can we send to thee but for thy destruction thou man of sin and Enemy of Christ whereas thou dost accuse us of erring not knowing the Scriptures here thou hast taken Christs words not knowing him nor the Scripture and wrests them all along as thou hast discovered it so thou makest thy self a Lyar and a Thief taking Christs words and accusing others with them who live in the life of them for Christ spoke that Scripture as touching the Resurrection which thou wouldst have turned into a Poynt therefore to thee that Scripture belongs that thou errest not knowing them nor the power of God Matth. 22. 29. as thou hast made it plainly appear And thou bringest another Scripture as concerning Philip thou sayst he took a Text to treat upon and here I charge thee to add to his words Philip
Apostles were men that were under the same commands that were generally commanded of all men cannot be denyed and if so then they were to teach this very Lesson of singing Psalms to the world where they went see Psal 100. 1. 96. 1. 117. 1. 61. 32. 148. 11 12 13. 145. 21. 150. 6. Now because you generally keep such work about this particular but further least you should evade this the New Testament is not altogether silent in this case for we reade of Christ that he sung a Hymn with his Disciples after Supper according to the manner of the Iews at their Feasts which say some was a Part of the 116 Psalm Paul and Silas sung in Prison and besides this Paul observed the command of God in this particular for he taught the Churches this very thing Ephes 5. 19 20. â—ol 3. 16. yea and the Apostle Iames declares the very extent of the command Iames 5. 13. holding it forth as a general duty without exception he sayth Is any merry let him sing Psalms For singing them in Meeter I would ask thee such a Question whether a truth in Meeter holding forth the goodness greatness majesty or mercy of God do not remain a truth instructing comforting edifying as well as the same in Prose If so the Devil hath befooled you exceedingly to make you so busie without cause as you are in this thing and while you pretend for truth of one hand you are beating down truth on the other hand publickly and visibly but besides this the Psalms were penned by the Spirit of God so no question they were directed to be sung in the Temple to that end David sent the Psalms to the chief Musician or Master of the Musick to put them in Meeter for singing and gave them grave Tunes to sing them forth in for the Hebrew Psalms were sung in Meeter in the Temple and in Tunes invented and what makes it worse now than it was heretofore God hath required the singing of Psalms even of English men as they are a part of the world then to that end Scripture-Psalms which were Themes and Verses are translated into English Psalms which Themes and Verses in like sort that we might sing them besides all this I would have thee to know that we are not to live onely by examples but by precepts also now I have discovered general precepts for the practise of this and as we are to do it so we are to do it spiritually orderly and most to edificacion and so the general Rule is 1 Cor. 14. 26 40. the Apostle in the 26 verse specifies this particular of a Psalm now what can be more for edificacion and decency and order than to follow that order that had been used so long before with the approbacion of God himself Hezekiah set the house of God in order and this was one thing he did he put the singing of Davids Psalms in order as in the 2 Chron. 29. 30. and in chapter 7. 30. 26. God blames him not for it but saith he There is none like him from the days of Solomon and to this day the order is not contradicted by God that I know if thou knowest more discover it Last of all exception is taken because they are given forth to the world any Assembly of Christians coming together to worship God are not bound up so close but a company of the world may come in amongst them and joyn with them in those things which are required of all men as hearing the Word praying or singing of Psalms and Christians are not to refrain because they are there for this see that place 1 Cor. 14. 23 24. Now whatsoever thou judgest I dare not but judg that God hath some of his people in our meetings that are Christians indeed and though there may be more of the world I know not that this should be a ground to forbear that which all in the Congregation are required to do viz to speak good of God A Reply to the Priests Answer Whereas thou goest about to maintain the singing of Davids Psalms in a Meeter and that the Apostles did so and went into the world to give to the world Davids Psalms to sing in a Meeter which David sayth The dead cannot prayse the Lord here I charge thee in the presence of the Almighty God to be a perverter of Scriptures and of the Apostles words and Davids words and dost bring in a consequence to bring them into the same carnal invencion that thou art in and wouldst make them like thy self and thou bringest a Scripture Matth. 28. 20. that the Apostles went into the world to give to the world Davids Psalms to sing in a Meeter there is not a word in the Scripture that Christ sent his Apostles into the world to give them Davids Psalms to sing in Meeter here thou accusest Christ and wouldst make him like thy self and wouldst make the Apostles like thy self here again I charge thee to be a wrester and a perverter of the Scriptures thou speakest of Paul and Silas singing and them thou dost bring to confirm thy going into the world to give to the world Davids Psalms in a Meeter here thou hast shewed forth thy blindness sottishness and ignorance Paul and Silas when they sung prayses to God they were in Prison which condicion thou never knewest and another Scripture thou bringest concerning Christ and his Disciples when they did sing an Hymn which thou art ignorant of but art in the Generacion of the Pharises and Priests that â—ought to put him to death who hath gotten the form of his words therefore as Amos sayth The songs of the Temple shall be turned into houling Amos 8. thy songs and all your songs another Scripture thou bringest in the Ephesians and Colossians to maintain thy beastly end of going into the world who are ignorant and live in darkness and giving them Davids Psalms in a Meeter contrary to all the Scripture and the practise of all the Saints and wouldst compare the Church who are gathered out of the world the Saints to be like the world and thy beastly worship who sung with the spirit and with understanding and with grace making melody to the Lord in their hearts 1 Cor. 14. 15. Heb. 2. 12. but the world turns the grace of God into wantonness and how darest thou compare them with those that lives and dwels in the grace of God and sings with grace and with the spirit but here thou hast shewed forth thy ignorance and blindness and it is that fools may utter forth their folly and that blinde Guides might appear openly and here I charge thee again to wrest the Scriptures and David thou bringest for the justifying of thy going into the world and giving them his Psalms to sing in Meeter who sayd Sing unto the Lord a new Song and none can sing a new song but who are redeâ—med from the earth Rev. 14. 3. and who are not
of the world and here thou art an adder and the Plagues are added to thee therefore all thy consequence and Songs we utterly deny and thy vain imitacions thou wouldst fain get a colour out of the Apostles words to maintain thee in thy filthiness but thy shelter is taken away and thy coverings and thou art discovered to be without and not in the practise of the Saints Friend the singing with the spirit as they did we own that singing in grace we own and making melody to the Lord in the heart we own and the singing of a New Song we own and witness as the Saints did but thy singing we do deny and witness against it Glory glory to the Highest Another Scripture thou bringest to maintain the singing of Davids Psalms in Meeter that the Apostle gave them to the ignorant world which is Iames 5. 13. where there is not a word in the Scriptures for it but he sayd If any be merry let him sing Psalms which he spoke to the Saints scattered abroad and not to the world and there thou art a Lyar of him and a false accuser of him the Apostles sayd they would sing with understanding and here thou shewest that thou hast no understanding nor no grace that thou livest in it s not to be given to people that turn the grace of God into wantonness and have no understanding in things that be eternal nor of the Saints condicions that were gathered out of the world here thou hast made thy self voyd of the knowledg of God and of Christ and of the Apostles and all the Saints thy Meeter we do deny and they who turned them into Meeter are like thy self therefore do we witness the beating down of all thy strong holds and singing in Meeter thou hast got another mans condicion into Meeter and all people I take to record if thou shouldst see David roaring quaking and trembling and water his Bed with his tears Psal 32. 3. â— 11. â— â— 42. 3. and have this turned into a Meeter and get up into a Pulpit among ignorant people of beastical mindes and then say Let us sing to the prayse and glory of God Let all people judg what thou justifiest and this is thy imitated singing which is altogether to his dishonor and this is thy Psalm but who are moved to sing with understanding and making melody to the Lord in their hearts we own if it be in Meeter we own it O thou blinde Hypocrite was David of the world when he did sing prayses and did David send his Psalms to the chief Musician to havo them put in Meeter and so to give them to the world thou neither knowest the Example nor the Precept which thou wouldst have us to know nor David and all thy Precepts we do deny and that minde in thee which doth discover them as thou sayst which is thy own practise and not the practise of the Saints for there is nothing proceeds out of thee but what comes out of thy imaginacions and invencions but the Precept which the Scripture speaks of we know and witness which thou art ignorant of as thou makest it to appear and all those Psalms which you have turned into an English Meeter we deny and such as thou art who keep people in blinde forms and customs but the singing prayses to God as David did we own and witness Psal. 104. 33. 144. 9. which thou art without and ignorant of and an Enemy to and to them who witness the same condicion as he was in And friend another Scripture thou bringest 1 Cor. 14. 26 40. to maintain thee that the Apostle went into the world and gave them Davids Psalms in a Meeter to sing and here I charge thee in the presence of the Lord to wrest the Scripture and to add to the Scripture for the Apostle spoke this not to the world but he spoke to the Brethren if thou wert not blinde thou mightst see it the very Letter declares it O thou slanderous Beast why dost thou slander the Church of God and would make them like the rude world strikers fighters Ps 33. 2. 89. 5. but it is that thou mightst shew forth thy folly blindness sortishness and ignorance thou Hypocrite if thou wouldst sing now as David did then where is thy Harp Lute and thy loud Symball here thou shewest thy self that thou art neither in Davids condicion nor the Apostles nor in the Saints condicion but art without following thy own filthy imaginacions living in the cursed nature which holds up all these abominacions and the abominable invencions of men which God forbids Thou sayst God hath required the singing of these Psalms of English men in this thou art a Lyar O thou Lyar God never commanded these Psalms to be sung of English men which you have turned into a Meeter but they are your own invencions and when you reade them Hats you keep on and when you sing them Hats you put off and here you worship the works of your own hands thou sayst you ought to do it spiritually which is thy own invencion and applicacion and thee and thy application we do deny and there is nothing of the spirit born up in thy understanding to guide thee now here thou shewest to be in the same nature that the world is in they say they ought to do such things and doth not here thou shewest thy self to be one of them without and not in the same minde the Apostle was in who sayd We will sing with the spirit and we will sing With understanding and with grace but we do deny all thy imitacions And â—riend another Scripture thou bringest to hold up giving to the world Davids Psalms to sing in Meeter 2 Chron. 29. 30. and here I charge thee in this Scripture to be a Lyar in the presence of the Lord God Almighty and an adder to the Scriptures for they sang prayses to the Lord who were Brethren that came to the house of the Lord as the Scripture sayth and Hezekiah did not give them Davids Psalms to sing in Meeter which were Enemies to God but these did sing when the House was cleansed and this is nothing to thee to hold up thine abominacions and to give the world Davids Psalms in Meeter but openly to all people hast thou shewed thy self thou sayst God blamed him not there was none like him therefore thou mayst see thy self he was not of the world and here thou shewest thou dost not know the old Covenant and hastraced thy self out of them both and hast made thy self stark blinde thou sayst to this day the order is not contradicted by God Did not Steven witness and say God doth not dwell in Temples made with hands Acts 7. 48. and for witnessing forth the substance was stoned to death and the Apostle Paul witnessed against all the Figures Types and Shadows and all their Customs and outside Observances and all their offering and contradicted that which God
will mind to cast them all by and ty God up to work immediatly without means to humor their fancy this is to tempt him Mat. 4. 6 7. to confine him which God cannot like he will not take it long from proud flesh I am perswaded the Scripture you bring in Isai 2. ult Cease from man will not serve your turn for many Prophets and Apostles and men of God taught after that even by the command of God and Christ besides you cry Cease from man but you practise quite contrary witness the running of many of you many miles to hear George Fox and you use writings and printings which are outward means of teaching A Reply to the Priests Answer Here thou hast shewed forth presumption and lying to say that many are grown up under your teaching to see God alone the onely Teacher and that Christ is all in all the Alpha and Omega and thou thy self not to know the first Principle nor they whom thou teachest Heb. 5. 12. for if it were so that they knew the second Covenant and the Law of God written in their hearts they would all deny thee for it teacheth them to know God and need not to say Know the Lord and needed not any man to teach them who witnessed the Anoynting and need not any of thy carnal means as thou talkest of for the means that God doth teach his people is by his Spirit Gal. 3. 5. for they that did draw them from the spirit within them bewitched them and so dost thou and they that drew them from the Anoynting within them bewitched them and so dost thou which tellest people of a carnal means so that Scripture which thou bringest Matth. 4. 6 7. it is for thy self for thou temptest Christ and wouldst have him to bow down to thy false worship to thy carnal means as the Devil did Christ then own it and witness it for it is thy condicion herein thou hast shewed thy self to be a false Prophet sowing pillows under the peoples arm-holes and flattering and keeping them in carnal security and tellest them that Christ is their Teacher when thou who art blinde and carnal art set up for a Teacher who makest a Trade with the Scriptures and neither knowest Christ nor the Spirit nor the teaching of Christ as thou speakest of and so keepest all people in blindness and ignorance from waiting upon Christ and friend whereas thou dost accuse us of tying God up to work immediately herein thou shewest that all that thou hast is but fancy and lying in thy carnal state who tempts God and draws all others to tempt him and shewest thy self void of all them that spoke forth the Scriptures for all Scriptures being given forth by the inspiracion of the Spirit and holy men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost was not all this immediate and eternal and here thou hast openly shewed thy self to be carnal and not knowing them that gave forth the Scriptures and wouldst draw all others into the same carnal state with thee and it is thou that wouldst ty up and dost ty up with thy carnal minde and limit the holy One as may appear by thy blindness and ignorance and the people that thou teachest who drawest them under the carnal Form and here thou hast denyed the immediate teaching of God Isai 54. 13 14. which all the Saints of God witnessed and followed the ways of and all that ever know the Lord and here thou hast shewed that thou dost not know the Lord but livest in high blasphemyes and in the state of the Scribes and Pharises who professed God and Abraham but were of their Father the Devil and there thou art in the same generacion doing the lusts of thy father the Devil who was ever an enemy to Christ as thou mayst reade thy self in the generacion of all them Teachers as thou hast openly shewed thy self Friend it is thy own proud fleshly minde that doth confine God but thou art discoverd and it shall not be long but thou shalt be more manifest to thy open shame thou hast walked long enough under a cover but now thy skirts are uncovered and thy nakedness appears and a Scripture thou bringst Isai 2. 22. Cease from man which thou sayst will not serve our turn but it doth serve our turn for we own it and witness it fulfilled therefore do we cease from all men which hold up the carnal means which thou speakest of and all hierlings and all them that bear rule by their means and all them that seek for their gain from their quarter and all them that are called of men Master and hath the chief place in Assemblyes and all they that paynt themselves with other mens words and all them that go in the way of Cain and Balaam for gifts and rewards Jude 11. and all those that have the form of godliness and not the power and all those that wrest Scripture to their own destruction and give meanings and carnal senses upon it and all such as lead â—illy women captive which thou hast sayd to be us ever learning and never able to come to the knowledg of the truth 2 Tim. 3. 7. for thou sayst they shall never overcome as long as they are here and thou believest here but thou art one that livest in thy lust here thou hast shewed that thou art one that the Prophets and servants of God cryed against who were taught immediately by the Spirit of God and this was not after man neither according to man the Apostle sayd the Gospel that he preached was not after men for he had not received it of man that taught it all such we own but all such as are in the way of man as thou art we utterly deny them which holds up these abominacions which all the Prophets of God cryed against and here thou hast raced thy self out from among them all those that God sent and commanded as thou sayst since the Prophet bade them cease from man Isai 2. 22. those were not made by the will of man neither was their teaching according to man but it was immediate eternal which thou knowst nothing of as thou makest it appear and such we own but thee we do deny for thou art blinde and knowst it not And as touching the Books and Writings and Printings which thou accusest us of and running so many miles the Queen of the South came to hear the wisdom of Solomon and the Prophets of the Lord somtimes they were moved to speak against such as thou art who livest in the abominacions and somtimes were moved to write as one of the Prophets did and here thou shewest thy self â—gnorant of the Scripture and envious against the same power and the same eternal Word which is now discovering your abominacions as the Word did then so the eternal Word doth now and thy minde being carnal and outward looking up at things outward and so thou shewest thou hast nothing eternal born up
saying we draw people from the Appearances of God we draw People up to God from Wrath and Malice and the Appearace of Sathan for in Wrath Malice and Envy and Strife thou livest in for who are drawn from thee and the Appearance of Wrath Malice and Strife lives in Joy and Love and Unity onewith another and as for what thou speakest of constant restlessenesse it is thy own for all who are drawn from you are drawn into stedfastnesse and the Spirit of them that are drawn from you thou knowest not Thou who art restlesse and keepest all other in restlesnesse ever learning and never able to come to the knowledg of the Truth 2 Tim. 3 7. and therefore thou judgest them like thy self and it seems our Papers and Writings and Speakings do torment and trouble thee as ever the power of Truth did the Pharises for the Prophet who was moved to write the Roul when he sent it to him unto whom it was directed he burned it so doth Writing now torment and trouble thee And whereas thou accufest us of brazen-faced Rayling and reproaching without heeding whether we speak Truth or a Lye Ans All this state and condicion thou art in Brazen-faced thou art for thou art a Beast and brazen-faced in uttering forth thy Lyes and thy Railing and thy venomous filthy Speeches and thou it is that dost not heed whether thou speakst Truth or a Lye for Truth thou canst not speak for thou canst do no otherwise for thou art of thy Father the Devill Who was a Lyar from the begining for the truth yet thou knowâ—st not but we speak the Truth as it is in Jesus and lye not and testifie to that which should excercise thy Conscience 2 Cor. 4. 2. and eternally shall all you witnesse us â— Cor 5 11 though the lyng-Spirit in you now judg the power of Truth to be a Lye which ever the lying-Spirit did but thy Spirit is tryed and we know what thou art an enimy to the Truth and without God in the World Query 17. Whether you have the same Spirit as was in the Apostles and Christ and the Prophets which gave forth the Scriptures seeing you act contrary to the Scriptures and follow your own Invencions and Tradicions and so have erred from them all Priests Answer The same Spirit that Christ had the Prophets and Apostles had and the same have all that are Christs there is but one Spirit of Light Truth and Peace in the Body of Christ 1 Cor. 9 14. and all Dispensacions are given forth by this one Spirit Yer I do beleive this Spirit is given forth in severall measures and degrees to the Body of Christ Ephes 4 7. 1 Cor 12. from the 4 Verse to the 12. Yea I do also beleive no man to this day in the world hath so full a measure of the Spirit as the Penners of the Scriptures had they had the gift of Toungs and were by the Spirit enabled to preach to any part of the world I do not know any that hath such a gift by the Spirit they had a gift of healing the Sick and curing the Lame in their bodily infirmities I know non such no not the perfectest among you they had by the Spirit a gift of Prophesie which was tru and came to passe and though you have had those among you that have pretended to this yet all that hath been is but a discovery of that Lying-Spirit they were led by enough to make you blush but that you are brazen-faced They erred not in discovering the minde of God to us I know none that can rightly boast of such a measure I have taken the Pains to answer thy Queries particularly excuse it not but answer me I have propounded so again that is particularly The Lord open your eyes that what is of God and Truth may fix on many of you that you may escape out where the Snare of Satan is broken and I shall rejoyce in my Pains Farewell A Reply to the Priests Ans Freind here thou hast confessed that all hath the same Spirit that are Christs and here is Confusion in thy words and thou shewest that thou canst not witness it thy self but sayest others hath it thou dost beleive and yet after thou comest to deny it and sayst no man in all the world hath so full a measure of the Spirit as the Penners of the Scripture had and Freind here thou shewest thou hast not the same Spirit that was in Iesus and he that hath not the same Spirit is none of his Rom. 89. and it doth show that thou readst the Scripture with thy Carnall minde and sayst thou dost beleiv the Spirit is given forth in severall measures and degrees thou sayst it because the Scripture sayth it but thou knowest not Christ neither art thou a Minester of him and the working and Operacion of the Spâ—rit thou knowest not as thou showedst it before neither dost thou know the gift of God but art querying the Condicions of them that had received the gift and afterward fell away after they were made pertakers of the heavenly gift which showes that thou knowest not the gift of God nor art not made pertaker of it but art in the Fall and so showest forth thy Ignorance for if thou wert made a pertaker of the heavenly gift thou wouldst leave of buying and selling the Letter and making Merchandize of it Rev. 18 11. Thou sayst thou dost not know any one that hath such a gift to preach in any part of the world nor the gift of Tongues here thou shamest thy own Profession in the natural state and the natural preaching and all thy fellows who profess Tongues and your carnal Original thou sayst thou knowest not any that are so gifted to speak in all parts of the world here thou shewest thy self that Christ never sent thee for whom Christ sent to preach he sayd Go preach to all Nations to every Creature Matth 16. 15. but he did not send them for gifts and rewards for it was Balaam that looked after such things and in that generacion thou art envying the righteous thou sayst thou dost not know the same gift amongst us neither dost thou see it among the Apostles for the same that was in the Apostles we witness the blinde see the deaf hear the lame walk and them that have layd long under such false Physicians as thou art are cured the dumb speak and therefore thou ragest as thy Example the Pharises did and sons and daughrers prophecy Ioel 2. 28. but such were called mad men and fools by such as thou art in their generaâ—ion who art out of the truth and whereas thou dost accuse that we have had such amongst us as pretend to this Prophecy thou art a Lyar there is none pretends Prophecy and the lying spirit speaks in thee and thou neither art ashamed neither canst thou blush thou sayst thou dost not know such amongst us therefore thou discoverest thy self that thou knowst
pass thou proceedest with this inference if so why dost thou deny and say that every one hath not that Light to teach them and guide them to God Is this a sufficient inference that bececause I have it therefore it must not be denied but that all have it Let any that God hath given an understanding to judg surely God hath left you you have even lost your common Reason among you A Reply to the Pr An. Thou sayst thou art able to say through grace that thy Beloved is thine and thou art his so do the false Prophets say He saith it Jer. 23. 31. but thou knowest nothing of the Beloved nor of Jesus Christ which is the Beloved nor through grace Thou sayst all that Christ hath is thine his Light for thy Prophet his Love as a Saviour to guide thee to thy Fathers house as a Thief thou hast gotten the Letter Jer. 23. 30. and a form which Christ spoke and that thou callest thine but thou enemy of Christ thou neither knowest the Light which is Christ that enlightneth every one that cometh into the world John 1. 9. that thou canst not witness according as the Query was put to thee nor the Prophet nor the fathers house nor the Saviour which the Scripture speaks of but thy fathers house thou knowest and thy beloved which is the God of the World and thy imagined Light which leads thee to thy fathers house which we utterly deny thee and thy fathers house and thy beloved thou hast shewed thy beloved is thine which is thy Lust for thy gift Qu. 2. Whether your Gospel be the same that the Apostles preached and if it be Why go you to Oxford and Cambridg when the Apostle said the Gospel he preached was not after man neither was he taught it by man neither received he it from man but by the revelation of Jesus Christ Priests Answer I shall speak as to my own particular and this through grace I have to say God hath carryed forth my spirit to preach and to declare Christ and him crucified as the Apostles preached 1 Câ—r 22. and to declare the manner of Gods giving this gift to sinners as the Apostles did and that freely through grace Rom. 3. 24. the Doctrine of grace appears to be the Doctrine of the Gospel Gal. 1. 5 6. compared with the 9. 10. verses And he that preacheth another Gospel than this is a perverter of the Gospel of Christ and under the curse though he seem to an Angel from Heaven 7 8. v. Thy Inference is If it be so why do you not live on the Gospel I do live on the Gospel and that is thy trouble and grief it seems but thou addest when as it is said Freely ye have received freely give Matth. 10. 8. If thou examinest well what is cited by thee thou wouldst finde that this is principally spoken of healing the sick cleansing the Lepers raising the dead and casting out Devils which were things at that time more likely to get them money than preaching the Gospel but again if thou wilt take no notice of that but apply it wholly to the gift of preaching this I say that Christ did even there approve that the Labourer was worthy of his hire Luke â—â— 7 8. A Reply to the Priests Answer Thou sayst that God hath carryed forth thy spirit to preach and declare Christ and him crucified as the Apostles preached I utterly deny thee to be any Preacher of Christ or to know God or Christ or the Word of God and the Apostles condicion thou knowest not and the grace of God thou art an enemy to and thou art one of them that crucisies Christ Matth. â—7 â—â— wheresoever he is rising thou wouldst know him and crucifie him who art giving thy Exposicions upon the Doctrine of Christ and wresting the Scriptures to thy own destruction Gal. 1. 8. being unlearned and thou art he that preaches another Gospel which art a perverter of the Gospel which art cursed as thou hast made it openly appear in thy Queries and thou speakest of Angels from Heaven them thou knowest not Friend thou sayst thou livest upon the Gospel but it is upon that which the Apostles spoke the Letter a Declaracion that is thy Gospel which was made manifest to the Apostles which is not to thee and that thou livest on and tradest withall as a Thief and a Robber Ier. 32. 30. and so deceivest poor people who art a Minister of the Letter and not of the Gospel and thou sayst that the Labourer is worthy of his hier but what pay did Christ give to his Labourers that he sent into his Vineyard Did not he say they might have but a Penny Wilt thou be content with his wages O thou Enemy to him who art without God in the world and thou hâ—st shewed that Christ never sent thee to preach therefore thoâ— knowest not his wages that he gives but the Devil he leads thee and thou takest his hier and he is thy Master for thou receivest the wages of unrighteousness shewing thy self worse than Balaam who loves the wages of unrighteousness Iude 11. which wo was upon who art without perverting Christs words and wresting the Scriptures and like a Thief wouldst be like one of them in thy words but like the Devil in thy practice and thou sayst the doing of Miracles and the casting out Devils and raising the Dead were things at that time more like to get money than preaching the Gospel O thou Enemy of God! where dost thou finde any of the Ministers of God that took money for working Miracles Simon Magus would have bought the Spirit to have wrought Miracles withall but the gifts of God is not to be bought and sold for money thou sellest thy carnal gifts but thou they must perish that do so for it is your perishing minde for thou canst not witness one of the gifts of God nor of the Miracles of Christ neither the dumb to speak nor the blinde to see nor the deaf to hear but art a silthy Beast wich art spued out from God dead in thy sins and trespasses Ephes â— 1. and whereof thou wouldst have the Scripture answer thee thou art dead from hearing of them Query 3. Whether you can give another meaning to the Scriptures than they are and whether the Apostles did not give the right meaning to them when they spoke them forth or no and if they did what need learned men to give another meaning to them Priests Answer What a man can do is one thing and what he doth or desires to do is another if no man can give an Exposition besides the meaning of the Scriptures me thinks you should be quiet in that particular and not spend your breath so vainly the same Spirit of God that gave out the Scriptures being in the hearts of his chosen ones doth instruct them to compare one Scripture with another and to give out the meaning of one Scripture by another and
so it is not another meaning to the Scripture but their own meaning though covered and veyled till cleared and opened and yet thou goest on and sayst we give another meaning to them which if thou canst charge me with and make it good spare me not if not this in the paper is of no validity for it was given to me but that the Apostle's meaning was often dark to a weak eye before expounded thou must needs confess if thou shalt but view two or three for a trial and clear up the meaning of the Apostle in Rom. 5. 14. A Reply to the Priests Answer Thou sayest what a man can doe is one thing and what hee doth or desires to doe is another thing here thou shewest thy selfe to bee compleat in thy selfe And thou sayest that no man can give an exposicion besides the meaning of the Scriptures and thou thinkest we should be quiet we cannot let thee be quiet who livest in thy thinkings and deceivest peeple with thy imaginacions whom God is come to scatter and God is against thee who art giving exposicions upon the Scriptures and wouldst have them who live in the power of the Scriptures to let thee alone but thou art hee who wrests the Scriptures 2 Pet. 3. 16. who ever was denyed therefore thou art discovered to them who live in the power of them all Scripture is vayled and covered from thee and so thou wouldst give a meaning to them and so under a colour make peeple beleeve it is the same meaning but thou art discovered who sayst I charge thee I can dost thou not say the Scriptures are dark I charge thee to have spoken a Ly and art a lyar and dost not see the Scriptures at all and all thy imaginacions of them are lies thou sayst the Scriptures are dark to a weak ey here I charge thee to be a Lyar before the Living God the darknesse is in thy selfe and not in the Scriptures Luke 11. 33. 34. therefore thou dost wrest the Scriptures and dost make a Ly upon them and turnest them into a Ly Ier. 5. 22. O thou enemy of God tremble before him thou hast nothing to doe with the Scriptures Friend thou wouldst have mee to vieu one Scripture or two for a tryall the Scriptures we know but thou sayst they are dark thou art full of darknesse and they are as they speak he that can receive it let him he that hath an ear may heare what the Spirit sayth thou wouldest have me to give Exposicions upon the Scriptures as thou dost whom the plagues are aded to for as it is written the plagues are added to â—hâ—m that addeth to the Prophecy of this Book Rev. 22. 18. and there is thy porcion but wee know the Scriptures and own them as they speak but all thy Expositions of them wee do deny for with them thou dost bewitch the peeple but the plagues of God will be poured upon thee for thou dost neither know the Scripture nor God but art a lyar and of thy father the Devil Iohn 8. 44. Thou dost also bid me clear up the meaning of the Apostle in the fift chapter to the Romans verse 14. so heer I charge thee again that thou dost wrest this Scripture for men of corrupt mindes do wrest them and so thou art but the Scriptures are clear it is thy corrupt mind and heart that must be cleared Let the Scriptures alone thou hast nothing to do with them thou vayn man dost thou talk of clearing up the Scriptures who art full of filth and corrupcion woulst thou have that cleared which was spoken from the Spirit of the Lord thou blind hypocrit and Pharisy all peeple who walk in the light may see how thou hast uttered forth thy folly and record against thee 4 Query Shew me by the Scriptures where the Ministers of Christ ever took Tythes or Augmentacions of the world Pr. Answer I shall answer but for my selfe seeing the paper was sent to mee in particular and my Answer is that I take no Tythes no nor Augmentacions from the world and that thou knowest well enough but that thy Kainish nature in thee to use thy own expressions hath made thee blind it is not any Augmentacion unlesse it have somthing added to what I had before now thou knowst I have nothing besides it nor before it from any of you all All I have is a Gift from the State and why may not I take a Gift from the State call them the world or what thou wilt as well as George Fox and James Nayler take a Gift from the world among you I know not but I would willingly be resolved in this A Reply to the Priests Answer Thou sayst thou takest no Tythes nor Augmentations of the world but thou confessest thou takest a gift who goest in the way or Balaam for gifts and rewards Iude 11. and art in his generation so art one of these filthy dreamers which Iude speaks of therefore wo unto thee who shall perish in the gaynsaying of Core 1 Pet. 3. 16. O thou false accuser where canst accuse either George Fox or Iames Nailer of taking gifts of the world as thou dost here thou wouldst make them like thy self and a colour for thy own filthiness by accusing George Fox and Iames Nailer because they bear testimony unto the truth and testifie against thee and thy gift that thy deeds are evil and wouldst fetch up the Apostles to maintain thee in thy filthiness Acts 20. 33. he did eat no mans bread for nought and so coloured Beast wouldst colour thy self with the Apostles words to maintain thy self in the generation of Balaam which the Apostle cried wo against and wo is thy portion therefore own it and there is thy resolve Priests second Answer to the fourth Query Besides God hath said The Earth shall help the Woman and did the Woman reject that help because t is from the Earth Answer me He hath said Kings shall be nursing fathers and Queens nursing mothers to his people shall Gods people then refuse to take their fatherly and motherly kindness Answer me Are we not to be thankfull and take their refreshing as from Gods hands for he stirs up their hearts to it whosoever they be that do it Paul did not run away and refuse kindness when it was offered him by the Barbarians Acts 28. 7 10. neither did he refuse a lodging from them which no question was of some value A Reply to the Priests Answ Thou wouldst be answered whether the Earth helpeth the woman yea or no. Answ Yea the earth doth help the woman against all such Dragons as thou art the Scripture we do witness is fulfilled and Kings and Queens which are nursing fathers and mothers thou art an enemy to Isai 49. 23. and knowest not but as a Thief hast gotten the words of the Apostles and so with them wouldst maintain thy gift O thou blinde Pharisee are these thy meanings that thou wilt give to the Scripture
with thy carnal minde to maintain thee and to hold up thy carnal gift and these things which Christ forbids his to do so who said Freely you have received freely give but here thou art not and it shews that thou hast not received it freely therefore thou sellest that which thou callest thy gift which the Apostles never did 1 Cor. 9. 18. Paul was not hired when he was refreshed with the necessaries of the Barbarians O thou Enemy why dost thou accuse Paul and would make him like thy self let him alone for thou knowest him not nor his Ministery for he was a prisoner of the Lord a traveller of the sea when the Barbarians lodged him what is that to thee to maintain thee to bear rule by thy means which Ieremy cryed against Ier. 23. 14. holdest up the horrible filthy thing that is committed in the Land to justifie thee to be a hierling and to receive thy gift and here thou hast openly shewed thy self to be an accuser of the Apostle and wouldst make him like Balaam like thy self and would have the woman to help thee and those are thy nursing fathers Kings and Queens which hold up thy gift which the Prophet cryed wo against but it is that fools may utter forth their folly and be taken in their own snare Prov. 13. 16. here thou art answered the Beast that hath held up the false Prophet and the false Prophet shall both into the fier And thou sayst thou dost not take gifts of the world but if any Prophet of the Lord come among you son or daughter you shew your selves to be of the world you shew your selves to be strikers and of the Devil halling them out of the Synagogues Matth. 10. 17. and to be no Saints nor no Church of God nor no Ministers of Christ and here thou shewest thou takest of the world and thy self to be a Lyar for thou never readest of any of the Churches of God if any of the world came in among them that they halled them out and beat them but it shews the effect of thy ministery and blasphemy which sayth ye are Iews and are not but are Synagogues of Satan Rev. 2. 9. 3. 9. we have found thee out and tryed thee Query 5. Whether the Plagues be not added to him that adds to the Prophecy of the things written in this Book Priests Answer 'T is tru the Spirit of God sayth so Rev. 22. 18 19. I do believe it yet again the expounding and opening of it by the Light of the Spirit of God given in comparing it with other Scriptures is not that which brings the curse for then the Apostle himself would have been under it 1 Cor. 9. 9 10. Rom. 4. 3 6. Rom. 11. 3 4 5. For expounding it wherein I have added or taken away is not yet discovered by any of you and that is the waight of the business when thou didst write to me or any other the Lord judg and let all the Lords people judg whether he be not more apt by far to add to the Prophecy of this Book who by his doctrine begetsiâ— slight esteem of the Prophecy of this Book and perswades his hearers that his words are as true as any Scripture and he cannot err and therefore all is to be believed that he speaks and not to be questioned though many things are contrary to this Prophecy than they that are so much blamed by them and reproached dayly A Reply to the Priests Answer Thou sayst it is tru that the Spirit of God sayth that the Plagues are added to him that adds to the prophece of this Book here thou speakest a Lye thou sayst it is tru the Spirit of God sayth He that adds or diminishes to the prophecy of the Book which hadst thou not seen the Letter then hadst known no spirit and because the Letter sayth so that is thy spirit but as I finde thee adding wresting and lying I do see that the plagues are added to thee by the same Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and of them thou knowest nothing in that thou speakest a Lye in that thou sayst thou dost know it for thou knowest it not to be a truth though the Letter speak it as they swore the Lord lived and swore falsly Jer. 3. â— if thou didst thou durst not add nor diminish thou sayst comparing one Scripture with another is not that which brings the curse for then the Apostle would have been under it and so with thy corrupt minde dost accuse the Apostle falsly and wouldst make him like thy self and who speaks of the Scriptures fulfilling which thou canst not witness but makest a trade of them without thee and wouldst have Points and Reasons of them as thou wouldst have made a poynt of the Resurrection in thy former writing and here the plague of God is due to thee and here I charge thee again and here the Fool is out of the truth and the Rod is for the back of the Fool Prov. 10. 13. Prov. 18. 28. and here is the Scripture fulfilled upon thee and thou sayst it is not discovered by any of us whether thou addest or diminishest here thou hast shewed thy self to be a Lyar thou hast been told both publickly and privately of it and of thy deceit and now seeing thou hast openly shewed thy self to be a Lyar here openly do I make thee manifest as a Lyar who wouldst justifie thy self in thy deceit but thou harlot art made bare and discovered Nah. 3. 4 5 6. who hast sitten long under a colour and here is the Scripture is fulfilled upon thee and the Prophets words tru we finde them fulfilled Prayses prayses be to the Lord God of Heaven and Earth for ever who gives his servants victory over the Beast and the false Prophet Rev. 15. 2 3 4. such as thou art who have been ensnared by thee therefore we see that Plagues are thy porcion thou sayst that plagues are the waight that we give thee it is so 't is thy due and porcion thou sayst the Lord judg and let all the Lords people judg 1 Cor. 6. 2. the Lord doth judg and the Lord hath judged and the Lords people doth judg all such as thou art Him that thou dost accuse as to add to the prophecy in the Book he doth not but witnesses it thou having not the same witness canst not believe and neither sees him nor the prophecy of the Book thou seest the outside of the Letter with thy visible eye as they did which saw the outside of the Vision of Daniel Dan. 10. 7. But we that do believe him do believe his Doctrine not an outward testimony but we have the witness in our selves which are one with him and it doth witness that he hath the Spirit of truth which cannot err but we do know thy spirit by the same Spirit to be the spirit of error and here thou wouldst not have the Spirit of God to be believed on but here
thou shewest thy self that would question truth for there is nothing in thee born up in thy understanding to receive truth withall here thou shewest thy self to be an open Lyar to say he acts contrary to the Prophecy who is one with it and bears testimony to it and the truth of it against all such false accusers 2 Tim. 3. 3. as thou art for false accusers should arise Tit. 2. 3. and here thou shewest thy self to be one who accusest the Spirit of the living God to be more false than those that have the spirit of Antichrist who shall be consumed and turned into the Lake by the brightness of his coming 2 Thess 2. 8. the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it Query 6. What Scripture have you that speaks of the word two Sacraments which you tell the people of and what Scripture have you to act such things Priests Answer Certainly Satan hath blinded your mindes you would never have put forth such a Question else for the substancial Word the Lord Iesus that we preach of him the Scripture speaks every where and for the Word as the Declaracion of the minde of God in and by Christ to poor sinners the Scriptures are plentifull take two or three Iohn 5. 24. Iohn 8. 31. Iohn 12. 48. Iohn 15. 3. Iohn 17. 20. Ephes 1. 13. Many more I might add but that I have a check on my spirit for gratifying your folly so far as I have done in this particular A Reply to the Priests Answer In thy Answer thou sayst that Christ is the substancial Word thou sayst so because the Letter declares he is the Word but no other knowledg hast thou but this is no answer to the word two Sacraments for Christ we know who is the Word but the word two Sacraments which there is no Scripture for which you tell people of which is an addicion to the Scripture and a thing that never was practised among the Saints as thou being one with thy fellows that holdest up those things the Query was what Scripture you have to act such things but Satan hath blinded your eys 2 Cor. 4. 4. 1 Iohn â— 11. which will not let you justifie those things which you act which shews that you serve but an ill Master that will not bear you out neither can you own the Scriptures as they are but you must give Exposicions upon them and poynts and your imaginacions and conceivings who would have the Scripture cleared but it is thy evil eye and minde that must be cleared Matth. 6. 23. for the Scriptures are as they speak thou sayst the Word you preach Alack for thee thou never knewst the Word if thou didst thou wouldst not speak of clearing up the Scriptures as in thy other Queryes thou speakest of Query 7. What Scripture hast thou to stand praying in the Synagogues before Sermon and after and where the Apostles did so or ever took a Text to treat upon Priests Answer Observe that place Matth. 6. 5. and thou shalt see that the thing Christ ayms at is not so much the posture nor the place but their end of praying in the Synagogue and that was to be seen of men for he did not before nor after condemn the dutyes of fasting praying alms-deeds but taught his Disciples how to do the same things though to avoyd the hypocrisie of others in doing of them and though another may be in the same place and posture as they were yet he may have other ends than they had which thou canst not lightly judg of as Christ did for Christians in prayer with upright hearts are not bound up to any place 1 Tim. 2. 8. And for praying in the publick meeting place and among the Assembly it was so common and usual that the place even had its name from it it was called the House of Prayer Matth. 21. 13. Isai 56. 7. and the hours of prayer were known by the Apostles Acts 3. 1. And that it was so in the times of the Gospel may be seen by Pauls Doctrine about it in the 1 Cor. 11. from the 9. to the 18. verse and in 1 Cor. 14. 13 14 15. For the times of prayer before Sermon and after the Apostle gives a general Rule 1 Cor. 14. 26. Let all things be done to edifying now what way is more edifying and building than for the servants of God to wayâ— on the great Builder God in Christ for help in the beginning of their work and in the close after mercyes received in speaking or hearing to speak good of the Name of our God in blessing and prayses the thankfull heart shall not want goodness from God but more fully the Apostle is clear in it 1 Tim. â— 1. That first of all prayers must be made to begin with that and that the thing is noâ— without example to conclude our speech with prayer see that in Acts 20. 36. This was likewise his manner in the close of his Epistles as may be seen in seven of his Epistles which I could never see in any of your Letters you like not prayer so well it seems And after that comes in thy frivolous and simple Question this is all I see thy hand to and therefore I call it thine Or ever took a Text to treat on I may well answer thee as Christ did the Saduces Thou errest not knowing the Scriptures for look Acts 8. 35. whether Philip took not a Text to treat on to the Eunuch out of Isai 53 7. Acts 10. 34. where Peter took a Text out of Deut. 10. 7. Acts 13. 17. out of Exâ—d 3. 14. and above all we have the example of Christ in this in his Sermon Luke 4. 17 18. who took his Text out of Isai 61. 1. in the Synagogue and he took a Book to reade it too though I believe he had the Scripture more in his heart than any of your Teachers thus having answered this Query I have one word to say to thee or the Inditer of it before I go on and that is this you have in this to me discovered a profane spirit that findes fault with our often seeking and calling on God and blessing his Name I am jealous that you are acted by the spirit of Satan amongst you you are so like those spoken of in the 3 of Mal. 7. 14 15. Reade and God give you to understand it well for to me it appears that the Spirit of God is quite of another nature that says Pray continually and without ceasing in every thing give thanks Ephes 6. 18. 1 Thess 5. 17 18. it calls and encourages to the thing Psal 50. 15. A Reply to the Priests Answer A Scripture thou wrests to maintain the Answer of it in Matth. 6. 5. Christ bids his Disciples pray not as the Pharises did for they prayed standing in the Synagogues but when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and shut the door and here thou art a Lyar of Jesus Christ and pervertst his words
had commanded when the everlasting Offering was come and against the outward Temple but thou art blinde and canst not see it Pharise like but thy minde is seen to be contradictory who wouldst contradict the truth and doth not see the end of God in fulfilling his Types and Figures and when they are fulfilled he doth contradict them and therefore do we contradict thee which actest these things God never commanded that which God had commanded was contradicted as Circumcision and the outward Temple and the Sabboth and all the Priests were denyed with them who had received Iesus Christ and here thou hast shewed thy self to be a blinde Pharise which knowest not the precepts nor commands of God but followest thy own imaginacions and thy own invencions which I have charged thee withall formerly and here I charge thee to be a blinde Guide Matth. 23. 16. and therefore came the Apostle to contradict all the Jews who held up the Figures after the substance was come but thou art blinde as the Pharises were and worse for when the Apostles had received the substance they contradicted the Pharises which held up the Types and Shadows which God had commanded and killed them that did witness the substance come but thou natural brute Beast who knowest nothing of God nor his truth must be consumed by unquenchable sier thou speakest of an Assembly of Christians coming together to worship God but a company of the world may come and thou joynest with them here thou shewest plainly that thy worship is no tru worship of God for they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth Iohn 4. 23 24. for such are they which he seeks to worship him but not in the Steeple-house the mighty day of the Lord is coming and God that made the world doth not dwell in Temples made with hands therefore come down thou painted Beast which deceivest the people God will overturn thee and thy worship and all such as thou art and them who are of God God is sending them forth to give you the Cup double that ye have given to them thou sayst an Assembly of Christians coming together to worship God are not bound up so close but a company of the world may come in and joyn with them here thou shewest that thy Assembly are all of one spirit and here thou shewest plainly that thy spirit and their spirit is the spirit of the world and not the spirit that was in the Apostles and Saints which sayd What concord hath Christ with Belial and what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness 2 Cor 6. 14. and here thou hast raced thy self out of the tru worship of God and I know thy spirit is not bound up but it is at liberty in the world in the broad way and therefore with them it can joyn and so here thou shewest thy self to be of a contrary spirit to them that preached the Word the Ministers of the Word are not Ministers of the Letter wherein it doth appear that thou art a Minister of the Letter a wrester of it those who are the Ministers of the Word speak forth freely and testifie against such hierlings as thou art who art bound up in thy form and set place and against all thy customary praying and singing for the preaching of the Word is to declare freely to all it is not bound up but such as thou wouldst limit it who doth keep poor simple people in bondage under thee I do believe God hath a people which is in captivity under thy dark imitated Forms and such as thine and who are misled by such as thou art for we were all under such blinde Guides as thou art until God of his infinite love did shew us his way and his light and your ways therefore in the presence of the Lord God do we testifie against all such practises as thine and for the simple ones sakes who are under such blinde Guides as thou art do we let forth our selves that they may see how such as thou bewitchest them and keepest them from worshipping the living God by thy imaginacions Gal. 3. 1. Thou bringest a place 1 Cor. 14. 23 24. to maintain singing of Davids Psalms in a Meeter but in that Scripture there is no such thing in it here again thou openly shewest thy self to be a perverter of the Scriptures and a wrester of it what communion hath the believer with the unbeliever here thou shewest thy self to be one of Babylon full of confusion and confused in thy words contrary to the Scripture and a wrester of it for the world knows not God by all its wisdom Thou sayst that your Congregacion is required to speak good of God O you Generacion of Vipers how can you being evil speak good things Mat. 3. 7. Here thou crossest Christs words thou wouldst have the Generacion of Vipers to speak good things An evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit how can you speak good of God that speak nor good of his people the Pharises when they met together did they speak good of God when they sayd Christ was a Devil and gathered together with the chief Priests and sought to put him to death Iohn 11. 53. and in this generacion thou art taking counsel against Christ and against his anoynted incensing the rude multitude against them and is this speaking good of God Query 9. Whether a man shall overcome the body of sin while he â—â— on the earth yea or no Priests Answer There are divers and several victories over sin as first a victory over the dominion and reigning power of sin Rom. 6. 14. this is not given by the power of man but by the power of grace there is a victory over the condemning presence of sin sin cannot so hurt any elect Vessel as to throw him into â—ell and eternal wrath and condemnaâ—ion Rom. 8. 1. There is a victory over the being of sin in the flesh and whatsoever curse thou sayest on me for the same I must profess that I am of the minde that victory â—s not fully enjoyed while we are on the earth for then and not before when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption Death is swallowed up in victory 1 Cor. 15. 54. and the Apostle cals the body of sin the body of death Rom. 7. 24. A Reply to the Priests Answer Friend thou bringest so many Scriptures which is to the throwing down of thy own self as Rom. 6 14. and thou desirest to be satisfied to the contrary to thy belief for thou believest that man shall not be made free from sin as long as he is here and here I will shew thee that thou hast a lying spirit for in Rom. 6. they sayd they were made free from sin for while they were servants of sin they were made free from righteousness and here thou shewest a contrary spirit to that which was in the Apostle and thou desirest to be fully satisfied in those Scriptures in Rom. 7. 18.
25. Paul spoke his condicion that he was in to the Saints and what he had passed through which yet thou art alive in the flesh and not come to know the Law of God therefore thy carnal minde rules and reigns in thee and so thou art making a distinction in the Apostles words and wresting of them who witnessed that there was no condemnacion to him that was in Christ Iesus and witnessed the condicion under the Law and without the Law and was made free from the Law through the Law which thou knowest not so thou being a dead man canst not hear thou speakest of a Victory and reigning power of sin and yet in the conclusion of thy words thou speakest to the contrary again and that thou art of that minde that Victory is not fully enjoyed while we are on the earth and here thou speakest contrary to the Scriptures and there is a confusion in thy words for first thou sayst there is a Victory and Dominion â—ver the reigning power of sin and then again thou denyest it and here thou shewest Babylon for the Apostle sayd We are more than conqâ—â—rours through him that loved us and there is no condemnacion to them who are in Christ Iesus Another Scripture thou wouldst be satisfied in 1 Cor. 15. 54. the Apostle did speak what he saw in this Chapter which thou hast taken a word or two of and we witness and see the same yet death reigns in thee and corruption reigns in thee and the natural minde which doth despise the glory of God therefore is this Scripture hid from thine eys but it is as it speaks we witness it to be fulfilled and the Apostle was in the condicion that he spoke of for he witnessed the Victory and sayd Thanks be to God who hath given us the Victory through our Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 55 56. and sayd O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory Rom. 5. 9. and thou hast raced out thy self from the Apostles and from the Saints condicions and shewest that death yet hath dominion over thee and that sin hath dominion over thee and that the mortal hath dominion over the and that corrupcions have dominion over thee and that that thou art in the grave and that Victory cannot be witnessed and art an enemy to it and hast not so much as a belief in thee of overcoming of sin and here thou hast shewed thy hypocrites hope as thou sayst and so keepest poor people in death in corruption and in the mortal and carnal minde and in the grave and in unbelief as thou art in thy self and shewest that thou art damned openly he that believeth not is condemned already he that believeth is born of God and doth not commit sin but is passed from death to life Query 10. Whether any natural man can preach the Gospel yea or no Priests Answer I do believe they may preach the historical part of the Gospel I believe Iudas did preach and was not behinde in his gift to outward vieâ— of the eleven Apostles for the Apostles had no ground to have any ill conceits of him for had they they would soon have reflected on him when Christ sayd One of you shall betray me but they questioned themselves and not him Matth. 26. 21 22. And God gives great gifts many times to wicked men Rom 2. 18 19 20. 2 Cor. 11. 13 14 15. Ministers of Satan may be transformed into Ministers of righteousness Gal. â— 8. They cannot preach the mystery of the Gospel nor Christ from their own experience or enjoyment for this they know not 't is folly to them 1 Cor. 2. 14. A Reply to the Priests Answer Here thou art pleading for the natural man for Iudas and the false Apostles and it is true in that generacion thou art among them and therefore thou must needs love thy own and stand up for them for no other generacion thou knowest I am a witness against thee and I know thee and have tryed thy spirit to be one of these false Teachers which wouldst transform thy self into an Angel of light and which dost intrude into these things thou never knewst and so thou puffest up thy fleshly minde there thou art I witness thee there eternally by the Eternal spirit Thou sayst Ministers of Satan may be transformed into Ministers of righteousness 2 Cor. 11. 15. here thou wouldst make Satan and righteousness one and shewest forth thy error not knowing the words as the Apostle speaks and if they cannot preach the mystery of the Gospel how can they be transformed into righteousness for the Ministers of Satan transform themselves as the Ministers of righteousness but he doth not say he transforms into it here thou shewest thy self to be a Lyar and thy self to be one of those who are no Ministers of the Gospel getting the form but denying the power 2 Tim. 3. 5. which ever was to be turned away from whose end is destruction according to their works and so thou shewest all along that thou hast but onely the form of the Apostles words for thou pleadest for them who are without and against those who are within who are in the power and life of the truth thou pleadest against the truth and the life which the Apostles were in and the life of the Apostles for the Apostles did discern the false Apostles and those who did transform themselves so with the same spirit we discern thee to be in the same generation among them and there thou must own thy porcion and own the Scriptures to be tru and thy porcion in it which it speaks of to the false Prophets and false Apostles Another Scripture thou bringest 1 Cor. â— 14. thou bringest a Scripture which sayth The natural man receiveth not the things that be of the Spirit of God they are foolishness to him that is thy own condiâ—ion own that Scripture for a truth to thy self for the preaching of Christ and the Cross is foolishness to thee as it was to them that held up the Iewish Synagogues which yet thou holdest up another in imitation from the carnal Letter being carnal and blinde and ignorant of the mystery and of Christ and of the Gospel but the mystery and Christ and the Gospel we witness and own but we have not reâ—â—ived it of man neither were we taught it of man but by the revelacion of Iesus Christ Gal. 1. 12. and we do witness forth the substance as the Apostle did and therefore we do deny all such as thou art who art not so much as a Minister of the Letter and hast not yet got the form of it to speak it tru as the form is but thou hast shewed forth thy ignorance and foolishness of the form of the Letter Query 11. Whether the Tree be not known by its fruits yea or no Priests Answer No question but it is Christ himself says so but I pray thee tell me did ever a good Tree bring forth Despeâ—aâ—ion
Apostle speaks of thou knowest not but art an enimy to it neither knowest thou the Milk that was given to the Flock but thou art one of them that fayl with thy Feet Ezek 34. 18. that hast nothing but the Husk which is fit for nothing but the Swine but as a Theif wouldst be up in the Apostles Condicion The Apostl spoke the Truth which thou art out of and to the flock he spoke of it and the Vineyard thou art an enimy to and that with all thy power and might wouldst wrest the Scripture but thou art thrust out and discovered with them who are within and seen by us and so I bid thee Farewell unto Perdicion thou must go Query 3. Whether the Apostles did not give a tru Exposicion of the 9 verse in the forecited â—hapter and in the 10 verse And if so then he that Plougheth and Thresheth may do it in hope and expectacion of outward preservacion in his labour not to have his mouth muzelled Answ Thou wouldst not have thy mouth muzeled the mouth of the false Prophets must be stopped as the Apostle saith Evil Beasts Slow-bâ—llies whose mouths must be stopped Tit. 1. 11 12. and thou art one of them who takes the Apostles words for thy carnal ends and wouldst have Exposicions upon his words who perverts his words and sayst he gave Exposicions who spoke plainly and thou showest thy self to be one of them that the Apostle spoke unto Query 4. Whether there be not the same equity that those that wait on the Gospell should have maintenance as well as those that wayted on the Temple and on the Altar Aensw They that waited on the Altar lived upon the Altar and they that preached the Gospel lived on the Gospel 1 Cor. 9 13. but repent thou knowest neither but art a deceiver and makest a Trade upon the Scripture but praised be the Lord God who hath given a Light to discover thee and to draw from under thy bands for thou neither waitest upon the Altar nor canst not witness the Gospel but only that Scripture thou bringest to maintain thy gift which thou confessest thou receivest worse then Balaam 2 Pet. 2. 15. Query 5. Whether the Ordinances of Christ in this be out of Date yea or no Answ Christ is the same he was where he is made manifest and his Ordinances the same but thou art one that dost deny them and disobey them Did not Christ command his whom he made Teachers Mat. 23. 8. 10. that they should not be called of men Masters and that they would not have the cheifest place in the Assemblies for they were all Brethren Come down thou painted Beast and proud Pharisy who ever wast an enimy of Christ Wo is thy Porcion for thou art out of date with them for thou dost not observe them Query 6. Whether simply taking of Wages make a Hierling yea â—r no Answ Thou robest the World whereas the Apostle saith he robed the Churches 2 Cor. 11 8. and thou robst the world for the Church of God is the ground and Pillar of Truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. Thou blind Sot and coloured Beast doth not wages make a Hyerling thou canst not deny but thou art an Hyerling thou receivest a gift Balaams wages of unrighteousness therefore Wo is thy Porcion VVhat hast thou to do with the Apostles who spoke against gifts Query 7 If so How could Paul be excused from being a Hierling he taking wages as well as others Answ Art thou as Paul was or wouldst thou make him like thy self who robest the world and he took of other Churches O thou filthy Beast who slanderest the Church of Christ and the Apostles with thy filthy minde who wouldst make the Apostle an Hyerling like thy self who hast nothing to do with the Apostle nor the Church of Christ but as a filthy fellow thou makest a trade upon the Letter and other mens Condicions to deceive withall but thou art discovered to be worse than Balaam who denyed the gift of Baalack though he loved it Num. 22. 18. but all thy Pleading and Querying is for the gift showing thy self to be worse than Balaam Query 8. Whether the worlds wages doth not imply some kinde of contract between them yea or no because he had wages of other Churches for preaching to those of Corinth Phil. 4. 17 18. Answ Thou askest whether Paul did well or no in receiving a gift of the Phillipians thou wrestest his words in saying he received a gift for saith he in the Scripture not because I desire a gift but I desire fruit that may abound to your account But I have all Phil. 4. 17 18. How fain wouldst thou make the Apostle like thy self an Offender so thy eye is blinded with a gift as it is written and here I charge thee to accuse the Apostle falsly Query 9. Whether if Paul received a gift why may not others supply their necessaries Answ Paul sayd not because I desire a gift in the same verse which words thou pervertest but that fruit might abound for he denyed Balaams gifts Thou enimy of Righteousness how darest thou slander the Apostle who was a tru Minister of God all thy end in thy Querying is for thy gift to maintain thee in Balaams Seat here I charge thee by the Lord to be a perverter of the Scripture who art in the way of Kain Iude 11. I can scarce compare thee to Balaam for he denyed the gift which thou pleadest for and wrestest the Scripture to maintain it and therefore Wo is to thee who lovest the wages of unrighteousness but thou art one who servest not the Lord Iesus Christ but thy own Belly and by good words and fayr speeches deceivest the hearts of the simple Rom 16 18. Phil 3 19. Query 10 Whether David was not in a heavenly condicion while on the Earth as well as any of you being a man after Gods own heart Acts 2 34. Answ He was in that heavenly Condicion which thou shalt never see David we witness and his Condicion whom thou art an enimy to and with thy aspiring mind wouldst know but it is the subtle Serpent which is shut forth which Christ cryed Wo unto you Serpents which paint your selves with the Prophets words Math 23 33 and so thou art painted and wouldst be painted and Wo is thy Porcion as t was theirs Math â—3 33. Query 11 What Heaven is this that he is not ascended into Answ â—hou wouldst know what Heaven David is not ascended into thou never knâ—west Davids Condicion that he was in that Minde of thine must first know Hell where the wicked are turned into Psal 9 17. Thou hast nothing to do to know where David is ascended for thou never knewest his first estate nor thou art not brought into his Condicion but he that knowes the Heaven of heavens knows what heaven it is he that hath an Eare let him hear but thou art in the generacion of them that hated David Query 3. If not
and art one of them that art ever learning and led away with divers lusts never able to come to the knowledg of the Truth 2 Tim. 3. 7. Faith is that which leads out of the World up to God from all the Worlds Teachers 1 John 5. 4. and denyes all them as Christ did and doth who are called of men Master and stand praying in the Synagogue and which lay heavy burdens upon the People which Wo was pronounced upon Matth. 23. and is upon all such now he that hath an ear to hear let him hear the mystery of Faith 1 Tim. 3. 8. 2 Query Whether is Faith obtained by hearing the Word preached Answ Hast thou been a Hearer so long and art querying whether Faith cometh by hearing of the Word preached Rom. 10. 17. it shews forth thy subtlety Serpent like thou feedest upon Dust which is the Letter and the Word thou never heardst the Word which is God and Faith is the gift of God and comes by the hearing of the Word and the Word became flesh John 1. 14. but thou art in the generacion of them that ever persecuted them that heard this Word where it spoke forth and as for thee thy Faith is vain thou art yet in thy sins 1 Cor. 15. 14. 3 Query Whether have all men Faith Answ No thou hast none but art vain in thy imaginacions but as I sayd before thou art a Reprobate concerning the Faith 2. Tim. 3. 8. and thou art one of them that art unreasonable 2 Thess 3. â— which have not Faith which the Apostle prayed to be delivered from and thou that doubts art damned already Rom. 14. 23. 4 Query Whether is it possible for any man to please God without Faith Answ Thou canst not please God for thou hast not Faith for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. and all that ever thou dost is sin all thy Profession all thy reading all thy hearing and all thy praying is abominacion to the Lord for they are not offered up from the pure heart but thy heart is rotten filthy and corrupt and all thy hearing and all thy pratling of that thou callest the Word by it thou shalt never get Faith which is the Gift of God but it is all the Serpents meat which feeds thee thou Serpent which art cursed above all the Beasts of the Field who in these Queryes hast shewed forth thy subtlety and temptations Matth. 22. 35. who wouldst have us to deny the Scripture but it is ours we own it Heb. 4. 15. and thee we do deny for thou art without the life of it as the subtle Serpents were which tempted Christ canst thou deny it but thou holdest up such as have the chiefest place in the Assemblyes and stand praying there and with pretence make long Prayers and lays heavy Burdens upon the People and called of men Master which Christ forbids and these are thy Teachers of the Word and Ministers of the Gospel as thou callest them but ye are Antichrists and Enemies to all the commands of Christ O thou blinde Hypocrite and dark Beast why dost thou question things contrary to the Scripture but thou wouldst make a Lye of it as ever thou and thy Fathers did John 8. 44. 5 Query How is Christ in man Answ O thou carnal man and Enemy of Christ dost thou query how Christ is in man thou art of the same minde with the Jews which doubted whether that was the Christ yea or no Light shines in darkness and darkness doth not comprehend it Iohn 1. 5. I am the Light which enlightneth every one that cometh into the world Iohn 1. 9. and that Light shall condemn thee who stumblest at it being without God in the world it shall be thy condemnacion the Light for thou walkst in darkness and knowst not whither thou goest but art led with thy blinde Guides and both shall fall into the Ditch together Matth. 15. 14. 6 Query Whether Christ as Christ be in all men Answ No in thee and thy dark understanding there is no room for Christ for thou art one of them that hates the Light which Light is Christ which hath enlightned every one that comes into the world which is the condemnacion of thee and all the world and thou art one of the Builders Mark 12. 10. that buildeth and stumbleth and rejecteth the Corner-stone Acts 4. 11. 1 Pet. 2. 7 8. who livest above the Light in thee in thy vain imaginacions which Light should guide thee to the Father which Light thou stumblest at and hatest and dost not obey so in flames of fier will he render vengeance upon all such as thou art who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess 1. 8. and do not wait for his appearance 7 Query Whether hath God elected any to Salvation Answ We are elected to Salvation we have the witness within us prayses be to the glorious Lord God for ever who hath elected and chosen us before the foundacion of the world but thou art ordained of old for Condemnacion and for Perdicion among the ungodly ones and art a Reprobate one that hates Christ and art blinde doting about Questions and strife of words 1 Tim. 6. 4. in that untoward generacion which the Apostle prayed that the Saints might be kept from I know thy spirit it is tryed to be the spirit of Antichrist and the spirit of Error which is in the world which the Wo is to and that is thy porcion read Iude 11. 8 Query Whether hath any man or but onely he that is elected to Salvacion a sufficient Light in himself to lead him to Christ Answ Here thou stumblest again at the Light asking whether every man have a sufficient Light to lead them to Christ when Christ sayth I am the Light of the world Iohn 8. 12. and enlightneth every one that cometh into the world Iohn 1. 9. One he loves the Light and walks in it and is a Childe of Light and there is no occasion at all of stumbling Iohn 11. 9. the other he hates the Light because his deeds are evil and will not come to the Light lest the Light should reprove him Iohn 3. 19 20 21. which Light would lead to the Father of Light living in it and taking heed to it which Light shall condemn thee and all who hate it whose deeds are evil there thou art to be condemned by the Light which would teach thee and draw thee out of the World and from all the Teachers of the World and would lead thee up to Salvacion but thou hatest it therefore it is thy Condemnacion that lovest Darkness more than Light following thy own imaginacions which are raced out from God for ever and which Light shall be thy Condemnacion from God Iohn 3. 19. 9 Query What is original sin Answ That which thou livest in is the Root and Author of all Sin so if thou canst read thy self thou mayst know what Originall Sin is as thou calst
Faith 2 Tim. 3. 8. and know not Abraham but draw out from the Word within for where Faith is it is walked in and it purifies the heart and brings to walk in the Steps of Abraham but thou as a busie Fellow art querying whether Faith be counted for Righteousness to him that beleiveth wherby thou wouldst have an addicion to the Scripture or wouldst have it wrested or wouldst thou have us to speak contrary to the Scriptures for it we witness and the Righteousness of Faith we witness Rom. 4. 11. 12. 13. 16. and if thou shouldest say the same we know thee to be a Lyar as they that did swear God lived and swore falsly because we know thee to know nothing of it but as the history speaks who hast showed thy self here to be an Antichrist one of them that hath the Form but not the Power which ever is to be turned away from 2 Tim. 3. Iohn 4. 17 Query Whether hath not Christ Ordained a Ministry in his Church Answ Christ is the Minister to the Church Heb. 8. 2. he is the Head of the Body and Saviour he is the Members and the Head of the Body the Church Col. 1 18 19. he hath Ordained a Ministry but it is that which thou art an Enemy to what is it to thee what is in the Church of Christ for thou art an Enemy to the Church of Christ for thou art in the worlds Assemblies and among the Hyerlings going in the way of Cain and after the Error of Balaam Iude 11. which the Wo was to and among them which are called of men Masters which are pearkt up into the cheifest place of the Assemblies which were Enemies to Christ which bee cryed Wo against Math 23 Read thy Porcion and thy Church there 18 Query Whether did the Apostle Paul command Timothy to Ordain Ministers by laying on of hands and whether Timothy himselfe was not so Ordained Anws Whereas thou wouldst know whether Timothy Ordained Ministers by laying on of hands the same that made him a Minister the same Ordained other Ministers by laying on of the same hand if thou hast an Eare thou mayst heare for it is one Word of Life which the same hand layd on what their Eyes saw what was from the beginning 1 Iohn 1. 1 2 3 which was made manifest which was the Word of Life which was made manifest even from the begining which they did declare but Freind what is this to thee for the maintaining of thy Imitacion and the likeness of it and thy laying on of hands which thy Ministers imitate who walk out of the Steps of Christ and of the Apostles and are made Ministers by the wâ—ll of man and your laying on of hands is by the will of man and your Ordinacion stands cut by the will of man which is all Carnall and we do deny it all as the Apostles did who denyed the carnall commandements Col 2 22 23 19 Query Whether hath not Chrst Ordained a Maintenance for that Ministry Answ They that Preach the Gospel live of the Gospel 1 Cor 9 14 and freely they have received freely do they give Maâ— 10 8 and he that ministers spirituall things to the Brethren they minister unto him carnall things Rom 15. 27. but Freind what is this to thee to maintain thy Church and thy Ministers who bear rule by their means and who goest in the error of Balaam receiving the wages of unrighteousness Jude 11. and who su men at the Law that will not pay them A horrible filthy thing is committed in the Land Jer. 5. 30 31. by those who profess themselves to be Ministers of the Gospel which it is slandred by you all and Iesus Christ his worthy Name is dishonoured and blasphemed by you all and these are the Ministers of thy Church who are ordained by laying on of your hands who walk contrary to Christ and the Apostles for they did never su men at the Law here under a colour thou askest whether Christ hath not ordained a Maintainance for that Ministery whereby thou wouldst have a Cloak to maintain the Ministers of the World which seek for their Gain from their Quarter Ier. 5. which the Lords Prophets cryed against and seek for the Fliece which Ezekiel cryed against Ezek. 24. 2 3. and Hierlings which Micah cryed against Micah 3. 11. and them that loves the wages of unrighteousness which the Apostle cryed Wo against Iude 11. and the Wo is upon thee now which standest up for Balaam with a colour 20 Query Whether were Tithes payd before the Levitical Priesthood and when and how dost thou prove by Scripture they were taken away Answ Abraham payd Tithes and the Levites received Tithes and they that are the sons of Levi who receive the Offices of the Priesthood have a Commandment to take Tithes of the People according to the Law that is of their Brethren but the Priesthood being changed there is also a necessity of changing the Law Heb. 7. 12. and here is a proof for thee and here I prove thee to be under the Curse and to stand up for the Law and to be a Deceiver and an Antichrist because thou deniest Christ come in the â—lesh 1 Iohn 4. 3. and there thou art holding up that which Christ came to put an end to and here I will prove all your Teachers as yâ—u call them to be without Christ and that Christ never sent them for whom he sent forth he sayd unto them Freely ye have received freely give and what a stir is here for your Tithes and Gifts and Augmentacions you make it manifest where your heart is for you are wrangling for these things which are earthly and su men at the Law contrary to Christs command and the Apostles practise who coveted no mans Gold nor Silver God was their witness and here you are raced out from Christ and from all the servants of God for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly Rom. 16. 18. whose glory is their shame who minde earthly things Phil. 3. 19. evil beasts and slow-belleys whose end is destruction 21 Query Whether did Christ command his Disciples to baptize with Water and whether did they baptize with Water Answ Here thou hast shewed forth thy subtlety that thou art ignorant of the Letter what dost thou reade in the Letter Christ sent them forth and bade them Go teach all Nacions baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Matth. 28. 19. the Baptism and Water we witness Iohn 3. 5. for the Water is a witness which the Apostles baptized withall 1 Iohn 5. 8. He that hath an Ear let him hear but thou hast none neither didst thou ever come to this Baptism Christ did not send forth his Disciples to sprinkle a little durty Water upon Childrens faces as your filthy Dreamers do and tell them it is an Ordinance of Christ who are Lyars of him for Christ
did shew forth Christ which was the substance he finding him riding in his Chariot and thou Beast dost wrest this Scripture and pervert it and so takest a place of Scripture and raisâ—st Doctrines Poynts and Uses as thou callest them and what thou conceivest and imaginest of it and so sellest it for money and so makest an hours talk of it and art in one of these Text a moneth or more and speakest thine own inventions of it Did they do so O thou Blasphemer Philip had not a set wages of him but he was moved of the Lord to go to the Eunuch when he was going to Jerusalem to worship so if any were moved of the Lord to come unto any of you who are going to worship and reading of the Scripture and should shew you the substance of it such as thou art would fall a raging for it takes away your Trade we do witness that which Philip did but we deny thee to be in Philips place but onely Antichrist like hath gotten his form O thou Enemy of all Righteousness who hath wrested many Scriptures and perverted them to thine own way Acts 23. 6. to maintain thee in thy filthiness and to make a cover for thee but thou art discovered with all who are uncovered and stand naked before the Lord God Almighty Prayses be to him for him And above all thou sayst thou hast Christ for an example for taking a Text the words which Christ spoke he said it was fulfilled Luke 4. 17. Isai 61. 1. and if thou take his words for an example Is thy Text which thou speakest fulfilled then why dost thou ly so long in a Text Christ said his was fulfilled that day who said the Lord had anoynted him to preach Luke 4. 21. which thou art not nor â—anst witness and Christ did not take it and raise Doctrines Reasons Uses Tryals and Motives and have a set time and a set wages and preach out of it a moneth or more as thou dost but sayd it was fulfilled that day which thou couldst never witness nor yet say O thou impudent and brazen-faced how darest thou take Christ for an example to maintain thee in thy silthiness Christs words we own to be tru and to be fulfilled prayâ—ed be the Lord for ever which thou hast nothing to do with but wrests them with thy corrupt carnal minde to thy own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. but as the Prophet did speak of the Merchants of Babylon as thou art one of them in the mystery of Witchcraft and so with thy craft dost deceive simple ones and the Scriptures I know cannot err from that which gave it forth and thy spirit I know to be the spirit of errour which is the same that ever deceived the Nations and we witness the Scripture in our hearts as Christ did And as touching thy Belief we deny it for thou neither believest Christ nor us for if thou wert of God tou would own us as they sayd who needed no man to teach them but the anoynting 1 John 2. 27. but that thou art without and in the world an Antithrist and there I leave thee Whereas thou dost accuse us of a profane spirit it is the profane minde and spirit in thee which judgest the spirit of truth so because it doth shew that which the profane nature cannot bear and whereas thou dost accuse that we finde fault with your often calling and seeking to God that is false for we would have all to call upon the Lord while he is near and to seek him while he may be found Isai 55. 6. and that is the intent of all our writing and printing or coming to your Steeple-houses or coming abroad for your souls good which you shall eternally witness though your corrupt filthy mindes do reject it but thou Hypocrite and Pharise and Enemy of all Righteousness all thy prayers we utterly deny for they are abominacion to the Lord and all thy blessings are cursed as in Mal. 2. Your praying in the Synagogues as the Pharises did Christ did deny and we also do deny the same and so will every one where Christ is risen deny thee and such as thou art for he is but one the same to day yesterday and for ever whom thou art an Enemy to and in the Generacion of them that ever were so Friend thou sayst thou art jealous that we are acted by a spirit of Satan and dost accuse us to be like those spoken of in Mal. 3. these are thy companions eternally I witness it and there thou art present now among them in the same nature and one that walks out of the commands of God as I have proved before and out of the commands of Christ following thine imaginacions and therefore are we all witnesses against thee that thou art in the Sorcery in the Witchcraft and in the Adultery and in the corrupt seed whose blessings are cursed the same light sees it now and sees thee in the same Generation And whereas thou dost accuse us concerning Prayer thou gatherest many Scriptures in thine imaginacions the Saints prayed continually and from them Scriptures thou imitatest a Form and accusest us who live in the praying continually and to thee it cannot appear in thy carnal form neither dost thou know our spirit for it terrifies thee nor the spirit of the Apostle and we do witness the condicion that the Apostle speaks of praying continually and in every thing giving thanks 1 Thess 5. 17. 1 Tim. 2. 8. But this thou canst not witness to be fulfilled to that which should exercise thy conscience do I speak which shall eternally witness we for thou art dead and the dead cannot prayse God and that which should prayse God in thee is in the Grave and none in the Grave can prayse him Isai 38. 18. and thy carnal minde in thee is limiting God in thy carnal form and custom and with a pretence of thy Prayers Pharise like which is but mocking God and hatefull and abominacion to him and all who are of him thy Prayers and spirit will be denyed by them and thou accuser art without in the world among the false accusers 2 Tim. 3. 3. and thou must deny all thy prayers and all thy customs and all thy worship and all thy imitated Churches as thou callest them and all thy praysings and all the worlds ways before ever thou knowest God or us Qu. 8. Shew me by the Scriptures where the Apostles went into the world and gave the world David's Psalms to sing in Meeter these things that ye practisâ— answer them by the Scripture or the Apostles practise without consequence and imaginacions Priests Answer That the Apostles went into the world that is up and down in several parts of it is clear by all their Epistles That the Apostles Commission from Iesus Christ in their going forth to preach to all Nations was this Teaching them to observe all whatsoever I have commanded you is as clear Matth. 28. 20. That the